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

Doing well in some areas but have boxes and boxes of photographs. Decades worth
Has anyone got any ideas of how to deal with them?

Place marking, will read through

I haven't done anything this weekend but dc have had lots of playdates and activities so I've been a knackered taxi driver. As mentioned last week next week I have very little planned so I'll be doing my bedroom and the dining room.

Welcome to all the newbies - for some reason I can't scroll back to check names.

I haven't done anything today because I haven't been feeling too well. I will try and catch up during the week. Stealth reading your post the other day about the iPad box made me realise I had one as well. In fact in another box in my bedroom were two iPad boxes, two mobile phone boxes and some boxes for software for laptops I don't even have any more. All went into the recycling yesterday. DS has claimed the box they were all in but it's a plastic one and I think it might be good for toy storage. I managed to stop him claiming all the other ones for some mysterious craft project though.

Willow hope you had a good day. I feel the same about Christmas things making it more difficult. The space cleared in my bedroom yesterday has already been filled with another box of presents that arrived today. DS's Santa gift came too and it's huge and also only in its actual box so it's had to be hidden in the garage.

On a positive I keep looking at DDs bedroom and how great it looks without clutter in there. It's the smallest room in the house and needed the least amount of work but it's definitely spurring me on to get the rest of the house done.

I love doing that too, Custard: when you've cleared a place and it looks so clear and so good that you just have to keep looking at it! I'm glad I'm not the only one who does that.

Lovely to see more new people joining us - welcome!

@ThisYearHasGotToBeBetter - I have to be honest that I decided to leave most of my photos to last. They are in order though as I did that years ago. I think I would start with that and then take out all the obvious 'duds', such as people and places you don't know or those which are bad quality. You could scan the rest?

I've just taken another quick look through an old file and binned a few more papers. So many more to go...

Grrrr. Thinking of decluttering DS2 this morning, as he occurred in the kitchen and the living room after I'd gone to bed last night, and now I have extra clearing up to do!

Hello pink and DieHard, good to have you with us! I think the anxiety of Having Clutter and dealing with it is lessened for me by knowing I only have to deal with a little bit a day. I'd love to be able to totally blitz everything in a week à la KonMarie / Kim and Aggie, but my life and commitments won't allow that. I totally get making one room beautiful then popping back at ten minute intervals to admire it.

I've lost control of our bedroom again because DH sorted the washing yesterday while I was out. Need to get on top of that today and wrap a couple more presents. Last week of the home education term this week (and of the decade, as DH keeps reminding the DCs, to freak them out)! Must be mostly ready for Christmas by Thursday night on that basis. Aaagh. And I've still not written any Christmas cards!

Sounds like everyone is full of busy!
After a hectic few days I need to get on top of things. Got a few things I need to do online today. Actually I need to write a Christmas to do list to make sure I don't forget anything.
I've put some cardboard packaging out in the recycling this morning.

I’ve been reading these threads for a long time without actually doing anything about the clutter.

Had a mad weekend and have made great inroads. Car full of clothes and shoes to the charity shop.

I have a load of stuff inherited from gran parents that needs to go. I was thinking about eBay but I’m not sure how to go about making sure I get the right price for anything. I know if I I sell 300 things for £2 each that £600 in my pocket and loads of space. But when it comes to it I don’t want it to go for less than it’s worth. How do I get past that?

The side of my bed is amazing now though. Nothing there to trip and climb over.

Waves to diehardisachristmasfilm and any other newbies that I have forgotten to mention.

I am sitting here listening to Christmas music and making a list for this week but as I've mentioned a couple of times it's really about getting my bedroom and the dining room ready for Christmas. I also have the usual Monday activity of lots of washing and I haven't finished putting up the decorations and buying presents so the first job is to look at what I've bought so far and make a list. I don't know whether to buy anything for my many ex inlaws so I am just going to buy lots of wine and if they get me something they'll get the wine. Otherwise I will drink it!

Hi phlewf could you tell us what sort of stuff it is you're selling? One of us might have experience. Or if it's something special you could always set up a general post in chat. Failing that I didn't realise until about a year ago that you can search on eBay for sold prices of items to give you an idea of what things have gone for.

Jealous you have a good side of the bed. Mine is a pile of washing and towels at the moment. Must get off mumsnet and do it!

We're not sending any Christmas cards this year. I'm seeing all my family anyway. It's quite liberating just to not bother!

I've filled a bag of toys for school charity donation today. Next job is finding overdue library books to go back 🙄😊

Hi, @Phlewf! Good to have you with us!

Thanks for the welcome.

It’s mainly bone China and fine china ornaments. They could not be less in fashion right now, typical.

I didn’t didn’t list any of the clothes or shoes because there was so much and I am so happy it’s gone so hopefully I will feel the same regardless.

Getting ready was so quick this morning. I could see my clothes, socks were in pairs, nothing had holes in. Must remind this feeling.

not really done a lot. Trying to keep on top of the clutter that ends up on the dining table. Between trying to keep things out of reach of the baby, DP refusing to deal with his stuff and DC1 bringing copious stuff home from school, it is nearly a losing battle.

