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[educatingarti]

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

fuzzpig the problem is we both want to stay under same roof as children but I want my own place because I need to split up properly and be independent... We're far from resolving this but letting go of physical stuff seems to be clearing space in my head as well as my house... Fantasising about a little house boat or a Tiny House to go when it's my weekend 'off'...

On an unequivocally chipper note, I cleared out my bedroom earlier this year and it's a lovely calm place to go. There's an old wooden table with a mirror and a white ikea lamp, a chair, a single bed with a heavy white cotton cover (hoping to upgrade to a double bed so I can get the kids in easily for cuddles), a single wardrobe, a tall narrow set of drawers with a few books on top. Oh, and a narrow ladder I rescued from a shed with my scarves and (3) necklaces on it. I've got the baby sheepskin as a rug next to the bed and I love it. 3 small handbags on back of door - I want to give away at least one of them because it was a Christmas present this year but I can't see when I'd use it. Nothing on the surfaces except the books and clock radio - make up all in a shoebox lid in top drawer so it comes out onto the table and goes back in easily.

Under the bed: spare bed linen, running clothes and 3 pairs of crazy shoes I cant decide what to do with.

I guess I'm completely in control of this space and didnt have to negotiate with anyone about it. It took a while to get it like this but it cost nothing and it's great.

That sounds lovely :) that's exactly what my mum loves about her new flat, it is HERS and she gets to decide what goes where, and what she buys/gets rid of, rather than always settling for dad's wishes! She will always have lots of books but she's organised it all really well.

I did bare minimum last night - just threw away a few papers that had been hanging around. I did virtually finish my DLA form though which obviously is a lot more urgent! Anyway, even throwing a few bits away is more than what I normally do since I got ill, so I'm still pleased.

I've also told DD we are going to work on getting her room nicer for her to get her on side!

My tasks for tonight, if I am still standing when I get in from work:

• Transfer all pens/pencils to one of the Really Useful Boxes (I found a few this morning although I'm sure that's not all of them ) and throw lots away while doing so - especially crappy felt tips as they have decent crayola/berol ones to use.
• Gather all paperwork from the ME support group course (we got about 20 pages to read at each of the 8 sessions), get them in order and put in ring binder I've been saving for this. Hopefully I can find the hole punch! I'm going to a catch up meeting tomorrow so it seems like the right time to do this!

Wishing you all a successful, spacious Thursday :)

another great blog post on minimalism: "buy less and live more". annamalhouse.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/must-be-the-feeling-a-romance-of-stuff/

Harriet you bedroom sounds beautiful.
Fuzz enjoy SP! It will really help with toys for you I think.

Harriet loved the article thank you for posting it.

Another free listing day on eBay for anyone with a few bits lying around. It's only for 10 day listings though.

I'm working on a little-and-often principle right now. Home for lunch and just sorted the bag of detachable bra and dress straps I have been hoarding, most of which were from dresses and bras I no longer even own.

Kept only 1 pair of straps which belongs to a dress I still have and the rest are in the pile for recycling.

harriet - I have a ladder in my bedroom too. I swapped it for a chair that I just used to dump clothes onto. I find the ladder much better. I have a few hangers to put clothes on when I take them off at night if I am going to wear them again. Then I hang these from the ladder rungs. clothes get nicely aired and remain relatively crease-free overnight and I'm far less likely to use it as a dumping ground than the chair!

My bedroom is my most organised space too and I do love it though it would look much better if I found time to make the bed each morning !

Funny you mention dress straps, that was another thing I found in the cabin bed space the other night - the little straps from the ballgown I wore for my wedding. In a bag of random puzzle pieces and art stuff

Our bedroom is barely set foot in apart from sleep time! It is a tip

We also have a ladder which is useful for drying DCs clothes on (we have no garden for washing line) but it's the ladder from DD's cabin bed and I'd much rather it was on said bed I did point out that she'd have more space to play (she was complaining her room is too small) if she agreed to sleep in her bed and the mattress would be off the floor...

Great idea, arti,, about hanging not-yet-dirty clothes from the ladder!

at fuzzpig and the ballgown straps in the bag of puzzle pieces.

My bedroom hasn't always been like this. I've been working towards this for A Long Time, gradually paring down clothes and handbags I never used and broken suitcases and unread books and bracelets I wear for 2 minutes then take off and leave around the house.

Apologies if you already talked about this,fuzzpig, but why doesn't your daughter like the bed? (I'm not a bed judge, btw, just curious. My ds2 came into bed w/ me last night. He's 7. Single bed. He slept brilliantly. Me, not so much).

Hi all

Have been reading SP, I can't remember who recommended it, but a big to you!!

It confirmed a few things I have thought about.
I'm not sure if I'm ready for a total clear out of the DCs rooms yet BUT I have been going in and dumping a bagful of toys they haven't noticed yet

Harriet your room sounds blissful.
Mine looks like B&Q at the mo. DH says it will be finished at the w/end, I'm not I optimistic

I love that image, fuzz. So typical of my house!

