Getting rid of one item a day thread number 14 – where we extract precious autumn leaves, rocks and twigs from our children

[stealthninjamummy]

Well I never thought I’d still be here, on the 14th thread where a bunch of mumsnetters get rid of one item a day while we slowly declutter and reorganise our houses.

It’s autumn and some of us have commented on our children’s beloved treasures that are coming in like conkers and precious twigs that have been named. This is the thread where we focus on sneaking these things out and getting the house ready for Christmas even if we don’t know what Christmas will be like this year.

New joiners are always welcome, just get rid of one item and let us know. We’ve all different issues and challenges and it’s nice to have a friendly chat with a fellow mumsnetter.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4003927-Still-throwing-an-item-away-a-day-part-13?pg=1

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

Tip run done today but I forgot to take the old newel posts 🤦‍♀️ I might put all the bits of wood outside for someone making a bonfire.

I found a harness under the stairs that I bought for my dog that he never used and I had to have him pts back in March so I'll put that in the charity bag that's already filled. I'll need to drop that off tomorrow or I'll be stuck with it for god knows how long!

I really want to hire a storage container and just empty the house and only put back what I want and then go through all the crap left behind at my leisure without it having any impact on my house. Unfortunately I'll have to keep doing what I'm doing!

Omg that would be amazing!!

I counted the number of t-shirts I've kept for next size up, how many do people reckon I need per child? Certainly in the current size we have too many

Hello all. Its a beautiful frosty morning here so am enjoying the view while I have post school run coffee.

We managed to get half a dozen toys into the Christmas charity collection before lockdown starts which I'm pleased with although I was hoping for more time to sort a few extra bits. I also did half an hour in our playroom yesterday and binned a load of drawings, a box that previously contained pens and several sheets of stickers that only had 1 or 2 left.

Your toddler sounds like mine Glumy. He won't nap in childcare though so is usually hysterical with tiredness when I get him home. At home he suddenly falls asleep playing at about 330!

Am in awe of those of you who preaort laundry. It's hard enough getting people in this house to put it into one container!

Sleeping I'd probably go for around 10 tshirts to allow for days when they get filthy and not washing too often. That includes a spare set in the car/childcare too for us. Depends how old though. Both of mine have favourites and just wear those 2 or 3 things in rotation and ignore everything else!

@RaspberryBlonde sorry, 11 months.

That's good, roughly where I'm at then, I did 14 long sleeved and 14 short sleeved.

I'm jealous of those who have managed charity shop drop offs! The ones near us couldn't take any more stuff before lockdown. Cleared some paperwork out this week. I just wish DP would keep on top of his/go paperless for more (then again he would never read the emails).
Also binned some coasters which were no longer flat so not the best place to put your drink.
I've not been able to advertise any more items and realise that over lockdown isn't the right time to do it.
DP dropped something off at FIL's at the weekend and came back with a huge pack of 22 highlighter pens for DD.

Raspberry that sounds tough, if mine napped at 3.30 I'd never get her to sleep at night. Today I let her walk to go and pick up her sister, and when we got home after 1 bite of lunch she suddenly started howling like a demon until I got her to bed. Amazing how much a 5 minute walk tired her out.

I managed to go through the cupboard under the stairs again. Out, one obsolete bin, and some packaging. Also got all the shopping bags together. Hope they're still taking them back next week.

We are currently in that danger nap phase with DD2. Not quite able to get through most days without a sleep, but it doesn’t happen till late. Hopefully once she’s settled back in nursery again (she had three weeks off due to a positive case there followed by half term) it’ll get better.

I’ve been making myself a habit tracker for the four weeks of lockdown, and I’ve included some decluttering:
5min in each of:
-kitchen
-our bedroom
-hallway/stairs/landing (a lot of toys stored upstairs and our hallway is full of crap so this counts!)
-living room
and deleting at least 10:
-emails (they have got away from me again)
-photos (my iPad is full of screenshots etc)

So charity bag deposited.... Came home with a Lamaze toy and a Melissa and Doug board... And some free wrapping paper but that'll save me buying it.
Went to soft play and friend gave me a bag of next size clothes...

Def more I'm than out.

But I did today the "veg" wrap which is DSs meds, the babies food and veg, threw some rubbish out and a plum 🤣 and an old box that stored things but was stored in a box....

