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

@StealthNinjaMum joining your thread. I am totally overwhelmed with stuff after Christmas. We are bursting at the seems and every room is a tip. We had a baby in June whose stuff is huge and ugly and cumbersome and is just everywhere. I look at homes that are clear and minimal and long for tidying and cleaning to be easier like it must be with them. I’ve read Marie Kondo and the lady who is obsessed with clean sinks (forget her name) and TOMM but following anything with an 8 yo that does nothing but make a mess everywhere, a baby who won’t be put down and will only sleep on me and the epic clutter we have is just impossible. I’m doing well if I can empty the dishwasher, cook dinner and do the washing every day. But I’m trying. I really want my New Years resolution to be not to buy stuff we don’t really need.

Our friends are due their first baby in February so I decluttered two bags of baby items to them. Hopefully they will get some use out of them.
We had a lot of ins and I need to find places for these items. I am going to tackle this on Monday. We have hosted family and friends over the last 4 days so things have been pushed into corners.

Dh has decluttered two bags of clothes so I need to do a charity shop drop next week.

Two bags out to the bin and another 4 ready to go to the top along with an old dirty washing basket.

Two rugs advertised free - hopefully they will be out the next few days.

Tree is down and the living room back to normal and I promise not to clutter the dining table.

I had a good (but a bit boring ) day yesterday. It got to 6pm and I realised I’d done literally nothing all day except eating and mindless forum surfing. The same so far today actually and almost noon where I am.
So I went into my daughter’s room (the gift that keeps on giving) and did a couple of hours in there. A shopping bag of rubbish, some cans and bottles, karate gear to be sold (150 quid and used three times so, yes, I’ll definitely try to sell it), more school uniforms (the expensive bits), a bag of ‘stripper shoes’ left behind by an old tenant (!!). I’ll vacuum it today and that’ll do. At least I didn’t feel like the day was wasted.
Just thinking about what to do today that will leave me satisfied that the day wasn’t a loss. It’s quite hot here and I don’t really want to do much.
However, my front verandah is covered in thick dust from a dust storm that rolled in a couple of months ago. I don’t live here all the time and DH has asthma and hasn’t gone near it. I almost did it a few Saturdays ago and was so glad I didn’t because we got another dust storm on the following Monday! It looks pretty bad when people come to the door. 😳 I should probably set a timer and see what I can achieve out there.

5 items of makeup and 4 pairs of socks out yesterday.

Ugh, have done nothing. Except eat, does that count? Am flaking about and have to go back to work tomorrow, the children seem to generate washing at a rate of knots & wont put it in the basket, I’m sure I keep washing clean things -_-
Plus I need to buy new clothes. Ugh. I’m not feeling it.

@YuleAreBeingUnREASTIEable we had Dd in July. So. Much. Stuff.

I’ve boxed up her 0-3 stuff and that’s in the loft. The Moses basket is under her cot (waiting for a friend to pick it up). The carry cot for the pram needs to go in the loft and out of the garage.

In our living room we have our furniture. The Christmas tree. Dds bouncy rocky chair and jumperoo. And about a million toys.

As soon as it’s 2020 and we’re back to work and nursery I’m taking the tree down and am getting it picked up for recycling (real tree - local hospice do tree pick ups as a fund raiser - and am putting everything Christmas related back up in the loft.

Welcome @YuleAreBeingUnREASTIEable! I think it’s always going to be hard keeping everything under control with kids. Mine are 4 and 2, with another due soon, and I find I hang onto a lot of stuff (clothing, toys) as whilst one may have outgrown it, the other(s) haven’t yet.
I’m trying to be honest with myself about what they actually play with/wear and donate/sell some of the excess, but it isn’t easy! I’m trying to get to a point where all their toys fit into designated cupboards, and we can only keep what fits in there (with some exceptions like outdoor toys which live in the garage).

Welcome @YuleAreBeingUnREASTIEable I know you from the Christmas bargains threads!

Currently trying to find homes for lots of lovely new presents. I will have to weed out a selection of outgrown toys and games in the playroom storage.

DCs had a couple of duplicate gifts so they have been put in the present drawer to be used for friends' birthdays.

Thank you for the welcome.

Ememem your living room sounds like ours. We have the tree, jumperoo, baby playmat and musical toy, big fabric bucket of baby toys and a big dolls house dd got for Christmas as well as all the usual stuff and clutter. I feel like the house is coming in on me. We have 2 big bags heading towards the charity and more to be added, I just have to sort through to work out what else to add. My problem is if I see something cheap or free we could use I can’t say no. I don’t think about the space it’ll take up. I need to work on saying no to myself and asking myself if we really need it. I used to think it was great dd had so many toys, she was lucky. Now I think actually the less toys you have the more you play with them and maybe she was overwhelmed with too much when she was younger.

