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[educatingarti]

This is the new minimalist/decluttering thread! I hope everyone likes the minimal title!

I always make myself start with things that are obviously rubbish and that I actively don't want. Even that makes a difference. Am a terrible keeper, so it is hard for me.

Just got rid of a book, a pair of sandals and a bath board to the chazzer at the end of the road.
Every little helps!

I am spending some quiet time reading the Simplicity Parenting book til the DCs get home with DH. I am now on chapter 3 which is about simplifying the environment, and wanted to share this quote from the bit about toys:

Nothing in the middle of a heap can be truly valued.

I need to reread it fuzzpig to strengthen my resolve! My dc hate me at the moment because I've re-instated the no-screen-time-till-5pm rule (and we don't have screen time after tea) but in between hating me, the dc have been reading comics, playing footie and making toast, so it's not all bad.

It occurs to me that I shouldn't be using a screen now either. Oops.

ArtemisatBrauron thanks I think this place is going to be the making of me. Yes, I too feel compelled to keep stuff from my mum - well I realise she's buying for her pleasure rather than mine & I've taken delighting rejecting junk. (although I have a large quantity of my tat from her house to go through She now doesn't 'pick up stuff for me'.

Trying to catch up all everyone's stories here - do you feel there is an element of emotional blackmail going on ?

Unfortunately & to the annoyance of DH, I'm unable to do a room at a time & so every room is a work in process, everyday I have a chat with myself & every day I become paralysed by stuff.

Still, on the bright side have taped up 1 jigsaw
2 games, a stack of coat hangers & some kids clothes..yay !

Will be taken to the charity shop on Thursday & hoping new owners enjoy my junk

Until these threads it had never even occurred to me that there was an alternative to keeping everything because if emotional attachments. I just blindly felt more and more swamped and helpless by it. Even just knowing that is liberating, despite me not having had the opportunity to do much about it. But I have started to get rid of wedding presents that no longer work in our lives 9 years later. If eBay people would hurry up and pay then I'd be rid of it forever!

DH is very resistant to getting rid of wedding presents. We have a toast rack that has literally never been used which he insists on keeping. It's stoneware and I broke it (accidentally, I swear) and he spent hours fixing it with glue.

It's madness - in fact we have a similar wedding present, also broken & repaired...I might just chuck it now because, what's the point of having something broken (I don't even like the people it came from...hee hee)

As William Morris says...fill you home with only beautiful or useful objects.

I think a cracked bowl fits neither criteria

Just checked the quote & it's this;

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Love your blog harrietspy

I am so exhausted this week. Arti I really sympathise with the extra pain/exhaustion after an appointment too! Especially when it is frustrating due to the doctors not valuing your opinions and experiences :( I can't remember if I said this already but if you haven't already then do come and join us on the spoons thread on general health.

I really wish I could take some time off but I get so little leave now I'm part time and I've had to use loads for appointments already.

I didn't get much done yesterday, cleared out a load more photos from festivals/concerts where I couldn't even tell you a venue, year or band because they're just the backs of people's heads. I'm doing books and the kitchen today. I have slow cookers, blenders, quiche and pie dishes and I don't cook. I do one pot dishes and rice or shove in the oven. The slow cooker got used three or four times five years ago and was only bought because my ex said he'd use it all the time.

What do you do when your DP has connections to things? We have a lot of birthday/Christmas cards that have been kept because I take them down, shove them somewhere and they just end up moved with a pile of other stuff. I've finally thrown them out, but DP was horrified and wanted to keep all his even though he doesn't actually care about cards at the time. So what's the tactful way of saying "stop being so stupid and throw it away."

Daydream can you ask him to scan them in and keep them digitally? Or take photos of them? Or alternatively tell him to stop being so stupid and throw it away?

Morning all!

Good news! Having taken stuff to the chazzer yesterday, I have already found sometning else to go in the next chazzer bag. A kind of wicker star affair sprayed gold as a Christmas decoration. I used it at one time for an alternative to a Christmas wreath with greenery and decs on it, but I don't need it now. Opening up the Cupboard of Infinite Junk in the Spare Doom was a brave step but I am finding stuff that can go!

Fuzzpig - thanks for the invite to the spoons thread. I read it a while ago but haven't joined in. I think I'm a bit scared of putting too much really personal stuff on here as I have been quite open about my work and where I live and wouldn't want to write anything that might be prejudicial to my business!

