Decluttering one thing a day part 10 - the countdown to a clutter free Christmas

[StealthNinjaMum]

It’s the 10th thread and we’re still here!

We’re a group of mumsnetters who aim to get rid of one thing a day to develop good habits and gradually declutter our lives.

Newbies are welcome, those of us who’ve been here for some time have all seen dramatic improvements in our homes, the way we organise ourselves and even mental health. So if you’re new just check in and update with your progress and join in the general chat about recycling, housework and ways to be organised.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3711883-Decluttering-one-thing-a-day-Part-9?pg=1

Had a stern word with myself over two of the towels which were my favourites so keep escaping the cull. I realised I lived on my own when I bought them so estimate they are about 12 years old and well past their best. Gone.

So I’ve got a blue Ikea bag full for charity and a bin bag full for the fabric recycling. Not sure what to tackle next.

Pickled - It sounds like you're doing really well.

I'm wrapping presents whilst watching Hoarding Buried Alive on yt. Poor guy has junk piled up floor to ceiling.

I've got some decorations going out.

Thank you @IWillWearTheGreenWillow and @StealthNinjaMum. I'm so pleased with the loft now. It's going to be so easy to put the decorations away, and get the next size clothes down for DC now it's all tidied. Tonight DP is out so I need to wrap his presents (those that have arrived) and sort through the pile of stuff I brought down. And sleep.

There's something very satisfying about having an organised loft keiki even though others don't see it. It's like the end of the tetris so stuff can go and come out in an organised way. My loft is really organised and so is my airing cupboard and it makes certain parts of my life really easy.

After this morning's message I set a timer and 'tidied' the dining room for 15 minutes. I made it look worse! There is a pile of papers on the sideboard that I started to sort through, mainly related to school. I filed a couple and threw some away so it's a small progress - although the house looks worse. I have also taken some chicken out of the freezer for dinner.

My house is similarly chaotic atm, Stealth. I've got family coming for Christmas so I'm going to need to get on it very soon.

I'm still wrapping whilst watching Hoarders. Anyone who is either feeling embarrassed about their home or, feeling smug as though it could never happen to them, should watch this. It can happen to anyone! I'm currently watching a retired orthopaedic surgeon and pharmacist with bugs crawling all over him. It's called:

Hoarding Buried Alive Season 5, Episode 25 Graveyard of Junk

Another out: a mug we haven't used for ages.

Sand, I'm all too aware we could end up drowning in stuff. When my DGM died suddenly, many years ago when I was 2, my DGD responded by never throwing anything away and by the time I was 6 had a Junk Room you couldn't get into at all. I'll try to have a look at that programme.

I had a quick blitz this morning before we went on the Christmas Day Out (lunch, shopping and the new Star Wars film) and I've:

• cleared the kitchen intray
• cleared my desk
• got the Sewing Projects basket up to the barn for now
• put away some material that was hanging around in our bedroom
• cleared my half of the dressing table
• got DH to clear his, including chucking out a clothes brush I've never seen him use in the 22 years I've known him
• put up another ribbon for Christmas cards and got them up and out of the way.

Might look at the magazines again in a bit, or I might just have a nice evening of sewing.

Sorry to read that about your Grandad, Willow. Hoarding often seems to be linked with loss and sadness.

I need to get along to the laundrette . I put the brushed cotton bedding on our bed (KS with 6 pillowcases ) and our lovely male cat who sleeps on our bed also loves the muddy garden and (I found out today ) the compost bin.

So , we have pawprints lots of them.

It would take an age to wash in my machine but I can get it all done in the laundrette then dry it at home .

omg I think I’ve found my tribe [bookmarks thread]

Welcome, @PaulHollywoodsSexGut! (That's a phrase I never thought I'd say!) So, what's going out today?

Thank you @sandandsea

This week I managed to declutter one bookshelf and clean two loos with brute force and 00s hard house.

House still looks like it’s been smashed by a hurricane though - I have toddlers.

I don't know what "00s hard house" is, Paul, but it all sounds great! Well done on the bookshelf especially. I tend to find books quite hard to get rid of.

I come from a family of hoarders, my dad's place when he died really was like one of those you see on the telly. And his parents, of the war era never threw anything away that could be reused for obvious reasons due to the era! My mum hoards too, it's a nightmare. Her bathroom is so full I don't know when she last had a shower.

Today's outs are a pair of holey pants, and I finished two rolls of wrapping paper. It all fits in the box again now. I have sorted the things I brought down for the loft into bags for tip and charity to get rid of tomorrow. Now time for sleep.

Aside from the digital declutter today I’ve not got rid of anything (other than the usual emoting bins).

But. I was out most of the day so the house is relatively tidy. @PaulHollywoodsSexGut I also have toddler. Toddler creates mess. Toddler is sticky. Toddler is a magnet for bringing home crap. Toddlers art folder from nursery is still in the car. I haven’t ventured in yet.

I'm still going but starting to flake.

