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.

MrsTidy I think that's the case for many of us. I started decluttering properly after I helped my DM downsize after DDad died. Not only did she have 50 years of their stuff, she had all the things she inherited from her own parents that she couldn't bear to part with and, embarrassingly, loads of stuff my DSis and I had conveniently stored at their house so we could ignore it!

She moved with 85 boxes of books! 4 years later, we're still sorting stuff but it's a lot better. In the meantime, DH and I have put out huge amounts of Stuff out (see my Thread 11 list!) and are still rolling forward. Today he finally took the old climbing frame to the tip and we have the bit of concrete back.

Make no mistake, in a family of 6 we are by no means minimalist, but we have less shit and are working hard to use stuff up and wear it out instead of just acquiring more (DH and DS2 need to work on that specifically!). I aspire to have nothing I do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful...

Welcome to everybody new! It's a lovely thread. Everyone is doing so well.

MrsTidy I am the same, I run out of steam very quickly and don't do anything for a few days. The motivation does return.

Tackled the side of the loft, and managed to throw out a few things where I thought there was nothing else to go and it's looking emptier.
It was like human size Jenga before, everything on top of everything else as it's in the eaves. Got rid of several moving boxes (I remember SandandSea had a thing with keeping too many boxes? We have the same too...), there were only three of them, it's not like there would be enough for moving again. Also out: some sheets for decorating, over cardboard etc, and ebayed some big baby things.

Sunglasses Thank you

Welcome UnitedRoad and howdidIgettobe50something

Thanks Mrs TidyHouse I do need a distraction like podcast or audiobook to take my mind off things. JigoloHarMegiddo my decluttering mojo has definitely deserted me but I only need to do one a day so I need to remind myself that I’m still managing that and doing well.

LaneBoy I would be inclined to chuck out cars from your childhood just because you don’t know if any point or materials they’re made from is toxic. They had different safety standards in those days. We’ve chucked out loads of plastic tat but mainly kept the more expensive stuff like playmobil and lego because we trust it.

sunglasses123 that’s a really good point. I have been saying on this thread for about three years that one day I will go through the box of personal papers from when I was at uni. It has cards and letters from friends and love letters from my first true love . I would die if my children found them. They’re hidden at the bottom of a cupboard.

jigolo your poor mum – it definitely shows that each individual decision about an item will save time in the long run. I don’t want to be sorting through this stuff when I am 80 or for my children to do it.

So my update is, I’m still struggling a bit with homeschooling and cooking but I did persuade dd2 to get rid of a couple of pairs of socks and some trousers with a hole in them. I'm also doing a lot of weeding at the moment but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Morning all. I was thinking of this thread last night when I was reading my book. It has a section on clutter (it’s actually about ADHD but I’m on the self help type section) and it said about getting three boxes. I assumed it would say the usual “keep/donate/chuck” categories but no. It suggests “use all the time/use sometimes/use rarely (but still need)”. I thought that was quite interesting - I’d never considered tackling it in that way but it does make sense. You then focus on organising the use frequently stuff first I think.

Not sure what will be achieved today. The bedroom crap is at least piled more neatly

I’ve also got the urge to tidy the dryer cupboard (we have a condenser which is in the cupboard under the stairs but the other crap has piled up of course) - it does need to be tackled for sure. But I’m wary of pulling other stuff out when the bedroom is such a mess.

LaneBoy That's a good way of thinking about it.

Jigolo I have family who have hoarding tendencies (not full on The Hoarder Next Door territory). It does make you want to clear out your own life. I also wouldn't want my kids to have to clear out our stuff one day. Clutter drives me crazy. I'm glad you have been able to clear out so much of your own things too.

I decided to clean and tidy (as best as possible) our bedroom today. As usual, I have managed to find some bits to throw out.
Having a break before I continue. I'm going to organise my wardrobe as there's some items I rarely wear so am going to start wearing them.

@gassylady probably under 2000 now. I was really struck with what I’ll use versus what I like but will never use.

My ribbon collection is down to about 25% of what it was, but is still big. I hate myself a bit for how out of control my spending, and stashing had got.

I didn’t de stash anything yesterday, but so far today have put 100 glue sticks in the charity shop bag. 100 bloody spare glue sticks! I probably have another 30 in my drawer but I don’t know when I last used one.

Well done to everyone else. I love reading your posts and find them very inspiring

100 glue sticks wow, well done you for getting rid of so many!! If I was u I would try and find two new ones and just keep them and put them away with the other office supplies in the desk if you have one.

Getting like with like is alway the hardest part of sorting out a house once you know we’re all you things are then you won’t need to buy more.

I now have one draw with all the gift bags in so now I know we’re to find them and I know I won’t need to buy any for quite a long time (unless they are reduced to 10p in supermarket) bought a load of christmas ones for 10p in February so I put them straight in the Christmas wrapping box.

Like with like and knowing we’re that like is kept is the answer, well it is for me.

United might you consider donating the glue sticks to a local Primary School?

I like that three box strategy LaneBoy although I think I'd be tempted to stick everything in the third box!

We need some way of rebalancing the clutter on the thread UnitedRoad, DD has developed a craft habit so I'm constantly buying them!

Have not been very structured with decluttering this week but have managed to empty a box of stuff that was gathering dust in the dining room and bin a pile of quotes for work we had done on the house 2 years ago.

nanalisa60 you're so right about like with like. I have all my gift boxes and wrapping paper together and it makes life so much easier.

I have been tidying our 'homeschool' chucking out bits of paper I printed that didn't get used.

