Still throwing an item away a day – part 13

[StealthNinjaMum]

One of mumsnet's friendliest corners this is the 13th 'one item a day' thread to inspire and motivate a group of mumsnetters to declutter their houses, gardens and lives bit by bit, one step at a time.

Each day we get rid of just one item and report back. We’ve all got different challenges and problems and it keeps us going to discuss them and work through them together.

Newbies are welcome. It’s not just decluttering, join us in the chat about recycling, organisation, grumbles about hoarding family members and obviously our many successes.

Previous thread here.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3913755-The-decluttering-one-thing-a-day-thread-part-12?msgid=99387987

And for 2020 some of us are also aiming to get rid of 2020 items!

I've reorganised the shed and stuffed everything in there for the winter, just some cardboard boxes to go now.

I tried the Home Edit, only saw the first bit as the little one woke, it was organising Rachel Zoe's vast shoe and clothes collection. My wardrobe is far less glamorous. I might try it again when I'm closer to finishing the decluttering/DIY.

Sorry about the useless husbands, I think they don't see clutter/mess. There should be a system for men (The Organised Dad Method?). I bet they don't have forums for decluttering.

Glumy It's hard when you have a slow time but it's ok, the main thing is to start again in a small way. It's hard to declutter quickly like Marie Kondo, I've been doing it for years.

@gassylady

Stealth I have taken one for the team and watched two episodes of The Home Edit. Didn’t feel like a style I could emulate, lots of squeaking, bouncing up and down and lots and lots of acrylic boxes to put stuff in. Think I will stick with hoarder programmes to make myself stick to the decluttering

Where can I watch Home Edit? I have access to Netflix and Amazon.

We have Aliens love Underpants which isn't too awful (at least not in my top 5 hated books!) My DC don't have as a favourite though so I don't have to read it too often. Hope your friend is still talking to you footprints!

Covering two people at work this week so mostly dealing with annoying queries for them which could easily wait rather than doing my actual work. Also means no decluttering. Will see what I can do tomorrow as off work.

I've really not been home enough to declutter! However, got rid of a few things today-some tubs of DD's putty/magnetic putty where the lids had got stuck on and the box some earrings came in.
Regarding men and clutter, if he can't see it my DP isn't bothered by it so things end up being stacked up or put in drawers and cupboards.

I cleared my car out today - nearly a full carrier bag of rubbish!

I’ve also sorted through the stuff on top of the bedroom chest of drawers and got rid of just a few fiddly things like curtain hooks and those extra buttons in a wee plastic bag that come with a top etc.

Sounds like everyone is being productive.

I've sorted out my jewellery drawer. I rather extravagantly had a double drawer for it all. Nothing much of value but lots I don't wear often now I'm on a career break. So I've bagged it all up in little individual bags and packed it into a single drawer and got rid of somethings to the bin and charity shop.

No major changes here today, but I’m still adding things to the garage sale boxes.

I’ve got a bag of bags I need to tackle tomorrow. My handbags are another area to sort. I don’t know how to store them.

I did however organise some medical notes and add lots of term dates to my diary so some letters from the school can go.

Not much will happen for me over the next week as I’ve not got a day off for another 9 days. Hopefully that will change as more people decide they can also cover the staff that are off instead of just me!

@footprintsintheslow The Home Edit is on Netflix. I think part of the reason I wasn’t keen is the focus on helping celebrities and the fact everyone seems to have a closet the size of my sons bedroom!

Not managed anything for a while. Got a new (to us) table but it’s smaller and the old one is out. The chairs were much needed too! We were using a plastic garden one sometimes. The decent wooden chairs we already had are folding so they can be the spares now.

Also sorted out what to do with a computer - we borrowed it from DSS during lockdown so DD1 could work on that but we ended up making do with other stuff and not using it much at all, and it was taking up room on the old table (no room for a desk anywhere). But now DSDs are going to have it for their flat as they are both studying this year, so it’s a win all round.

My day 24 update:

I moved the photos, letters, and cards from mum’s house into a storage box, after deciding a couple of days ago that I didn’t have the mental energy to deal with them now (too emotional). I feel better now that I’ve done it, so I know it’s the right decision.