And then I go and write stuff on here anyway. Gah!!

Daydream. If your DH really want to keep the cards, can you make HIM responsible for storing them properly. (eg in storage boxes in his half of bedroom or in a study or whatever.) Dump all his by his side of the bed! He may find he doesn't have so much energy for keeping them if you are giving him an ultimatum of "sort and label and store them by x date or the go in the recycling.

Right Really must try and work!

Thanks, tougholdbird

Just caught up on your blog, harriet, it's great! I suppose you can't tell us what else you writ, or it will out you, but I would love to read more of your stuff.

I have been working hard on understanding where DH is coming from the past few days. In some ways I feel like I making all this progress and he is still where we were - I have sorted out two massive metal filing cabinet boxes of our paperwork and gotten it down to 2-3 box files worth in one desk drawer, but there is a huge pile of things HE needs to go through on the living room floor, next to a box file of "sentimental" things of his from last week which he still hasn't sorted. 90% of what has gone out of the house is mine, and I am not sure how much of his stuff will ever leave.
He is even reluctant to get rid of rags/dishcloths, stained tea towels, towels, sheets etc. Although to be fair to him he got on board with downsizing our bedlinen and that was great, we are down to just what we need now.

*write!

Great decluttering everyone! I had slipped off the wagon for a bit, but I'm back, ready for more!
I've been continuing to read the thread, which has spurred me on to do some more decluttering.

I tidied out the cupboard above my fridge -you know, the packed lunch boxes, biscuit cutters, water bottles, straws etc. I unearthed masses of these biscuit cutters, so put some in the bin and some into the playdough box. I chucked some ice cube trays (I had 4 -only need 1 really) and a huge plastic mixing bowl that I never use and a raggedy old packed lunch box.

I tidied out my utensil drawer and gave it a good clean. The BBQ tools had to go - I don't think we've had a bbq for at least 2 years.

Next I want to take everything out of our wardrobe and wipe down the rails and hoover it out. I've never actually done that since we got it 11 years ago!

I'm at work having lunch at my desk - but my recycling bin is full of paper! Paper that's been emptied from 3 folders, and a filing cabinet. It still looks messy, but the bin is full. yay!

Wow - so much clearing going on!

I took myself outside to work today, because I've been using decluttering as an excuse for not writing. Finally got a piece of work finished that I've been putting off for 3 weeks. Hoo bloomin ray. My head is more spacious now...

Off to get dc but with a backpack full of books to take to Oxfam on the way.

Thanks for your kind words about the blog, artemis. I am a novelist - well-reviewed & with a big publishing house - but I'm hardly a bestseller so you won't have heard of me!). You're right in thinking that I don't want to out myself. The blog is a good way to be honest without feeling exposed.

Onward and upward. I'm resolving to put away my devices (mac, phone) so that when the dc are home I'm not tempted to choose MN over them. 'Devices' sounds very Biblical. Or PD Jamesish.

Happy minimising everyone .

I might have heard of you Harriet, I work in a library :o

I went home for lunch and cleared out the towel cupboard. We had far too many towels for a household of two! Now have one large, one small each, one guest pair and two spares, also a couple of handtowels. Even that is a lot, I think!

Also counted 27 dishcloths. We now have none as they were all disgusting

Hello all
I have finally done some decluttering! DH and I have got rid of 2 pieces of crap furniture from the living room and sorted out stuff for the tip and charity shop. Hurrah!

Lots of successes on this thread. It's so inspiring!

I've not been up to doing any major decluttering this week which is quite disappointing but I am doing well at just randomly spotting stuff to throw out. I keep finding tops I don't wear (or that don't fit) and random kitchen things or broken toys. I've been seeing these things for ages, but I hadn't bothered doing anything with them! This thread has been such a great motivator, I was always putting everything off until some future time when we could do a huge declutter, but that time never came! At least now I feel like I am achieving something every single day.

The adrenaline rush when I threw those towels out (to recycling bin for fabric, not bin) was a bit worrying

"I am a novelist - well-reviewed & with a big publishing house "
Harriet - this is exciting! Do feel free to PM anyone whom you think can keep your secret

Though don't worry I'll understand if you don't want to!!