I sorted through clothes today but as I'm pregnant, they are just going into storage. Most of my clothes should see me another few months as I wore a lot of casual empire line dresses with leggings, plus I've a few maxi dresses from last summer. Just need new sandals and maybe spanx mama shorts :) later ill need more but hopefully not til autumn.

Feeling nauseous I took to bed and looked through some computer files and got rid of old stuff, inc iTunes songs I no longer like.

Tonight I'm tacking the ironing while catching up on Luther. I hadn't heard of it until it was mentioned on The Fall thread so now I'm watching first series on love film as a reward for ironing twice a week :) ( though only til dp gets home and we resume prison break- didn't have tv when that was aired either, so all new to me)

DD has just decided a few months ago that she doesn't like it anymore, and was battling bedtime every night. DH compromised by moving the mattress, I really wish he hadn't but desperate times/measures etc! She is going through separation anxiety (never had this issue as a baby/toddler!) and is generally really anxious. I think me being ill isn't helping. She wants to sleep in with us all the time. It's been a hell of a battle just to get her to sleep in her room at all. And they play up hugely when they go to bed at the same time - sometimes DD likes staying up later but other times she refuses saying she's tired but then messes around with DS for hours

It would be tempting to just get a new bed but we have no money and in any case the bed has loads of storage space (includes wardrobe/drawers/shelves as well as general space) there is no way we could manage with a normal bed in there. She seemed positive about tidying/organising the room more, so I think I'm going to make that the priority (toys in general but mainly their bedroom) and once all her toys are properly sorted we will have to insist on the bed issue.

Sorry for the rant, in a shitty mood today

I have decluttered the pens though...

Fuzzpig, someone on MN recommended 'what to do when you dread your bed', a book for kids with bedtime issues, BH y Dawn Huebner. Worked a treat with my daughter. Takes some effort but you do it together, workbook style. I recommend!

fuzzpig, my ds didn't want to sleep on his bed (top bunk) when we moved. He was very unsettled, in a new country with no friends & being bullied at a horrible school. He said it felt too open on the top bunk. Someone suggested we get one of those little Ikea tenty dome things specifically to fit on top bunks. It made sense to me - if you're feeling unsettled you want a cave to crawl into at night, I guess... Anyway, it might not be remotely helpful to your dd but I thought I'd share anyway...

While bluecarrot does the ironing I'm going to finish sewing patch on my jeans with the telly on.

Night all.

IWill I'm glad you enjoyed the SP book, I think it is very helpful in terms of decluttering and the 'whys' around it in regards to DC's.

mini we have always tried to keep "the adult world" radio/tv away from DCs. But I hadn't really thought about their toys and books.

I have a problem with throwing / giving things away. An emotional attachment to things given to my DCs

Something to work on I guess...meanwhile another bag of odd bits and pieces in the bin this morning

Ah, the release! Baby mobile, door bouncer and big swing all gone out the door this morning
Enquiries underway for the ikea chair and freezer clogging up the garage.
I almost feel cleansed!

I took two bags of clothes to the clothing bank yesterday.
Next job is the dvds, I am going to get dvd wallets and store the boxes in the loft. That way i reckon our entire dvd collection will take up about a foot of space if that i might even alphabetise them or is that a bit Monica Geller

I am wrestling with charity shopping all our paperbacks, the problem is then my shelves will be top heavy and obviously not safe with roaming 2 year olds, the books are an eyesore but providing balance

Today's small task (before weekend of mammoth tasks) list last remaining 'good' clothes in the chuck pile on eBay and pack rest up into bags & put into outside cupboard for taking to Charity Shop tomorrow.

This weekend we are starting to pack in earnest, and I am hoping the de-cluttering will follow naturally from that, as I am not putting a single thing in the boxes without scrutinising whether I need it or not.

Thanks for the book recommendation! I've previously looked at another title by Huebner (what to do when you worry too much) - somebody else had ordered it then but I've just reserved it myself too. And the tent idea - that sounds like a good idea (although the ladder is in the middle of the side rather than at the end IYSWIM so not sure that tent (if it's the one I've seen in Ikea before) would fit.

I'm tempted to offer a painted room as a reward long term, and landlord did give permission a while ago, but we are really hoping that we will get a council house in the next year or so (we are at band B - specifically because the second bedroom is too small!) and I'm not sure I want to fork out money we really can't afford if we aren't going to be here much longer.

I spoke about decluttering today - had my last group meeting with fellow CFS/ME sufferers and was saying that I am using that as a target every day and hopefully will gradually increase how much I do, and how proud I am for actually doing something about the clutter! :)

Haven't actually done any today - only just got back and DS got taken to hospital earlier to have his head glued so it's going to be an interesting weekend...

Not much to add at the moment except I'm doing the street sale this weekend which I am excited about. I'm sharing a spot with SIL and a good friend has got the adjacent spot so it should be a good chance to chat as well as getting rid of stuff. It's a beautiful evening here too so I'm feeling very positive.