I do that as well yule the jumperoo was from a friend. But I knew it’d be useful so accepted it despite knowing that it would take up all the room. Incidentally did you know you can fold it up? Not completely flat...but enough so you can make more space!!

Dh has dumped a pair of trainers.

The trouble I have with toys is i childmind part time so I have everything from a baby to a ten year old in my house so anything my own kids grow out of, I still need for other people’s children so nothing ever seems to go out, it just moves rooms! I’m thinking of closing down the childminding business by about September and it will make SUCH a difference to my house as I’ll be able to ditch three prams, a highchair, baby carrier, three car seats and about a million baby toys. For now, I have to live with tripping around it all because I need it but it take up so much space!

The decorating continues.... Sorted some of DD's clothes out. One bag for textile recycling and a few items for the charity shop.
She has lots of Shopkins she no longer wants and a case. Am wondering if we can sell those?

Hi @YuleAreBeingUnREASTIEable great to see you here! FWIW I think the period up until dc are about 3 is the worst for clutter —-until you hit the Lego years—

Thanks to these threads I am much more mindful about what I buy. I didn’t buy dc much for Xmas and I don’t think they noticed. Of course there is still too much clutter in the house (mainly arts and craft items) but I am going to relax about it until dc go back to school.

Yesterday I sorted through the Xmas decorations and have nearly a box of baubles to go.

Joining this thread.

I'm going through phases of being really good at decluttering and phases of not getting my arse in gear at all. It tends to be towards the end of term, when everyone is tired, that things go to pot too much.

My room and the kitchen are my main areas for this holiday.
Great ideas on this thread, thank you!

vinorosso it’s worth trying to sell the shop kins but I think they might be very ‘last year’. In the past I have had limited success in getting rid of dcs more faddy toys - we have been obsessed with ponies, Moshi monsters, littlest pet shop toys, octonaughts and shopkins. Thankfully all are gone but I think I only managed to sell the octonaughts.

I’ve just come back to add that it’s bedtime now and I’ve been nowhere near the dusty verandah. So much for plans. I am SO lazy 🙄😂

penelope I’m guessing you aren’t in the U.K. given that it’s bedtime...?

StealthNinjaMum I also wondered about them being a bit "last year". I guess it doesn't hurt to try.

Please can I join in.
I've read through the thread and fell inspired.

After a lifetime of being surrounded by too much stuff I am embracing the less is more philosophy (although I have a long way to go)
We had some building work done on our house this year and having to clear rooms made me realise that so much of the stuff I 'valued' is unneeded and actually doesn't make me happy.
I'm also a natural hoarder and have a keep it just in case mentality that I am trying to lose.

The house is already much clearer but there is still plenty to sort and organise

My aim is to clear 2020 things from my house in 2020 - approximately 6 things each day.

So far (getting an early start) I have just put 27 items of clothing in a bag ready to go to the clothing bank and I have a bag for the charity shop with 25 things that were perfectly lovely, but not needed in my house. Two of them were Christmas gifts (mice but just not to my taste) - in the past I would have kept them out of obligation and guilt, but I have decided better that the charity shop makes some money and someone else enjoys them.

Running total 52/2020

can I join in, I'm pretty good at getting things out but a year of overspending and my house is full of stuff again.

today I have gotten rid of a bag full of out of date flours/cooking ingredients and spreads (3 peanut butter some dated 2018 I can't eat it and no one else likes it!!) And a bag of opened and unused (won't be used) toiletries from the bathroom.

onto my room next 😁 will read through later with a cup of tea!

Hello @RuudGullitOnAShed ! Good to have your here, that's a big goal you've set yourself. Good luck!

Hello also @Alkaloise, @GinisLife, @flounderfish, @Chaosonthehorizon and @YuleAreBeingUnREASTIEable. Hello again @Clettercletterthatsbetter and @Medwaymumoffour, pleased we've all survived the Christmas season.

@wondering7777, I'd definitely get rid of the print if you don't love it. The cost is gone. There's no point in keeping things that make you feel sad and guilty. My New Year's Resolution is to stop doing that, it absolutely doesn't assist with loving my space and keeping it nice.

Feeling rather pleased that we've only had half a bin-bag of unrecyclable packaging this Christmas, and a heft proportion of that was wrapping bought last year that needed using up - I saw no point in chucking it out unused and buying more. This afternoon I'm going to sort out the Wrapping Bag of Bags and the ribbons and get them all back in the loft. The only person who hasn't put their presents away is me .

DS3's surprise hit Christmas present was a lightsaber from DS1, and this morning he has been through the basket of Garden Weapons and put at least half of them out so they don't fall on his foot when he's grabbing a sword to run outside with.

Welcome also @nocutsnobuttsnococonuts, cross posted with you!

Two broken pens out here today, but some presents and wrapping paper but away.
Love Ruud’s spelling mistake - “Christmas gifts, mice but not to my taste!”