Decluttering one thing a day - Part 9

[SandAndSea]

Welcome to our 9th thread in the Decluttering One Thing A Day series!

As you might imagine, we aim to get rid of one thing a day (or the equivalent, if we miss a few days).

The idea is that aiming low in this way prevents us from getting overwhelmed. It's also sustainable so helps us to develop effective clutter clearing habits which last.

In reality, many of us have found that once we start, we often get rid of far more than just one thing. (But if we don't, that's OK too.)

Everyone's welcome! We're a friendly and supportive bunch, from aspiring minimalists to full-on clutterbucks! We're also pretty green so you'll find lots of recycling, freecycling, donating and selling.

Previous thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3612006-Decluttering-one-thing-a-day-part-8-the-one-where-we-de-tetris-the-cupboard-of-doom?pg=1&order=

I finally made it to the storage unit, I did put a couple things away for next year (Halloween costumes) so they are no longer in my car. I did actually go over to the charity shop, but I was too late to take my donations, so I will do that at the beginning of my lunch break tomorrow. It feels good to get things out of my house! When I go over there, that'll be 3 carrier bags full of stuff - including those new (cheap) picture frames.

That's the thing, Sand. DF has been gone 5 years in January and, to start with, I surrounded myself with his stuff. It made me feel he was still here. But, as time has gone on, I've realised he left me with so many intangibles - a love of baking, spy novels and bash-on-the-head-up-a-dark-alley thrillers, political engagement, a belief in doing good but putting family first, an urgent need to mock slavish rule-following and wilful stupidity - that I don't need all his books that DM can't house, all his jumpers, etc. I can let them go and he'll still be with me. He always maintained Stuff beyond the basics of enough food, clothing, furniture, was unimportant (while hoarding books up the walls on bookshelves, in a way we never noticed until DM moved after he died), because what was important was in your head. As I get older, I agree with him more every day.

That was a bit deep for a Friday! Anyway, other things:

Sorry your meeting was horrid, Medway, and I totally understand your experiences around alcohol and SEN provision. We are only in the early stages of asking for an EHCP assessment and I often feel a need for a buffer between me and the endless rounds of forms and justifications we seem to be going through, where no-one but me and DH can actually see the distressed 9 year old that should be the focus of all this. Everyone else seems to characterise him as a difficulty, or a cost, or a drain on resources, rather than a child who is struggling very much to cope while turning himself inside out in an effort to "behave well", "focus", "do the right thing".

No outs here yesterday after my early wins in the bathroom. Today I will be decluttering stress as I am running away to London with an old friend to go to the British Museum.

Hazel, hope you DD was ok after her PE mishap!

Good morning all.

@Times10, sounds like you had a good day yesterday with the classmate. It shows how much you get done without realising it until something like that happens. Good that the cot is up too.

@HungryHazelEyes, sounds like you had a productive day. Three carrier bags is a lot, plus whatever you took to the storage unit.

@IWillWearTheGreenWillow, sounds really stressful. A trip to the museum sounds like the tonic you need.

Yesterday, I decluttered as many books as I could. My back is telling me I’ve done a good job (ouch).

I’m taking some paperbacks to work on Monday for the staff room, so a win win will be for other staff to read if they wanted to, and it’s free-ed up a couple of storage boxes for us 😁. My Slimming World books are going on ebay, and Dh has promised to go through his books in the remaining storage box. I have got three very heavy books to get rid of, but I’m afraid the bin men might refuse to take them, and the postage to sell them would be too much, so not sure what to do.
Clothes next.....

I went into dd bedroom aka storage room, grabbed 12 outgrown things and they went to charity today. I feel great now. It’s the first step. More to go into the car before school run for Monday.

My line in the sand has been crossed at last!

Willow - What a lovely legacy! I'm sure he would be (is) very proud of you.

Most of my 'pile' has finally left the house: about 4 sacks of it! I was debating over some of the bedding items and then my friend told me about a homeless person setting up home, completely from scratch. No more debating! It was just fucking obvious what to do.

Next time I'm debating over something, I'm going to try to remember this. For me, finding the right recipient really helps.

willow thank you, she is doing better today. She sprained the inside of her knee, bad enough they gave her a knee brace and crutches! Not too sure how much they will cost us, but at least I can know for sure she will heal.

three thank you! It feels good to get things out of the house. I had returned 3 costumes to the storage unit, a pair of boots and one carrier bag full of lunchboxes. I want to post several things at a time and it's all in the storage unit. I'll need to set aside an afternoon to go through and find things to sell (and donate!).

times well done for making progress with the cot!

Medway sorry to hear about your appointment, it's frustrating when others don't see what you see. Well done on DDs room! Have fun in London at the museum, you deserve a break.

sand I'm glad you were able to find a home for your bedding, it was meant to be! I'm sure they will be very appreciated.

Happy Friday everyone! A couple more bags of clothing out to the charity shop at lunchtime today (I’m amazed my children aren’t walking around naked with the amount of stuff I get rid of and still the drawers feel stuffed ). This included some nice baby stuff and Christmas clothes I was planning (ha!) to FB but reading the last few pages of this thread has spurred me on to just donate it, get it out of the house and let someone else find it and enjoy it.

I’ve also made an effort to tackle the clean laundry pile in the kitchen and put it away in drawers and wardrobes which helps with a general uncluttered feeling, even though it’s all stuffed away out of sight

“....I've realised he left me with so many intangibles - a love of baking, spy novels and bash-on-the-head-up-a-dark-alley thrillers, political engagement, a belief in doing good but putting family first.......”
@IWillWearTheGreenWillow This was very nice to read.

