Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge: Part 4

[StealthNinjaMum]

And the decluttering continues…

For 3,000 posts we have been slowly transforming our homes from hovels to palaces.

We’re not quite there yet some of us are further than others but we won’t give up until we have a decluttered existence.

We just get rid of one thing a day and report back to showoff for support and to be told off when we’re naughty and bring more clutter back into our homes, gardens, sheds, garages.

As ever newbies are welcome to join us.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3243987-Getting-rid-of-one-thing-a-day-decluttering-challenge-Part-3-Are-we-nearly-there-yet?msgid=79207142

That's good news that your stuff was finally picked up korma.

Jealous of your diy efforts Gibble.

Today's item is a Finding Nemo towel / poncho to wear over a swimming costume.

My spare bed has a mountain of crap on it and I have started to put it in bin bags to hide behind the bed. When dds go back to school I can take it to charity shops but if they see it on the bed a load of clutter could go back into the house!

I had quite a successful day yesterday. Yet another pile of junk mail was sorted and recycled although I didn’t get round to the shredding. I found a few bits of mouldy veg in the bottom of the fridge that I should have cleared before we went away. When I was sorting through the washing and putting clothes away 3 bras, 2 pairs of pants, a pair of shorts and vest went in the charity or rag bags.

I had a very productive afternoon / evening. I made a long list of jobs and spent about four hours tidying and doing housework and putting things in their correct homes.

I chucked out lots of artwork from dds, shredded some paperwork and threw out a broken music/jewellery box and a plastic foot pump that would have come with a paddling pool and would take six years to actually pump anything. I filed all my recent bills and statements. I also had a chat with dd1 about the mess in her room and suddenly she is really receptive to getting rid of stuff now that she can see the benefit of clear surfaces and tidied cupboards. She is happy for me to get rid of some kind of toy house (we think the toy was squinkies) and a My Little Pony house and lots of crappy plastic things including a McDonalds toy that she only got about 4 weeks ago after BEGGING me to go to McDonalds. I think she's realising that we are all using too much plastic.

Good work OP!

Aargh!! Discovered that a load of stuff I had left on DH side of the bed to sort out has just been dumped on a windowsill untouched AND he's brought back all the mini toiletries from the hotel WHEN HE KNOWS we/I am trying to use up all the old stash!!!

Ladies, do I LTB?

Yes ltb! Leave all the stuff on his side of the bed. Keep doing it until he gets the message! I have just put dh's GCSE art folder (30 years old!) back in his study as somehow it had moved to the spare room. Honestly if I'd thrown it away he would never have remembered it.

A very good morning with dds. We stayed in. Dd1 sorted through her school rucksack and some of her schoolbooks. We threw loads of stuff away and blutacked some artwork up.

Weekly update!

Did quite a bit of sorting-out over the weekend. Tackled the pile of stuff that came from Mum's house still piled up in the living room. Consolidated Mum's photos into one box and put that up in the spare room. Also put a box of spare photo and picture frames in the loft. (We will definitely use a number of them.) Started another binbag for rubbish. Still stuff there to deal with - but a lot less than before.

Sorted out old Radio Times mags last night for the paper bin collection today. Also, took a largish bag of mixed stuff to the charity shop this morning on the way to work. That means the Charity Box in the hall is nearly empty again, ready for the next lot.

Have listed 4 new items on eBay in the past week and sold 2 of them already, plus an "older" item. However I have just been contacted about one of them as it hasn't arrived today - it was only posted 2nd class as a small parcel on Monday. Sigh! Fingers crossed I have managed to placate him until next week.

We’re having an evening off so only recycling has gone out today.

Another stairgate sold on Facebook.

Dropped 2 bags of clothes and a baby walker round at a friend's tonight who wanted them.

Trying to get rid of a steriliser and bottles but so far the women's refuge and the children's centre won't take them. Might just stick them on Facebook selling for free.

Father's Day cards are still up...

I’ve done quite a bit of sorting and tidying over the last couple of days so the hall is tidy and uncluttered and a smallish corner of our bedroom is sorted. Most of what’s gone out is just paper - there seems to be piles of post everywhere. The pile I sorted through yesterday had unopened junk mail from April in it . I did a huge pile of shredding. As usual the shredder jammed after a while and tried to ram another piece of paper through to clear it. Every single time I do this and then spend ages trying to unblock the thing. I just don’t learn! I think I spent longer unjamming the thing than I actually did shredding.

