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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Out with the old and in with - NOTHING! Further adventures in minimalism.

995 replies

MrsPennyapple · 12/04/2013 21:34

Following on from the Minimalist Journey and Minimalist Quiche threads. The journey continues...

OP posts:
BeCool · 29/04/2013 13:14

Love it arti. Well done.

I just dropped huge floor cushion off to charity shop. Another item I've not used for years but held onto despite desperate lack of space. WTF was it soooooo hard to drop off? I nearly ran out with it!

Funny, weird - whatever ITS GONE FOREVER!!! Hooray!

Sokmonsta · 29/04/2013 14:06

Congratulations BeCool :) it's liberating once its gone isn't it?

BeCool · 29/04/2013 14:10

yes yes yes!!!

The change in our flat is amazing. My vision, that once seemed impossible, is coming to life before my eyes. It's amazing. It's liberating having less and less. I'm far from a true minimalist, but I'm digging the principles and I'm feeling the benefit of everything that's gone.

You know of the 23 or so large bags I've donated to the charity shop, and the huge amount I've just tossed, I can barely even think what has gone. For years I thought it would be a LOSS to do this, but it's a HUGE Masshove, ginormous GAIN!!!

BeCool · 29/04/2013 14:12

and never ever in a million years would I ever think I'd be hanging out in Good Housekeeping!!!!

I LOVE IT HERE!! You all rock.

Nagoo · 29/04/2013 14:38

Hello :)

I have been lurking but wanted to say thank you as I have sorted out a load of toys, and got four big bags I'm just about to take to the charity shop Thanks

BeCool · 29/04/2013 14:57

Hi Nagoo - lovely flowers, thanks.

And I know exactly where to find a vase to put them in (without endless fumbling around through piles of crap)

BeCool · 29/04/2013 14:57

oh & that should have said WELCOME & WELL DONE :)

Original poster
MrsPennyapple · 29/04/2013 15:06

Alark I know how you feel about getting rid of recent baby clothes - although I haven't had to face that particular demon yet. I'm pg with our second and probably last DC so we have kept all DD's stuff and will get rid of whatever is unsuitable if we have a boy this time. However, I take loads of pictures of DD, and find it really hard to delete the blurry ones or the ones that are very similar to each other - it feels like I'm deleting her! Silly eh? I do give myself a bit of a stern look, and delete them eventually, but it still doesn't sit right, somehow. Maybe compromise, and keep one item for every item you get rid of. Later on, have another crack at it, and maybe you'll feel able to say goodbye to some more things.

I'm not very good at motivating people to get rid of things, am I? I suppose I think of it as an ongoing process, rather than a single task that needs to be completed. I think the positive feelings that come with clearing out rubbish are self perpetuating, the more you declutter, the more you want to declutter. Pushing yourself to get rid of things you're not ready to part with just makes the whole process feel a bit less positive and a bit more like an unpleasant chore. Of course, I may feel differently if I were decluttering in preparation for a house move or similar :)

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsPennyapple · 29/04/2013 15:11

X-post, welcome Nagoo!

And Becool congratulations on your recently expanded living room :)

OP posts:
BeCool · 29/04/2013 15:16

"I take loads of pictures of DD, and find it really hard to delete the blurry ones or the ones that are very similar to each other - it feels like I'm deleting her!"

YY^^ I have 1000's .......................

I find getting rid of DD2's clothes easy now though - I've worked through that pain and now when it looks a little snug, to the charity shop it goes. (well there are some bits I'm holding onto - but just a few)

Nagoo · 29/04/2013 15:38

I have decided that there will be NO MORE DC so a load of the stuff was outgrown clothes. I took in a load of shoes which were the eBay pile, I know I just CBA to make 99p on a pair of shoes.

BeCool · 29/04/2013 15:43

YAY I'm all for giving ourselves permission to take the ebay clutter pile to the charity shop. That was very important for me.

Nagoo · 29/04/2013 17:38

Becool it's going to be life changing Grin

wendybird77 · 29/04/2013 20:09

Yay Nagoo! Yy to charity shopping the ebay pile and welcome to the dark side Grin

Hello and welcome to all newbies!

I have been hiding in bed all weekend with mystery illness, but the sleep seems to have done me some good. I dug out the double pushchair today for a stroll with two toddlers and the strain of it about killed me. Time to sell that one on and look for something more minimal and easier to push!

I am nearly done with the decluttering here (for now). Everything (in the house) has been gone through and gone through again. I am now officially minimising, organising, and even acquiring for the sake of simplicity and ease. I bought some new stacking mugs which fit nicely in the drawer and the old ones have been put in the charity shop bag. I am still looking for glasses which are narrow enough, but stack nicely.

My capsule wardrobe isn't going so well. Despite lots of purchasing there has been lots of returning. I've kept two pairs of trousers and taken the tags off, only to wear them and realise they are probably too baggy in the waist. So now what? I'll probably keep them for a while, but I feel a bit of a failed shopper as I really want only things that fit well and that I love to wear. I think I need to come back to this one. I really hate shopping for clothes and I need a break I think.

Next on my list is minimalist food planning. I'm rubbish with food. DH does the shopping and I am in a bad rut of cooking out of the freezer / making sandwiches. I need to make a food plan which includes shopping list so that meals don't require much thought, but are reasonably healthy and varied. I've been putting this one off for quite a while for various reasons, but I have nearly run out of excuses. This week I vow that I shall at least make a start on it. I'm sure I will garner some enthusiasm once I make a start. yes. I am sure of it.

