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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Where Do You Keep....

23 replies

Skribble · 27/07/2007 23:40

+Kids pictures,
+Info leaflets that you might want to refer to later,
+Receipts and instructions.
+Kids magazines, that they want to keep becuse there is still stuff do do in them,
+Kids creations, they are old emnough to know if they go missing and put in hors of work and produce some fantastic works of art,
+Souviners from trips, that you might want to put in a scrapbook when you get time,

ETc Etc.

Any great clutter busting ideas wanted, thanks very much. I am going round in tight little circles with my 3 box method and all that, but struggling to accomodate the things we do actualy want to keep.

OP posts:

southeastastra · 27/07/2007 23:41

in a big box all together

Original poster

Skribble · 27/07/2007 23:43

, I have lots of big boxes, files and baskets, it just ain't working LOL.

OP posts:

southeastastra · 27/07/2007 23:45

have a sort out every few months be ruthless

Original poster

Skribble · 27/07/2007 23:48

I am trying to be ruthless and doing things like writing down web addresses instead of keeping leflets and articles etc.

But I jsut have so much stuff, kids stuff is getting out of hand but I don't have the hear to ditch stuff they spend hours making and looks really good, they are 7 and 10 so its not just random loo rolls and egg cartons glued together.

OP posts:

southeastastra · 27/07/2007 23:50

can you make them into some sort of large artwork, bung them into a frame as a collage?

i am quite rutheless though, through years of experiences of finding old instruction books from appliances long dead.

Tinker · 27/07/2007 23:52

Most of taht stuff goes in the bin. Otherwise, in piles. House is full of piles.

3Ddonut · 27/07/2007 23:58

Kid's stuff goes in kid's room, then it gets broke and goes in the bin ( or recycling) Leaflets live in a box with telephone book (or on noticeboard depending on importance, chance of forgetting or date looming) everything in endless piles..... Or if there's a really good piece of artwork(they're only 5,3 and 1) it goes on the wall in pride of place, I also have a huge noticeboard for smaller pieces which stay for a couple of months and then get 'rotated' - to the bin usually! (do I sound a bit organsied because I'm not at all and my house is a tip, but I try)

Original poster

Skribble · 28/07/2007 00:10

Ah yes the piles I am surrounded by piles, I gave up my huge desk that I could hide lots of piles in so I am now surrounded with piles on the floor.

We are reorganising the kids rooms and I hope to get most of their nick nacks and art work up in to their rooms too. And start new folders for the drawings.

I have 4 bull dog clips on nails on te wll to put important school notes etc so I can see what is coming up. So I suppose I am orgainised that way, what with my organised mum diary and allthat .

Its all those random things, like maps, brochures, souviners etc. OK I am making excuses, I need to get rid of loads and deal with stuff I am keeping ARGH!!!

OP posts:

Tortington · 28/07/2007 00:44

Kids pictures,
A) i don't
+Info leaflets that you might want to refer to later,
A) appointmets cellotaped to kitchen door, bills in folder everything else in drawer
+Receipts and instructions.
A) i don't
+Kids magazines, that they want to keep becuse there is still stuff do do in them,
A) in their room of course
+Kids creations, they are old emnough to know if they go missing and put in hors of work and produce some fantastic works of art,
A) never had this problem
+Souviners from trips, that you might want to put in a scrapbook when you get time,
A) in a carrier bag t the side of the settee

TippiHedren · 28/07/2007 00:49

1, in a keepsafe box.
2, a kitchen drawer full of junk
3, the same drawer!
4, in their rooms until the next "big tidy" and then i throw them away
5, in the keepsafe box
6, Kitchen drawer, then eventually the bin!

KerryMumbledore · 28/07/2007 00:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FunkyGlassSlipper · 28/07/2007 06:12

+Kids pictures,
I have a concertina file for good ones. throw rubbish ones. take photos of big good ones and keep photo.

+Info leaflets that you might want to refer to later,
I have an in-tray with in, pending, filing. These are kept in filing and if not used in a month get thrown.

+Receipts and instructions.
I have a 'manual box' in the garage.

+Kids magazines, that they want to keep becuse there is still stuff do do in them,
I have a magazine rack in DDs bedroom.

+Kids creations, they are old emnough to know if they go missing and put in hors of work and produce some fantastic works of art,
Same as pictures. Take a photo of anything big & lumpy.

