Part 7 of the decluttering challenge - can you get rid of one item a day?

[StealthNinjaMum]

Back again!

A group of mumsnetters have been emptying our homes, gradually decluttering our homes by getting rid of one item a day.

We’re very green and like to recycle, sell, give away and sometimes eat our clutter I’m still alive after the 8 year old gherkins.

Newbies are welcome to join us. We just get rid one thing and come back to update everyone on our progress, get support when it gets hard, and suggest new household systems and ways of doing things.

The most exciting thread on mumsnet. In this thread @SandandSea will tell us what she’s going to do with her big plastic sheet…..

Previous thread is here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3463110-New-home-for-the-new-year-still-getting-rid-of-one-item-a-day-part-6?pg=40

raspberryblonde I think it might be car seatbelt as well but it’s just annoying. I have thrown away some nice tops and I went shopping yesterday for new ones but didn’t find any I liked.

aroundtheworldin80moves yes the car definitely counts. In fact I need to do mine. I count anything that makes my little space of the world look clearer.

greglaidlawsbarofsoap I’d do nothing if I didn’t have a list. In fact yesterday I didn’t have a list so I didn’t do anything!

SandandSea You are me! Last year I shredded loads of cheque book stubs and I had a much more interesting life 20 years ago! Cheques for restaurants and stuff.

Love the verb to furminate. Almost worth buying a dog for just so I can drop into conversation I’ve been furminating, furminating hard.

greenwillow sounds exhausting, you deserved the nap.

I had a spontaneous clearout of my handbag yesterdayday because I lost my cashcard. I have 5 lipsticks IN THE SAME COLOUR in the bag and only about 7 pens so a big improvement of when it was about 40.

Also I moved a bookcase onto the landing from the spare room which is taking forever to paint so I have found about a dozen books to go. I am wondering if I should chuck them all out with the bookcase.

Please can I join in? Thought it was about time I de-lurked

I’ve really enjoyed reading about everyone’s decluttering and yesterday it seems there was a lot of productivity so I’m feeling inspired and think I need to get back on track with my efforts.
Have had a rough few years (will spare boring everyone with my story) but I need to put my big girl pants on now and be a bit more consistent with everything decluttering.

I tend to go all out in one area (whether that be work/kids/garden/house) and then everything else falls into disarray, so I think the one item a day challenge might be a good way to tackle the house. Lone parent of 5 (divorced 10yrs/partner passed 3 years ago) so of course never enough hours in the day 🙄

Can I count some weeding and cutting the grass/filling up the garden recycle bin as yesterday’s win? Will try for some ‘outs’ from the house today!

Yesterday's out: crayons... Kids haven't used crayons in ages.

Welcome extant76 glad we've inspired you. Feeling a bit guilty as I've probably not been too inspiring recently. Today I will focus on children's books.

Weeding / gardening definitely counts.

I found when I did paperwork the rest of the house was a mess but it didn't last long about three months and was worth it. Sometimes I set a timer for 15 minutes for 3 or 4 areas just to even it up but then I'm a sahm and probably have more time than most people to do do that.

First stage of attempting to declutter excess weight... I bit the bullet and went for a run. I managed 21 minutes... It was only about 2 miles but I didn't stop. First time I've ran in month (or years).

Welcome extant!

Dropped DD at nursery, now just having a cuppa before tackling my list.
Today I would like to accomplish, the weekly food shop, couple loads of laundry, cleaning the pram ready for baby. Would be nice to get the living room mirror up on the wall too but need DH and his drill for that, he has his driving test today so he may or may not be in the mood for drilling!

Clouds have just come over, was hoping to get laundry on the line today but that might be a pipe dream!

Well done you Aroundtheworld - I need to do the same. Cannot get motivated.

I had a random thought when I woke up really early this morning for some reason. We have a box of various sizes of Nerf guns in the garage. DS is almost 18. Madness. Might try to sell them on a local FB page as a job lot.

I also have a box of colouring pens and pencils. I kept them for my niece coming to stay but she tends to bring her own now.

