Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge Part 5

[StealthNinjaMum]

We’re still here!

For 4 threads a group of mumsnetters have been getting rid of just one thing a day. We’ve been throwing out, selling, recycling and giving our stuff away.

But we're still not finished.

Newbies are always welcome to join us. Just get rid of one thing each day and come back here to discuss your progress and get support when it gets hard.

Previous thread here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3298777-Getting-rid-of-one-thing-a-day-decluttering-challenge-Part-4?msgid=81434878

Today I have been sorting out our bedroom and gone are:
*odd socks
*our old wedding invitations and various other bits of paperwork and sentimental stuff. Still happily married btw, we just only need to keep one wedding invitation surely, not 20+.
*Lots of pairs of work trousers, smart skirts and dresses as work now has a relaxed dress code (and I'll never be able to fit in them again anyway!)
*A broken expanding file, I was going to buy a new lever arch file and poly pockets to replace it but I found both those items in the house today so that was a win!
*Lots of paperwork is piled up ready for shredding.
Going to break for lunch and then see what else I can sort out. Where does all this stuff come from??

Welcome, @dixiechicklet! Ah, yes, paperwork. We can certainly share your pain on that. Just start and keep going. You can do it!

I've got another 2 items today, both of which have been hiding from me for years and have survived numerous kitchen culls, including yesterday's:

An ood, herbal, detox kit.
An opened bottle of Pledge wood cleaner which was left here by the previous owner!!!

I keep opening my under the sink cupboard and making dp look at it with me. It's a glorious thing to behold!

@SandandSea does your dp not think you're strange? I am too embarrassed to share any of my triumphs with dh. (Or anyone other than people on this thread!)

I had a big plastic really useful box of wrapping paper, bags and ribbons. I've just sorted through it and found homes for things in it that take up much less space - just need to donate wrapping paper like I mentioned the other day. I found lots of birthday cards - some are now in the messy card drawer and those that I won't give as they're not 'cool' to my dds e.g. the grufallo, spongebob squarepants, darth vader cards can be donated.

@StealthNinjaMum - I just asked dp if he thinks I'm strange and he said no, he's used to my ways now. (There was a bit of stuttering.)

Ha ha ha. Does he know you're on mumsnet? I haven't told dh about mumsnet or this thread because he would think I was strange if I said I'm in 'a group of people who have never met and we tell each what we're throwing away each day.' Also I am genuinely mortified by how we managed to accumulate such mess.

Anyway I have my 5 bags ready to go in the car. It's got various things mentioned over the last few weeks -a lampshade, rags, clothes, toys, kitchen items. Annoyingly I found a Mr Potato head toy in my wardrobe today, I remember putting it there a few years ago. I thought I'd sell it when I had all the bits but never found them, I even advertised it for free and no-one wanted it so sadly Mr Potato head is going to have to go in the bin. I also found a 'to do' list from 2010 and pleasingly I did everything on it. Then I found a handbag with mould on it.I don't particularly like it but it was an expensive leather one from my mum and so I hope I don't have to throw it away.

So the top shelf of my wardrobe has some space now. I have the storage box I emptied all the wrapping paper out of this morning so I might put in jeans I'm too fat for and they'll be out of the way. First I'm off to the charity shop.

The mattress has landed!

The delivery van arrived at ten past eight this morning. Although they hadn't phoned to confirm yesterday as we had been told, we knew it could be any time from 7.00am onwards so were almost ready. The old mattress is on its side in the spare room and will go to the recycling
site this weekend assuming no drastic issues with the new one.

I can't believe how much time I have spent in the past few weeks clearing the path across the hall, up the stairs, across the landing and into the bedroom for two delivery men and a king-size mattress. I really need to keep these areas clear from now on.

At least the mattress will have had plenty of time to air by the time I get home from work tonight.

Enjoy your new mattress PurpleFrog.

I have emptied a box file and chucked quite a bit of stuff including 2 expired bank cards (from 2016) and a bunch of address labels for our old address (we moved over two years ago). I'm actually quite annoyed about this as there were hundreds so have made a resolution to find the ones with our current address and stick them on this year's Xmas cards. The box file has now been refilled with DH's Which magazines!

@StealthNinjaMum - Yes, he knows. He's used anonymous forums himself for work/hobbies so I think he gets how helpful they can be.

