This Christmas will be different...

[sohackedoff]

My home is really messy. Really, really messy. Too much stuff, too little space and I swear we have poltergeists. Having been dabbling at decluttering but stuff just keeps coming in faster than it goes out. Family all coming to mine at Christmas and it would be nice if it didn't look like I've just been burgled. I have form for starting stuff and not finishing it, so I plan on posting each day my list of to do's for the next day and say what i managed to get done. So, tomorrow i will:

Wash down two living room walls
Put away box of RC in living room
Declutter kids shoes,
& Tupperware
Clean bathroom
Clear kitchen table

If there is anyone who fancies themselves as a cleaning-dom then you are welcome to berate me if I fail.

Anyone else struggling?

Ah stealth decluttering - I like it!

It is funny how much we hold onto that once it's gone we never think about again. I'm sure I could remove half my DDs' toys and clothes and they never notice.

It is done, I now have to steel myself to clean behind it . The cobwebs in here have to be seen to be believed !

sohacked Though if you do that you have to hide the stuff before you recycle it

Ppeat - well done you! I'm having to muster support to start on our little bedroom, which will be done this weekend. Methinks it's spider heaven - cluttered, a little damp and seldom disturbed.

Still, onwards and upwards...

My favourite way is to say right I'm going to move 20 or even 50 items from the house, room whatever. They have to be chucked , in box for charity or put away properly. Then I look at the area and it always looks heaps better.

Thanks sohacked I use my 'spray a nice smell with water' idea on the dust before I start so don't get dust everywhere!

After having to clear my DH gran's house last month after she passed away, we have both made a big effort to declutter. She had at least 4 dinner sets but used the same 2 plates and bowls.
We have made good progress we have a full shelf in a kitchen cupboard empty after sorting out the Tupper wear ansd sending a spare just in case dinner service to the charity shop.

Bobo Oh yes, it's the wedding gifts!

We are using ours now! I dread when DM dies because she says she's going to leave us her crystal glasses which she NEVER uses, there's a whole cupboard full fgs.

So, little bedroom is taking longer than expected. Trying to be ruthless. Will continue with it tomorrow and also declutter girls' clothes.

Definitely going try giving myself a goal of items to get rid of. It is starting to feel a tiny bit better though!

My friend has a terribly untidy house and what I've noticed is that she just doesn't throw anything away. Empty pop bottles bread bags etc just hanging about. She bags up clothes but never moves them. I went round once and couldn't get through her door for post piled up

It is difficult to find the time to take stuff to the recycling place or charity shop. sonlypuppy I have a long line of bags in my hall waiting for the right time I will do it though! With the compost heap stuff etc. etc.

At least the chest is gone now and I've had a good old clear out of the END of the hall (it's quite long). The rest needs it too but will have to wait. I've also had to make some space in the kitchen for what was in the chest. Which of course took time , it needed it clearing too!!

I'm in, tomorrow is the kids bedroom, my eldest moved out a couple of weeks ago and ds2 will be moving in when it's decorated(on hold at the moment as dhs mum is in the local hospice).

Once that is done my youngest dd will move in with her elder sister and the decluttering can continue.

Sounds like musical rooms at your house Itsafunny . Well done !

My hall is cleared of the bags but tomorrow I'm putting the usual recycling bags in the car (I let it build up quite a bit) . It's nice to have a fairly big house but it just means you have more space for more STUFF Aaaaaah !!!

Progress derailed by half term but tomorrow I will finish little bedroom and spend half an hour culling toys and summer clothes. I plan on taking the clothes to NPAC on Saturday, so it has to be done tomorrow.

The thought of even more stuff coming through the door at Christmas terrifies me when we don't have room for the stuff we already have.

Oh I know what you mean sohacked. I tried to ask dsis for no more presents, but she can't seem to stop buying STUFF!!! Even books have to go somewhere ! DH is AWFUL for spending on things that stop working, what do we do with them??

Well I haven't got as much done as I intended (notice a pattern here?) But I will have two more bin liners full of stuff going off to the charity shop tomorrow. Better than nothing but not enough to reach my Christmas goal.

Ppeat - I'm trying to persuade my two DDs that lessons in something fun plus a few presents might be a good idea. Got to get myself past that mindset where anything less than a massive pile of presents is a let down. When what is wrong is an environment that's too chaotic to play because there's just too much.

So, going to crack on with little bedroom and girls clothes. Again.

Good luck with that sohacked ! I used to find when ours were younger that it's the presents from the other relatives that end up making it too much. Little and often is the secret to clearing and recycling I reckon!

Another two boxes ready for the charity shop.

It is so time consuming though. Going through paperwork at the moment. Trying to be ruthless. Struggling with the kids' sentimental stuff... the volume. I know I can't keep it all!

Someone once told me that she dreaded having to blitz the house before relatives descended at Christmas, so one year her dh paid for a team to go through the whole house, windows, cupboards, oven, cleaned the carpets, everything.
She said it was the best Christmas present she'd ever had.

I dream of getting a cleaner once I'm on top of the crap GETTING but at the moment it's just not possible. You have to be able to see it to clean it. However, I just keep reminding myself "it's better than it was". It will be done by Christmas.

A good tip I heard is to photograph your kids artwork and even favorite bits if clothing, then you can store it digitally.