The decluttering on thing a day thread - part 11

[StealthNinjaMum]

We’re still here.

After 10 threads my house still isn't tidy!

So join me and a lovely group of mumsnetters who simply get rid of one thing a day and report back. Gradually we’re developing good habits, reorganising ourselves, often improving our mental health and having friendly chatter along the way.

So newbies are welcome, just check in with your news and join in the general chat about recycling, organisation and housework.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3760076-Decluttering-one-thing-a-day-part-10-the-countdown-to-a-clutter-free-Christmas?pg=1

ALSO many of us have set a target to get rid of 2020 items this year and will report on that.

I've had a big tidy up and laundry blitz. Several random outs including a broken oil sprayer, a couple of boxes (yes!) and a used up deodorant that's been hanging around for far too long.

Haha gassy, wonder if they are all the same place!

Need to do a laundry blitz here today although it looks like it might rain at the moment. I've sorted out some outgrown things of DS ready to go back to the person who lent them to me.

Anyone here green fingered? I've decluttered lots of seed packets from the shed, some of which are several years old. What's the likelihood they'll come up if there a couple of years past the 'plant by' date? I could just try it but don't want to spend the time doing it if there's no chance!

If we are one small enclave of declutterers within 10 miles of each other, I shall be right spooked!

Raspberry, I've had some seeds well beyond their plant-by date come up this year, but the fresh hollyhock seeds I planted have done nothing. Not a sausage. Or indeed even a green shoot. I think you may have to try, and see what happens!

Plans for a small amount of recycling today as I have no choice but to go to Tesco so will take plastic (bread) bags with me. It's funny, but lockdown is making me far more aware of how much waste we produce and our food waste is dropping markedly . I thought I was pretty on top of that, but apparently not.

greenwillow when my bins went out this week there was no food wastage other than uneaten scraps from plates. I’m really thinking about what I’m buying - don’t want to deprive another family of something by buying too much - and checking the top shelves of the fridge where things often get hidden for three weeks and then chucked out. I’m not doing much decluttering at the moment, just focusing on spending time with dc. I might tidy the hall later as it’s a mess again and the coat cupboard. I’d like to tidy the winter coats away but it’s atill cold so maybe keep one out.

I decluttered the kitchen last week so we had more room to store food with fewer food shops. I cleaned out my wardrobe and found that there was not that much to throw out (I mean recycle/give away).

The greatest positive effect of this crisis on my efforts to declutter is that we are not buying anything apart from food right now - I never realised how much incidental clutter came into the house each day with all of us going in and out of work/shops/schools etc.

We are working on the garden and I am doing a daily small declutter as I clean a room. Thankfully, all my family are more understanding that we need to keep the house tidy as we never leave it!!!!! They now all appreciate my efforts to keep a tidy home as it is their respite in the crisis.

Hopefully all of us get to keep up a little of the good work once or twice a week during this surreal time.

Keep posting - I read this thread for motivation.

Just popping on to say we have King George V and King George VI parks nearby!
Can’t be anywhere near you guys though as we don’t have food waste collections.
Have a whole house to declutter here so watching with interest.

Just for the record - we do not have a King George park nearby (of any regnal number)!

Like a number of you, I am now getting fed up the uncertainty of bin collections. Last week I put out the paper/cardboard (grey) bin as scheduled. It wasn't picked up. Updated online information from the Council said the they would try to collect any missed bins over the weekend, and if it wasn't emptied by Monday 30th, to take it back in. DP dutifully took the bin from the kerb round the back of the house on Monday, only for a bin lorry to appear yesterday (Thursday) afternoon and proceed to empty all remaining grey bins in the street. WTF? I checked the Council website again and the info there hadn't changed. I was fuming and very tempted to write them a snotty email. At least we did get our landfill and garden/food waste bins emptied today, without any fuss. Our bin calendar has been updated yet again. I am resisting printing it out, because I feel that by Thursday night it is likely to have changed again. Sigh!

On the plus side, I have done 2 gardening sessions in the past week and had filled up the brown bin with holly and brambles. I actually managed to dig out 3 of the brambles in the front garden that were a menace last year. I was too late in trying to deal with them last year and was unable to remove them completely without destroying other plants.

I am still thinking about making leaf mould so have left the leaves for now.

Purple, either papergirl can loan you her KGVI, as she has two, or we can declare your front garden (now bramble free!) and honourary King George Field. Your choice!

