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.

Put aside the more distressing paper work and concentrated on the house today.

Decluttered two broken coathangers and some recycling.

DS (adult) started on his boxes which have been on top of a wardrobe for at least four years. He decluttered enough rubbish out of two boxes to get the remaining items into one box.

I think I'll be ready for more paperwork tomorrow.

Great that you’ve got DSes on board!

I had about ten outs today - the remaining magazines, plus a few old picture books that were falling apart (they will be replaced at some point when youngest is moving on from board books) - cut out plenty of pictures for toddler collages, but the main bulk of it is now in the recycling bin. That’s all I’ve done today other than putting aside a couple of outgrown things when sorting laundry. I need to decide what’s going to be chucked and what can be passed on to smaller children but that can wait!

I've finally put my M&S denim jeggings in the recycle pile (not fit for charity shop)
All my leggings were in the wash , I had to find something and these old faithfuls were there .........trouble is they're worse than I remember and the inner seam looks like its going to go .

Thank you Roxy and Gassylady, those are tough jobs and glad you are able to do them. It must be rewarding but very stressful, especially at the moment.

I've fallen into FlyLady and I'm trying to declutter/tidy in the weekly zones. This week I have decluttered/dusted in the living room. Also I'm attacking the kitchen as I have so much clutter there due to not enough cupboard space. I'm being ruthless this time. Need to watch Hoarders .

I finally dumped five sad single socks - I've given up hope of finding their matches. My children take off their socks anywhere and everywhere.
My nephew took a pair of wellies so was happy they will get some use. He was delighted they fit him.
I am starting to see progress and it does give motivation to keep going.

I’ve finally convinced my ex-DJ husband that possibly the dining room isn’t the place for 2000 records and that maybe he could possibly sort through them?

It’s definitely progress. I got pregnant as soon as we moved into our house so we never even had 1 party.

My only out this weekend will be a sample of face scrub I used last night in the bath and I finished my foot scrub too. I’m trying to use up toiletries. And a corset thing that I bought at a party years ago that isn’t me. It just went in the bin

We’ve sorted through the baby clothes, so have 2 huge bags ready for donating. Bedroom still looks packed though because we basically have too much furniture in there.

Nightmare, meg 😭

No progress here today - I am trying to follow flylady zones too though so I should try a tiny bit more in the hallway for the final day.

Outs - about an armful of chucked out Stuff - an old wallet someone passed on to us, a yo-yo with no string, etc. All from the random box in the hallway. Put some other stuff from it away too, like letter magnets and a jigsaw I am keeping (lovely Wentworth wooden one 💕)

Such a teeny tiny drop in the ocean of our house, but it’s better than nothing so I’m pleased I did a bit of zone work today :)

Some beaded bracelets (they were gifts but I will never wear them) added to the charity bags as well as a couple of soft toys. Three more work journals read and recycled. I have come across a box with several small Molton Brown shower gels that I was given at christmas so have started to use one up today. So a good week i think now i just need those charity shops to open

Thanks for all the warm wishes i love my job but my goodness it has been stressful lately - looking forward to my annual leave next month

Jigolo - I'm with you on the baskets. It can make such a difference to have things collated. I have one box for supplements etc now - it's so much easier to find each bottle and to remember to take them every morning. The cupboard keeps tidy too. I also have an extra container in the fridge, for sandwich stuff. No more rooting around to find things when I want to make a sandwich! It's great! We've got them in the bathroom too. I could go on...

Anyway, my outs today are:

3 pairs of knickers.
3 toys.
1 balloon.
Some emails.

Tip toeing quietly back in. I’ve got rid of nothing during lockdown.
But! Onwards!
I tried to go to the tip y’day but it was closed 🙄
I’ve sent a bunch of stuff to a friend for her wee one, and am finding more things for others.
I’m trying to deal with the plastic bags o’shite, but this is hard, hard.
Things like letters, wedding photos, I don’t have a place for them, or at least I do, but it’s multiple places, which is no good. I’m finding myself hanging onto my copy of my matb1 from 5 years ago!

Debating doing a Kondo on my cosmetics and toiletries.

Bags o shite are so hard!

You’ve reminded me sand I need to sort out our meds cupboard again. DH has a shelf of his own (due to having so many) but mine are mixed up with my teen’s, general painkillers etc. This may not be good for you if it’s another item and thus more clutter but I have found a pill box useful myself - I rarely bothered with supplements without it as it just seemed like a faff to find all the right packets and I’d only take my actual medication and then forget the rest, but now I sort it all once a week and I do think it’s been helpful. I have an am/pm one.

Flylady zone is now the kitchen so I’ll try and do a bit of clutter grabbing later. I have loads of course work to do though.

Our local free cycle Facebook page is very active and a great way of shifting stuff

Hi again! Three bags of rubbish (mainly shredding) out yesterday (and still more shredding to do!!)

I can’t remember if it’s been mentioned before, but does anyone do the organised mum method?

Coldhandscoldheart

I have a memory box with all my wedding memorabilia , it’s also a good idea to have one memory box for each of your children, Plus maybe there baby box.

Only keep things that are really important and sentimental.

I always say just think about being a thirty year old and your mother giving you ten boxes of stuff from your childhood!! You would just say WTF !! but to go through just one small baby box and one child memory box is quite a fun thing to do.
AS I keep saying it’s QUALITY not QUANTITY of stuff that you keep

I do have memory boxes for the children. Helpful husband put them in the loft (!) so I have a pile waiting to go in them. I should probably be more ruthless with that stuff, I’m always so impressed what child 1 produces though. Fortunately number 2 is a bit less prolific.

I should probably make us a wedding box.

I have a variety of other memory boxes of my own, which at some point I should go through and sort, but I need a bit of space and time for that, as some of it will be painful I think.

@Nanalisa60 you’re right about quality v quantity.

Quality not Quantity is what I need to learn. I’m really trying to use that with regards to what we cleared out from Mums.

I took a print and I have reframed it and a lovely photo frame that I cleaned and repaired. However there are still more boxes in the loft that I’ve not even looked in. The thought makes me cry.

Memory boxes are definitely something to think about

I'm back in. Had a stressful few weeks with one thing after another. My dad had heart surgery then problems post op but he seems to be on the mend now so I feel more motivated again. Almost summer holidays so am getting more relaxed on the home learning front.
Sorted out the herbs and spices in the kitchen today decanting things into relevant containers.
I plan to see if the nearby charity shops are open this week and drop stuff off-I only have one bag. DP has offered to book a dump run and get everything together for that.
Have been keeping on top of all the rubbish and recycling going each week which helps any backlog!

Seeing people with their memory boxes for the children, I have one special one for each with things like first baby outfit worn, pregnancy sticks (still with the lines 12 years later!) ultrasound pics etc. Then I have about four big boxes of special little clothes etc. And mountains of toys. Lots of boxes even though most got given away. And all the artwork they ever did and every card they ever got. Luckily we have a storage room for things like this and they're all neatly stored but I want to clear some space. How do people get ruthless with it all? Particularly interested in hearing from people who are sentimental and have found a way to keep some rather than the ones who throw the whole lot out.