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=

Have you been reading the slob comes clean blog/book? Please accept my apologies if I’ve missed a big discussion about it somewhere but some of the posts here are reminiscent of hers; the “container concept”.

I am still (yes, I know...) chugging through the laundry and dp has SO MANY pairs of shorts it’s ridiculous. Some even look the same. They won’t fit in his drawer so they’re all stacked up on top! Will he look through and get rid of some? No he won’t!! And he reckons I’m the hoarder....

Well done, Medway. You must feel like a weight has lifted.

Willow- beautiful writing about your father!
Sand- that sounds amazing. As I’m getting on top of the laundry, I’m finding mornings are so much better and easier.

Sand and Willow - I’ll mix it with some body lotion. If the results are amusing, I’ll post a photo of my fat legs and use the bottle up on my never to be seen bum and thighs.
Medway - it’s great when a big item goes. Eyes teenage children
Brutus - I haven’t seen this blog but I’ll check it out.

All toys are now out of DH’s sitting-room, leaving a nice big space. Can now reach pictures and photos for hanging.

Saturday’s total

Outgrown clothes - two pairs gym shorts
nine pairs white socks

Forgot to say, tomorrow is laundry and general tidying. Toys for donation should go out to garage if the weather’s dry.

Er......what was that?

I think they've been spamming all over lots of threads this evening. Were they offering spells to return one's husband to the fold ?

Sand and Brutus thanks for kind words... and yes, properly folded clothes you can guarantee are good to wear and easy to find and pack make things so much easier! I can pack anything between a weekend and a fortnight into my little suitcase, tidily and with everything easy to find now. It turns out the "how to pack" I was taught at Brownies years ago is useful and relevent after all! Having Kondo'd my clothes repeatedly I also know everything will go together (although I still have a brown/blue divide in my clothes. I can and will wear both, but not together!).

Today we are off to visit FIL for his birthday. He desperately needs a declutter and a good clean, but won't accept it so I shall just shut my eyes and grit my teeth! Out for lunch, so no additional washing up. Our outs today are temporary clutter of presents acquired and school photos etc, but they're still out.

The boot of my little car is very nearly full of charity shop items, so I need to get on with delivering it. That's the part I find hardest (hate the parking, carrying, handing it over) so I might ask DH to do it, again!

Today, out one tube of leg cream. Two yrs old, and the reason it’s lasted so long is, I don’t like it. So bye bye.

I’ve been focusing on the day to day clutter someone mentioned up thread. Have removed some empty bottles from bathroom plus removed some clean clothes that had been left there. DH sorted his floordrobe too! The problem I’m having at the moment is that DS loves emptying cupboards so in the time it takes me to clear a surface he has emptied a cupboard over the floor!

Today I’m hoping to set aside some bits for the school Christmas fair and also see if we can donate anything for the toy bank appeal. We got some duplicate kids presents this yea so feels like a good cause.

Hope you enjoy your trip SandandSea.

Willow what you said about your dad was lovely. I have a few things from my grandparents (old kitchenware mostly) that is not really fit for purpose, so I need to apply this thinking.

Medway you sound like you’re making such good progress, I wish I was as focussed!

Anyway! Off to try and declutter some laundry...

I totted up 53 baby and toddler things last night at midnight for charity so that’s 79 outs yesterday as I also sold a big bag of baby clothes. ( charity bag hasn’t really gone but it’s going in the boot).

Dh has offered to help tidy the bedroom with me and then do a tip run so I’m glad he’s suggested it.

Wow!!!!

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. From @Bluewavescrashing
And Everything's to hand and it's all good enough to pack. from @SandAndSea
are aspirations for me.
It’s also really good to see @Medwaymumoffour being so positive and determined!
I am no further forward with packing, it’s all very half done. I think I’m hitting the overwhelmed full stop. I know I have clothes that should go out tat I cat bring myself to get rid of yet.

Good afternoon everyone. I’ve lurked for a very long time but have always loved this thread. May I join?
Medwaymumoffour, (I think!) sometimes it takes a stranger to make you sit up and wake up. Your comment about “hoarding being my drug of choice” did that for me. Thank you ( in a weird way!)

