Anybody want to join me in a mega, whole house declutter?

[LilllyLovesLife]

I am desperate to have a clean and tidy home. It's always ruined my life and I always feel very lonely, partly because I can never have anybody over without a week or so notice to clean up! I am fed up of being like this and want to make a change for good. I know that the biggest step is to declutter, as it will make it so much easier to keep tidy.

I have delcuttered lots of times before, and I then end up filling it up again! I don't want to do this again! I want this to be the last time!!

Anybody up for joining me?

I have already done my girls room (They share a small double and it was always so full that they couldn't ever have space to play in it!). It is so much easier now, I finished it about a week ago but have actually kept it tidy!

I am now moving onto my Son's room. It's a TEENY box room with just a cotbed and one chest of drawers in, no spare space and I have an extra baby to fit in their soon as we are expecting again. Baby will sleep in our room for as long as possible but no idea where the baby's clothes etc will go! So iv culled his clothes and now have 2 spare drawers, and got an under bed drawer now which I can use although not really space to pull it out!

Anyway, would anybody like to join me in my mission? We could support each other and keep each other going? I have also strarted looking into flylady and hope to use some bits from there, but not follow it fully as I like to do my own thing a bit.

Please can I join too?

I've been reading the thread and need to post so I've made the commitment before going off and getting distracted....

Hello PecanNut what do you want to get done today - let's be accountable to each other!

What do I want to get done today? Good question. Make a start, I think. My kids are also off school so I need to be realistic. Do yours help with sorting? A house move is a great incentive to chuck stuff out.

I was on one of the minimalist threads a while ago, and did manage to sort and get rid of quite a lot of stuff, but since then things have slipped and somehow there seems to be stuff everywhere again.

I'm trying to gradually get rid of my baby stuff as my youngest is now 1. I've just identified two breastfeeding cushions, a baby bath seat and a playmat which can all go...

Lady came and got the baby swing. Also listed a big old print and the kids old balance bike on freecycle.

GONE:
ebay; all 5 items gone (some were big too)
ink cartridges from old printer freecycled
charity shop box to charity shop
more toys in 'halfway out' box
spices/sauces/pasta/etc cupboard cleared out & lots composted
toy cars mountain reduced
cot
last maternity bits
other random knackered sofa
pile of garden bits too big for bin
old keyboard
unwanted freebie coffee table
squeaky toy!
box of girls clothes for friend
baby battery swing
general toy cull for anything too babyish
kids book cull
old cardboard box DS1 was storing his army men in/replaced by a nice plastic box with lid from Factory Shop

Still to go:
eBay; reusable nappies to photograph & list; other slings
box for school fair stuff - added even more to
baby swing seat - on Freecycle
potties/toilet seats (as DD doesn't need them anymore, keeping steps for now)
balance bike that my kids don't like - on Freecycle
old big print - on Freecycle
try and have a cuddly toy cull

How do you decide whether to charity shop, ebay or freecycle? I can't ber the thought of chucking stuff when I think of all the money I've spent over the years but at the same time I just want it gone. Have done ebay but things seem to go for very little so just don't know if it's worth the time involved listing it.

JKS - what part of the country do you live? I've been thinking about getting a balance bike for my kids...

Jemster - that is exactly my dilemma. In the past I've found that I think I'll ebay things that are in good condition but then I put them on one side and never get round to it. I still have a tall pile of books and DVDs next to my desk that I keep meaning to trade in.

Then DD crawls over and starts dismantling the pile...

I just tend to charity shop or pass things on to friends rather than trying to sell them. Yes some stuff is in good condition but I think that I have had my moneys worth from it so it can just go.

Pecan - south essex if you're nearby you're welcome but it does have a wobbly handle that needs looking at.

I do faff about re selling/giving away.
Then get fed up and just want rid!

Anything that ds's sch PTA can use for selling at the Christmas fair I'm planning to hand over to them next term.
Anything I can pass on to friends I do. Have a boy &girl 'outlet' handy atm.
Something I don't know who to pass on that might be worth selling I try and eBay. But I never make much - and never as much as I paid for it.

Atm I'm planning to eBay the reusable nappies and a couple of slings.
Freecycle anything that I think a charity shop will bin/can't sell.

Oops - I dropped a couple of unwanted books off at a charity shop whilst in town (with kids.) Came out with more children's books and a top each for them!

It's going well for me today. I managed to cull my clothing, and squeezed two sack full. I just can't bear to look at them now as I realised I spent so much on work shirts that I can no longer fit into. This is like therapy isn't it ? lol. On an odd moment of realisation, I can now see that my body frame has grown also since my 20s? Isn't it odd ? It shall be tough, but they will leave this house.... Anybody want some nice work shirts?

Well done Maisie!

Lol mum2jakie - i do that!

Went to Factory Shop for some fancy dress outfits to give to our local playgroup.
Came away with:
new cuddly monkey for DS1
new Thomas train for DS2
stickers for DD (added to birthday pile)
box for DS1's army stuff (useful at least). Sigh.

Got rid of big old print in a broken frame today, yey.

And have finally listed all the nappies on ebay, double yey!

Now can obsess over watching for bids!

I bet it's hard to drop them off at the charity's. lol. I think I need a box for all the bits and bobs that I bought for my nephew and cousin's son's and daughters. That's it. I need a box.

