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Original poster

Do we have a Christmas 2014 decluttering thread yet?

143 replies

Titsalinabumsquash · 20/09/2014 08:28

I wasn't sure if this should go in Good Housekeeping but I know people get twitchy enraged at the mention of Christmas in non designated topics! Wink

Anyway, it's only 3 months away and my house needs a decluttering and sorting, would anyone want to join me in doing a small space at a time?

I'm a list maker, I'm planning on splitting my house into zones and doing one at a time and sorting into keep and lose piles and dealing with them there and then rather than sorting into new piles and leaving them to gather into more clutter.

OP posts:
feetheart · 20/09/2014 17:54

For those of you with spare toiletries - your local Refuge would probably be very grateful. If someone has just run then even the most basic toiletries are needed - toothbrushes, DO, shower gel etc.

Original poster
Titsalinabumsquash · 20/09/2014 18:03

I'm hosting Christmas for DP's family this year too, so my house needs doing.

Great news received today, my little baby is healthy and has a strong heartbeat so I can relax now and get in the zone for some sorting. Grin

I've scanned and packaged all out DVDs for music magpie, we don't watch them and the £200 will come in handy. Smile

OP posts:
chocolatedonut · 20/09/2014 18:17

Hello! Also wish to join Smile

donniemurdo · 20/09/2014 19:03

Me too. Just moved house into a smaller house. Did a heap of decluttering before we moved but didn't have time for a full declutter and we had/still have loads of stuff ...

Still got a load of boxes to unpack as well as things to get rid of, so a Christmas focused declutter would be good.

MrsMinton · 20/09/2014 19:07

I'm just going to lurk mark my place for ideas.

MrsGeorgeMichael · 20/09/2014 19:07

i am ashamed to say how much decluttering i have done this evening.
children are lucky they have a friend here as it has stopped me from yelling Shock
christmas may well be banned the way i am feeling at the mo.
but it feels good Grin soooooo tidy!

didireallysaythat · 20/09/2014 19:20

I've done nothing. But I've opened a bottle of something nice to celebrate anyway....

NorksEnormous · 20/09/2014 19:28

Oh can I join too? At this rate Santa won't be able to come because there's nowhere to put anything!!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 20/09/2014 21:07

Smile Great News indeed Titsalina

DrFunkesFamilyBandSolution · 21/09/2014 08:06

I'm in!

Have to declutter for potential house move before Christmas but if that falls through we're out of storage so would like to, you know, not have to fight the cupboards everytime I open them!

It's going to be slow work here but hoping to make a bit of £ out of selling some bits and find lots for the charity shops.
I'm 28wks pg with dc3 so need to be done with everything before it arrives & I cba to clean/declutter!

DrFunkesFamilyBandSolution · 21/09/2014 08:07

We're doing bookshelves & sideboard tonight, so dh has the job of drinking the excess alcohol, poor sod

Shiraznowplease · 21/09/2014 08:23

Really need to join, moved to a bigger house last year but have seemed to fill it with yet more stuff. I keep thinking I will ebay it but never quite get round to it. Do you think I would be better just getting rid so it actually goes ??

MadameJ · 21/09/2014 08:32

I have made a good start, passed on small clothes and toys to my best friend. Dd1 has a bday just after christmas so must make more space.
Really need to sort out my cupboards and drawers in the kitchen but struggling as my 2 dd's are always with me!!
Would also like to tackle the cupboard under the stairs but really don't know where to start Hmm

LillianGish · 21/09/2014 08:50

Just down-sized to an apartment from a huge house. I was ruthless (in spite of initial opposition from DH). Sold/gave big bits of furniture to people who were moving into our house (they were up-sizing so needed more stuff). Took bags and bags of stuff to charity shop. Also did a car boot sale to encourage kids to de- clutter - we sold everything and came back with an empty car. Wish I'd done one before as it was great fun! I was absolutely determined that I wouldn't arrive in my new flat with boxes piled to the ceiling and no room to move. Just posting to say I can honestly say that sitting here in my apartment - everything tidily put away with a place for everything - I don't miss a single thing I got rid of. What I see is a lovely, tidy, functioning space. So I want to urge you all to JUST DO IT. Don't think about how you'll miss your stuff (you won't give it is second thought when it's gone) think about how much you'll appreciate the extra space.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/09/2014 15:38

Shiraz I would set yourself a deadline. Get them or ebay by 10pm today or take them to the charity shop tomorrow.