+Souviners from trips, that you might want to put in a scrapbook when you get time,
I have a 'travel (shoe) box with loads of buts in

BBBee · 28/07/2007 07:00

+Kids pictures,

good ones on wall or in a file for later (but only say 1/20 make this position) rest in recycling bin

+Info leaflets that you might want to refer to later,

for stuff like washing machine etc file in filing cabinet

+Receipts and instructions.

in the same file if importnat otherwise recyclying bin again

+Kids magazines, that they want to keep becuse there is still stuff do do in them,

big box under piano with scrap paper and old magazines for when they want to do stuff - culled every month or so to recycling

+Kids creations, they are old emnough to know if they go missing and put in hors of work and produce some fantastic works of art,

if they want them that much they have to keep them in their rooms - otherwise kick around for a week or so on the kitchen surface and then binned

+Souviners from trips, that you might want to put in a scrapbook when you get time,

um, if it is their stuff in theri rooms but usually gets lost. I know that I don't have the time or organissation for scrap books so I don't collect the stuff - souvniers I get are items in their own right that need little fiddling about with.

jaynehater · 28/07/2007 07:07

Read a good tip re kids pictures and creations - keep the v.v.v.v.best ones, and get dc to write letters to family on the back of the others. Then send, clear-conscienced, because it's mum/MIL/great-auntie Doreen's problem now.....

Original poster

Skribble · 28/07/2007 23:39

Oh thanks everyone, some great ideas. I will get DS to take pics of his 3D creations, but I still don't think he will get rid of them but I am going to start sending them all to live in his room.

Nice idea about sending then to relations, but its MIL that lets them paint pile of crappy pics and then sends them round to me.

OP posts:

Original poster

Skribble · 28/07/2007 23:39

Oh thanks everyone, some great ideas. I will get DS to take pics of his 3D creations, but I still don't think he will get rid of them but I am going to start sending them all to live in his room.

Nice idea about sending then to relations, but its MIL that lets them paint pile of crappy pics and then sends them round to me.

OP posts:

UCM · 28/07/2007 23:46

For kids pics, get a scrapbook and stick em in there if they are memorable. If not chuck them. I often do this if it is obvious that DS didn't do them.

mumemma · 28/07/2007 23:46

These boxes are great and available in various sizes, including A3 which is good for kid's pictures:

www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?V=1&Sec=3&Sub=16&PID=154

Kid's pictures are kept in these; info leaflets are kept in plastic wallets in A4 ring binders divided by subject; receipts and instructions are kept in box files divided by room - useful to keep in case you ebay the item later; kid's magazines are in a magazine box from Muji; kid's creations and souvenirs in one of the boxes mentioned.

UCM · 28/07/2007 23:47

I also like the idea of pics. Asda are doing a photo album at the moment for 5.00 which has 40 sides with a bit to write in. I have 2.

Sixer · 28/07/2007 23:50

oh flip, it's a gurt big pile in the kitchen beside the fridge. bills included. every 2 weeks or maybe 4 i'll sort through it all. then then kids stuff goes ontop of the cabinet for 4 months, then... i'll nag DP to stick it in the attic in allocated boxes. Hate it, hate it.

hippipotami · 29/07/2007 11:42

I have a piece of string hanging from the picture rail in teh dining room (attached with a drawing pin at each end) and have wooden ladybird clothespegs from Ikea which I use to peg out the best artwork. Every few days when a new artwork/painting comes home from nursery I replace one of hte old ones. (the old one goes in the bin) 3D creations live on the mantelpiece for a few days and then move into the dd/ds's room (depending on whose creation it is)and after it has gathered dust for a few weeks it gets binned too

My dc don't have a liking for magazines (and we have never bought them) so no problems there.

Reciepts/instruction manuals live in a file in the filing box (plastic crate full of plastic wallets containing allsorts of stuff from passports to maps)

aloiseb · 19/06/2010 00:14

Solution 1: use local vermin
I had huge piles of kid's paintings until we moved house, and the boxes with the pictures in went in the shed (we ran out of room in the house....and let's not talk about that move)
There they were eaten by some mice. Mice like paint! Problem solved.
(I quite liked some of the pictures but there were far far too many of them and I couldn't choose)

Solution 2: "Daddy's office",
for tanks etc made out of a cornflake box and 3 drinking straws and the like.
He can be very upset when the cleaner accidentally gets rid of them....

Sonilaa · 19/06/2010 09:03

+Kids pictures,

loose paper folder thingy from staples, only keep the best

+Info leaflets that you might want to refer to later,

letter clip on the desk

+Receipts and instructions.

separate folder

+Kids magazines, that they want to keep becuse there is still stuff do do in them,

book shelf in kids bedroom

+Kids creations, they are old emnough to know if they go missing and put in hors of work and produce some fantastic works of art,

don* have that (yet)

+Souviners from trips, that you might want to put in a scrapbook when you get time,

in a box where the photo albums are

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