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

Excellent work with all the donations folks!

I cleaned some more door today, not full panes at a time but I'll guestimate 8/30. Better than nothing I suppose.

Went for a walk today in an attempt to get things moving, nothing yet. Chilli for tea too 😂

My target this week... Can I get a box a day to the collection for the orphanage in Fiji.

Not much happened over the last week or two until yesterday when I cleaned out the caravan ready to sell so I binned some old toys and bits and pieces that lived in the caravan but were ready for the bin. So I now have a lovely clean caravan but things like camping tables, chairs bbq, charcoal, tv, duvets etc are now cluttering up the house until I can get them into the shed or distributed around the house where they can get some use.

I have to admit I did use the caravan as a bit of a dumping ground for things that should either go to the charity shop or the tip so I've got stuff for the charity shop now in the boot of the car and I'll take them tomorrow, the tip pile is neatly piled in the garden ready for a tip run sometime this week.

Unfortunately not a lot will be happening in my house this week as dgm has sold her house so I need to clear that for her 😩

I hope everyone has a productive week!

I finally dragged out the box of unfinished sewing and knitting projects. I’ve failed to tackle it before because you can’t really donate a half-knitted sweater, and too much work had gone into things to throw them out altogether, but some things were too small by now for whoever they are being made for.

So we had a bit of a ‘remodelling’ session and now have a dog coat, a hot water bottle cover and a nearly finished patchwork pillow case.

I might nip over to the Woolly Hugs thread and see if any of the spare yarn is useful to them.

Today: 3 mismatched/surplus to requirements mugs, 2 knackered tea towels and 2 worn-out bowls (the latter put out for rainwater to benefit cat and plants). Good night.

Morning all.

I’m back home after a few days at MIL’s. Helped her declutter by taking a few books! And I went shopping. But only bought what I needed. Sort of.

I’ve been trying to use up lots of random skin care stuff I have lying around but my skin is a bit all over the place and I think it’s the random crap I’m using. It was my birthday last week so I treated myself to a facial on Wednesday and ordered some new lovely skin care stuff. I will junk the random crap I have stashed. Going to do that the afternoon so I can start using all my lovely new stuff. I’m just getting rid of old opened stuff and sample sizes. If I come across anything I can donate I will but I think it’s mostly too old. Which is why it’s messed my skin up!

Also need to sort my PJs drawer. Swap over from winter to summer. It’s a small drawer so no room for both. I will get rid of some tatty ones too.

Then I need to do some sorting in the chest of drawers. There are definitely things in there I haven’t worn this year. Mainly because I really don’t like them for various reasons. So hopefully another black bag will go.

I haven't updated for around 10 days.

Last week I sold another item on eBay - a reasonably big board game. I also did a bit more mending, which has got rid of some more stuff lying around the dining room. I had 2 evening sessions in the garden and filled up the brown bin ready for collection last Friday. On Friday I got some large bits waiting on the landing up into the loft, which means I could get into the spare bedroom once again! I have sorted out a few small things from the spare room for the next charity shop drop-off.

Someone recently mentioned School and University notes. I DID thin mine out 4 or 5 years ago, but kept some things I thought might be useful. So, I looked at them again. Around 3-4 inches of paper eventually went in the recycling, and also a ring binder with a broken rivet.

I also chucked out some old walking shoes I was going to keep for gardening. I have been wearing them in the mornings to take the dogs out into the garden after their breakfast, and was getting really wet feet, so decided they were no longer up to the job.

Talking about the dogs, one of them had a birthday on Saturday, so I sorted through the wrapping paper box and we used up a lot of the squashed tatty bits to wrap their presents. I then put all the small bits left into the recycling. I must make a note to buy some more birthday and general wrapping paper, as we have very little left.

Talking about the dogs, one of them had a birthday on Saturday, so I sorted through the wrapping paper box and we used up a lot of the squashed tatty bits to wrap their presents.

^^ I love this, PurpleFrog! You're my kind of person.