The good news is that both DH and DS have commented on the tidier bits of the house and DS has asked me to help sort out his room so we are going to spend some time doing this today.

bobgoblin I have jammed many shredders. I actually bought a relatively expensive one (£40 as opposed to the usual £20 I spend) about Christmas time and it has never gone wrong yet and gets a lot of use. I have also tried burning papers in the garden which was a disaster (documented on the first thread) and spoken to friends who just put their papers in water because it makes ink run (not tried that myself).

And well done to minibobglobin. I think my dds need help to learn how to tidy and boxes to keep things in. Dd1 has been really receptive to chucking stuff out in the last couple of weeks.

I am still tidying. Its really tedious but I am putting things away properly. So far I have chucked out a couple of pieces of paper. I have also just runaround replacing the 5 lightbulbs that had gone. I decluttered the lightbulb drawer. I always keep one empty packet of each lightbulb so it's easy to find it again in the supermarket but for some reason had about 20 old packets so chucked most of them out.

I also counted the money I've made from selling dcs stuff. It was £170 so I gave each daughter £10 to spend on plastic tat last night! They know where the money came from so I hope they get better about letting me sell stuff.

I'm still going and have just caught up with the thread. I haven't been chucking much stuff recently but my 'to do' list is certainly taking a hammering. I've also bought a few more bits but they're all needed and joyful. Eg. A new, thermal mug. I know I'm probably the last person to have one but, oh! the joy!! For years, I've been living with that stressful, "Oh no, I forgot my tea!" feeling several times a day, not to mention all the waste. It's a literal JOY to be drinking hot drinks and I'm also loving being able to easily monitor how much I'm drinking. I'm going out in a bit and I'm already excited about taking a drink out with me!! I'm going to save so much time and money and will definitely be healthier too!! I know this sounds off topic but actually, I think it's come from clearing so much crap from my house and increasing my awareness of everything in the process.

@Stealth - So sorry if my challenge was a bit too much. I really hope it helped in the long-term.

OK, I'm off to do more jobs now. Laters!

@StealthNinjaMum That's a good idea - I counted up and there's over £50 in my tin from selling stuff. Going on holiday soon so that's a nice bit of extra spending money :)
(And making money wasn't really my aim.. I've actually given loads away - but it's a nice bonus!)

@SandandSea I was joking. It was a pretty tough day but but it did focus me to go around the house and gather together really big things like a 6ft lamp that had been broken for about six years.

Today I finally finished reading The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed out of a window. It has been in a pile of books to read in my bedroom for about five years. I started reading it and never finished! That is going in the charity shop pile. I still have a load of other books to read too.

@StealthNinjaMum - Oh good!

Managed to give the steriliser away.

Also put a few more things in the charity box which I'm not even sure where they can from but nobody uses (enormous Paw Patrol 'slippers' for my 2 year old that she would break her neck if she ever wore...).

Father's Day cards still up...

I am super proud of DS. We did his bedroom yesterday and he has chosen to get rid of so many things that he decided he didn’t need any more. Overall I think it was over 40 books, 2 big sets, 4 cuddly toys, a handful of toy cars, a small carrier bag full of plastic tat, two busy books and there was a bag of broken bits and a pile of recycling from various junk modelling attempts. Most of it will go to the charity shop although I will save a few of the books and one of the sets for DD when she is older. Despite all this he still has loads of stuff but at least it fits in the storage in his bedroom. We get so much stuff passed on to us by friends because our DC are the youngest by a good few years and I know they all mean well by it but our house just isn’t big enough for all the things they pass on!

I also returned a clothes order as they had sent the wrong thing but while I was in the shop I ended up buying quite a few bits in the sale for the DC mostly for next summer. I bought new underwear and socks for DS before we went away so I put some of the older bits in the rag bag. DH agreed I could bin two grotty caps of his that have been in the hall for months. He works outside so he quite often wears a cap or hat but these were so filthy no amount of washing was going to clean them and they had paint on them as well.

All in all a very productive day yesterday. Unfortunately the DC have both been ill all night with a sickness bug and DH is at work all day so the only thing I have managed to declutter today is a parcel I took in for next door!

Not much decluttering as such, just lots of tidying and sorting and keeping my head above water. I like being better organised. Little bits and pieces gradually gravitating towards the right places.