@PurpleFrog - Well done on all the clearing! It's lovely to have a new bed. I gave an old mattress away on freebay - had loads of interest and it saved me having to organise taking it to the tip. It's an idea if it's still in OK condition?

Purplefrog mattress delivery Tuesday. Old mattress goes THE NEXT WEEKEND. That's less than a week! Impressive stuff. I'm sure we had a mattress on our landing for about 2 years once and I didn't let any friends come upstairs.

I’m very jealous of your new mattress, I don’t like our mattress but we spent a fair amount of money on it and DH likes it so I have to put up with it!
The baby is 6 weeks old and I was hoping to do more clearing today while DS1 was at nursery but it’s been a bad day so I’ve done nothing.
I did however get permission to ditch the 4 mugs and I swapped some duplicate baby gifts at Tesco to stuff I actually wanted (that counts right?!). While there I put 8 jars of baby food which DS1 didn’t like into the food bank collection.

Some of DS old computer games and some cards (birthday cards mainly , still wrapped) gone to charity hop.

The box for nz is gone. £54 to post!!! So the account decluttered somewhat too! Haha

Decided instead of throwing away my ruined jodhpurs I’m going to send them back. I wore them twice so emailed the co I bought them from. They’ve agreed a refund. Although it may be a partial one as no original packaging etc. But whatever. They’re faulty.

Packed up and ready to be posted tomorrow.

A few more bits of packaging and old catalogues binned. Another charity shop bag started with a load of never worn never going to wear trainer socks. An old toothbrush charger in the small electrical bag. And several toiletry sets bagged up to take to the women's refuge. All this stuff out, but the place doesn't look any different!

Decluttered the items we printed at the weekend into work today so that’s a bag for life full of items gone.
Then spent a couple of hours with DS at ED as he appears to have fractured his scaphoid today at school 🙄😬

Rayburn😢 tried to sell give it away. Came home from work and it was gone. Think DH must have organised it.

Emptied several small shower gels over the last fortnight. Off today so hope to do some decluttering and cleaning.

Reminds me emememe84 I still have my jodhpurs somewhere. Wouldn’t be able to get them on now!

ememem can I ask what you get on subscribe and save? Do you find it saves you money or is it a time thing?

greenwillow poor you, that sounds like a rubbish day! Hopefully they will all get being ill over with in one batch than it dragging on for weeks.

chunky on subscribe and save I get:

Finish dishwasher tablets
Persil laundry powder
Toilet roll (Andrew)
Kitchen paper
Water wipes
Cat food - catface has royal canin appetite control biscuits
Bin bags (dh bought a bin which fits a certain type of bag....)
Tea (twinnings earl grey)
Nappy bin refil things

Because we’ve got amazon prime and also more than 5 things on s&s we save 15% anyway and free delivery.

I do need to work on the order timings. As had about eleven million toilet rolls arrive the other day...

For example a 2kg bag of catfaces food here (jersey)) would cost me £16. On s&s I can get this down to £8.10 a month.

Purplefrog mattress delivery Tuesday. Old mattress goes THE NEXT WEEKEND.

Ha - now that I have announced it, it probably won't happen! I didn't sleep all that well last night - I'm not saying the mattress is bad, just different. I remember it took me months to get used to the last one. BTW that one is only fit for the bin - it is over 10 years old, has sagged where we lie, collapsed at the side edges, and seems to have developed 2 holes in one side since the last time I changed the mattress protector. We put off looking for a new one for much longer than we should have. On the plus side, my back wasn't sore when I got up this morning.

Bagged a load for charity today

Still have 2 DOOM BOXES behind the couch

2 large boxes emptied, contents put into boxes which will go on Saturday.
Empty boxes squashed and put in recycling bin.
DS has a very sore hand. Still swollen and can’t cut up his dinner.

😳me too I will.

Sorted a basket of random crap! Got rid of some of that. Filled in two books of raffle tickets for guide dogs and posted and another charity card to send and some extra money to feed three children for a year at school. Organised all Christmas catalogues so I can order then ditch them. Burnt some paperwork.

Well done, @IWillWearTheGreenWillow - sounds impressive, even if you weren't actually being paid.

I've had a boring one today: about 600 emails. Most of them unread. (Over 2000 still to go.)