New home for the new year - still getting rid of one item a day part 6

[StealthNinjaMum]

Here we are again!

Little by little a group of mums netters have been decluttering our homes by getting rid of one item a day. Whether we eat it, bin it, recycle it, sell or give it away we are slowly tidying our homes.

Is this the thread where we finish? Probably not

As usual newbies are welcome to join us. We get rid of one thing and come back to update everyone on our progress and get support when it gets hard.

Previous thread is here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3381702-Getting-rid-of-one-thing-a-day-decluttering-challenge-Part-5?pg=1

Stealth - congratulations on the weight loss! I have decided that this is the year I really need to do something about mine. Over the past few years I keep losing 5-7 pounds then letting it creep back on again. My realistic aim is to be a stone lighter by the beginning of July. Gulp! I intend to start in earnest in March.

I haven't done a great amount of decluttering in the past week. I used up the last of the 4th (and final) spray bottle of nearly-finished kitchen/bathroom cleaner that I lined up on the windowsill in the downstairs loo after clearing out the cupboard under the sink last year. I also remembered to grab a pair of scissors before I got undressed for the shower one day, and used up a sample sachet of shower creme that had been sitting on the bathroom shelf for months. I decluttered a bin-load of prunings from our bushes in the front garden on Saturday. (Unfortunately, it doesn't look any better yet, but the aim is to get everything under control this year before it starts sprouting.) I put one more item on eBay on Sunday, and I spent Monday evening sorting out sets from a bag of small toys. I hope to get most of that on eBay this weekend.

Apart from that I have done some clutter-prevention work by putting a load of packaging up in the loft that has been sitting on the landing for weeks and I also did a large pile of ironing.

SandAndSea I use Pinterest too, I have two boards, one for office outfits and one for casual clothes. When I did my post mat-leave wardrobe purge I found that most of my workwear was in navy/black/grey, and I only needed a few additions to make it work easily as a capsule.

purplefrog I'm on a weight loss thread in the weightloss board. You should join one. Years ago I lost about 5 stone on one and now I'm finding it really motivating. It's a bit like here really, lots of lovely ladies offering support, and I feel guilty for the days I don't report back.

SandandSea motherwol that's a good idea about pinterest. I bought some shoes from Next today. I don't love them but I only have really scruffy boots at the moment and if I had a date I would have nothing to wear on my feet. I will chuck some old shoes away and start a pinterest board for my new capsule wardrobe.

Total of 5 bags of clothes in from relatives house, so need to tackle the wardrobe again as the next job to it it all in.

keiki it's neverending!

I sorted through most of my shoes but only had one pair that I could get rid of. I have already decluttered them before. I do have some 1990s Reeboks I wear for aerobics classes once a year stbexh laughed at them recently as they are so naff so I am wondering whether to throw them away and buy replacements with his money that I never wear

I also cleared a shelf which had three scarfs and one pair of gloves. All are going.

Have been away for a few days as it’s half term here, so not too much decluttering here. DS decided to wake up at 5 so have been catching up with the thread.

Stuff in the garage is gradually going down as DH did another tip run. We are also having the playroom painted in a few weeks so that will be an opportunity to get rid of some stuff in there.

PurpleFrog I have been doing the same with a few sachets that I have. I have stopped saving them now as I’ve never had one where I thought I’d want to use the product again.

Sandansea I’m fairly certain we have nameless dishwasher bits somewhere too...

I really want to love Pinterest but struggling to get my head around it at the moment. Someone suggested it for filing recipes which I need to start doing!

raspberryblonde I feel a bit like that myself about pinterest. I spent an hour looking for casual looks for over 40 women to inspire me and I found some quite nice looks I'd like to replicate but I really need the actual clothes! Lots were old or linked to american sites but I really want to be able to walk into a shop and try something on and that's what I'm struggling with. Maybe I should ask for recommendations on style and beauty.

Anyway today I have discarded a pair of pink jeans. What was I thinking of when I bought them?

Today: took a pair of scissors I don't need and left them in the office stationery cupboard. I think I still have at least 3 pairs of scissors at home. Where do they all come from? Are they breeding?

15 pairs of tights, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of tights & a bikini in charity bag! Plus some laddered tights to fabric recycling. Also managed to shift a whole load of untouched for years craft materials via a local Facebook group. Feeling !!

I think the beauty of Pinterest for me is in being able to save links from elsewhere in a visual and organised way. I love being able to collect ideas and look at them every so often.

@MotherWol Putting things in the stationery cupboard at work is one of my favourite tricks too! Works for old pens, pencils & random half-used pads of paper...

Well done everyone!

Another two big bags of clothes decluttered from the wardrobe and the new ones put in. I really don't understand how people can have so few clothes they like

Woohoo!! Well done, Willow !

I have to admit something... You know those dishwasher parts I chucked yesterday? Well, some of them have come back in. It's a long story which sums up to: DP got the fear and I caught it.

A bag of DH’s clothes to the clothing bank and a bag of glass jars/bottles to the bottle bank.

sandandsea I love that expression "the fear" might borrow it.

Have spent the odd 5 to 10 minutes here and there looking at my wardrobe with a view to one in one out. I am doing better at the 'outs' and have little pile of things to go including My Wedding Dress. I still love it but it's a waste of space. Ex is coming over to babysit so I might dramatically throw it in a bin where he'll see it. At the moment I definitely don't want him back.! Today I bought new boots (chucked out two pairs of scruffy boots) and a top which I'm taking back. I had already put an old top in the charity pile for it.

Well done willow sounds like you’re doing well! I’ve gone through the boxes of baby clothes and got rid of some definitely charity shop ones.. there’s a lot more but one of my friends is days away from giving birth and waiting to see if it’s a girl this time before I start selling stuff.. also got rid of some bedding (or have I already mentioned that 😂 tidied the airing cupboard the things taken out have now left the building!)..

I have been doing books today. So far this week, I have taken >12 large bags of clothing to the clothes bank and I have 5 bags for life of books to go now. Paperwork is next and I am absolutely dreading it!

Wow, @Gibble1 , that's amazing!

I've done nothing properly decluttery today (apart from going on a long walk). I am, however, nurturing an idea of moving all 'my boxes' downstairs to sort through in one hit. (Apostrophes because I've mentioned them several times on here and still haven't dealt with them.) I think that seeing them all at once might be the jolt I need. I know they take up quite a lot of space (in my house and my mind).

@StealthNinjaMum - I like it too. Steal away!

Gibble that's fantastic!

Today I am decluttering some flowers that a friend gave me recently. They've been dead for a few days but it makes me happy that a friend likes me!

Another 2 bags into the clothing bank. I really must sit down and remove the name tapes from the next set of outgrown children’s clothes so that they can go too.

I’ve bought two new pairs of trainers this week, but I’ve got rid of three pairs of shoes too. So overall I’m down one pair.

@StealthNinjaMum - I normally lurk on this thread but I saw your post about your wedding dress, if you are planning to get rid of it, can I suggest donating it to one of the many charities that use wedding dresses to create gowns and keepsake items for babies who are either born too early or born sleeping? That way you get rid of the dress but it goes to a great cause.

A friend of mine recently got married and she donated her dress which has gone on to be made into 20 angel gowns and matching sets of keepsake items (small tokens in matching pairs - one to stay with mum and one to go with baby). I wish something like this had been around when I divorced my ex as I just got rid of mine when we split up but I still wish I'd done something useful/productive with it.