Christmas 2021 declutter and clean up - festive fung shui [fwink]

[OnTheHillNotOverIt]

I know it’s blummin early but if I don’t start now I’ll run into the busyness and then I’ll be upset that EVERYTHING IS A MESS

So in an effort to avoid that I’m hoping someone might join me. In addition to just cleaning a bit (lot) I’d like to

Empty small under stairs cupboard and put board games in there

Empty small airing cupboard which is rammed with stuff I don’t use them I can get towels and sheets we do use in there

I have a drawer with festive/craft bits in that’s a disgrace too and doesn’t make me feel warm and festive

I am not an organised person so really want to try. So what are your goals for festive fung shui?

Today i've cleared through the dc's winter clothes. Two massive bin bags full later, they have very empty drawers and I have a shopping list
Dh has been straightening the spare room also his office now
Tomorrow I plan to sort out the sideboard and reorganise a couple of kitchen cupboards.

Sounds good RunningKatie. I’ve been out for a lot of the day but hoovered and mopped and generally straightened up and to be honest it looks better already.

Will sort coats and bags tomorrow I think.

Man Drawers cleared today!
The rest of downstairs has been trashed as we started potty training DS today, but never mind.

Count me in too! My house is pretty organised but only because I've been putting the things we don't use up into the loft. I genuinely would not be surprised if I came home one day to find my loft floor had collapsed cos there is so much stuff up there. Most of it is for Ebay and charity shop but I also need a better system up there so the stuff we are keeping is easier to find. Then I would like to do a quick clearout of every cupboard and drawer in the house. Tomorrow is definitely the day I'm going to make a start!

Great idea. I used to do this each year, getting ready for Christmas & my dd birthday in January. Have any of you come across the Marie Kondo book? The life changing magic of tidying up - or something like that. It’s a bit of a “project “ rather than a tidy up but she talks you through doing a big declutter through your house but you do it in categories. The book is quick to read & it’s a game changer. I heard about & thought it was nonsense but did it and it was well worth it.
I need to do a mini declutter as my dd is a teen now & no longer uses all the stationery bits that she has. Feels hard to part with it as some is unused but might donate it, so it’s not wasted.

I’m in! My goals heading into Christmas are:

• study declutter (really, it is just being used as a storage room for anything else in the house that doesn’t have a place! I need to get in, go through everything that is just clumped there and throw out what’s not needed and look over all the paperwork and scan to create a digital record of what’s important (shredding the rest)
• books and magazines - just had some more bookshelves built, so all books/magazines need to be unpacked, and a good cull, as I can’t have more books than bookshelves to put them in!
• Christmas decorations - this will be heart breaking, but a declutter/cull of anything that doesn’t get put up. A lot were bought in a different house, so they don’t suit this house and don’t get used. Heart-breaking as it is, I have to let those lovely decorations have a new lease of life elsewhere.

Also in January, a closet and clothes declutter. But I can’t face doing that prior to Christmas!

I'm midway through the full Marie Kondo method in order to have a nice house for Christmas. I am knackered! In saying that the place is starting to look a lot better (except the huge pile of eBaying to do).

The thing I've learned from MK is the importance of getting categories of stuff together if they are stored in different places. Turned out we are up to our neck in kids craft but hadn't realised. The other thing is to remember that things need to be accessible in just one or two movements and there needs to be space around things.

Today I watched my 3yo take out pencils and notebooks and then put them back when he was finished . I hope it stays this way!

Ohhhh I LOVE this. So far my list is

• Sort my own wardrobe, organise clothes and shoes
• Sort DC wardrobes and drawers
• Empty and Declutter airing cupboard and side unit in front room
• Buy a rug for front room and a few throws (seems to be getting chilly now)
• Few drawers need screws in DS wardrobe
• Get rid of old cot/bed taking up space in my room
• Get kitchen cupboards emptied, cleaned and restocked
• Pull out all rooms for a decent hoover, dust, clean end of November before tree goes up
• New Lino in bathroom would be lovely
• New pane of glass in one window (seal has gone)
• New blinds in front room
• Check smoke alarm batteries
• New winter bedding
• Restock tin cupboard

I uncovered two surfaces in the spare room today! It was like an archaeological dig

I’m in!

