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

Not off to a great start, had to go out to see to the ponies this morning and ended up strimming, chopping thistle and pulling ragwort all morning. And moving electric fencing. Went shopping and having half an hour to gather myself now .

Before I left the house though I carried 5 boxes of book downstairs so now I have to do something with them!

I've finally finished the sealant in the kitchen and the grout in the bathroom - they look all lovely and tidy. These jobs definitely count as clutter clearing as they've been ongoing for years. It's a big relief.

Sorted through DH's paperwork today as best I could, double checked if anything needed keeping them shredded the lot. Probably about half a kilo of paper there's still tons more. I can't actually get in the dining room.

Sorted out all of DS's drawers today, and made a list of what he actually needs for the next six months. They're lovely and organised, and I charity bagged lots of stuff that doesn't fit anymore.

DS has discovered the bloody Clangers so just watching that, bath, bed, then I can crack on with the dining room.

Got on pretty well this afternoon. Pretty much finished the boys bedroom. I just need to 're jig the stuff stored on top of the wardrobe, and get someone to help me carry a unit upstairs, and it's done! Ordered some new curtains too!

Didn't get under stairs done but the books are downstairs ready to go next week.

Did some cleaning, wheely bins etc too. Strayed from my list but productive!

I’ve hit a wall today and hardly done anything! Has my brother over for a birthday roast lunch and then went to the farm to sort the horse and am looking at boxes that need taping up and I can’t be BOTHERED!

Threw a few more bits away from my toiletries... around 5!

Handyman coming in morning so he can carry these boxes into the garage and tape them up really so I might just carry on decluttering these chocolates and my sky planner!

#ha

SandAndSea I'm v. impressed with your DIY-ing. I'm also including all those overlooked maintenance and mending jobs as decluttering. I bet you feel so pleased they are done

Sounds productive Carpet Clangers are awesome, but not as good as Hey Duggee!

Good luck with the move Shinny.

How cool you guys have horses / ponies! Good chocolate decluttering Nofilter

Today I sold some stuff on eBay and have interested people on Gumtree, so some a few things are going out tomorrow, yay! Plus one more bag for the charity shop.

We achieved a whole house clean again this weekend, with some difficulty as I'm 8 months preggers and DH in the throes of a chronic illness, but it feels so tidy and lovely now.

Glad your house feels nice and clean to start the new week on Greyclouds! Sorry to hear your husband is unwell though

Had a busy ish day today not actively thrown anything out but ita recycling day tomorrow and i seem to gave maxed out the bin so that counts right decluttered fathers day gifts off my shelf to.
Want a final push this week with the last toy items i have for sale and the 3 large bags of soft toys need a home then i can properly get into hell cupboard and organise things better.
Well done though everyone good progress no matter how big/small or edible

Threw away a bra that was falling apart and bought 8 new ones. I got 8 because I can only get my size in M&S so had to stock up while I was there and they had my size in. So lovely new 32DD bras ready to be worn 😁.
Tomorrow my motorbike is going to BiL.

Took a new approach to DDs bedroom today. Lately, I've been tidying it to barely respectable levels almost every week or two and it's back to what it was in a matter of days - as it was today. This takes a couple of hours of tidying by me.
Today I did something different; I removed stuff. 3 carrier bags for the charity shop and a bag for selling or passing on to a friend. That's what I'm going to do every time it needs work. Whittle it down, and down, and down....I don't think she'll notice.
A couple of clothing items which are always on the floor and annoying me, I have slipped behind the chest of drawers. She's got a sentimental attachment to them so I won't ditch them completely but they won't be on the floor all the time. If she looks hard enough she'll find them and think they've fallen down there, but frankly I think she's too lazy to bother!!

I need to declutter a wedding invite today. I won't be able attend as I have no annual leave, it's three hours away, and DS isn't invited, so I know I won't be going.

But I'm scared of my in laws shouting at me so it's hiding in a drawer

Can you RSVP by text and then not answer the phone?

I’m a very experienced chocolate declutterer greyclouds.

DD has finally started to act like she has chicken pox. Not much sleep was had by all last night I’m totally knackered today!

If I manage my daily jobs that will be Good but I doubt it’s going to happen - heads for a second coffee!

Oh my God, there's pages of comments to read. You've all been super busy.

SandandSea algae counts.I am looking at the weather wondering if its going to rain. I'd like to spread moss remover on the patio I spent hours sweeping last week. I know I probably shouldn't spray it but I'm so proud of my effort from last week I'm impatient.

Carpet I probably have 17 notebooks. I obsessively buy them every time I start a new 'got to tidy my house, lose weight, organise my life initiative'. I am now using them to do lots of lists.

Sorry there are so many bugs around. We had one too. Dh woke me up at 5 on Saturday morning vomiting. So I took dc out to avoid catching his bug. They wanted to buy fathers day presents and bought him seed packets, socks and a sunflower. So more clutter in.

