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!

Today I sorted out the two boxes of doom, one of them got put in recycling once emptied (cardboard box), the other just has useful items now. However disappointingly few items to go - most of the contents were things to keep.

Also sorting out another bag of clothes and toys to go, but only a few items so far.

Have listed another item to sell.

Disappointingly slow progress after my very productive start!

@footprintsintheslow oh wow, what a win, clearing space & making money at the same time!

I feel like one big push could sort out my study but I’m at the stage where I just keeping shuffling items around rather than actually dealing with them... I am so crap at making decisions.

Had some ins today. I go shopping so rarely that I tend to buy random stuff 😳 got some jigsaws for the toddler and a couple of books for me, all in charity shops. Will then donate them back one they’ve been outgrown/read.

@footprintsintheslow a financial in is good!
Not done much inside today as it's nice weather so have been tidying the garden before it's too cold/wet (garden waste goes tomorrow so good time to do it). Lots of weeds gone and some pruning done. Plastic trays from the pansies have finally gone out.

Well done on finishing the utility room, Stealth, that must feel amazing.

Today I went through the box of wedding cards. I thought it would be hard but after spreading them all out and taking a pic I was able to put most of them in recycling quite easily. I kept the two most beautiful, and one from my then work colleagues. It was the best job I ever had, and I still kick myself for leaving. Unsurprisingly Dh wasn't fussed about keeping any of them.
In other news I made a wardrobe for dd2 from a modular unit I bought ages ago (pre kids). I put the pole a bit too low down, but it'll do for now. Hopefully in a year or two we can get her something nicer.

We live a small flat and I need to declutter my clothes . But I hate the idea of having to Rebuy the same stuff later ... any tips ?

Not been home much at all today, but managed to sell 2 items on Facebook. Actually sold 4, but 2 buyers did not turn up Also returned 2 items I bought on Saturday but no longer want.

@GlumyGloomer wish I could get rid of my wedding cards, it’s my DH that wants to keep them though.

@planningforlife not got any experience, but the Apartment Therapy tip on clothes is to take everything out and only put back what you want to keep (rather than focussing on what to throw).

A couple of items sold on eBay (one quite bulky) now posted. Also DH has been to the dump with the accumulation of cardboard and random broken electrical from the garage.

I’ve been really good at keeping on top of the post, ie. literally pick it up and recycle or file straight away.

@IamtheOnewithSocks well the leaflet said he'd be back round later to see if anyone had anything. It sounded dodgy to me but I thought I'll just see what prices he offers and it was good to me. I'm sure he'll make a killing on resale value but some of it was sat in my drawer for over 20 years so I'm happy for him to do well out of it too as I feel happy.

@Miaowse I have this problem very often but then I make the rule that if I've touched it I have to deal with it.

@GlumyGloomer great use of the floor
space there, you sound creative.

@planningforlife do you have an attic? Can you use sucky bags to put away your spring and summer clothes? I also have a bag for 'clothes that are classics but I don't want right now'.

Thanks glumygloomer I rarely finish anything so it’s an achievement. There’s enough space in the cupboards that I am thinking of moving other things in there – for example batteries and lightbulbs that currently live in the sitting room and electric wires and cables.

As well as doing the utility room someone collected a big chest of drawers and I threw out some school paperwork, an old gum shield (dd1 gave up tae kwondo about 3 years ago and it’s been sitting in the kitchen!), a broken keyring and a broken photo holder.

glumy I’m impressed with your wardrobe, it’s so satisfying to achieve something.

planningforlife why would you rebuy stuff? Are you planning to lose weight or move house to somewhere bigger? I have found with old clothes I just look at them every couple of years and even though I’m not particularly fashionable I just look and can tell the cut is a bit frumpy so I get rid of them. I also found organising my tops in a chest of drawers like Marie Kondo suggested helps as they take up less space and I can see all of them and actually wear them. I am good these days at throwing away tops that won’t clean or have the annoying little holes by the belt area. Having said that I probably do have too many clothes but it’s not as many as I did have.

9 supermarket bags filled to the brim with books off to the charity shop along with a charity bag filled with bits and pieces - ie brown envelopes x150

On Wednesday we move furniture to the garage and make space In Our bedroom. New bedside cabinets and tall boys are arriving. Yay.

