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!

More sorting and tidying in the kitchen, as per Flylady.

Found two staplers, fixed one that is now in office, the other beyond repair and immediately binned.

Cardboard boxes in revycling trolley.

Three broken coathangers waiting to be binned. Too cold last night.

Welcome Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow, this thread is great.

MrsTidyHouse That reminds me that I've completely fallen off Flylady. I keep forgetting about it. Glad you are doing well.

Footprints That is a very impressive stick .

I need to do some decluttering today.

Gah stupid phone. I lost a long post.

Anyway footprints I think if that stick made it into your house then you are the best mum ever! Talk of sticks and crap reminds me my dc haven’t brought any in this year, I feel strangely sad that they’re growing up.

I just put about 12 DVDs of stbexh’s in his box and found two wooden puzzles to go in the charity shop pile. I have put a couple of my DVDs in the charity box. Also dd1 has agreed to chuck out three bits of clay art that I think I mentioned the other day. I can’t believe how much is going - yet as it’s in different places it doesn’t seem to be making a visible difference in any one area.

Welcome calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

Omg DS would be so jealous

Oh dear, all I have decluttered today is chocolate again.

Hello, hoping to join you for motivation and support. Due to a reduction in income I have to downsize as soon as possible to a much smaller house. Having been here 18 years I have to do a radical declutter of house, attic and two sheds!

Today I've managed to get rid of a bag of recycling and about to take a bag of clothes to the Salvation Army collection bin. I also have to go to Aldi so must resist looking in the centre aisle!

Three more dead pens binned - I can’t believe how many pens we have. Three sheets of stickers into the charity shop bag, plus two finger puppets and an unused activity book.

I have three empty cardboard boxes and am dithering over keeping them to fill for the charity shop or putting them in the recycling for an instant win. Hmmm.

My out today:

Plastic lid off a broken washing basket.

Going to look for some more in a little while.

Some more outs for today:

Cat treats that mogs doesn't like (been sat in full sun for months because I kept forgetting to donate them to the local animal charity so they went in the bin).

A few half eaten things from the fridge that were past their best.

Ds2 brought down a few dishes that he'd sneakily took upstairs so I've decluttered the life form that had started growing on them into the bin!

Empty tin of satinwood.

A folding table that we used when we were eating in front of the tv but it always folded on you at the wrong time

Tomorrow I'm going to go through the bag of scarves/hats and gloves to add to the charity bag.

Why does my house never look any different?! 😩

Welcome @Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

Can totally relate to house never looking any different Only 1 small out today, a kids' rucksack which I sold. However, am delivering 2 large books & 3 pairs of kids' joggers first thing, so that will be a good start to the day. Then somebody should be coming for a jumper on Tuesday evening, so also good. I plan to have a good week of decluttering as not many plans as yet.

Kitchen ours:
Box of Renee's expired last year
Britax filters for the jug I binned last year
Box of senokat expired last year
Recovery powders excited June
Half a box of cocoa powder exp 2018
Bag baking flour from exp 2019
Bag flour exp 2017
Box of filter coffee from two years ago, I don't own a coffee thingy.
3 boxes of herbal tea exp 2019, I buy them to be good but never enjoy them enough to drink more than one
5 children's plastic cups (10 left!)
Plastic wine glass
2 packs of recipes in a tin I've never used
Half a bottle of port, opened circa god knows when
Saffron exp 2018
Ginger exp 2018
Oregano exp 2013
Rosemary exp 2018
Onion granules exp 2019
Moroccan spice 2015
Tumeric exp 2015
Garlic salt exp 2019
Nutmeg exp 2018
Black cardamom exp 2019
Cumin exp 2018
Cinnamon exp 2013
Cardamom pods 2018
Cayenne pepper 2017
Chillies 2018
Allspice 2018
Bouquet garni 2018
Cajun seasoning 2018
Chilli powder 2014

I could possibly still use some of it, bit if it hasn't been used up thus far. And I could probably repurpose some of it for kids crafts, bit it's just more storing it until the the 32nd of never.

@stealthninjamummy of course that stick never came home! I taught her how to snap it up by stamping on it...a good physics lesson I thought!!!

@KateF @Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow welcome along.

@SleepingStandingUp that's quite a list. Well done you!

Day 68 here:
Photos/emails
1 doll gone via freecycle.
Fridge declutter
Freezer use ups
1 toddler jumper in attic pile for the next one.
1 shelf decluttered in living room now stores toddler board games.
Lots of recipes and leaflets recycled.
7 hooks put up in toddler room for dressing up stuff so now we have an empty drawer...hooray.

I decided to keep two of the cardboard boxes and get rid of the third, plus two others I found on my travels around my messy house.

Inspired by another thread I made a start on clearing the top of my butcher’s block. 90% of the clean washing has now been folded and put away and under all that I found a pile of papers that contained some post from last Christmas that hadn’t been opened It was just catalogues so they are now in the recycling. I also popped a blanket and some children’s jogging bottoms in the charity shop bag.

The top of the butcher’s block is still messy, but progress not perfection, eh?

I’ve also used up some of my baking stash by making a cake. I still need to make the frosting but that is going to use up a tin of caramel so more free space in the cupboard, hooray!

Welcome KateF, good luck with your decluttering and sorry you have to move. This thread is great for support and inspiration.

Had a go at the Room of Doom and it looks better. It will descend back into chaos again, it always does. It is getting better over time, I dread to think what it would be like if I didn't declutter.

SleepingStandingUp That's a lot of things to go!

Footprints The dressing up area is lovely, so tidy and colourful.