Welcome Blonde, I’m glad mu musings have helped someone and it helps me to know I’m not alone in this situation.

Really good day here. Dh did a great job with our room. So much went to the tip, and I have 50 plus clothes of mine and old shoes for charity. So that’s over a 100 things to donate tomorrow! I have also looked at and considered my next baby category things to go. I know in done with babies now, but all gone at once is still to raw.

Lots of things I wanted out today but I want the space more. Feels good but so much more to tackle!

Plus moving things into their homes an grouping things together really shows I have duplicates upon duplicates of nearly everything!

@Medwaymumoffour wow, over 100 things! Well done 👏

I've listed 3 things for sale today, one should be collected tomorrow.

This sounds really silly but I finished a tub of hair mask this morning which has been sitting in the shower for months. I was so pleased when it went! It won't be replaced, regular conditioner is all I need. Having the space it left makes me happy.

Is it normal to feel so good about gaining space?!

Sounds like productive weekends all round!

Outs this week: spare water bottles and tupperware lids/boxes without their own lid or bottom, two pairs of shoes, two odd socks, two DC books.

Ins: shoes for DH, DD and me. DD and I have done a one -in, one-out. Now to convince DH to do the same!

I've not done as well as I hoped this weekend. Put a few bits on ebay but they are still in the house. I am however putting together all my sons old baby toys to donate tomorrow so its not a completely unproductive weekend.

Medway that's an epic amount of outs - well done! Welcome to all the newbies!

I haven't updated for a few days because I didn't manage to get anything done. It's been a busy few days with work, appointments and family stuff. I didn't do any decluttering on Thursday and I've struggled to get started again. On a positive note, I have been putting the clean laundry straight away and getting bags and clothes ready every evening which is definitely making things run more smoothly in the mornings.

I sorted out the cupboard underneath the kitchen sink today. We had a leaky pipe in there in August a little while ago and a lot of things had to come out of there and haven't been put back. I've binned quite a few cleaning products that will never get used and tidied the rest away. I used up a couple of nearly empty bottles cleaning the kitchen as well. There's been enough outs today to make up for the days missed.

Just checking on everyone's progress which is looking good! Medway that is quite a tally of things!
Had an unexpected bereavement on DP's side of the family at the end of the week so that has hindered progress a bit as we spent a lot of today with his family.
I did sell an item yesterday for £20 so that was good. Nothing today. Will try and crack on a bit this week.

Well, we did manage a couple of outs at FIL's house after all - cocoa that was best before June 2001 (and is therefore older than DS1!) and Cadbury's hot chocolate powder best before Oct 2004. I know BBE dates are a guideline, not a red line, but I felt that was overdoing it. I quietly put them in the bin, lest he poison himself, or the children!

DD went through her bookshelves last night and has left a big pile of books on the landing for me to find ways of getting out of the house. On the plus side, the Council start collecting for the Christmas Toy Bank tomorrow, so I should get lots of stuff out of the utility room.

Today's 'out' is a set of red silicon measuring cups that concertina flat.

I don't need these as I have measuring jugs.

Also, these belonged to someone that I'd like to forget and I think of them every time I see these things - so, out they go!!!

Custard, that’s exactly how I think. As long as it seven things out over a week, I’m on track. If it’s 0 for the first six days but I make up it on Sunday then it’s fine. It’s still every week, constantly moving forward.

Willow that reminds me of my poor dad, he had food that would have been at home on the antiques road show! I biined loads and he got it out of the bin again! ( thanks df for bringing me up as hoarder 😂)

Dh has tied up our room as once I had decluttered I left it mentally exhausted in a “I’m done, I’m so done now” mood. Just gone in there and wow! What a difference it has made. I can hardly believe I might pass as a non hoarder soon! But I will be cluttered.

One or two more days like today and our room will look normal. Yikes! I must not buy anything now until it gets to that point. Then I have told dh I will never let it get like that again. I have told him once everything is in its proper home it will be easier to thin out.

Poor dh. I give him stick but he has helped today and is starting to admit he’s contributing to our chaos by turning a blind eye.

Just got to figure how to get four bin bags to the charity shop now 😱

Today out. The remains of a tube of vitamin c which expired2009