I'm jealous of anyone with a nap routine

ellieq that sounds like an achievement to get rid of the repeat prescription requests. It’s funny how we just develop piles of stuff like that. Last week I got rid of a big pile of Sainsbury’s online order receipts.

strangeaddiction I know someone whose husband insisted on hiring a storage container to do just that. It sat on their driveway for ages and as far as I know it all went back in the garage!

I’m also jealous of those you have managed charity shop drop offs and tip runs. I haven’t managed either.

singtothesky what’s a habit tracker? Is it an app?

On Monday I thought I was doing really well. I created a new weekly to do list in word that I could update every week.

It’s all gone horribly wrong already. I decided to apply for a job but missed the deadline, they said they’d extend it if I did it today so I have literally had the worst day trying to complete an application form where everything went wrong. I had to get old files off my broken laptop, had to type out 20 years of job experience and qualifications, a personal statement, contact some referees, and I didn’t get the thing sent til after the close of play so I probably won’t even be considered.

Anyway I know that it isn’t really a waste of time but I haven’t done a single thing on my list, I haven’t even gone shopping for dinner so I think it’ll be pizza again and dc will have a late night and be awful in the morning (SEN so missing the routine will now mean a tantrum over homework). I was aiming to have such a productive day taking stuff to the charity shops and now I’ve missed the chance.

@stealthninjamummy sometimes you just need to write off the day and have a fresh start tomorrow. Get in your pyjamas and forget today.

Day 47:
Only a couple of jars and pots from the garden that were disgusting slug traps this summer and a totally over courgette plant gone into the compost.

Someone wanted those incense sticks so they've gone too.

Thanks footprints I think - like most of us - I gave myself lots of deadlines of things to do before lockdown and I didn’t do any of them!

I really feel for all of you trying to work round naps & time them just right. Those were not fun things to deal with!

An absolutely crazy day today but did manage one out - a book returned to the Junior School. I have no plans tomorrow so will do some sorting- as well as making a start on the 15 Beaver/Cub/Scout badges I have to sew on

November day 4 update: Some cardboard (flattened out boxes), which had been hidden down the side of a bookcase during a tidy-up before visitors arrived, has gone out with the recycling today. It’s been there for a couple of years and I’ve been meaning to get rid of it all that time...!

I sorted through the crayon box last night and threw out all the felt pens DS is incapable of putting kids back on.

It's hard to do much during the day as the twins don't nap at the same time unless out the house but hopefully someone is coming to buy a baby coat later

New day, new lockdown plan for 15 mins a day Fly Lady stylee decluttering and forcing myself to focus in the Room of Doom.
Not managed much over the last few days just some written notes, a magazine and two batteries.
Hope those babies have useful naps today.

Thanks glutterywooly today is much better. I have spent an hour in the Room of Doom I have emptied lots of stuff out and taken photos of it to put on Facebook later. With the usual tidyup Tetris / sliding puzzle scenario I ended up putting the Christmas tree up in the sitting room just to put presents under that were in the Room of Doom. I am hoping to wrap those presents up later.

None of this is a ‘new’ item as it’s all been in the Room of Doom for ages so today’s actual outs are a clothes catalogue, some receipts and a scooter than is too small now. A friend mentioned their daughter needs one so I can hopefully give it away without Facebook selling.

I think we have the same duck Woolly, DS loves it though so no chance of getting it out. Definitely worth more than 1 though!

Having said he never naps at childcare he slept for 90 minutes yesterday and was like a different child.

Out so far today, one deceased pet fish.

A very satisfying out today, burning some paperwork, much to dd1's delight.

Sorry to hear about your fish Raspberry

Oh no I don't like deceased pets as outs
I can sympathise with those of you trying to declutter with non napping babies and toddlers. DD was terrible with naps as a baby so it was impossible to get anything done.
Halloween pumpkins out today. I have some bits and pieces which I put in a box to donate/give away but have condensed those items and put them in a smaller shoebox until we're out of this lockdown so bigger box out. Looks much neater at least!
Vest top into textile recycling bag.

Oh I was struggling with today's but yes, Halloween pictures down and binned when twin1 stops mauling me

Hand cream done. Yay.

Day 48:
One rainbow picture craft from lockdown 1
Then same as yesterday, slug jars gone from front garden plus 5 deceased courgette plants in the compost.

@RaspberryBlonde sorry about the fish.