Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge: Part 3: Are we nearly there yet?

[StealthNinjaMum]

For 2000 posts a group of messy mumsnetters have been chucking out, selling, recycling and cooking weird cakes.

Are we free of clutter yet? Sadly not.

Thankfully we're here to get support and be told off when we have a relapse and bring more clutter into the house, garages, sheds, gardens.

Newbies are welcome to join us, it's easy we literally just get rid of one thing a day and report back.

Previous thread here

Yesterday's item was an old coat of dp's. We've replaced it with an absolute bargain which looks really good on him but I've decided it still counts as it's a key item and contributes to lifting our overall vibe.

I'm still thinking about what to clear today.

I have found the mysterious flat bush things after a quick google - this is them:

Before and after they got berries on them (which the ducks loved eating). I had around 4 of them originally and they had spread to at least 10 since moving here (1.5 year ago). Had no idea they were wall climbers but looking back they were all growing on top of each other along the bricks. They spread and routed everywhere but thankfully were easy enough to pull up. My kitchen window is very low they would have grown into it in no time at all! Horrible horrible things I am glad they're gone

Carpet oh my goodness I did the exact same!! I went for a Christmas Do' one year and just never spoke to anyone again. I still turn up for very important events (funerals/christenings/birthdays of the people I am still in contact with) but never bother talking to or even acknowledging the people I am NC with. The people I am still in contact with visit me and I visit them and we keep in touch and up to date, but it's just a case of texting beforehand to see if anyone else is there to avoid awkward looks and sly comments . I can deal with that very easily. Happiest I've been though, and I'm bloody glad these people aren't in my kids life's.

Today: two old tennis racquets and 4 bike helmets. Out!

Hi everyone,
Just checking in. Haven’t been on the thread for, what feels like, ages but have had a fairly productive morning and cleared all the worktops in the kitchen and finally decluttered the fridge of all the off food . I’ve removed 5 plastic drinks bottles and a lunchbox and repurposed some other bits and pieces so the kitchen is looking good.
Also, having cleared the top of the piano and tv cupboard a couple of weeks ago, I’m happy to report they have remained clear of clutter. Very pleasing.
Next on my list is to take my winter coats off the coat stand by the front door and move them to my bedroom.
Ooh, I also returned my dsis’ handbag yesterday that she’d given me to get repaired.
Only one eBay sale so far from last week’s listings but that’ll be packed up and posted tomorrow and maybe even a trip to the charity shop to drop off a few bags of stuff.

Gosh, waste of time, IHateYourCarpet, how rude . Definitely declutter those relatives!! Schpock sucks I'm definitely going to take your advice and resist everything on eBay / Gumtree / Freecycle. In fact that's my job right now.

Loads recycled last night in a major kitchen rearrangement, yay! Though more leftover weird crap to add to the free cycling etc. Annoying...

Good idea Grey it'll be worth listing it all, and you get the luxury of people collecting it FROM you! All the better.

Clutterfree I think we all have some erm, things we'd be ashamed of in our fridges! I think it's so easy to shut the door and forget about it.

It's a huge relief isn't it Nama? I'll be doing the same where possible, though most events will now be impossible to attend all my annual leave will be used to cover DS's nursery breaks. That bush looks like it could have ended up being a total pain in the arse!

Emen you're kinder than me. I'd have left the chilli in.

Stealth at least it's not some completely random shoe! I found one in my boot once. Still have no idea who it belonged to.*

Mozart* Indeed I was looking around earlier and thanks to this thread I'm so much happier with the house. Still lots to do, but hopefully this thread and you lot will keep inspiring me.

Wey hey Gumtree listing on a mobile is super easy

carpet noooo seriously I wouldn’t have been able to eat it!

Am taking the bloody stuff to the charity shop today. It’s going.

Have sorted out 4 cookery books to get rid of today. These are all books which have survived a previous cull and are STILL never used. They all look brand new!

I've got at least another 2 more which could go so it might end up being more.

Aaaah the charity shop which is easy to get to today is bloody closed!!! (And it’s near the recycling place...so was going to take ds and the cardboard there!)

Will have to take it into town.

I’m on a half day today as my mum isn’t well so can’t take ds while I’m at work. Dh has the afternoon off. So much for my productive morning.