Not much decluttering I'm afraid. A couple of small toys gone (dd1 donated to charity) and that's it.

The house is a mess after the weekend. Yet again I see 5 pairs of shoes within feet of the cupboard. I am about to make a big list for today but have already put the first load of washing on. I am going to focus on tidying but also am going to do a small bit of gardening. I bought some secateurs last week so am going to kill a few messy plants that are climbing on fences.

IHateYourCarpet I've always wanted to have the balls to say "Oh I wish I could, but I just don't want to!"
which I think was a Phoebe line in Friends...

I dare you...

Under - love it!! I sometimes wish I could say "I'm sorry I'm late; I didn't want to come!"

* Penelope*! They are erm ... quite forceful! I think DH or I are going to need to call them, tolerate some verbal abuse, then enjoy 12 months of snippy comments about how awful we are for not going!

Under I say it quite often these days children make you too tired to be a 'yes' person. It won't work here though. I'm planning on telling them I'll attend if they can reimburse me £400 for loss of earnings and DS's nursery fees... they're quite a pushy couple, when things don't go their way, you certainly know about it!

Maybe I could use some of my clutter to barricade the front door ...

Going well this morning - have cleared out some random kitchen bits including some Jelly Babies that were lying around cluttering up the larder and some magazines.

Little steps...

Ihateyourcarpet I just don't understand people who get so worked up about who is attending their wedding! Surely it's an honour that people can be bothered to take the time and spend the money to come? If they can't, they can't. Very simple. Hope you manage to resolve it - please stand your ground!

I went through the chest of drawers in our bathroom yesterday, which resulted in about half a carrier bag of expired/ unneeded medication and first aid supplies. They'll be returned to Boots to be disposed of correctly. And they can count as my item then, as I counted something else yesterday

Sorry hate, I meant if they are unable to come, not if they can't be bothered - I know it's not not being bothered in your case

Oh dear, Carpet. Sounds painful.

Quick question...

The school that ds is at has changed their uniform & can only wear the old one until the end of this term.

I'm sure I'm not alone in having loads of hand me down jumpers which I now won't be able to use! Does anyone know of a charity which I could organise an unwanted uniform collection for? I'm sure there was one I heard of that sent them to schools eg in Africa or to refugees?

It just seems such a waste of perfectly good clothing.

I dropped off the thread for a while and just spent an age catching up. Everyone’s been so busy and doing so well. I’ve had a bit of a relapse. A few things have gone over the last couple of weeks but not a lot and the house got into a right untidy mess yet again. Last week I managed to send DS off to school without things he needed on two separate days. At 6 he’s not really capable of remembering everything so I need to help him out. And then I remembered this morning I have to take him to a hospital appointment tomorrow which I had also forgotten about. I get so frustrated with myself about how I seem at times to be completely unable to do adult things properly.

Anyway, I’ve given my head a wobble and I’m making an effort to get more organised. There’s now a laminated sheet stuck to one of the kitchen cupboards so when I’m putting the kettle on in the morning I can check DS has everything he needs. I’ve dug out my bullet journal and starting reusing that to keep on top of appointments and bills and any other admin. It also has a huge list of diy jobs that need doing and areas that need decluttering so I can keep a check on how I’m getting on. I’ve cleaned and tidied most of the house so I can start again.

On a more positive note I’ve noticed that when I get something out of a cupboard or put clothes away I’m always looking out for things that we don’t need any more so I’m getting rid of quite a few little bits here and there which will hopefully add up.

Thanks to whoever mentioned the h and m clothes thing. I had completely forgotten about that and I do have a bag I can drop off next time I’m in town.

I’ve got an hour before the school run so I’m off to find some things to declutter!

Despite good intentions, I didn't get much done at the weekend. I picked out a couple more items for my charity box. I had said I was going to list at least 6 items on eBay, but only managed 3, but... one sold today. I intend to try to get another 3 things listed tonight. Of course, I haven't managed to deal with any of the larger items which will release the most space. Sigh!

Talking of large items, I have 2 underbed storage boxes which are now surplus to requirements. They don't stack and I really don't have anywhere else they can be used. I'm going to try to get round to giving them a wash this week and advertise them on Facebook or Gumtree.

UnderTheOakTree I love that Phoebe quote, I'd like to say it too.

Had a better than expected morning. Two loads of washing done. Loads put away. Ironing pile ready for tomorrow. Shredded lots of dh's papers. Also I swept the patio again, put moss killer down, chucked out loads of leaves and pruned some unruly ivy plants. I think I also weeded in the sense I pulled 'untidy' plants out of the ground - I hope they were weeds! I have also found some presents that I bought and never gave and stuck them in a charity bag for school's summer fair. I am now going to do my final push on some toys I tried to sell last week. If no-one wants them they're going to the charity shop.