I plan on having some time to organise clothes properly.

Outs today - a ton of cardboard boxes. Recycling happens tomorrow so we put the cardboard out.

My day 28 update:

Another out today as I sold a toddler waterproof suit that I’d put on FB yesterday - she messaged this morning and collected it this afternoon.

I also had a quick look at one of the boxes that I brought home last year (June 2019) to be precise - it’s full of geeky magazines that I might be able to sell/ give away. I did get through several boxes in summer 2019, but there are three left that I never got round to sorting out Now that I’m on a roll with daily decluttering, I should be able to tackle them!

My out today is one of my favourite work tops which has grown a hole ☹️. I swear my washing machine just likes munching small holes in every top I like. So new charity bag has been started. I've got 3 pairs of jeans to go in there too, but I need my new (smaller 😁) pair to arrive first. Having lost a bit of weight I really don't want to put it back on, so any clothes I shrink out of are going straight into the charity bag.

I've done my fridge again tonight. It's like the Home Edit show meets Poundland! I can't pretend to be as good as they are but I'm pleased anyway.

I have 18 outs - old food, jars, bags etc.

The ood lime pickle is still in there and still unopened.

ememem84 that's so exciting, enjoy your new furniture.

sandandsea yum to lime pickle. I would definitely eat it. I have some ood super hot chilli sauce I'm adding to everything at the moment, I figure the chilli kills any bacteria?

Utility room is finished so I'm at the stage of needing another biggish project. Flylady says the sitting room, that's relatively clutter free but it has a couple of chest of drawers with phone / camera leads, keys, batteries lightbulbs, greetings cards. They were really organised a couple of years ago but I might go through them again and then do fifteen minutes in the Room of Doom.

Living room has a comfortable amount of stuff in it now.

Kitchen, bathroom cupboard too much stuff, much of it half-used things so will focus on using them up and buying more intentionally.

I'm putting excess school uniform aside as when we move new school likely to have completely different uniform (but won't know which school until we have address), so will give it away then. Or maybe I should start now in case too much to offload quickly!

I'm asking dh to get the bags out the attic, mostly kids clothes. I want them to be ready to move with only stuff we are definitely wanting to take.

DD has a pile of plastic jewellery to give to a younger friend, and I've binned some holey gloves and 2 nearly-empty sunscreen bottles.

That's fine, but I have stuff incoming all the time - winter clothes for the DC, etc, so it feels never ending!

The icollectclothes guy arrived today, so that's a big bag of linen and clothes gone. Both dd's have cold, so I've parked them in front of the tv for a bit and can hopefully empty a few more bits out of my box room. I need to retrieve my box of sentimental stuff from the loft bedroom so I can add some bits to that.

Well ladies I know a few of you have been watching the home edit, which is very good bu a bit USA glam for me, so I’m pleased to let you know Chanel 5Star have got A new Series of Fifthy house SOS , much more down to earth!! First one was on last night really enjoyed it!! These programs always make me want the clear and clean!!

Got rid of some dried up felt tip pens.
I think DD has outgrown her DMs we got her last winter, due to lockdown she didn't wear them as much so they're in quite good condition. They're a bit too small for me so wondering about selling them. Is someone likely to pay £20/£30 for a second hand pair?

@Vinorosso74 I think that's fine price and you can always drop it if it doesn't work out. My eldest is always buying DM boots on the DePop app.

Day 11:
Two pairs of curtains washed and going in attic for a future shed project.
One child's wet weathers in the charity bag.

Used up glut of tomatoes making passata to freeze.
Cleared out old tomato plants from garden tub.
Picked and ate the last of the raspberries.

Thanks for all the inspiration. Hearing other people's achievements makes me think of my own to do lists. Like bedding in the airing cupboard.

@IWillWearTallGreenWellies

That reminds me, footprints I must do something about the tomato plants tomorrow. Mostly, I must decide if I can bear to make green tomato chutney again, or leave them in they hope they ripen a little more.

This year I have done the obligatory chutney but only one batch. I have also chopped and frozen some as is to put in curries and chillies. Then I have some in a box in the shed which will apparently go red in their own time if put in a bag with a banana.