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 think sometimes the small things can help push you on to getting started on the big things.
Today - I am going to go into town so going to take the Big Bag if Big Bras to the recycling in bravissimo, that gets a lump out of a drawer.
Balanced by, I might buy another new bra.
Might see about a haircut.
Will post away a little thing. (Which not only gets rid of the thing, but also one of the many padded envelopes I haves accrued ‘just in case’.)
I might finally buy some new shoes/trainers.
I might get a haircut.
I might do some little leftover DIY things.
I might see if I can sort out one of the random carrier bags o’shit.

That’s a big list. I’m torn between, I really want to do some things for myself, like getting my haircut & buying shoes, which I usually just put off and put off in favour of doing other things for the house/family.
But I would also like to finish these little jobs. But then, there’s always another little job, or bag to sort through...

@IWillWearTheGreenWillow good luck. I hope that you are ok and managing the huge emotions. I didn't so well, I found it very nerve wracking. But, 6 years on, it is more manageable.

Outs for me today, 6 tiny expresso cups that we received as a wedding present (17 years ago) and have never used. Also, 12 little 'amuse bouche' pots (from the same shelf in kitchen).

This thread makes me so happy!

I’m rubbish at remembering names so will just say well done for all the outs, and also decluttering ones hair definitely counts. I had mine done and I feel so much better!

Socks- I bought tons of black ones for my kids to share for school.

Also thank you to whoever asked me what my outs were- I need the accountability of this thread! Sadly there haven’t been many. This afternoon I’m working on the kitchen though.

Willow- hope the assessment goes well

Emptied the bags o’tat, and now I have a table o’tat.
Although slightly less tat than before and some of it went in the bin rather than just tidied it away.
And now I’m being floored by a bug, and have retired to the sofa.

Brutus - It was me.

Willow - Good luck with your assessment today!

Hazel - No worries!

I'm having a 'financial' day today. Sorting out life insurance - setting up a trust (it's important apparently) and all the related admin.

I'm also looking at cutting down on storage boxes under the beds by decluttering and collating what's in them.

I've had enough of going through old mobiles for now - it's so tedious. I'm going to come back to them another time.

I really need to be on this thread -- hello.

Since having my second child two years ago, my home has become so cluttered with stuff. I feel like I buy things all the time, but never have the time to get rid of anything! It's got to change...

Does anyone have tips on how to get rid of children's things? I find it so hard to decide what to keep or not (e.g. things the 6 year old has stopped using but the 2 year old might get interested in soon) and my 6 year old is very resistant to getting rid of ANYTHING of hers, so we are slowly drowning in piles of teddies and Playmobil.

@MotherOfDragonite - Hi! I'm sure there are lots of ways but I think I would be relaxed about it and not try to push anything with them. You could put things you'd like to go out in an interim place, such as a certain sack or box in a cupboard. Maybe if they start to enjoy their home being clearer and relax into not having those things around, they might feel OK about getting rid of them? If getting rid of things feels like a loss, they won't want to do it. But if it feels happy and uplifting, they will. Selling stuff can help too - let them choose what to spend the money on and celebrate that.

A similar issue has been discussed on here several times: how to get partners on board. Several of us have found that just going about our own business, enjoying our own decluttering, works well, as everyone starts to benefit and enjoy the newly cleared space - it's kind of contagious.

Hi @MotherofDragonite my two are closer in age which helps. I wonder if it would help you to consider the mental (and actual) cost of giving the things house room?
I have also found it easier to give things to a known child than give things to the charity shop.

Hi to all the new people - you are all doing so well!

I scrolled back to see when I had last updated and found it was on the previous thread!

I have just been to a Charity shop with 2 largish bags of stuff - including the Halloween items I talked about last month. At least they made it before Halloween! A couple of weekends ago I hand-washed some things that had been waiting around for ages - a pair of novelty slippers, kids' trainers, plimsolls and the fleecy detachable lining of a trench coat. All of these were handed in today except for the coat which is destined for another shop.

I have sold another couple of things on eBay and see it is a £1 FVF weekend from today (Thursday) until Monday. I have a pile of stuff to list this time, as someone else in the house has had a bit of a clear-out and like a pp the stuff is now my responsibility to re-home! I am hopefully having a day off work tomorrow, so should be able to get photos done in daylight.