I've been plodding away, binned more than 25 non working pens, put some untouched art supplies in the charity bag, rehomed more Christmas decs, and dug out some novelty drinks bottles that haven't and likely won't ever be used. Oh and a single book in the charity shop bag!

I've also noticed I now file important paperwork immediately, or shred/put it in the recycling bin. I've got a far smaller pile of paperwork that needs attention.

Sleeping, I wish I could say the same - I've dealt with the paperwork but the shredding pile is now huge! Must get on with it, but always something else more pressing...

Fell off the other thread, but have been keeping up with little outs here and there, nothing massive. That said, I am unexpectedly working from home today (sick child) and may take the opportunity to chuck out the old Moses basket mattress and bag of old cushions lurking in the bedroom - DP usually works from home the same days as me and would prevent any such wanton chucking "just in case" , but since he's not here I might just bin them. Ha!

@Defender90 - I have been doing this with Christmas cards for what seems like years! I bought a pack of 30 cards a while ago and realised I don't actually have that many friends . I think this year I've finally got rid of them and have just used the 12-pack that I got from school with DD1s artwork

custardcreamfiend I forgot to say well done for getting rid of the technology boxes. I am a great one for keeping them 'in case' they go wrong but once they're 4 or 5 years old it seems pointless. We're so disposable these days that we'd just get rid of them rather than have them fixed. My iPad is really old and slow so if it broke I would probably take it to the dump.

Taking a break now. My washing pile is a bit smaller but will be replaced by more washing in a minute. I have sorted some paperwork in piles but not really done much. I still have to go food shopping before I do the school run so I am going to aim to clear my dining table to make a visible difference and put on my Christmas table cloth. There's not much on the table so I could clear it in one minute but I would rather spend half an hour to filing things rather than leave them on a pile on the sideboard and I really want to actually tidy in things in their proper places.

@SleepingSoul that’s such a good tip about dealing with paper work as soon as it arrives. I have a box of paperwork some of which is vital and some absolute rubbish but the only way I can find something is to empty it every time.

I thought was being good by throwing out the envelopes straight away but that’s just the start.

jojothesquirrel I have a file like this

www.amazon.co.uk/Clipboard-Durable-Waterproof-Document-Storage/dp/B07Q83MGNG/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=clipboard+box&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1575895996&sr=8-9

that I can either clip paperwork too or put the important stuff in to deal with. Then I know the other stuff mainly needs to be filed rather than having anything actually done with it. I have found that the main cause of my large postage pile is either my ex husband's post (solution to that was divorce!) or thick catalogues from toys and clothing companies and I make an effort to get rid of those the days they come in. My postage pile a couple of inches high at the moment but it used to be about a foot high so a success - although I would love it to be non existent.

Two weekends ago I at last got round to setting up and checking a large toy. That involved clearing a large space (unfortunately only temporarily ) on the top landing and hoovering it well. The item was listed on Facebook and Gumtree and was picked up on Friday. Yay! That is 2 biggish boxes away, which have been moved from pillar to post since before Christmas last year, so was at the top of my list to get sold this year. This past weekend I have tested another largish item which is now on Facebook and Gumtree, and sorted out and listed another "potential Christmas present" item on eBay.

On Saturday I sorted out a bag of new, unopened items I have held back from Charity Shop donations over the past year. These were dropped off at a collection point in town for a local Charity that provides Christmas presents for disadvantaged children and teenagers.

It was paper and cardboard bin collection on Friday, so I filled yet another cereal box from the shredder and got rid of a small pile of magazines and some newspapers.

I have also sold another eBay item, which I posted this morning.

My aim now is to fill another bag/box to take to Charity in the next week - I have put 3 or 4 things aside already.

Stealth, that's a bit of an extreme response to an unmanageable post pile ! Purplefrog, good job on getting big things sold. Still not got anywhere with the lego, I went to bed yesterday afternoon with my shitty cold instead. Trying to run this morning from bed also as my head is full of treacle and my brain won't go.

Plans for today:

• survive
• write family Christmas cards and get them out. I bought a packet of 10 pretty cards for Special People and everyone else is getting school fundraising ones left over from previous years!
• bloody lego sorting!

Hope to report later that I've achieved something.

I achieved nothing over the weekend, had plans Friday, Saturday AND Sunday - knackered after work yesterday and just flumped on the sofa when I got home. Thankfull DH had moved 3 boxes of car parts from the hall to the garage so that cleared some space and I will be filling at least one bin bag from under the stairs tonight (new tiled floor being laid on Monday / Tuesday. Nothing like a deadline to make me get my arse in gear.

Just wrote a massive update post and then my phone froze just as I was finishing it. That pretty much sums up my life at the moment.

Summary:

• mostly plodding away on decorating so decluttering is taking a bit of a back seat
• still trying to get house sorted before baby 3 arrives
• slowly selling a few bits but it’s hard going
• feeling down about the state of the bedroom being decorated (furniture and stuff everywhere), and just in general about the house. Too much stuff and not enough order!