Hey everyone.

Pretty much the same post for me today, little windows on door is about 15/30. DH cleared out his bedside and hoovered the top deck.

So just a few bits out today. Onward we go!

@WoogleCone - missed what happened with the masking tape. Was it old stuff? Or did you leave it on too long?

purplefrog, over that super hot week we got a few weeks ago the conservatory got mega mega hot and essentially melted all the glue of the masking tape and made a sticky gross mess. Half the paper came off leaving sticky behind, the other half kept itself stuck to the stickier sticky.

Basically I've been using a razor blade and some turps to get it off but its a slow burn as I can't lather it all in turps lest it melts all the paint off. Although to be fair, I will need to touch up bits where the paper has pulled off a few chunks anyway.
I'm doing it in 10-20minute go's as there's a reasonable amount of crouching to do, I don't fancy my waters going mid scrape haha!

Congrats on all your outs too, you might have been away for a few days but goodness me you've made some stellar progress!

Woogle - I've tended to use oil (eg olive oil) to get stickiness off. Just a thought as it's safer than terps.

Oooooh thanks sand, I'll give that a go!

Ah - I see. I have had disasters with masking tape in the past. Nowadays I always put it on just before painting, and pull it off while the paint is wet, to get a neat edge. Just a thought - would a hairdryer help soften the adhesive? Not enough to melt the paint, of course...

No extra tidying happened today. A lady turned up to claim the unopened toiletries I had. My husband went through all his bathroom stuff. We binned a load of stuff that isn’t useful any more.

Before she went to bed, my daughter tidied up her room (because she likes it being tidy) so that is progress.

I have sewed a name tape into my daughter’s games shorts.

Trying a similar approach IWillWearTheGreenWillow. I am also into repurposing.

I have also made it a rule that there will be no new clothes when there are still lots in my wardrobe that has either never been worn or worn only a few times.

I was brought up to have clothes kept for ‘best’. For me that translated into never worn. This year I am planning to wear it all !!

I've also had one of those masking tape nightmares - on one of those million-squares windows, whatever they're called.
I'm also cheating because I'm going to be renting a second place (not stealth boasting; I'm extremely rural and need to live in town for many reasons) and so my house clutter will be divided by two as I have to furnish the second place. We need to keep the first place as my DH will be living there mostly.

Today I cleaned out the shelves in the alcove beside my bed. I have a huge pile of stuff I want to get rid of (old receipts, boxes for things I no longer own). I’ve found a few things I want to sell (a TENS machine I never ended up using, a broach that someone bought me and I never wore and a running armband phone holder).

I’ve just been to the doctors and handed over a load of sharps. I don’t think they were all that pleased but hey ho.

I’ve also gone through my handbag and chucked out a load of crap that was lingering at the bottom.

Two broken umbrellas gone.

Nothing specific out today but I have ticked off a few jobs and done a lot of laundry - the 7th load is spinning now.

Some deep cleaning in the bathroom too.

I made an especially healthy dinner, using up some veg which was getting desperate.

I've promised myself I'm going to dust the bedrooms and do some filing soon, but that might be tomorrow now.

Slow week here declutter wise as I’m trying to get organised before we go away next week. I’ve taken some photos of a few things I think I can sell so will get those listed when we get back.

Hope things are going ok with the door Woogle, sounds like a nightmare job.

Extra house sounds like a good solution Penelope, sounds like you may end up being apart from your DH quite a bit though?

Hey everyone

Great to hear of faceyb and eBay sales!

I did nothing yesterday, literally. Didn't even do any more door.

I'll try today, getting mighty fed up of being pregnant though so maybe not 😂
I'll live vicariously through you lot

3 kids umbrellas, a sit up bench with punch ball and a gaming rocker chair to the charity shop!
Still got a tip run to do but can't be bothered today as I've just moved a chest of drawers and a sideboard from dgm house to move to dm's house, no idea where do os going to put it but that's not my problem!
That's probably it for today.