I felt absolutely shattered after finishing work this afternoon, not sure why. DH did the school run, cooked dinner, and did bath & bedtime, which just about made up for him clearing space at the dining table for me to work by putting an old laptop on top of a pile of paperwork I needed to deal with today (school forms). Sigh. He did apologise when I pointed it out.

He’d probably say we both leave piles of stuff on the table, but the difference is that mine is a small pile of paperwork that I need to access/ do something with, while his is a pile of letters, receipts, envelopes, packaging, that is growing by the day...

More ins than outs today but I bought a new doormat and binned the knackered old one straight away and I finally sorted some sort of storage for DDs wardrobe. She needed somewhere to store pants and socks and leotards but her wardrobe has the fuse box in it and it meant everything I tried Wouldn’t fit but she couldn’t find anything when it was all just in one box. Managed to find a narrow set of plastic drawers and had to turn it sideways to fit, it’s not a perfect solution but it will do for now.

Argh!!!
Answered the door to the postman today and DP has ordered a giant mystery box of random stock. 100 items in! Can I list him on eBay with the parcel?

I've been WHF from March and shoving notepads and papers in the sideboard. Had a very good cull of that. Rest of house full of laundry as weather too autumnal to get it dry outside, so it feels really cluttered.

Sorted through my tights, binned one pair which were bobbly. Holey top into textile recycling. Decided not to get rid of any jumpers just yet, I plan to wear then decide.
Moved on to cosmetics and found an unopened lash primer (not something I usually buy) so have put that with my make up to use.
Em8725 I wouldn't have been impressed with a delivery of 100 items!

Also ladies, boots are doing a recycling scheme where you get 500 points for recycling old make up packaging and containers etc. Might be worth looking into when you cull the make up drawer.

@Vinorosso74 he said “I’m going to buy stock and make a profit”. What he meant was “I’m going to buy it and you can sell it all for me”. I am a tad annoyed!

Yes, I saw that Boots recycling scheme but unfortunately it's a trial in certain stores for now. I hope they roll it out quickly.

A second tedious dinosaur book gone today.

Summer fans back in attic.

Some over due sewing jobs completed and upstairs windows cleaned. (Not strictly decluttering but because I've kept on top of things I'm able to do these little jobs now).

Dd1 started preschool today, so I took the opportunity to tidy and hoover her room. A few bits of kinder egg/magazine tat binned, along with a set of curtain rings she briefly adopted as a toy but now just serve as a foot hazard.

Everyone seems to be doing really well!

I threw out a manky old shower hose today. I’m not quite sure why we kept it all these years...

Also out, various bits of paper from my desk.

I tidied the playroom this evening and dumped a handful of random plastic bits and a large remote control that has a broken wheel. I need to do a toy cull soon as we have two upcoming birthdays and Christmas so I want to make some space. I cleaned the ensuite and dumped lots of empty containers. I have a plumber coming tomorrow so want it neat and tidy.

My day 25 update:

I found a place for that memory box of photos etc to live, and threw away some packaging that I unearthed while making space for it (from a delivery at the start of lockdown - it had been dumped on the side then got buried under other things.

Not great news today as DH (still on furlough) was told that his role is at risk of redundancy- there are four people (Including him) in the same role, and it’s going to be reduced to two. Not too much of a surprise, really, but very stressful

So I tried Home Edit but it's a bit squealy for me and also not related to my life.
I've tried Kondo but because I don't speak Japanese I find I can't do their things whilst watching it like crocheting.

So what other programmes are there? I searched 'declutter' and 'clean' on Netflix but nothing came up.

Yesterday I binned a vacuum cleaner, it was here when I moved in so I left it to see if I used it and after three months I used it twice and didn’t like it so it’s gone. I’ve got a little Dyson handheld I use most of the time and can borrow my mum’s upright Dyson when I want to give everything a thorough go so that has cleared some space.

@footprintsintheslow not sure if by Kondo you mean “Tidying Up” the Netflix series with Marie Kondo. There were automatic subtitles when I watched it.
Been a long week work wise so will catch up now it’s the weekend. Some more old files to go through so lots of shredding, hopefully some eBay stuff to pack up and post. Not sure it’s worth a trip to charity shop with just one bag so that may have to wait.

@Em8725 do you mean he’s bought stuff deliberately to sell on? I’ve always wondered how that works, I just use eBay to get rid of what I’ve already got.
My husband is looking for a part time job would you recommend this?