I finally got the 3 bags to the charity shop! It feels so good to get rid of it. I'm not working on Monday so I'm planning to go over to the storage unit to do some more sorting - find things to sell (and post them on fb) and find more to donate to charity.

I wish I could take more to the charity shop out of the storage unit, however mil is holding onto almost all of her DMs stuff in there- it will never get used again as she is in a care home after her stroke and will never be able leave there. She has tried selling some of it in yard sales, but no-one wants it.

I'm packing again so have taken the opportunity to sort through my travel stuff.

I've also cleared out my handbag.

Quite a few small outs: packets, old meds, receipts, tissues etc.

I've got to say, I've never found packing so easy before! I can literally just go to my drawers and count out each type of clothing (knickers, socks, tops etc). Everything's to hand and it's all good enough to pack. This is thanks to all of you and being on these threads.

Great feeling Sand - the simplicity!!

My out this morning is a tinted moisturiser that I’ve emptied.
Why is that clutter? Why does it count?
Because I’ve had it for between 5-10 years and I’ve been strictly working through all toiletries duplicates one at a time. This tube could have been clutter for the NEXT ten years if I hadn’t used it up.

Yes, Penelope! I'm loving the simplicity! That's the perfect word, thank you. I thought of you and your shoes today - I discovered a handbag in my out pile had significantly disintegrated! I had tried to sell it for years!

Medway - Well done for crossing that line!

Sand - that must be a fantastic feeling. It’s so nice having this thread. We all get each other’s stages. So supportive.

Penelope. This is it exactly. Getting to the stage of “do I have this already? Do I need more?” And being “ok its almost run out I can have one more” or “no I have five already”.

On that topic I bought more uniform in the Sainsbury’s 25% off event. I have unpacked it, named it. Noticed that yes really she does have to many socks so kept one pack of Polo shirts, two packs of socks in their pack so after Christmas I can top up lost socks ( she’s five so if she does pe her socks don’t go back on but don’t always come home either) and throw out and replace any badly stained polos by then if they get bad and it won’t come out etc.

That in itself is good for me as I used to buy uniform, never open my order, put it aside and then buy some more four months later. Now I am certain she needs no more uniform this year bar loosing or ruining lots of things. Same with my youngest son, needs bigger trousers but I will buy a few pairs and get rid of the same number of outgrown.

Everything that comes in must get unpacked within the week and put in its home. If it’s home is full then something has to go. I want to try to move gradually onto this rather than totting up my outs. But that’s a long way off yet. Getting rid of 20 things in one go still has be at this rate until I only have clothes and toys fitting into normal storage ( cupboards, draws, toy boxes not in box’s under the bed and bins bags full of outgrown stuff on dds floor.

Poor dd but to give it perspective her bed isn’t in her room, it’s a tiny box room, she has a bunk bed with a brother but her wardrobe and draws are in her room. It’s really only study sized. Still I can’t easily reach her draws so that’s where I am. But beginning to see I won’t be still like it at Christmas. How great would that be? That’s where I want to be. Then tackle my bedroom next and we will still be cluttered but everything bar toys will have a home ( a bursting at the seams home but all doors will shut!)

After that point I hope I will have got rid of so much my mind has been reset. I hope. That’s my goal!

I found this thread the other day and it's inspired me!

So far I have cleared out two drawers (found lots of very outdated qualification certs and random felt tips that didn't work- straight in the bin!) a bag from our loft (nothing actually chucked out, but things put where they should be including my son's red book which we'd lost for over two years!!) and have found some random paint which I'm taking to a friend tomorrow as she's redecoration. Also, a new book arrived today and my first thought was 'so what's going to make room for it?'

Loving it. Thank you all for inspiring me!

Welcome Owl I love your username btw! These threads really do help to keep me on track, less has come into the house for a while now and it's getting easier for me to clear things out. Great job on your accomplishments so far, changing your mindset is a huge step too.

Sand - 'I discovered a handbag in my out pile had significantly disintegrated! I had tried to sell it for years!' Makes you want to kick yourself, doesn't it??!!
Medway - exactly. Just knowing that you have 5 of whatever, because you've tidied them up and seen them all together, means you don't buy another 'just in case'.

Well, I just went to hunt down another tinted moisturiser and found an Aldi Lacura BB cream in 'Light'. It should say 'Light Orange'!
Does it go straight in the bin? We have no orange people here. It is brand new.
Maybe I could use it on my legs for a bit of colour?

Still concentrating on children’s outgrown clothes

Friday’s total - three polo shirts.

I unearthed about ten new polo shirts from a tardis-like cupboard! They are the next size up, so not a waste of money. But it’s a bit alarming to have had no idea they were there.

Another bag dropped off at charity shop today. 6 books and a jumper that doesn't suit me. It felt really good getting rid of it actually!

Today I'm wearing clothes that I really like. Sounds simple written down but I'm striving to only have things I enjoy wearing now.

Penelope, if it's genuinely orange I'd put it out, unless looking like a Oompa-Loompa will spark joy for you ?

Medway, it's great to hear you sounding so positive and seeing your way forward and identifying new, positive behaviours!

Hello Owls!

An in today in that DD has finally accepted that a 3 year old winter coat that will no longer do up and one pair of boots in the entire world is not going to see her through the winter. The coat is one in, one out, at least!

Maybe I could use it on my legs for a bit of colour?

Maybe give it a go and if it's too 'Oompa' chuck it.

Welcome, @ILoveAnOwl!

My pram has gone. I’m happy because it’s a significant baby item. I feel it’s good progress on the emotional clutter front. I’m going to sort another two bags for charity tomorrow and do a tip run. Will report back if that happens