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Original poster

Carrier bag a day till Christmas challenge anyone?

196 replies

doublechocchip · 23/11/2015 22:42

Trying to de-clutter everywhere before Christmas comes. Wondered if anyone wanted to join this carrier bag challenge?
Whether it be clothes or toys passed on/donated/sold/binned or indeed any other household stuff you want to get rid of, I thought filling one carrier bag a day seems more achievable than trying to tackle a whole room at once!

A bin bag of stuff counts for 3 carrier bags Grin

Got rid of a bag of kids clothes to the charity shop today and got a load of cuddly toys waiting to go into school tomorrow for the school fair. Feel lighter already!

OP posts:
Vinorosso74 · 01/12/2015 16:39

Bin bag of stuff taken to charity shop today. Won't get any done tomorrow and I'm not sure what to start on next.
I've been good and not bought any Xmas wrapping paper this year (am always tempted by the pretty displays!) so am hoping that once Xmas presents are all wrapped there'll not be much left.....

TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos · 01/12/2015 17:19

Shiraz that is quite an awareness.

fuzzpig · 02/12/2015 02:16

Didn't manage to throw anything today. Trying to get the DCs to tidy their room was an utter disaster Hmm

I did manage to sort a few little bits out, and tomorrow I will absolutely have to sort out the living room (am teaching in the evening) so at least I should get a reasonable amount done then.

StrapOnDodo · 02/12/2015 07:29

I'm hooked on sorting things out now. I did some bedroom drawers full of miscellaneous things and chucked out about half of them. Now I have a scarf drawer! I'm also going to take some old gold chains I've have for about 25 years to town see if they're worth anything- I'm never going to wear them.

MrsHathaway · 02/12/2015 10:11

my main progress is giving everything I planned to eBay to the charity shop realising that I just wasn't going to get round to it, feeling so much better for getting rid

Gosh this is so true - unless you're selling something very special then eBay nets you pennies and gives you a headache. Giving away is definitely in the spirit of Christmas too!

fuzzpig · 02/12/2015 10:38

I used to ebay everything but you're so right, a lot of the time it was things selling for 99p. And when you add in the time spent wrapping, posting etc... just not worth it. I have a couple of new sealed items that I'm going to stick on the local facebook selling group, but everything else is just leaving the house no matter what.

I am really tired this morning but determined to make progress and somehow get the DCs on board.

DH picked up a couple of those linen hanging storage things yesterday, as if we move our pyjamas/spare towels/bed linen/underwear into those, we will free up a big ikea unit that really needs to be used for the DCs' toys again.

Also need to get the DCs to put their clothes away (need to do ours too but that is really not going to happen today!) and majorly blitz the living room. Yesterday I managed to sort out all the DVDs which was good - we keep them all in caselogic book things, so I have a pile of new empty cases that the library will appreciate (they use them when original boxes break) - I must gather them together with books/DVDs that need returning.

I WILL DO THIS!

But somehow I need to do it without caffeine. Really could do with some Dr Pepper right now...

Shiraznowplease · 02/12/2015 11:20

Everyone is doing so well. Two bin bags today to the school for Christmas Fayre 😀 and a bag of not played with toys to the local children's hospital ..... I can actually see carpet in my junk spare room.

PennyHasNoSurname · 02/12/2015 11:24

Thought of this thread yesterday and bagged up two carriers of dds too-small clothes and took them to the charity shop.

I work four days a week, so have set myself a "two carriers a day on my days off" rule so still six per week.

Shiraznowplease · 02/12/2015 11:51

My dh says he needs to keep moving for fear of being thrown out in the declutter lol

Original poster
doublechocchip · 02/12/2015 12:43

So glad we're still doing this you're all motivating me to carry on too!

I'm on fire this morning bin bag of crap from ds room and a carrier bag of charity shop stuff, going to drop everything off at 3 just so it's gone.

OP posts:
BaBaBaBoomBoom · 02/12/2015 13:17

You've motivated me to sort out my clothes that I no longer wear, due to weight loss, now my drawers just look empty!! Great feeling though!

Destinysdaughter · 02/12/2015 13:18

I'm in. Got loads of stuff to get rid of!

CheeseEMouse · 02/12/2015 13:20

Just found this thread and think it's a good idea so will try and join in! I'm trying to sort out the mountains of baby clothes we have as a first step. Bag for charity shop done which I will drop off on the way to collect my daughter later.

AlfieandAnnieRose · 02/12/2015 13:26

Fuzzpig i have a load of empty DVD cases to clear, I didn't know the library would be interested in them so that's handy to know thanks, I shall ask my local. Anyone else know who could possibly want them?! I'm close to putting them in the bin as had no luck on freecycle

fuzzpig · 02/12/2015 14:00

Well done everyone!

Alfie possibly a charity shop may like them for similar purposes if they are given DVDs with broken boxes? I know in the library I work in, they need to be in good condition and the boxes that take 2 or more DVDs are particularly appreciated. I really don't think there's owt wrong with just chucking them though!