And I’ve kept a box of books I loved reading to DS.

I won’t mention Lego.

Anyway. I forgot that DH did a tip run yesterday so he got rid of quite a lot. Apparently there is now room to move in the garage.

We also have a table tennis table that I’ve just offered to DS’s school and they have said yes please and they will collect so that’s a big win.

Main goal is to stick with the wardrobe today.

Might go for a nap first. Woke up at stupid o’clock and couldn’t get back to sleep.

Forgot: yesterday I also threw out mozzarella that had been lurking at the back of the fridge. Turns out it was 2 months out of date and packet was totally swollen and rigid. Put in in big rather gingerly

Today I am taking 2 sets of small dishes, 2 small trays, salt and pepper shakers, a china canister, 2 games and 2 novels to the charity shop.

put it in bin

Welcome, @Extant76! Well done for de-lurking.

Hello everyone... DD at home sick again today (and tomorrow, bloody 48 hour rule) so we'll see how much gets done!

Yesterday's item was a tiny jar of jam, the type you get in hotels. No idea where it came from. It went into jam tarts so well used at least! The laundry basket is also largely decluttered although I need to wash the next size of baby clothes that have been in storage so that will go out up again.

Welcome Extant. Sounds like you have a busy life but agree this thread is very motivating.

80moves I am jealous of the running. I really want to start again, I keep stopping and then the last time I restarted was just before I got pregnant and I didn't think I was fit enough to keep it up through pregnancy and it was winter.

More office/stationery clearing today.

Out:

A broken pen.
1 incense holder. (Another is in the dishwasher.)
A glass jar with lid - this previously held paperclips, file tags etc but after yesterday's clearing, there was so little in the drawer that it slid about every time I opened/closed it. It also looks tatty now. So, I've put all those bits into a small, sealable bag (another find) and the jar is going out.
1 branded card folder - not used in years and reminds me of an old job, not in a good way.
Some manky string.
A split bag.
10 library cards (like postcards but not).
8 card file dividers - have been used and re-labelled repeatedly and are no longer fit for purpose.
1 feather and some dried leaves.

I've washed my pen holder.

I also found a biro without a lid but I'm going to try to find a lid for it.

I know I could cull more. Eg. Do I really need 6 used jiffy bags? The thing is, I might do. I probably don't need about a dozen presentation wallets (for course assignments). But, I might do. Hmmm... I'm sure I'll be back.

Not done much, but I noticed that our nearby Coop collects coins for charity (including old/small/foreign), so I emptied the various pennies jars and lugged them over there before work.

I did go for a nap this morning and conked out for a couple of hours.

Went to Sainsbury’s after and dropped two big black bags at the charity box.

Finished filling another one this afternoon so that’s ready to go as I go into town tomorrow.

That’s a great idea Tails - wonder if ours does. Actually I think M&S might - def have some old coins that could go.

Wish I had your stationery getting rid of enthusiasm sand. Stationery is my kryptonite. Love a good stash of pens in all the colours that I never use

Sorry to hear about your DD raspberry, hope she's fighting fit again very soon! I'm totally in the mood for jam tarts now too😂

Peridot nerf guns have a good resale value so you should get a decent buck back particularly with a job lot type offer. If only I could get DH to part with his

Well my status report so far today:
-two loads laundry done
-three loads dried and folded, some put away, the rest is for the ironing basket
-crib put back together and cleaned (although we kept it sealed in plastic so that was more cursory than actually needed).
-shredded that box worth of old payslips, both mine and DHs but embarrassingly they go all the way back to 2008 . The box also went in the bin.
-put up some hooks in the boiler cupboard for the spare keys
-cleaned all the stickiness and masking tape off the living room mirror, I made a crucial error though and sliced through part of the frame with the scalpal, grrr. DH is trying to fill it and repaint that bit now as I'm so annoyed with myself I've stepped away lol.

That mirror will have to stay on the table tonight while it dries and hopefully can be put up at the weekend instead (both working tomorrow). So desperate to get it off the damn floor!