I'm pleased to write that I've now got 2 very full bags for life for charity.

I'm also getting rid of 4 boxes! Four!! 2 cardboard ones and 2 plastic with lids (all broken).

I got round to listing more bits on Marketplace and have 4 lots of items being delivered or collected in the next few days which is great. Other outs yesterday were an out of date jar of mincemeat and several pairs of DDs socks.

I need to sort my attic out, there's actually space to move now ExH has moved most of his stuff out. I want to check what's actually up there and get it organised properly. With time off over the holidays it's well up on my to do list .

Two massive boxes arrived yesterday. From Bil and sil in Australia. One is a hamper from our local vineyard for dh and I. It’s stuffed full of things which are wrapped up. The other is a massive box from wickeduncle.com which presumably contains toys for the dc.

We haven’t unpacked things yet. That’s a christmas Eve job. So generous of them.

Well done on the boxes, Sand! What channel.is Hoarders on? I can find it on Youtube but the buffering is driving me insane!

Welcome @PaulHollywoodsSexGut - is 00s hard house your inspirational music of choice? I clean to Swedish Comedy Doom Metal ("7 inches of satanic panic!") so you're not alone.

I unwrapped all those magazines last night and have reduced the pile in size just by taking off the plastic and getting rid of the endless flyers that get inserted. There's still 2 years' worth there, though, laughing at me. On the one hand, if I've not read them now I should be able to just put them out; and on the other hand I'm haunted by the idea that somewhere in there is a missing source of information I really need. What to do?

Today I am decluttering DS2's school suits to the cleaners and maybe looking at bookshelves again. I thought I'd put 5 books out yesterday, but DD decided she wanted 4 of them (but needs them on the landing bookshelf. Bugger.).

Gosh, ememem, what a generous gift - but also more stuff to find homes for!

I also took a leaf out of your book and did a digital declutter - I have reached my limit on social media stupidity, particularly in light of recent British political developments. I've uninstalled Twitter, resigned from fb (before I snap and call my sister out on the "I'm so busy" pretty lies she's spinning) and come off instagram (too many people pimping out their children for freebies for their house). Today I'm sending the electronic Christmas messages and then I'm done!

willow I’ve been on mat leave since July and every month I get my professional body’s magazine. I’ve stuffed them in the wardrobe. But when I go back to work I’ll take them with me and store in my work cupboard.

Can you change the delivery address going forward? That’s what I’ll do with them (and my emails - they sent updates on a daily basis...)

I have an archive box of my things to go back to work in Feb so will clear out some space there too. Plus a water bottle and a mug.

willow luckily the hamper will more than likely be food. So we can easily get that decluttered.

It’s all contained within a wicker picnic basket. So will keep this and will use it for picnics and beach bbqs in the summer - it will hold all our mismatched beach cups and plates etc.

The toys will be enjoyed. And maybe I can do a one in one out rule. And ditch some of ds’ more rubbish ones. But will do this in the new year.

I just flicked onto Instagram and unfollowed every account which might try and sell me something. Have kept the ones which interest me.

I’m going on a social media partial blackout in January. I need to get my head back in the game and want to use my down time in a better healthier way. So reading books. If I have half an hour free - read a book not dick about on fb.

Hello everyone, mind if I join you ? I'm fizzwiz and I love my clutter, it comforts me. But I also hate it, it opresses me and brings me down. So I'm gonna start to get it sorted.
Baby steps yesterday, I went through the spice shelf in the kitchen. No one needs 5 jars of cumin right ? The oldest was dated 2001... Babies born back then can now vote, puts it in perspective
Today I'm going to tackle the coffee table of doom - piled high with shit I don't need, or things that I need but really don't belong on/in the coffee table. I mean it's normal to have a spare car numberplate on your coffee table right ?
Anyway time for breakfast, then get going ! Good luck all of us !
Ps paulhollywood yes agree with you on the hard house, fire up the tempo, makes the work go easier. I like a bit of oakenfold to get me moving. Me as a 90's raver would be very confused if he could see into the future at the state of me now.

Hello Fizzwizz, good to have you here! Pleased you are feeling inspired but don't go too fast and burn out - this is a marathon, not a sprint!

One thing I found really useful when I started was to have a look at Clutterbug online - she has some interesting ideas about people's clutter "types" that certainly ring true in my family and have helped me sort my own stuff and not explode at other people with different (emotional) needs from their Stuff.

Ememem sadly, I paid for this bloody magazine. It's not arriving anymore, but the Sunk Costs Fallacy is biting me on the bum!

Welcome Fizzwizz

I'm doing a charity shop drop off today. Some clothes, shoes and a bike helmet. Must not come back with anything!

Welcome Fizzwizz. I've been doing this for nearly a year and it does work. The little and often approach is working for me and I have way less clutter around. Good luck. I find if I keep a charity bag under the stairs close to the front door I have a space to put random things I find and no longer need immediately and then when it is full I put it into the boot and try to get it to the charity shop that week.