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[educatingarti]

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

Polkadotrosa, if it's easy for you to get to the post office, you could donate the bras via the Breast Talk Bra Appeal. I did that a few years ago with some unworn frilly lacy ones an ex optimistically gave me and felt very virtuous!

(And hello again, all - posted on the old threads a while ago, but have just been lurking on this thread for a while as my minimalist tendencies evaporated after we arrived back in the UK for a couple of months and I bought all the books I'd been waiting to buy over here! Except now I have to ship them all back to the US in a month's time... )

Just want to post to get this thread back on my active convos as I've fallen by the wayside somewhat.

Need to read the thread and catch up to be inspired by all the good work everyone's done!

Today I met someone who works at women's refuges and who will take some of my baby gear... when I have sorted it!

Morning ladies. Today's mission is another venture into the loft. Am slightly scared as I've shoved more stuff up there recently (in my cba, completely demotivated moments). Am slightly concerned the whole upper ceiling could come crashing down if I don't get things sorted soon.

Am trying to organise another car boot date with my sister so we've got something to aim for.

Oh and thanks for the bra link. I got measured at the weekend and have bought new bras so was just going to throw my old ones out. They're perfectly serviceable so will post them off.

Hello, I haven't been on this thread for ages but am happy to see that everyone is doing so well.

I need some advice about paperwork - I have tonnes of it and I can't seem to let it go. How do I know what to keep for a short while, what to archive and what to chuck completely?

Successes today: gardener here decluttering weeds / poisonous plants and generally making my garden nice and manageable (cheating, I know, I don't care) and the decorator has finished with the boys' room, which means I can put the guest room together and declutter another piece of furniture or two! I've also decluttered my To Do list and everything is actually crossed off. I still have things to do, but nothing pressured, which is awesome. Lastly I've had word that they are doing a clothes sale at the pre-school summer fete, so I have an excuse not to bother ebaying the nice baby clothes I have as I can donate them instead. Brilliant.

It is so true that the more you get rid of the easier it gets. It seems that once I got past some undefined critical mass everything got easier - cleaning, tidying, managing life in general. Psychologically it makes a huge difference. I'm really enjoying living in my house - I can move around, I know where stuff is when I need it, it is easy to get things and put them away. I am not overwhelmed anymore -what a change! So keep going everyone - little and often and you will get there!

Ah so there is hope Wendybird! Whilst I am much more systematic with stuff than I used to be, we are only about halfway there - we had/have a terrific backlog to get rid of and with another baby in the house the weekly upkeep of stuff sorting is enough to keep me busy!

I have just donated the early baby toys to the baby group and have phoned round refuges/ family centre re getting rid of bags of baby bottles which I have somehow accumulated, despite never having used any of them. I think I lent my initial collection and amassed many more in return!

Got wine glasses from tesco last night and now need to find space to out them away. Lucky I have been through the glassware cupboard already then

Also in getting so frustrated with my messy children. We have culled their toys, and harp on every single day about tidying as you go, etc. but the house is still strewn with toys at the end of the day and a big tidying battle commences. I'm trying to suppress the urge to throw it all out. Any tips for tidy children?

I do worry about quietly getting rid of their toys though. I remember my mum did the same with my stuff and I was really hurt when favourite things disappeared. They weren't played with much but they were a part of me and my history, so to speak. Perhaps I was a hoarder in the making. I swore I'd never do the same with my kids' stuff but here I am wishing I could!

Hobnob, I sympathise. No answers, I'm afraid. .

Hobnob - How old are your dcs?

I think that one way to get children used to the tidy up before you go to bed thing is for parents to do it with them, at least to begin with. Children will co-operate much more with "You put the books away, while I collect up the jigsaw pieces," than they would to just being told to tidy up. After a while you can leave them to it for 5 minutes or so saying "you start by picking up all the Lego and putting it away while I go on MN put the kettle on/ run the bath." or whatever. Slowly you might be able to train them to do it all themselves!

Slowly slowly catchee monkey?

I think you need to allocate actual time to tidying up - just like a teacher would in a classroom. If you are asking them to tidy up when really it is already bed-time or bath-time or whatever then it gets frustrating.

If you have allocated 10 minutes tidy up time and they battle over it even if you are doing it wit hthem, well than you'll have to allocate 15 minutes the next day with consequent reduced playing/tv time because they took so long arguing to do it!

I share the fear about getting rid of stuff quietly. It's really hard to know what to do.

The SP book was quite optimistic that DCs will genuinely be happier with less things, but personal anxiety about STUFF gets in the way of me being totally convinced...

Was on first thread, back. Minimally.

IWA and welcome back!

Returned to the DV victims organisation today to donate two bedside tables, cot mattress and some other little bits like lampshades. They were really pleased. I rang two days ago as you have to fix an appointment to deliver (office and storage not in the same location) and they'd already found a taker for the bedside tables. The garage which was the holding space now only contains bikes, garden tools, recycling bins and looks really spacious.

Our kids are older so they keep the toys in their room and I just keep carrying upstairs or reminding them to at the end of the day. Their rooms are only tidy just before I vacuum then it all comes out again.

Off topic but I came across this article re. Fibro sufferers here

Sounds good clearsomme.

DD said this morning that she needs to get rid of some of her dressing up things as they are too small. Admittedly it was in the context of asking for a new one at Xmas :o but still. I don't know if we'd be able to actually get a Disney type one for her anyway, she's just turned 6 but is quite tall so would need 8-9ish and I'm not sure they go that big. She wants to get DS a Fix it Felix outfit!

Baby bottles and assorted odds and ends such as extra muslins, leftover baby thank you cards, etc. all gone to a mum in need through the family centre. Feel good about this on many levels, and sad in a way that I have got rid of the rest of my baby stuff already and can't be of more help.

Marking my place because thread dropped off my list.

Afternoon everyone!
Very unusually, I am not working today. I have so many things I want to do - including the final go at the little chest of drawers ( Can I throw away those keys - and do they each count as a single thing out on my list?) Everywhere in the flat is getting untidy - (you know when you start to feel it building up), plus I want to do a proper meal plan and food shop and a bit of cooking!

Hmm - probably rather too ambitious!

Hobnob Thank you so much for the fibro link! Really nice of you to think of posting it.

hello all! have not de-cluttered at all this week as have been in Germany on holiday. Back and starting with the suitcases. I didn't buy anything non-consumable on holiday (soap, coffee etc) but could not prevent DH from buying about a million huge heavy art books as we were in Munich which has loads of second hand book shops. grrr.

Morning all - hope you are all out enjoying the sunshine rather than minimising! Just popped on to say that all my ebay things sold, so that is a full box of cloth nappies going on Monday. It has given me hope that my double buggy may sell, so I'll be listing that today. Hopefully buying a more compact double with the proceeds!

Yes, certainly enjoying the glorious weather. We had breakfast on the patio with local strawberries! It's too beautiful outside for indoor activities such as minimalising but I have managed one item this weekend as we saw family for lunch so passed on a book which we are unlikely to reread.

Morning all

I am enjoying the sunshine, but in small bursts!

I have conquered the little chest of drawers - including throwing out most of the old keys! All the stuff left now fits in one of the smallest drawers.

And - yesterday I ventured into the spare doom ( having been outside during the afternoon to make the most of the weather!) I have to confess I'm mostly just shoving things into cupboards atm but feel I need to clear the decks before I can start properly. Also I want the space to get out all my camping stuff! Have been chucking out some rubbish though and a collecting a bit of a bag for the chazza.
Glad everyone is making the most of the weather.