Keep on getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge!

[StealthNinjaMum]

After a thousand posts our homes are beautiful, decluttered places of harmony and relaxation….. or perhaps not?

We’re still trying to recycle, freecycle, sell our unwanted stuff and most of all clear out our houses, garages and sheds.

It’s easy to get involved, literally get rid of one thing a day and report back for support (and sometimes finger wagging if you’ve ‘accidentally’ bought a load of new clutter!)

Please join us and a warm welcome back to

@SandSnakeofDorne @PenelopeFlintstone @MajestyRoyal @Cupoteap @Gibble1 @SandAndSea @Medwaymumoffour @Rainbowqueen @Namethecat @lljkk @CapricornWithAUnicornHorn @Helsingborg @Panda81 @abitoflight @fannyanddick @AbbieLexie

(Apologies if I missed anyone out)

Original thread here

@StealthNinjaMum - Yes, I think online bills are the way to go, esp for people like us.

Sand I love sending parcels off in bright orange bags. I can close my drawer now without the bag handles popping out! and well done on being able to get rid of all the paperwork, that really is a huge milestone for you and you should be very happy with yourself

Cashew ouch! I'm glad I binned it, although I need to admit I mostly binned it because I couldn't be arsed attempting to change the blade. So my laziness has potentially saved me this time

@Namajesty - It's funny cos I've binned/recycled loads and loads of stuff over the years, but for some reason, I have struggled to bin paperwork.

I've also got a brolly I'm debating over. I haven't used it for years but it's the only one in the house and I'm wondering if I should keep it... I think I need to stop for the day now.

Decluttered a chest of drawers and a step ladder to my mum's yesterday 👍🏼

Today I sorted a crap pot in the kitchen and threw out loads of receipts and rubbish. Rehomed the bits into their rightful homes.

Then I threw out 2 carrier bags of holey socks, t-shirts and jeans of dh. 6 bras of mine that don't fit, 3 old crappy belts, a choker I bought and don't wear, some odd socks and gloves. And a pile of receipts and crap from our room.

And a bottle of sweet chilli sauce that is too spicy and no one likes.

1 brolly.

Well done sandandsea. The paperwork is hard but now I've done most of it I feel so much better. I used to know there were boxes of in the room of doom and feel so bad. There is still some to do but I've done the time consuming financial stuff.

Yesterday I spent an hour weeding and sweeping up leaves. there is still loads to do. My garden isn't big but I have only done a tiny bit and am going to try to do the rest in the next few dAys.

Today I'm going to declutter a Lego set I bought about three years ago to give as a birthday present.

@StealthNinjaMum - Thanks. Tell me, did you get rid of all of your bank statements? I've still got mine (neatly filed, of course).

sandandsea the bank statements surprisingly don't take up much space. I have plastic wallets of statements that go back to my childhood - nat west, abbey national and Barclays, the Leeds, egg and another building society, can't remember their name. Two of those were dormant but had money in so I formally closed them in about February to get my money out. I haven't shredded these because they're recent now and don't take up space. Having said that they're in a large plastic box which is mainly filled with stuff related to my first flat's conveyancing. I am intending to put the whole thing in the loft as 'history'. I would like to throw out the conveyancing stuff as I must've bought and sold that flat in about 1999 and 2002 yet I can't.

Then I have 3 thick files of hsbc bank statements and credit card statements from about 95 onwards. They still don't take up a huge amount of space but I shredded some historic ones the other day. I suppose I would like to shred them all apart from the last seven years. I could probably get them to one binder if I did that - or throw them all away and go online?

I barely use these accounts as I have a married account and mortgage with dh and my papers from that account are unsorted - but don't take up much space.

There is still a lot to be done with my paperwork but it's baby steps. A year ago I had boxes of receipts and papers and payslips and work stuff and it seemed like an insurmountable task to go through it. I have filled the room of doom with toys again so I need to sell those next week or give them away so I have a clean floor space to do more paperwork (personal stuff next and old work files.)

I know I keep going on about these bloody extra armchairs of mine....but today I fixed something in my dining room and I will finally be able to move the chairs out of the living room. Yay!!
Can that count as a declutter, please? It might not be out of the house but the living room will certainly look much decluttered!