May yet get something else done tonight but I now have a cuppa and we're watching pointless :)

Ooh we love a bit of Pointless here too! And Eggheads
Got DS and our bed stripped washed and remade yesterday. DS sheet looking a bit worn so it's card is marked! Once I find a fresh new one that fits his odd sized bed, it'll be in a textiles bag. Put some post envelopes and junk mail into recycling bin.

Today was busy with work but did manage to find and get some more empty boxes and bubblewrap to friend for reusing (packing).

Talking of coins - just checking that you all know that self-service tills in supermarkets take them. That's where a load of mine went. (Only current UK coins obv.) I was too embarrassed to pay a person in small change but don't mind if it's a machine at a quiet time.

I've done a charity run today and have also, hopefully, decluttered some ants (lid plus honey plus ants put gently outside).

I haven't phrased that very well... I'm sure you all know, but, like me, you might not think of it. A while back, I was going to pay to convert a load of change in a special machine in a supermarket, when I suddenly realised I could have just bought my shopping with it.

After years of procrastination my raincoat went to the charity shop. Reality is I will never be thin enough to wear it again.
Weighing scales, 4 small plates and a broken Le Creuset pot with all the bits (because I was going to have it mended) all to the charity shops. I find this thread very encouraging - thank you all.

Thanks everyone for the welcomes 😊

Stealth paperwork is my Achilles heel too. Good idea about the 15 minute bursts ... I’ll give that a try over the weekend.

Another one here that needs to get the running shoes on. I used to run every morning as it did wonders for my energy levels, but a few years ago all that stopped. Time to dust off the trainers I think. Well done aroundtheworld ! How often do you plan on running?

Sandandsea I get rid of my small change at the self service machines too! I used to lug bank bags of coins to the bank but now manage to declutter my purse every time I go to the supermarket. Unfortunately I declutter too much of the paper kind of money at the same time though 😣 ... pesky kids just never stop eating!

Abbie you’ve just reminded me that I was going to toss my raincoat too. I literally never wear it (because it looks rubbish on me). If I can ebay and music magpie some more of my clutter I’ll treat myself to a new one.

Yesterday more garden clearing and weeding before the heavens opened ready for today’s collection. Not much gone from the house as was working late - but today I’ll give fridge a clear out ready for tomorrow’s grocery delivery.
Also today
Quick run through the wardrobe and see if anything else can go out with the raincoat.
Will drop off a bag of unwanted toys and tat at CS
Will do my first 15 minute paperwork attack.
Will also venture into the dining room of doom which is strewn with books/dvds waiting to go to MM and see what else needs to go. I want the dining room cleared in time for the bank holiday.

Have a good day all! 😁

ginandroses I'm pretty sure I have some out of date mozzarella in the fridge. It's going to be grim isn't it?

80moves 2 miles sounds pretty amazing too me. I attempted to run 1/2 mile the other day (to do school run) and gave up after half way so perhaps I'm not as fit as I think.

extant I hate housework and decluttering but generally find if I set a timer for 15 minutes I'll end up doing an hour just to get it f finished.

My house is still a mess from the easter break so I'm going to ignore mums net and social media and do some filing and stuff and maybe another tip run.

Most of my loose change goes on car parks as our local authority recently metered some of the last free areas.i do have a tin of coppers which I bank when I have a pounds worth..it’s a bit heavy to take shopping though!

Waves to other Pointless lovers. We get a bit competitive about it here!

Yesterday I had a quick look at the cupboard where we keep rice and pasta and decanted a couple of half packets into containers. I need to do the same for the shelf with dried fruit and baking stuff as it’s too hard to find anything at the moment.

Today’s plan is a quick general declutter as we have visitors this afternoon. Shouldn’t take too long, hopefully.

sand I hadn't thought of doing that! Usually bag it up and swap it out in the work safe but that relies on full bags of the proper coins. I might brave the self serve in Sainsbury's soon then haha.

Oh my goshhhh, today is my last day at work!!! Should be an easy day, I've been training my replacement and today I'm supervising him doing my Friday tasks. So I'll be decluttering the biscuit stash while he works 😂