I’ve got some goals but a bit broader in range:

1. Declutter a couple of big bags to the charity shop. This will be mid/end November as I also want to declutter some Christmas decs and I’m not going to dump those on them before then.
2. The big one: do up my bathroom. Not a total reno, just some DIY. Want to get the plumber out briefly for a couple of small bits in October then K can crack on.
3. Finish all Christmas and Birthday shopping by early/mid November. I am half way through.
4. Wrap and prep all gifts and cards by Dec 1st.
5. Deep clean (deeeeeep) the entire house, top to bottom but especially my kitchen.
6. Perfect a Meal for hosting around Christmas time in my tiny kitchen with a tiny over for 12 people.

Just going to take it step by step. I think over the next week I’m going to keep making inroads into the shopping and start to prep the materials needed for bathroom.

Today I've tidied out my wardrobe and made a nice hidey space for birthday presents.
Currently drinking a lot of coffee and dealing with the huge random piles of paperwork.

I haven’t made much progress. I’ve just been getting rid of packages and parcels that for some reason I shove in my wardrobe instead of throwing out as soon as I know I’m keeping item. Threw out a pile of receipts and leaflets as well.

Every little help Doofus.

I’m quite busy this evening but aiming to just do the drawer with the bin bags, recycling stuff, foil etc as DH likes to ram carrier bags in there. It won’t take long but I’ll be happy to be able to open and close it without having to shove stuff back in at the same time

I need to do this and on mat leave so no excuse. Though I am battling PND.. Hopefully will give me something to focus on.

I am 2/3s of christmas shopping done but DH not happy with me as we are running out of loft space to store! So I think my wardobes need a big de-clutter and then they can serve as extra storage!

Even just decluttering one item a day is great Doofus.

Sorry you're suffering Filthy, sounds like you're well organised for Christmas pressies.

I'd like to have the following done:

• Kids bedroom finished incl. bits of painting
• Kitchen re-organised and floor sorted out
• Hallway streamlined
• Little bathroom painted
• Christmas shopping done before Dec so I can enjoy the season a bit

Done already:

• Upstairs bathroom
• Our bedroom
• Living room
• Playroom / spare bedroom
• Loads of present-buying

Weeee I did my drawer even though I was out until 9.30

Turns out I have multiples of bin and recycling bags, 3 rolls of foil, plenty of dish sponges... you get the picture and they are all stacked in groups looking great.
One thing a day here even if it’s just small.

Little steps Filthy Let’s do what we can and what we don’t get to can wait for the New Year.

Hello! Can I join you?

I went through our house using some of the principles of Marie Kondo some years ago and can highly recommend it.

Before Christmas I want to:

• Go through my tiny study and relocate as much stuff as possible back to the office. Or into the bin!

• Tackle the loft

• Get the new doors fitted may need to resort to actually kidnapping a carpenter for this one

• Buy and fit new storage furniture/bench for the porch

• Edit our books and board games. I think as much as 40% are not likely to be used again and can be re-homed.

I also have a dream of turning one of our cupboards on our landing into a tiny library cupboard…

Love the cupboard library,
I think tradespeople are in short supply. My Bath needs refitting.
I may also buy a new oven as mine no longer gets very hot so it takes ages to cook anything which was really stressful last Christmas. Can’t believe we have just put up with it for nearly another year,

I’ll post a photo if I do manage to convert the cupboard.

I have a large box ready for the study. I have a particularly dull project meeting I need to sit in on (virtually, with camera off) today so I plan to start filling it with stuff that needs to go back to the office.

Finally managed to actually begin decluttering today. I sorted out four bags of DS and my old clothes and walked them (trying to conserve petrol) up to the local clothing bank. So nice to get things out immediately!

Halllooo.

Can I join too please? I definitely need some motivation. My main aim is the kids toys. I need a major declutter of this area. When clearing out my eldest wardrobe I've realised there are still items in there from last Christmas. Mainly art kits so I'm hoping we can use those up on raining days.

I've decided that's my job for today. Or at least make a start.

Tried to post yesterday but I lost it all. Yesterday managed to take four bags of ds and my old clothing to the clothing bank.

Today, I sorted out a cupboard in the kitchen full of plastic bottles, pots etc. managed to get rid of Lots of it and the cupboard looks so much cleaner. I also managed to do a bit of a sort of some Christmas decorations.

Oh, sorry it did post yesterday. How strange.

Go for it pineapple 🍍
I’m tired after work but have cleared the kitchen counter and will tackle more drawers tomorrow.

Good morning.

So I finally managed to clear out 3 bags of toys for donations, one ice cream cart and 2 bags of broken toys. Everything is tidy and now has a home. I'm hoping it's doing to stay that way 😂

Next job- my work area. Probably won't get done until Monday now.