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=

Nothing out really, a pair if DH pants with a hole. I’ve gathered some things to be passed along to friends bay, but they won’t actually leave til the weekend earliest.
Used a piece of random wood to replace a scabby worktop upstand, so whilst it’s still in, it’s also sort of out?
Will be able to chuck the remains of a tube of caulk tomorrow as well.

I didn't manage much today, as I completely unexpectedly had to retrieve my dad from a&e. He had complained that his foot was hurting, turns our his torn his Achilles' tendon.

Staying on a foot theme I ousted 6 odd socks. I hate odd socks, why do they happen? I feel like they mock me.

spellman hope your dad’s foot heals quickly! Your socks reminded me that we have a whole box of odd socks I need to go through! I’m away tomorrow, but may tackle it in the evening.
cold that definitely counts, as it’s no longer clutter!
willow I have clothes like that, that must have changed shape while I wasn’t looking...

Everybody sounds so busy decluttering, I feel like I'm slacking!

I did have 4 outs, yesterday and today- DVDs that have now gone back to their rightful owners. Although I did have some ins today - I'm making my Halloween costume for work and got a few (4) pieces to put together, got them from the second hand shop. I did already have to throw one of the "new" things out as I cut too much off it! Oops.

Viewings today, so on Mission Immaculate Flat. With the three year old under my feet, getting everything out. Not to worry!

I am so inspired by this thread. Long day at work and activities with DS after work for me today, but I have a plan for my decluttering, and I am going to work out how many hooks I need Dh to out up in the utility room! I think that Stealth' is inspiring me with her hallway organisation. Utility room is an awkward shape, and nowhere to create storage. So the only way to get things off the floor (bags of swimming kit, sports kit etc) is by putting up hooks for them.

I see the SEN link too. It has made my hoarding worse, but it was always there before DC. Its just that I didn't have the space then to hoard.

I have tackled my utensils pot. Out has gone the expensive but useless can opener and the old tatty utensils. I had already replaced them but not discarded the old ones 'just at incase'

P.S. my eldest is also SEN. He really struggles to let go of things and it's so hit and miss finding things he will connect with. And the paperwork! So yes, I see a link too... but he's 11 now so I plan to start drawing lines...

I will admit to some ins. Three plastic cups that stick to the walls with suckers for storing everyone's toothpastes and toothbrushes. A week later I am still happy with the result and the bathroom shelf looks much tidier.

Out 3 work dresses that have seen better days, plus a top that I've wore this summer that I actually hate. I've worn it as it's the only top that fit me, I'm getting rid of it as a way to force me to lose weight.

Good afternoon, everyone is doing amazing. I love reading the satisfaction in these posts. And I completely agree that things like dentists count. It’s something to tick off the massive to do list.

I had no outs yesterday and probably won’t for the rest of this week. Though today I took a keepsake box to the charity shop. My MIL bought me it after the birth of my DS. It’s massive, it comes with a hundred little boxes and frames and notes etc for all the ‘firsts’. It’s very lovely but I’m never going to fill it in. It feels like a craft project that I’m never going to finish and even starting it makes me feel overwhelmed. So I just got rid of it. He’s got such a small room that even getting rid of a box has made a difference.

Branches OUT

Good luck, Cold!

Well done, everyone!

I've scrubbed the grout in the bathroom (mould is the 'out' there).

I've also been fiddling with an almost dead mobile phone. It's gone from totally dead to flickering so I've managed to manually copy some of the info from it. I'm hoping to rescue the photos off it but my current PC won't download the drivers. So, I reckon I'll have to resuscitate my old PC first in order to do this. It's a job for another day.

Ninja - I have been decluttering on and off but never make enough headway to get past the point where I could invite visitors at any time.

Re the SEN kids angle, the doesn’t help as I put my heart and soul into that, there’s nothing left for functioning life.

67 items out today. My ds outgrown clothes to my friend

50+ odd socks are going out! I paired up as many as I could, but still had a huge amount of odd ones, spanning from when my eldest was a baby (7 years ago) so there’s very little hope I’ll ever find the pair. I have been putting odd socks in a basket in an attempt to control them, and a lot did find their pair, but I’ve given up with these last remaining ones. I need a better system to stop losing socks all the time!

I need to join! Did a lot of decluttering a couple of years back but lost my way slightly. It also took until 6 months ago for DP to sort his stuff out!
Today I decluttered a cat food bag to the terracycle box at Cats Protection.
I have a pile of DDs too small clothes to sort out for charity or recycling so will get on that tomorrow.

I just found myself saying to DP:

"I got rid of the oxo cubes today."

(SMH)

I didn't even build up to it!

Thank God for this thread or I'd be talking like that all the time!

Welcome, @Vinorosso74!

Times - with kids socks I have bought them around 25 pairs of identical socks each. So ds1 is black, ds2 is grey, etc. Then you get less odd ones. It was hard before as I had so many odd socks but I’m going to stick with this. The only problem is the few character socks they have for the weekends / holidays. I am still finding baby socks even though I had a clear out twice before and my baby is five!

Times the small victories can be exciting sometimes. I have caught myself telling dh about something I have gotten rid of, he looks at me like I need a life!

I did have a couple outs today, a bag of rags that won't get used by dh. They have been in the pantry for years so won't ever get used at this point. I have also emptied a couple lotions (finishing bottles I have started on but not finished) and a body wash. I have also discovered that one of the scents is horrible and doesn't go away after washing hands multiple times throughout the day AND using other lotions - that's going away this weekend one way or another!

Oops it was Sand not Times! I really should pay better attention. Sorry!

with kids socks I have bought them around 25 pairs of identical socks each. So ds1 is black, ds2 is grey, etc.
I like the colour system but is 25 pairs a lot, or is it just me?