@EllieQ sorry I only just saw your message. I can confirm that the baby toys and walker have so far not been missed. Dd1 very much embraced the idea that it was going to another little girl who couldn't walk yet, at first she didn't want to get rid of anything.

I have done absolutely nothing today, unless decluttering some ice cream counts (the diet is not going well...)

[quote footprintsintheslow]@stealthninjamummy of course that stick never came home! I taught her how to snap it up by stamping on it...a good physics lesson I thought!!!

@KateF @Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow welcome along.

@SleepingStandingUp that's quite a list. Well done you!

Day 68 here:
Photos/emails
1 doll gone via freecycle.
Fridge declutter
Freezer use ups
1 toddler jumper in attic pile for the next one.
1 shelf decluttered in living room now stores toddler board games.
Lots of recipes and leaflets recycled.
7 hooks put up in toddler room for dressing up stuff so now we have an empty drawer...hooray. [/quote]
Oh those hooks are great and I’ve been looking for similar to get things hung up and out of drawers (trying to cut the number of drawer units we have). Do you mind pointing me to where you found them?

@footprintsintheslow I'm so jealous of your dressing up idea, the dressing up box is the name of my existence altho it currently helps form the WALL because the twins can't get past it so DS has a space to play North Of The Wall where babies can't eat or destroy his toys. Of he comes South with toys theyre fair game for his brothers.

I'd really love a little clothes rack with coat hangers and little storage boxes for all the extra bits but alas there is zero room for such fanciness

@footprintsintheslow you've got a pretty good out list yourself!!

I'm shamed to admit there was more and more both outside bind are full with a week to go and 3 kids in nappies 🙄👎👎👎

The mission this week is to sort out all the presents I've brought thus far, wrap our kids and convince MIL to store them and at least get everyone else's in gift bags so I know what I've got. I'm always buying bits as I go but actually I end up with stuff that doesn't fit the kids I'm buying for so it sits there til next year. Hoping to really get presents gifted or donated this year and this declutter my wardrobe tops

Thanks, footprints! Love that dressing up area!

Welcome, Calledyou & Kate.

StrangeAddiction - If my experience is anything to go by (?), you just haven't reached that tipping point yet. But don't worry, you will. I remember feeling like you and then, I was suddenly able to get rid of whole items of furniture because I didn't need the storage any more. I've now got permanent gaps in my bookcases and cupboards. Just keep going, you'll get there.

Sleeping - That's great! Well done!

Not much for me today:

1 jar + lid - has been used for storage but I've got too many again.
1 roasting tray. DP somehow inherited this before we were together and it's always been too big and awkward for the cupboard. (It has large, sticky-up handles.) Cleaning it today, I noticed that it's started to peel in an unhealthy way, so, it's going. I have ordered another - a lovely ceramic one - but I'm still counting it.

alexthelittlecat I just realised Flylady has stopped emailing me but I don’t think I unsubscribed. I wonder why? I tend to have my own daily routine but used to like her instructions to do an area and actually that was what made me finally finish my utility room. Would it help alex if I nag you. GO AND FIND TEN ITEMS IN YOUR KITCHEN sort of thing?

Welcome katef you have done really well to get stuff out of the house. I’m sorry you have to downsize, it must be quite stressful for you.

footprints I love the hooks.

Good luck with exams glitterywoolydaughter

I agree with sandandsea that it might not fee it gets better but there is a tipping point when you don’t need as much furniture and book cases have gaps in them and stuff on floor and surfaces is reduced. If you want an immediate difference just spend ten minutes on a window ledge or surface. Anyway yesterday amazon sent me a plastic case to hold 100+ DVDs. I’m going to sit with dc at the weekend to declutter the dvd shelves, put the rest in the case, then that is an old piece of furniture that can go.

I have just updated my weekly to do list. It’s a word doc I created and this is my third week. It seems to be working. There are a couple of leftover jobs from last week but my main job is another two and a half hours in the Room of Doom. This will involve going in the loft to file some important papers but I’m feeling optimistic in the month I have left before holidays I will have nearly finished.

There are some excellent lists of things gone everyone, well done!

Late hospital visit today so not much going to be done but I've thinned out our muslin stash as I recommissioned the reusable nappy liners (sold the wraps but not the inners) as they're really think and will withstand a hot wash.
Also sold a snowsuit that was the older ones and the babies never wore due to seasonality. It's a bitter sweet suit, it's lovely - white with pretty bunting on buty last memory of DS wearing it was going for lunch, he really wasn't ok and didn't steal much of my food which was unusual. The next day he was in hospital for "dehydration" which turned into a bowel blockage and 4 months hospitalisation so I think it'll be good to send it away

Hope he is doing ok now?

It's funny, we were in so long, so many good memories there isn't much that I find triggering but I think it's knowing at that point he was getting worse and I didn't know. Like the last day of normal for 8 months+

Also hope your DD did good, I'm with you, I'd have been useless after that so if nothing else that's entry reason to be proud of herself

Thanks for your words of welcome. It means a lot as this move isn't wanted and there is so much stuff that has to go, including most of my books.

Today's task is the craft things left over from my childminding days. There are four big plastic crates and I've done two this morning. I work in a nursery now so quite a bit can go to the preschool room but some needs to go to the charity shop so I can't get it out of the house yet which is annoying. I'm going to ring the local middle school to see if they'd like some books for their library. I have so many bought for my dds who never got into reading, most in perfect condition.

Another one saying welcome to KateF this is a great supportive series of threads whatever the reason for our declutter the ideas are so useful. Have you thought about selling some of the books if they are in such good condition someone might welcome them as xmas is coming. I’ve recently sold a few job lots on eBay as charity shops locally wouldn’t take them and school library said no too.
Good luck with sorting