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Original poster

When/do you have a pre-Christmas declutter?

23 replies

MTWTFSS · 15/09/2015 14:08

Anyone else having a pre-Christmas declutter, such as old toys etc?

I've started today, and continuing tomorrow.

OP posts:
wigglesrock · 15/09/2015 14:21

From about now as well, my youngest has started primary school this month so I'm slowly de cluttering her huge volume of "younger" toys. I like to have the most of it done by Halloween, one of my dds has a birthday then so I like to get sorted before her birthday stuff. I tend to lose November and early December in a mad dash of days out, work overtime, nativities, school meetings etc, homework etc.

elQuintoConyo · 15/09/2015 20:32

I started, albeit unconsciously, last month, but usually around now when it is back to school time.

My son doesn't have an awful lot, so it doesn't take long to sort into junk/charity/give away.

I do tend to keep on top of his toys quite well, I note what he doesn't take any interest in, give it a couple of months, then get rid. He has never asked for anything that we have thrown away.

God, i sound sanctimonious Blush but we don't have grandparents or other family that buy him lots of stuff.

PesoPenguin · 15/09/2015 20:56

We're moving soon, so have already had a clear out. Our current house is tiny, so we have to keep on top of things anyway and DS will be having things for his new bedroom for Christmas and a fancy new bike so we don't need to make too much space.

IAmSashaFierce · 15/09/2015 21:07

Usually we do it the last week of November, with a big push over the weekend.

All the DC do their toys, clothes, books etc. DH and I do clothes, the loft, the food cupboards and things like our newspaper tub which seems to only get emptied once a year!

When we do a clear out and aren't sure about certain things, we tend to put them in a certain part of the loft, so when I do the clear out next year I can see if I've used any of it and if not that goes too.

We then put the Christmas bed linens on and use the opportunity to get all the decorations down, clean them and test the lights etc.

CakeNinja · 15/09/2015 22:28

I've been doing a declutter since they all went back to school. It's so therapeutic!
We've got a skip at the moment for some building work we're having done, so I'm managing to get rid of a binbag of crap most days, sometimes more.
2 of my dc have birthdays right before Christmas so I like to feel on top of things for then anyway.

BiddyPop · 16/09/2015 08:10

I did a reasonable amount during the summer (house badly needs a LOT of decluttering).

But mostly, I do a thing called the Holiday Grand Plan, which focusses on 1 room a week from the last week of August until 2 weeks before Christmas. Decluttering and deep cleaning. (And Christmas preparations too). So my bedroom is next week (but may swop with bathroom as wardrobes being changed the week after). DD's bedroom is in 3 weeks time - clothes, books and toys. Pantry week is the mid-term break (last week of October) and playroom the week after. I'll probably do some on the playroom during midterm.

The charity shops locally are all getting to know me well.....

giraffesarefab · 16/09/2015 10:23

I've started too! Done the living room, dining room, playroom and doing the kitchen today then that's downstairs done!

Ds2 has the small bedroom and the bathroom will be quite easy so just our room and ds1's room (but those 2 rooms will take longer than the rest of the house)

I feel so much better once it's all done, I start getting the itch to declutter in early Sept.

fuckingfuming · 16/09/2015 10:47

i am doing it slowly. however i have not long started working after a loooooooong time away so dont have as much time as usual. will take months i expect

snowgirl1 · 16/09/2015 13:55

Do you ask your children if you can throw their toys away? Or just clear them out when they're not around? I need to have a ce-clutter but am worried that if I ask DD (3.5), nothing will get cleared out; and if I don't ask her, she'll get upset when she discovers I've thrown stuff away...

fuzzpig · 16/09/2015 14:02

I really need to do this. But then I need to declutter all year round really! Blush

elQuintoConyo · 16/09/2015 15:10

snowgirl1 our 3.9yo doesn't notice as it is stuff he doesn't play with - CrappyMeal toys, broken cars, plastic tat off the Peppa Pig magazine etc. He still has a fair bit of stuff, but stuff that gets played with.

He'd never get rid of things if I asked him!

snowgirl1 · 16/09/2015 16:41

Thank you elQuinto - let the decluttering commence (while DD sleeps)!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 16/09/2015 21:18

Oooh I reckon this weekend I'll start in earnest.

The small boxroom needs tidied, DD shoved a load of her books in there when we tidied her room. I'll bundle them up for the Charity Shop.

I need to buy some more pillows and just keep them wrapped for guests.

If we have company, I'll need to check the inflateable bed is ok.

I'm working my way through all the bottles in the bathroom before I buy more. I'll do a sort out there.

Need to clean out the pantry and the chest freezer .

My DC don't have toys now except for DD Sylvanian Family collection that she plans to put on eBay.

Might even get round to some painting Grin

DeliveredByKiki · 18/09/2015 18:10

Before Halloween as that's DS's birthday and DD's is end of November - if it weren't for that probably early december

mrdaddypig · 28/09/2015 20:18

clearing out old toys now i have 2 birthdays coming up and a house move so a mad time of complete busy times

Original poster
MTWTFSS · 18/10/2015 12:37

Finished Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
MTWTFSS · 18/10/2015 12:38

I mean finished the kids room... Still have the rest of the house Blush

OP posts:
WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 18/10/2015 14:01

I started last week. It's been great! Lots to charity shop, recycling and sold a lot on gumtree/eBay.

I'm amazed at how much stuff has gone out in the last week. We needed a whole top to bottom clearout though.

Paperblank · 18/10/2015 15:06

We're in the middle of decorating our lounge and it's been emptied apart from the sofa and the TV. Emptying the bookcases was fun - totally full of crap Confused, goodness knows where it comes from.

It will be scrubbed top to bottom before anything goes back in and NOTHING is going in my new cabinets unless it is essential

Once the lounge is done I'll tackle the kitchen.

Original poster
MTWTFSS · 18/10/2015 15:17

I am so ashamed of our dinning room table Blush It is covered in stuff and really needs to be sorted out but I still have other stuff to do that hasn't been done lately as I've had a terrible chest infection :(

OP posts:
Paperblank · 18/10/2015 15:49

MTWTFSS

Mine is generally piled high ... it is just a convenient dumping ground. It drives me mad but we tend to gravitate towards it and because we have a kitchen diner we spend a lot of time in the kitchen and it never looks tidy.

You have my sympathy - I've been off with a chest infection this past week, probably shouldn't have been painting but needs must!

notenoughbottle · 18/10/2015 16:50

I started today, my eldest boys, 9 and 6, share a room and i could barely get in there this morning! It looks like they have loads of toys but most of it are bits and pieces. Have found a load of nearly new clothes to eBay.

Senpai · 19/10/2015 03:17

Already got rid of all DD's baby toys one night while she was sleeping. Didn't even notice.

I'll be taking some more of her old toys into storage on Christmas Eve and switching them out with new ones from Santa.

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