This evening I tidied a cupboard that was bugging me. Some clothes were bought for LOs to grow into, and the summer was so hot for so long that they grew right out of them almost entirely unworn.

Need to pack things up tomorrow for donation. Will report back tomorroow.

Today: I shredded quite a few old cards from an old wallet and a few other bits. (We're keeping the wallet apparently.)

I've been using my diary more and have ticked off more 'to dos' - even a couple which were for next week! (Felt quite pleased about that.)

Have boxed up a few things which are for sale, so they're all together and organised. (I'm ignoring that they've not sold - not ready to give them away just yet.)

Have cleaned and tidied the dining room table (this is my main clutter magnet in the house).

I have a pile of books and a few other bits ready to be moved out very soon. Also, my wellies - I love them but they hurt my feet. And, some horrible aftershave which I will try to sell.

Tomorrow, I want to finish a chair I started renovating about 3 (or more) years ago. I'm writing this here in the hope of motivating myself as I keep putting it off. You're my witnesses!

Have re-jigged things around and freed up another big drawer. I think I might move all my bags into it so I can see them all in one place and access them easily.

(I'm far too excited about this.)

bobgoblin wow well done to you and ds sounds like a fab effort on the bedroom! Hopefully he will enjoy it being more clutter free and continue:)

tidy2018 i know what tou mean about the tidying it really does hekp getting bits in order i must donthe same on a few areas i decluttered but need to make tidy.

sandandsea glad to hear your to do list is shorter now. My dining tables the same im always leaving things on it especially folded washing etc i drive myself mad.

My progress since last checked in... dryer is gone wahoooo no scrap men in the area were around this week and I wasn’t holding onto it any longer dad took it apart and took it to tip lol. Made another bag of textile recycling and have one large bag of bits i need to sell or charity by end of next week. Must keep going :) xx

sand ooh yes good effort put your bags in there will be nice!

Thanks, @Betsy86. I think there's room for, not just my handbags, but my backpacks too! Heehee!!

Before I Kondo'd my wardrobe, it had never occurred to me that I didn't keep similar items together. I thought I did, but it turns out I didn't always. I've since found that, for me, keeping similar things together is one of the most useful things I can do - it really helps me keep clear and organised.

I really am far too excited about my bags.

Well done bobgoblin ds. It is good when they finally start taking on board the benefits of being neat and decluttering.

SandandSea ooh yes it's amazing keeping similar items together and in my house we never do. In fact one of my new years resolutions was to write a list of most commonly used items that we can never find and give a home for them that everyone is aware of. I never did it but might start now. It includes screwdrivers (I am constantly trying to change a toy's battery), sellotape, scissors, tape measures (I am obsessively measuring for furniture which i don't buy!), tissues, staplers (but we have millions) - will put in a list later for the family.

SandandSea lovely to have your bags all in one place. I need to do that. I use just one bag for months years because I can't be bothered to look through them all.

A really good day yesterday. We had friends over which is why I've been doing so much tidying. And it was proper tidying i.e. putting things away and throwing things away rather than 'temporarily' hiding them just to make the house look nice. It is so much easier to tidy now. The house isn't perfect and there is still slightly too much clutter in the dining room but I never wanted perfection or a show home just a normal house with children so I am pleased.

Yesterday I sorted through used lightbulbs, batteries and medicines and put them in my car ready for recycling.

Today dpils are visiting. It's dmil's birthday and even though it feels like I have bought 20 rolls of sellotape dds will have lost them while doing arts and crafts so I am going to cause chaos by asking dh and dds to wrap the present. Before dmil arrives I have time to do stuff like dust and wipe skirting boards which I never get round to. I am not intending to declutter an area but I know I'll find something as I'm cleaning.

Update: The bags are in the drawer.

(And so is the cat.)

I've also sold the aftershave to a lovely man who actually turned up. Happy days!

Seeing all my bags together in the drawer (wondering how many times I can say drawer, hopefully that'll be it now)... I've realised that my absolutely favourite bag (a car boot bargain) has reached the end of its life with me. It has a buckle which has rusted - I would replace it but it's sewn in. Its bottom and some other areas are stained and the handle has some fraying. I haven't worn it for about a year or more - I just can't ignore that, even though it's perfect in so many ways - soft (so soft!), has lots of lovely zipped compartments, is the right size, comfortable and sooo flattering - it's also quite tatty.

I've now moved it ever so gently towards the front door.

I wasn't even a bag person until this bag.

It's time.