I'm fairly pleased with progress today. DCs actually helped a reasonable amount (even if they are UNBELIEVABLY SLOW and don't seem to see the mess that's right in front of them...). I need frequent rests unfortunately but have actually managed to do stuff even when sitting down (like doing the last few DVDs) so I'm quite proud.

DH is coming home early today so I'm hoping we can get more done then as well.

fuzzpig · 02/12/2015 15:26

Little ta da list for the day so far:

Superskills with DCs
Got DCs to put their clothes away
Massive bag of rubbish filled
Put a few toys away
Continued filling craft drawers
Sorted some laundry into piles
Put rest of DVDs away
Gathered library stock to return
Gave DCs lunch

fuzzpig · 02/12/2015 15:27

Oops that was the wrong thread! Was meant for the FlyLady thread. Sorry Blush

ArcheryAnnie · 02/12/2015 15:36

Someone was doing a truckload of stuff for the refugees in Lesvos, so that have me the motivation to sort out, wash and pair up the huge heap of too-small-for-DS children's gloves and warm hats that I've never done anything with. Has halved the glove-and-hat bag!

Books I want to keep are now piling up on the floor so am going to do (another) cull of the shelves.

fuzzpig · 02/12/2015 18:54

That's lovely Annie what a great use for your stuff.

I managed more than a bin bag's worth today as well as general tidying so I'm really pleased. We also chucked away 3 board games that had lost a huge amount of pieces (we are board game addicts so this is a big deal!)

Greymalkin · 02/12/2015 18:58

I've eBayed some bits today so that means some tat and packing materials have left the house. More tat is currently selling and will go by the weekend.

The things that didn't sell on eBay will go to charity shop on Friday when DS is in nursery.

I managed to clear most of the general debris off the book cases so now I can actually clean them and rearrange the books so they stand up properly, rather than be stuffed in any old how. Whilst I'm doing that I can weed out some books to to to the charity shop too.

I'm also eyeing DSs pile of soft toys that he never plays with, they can go too.

And I really like the idea of decluttering being a New Years resolution, might borrow that one.

fuzzpig · 02/12/2015 19:15

Fab Grey well done! I really need to photograph the bits I want to put on the facebook group. I'll do the new bits first (duplicate presents etc) and then maybe next week do a couple of big, used things as they need cleaning.

Not actually sure how many years have seen me make a decluttering NY resolution Blush but no matter what I WILL get there! We all will!

Right, piano pupil arriving in about 15 mins so must do final sprucing up of living room. When they've gone, I'll get upstairs to continue in the bedroom. Tomorrow I won't be able to do much (rushing between various activities etc) but I'm determined not to use that as an excuse to do nothing. I really need to do a bit every day or I know I'll give up for the gazillionth time.

CiderwithBuda · 03/12/2015 09:16

Haven't been great this week. Really busy with house stuff still. My Mastermind specialist subject is how all the brickies, plumbers, builders etc take their coffees! Brew Grin

But today I am home most of the day so will get something done. At a minimum I will do a carrier bag from my bathroom and a bag of clothes from my wardrobe. And I've decided my two foot high pile of magazines will go out with the recycling tomorrow.

I did clear out a couple of drawers in the freezer yesterday and I'm going to inventory it later with DH and menu plan around what is in it so we can use stuff up.

Fuzzpig - I think we have been on decluttering threads together before. Good to see you - you are doing well!

ArcheryAnnie · 03/12/2015 11:54

Oooh, fuzzpig, if your board game thing is with the kids, the lego board games are unbelievably good. When you lose some of the bits, you either replace them with other bits of lego lying around, or you break up the game and end up with a box of lego. It cuts short the whole thing becoming unplayable when you lose a piece. (And the big boxes are good games!)

Original poster
doublechocchip · 03/12/2015 13:03

archeryannie I didn't know there were Lego board games how could I have missed them?! Any good recommendations?

Yesterday was brilliant for sorting out the kids rooms are done and look so much better. Although my room now needs some tlc as its become a dumping ground while I've been concentrating on the others.
Hopefully will get a bagful of baby clothes to donate later today.

Good luck decluttering everyone

OP posts:
ArcheryAnnie · 03/12/2015 15:07

doublechocchip I cannot praise them enough! They work on many levels of play:

  • first, the kid has to build the board using the lego pieces and instructions provided. The box it all comes in is big enough for the finished board to sit in, so you don't have to start from scratch every time you play the game. This is genuis.)
  • play the game! They are pretty good games.
  • the instructions encourage the kids, once they have mastered the basic rules of the game, to adapt it as often as they like - they can refigure the board (as it's lego), change the rules, do whatever they like to it.
  • if you lose pieces, no problem! Just improvise with another bit of lego you have to hand.
  • when the kids are bored of it, what you are left with is not a bit of cardboard and a bunch of useless pieces, but a box of lego. There is no downside.

There are smaller games for smaller children, but the ones we still have are the bigger ones: Minotaurus, Hogwarts and Star Wars.