Oh I forgot. To also get rid of toys and bits and bobs, you can do those shoe box schemes as well. I normally do this, but I forgot last year. It gets rid of my shoe boxes as well as the toys which I get from Happy Meals and things like that when I go out and be auntie.

The other thing is, do not throw out the very beloved toy. :) Just save those ones that your little one loves. I STILL remember how my father threw away my beloved jigsaw and I was in tears. I thought he didn't love me. lol... I remember my SIL had to hide my nephew's sleeping bear til he was older, and "suddenly" he appeared again. He still remembers it. ;)

Agree about beloved items. For the sake of avoiding heartbreak I'll happily keep too many precious cuddlies

Been at work but have managed:
Repack piles of stuff for ds2's sch into fewer boxes.
List a sling on eBay.
Take everything off patio as man coming to clean it this weekend.
Think that's it for today.

I know I could make money on eBay etc. if I sold some of the stuff I am giving away to friends/donating but then it just becomes yet another project and I just want the stuff gone!

Yes, we all have spent plenty of money over the years on this stuff but we also got good use of it. If we find things we barely used I think instead of keeping it we should see it as a lesson learned that we are buying more than we need and try and be wiser shoppers! Stuff I don't have time to sell is my Stupid Tax for letting us live with too much.

I just sent a box of clothes to a friend in another country. It's great as she has two girls younger than mine so I feel my stuff is going to a good home. I know it gets used and she's glad of it as she has 6 kids and it saves her the time of having to drag them all out to shop. Anything she doesn't want she passes along. I have loads to send her at the moment but am glad I got one box out of the door.

My youngest two are 7 and 10 and have been great in the past few days, we have been sorting and we sent up cardboard boxes in the hall labeled donation, sell and one was for a young cousin. Of course we are also filling recycling bags and trash bags too. Yesterday we were out all day and nothing got done. Right now here I am on MN procrastinating! But my aims today are:

A) Help 7 yr old son finish sorting and clearing his room.
B) Finish boxing stuff up we started on Monday
C) Fill another box for my friends girls.

DH has access to an internal network at his workplace that is like a smaller version of Craig's List so we are selling a few things but selling stuff could just take too long and I need to see progress - I want stuff physically out of the building! Once I get going I want to see space, light and organization not just heaps of crap moved to a new location in the house.

I agree with anything precious - the kids are choosing what goes. Although I have encouraged them to think if they really will use something, the rule is if you love and and/or use it keep it. If you are not sure, keep it. I am happy to say they have all culled a lot of stuff but this is our first major cull since moving here 5 years ago so a lot of stuff and games they have just outgrown now.

Doing it with them helps I find. They tell me what to do with an item and we sort it together. Otherwise they get just as overwhelmed as we do!

Rickety balance bike went yesterday - freecycle.
Stuff on eBay is being watched or bid on (1) and ends on Monday.
Taking some bits to PIL for the refuge this weekend + the cot top changer to go with the cot they've passed on to someone.
Generally looking better at home, can't wait to get the school fair stuff out then I'll be happy - and need a new project! Think dh's office might be next.

Wow this thread is inspiring! My DC2 birthday is next week and I would like to have a clear out before hand to make space for new toys.
But not sure if there is enough time!

But anything is better than nothing I guess!

I am tempted to put all stuff in one huge pile and sell cheaply as a car boot job lot? That way I will get something for it but will get it gone? I am unsure - do people buy these things? I have seen friends selling on facebook but agree with it becoming another project if it just piles up in a new location.

Mum2Jakie I do that too with charity shops! I need to stay away!

Job lot sounds good to me!

All small & medium reusable nappies sold - all but one bundle paid for and posted.
The large ones didn't sell so may try free cycling them. Unused too.

Have you tried 'cloth nappy tree' for nappies?
I have had some success selling on there.

I did have a look but it was a bit confusing and I had to register and stuff - lazy - so didn't. Sold most on eBay just the last few left. Will contact the local refuge tomorrow I think.

We decluttered today, I do this about four times a year and it just creeps in! Arrrrrr it coincides with some decorating and it being spring

3 bin bags of old broken, outgrown toys gone to the tip or gift pile. children's rooms tidy.

Kitchen two bags of rubbish put,a full clear out and freshly decorated. New curtains, table cloth and cushions. Looks lovely.

Lounge also freshly decorated and decluttered.

Utility decluttered and clear.

Garden, 2 bedrooms, study, hallway and boot room to go. Plus a tip run at the end of the week when I'm done. Exhausting.

Wow Mother that's amazing !

I was thinking of decluttering today, but DS1 was off school sick

Read the thread for inspiration today, there's always tomorrow...

[procrastination emoticon]

Lilly
I am near W London.
Have recently decluttered huge house to small house . If you want a hand for a day or so let me know . I know this is a post from t'internet but would be happy to help . I have decluttered beyond anything I previously thought was possible. Of course I understand if this sounds a bit weird but I just love clearing stuff !

PM me if interested .
Sorry to intrude

PC

OK ladies so today I will enter the boot room, it's a Monica's closet really. Need to put all of the winter coats away and go through the shoes. It won't be quick.

Quite a lot of washing to get out on the line..hope it's dry today.

Children are on strict instruction not to mess up today!