Recycling DS Em ? 😳😱
Poor little sausage!

tiddly yeah I chucked him in with “bulky items” as he’s almost 12kg at 8 months..... #chunk

😉

Seriously though he thinks me folding boxes and throwing them in the thing is hilarious. I did say I’d throw him in too and picked him up and swung him about. Again hilarious. But he’s safe. Not recycled. Yet.

Tiddlywinks

Carpet Good news indeed.

A sad haul today of two hangars...

I've read somewhere of the 'dangers' of buying storage solutions as it encourages you to keep more clutter but... I've bought 2 storage boxes today. We've got see-through bathroom cabinets which are awkward to get into, so I'm thinking they'll tidy them up, make everything more accessible and help to keep the cupboards clean as they can go in the dishwasher. They'll also make it easier to pack when we move. That's the plan anyway.

I also managed to stop myself from buying superhero knickers.

When DGS was 10 months old DS was only half joking about selling him on eBay 😄
Now DGS has hit the terrible twos I fear joking may become reality!

Have cleaned out dp's bathroom cabinet. Chucked items include 2 aftershaves, an electric nose hair strimmer, nail clippers, a box, toothbrush packaging and an old razor. It was diiirrrrrrrrtyyy! But now it's all clean.

Have sorted out another 2 cookery books. It's a bit painful cos they're beautiful and like new but it's daft keeping them and not using them.

Crappy day today - family health problems and work stress combination.

Still, I sold a tagine of all things for £2 and gave away 15 tins of cat food our poor terminal moggy can't eat any more.

The daily count makes me feel so positive about moving forward.

Nothing gone for a good long while but I brought in the candy floss machine from my boot and gave it a really good clean. It’s now ready to go back to the scout hut until we need it again in June.
I cleaned my kitchen floor tonight too. I wasn’t sure what to use to clean it as it’s rough ceramic tiles and eats micro fibre cloths. I found one of those dreadlock microfibre spongy pads the other day so used that and a bowl of hot soapy water.
It only took about 15 minutes. The water was disgusting at the end as I haven’t cleaned it properly sonce it was laid in (ahem) November 😳. It doesn’t look any different though so that’s a real relief.

One book and two pairs of tights.

Gibble I'm sure there will be a specific mophead for that. Or some sort of cloth? I can't believe you haven't cleaned it for all those months, you have the patience of a saint! I'd have been on my hands and knees every day with a scrubbing brush

I decluttered DH's desk and bedside drawer. Loads of stuff went, I couldn't even count but it was 1.5 bin bags for rubbish and recycling.

Also need advice from anyone here. My entire downstairs is liveable. It's got all necessary fixtures and fittings and furniture and we can do everything we need to do. However it's not decorated and I haven't got the new (matchy matchy) furniture in yet. So it's very basic and very boring but does what we need it to do.

Upstairs is nowhere near done. We need new bed, mattress, wardrobe, drawers and bedside cabinets in our room plus new bedding and wall fixtures etc. Once we have this new furniture our old wardrobe will be in DS's room (it's bigger than the one in there now so can hold more) and then they will just need it painted and a few pictures up.

So do I focus on getting the furniture upstairs and have a 'fully' functional house and then just decorate after new year while adding in new matchy furniture wherever we can. Or do I get the entire downstairs done completely and have a half complete upstairs?

It will be done by Christmas so it's either
A - have Christmas in a fully functional but basic house
B - have Christmas in a lovely new living room but bedrooms won't even be half done

Hmm, is it a money or a time issue NaMa? We tend to get everything livable then make one area "nice".

If it was a cash thing I'd be trying to get things I liked super cheap to get it all done by Xmas. I do buy most furniture second hand and we have a fab local ex display furniture shop (can recommend if you're anywhere near London).

I would decorate before getting new furniture delivered. Maybe you don't have as much stuff as me, but emptying and and moving furniture to decorate is a hassle and if you can put the stuff back into new furniture it would save time and effort!

@NaMajesty I'd probably decorate first, or in this house it never gets done! Plus I love Christmas, so would want one perfect room for it, iyswim.

Slow progress here, back in work but going through washing mountain, and throwing out stuff that dogs have ruined. Got rid of gorgeous coat I loved yesterday, maybe that'll teach me to keep stuff off the floor.
Still about it tho!