Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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:
Original poster
Titsalinabumsquash · 22/09/2014 09:07

Today my task is to build the new furniture so I can sort and declutter the old toys.
I going slowly but surely.

OP posts:
yomellamoHelly · 22/09/2014 09:13

I've been doing this: christmas.organizedhome.com/

Like to have a plan!

ShesAStar · 22/09/2014 11:32

Hi all, I need to join this thread!! We have a small house and I hate clutter with a passion - so everything that isn't used/played with has to go!!

But... I feel so guilty giving away presents that other people bought the children. For example my MIL bought a massive set of Happy Land for my DD - it takes up loads of room in the toy cupboard but never really gets played with, also a few other big toys that people have very kindly bought that don't get used and take up space.

What does everyone else do with this stuff? Do you give it away or just hold onto it through politeness?

Good luck everyone - today I am tackling the children's clothes!

MadameJ · 22/09/2014 11:40

shesastar I think if you are limited with space I would get rid of things that aren't played with. I'm sure things like Happyland have quite good resale value so you could always sell them and get your children something else!

So far since yesterday I have sorted the kitchen cupboards and under the stairs, hoping I don't peak too soon Hmm

LetThereBeCupcakes · 22/09/2014 12:02

Marking my place to catch up and join you all later on - for now I will just say I have SPREADSHEETS. Lots of them.

In fact, we have almost reached a point where the spreadsheets have become clutter. Hmm

Original poster
Titsalinabumsquash · 22/09/2014 12:04

Storage had been built and is in place! \O/ hooray!

I now need to sort the toys along with doing all the regular household chores.

OP posts:
ipswichwitch · 22/09/2014 12:15

mid-way though tackling DS2's room - I've sorted his clothes and put an extra rail in his wardrobe. Just need to go through the unplayed with toys and get rid.
Haven't gone anywhere near the cupboard of toys and spiders in the sitting room yet!
I've been sorting the christmas and birthday presents I've bought (so organised!) into boxes and stashing in the loft cupboard, and I've updated my present spreadsheet (sad!)

ShesAStar · 22/09/2014 12:18

Thanks MadameJ - I'm sure I could re-sale them, they are like new but they are bulky to send. I might do a trip to the charity shop. We are limited on space but mainly because I don't like things everywhere! All clutter must be contained!

Well done on sorting the kitchen cupboards and under the stairs - just the idea of sorting under the stairs gives me a cold sweat. Full of shoes and coats - probably half of which don't get used or at too small.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/09/2014 12:24

Star I've just sold some happyland on a FB local selling site. It was bought and collected within a couple of hours.

MillieMoodle · 22/09/2014 17:21

Cupcake, you sound like my DH Smile He has a spreadsheet. He lives for spreadsheets!
I've managed to post most of the ebay parcels today (all the ones which have been paid for). Will tackle the cupboards tonight. I have a good excuse for not having done it yet; we've been without water all day and it's only just come back on.
Will report back with an update on progress and tomorrow's list of jobs later on!

ShesAStar · 22/09/2014 19:39

Thanks JiltedJohnsJulie what a good idea - do you mind me asking what you would recommend as a price for the fairground set and train? Also about ten people? Many thanks

MadameJ · 22/09/2014 20:48

In all honesty under the stairs wasn't too bad as we only moved here 18 months ago, there was about 10 tins of paint which have being moved to the garage. Have now put all dd's art stuff in large boxes under there as well as shoes and coats, really quite pleased with today's effort Grin

LetThereBeCupcakes · 23/09/2014 07:34

Right, I'm all caught up and ready to get stuck in!

Madame I want to move all of our paint to the garage but DH won't let me - he says it will freeze and get ruined. How did you convince your DH?

Star Get rid. If you live anywhere near me I'll buy it! DS is mad for Happyland

Right, I've been through and updated my Declutter spreadsheets (all 21 of them). I currently have 1 room in "Phase 3 - Maintenance" which means it's completely clean, tidy, and organised and just needs keeping on top of. That's DS' room and as he's only a toddler it's not long been done. All of the rest of the rooms are in "Phase 1 - Declutter", at varying stages. (Phase 2 is decorate for anybody wondering!). I shan't bore you all with the garden / shed / cars spreadsheets!

2014 has been the Year of The Declutter here so I'm making good progress, but I need to ramp things up a bit and am switching focus to things like DVDs, Books, and anything else we might get more of for Christmas to make sure we have space.

Yesterday I decluttered:
DS' toys in the living room
The Wii Games
The remains of a bag of Hershey's Peanut Butter Cups Blush

Today I'm going to have a look through the bookshelf I think.

Has anybody heard of Amazon Match? Somebody at work told me that you can now download as MP3s any CD in your purchase history - haven't checked it out yet but if it's true it might help with decluttering efforts.

