Anyone want to join me for a school holiday decluttering thread?

[NickNacks]

Slowly but surely our little house has developed a problem. She's run out of space!

Added to the problem that we are all a bit crap about putting things away after we are finished with them and I am a childminder, something has got to give and some serious getting rid has to happen.

I have a fairly quiet school holidays approaching so plan to sort it out in time for a stress free start to the school year.

Would anyone like to join me?

[NickNacks]

Terrible night's sleep and so have had time to think about today's plan - my sons' room.

They want a desk to use their laptops on but we'll have to get rid another piece of furniture to make way for it. We just have to decide what.

They are pretty good at helping and getting rid of stuff but the reality is they have a small room and there is two of them sharing. They also don't really tidy unless asked- most children do this i hope?!

Today is the first day of the declutter that dh will be under foot. Until now he's been at work so where i have tidied, it has stayed tidy behind me! Today will be a challenge to reeducate him.

To do list

Today's load of washing (already done just needs hanging on the line)
Keep kitchen and sitting room tidy
Sort boys' bookshelf
Sort boys' clothes

We have guests coming at some point, family who are in the area for the weekend. We don't know what time but I'm happy the house is presentable so they are welcome to come at any time!

[NickNacks]

3 bin bags filled from the boys' room plus a bag of books to recycle.

Just stopping for lunch....

[SnugglySnerd]

Been out most of today but did find time to put some of DD's baby toys in the loft.

[Floggingmolly]

Books are my downfall... Spend an hour piddling about with them this morning, and made a pile of... 3
Must Try Harder.

[wecantallbeperfect]

Purple thank you for the tips, will take those and run with them
Just finished finding my holiday clothes, taken loads of clothes(some unworn with labels on) to the charity shop
I've got rid of all the clothes from DC3 as DC4 is completely different shape/size and it's such a waste when someone else could have the benefit from them
Hope you are all making progress, when I return from hols DH is insisting that we go through the rest of the loft and the garage, which is currently housing horse rugs and equipment for various horses as he would like to put his car in it!! DSil will have to come and shift her furniture-and that's a whole other thread.

[SpaceKoala]

Can I join too?
On a constant cleaning and decluttering mission, but hoping to use the holidays to make a big dent in the to do list

So far I have

Sorted everyone's shoes
Found storage box for sandpit toys etc
Sorted kids jackets and cardigans

Put up hanging clothes rail thing from ceiling for dc dressing up clothes to give them a home

Threw out throw for sofa, was old one, kept for den / tent building but too heavy

Threw out random folding chair kept 'In case needed'

Sorted out random bits of post in kitchen, put letters regarding any appointments in date order on fridge, one pile of stuff to be shredded at work and one pile to be filed.

Also did general tidy up of kids bedroom so looks a lot more pleasant

Sorted kids clothes, and ordered new uniform bits after figuring out what was needed.

One bag of clothes for charity and one in bin.

Oh and cleaned huge kitchen window sills, they tend to become a dumping ground for all sort :(

Next on list / kitchen cupboards

Thinking of chucking some mugs/glasses and plates, we have lots that never get used..

Maybe set a number to keep and chuck the rest?

[Peasandsweetcorn]

DD's bedroom sorted today. All furniture pulled out & cleaned behind etc. I couldn't face the dressing up box but that is a contained task.
I've tackled bits of DS' room & the playroom and thrown several toys out and have another stash for the charity shop. I've also earmarked some to be sold after the summer holiday.

[Forgetmenotblue]

Can I join in? I'm a teacher and the end of term was manic...the house and garden have gone feral.

I've sorted my clothes and DS2's. Some binned and two big bags for charity drop off tomorrow.

Washed and put away school uniforms and bought a few new bits today, and labelled them (PE kit and socks whilst I was in the supermarket).

Planted some half dead geraniums that were being sold off cheaply- hope they perk up.

Caught up with some dull admin- found the form about the car tax in a pile of free magazines that came through the door!

Made spag Bol for dinner. Worn out now!

Bath and wine.....

[Andbabymakesthree]

We've run out of space in our small three bed house too.

Expecting a third child - a boy -so all the girls clothes are now being listed on local selling sites for sale. Made £27 from one bundle and £7.50 from another. Plus another £12 being collected tomorrow.
The rest is all lower priced stuff and will go out for a yard sale/car boot.

Tonight I've gone through a ton of stuff in the overflowing garage. Sorted done toys, kids stuff etc for yard sale and car boot.

If weather decent tomorrow I'm planning on getting the children to set up a stall outside and advertise it on Facebook. It will give me a chance to continue sorting garage whilst children get involved in selling stuff. Any money we make can go on cinema trip.

