The decluttering one thing a day thread - part 12

[AlexTheLittleCat]

For StealthNinjaMum

We’re still here.

After 11 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/3799710-The-decluttering-on-thing-a-day-thread-part-11?pg=1

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

Clothes not cloths

Well done on the sales Lilly. And hello more newbies!

I'm unexpectedly working next week (was expecting it to be July) so have been pushing on with the study. Have shredded a huge stack of paper work which all dated back about a decade! I was very tidy about filing in those days.it didn't take too long as it was all so old. No idea when we will do that decorating now though.

I've also bagged up a few more baby toys as it's DS's birthday next month. Hopefully he won't get an overwhelming amount of stuff!

notanadulty that's a lovely goal

Just a couple of outs that should have gone long ago - I started hoarding jam jars in case the kids needed them at school for crafts. They're not even at school so I've recycled the lot! Also sold something that I impulse bought on ebay - got back what I paid so happy with that.

Been busy in the garden for an hour or so each day. Lots of pruning and sweeping. It has become ridiculously overgrown with the recent mix of sun and showers.

Inside, I've stuck with the tidying and sorting. My Bedside cabinet the other day was a revelation of yet more odds and ends that belong in a kitchen junk drawer. So that's where I put them. I'm determined to get my bedroom under control, and make it a relaxing place, especially the half-finished paperwork that ends up there and gets forgotten.

I made a big effort today to start all the school-related paper. So far, I've not found much out of place. But very little that can be decluttered for now. The best thing is to be prepared for the new term. A few out-of-date information sheets will go in the recycling bin.

Tomorrow will be more paperwork and filing. And writing an office-based to--do list.

Thanks so much, @JigoloHarMegiddo! It's lovely to be back with you all.

I've just done a few bits today.

Outs:
1 box
1 container w lid.
1 leaflet.
1 packet.
1 holey sock.
1 large bag of rags.
1 bag toiletries.
A few digital photos.

2 really nice cards. I bought them on holiday with thoughts of framing them and have been keeping them 'nice' in my knicker drawer, for about 3 or more years! I've finally noticed them enough to get them out and I'm going to write them and send them to loved ones whom I know will appreciate them.

1 worn pair of inner soles have been hygienically put away, rather than hanging around homeless.

And, a broken key ring has been mended.

Yesterday, I decluttered two armfuls of weeds from the garden to plant out my tomato plants, and today I aim to get round the front of the house with the hoe to clear the block paving (again). DH needs to mow, as the heavy rain followed by sunshine is starting to mean we can't always find the dog in the grass!

I really need to make inroads into the study, but DH's job has woken up again, so I can't really do much during working hours.

It all feels like very hard work today. There are 2 weeks of online school left for DD and DS3, and 4 weeks of actual school for DS2. Apparently there will be actual stuff, in school, for him in mid-July, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Ok. Onwards!

Our garden has also gone mad with the rain and sun. I decluttered a bag for life full of weeds yesterday, but it's a drop in the ocean!

Out today is passing on DD's outgrown party frock to a friend.

Today's item is a fancy alarm clock. I've been kidding myself that it's decorative or useful or something like that. It isn't. So it's going.

I've also done some cleaning, laundry and a teeny-tiny diy job which has needed doing for a while.

Thank you for all your kind welcomes

I think I'm going to like it here

So some of my outs over the last few days:

Various pens - this is a big thing for me as I kind of hoard them. If I had more than one of the same I kept only one and with other one off ones if I haven't used it regularly I let it go reluctantly. The others are now in a pencil case in my newly made stationary drawer along with only 2 notepads.

Various note pads

Went through and shredded a load of old paperwork

Some old folders and things for work I haven't used in 2 years since I changed jobs.

I also went through an old laptop and uploaded all my photos to a site so I can print them off each month. Now I can rid of the laptop via eBay as it hasn't been used in about 5 years. I'm surprised it still worked wonder if anyone will actually buy it

Knowing I could write on here really helped so thank you

I sorted the school uniforms and recycled the stuff that is outgrown. I found new trousers and shirts in the next size - I don't remember buying them but I think I picked them up in a sale. I've made a list of what is needed and will stick to that. I am going to go through their pencil cases next and sort them. We have a lot of twistables, crayons and colouring pencils.

Did well on eBay yesterday one laptop went and four pairs of shoes, and two bundles of tops over £100 😁 happy days

Only decluttering today has been a Bournville easter egg that Mum delivered at the weekend, that's been waiting since April.

It was too sweet and not very nice, actually 😢.

The idea of even having Easter eggs left is quite admirable! Mine don’t get much in the way of Easter chocolate (as it’s only from us and sometimes mum) but it doesn’t last more than a few days 😳

I suppose I’ve decluttered today, as I cut out some pictures from a few of DD1’s old magazines, and I’ll attempt to do some sticking onto paper with the toddler with them. The bits I didn’t use went in the recycling. Still a few magazines lurking as I’ve no idea if toddler will enjoy that activity!

