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.

I have taken a box o’shite off the top of the chest of drawers & sorted into proper places (&one of those places was the bin!) got the kids memory boxes down from the loft & emptied another bag o’shite.
I also brought down a mystery box from the loft.
I’ve slightly run out of steam, so am going to finish tidying up & get the bins out then review.

Washed all the fabric bits of the Moses basket, ready for donating once everything is dry.

As we know this is our last baby, it’s been really easy donating things as soon as they’re outgrown. I did have to tidy up the cot though, as it had become a dumping ground (I co-sleep, but for naps we need the cot now baby’s outgrown the Moses basket)

I have accidentally ended up in a decluttering frenzy this afternoon! I was bored and had a random burst of energy

A lot of it is stuff I’d already decided on (toys with missing bits etc) but it’s still stuff that is leaving the house and its presence was still stressing me out while it was randomly stuffed into our bedroom. Now I’m packing it into a bin bag (having also put out a big box of recycling) and that feels good!

I’m going to stop there though as I’m getting tired. Just need to collect some sorting that DD1 has done, we had a random bag of fabric and clothes and old dressing up stuff in our room for ages and I have asked her to take her nose out of her phone for a few minutes to sort it :o

No ins today but I did order some gym stuff - yoga mat/bag (for when classes start as we are no longer meant to use the communal mats) and the next weight dumbbells (because I’m finding my home workout easier) - so I’m still classing it as progress and although it’s an in, it might help declutter the many extra pounds I’m hoarding :o

BTW meg I just did that quiz and I’m a butterfly 🤣🦋

meg thanks for the clutterbug quiz. I am a 'cricket' and the description fits me to a tee!
cold hope you have enjoyed your day, whatever you decided on.

I’m not too sure about the liking to see my stuff.

It’s maybe more that I just do, because there is too much of it and I suck at tidying. 😳

Anyway. I will watch the related video tomorrow. Is the free ebook any good? (I’m reading TOMM at the moment)

Quite proud of the decluttering I did today. Also finished a puzzle book from the Use Stuff Up box and put it straight in the recycling. With amazing restraint as I didn’t huff about the fact I messed up the last puzzle 😇🤣

I’m between butterfly and bee. DH is more closed door organising, so it’s an interesting mix. I think I’m more bee, the DCs are butterflies which makes sorting out their room quite tricky.

I’m getting better at getting rid of stuff but have to fight daily with wanting to impulse buy everything I see. Online shopping is a blessing and a curse!

Yesterday I decluttered my favourite boots to the bin. It was a wrench because they were so comfy but I’ve worn them to death, I estimated I’ve had them at least 12 years and to be fair they’ve sort of had it so out they went.

Sorted through DC2’s clothes, and they’d actually outgrown about half which explain why they had no space for the clothes they actually wear!

3 tops full of stains out, the rest in a box for DC3.

Found lots of odd socks, no idea where the others are, but I’ll keep them for a bit to see if the others reappear soon.

Bit more decluttering this morning - I’ve recycled all the cardboard from an old game but kept the counters (various rockets) in the toddler’s tuff tray supplies for counting, sorting etc. Grabbed a load more recycling too - old magazines and junk mail (cut out some pics for toddler first), various cardboard boxes from amazon deliveries that had random bits in (said random bits all shoved into one tub instead), and a load of papers.

Counters from games are brilliant for helping with maths, we have some from an old connect 4 game that broke - I chucked the broken frame and kept the counters and they have come in so handy for maths lessons, my Daughter seems to understand maths so much better if she has something physical to represent it

Definitely! We have some manipulatives that are specific for maths (like Numicon which is great) but all these little activities definitely build the foundation for it. Plus I really enjoy coming up with activities for her :o

It’s the one time when I dithered about keeping something or throwing them and kept them in case they were useful that they actually WERE useful and we use them loads!

Good work Meg think I would be a bit at having to make a second trip if things were overlooked rather than wouldn’t fit. But a sewing space makes it worthwhile! Need to delve into some built in cupboards later today I’m sure we still have a gro clock in there the youngest will be in secondary in September - can be added to electrical recycling pile. A connector on power adaptor replaced at home so not donatable. Three more pairs of socks into ragbag. Think I might buy footers for the whole household.

I watched the clutterbug video and it makes even more sense now. Trying to get the ebook download but not sure it worked. I might get DH to take the quiz later too. I do really like the hooks and shelves ideas, but the walls in this house are really not built for that (to the extent that the hand rail the council is installing soon has to be drilled into the floor not the wall!!!) - really not sure what to do about that. DS needs shelving in his tiny bedroom too, for lego models, but I’m too worried to try putting them up in case it makes holes in the wall!

Spent the afternoon in town today running errands, and also got another basket for tea towels in the kitchen - going to put them on top of the microwave as there’s no drawer space, so they are just randomly shoved anywhere, and I’m also hoping the basket will prevent other random crap being piled up on the microwave again!

But I also had another in - I have bought something I really like for the house. Not even the living room so not a cosy thing but I wanted something little to put hair bands/clips in. Before they were just shoved in a bigger basket but then that basket gets other stuff piled on top of it, so hopefully the cute little tray I got will keep them separate. I realised in the queue that this is in fact a very butterfly solution :o

I made some progress with clothes today. DS is moving into the next stage of clothes so went through the old ones - some into recycling and some into a charity bag.
I sold another baby item so was delighted with that. Selling things isn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was collected today on time.
I have a lot of the attic clutter sorted but still have some to do. I'll get there. I want to keep the attic organised if possible.

Well done eleanor :)

DH did the quiz (with a face) and he’s also a butterfly :o

Good work with the selling Lane it’s always satisfying to get a bit of your investment back. I have found four items of my clothes for charity bag another three that are worth trying on eBay. Found the gro clock for the tip run and an extremely old t shirt for the rag bag. Also some travel slippers for the bin. All in all a very good day

Sadly wasn’t me with the selling! I wish it was. I’ve not tried selling anything for ages, it makes me really anxious. I need to get my head round trying to sell some games and home ed resources though.

Bizarrely I’m just watching a bit of Hoarders and one woman actually said at the start that she’s a really visual person and feels like she needs to see everything or it doesn’t exist! 🦋🦋🦋

Apologies Lane - for a while it felt like the NCT sale was the only couple of days in the year where I did anything out of routine so I got a bit hooked then I heard that comment on hoarders too

Thanks Lane - I feel I am making progress but it is slow. I took the quiz and I am a bee - it sums me up perfectly! It is worth taking if you have time:
clutterbug.me/what-clutterbug-are-you-test
I tend to make piles to deal with later and they can become clutter - I do get around to putting them away eventually but I need to get faster at this.
My out for today is a pair of skinny jeans that will never fit me again!

Argh! I am supposed to be moving TOMORROW and I am at work all day today. There is still so much to do!

Currently Sorting and destroying a heap of confidential work documents I brought home in March thinking work would be quiet (ha!) need to do today whilst I still have a log burner to safely dispose of them!