Once garage sorted I'm hoping it'll inspire them to look at their bedrooms!

[SnugglySnerd]

Morning all! Planning to tackle the freezer today, will chuck out anything really old which shouldn't be much, I am quite good at not wasting food. Going to make a meal plan to use up as much as possible.

[lljkk]

Teen DD asked me to help sort her room yesterday; woohoo! Big back of stuff to go to charity shop. Now, if only I could face rest of the house.

[lljkk]

*bag.... MN froze mid post, took me 10 minutes to get that posted.

[1AngelicFruitCake]

Can I join too? Have had previous threads on here about tips for decluttering. Have gotten rid of loads since having my first baby but now got a spare room filled with all the hard to get rid of stuff. Added to that I have a 2 year old and 4 month old and my progress is very slow! Hoping this thread will motivate me!

[Forgetmenotblue]

Attacked the garden today and chopped back a load of stuff, so at least we can walk on the path now.

Dropped some bags at the charity shop.

Did some admin bits and hand delivered two things I owed people.

Then got cracking headache and threw up!

[user7755]

I'm in.

I'm going through everyone's clothes (will do before and after pics)

Would it be wrong to do DHs while he's not here?

[TrappedNerve]

Me please! This is just what I need.

Had decorator in to do the bathroom and both dd and ds rooms. Place is like shit creek! Pardon the language.

Doing a car boot this Sunday so time is of the essence.
Dd has a new bed ( a camper van ) with plenty of storage but pretty much takes up most of her tiny room. She is 5 and prefers craft to toys which is done downstairs.

Ds is 13, he's got new furniture and a leather sofa which converts to a double bed, both dc have huge amounts of crap to get rid of ( all brought down to my living room to sort ) and the house generally looks a disgrace.

Our bedroom has also had new furniture but not decorated as was done a year ago and couldn't cope with any more disruption so that is the dumping ground for everything else.
Literally don't know where to start!
I have anxiety, OCD and fibromyalgia so this is really affecting me.

Will update later, doesn't help when the dc are messy sods

[TrappedNerve]

Still more rubbish to come- will be ordering skip I think...

[Leeloo2]

NickNacks - i don't want to delay your decluttered, but as a fellow cm I wondered how you were decluttering toys, as I find that's my biggest problem - i worry about getting rid of any toys in case future kids need/want it or we don't have enough variety. It'd be really helpful if you have a moment to know what you're keeping for littlies toy-wise. :)

[Equimum]

Wow, some of you are doing some seriously impressive work. DS1 is at his nursery holiday club today, so while the baby was napping I cleaned the airing cupboard and have bagged up several awfully old towed and some old bed sets. I have also cleared all the bottles of various toiletries which have been left half used for years. Finally, while cleaning the children's room, I have also rounded up a guitar with a broken string that MiL thought they might like, a giant beanbag which we never wanted in the first place and a whole bag of brown toys and cuddly toys which have never been looked at.

I know it's a tiny thing, but it's a start.

[SnugglySnerd]

I'm not doing well today. I managed to get round to washing the cushions as they were looking a bit grotty but nothing decluttered. Going to have another go at the spare room tomorrow.
Keep up the good work everyone - you are inspiring me!

[MrsHathaway]

Cream sofa cover in the washing machine. Very overdue

[SnugglySnerd]

My next sofa will definitely have washable covers, cat and toddler are wrecking it between them!

[Forgetmenotblue]

Feeling a bit delicate today so not much done.

Put masses of stuff out for recycling lorry so that's not cluttering up the side passage outside. Bottles to glass recycling. Two bags to clothes recycling. Posted two things I'd sold on eBay.

Later will Hoover all through. Doing a lazy tea of shop quiche and chips.

[Forgetmenotblue]

What do you all do with old video tapes? Bin? Or does anyone take them any more? Charity shops round here won't.

[NotCitrus]

Ooh, this is what I need! I've been on the Kondo threads and got things under control until I got ill again, and now have done more but the kids have brought home huge amounts of crap (sorry, purchases of artisan crafts from the school enterprise fair), DP has brought more bits of DIY stuff from Freecycle that don't work, I am generating paperwork faster than I can file it - but on the plus side, we are agreed the entire living room needs to be emptied by the end of August so the floor can be removed, underfloor heating installed, and the minging carpet shoved down the tip.

Yahoo have just cancelled my account so I need to sign up with Freecycle etc again.

I do have a sack ready for the charity shop, and a list of bulky items to sell and Freecycle.