I HATE kids magazines, they have plastic tat with them that breaks in minutes, the kids never seem that interested in actually doing any of the stuff in the magazines and yet they claim they’re precious and you’re not allowed to throw them away, and they cost about eleventy squillion pounds these days.

Yes I hate them! My older two know it’s a major treat to get those :o we had subs with a couple of non-free-gift magazines like discovery box, from club card vouchers and relatives, so I’m just taking out some pictures.

Need to clean DS’ windowsill before changing curtains for blackout ones that DH got today.

I've had a bit of a slump since the weekend. Was all ready to tackle paperwork, mostly child-related. I didn't think it would be too difficult. But it proved far more stressful than I could have anticipated. I put some rubbish on the tv, and sorted tiny amounts at a time. I also ate far too much chocolate :-((

Eventually, two boxes were reduced to one, another large box swapped for a smaller box, and now I'm a lot more positive about my ability to continue with this. I wrote a few lines about the process, in order to come to terms with what happened in the past, and to acknowledge my part in it.

Back to practicalities tomorrow. Too much reality can be just too much.

Sandandsea I've swopped the big cardboard boxes for tiny tins, feeling sure they will be useful but I think I need to put a time limit on them!

Nanalisa Thank you for your wonderful advice as always!

notanadultyadult welcome! Good luck with your fresh start!

We have too many kids magazines too. DD loves them. For five minutes.

Sorted some jobs around the house, managed to keep things tidy. I'm tackling the shed next, it looks like something off one of those hoarder programmes on TV.

AlexTheLittleCat

We did the shed and garage (well my DH did) he bought Some of these shelves, Really helped to get it sorted got loads off the floor and organised on the shelves.

Anyway you Should have good weather for emptying it out.

I'm with all the kids' magazine haters! I have banned them but it doesn't stop DH giving in to pester power.

Very little decluttering here otherwise as working again now. Well done to all the successful eBay sellers and others.

Nanalisa They look great, I'm not sure we have space as it's a little shed. Thanks for the good luck wishes! It's beautiful today.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Raspberry They need to hide the kids magazines in the shop behind a screen, like the cigarette counter so you have to ask for them and the kids can't see them.

Welcome notanadultyadult

I think nanalisas mantras above are a great place to start.

I started by decluttering big toddler items (but with a teenager it sounds like you’re past that) and also surfaces and window ledges. I used to set a timer for 15 minutes and see what I had in the pile at the end. I also used to sort out a ‘problem area’ eg dining table, coat cupboard, paperwork, loft. As you want to be able to entertain I would focus on how you would make that possible ie would you need to clear a table, coat hooks, get rid of chipped mugs, declutter a seating area etc.

I have kept three of my new clothes and so today have chucked out a cardigan, belt, T-shirt and skirt, so I’m down one. It’s taken a few years but my wardrobe is full of things I love. I say full but it’s only half full so choosing an outfit is really easy.

Hope everyone's having a good day

As it far too hot out for me today. I've done a little bit more decluttering after I finished work.

I've got rid of 4 handbags that had seen much better days and too past it to sell, so not sure why I'd been hanging on to them.

I think it's because they were 'nice' things I'd managed to buy for myself when he was still here even if they were ones I'd settled for.

After he left I treated myself to a really nice leather handbag and matching purse which I wouldn't have had the money for before, so I feel like I don't need these make dos anymore.

I've also got rid of some old photo frames I'd taken down. They had been laying around for ages so I took the photos out and put them away properly and then binned the frames as I won't be putting them back up. Normally I'd end up keeping them just in case I changed my mind while deep down knowing I wouldn't and they'd just sit there.

I'm going for the little and often approach and just going to keep chipping away at it, finding a 'proper' home for things as I go rather than just keep moving things from place to place.

Alex - Hmmm... tiny tins you say? I don't think I have any of those. I do love a nice, small purse though, for memory sticks and other essential bits and bobs.

I couldn't sleep again tonight and found myself mentally going through my bookcase, thinking about the books I could possibly get rid of. So, here I am! It's after 4am now and I've been through one shelf and have 5 books and a saved magazine article to go out.

I'm going to hold the books for a little while to see if I can make up a good batch to sell.

Oo! I forgot to say, I've also ticked off another small DIY job and, I've switched utility supplier and saved over £200 for the year! We'll also get cashback and a big lump sum back from the old company due to us over-paying for quite a while.

I'm still going and have another 7 books to go out plus some papers (flyers etc). One of the books is a cookery book!!!! (I know I'm not alone in being drawn to keeping these.) This means that I'm down to just 5 cookery books now. I'm going to speak to DP later to see if we can get rid of any more - we just don't use them... but we might! (You know how it goes.)

Looking at the other books, I really do wonder why I haven't got rid of them before. (I did a big bookshelf clear-out not that long ago.) One of them is one of those travel guides to Britain. It's really old now and the print is tiny, so even if I needed it, which I don't, it's really not that useful. It's also really thick so I'd never want to pack it. I think it was more about the feelings it invoked. There was something about it, something familiar and comforting. But, it doesn't compare to the wonderful, uplifting, JOY which is beaming out of some of the other books, so, it's time for it to go.