Sounds hard I know but I've just taken my ebay pile to our charity shop and it felt good. It also feels good waking up in a more tidy bedroom.

I've been decluttering too after joining this cult thread.

So far I've done my clothes and books. When I'm feeling a bit better am going to tackle the paperwork. DH is already talking about sorting his books...

My aim is to have a cleaner, fresher home by Christmas. Apparently the Konmari method takes 6 months but at least it will be a tidier, less cluttered and less stressful home by Christmas.

VivaLeBeaver · 21/09/2014 15:41

I'm in.

Today I have decluttered dd's bedside drawers. Thrown away ten years worth of happy meal toys and other crap.

Tomorrow I'm advertising her bean bag that she doesn't have space for or use. Also advertising her drum kit which she doesn't use.

Yesterday I decluttered the front room, not quite finished there but will finish it this week.

I'm itching to do my bedroom and the dining room but the bin is full so I think I need to wait till after bin day now.

CiderwithBuda · 21/09/2014 16:10

I was going to suggest the same cult thread that Jilted linked to!

I used to hold on to stuff to eBay as well. Then DH suggested I just took it all to the charity shop so I did. Felt so much better once it had all gone. I look on it as a charitable contribution much the same as giving money to a charity. So unless you really need the money it's def worth doing.

And I know eBay has become a real pain but local Facebook selling pages are good. I sold all of DS's WWE figures etc a couple of weeks ago that way. Have a football table and a few other bits to get rid of too.

Original poster
Titsalinabumsquash · 21/09/2014 17:30

I went to ikea today to get more storage.

DP decided to get DS3 a pop up tent that is now taking up vast amounts of room.

I may or may not have had a hormonal, sobbing, rant at him. Blush

I need to get started!

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/09/2014 18:32

I went to ikea today to get more storage.. Oh dear. That's just not the konmarie way. One is simply not allowed to buy storage before ones house is only filled with the things that bring you joy.

Not sure you are going to be allowed onto our cult thread now Grin

Original poster
Titsalinabumsquash · 21/09/2014 18:54

Sorry I broke the rulez of the cult. Blush

I did get a shiny new sofa and dining table though after selling my old ones on Facebook. Grin

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/09/2014 19:02

I did get a shiny new sofa and dining table though after selling my old ones on Facebook. that's much better. That's more along the lines of filling your house with things that give you joy Smile

Talking of which, I've got my eye on our kitchen bin. Its cheap, doesn't fit anywhere and we've had it years.

FrancesHB · 21/09/2014 20:00

I'm in. I hope to have finished my Marie Kondo declutter by then. Toys are a bit of an issue here, as are children's clothes.

OverAndAbove · 22/09/2014 06:49

Right. I've made a start. It's going to take ages as I'm doing it alongside sorting out some small repairs in the house, my Xmas shopping and also getting vaguely prepared for winter.

This weekend I've handed over a bag of grown-out clothes to DB for my niece, packaged up the last of DC's summer clothes to store, mucked out one drawer in the living room (I know - but it's done properly and with much throwing out!) and put aside two dresses of mine to go to the charity, and one for the bin.

Sounds like some good progress is being made elsewhere too!

OverAndAbove · 22/09/2014 06:58

I should have added my list of things to work on next (so I can't avoid them):

Empty out recycling and tidy bin space outside
Move stack of newly bought Xmas presents upstairs into spare room to keep dining room uncluttered
Wrap and bag up 4 x kids party presents for next cole for weeks and bag up ready to go
Use lunch time today (I'm working from home) to spend half an hour on the shed. It's full of spiders and gigantic webs so I'm only going to approach by standing in the doorway and seeing what I can reach from there...

MillieMoodle · 22/09/2014 07:11

Hello all, can I join too? Our house is in need of a major declutter, we seem to have stuff everywhere!
I need to sort out the spare room which is currently a dumping ground for anything and everything. Got lots of DS baby clothes to put on ebay; have sold the first lot of stuff already!
Also want to sort out the kitchen cupboards and drawers (have done 2 so far) and have a clear out of DS toys. Hopefully you'll be able to keep me motivated! I'm planning to do one or two specific things each day to try to get through it all.
Today it's taking the stuff I sold on ebay to the post office; it's currently cluttering up my kitchen table. Also want to get another couple of kitchen cupboards cleaned and sorted.
Smile

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