You Paperwork Declutterers inspire me!!

Going to crack on this afternoon! DH has jay remembered he's got to resist his GCSE's next week and has yet to open a single book. So he shall be cluttering up his mind, while I declutter the house and have a good tidy up before we have a BBQ Sunday and Tuesday

The fridge needs a declutter, and a good clean. But it's literally my least favourite job ever.

Well done on tackling the paperwork. I need to do the same. Although I don’t have any old bank stuff. Am hoping to find stuff to claim PPI on our first mortgage. DH isn’t convinced we will get anything but it’s worth a go.

Need to sort some office stuff first before we can start unpacking boxes of files. And can’t do that till Room is painted. And can’t do that till painter is back on his feet after hip surgery.

I posted my package this morning that I had packed up the other day. And put clothes in the charity box outside the post office. Had a bag of jumpers and having washed my summer stuff I found a few summer tops I never wear so they went too. And a pair of shoes I tried to wear yesterday but didn’t even make it to the car in them as they hurt! Why was I keeping them? I’ve done shoes! I’ve never worn them as they are too tight! Anyway. Gone now.

I then went to the garden centre so now have some plants to plant this afternoon.

Cashew - good luck to your DH. DS did his GCSEs last summer at the dining room table having not been at school since th previous November and having not done any work. He did well. Even got an A in English language! And some Bs.

Make that three BBQ's I stupidly opened my mouth and said to DH ' I guess it's only fair if we invite your parents round Monday'.

Maybe this can be a creative way of decluttering the random food in my house!

And thank you Cider work are making him retake them before he can do another course, it's a total pain in the arse! I had no idea until this that they expired.

Am spending the afternoon trying to sort some things out. Went to the post office earlier and picked up a parcel. Turns out it’s a foam roller (for Pilates) which I ordered 4 months ago. Hmmm. I also complained to amazon and they refunded me. Hmmm.

So that’s cluttering things up.

They expire? Seriously? That’s bonkers!

Filled two black bags with clothing and shoes to give to our cleaner next week, working on the idea of one piece of clothing in, two out to her, and it’s working!

Charity shop bag done.

Ugg boots binned. I kept them another year longer than I probably should have. They’ve been with me since 2011 and are wrecked.

I listed 11 things on Ebay this evening... 2 already sold!
Painfully includes lots of cat deflea+deworm stuff I'm selling at a loss. I overbought before house fleas developed resistance so now we need the expensive deflea stuff that comes bundled with dewormer. Oh well... First World Problem. At least I realised before they all hit expiry dates.

I have a swimming goggle habit that needs sorting (too many ordered that aren't fit for purpose).

Penelope that's amazing it's amazing what a piece of furniture does to a room, I bet the visual space is so nice to look at

I have just had a last minute scramble (been out all day) and managed to get the housework done and find the following to throw out:

Battery
Newborn insert for car seat
Baby carrier
2 bottle bags
Box of nursing pads
Christmas stocking
Another box of nursing pads
2 bags of newborn size nappies
Plastic coat hanger
2 broken ornaments
3 more extra bits for the car seat I threw yesterday

Makes my total 56/132

Thanks @Namajesty. That list of yours is loads!

So far today;

1 plate
1 chocolate bar
Food hamster refuses to eat
2 old envelopes
Expired eggs
4 bananas gone in freezer to defrost and make banana and pistachio muffins tomorrow (using up tons of ‘bits’ of cooking stuff.
. Found a load of football shirts hidden behind the living room door. So they’ll be on eBay by lunchtime.
. MIL and DM coming up, so they can have all the baby photos and other shite from DH’s childhood they’ve tried to fob off on me.
. A load of food wrappers from behind the sofa.
. DS’s unusable baby stuff in charity box.

I’m also REALLY optimistic about decluttering the leftover Christmas stuff for the BBQ’s. I’m positive I can get rid of two bottles of non alcoholic ‘Rose grape’ wine, some mini corn on the cobs lurking in the freezer, some unused chutney and half bottles of mayonnaise and that sort of stuff. It’ll clear tons of room in my kitchen.

cashew I used up loads of Christmas chutney a while ago by making cheese and chutney quiche (pastry, layer of chutney, eggy cheesy mixture and bake)