Sokmonsta · 29/04/2013 21:13

MrsP - I have boxes of stuff I can't get rid of first time round. I've started putting the things I'm not sure whether I want to get rid of, or rather, I'm not sure why I want to keep them, in a box together and then go back and have a root through periodically. Further down the the thread the suggestions about taking a picture and keeping that instead have helped. Although bizarrely I don't feel the same loyalty to photos. I like having them in books to peruse. So I keep thousands on my bt vault, but print off the really good ones :). Unfortunately this does mean there are very few photos of me and the dc as I'm usually the one on the other side of the camera.

alarkthatcouldpray · 29/04/2013 21:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cristiane · 29/04/2013 21:27

Hi everyone. Just cooked myself dinner and kids are asleep. So tired but going to make a cup of herb tea and just try to do a wee bit of sorting. Just 20 mins to get me started!

hobnob thanks so much for your PM I will reply soon! Crazy but you are scheduled in for a reply while I'm in the edinburgh departure lounge Wednesday morning. my life is so ridiculous

hobnob57 · 30/04/2013 00:13

Been doing lots of filing minimising. Please tell me there is no good reason to keep historical records of car/house insurance, boiler cover, council tax, phone bills, etc.

The only thing I am too scared to touch is the bank stuff.

Sadly, since it was all in lever arch files, I can't see the benefit if all of this hard work other than the bursting recycling basket and shredding bag! However one crate of miscellaneous unfiled paperwork has gone. Still some more to go but making in roads.

Will ponder on whether it is better to keep my current filing system which takes up one ikea Billy shelf or to do what someone else (sorry, can't remember who) does and sort by year. I'm coming to the conclusion that scanning is too much hassle with our ancient dinosaur of a PC which takes an age to boot up, and it is the one connected to the scanner. Paper is fine as long as I can contain it. Keeping up with filing is hard though.

Sokmonsta · 30/04/2013 07:56

Morning ladies. Sunny day here so positive for some decluttering up in the loft. I have a pile of ironing to put away then the decluttering can begin while my hs visitor entertains the twins.

Hobnob - bank stuff isn't that scary! Online statements are the way forward. I think you only have to keep them 5-6 years but google or money saving expert will have the answer (can't quite drag it from recollection and switched to paperless on as much as possible when changed banks years ago).

My landline, mobile, bank, tv license, electric bills are all online now. I'm looking to see if water is going the same way. So much easier.

Dh still gets his in paper form but he needs them for the business accounts and filing them isn't so bad as I used to do all that kind of thing when I was working so I've brought my same system home for that.

clearsommespace · 30/04/2013 09:08

Yesterday and today have turned out manic. This morning before I started work at 9.30 am I: exercised, showered got the kids up and got them to school on time, left the car at the garage for a pre MOT check up and had an appointment with the electrician. I've done 30 mins work and feel ready for a cake-break! But I did spot a book to go in the sale/charity shop box.
Tomorrow is a bank holiday here so I will be able to do some proper sorting out.
Back to work....

LubyLu2000 · 30/04/2013 10:38

Morning all. A few bad days due to lack of sleep with my 10 week old but am back and feeling a bit more motivated today. I have almost finished sorting out the drawers in my bedroom - I started them a week ago Blush so want to try and move onto the wardrobe soon.

Am trying the 20/10 way of working today although am slightly adjusting it to 20/20 (can't do anything fun in 10 mins Grin. I'm hoping that might work for me - I'm so organised and on the ball with my work but seem to get a bit lost and unfocused in the house. I think I definitely work best to deadlines so I'm going to try and create my own and see if that works. Must go - my 20 mins internet time is up Smile

educatingarti · 30/04/2013 10:42

Welcome Nagoo

Sokmonsta - my bedside tables aren't too bad - just a couple of bits of paperwork that needs sorting. My bedroom was the first place I got on to decluttering when I first found the original thread (it was the least cluttered anyway!) so usually isn't to bad to restore to a reasonable level of loveliness quite quickly!

Well I'm just letting myself have a brief (ish ) MN interlude before I get on with stuff today. I was thinking how I would like to have a whole day, just to do household stuff and decluttering and realised that this is unlikely to happen until August! AUGUST Shock

I work on six days of the week (not full days every day though!) and have church on Sundays (enjoy this and don't want to miss it!). I'm working next Monday (have students coming up to GCSE) and although I'm taking some time off during the May/June half-term week, I'm going away for 5 days but then have GCSE students again. So that leaves the second week of my annual 2 week holiday in August (away for first week!). I'm going to be gasping for a breather aren't I!

No wonder 20 mins on a timer seems like a good method at the moment!

BeCool · 30/04/2013 11:57

Oops (I've just shredded pretty much ALL my bank statements)

cappuccinodays · 30/04/2013 12:33

checking in, hi all
well i have been busy this morning, in the attic again and I am really getting there! I felt so overwhelmed a couple of weeks ago but after endless trips to the skip, Im reaching my aim of having only the xmas decor in the attic. I overcame the hurdle of getting rid of all my ds baby stuff (apart from a few things) and also my wedding stuff (as Im now divorced) .. very painful at times but the more I revisit it, it becomes easier. In fact I had a little cry this morning, but by getting rid of it now, the memories will be in my mind rather than seeing visually iyswim?
I have my school books up there and Im not sure if i should declutter them too!

clearsommespace · 30/04/2013 13:27

Yes to decluttering school books but scan any personal stories/poems/cute drawings first.
We don't have a scanner so have reserved relevant pages for when I have access to one.

I am wondering about rehoming the kettle. We only use it for visitors as we only drink tea or coffee if making for others. It lives on a high shelf and I quite often just use a pan to boil water rather than get the kettle down. On the induction hob it is just as quick. DH uses the kettle so I will have to consult him.