Delighted to report that DS1 finally unpacked (after 2 weeks at home), opened his curtains, put his clothes away, changed his bed linen and had a wash today. He also cooked us tea, so he can stay 😂.

I had never never heard of King George playing fields. I didn’t know they were a ‘thing’. I have now done a bit of research and there actually 2 within 20 miles of me. According to Wikipedia there were 471 in 1965, so the probability of you all living in the same small area is pretty low!

I just googled them and didn’t know there were loads, created in memory of - or tribute to, I guess - the late king. Fascinating.

Glad we have all learnt something about municipal Green spaces and that there is not a town somewhere made up entirely of declutterers!

Managed to sneak two small plastic items from Christmas crackers into the bin yesterday! Small, but still progress.

Off to declutter some weeds from the garden as it's a lovely day here. Thanks for the advice on seeds Willow, will give them a go and hope for the best!

Ooh there's a King George V playing field near me - I just googled it. It's about 5 miles away so too far for my exercise for the day - not that I've done any this year week.

The bin collection thing must be awful if you were a pensioner and not on the internet. It must be so isolating if you have to stay in for 12 weeks and suddenly lose services like that and no one tells you how it'll change. In my area lots of people on my facebook group have moaned about bonfires and flytipping which is a shame - but inevitable I suppose. I bought some garden bin bags last week (thank you for whoever suggested that) as I think it would be a bit mean to burn my leaves. Our garden rubbish is thankfully still being collected but it's good to have a stock of bags and I'm sure I'll use them.

I have done a quick tidy up moving things from one room to another. I hadn't touched my post for a week - it was in a pile by the front door - in case it had coronavirus germs on it. So I put gloves on and looked. 9 letters for my ex and 1 for me. So annoying to risk my life for that man!

I have also put a child's broken lamp into my 'broken electrical stuff' pile and shredded some older bits of post.

Minimal efforts here but have decluttered 3 chicken legs from the freezer in to a pie. First post 'self isolation' dinner at the table for whole family as student DCs had to return from university and DH under 3 month lockdown due to health conditions in addition to current mending broken leg.

No real decluttering here. Just about keeping on top of keeping the house tidy with everyone home. Having been furloughed, DP is working his way through an ever expanding list of jobs that have been waiting for years.

Taking the lovely weather today to mean DH should declutter the long grass from the garden, with the mower. Does that count? 😂

Nothing actually out (for obvious reasons😮) but some old paperwork shredded, some cardboard boxes flattened ready for this weeks collection. Have cleaned the detergent drawer in the washing machine too. About to go and place my online shopping order - I wonder what on earth will arrive tomorrow. Have also picked through some bits that came from my mums after she died. Down to the last few boxes but still not any easier 😞

I'm so sorry gassy, it's always hard, isn't it. Thinking of you.

She actually died a few years ago but I’m into the real sentimental stuff now. Photos etc are being slowly picked through and I have some albums ready to arrange them but today’s find was some of my old Lego that was bundled up with some old HP agreements and marked as something completely different on the box!

By HP I mean hire purchase from 1970s furniture not Harry Potter🤣

gassy - That sounds really tough. Sorry you're having to go through that.

Willow - I'd definitely count that (and have done).

My outs today include several broken/worn plastic things (plant pot etc), a broken trowel and another used up deodorant (one of those extra ones which I'm pleased to be rid of).

After searching, fruitlessly, for some baking powder, 4 items from the baking goods cupboard binned - part used packets for recipes never repeated.
Hope all are keeping well.

All good here, thanks, Pollyanna.

I've got 5 outs today: spare parts for some furniture which I sold ages ago.

Sounds hard gassy, hope you found some happy memories in there too.

Sunday night I decluttered the various worksheets that DD has not been doing for school. They're in a folder now so a bit neater. I also went through the box where we keep gloves and hats and put away all the outgrown ones.

We have been promised a recycling collection this week so need to go out to the garage at some point today and flatten a load of cardboard for them to take.

Hope everyone is well.

gassylady that sounds hard but as raspberry said hopefully there will be happy memories.

I haven't done any decluttering, I'm struggling a bit with dc (as I imagine are most parents). Dd2 has SEN and gets very attached to things although I have had some success getting rid of things with her. I've been a bit mean but a tooth fell out a couple of days ago and I've told her perhaps the tooth fairy can't find it because her bedroom is so messy. She has agreed for me to help her tidy it/ declutter. Wish me luck!

Hope you are all ok.

Slowly decluttering cardboard whilst we still have a recycling collection.