I am also wondering whether to throw away all my blusher (I have about three pots) because I realised today I don't really know how to apply it and I'm not sure it makes me look better. So tonight will be spent watching youtube videos on how to put makeup on - because I've only been doing it for 35 years!

I am undecided about blusher. Last night I watched youtube videos. Tonight I will try applying it. I don't know how to put on eye shadow either. Might do that too. I'll probably end up buying more makeup!

Last two days have been ok on decluttering front.

Have given away about 20 books, finished up a couple of toiletries and chucked away. Also gave away a few tops.

Am focusing on the one item a day thing. Tackling anything bigger just feels like too much right now - I have two jobs, both of which are busier than ever (I am lucky still to have both right now, I know) and trying to go slowly but surely on everything else.

Keeping everything together worked really well yesterday when I was able to wrap DS2's GF's birthday present in 5 minutes flat without having to panic about where the sellotape was. I am very proud 😁.

Yesterday's out was a small bottle of shampoo finished and some cardboard from deliveries. There was an in, though, in the form of DS3's birthday present from my DMum.

Today, I am putting out a strangely shaped muffin tin that I last used to make muffins for my friend's hen night, almost a decade ago!

Yesterday binned two broken cars and one useless bit.

Did a lot of tidying and sorting, particularly in playroom and my office-in-a-cupboard.

Kitchen is also looks a little less hysterical.

I would keep the blusher Stealth, I find it really good for looking 'together' without doing proper make up, which I'm also useless at. But only if it is the right colour!

Nothing out yet today, going to go and have a look in the kitchen (I love the description of it being hysterical MrsTidy)

Ooh this looks like the thread for me! I have a lot of decluttering to do. Over next few days I want to fill my car with stuff to take to the tip and get started on the garage of doom.

MrsTidyHouse My kitchen also gets hysterical

Welcome @anxietrist. It's a lovely thread and so inspiring.

Jigolo congratulations on finding the sellotape!

I'm decluttering some wine. DD has named the weekend "deep cleaning day" after I have explained how her school have to deep clean at the end of the week between bubbles. The house could do with a deep clean.

Welcone anxi.

Lol jig love how you found the sellotape too.

Today I decluttered two rooms and made them into lovely rooms for my children. The rooms look like never before- tidy. I would even post pictures of them.

But the hallway, main bedroom and my bath tub are (hysterical) - over flowing with supermarket shopping bags filled with clothes, childrens books, toys, toys more toys and bags filled with the dreaded junk. The junk I wont know what to do with.
I have cleared a path in the hallway so we can get into the childrens bedrooms. But that means the bathroom door has to stay open as I have moved stuff there. I did fancy a shower but emptying the bathtub is too much trouble. In the main bedroom I cant get to my wardrobe or the window as I have a mountain of bags that need sorting out.
Tommorow I have alot of sorting to do. I agree, its inspring hearing about everyones achievements here.

Hi all. Not quite caught up with the thread and I’m giving up at the last hurdle as I should really sleep, but I’ve been nodding along with so many observations such as the like with like thing.

I saved money thanks to my “stuff to use up” box today - I was in town and had some time to kill, and have been a bit stressed lately, which are triggers for spending. It would only have been a few quid on a puzzle book or something but I remembered the box full of stuff to use up and I knew there was no need. Similarly I’ve been tempted by new puzzle packs on the apps I use lately, but again I know I have lots of paper ones to finish. It’s been so helpful to keep me off screens a bit more too!

I have felt quite unmotivated decluttering wise the last few days but that seems to always happen during the week because other stuff takes priority. Which is ok, the other stuff is important too! But it makes decluttering frustratingly slow.

My dd15 had a make up sort out yesterday and gave me her cast offs! That probably tripled the size of my make up collection but I'd never use it all so some ended up in the bin. (... Sadly).

After reading the fridge sorting and cleaning posts I'm inspired to do the same before I face the supermarket this evening... The top shelf in particular could be harbouring a few opened jars that have seen better days 😳

Yesterday was a pause-and-consider day, bits of tidying and straighten up. Brought some clutter down from the tops of kitchen units, battled some grease and dust, ate some odds and ends from the fridge, chopped up garden waste to make it take up less space in the garden bin, binned broken glass from slowly collapsing greenhouse.

Decluttered one toy truck. Boxed up the cars that I definitely want to keep. Others are on table to share between DGC. Will photograph them and email to their aunt, who can help with decisions.

Remember all those jeans I put on eBay? They ALL SOLD! So not only are they out of the house and gone, between them and the 5 sizes too big ring from about 2005 I’ve made about £70!

I do still have a MAJOR de-clutter to do as I’ve decided to leave my partner of 10 years and will be moving somewhere with very little space so need to only take bare essentials with me. COVID has put a bit of a temporary halt on my plans and I don’t want to tell him yet that I’m going and have to live in a bad atmosphere for a while so I’m stalking around the house wanting to pack and sort but unable to without raising suspicions so I’m having to do mini declutters at a time like the jeans. It certainly focuses the decluttering mind to know that I simply can’t take it all with me as it won’t fit!

MrsTidy sounds like you are making great progress from another hysterical kitchen owner. Your comments have reminded me that there is a big tub of cars that haven’t been played with in ages I could be looking through. I have had a very busy week in work so no big outs this week. Well done on the eBay sales Pickled I have a pile of kids jeans to list, can’t see I’ll make anything like £50 though good work. Must be difficult having to keep your plan to split quiet for now, great use of the time though to have a surreptitious declutter. Would be dispiriting to get to you new place and be surrounded by bagged and boxed stuff.