ShesAStar · 23/09/2014 13:24

Cupcakes if you live anywhere near me and are willing to collect it you can have it for free! I'm in Hertfordshire. You sound like you've been going great guns, you sound very organised. I managed to de-clutter the biscuit tin of all the Party Rings!

I have a big cupboard in DD's room full of clothes that I love but the DC have grown out of - I must empty it today and I am going to Ikea to buy some shelving to put all books and magazines on - half my books are stacked in the bottom of my DD's wardrobe.

OneSkinnyChip · 23/09/2014 13:36

I'm in! Marking place for now.

DontTellMum · 23/09/2014 13:58

Can I join please? I am in major need to declutter!! We have had major building work done this year (& still going on but hopefully nearly there!) so everything got stuffed into bags & box's & forgotten about & I am now in the midst of trying to clear it all at the same time as reorganising stuff back into rooms! I have loads of stuff to sell so have all this lying around waiting for me to put on gumtree or eBay.
When do you think is best time to put stuff on eBay? Is evening end time best or weekend? Likewise gumtree - not having much luck with that even though my prices are reasonably low Confused
Marking place & will come on back later with my stuff I need to do.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 23/09/2014 14:31

Don'ttell I always find Sunday evenings are a good time, with a finishing time of about 8pm. Think you can upload pictures and descriptions beforehand and then just press a button on Sunday night to start your auction.

Spreadsheets sound very organised Envy knows would mess about with spreadsheets rather than decluttering [slob emoticon]

Star I looked on ebay to see what things were going for/sold for. It was good because the things were out of my house the same day and I didn't have to post or pay commission charges Smile

So far I have decluttered a "snowdrift" of paperwork. That's what our glorious leader Marie Kondo calls then anyway. Felt good. Have now got just piece of paper to file and a small pile of to action. The rest is gone!

ValerieTheVodkaFairy · 23/09/2014 14:46

I have done under the stairs today, well DH started it because things fell on him Grin I've also bought a massive tub of paint for it too, and general touch ups around the house.

The cupboard under the stairs is painted a deep, royal blue (why? why would someone do that?) so it's even more conducive to untidiness because you can't SEE anything

OneSkinnyChip · 23/09/2014 14:48

This may sound really stupid but I don't even know where to begin! I am thinking I might start with the kitchen as stuff is probably easier to sort there. I feel like there's so much clutter I don't know how to even tackle it. Any helpful links / websites?

JiltedJohnsJulie · 23/09/2014 15:03

SkinnyChip it doesn't sound silly at all. Have you seen this thread?

I didn't know where to start either and in a few days I've done all of my clothes including the floorrobe Blush, all of my books and some paperwork. I've also been discarding things as I see them and given the lounge a huge tidy. The book is great Smile

OneSkinnyChip · 23/09/2014 15:57

Thanks Julie :) Just ordered the book on Kindle (to avoid creating more clutter!)

BiddyPop · 23/09/2014 16:38

I started well in late august and then almost took my finger off in an avocado related incident so that slowed me down for a few weeks.

Planning on getting back to it on Thursday though!!

I do what's called the Holiday Grand Plan - an 18 week plan to clear out each room of the house, fully prep for Christmas, enjoy Thanksgiving (as a born Yank although never lived there, I feel I should do that too!) and get some order on my life despite the mania of Christmas prep, home life and work life all being in overload in November and December.

I had done outdoors, the study, and most of the hall/stairs/landing, and DH did the car at the weekend. And I've gotten rid of about 10 bags of clutter to the dump and bins, 4 to charity shops, and another 4 down to the storage unit out of the way. I need to get back to do the living room and our bedroom this week though to get back on track.

ShesAStar · 23/09/2014 18:39

JiltedJohnsJulie that sounds very sensible, I hadn't thought to check eBay prices! If Cupcakes doesn't live near by I will do what you did. Having unused toys in the house cluttering up space makes me irritable.

Does anyone else have a large family with only a few children? We have a very large family who are all very generous with our children. I am super grateful and they are so kind but they buy main presents which are always so big! I always suggest presents but all suggestions get ignored and they end up buying the children what I suspect they would have liked for themselves when they were young. If anyone else is in this strange over privileged boat what do you do?? The choices seem to be limited!

MadameJ · 23/09/2014 19:04

lettherebecupcakes I didn't mention it to dh and now definitely won'tWink

OneSkinnyChip · 23/09/2014 20:07

Julie I am loving the MariKon book thanks for the recommendation Smile It's very inspiring!

Star I feel your pain. DH is from a large family and they insist on buying presents individually for DD. Most are in the region of twenty quid which means they are mostly plastic and noisy and indestructible. I have begged in the past for them to put money together and buy one thing but this is greeted with horror. It's just not the done thing. DD is so small I would rather they gave money for her savings. She just doesn't need all the stuff she gets. I am really tempted to beg again this year and uf they get more stuff I may flog it Sad