I finished my decluttering at work - or at least managed to empty the room that was going to become an office. Yes, I do have boxes of bits and pieces in my office that I still have to sort, but it's not as bad as it might have been.

Over the past few weeks I have also decluttered some of my hair, including the grey, and visited the dental hygienist. It turns out the dentist now has a receptacle for collecting, plastic toothbrushes, toothbrush heads from electric toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes for recycling. So, I am starting a new collection for that in my odds-and-ends recycling crate in the porch.

A few weekends ago I took a small collection of small electrical items and cables to the recycling site, along with a collection of flattened cardboard and my rag-bag.

I really need to try to get back to reporting at least weekly.

Am feeling more motivated now. Sorted through DDs old clothes and have them in bags to go to recycling and charity-it's hammering down here so they haven't left the house just yet.
Sorted through the medicines/plasters in kitchen cupboard and chucked a few things out.

I put two enormous cardboard boxes in the car to take to the tip.
Apart from recycling that is all I have managed...

Today I'm moving things round in the living room so hopefully I will find some things to throw (down the back of the piano and radiator)

Out: a small chest of drawers.

I need to finish tidying up downstairs, as there’s a lot of mess all over the floor, but it’s one of those that looks worse than it is. So off to put a timer on for a few minutes.

Wow you are all doing so well. I haven't managed much this week, just some odd bits of paperwork and any old mcd toys I can find!

@Medwaymumoffour I am also a medway mum of 4

After a lot of toing & froing, I've sorted out our life insurance for another year and saved another £100! (Overall, I've saved quite a bit this year by switching.)

I've also got a substantial pile of docs to shred and another large ring binder to go out. The paperwork for all our bills is now properly organised and in one nice box.

motherofdragonite I would see if there's anything that the older dc doesn't play with, maybe 2-5 items, put them up in a box for a certain amount of time, say a month (Or however long you choose) and if they don't ask about those items, then decide if you want to keep them. If they do ask about them you can get said item out, telling dc you put it up since you didn't see them playing with items.

I was able to have my dc go through their toys before birthdays and Christmas, they were able to part with stuff ok so I can't quite relate the same. I would tell them to choose 5 things they can part with, they usually would find more than that every time.

Penelope- I think I bought each child 3 or 4 packs of seven socks so possibly more like 24 pairs. My logic is that I don’t ever being in a situation where I don’t have at least two weeks of clothes in case of holidays abroad, being wiped out with bugs where I can’t keep up with washing etc and there is a huge buffer here to loose socks but still have matching pairs. If it was 7 pairs I might never find the exact colour match if I needed to top up ( plus I only pair them up once a week this way)

Nailsathome - hello! I don’t live in Kent anymore but I grew up there and left in my mid twenties. I go back a lot as still have family and friends and I’m just round the M25 a bit. I miss Lakeside and Bluewater the most 😂

Willow good luck. This is the hardest part. With a firm diagnosis it can feel like a door has slammed shut, but another door can then open. I likened it to not going to a scan if you Broke our leg, in that it is what is, knowing it’s name only serves to give the knowledge to tackle it. You could also ignore it but it’s still there regardless iykwim. Or that my son was born with asd. It was always there. He didn’t stop being NT because he never was. It feels like it changes your life’s overnight, but you was always living that life. He’s not a child with asd, asd is part of him and if he didn’t have asd he wouldnt be him

Today’s outs is one bra and one pair of ds trainers and my black bin bag down the tip to make space in my weelie bin.

They was recording cash for crap (aka cash for trash or whatever it’s called )

Had a rather depressing conversation with one of my sons support workers about the amount of stuff I have. I was asked if I consider my kids emotions, which upset me a bit. I do. I want a clutter free house but hoarding is a mental health issue. It’s such a shameful and embarrassing and badly misunderstood illness. If I was depressed or a alcoholic I would get sympathy but I’m just viewed as lazy and needing to buck my ideas up. But I will not let this stall me. The sooner things all fit back in their rightful homes, the faster the judging ends. On my terms, in my way. I hope....

I managed to part with a cardigan that had a hole in it. I don't know why I am so attached to things!

I managed to get rid of half a cupboard of out of date food

My next step is to tackle the cupboard of evil Tupperware. I know it's there mocking me with it's mismatched lids and containers.

Salem - Try storing them with the lids on. This has really helped me.

took a big dustbin of privet cuttings to the tip
A handful of branches
several books went to charity shop
And some more recycling including cardboard boxes