The countdown to Christmas - but still decluttering one item a day. Thread number 15

[stealthninjamum]

Thread number 15 of the ‘declutter one item a day thread’ and this bunch of mumsnetters are still decluttering our houses slowly by getting rid of one item a day.

It’s always challenging at Christmas for declutterers, as we fill our house with more presents, food and children’s toys. This thread should give us a bit more accountability as we keep plugging away slowly while we making our homes more organised and decluttered.

Obviously Christmas won’t be the same this year and the stealthninjahousehold won’t be having any visitors but I’m still keen to spend the last couple of weeks making my house a nicer space to spend time in.

Newbies are always welcome. We just get rid of one item each day and report back on the thread.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4053749-Getting-rid-of-one-item-a-day-thread-number-14-where-we-extract-precious-autumn-leaves-rocks-and-twigs-from-our-children?pg=1

Welcome nemesiapinklagoon I’m not an expert, in the past I have been known to take items into my local charity shop and I would be inclined to ask if they count as rags. We also have a few textile banks around here and I might be tempted to add them there. This is because I try not to give stuff to a charity shop unless it’s sellable as it’s mainly lovely volunteers who go through it and I don’t want to waste their time. The textile banks around here are private companies who give a donation to charities (often peanuts) so somehow I don’t mind giving them stuff where I don’t know if it can be reused! Of course I suspect my house would be decluttered if I just threw things away so I wish I could.

Today I have added a couple of things to freecycle that I’d normally give to a charity shop.

@MogTheSleepyCat sorry what I meant is that it looks like a little red square when you go on the App Store. I've attached a photo for you to see.

@SleepingStandingUp I was only just saying it's my one regret. After all my pregnancies why didn't I think about investing in maternity tights?! No point now with 8 days to go of my last pregnancy.

Day 116:
❄️ all Christmas stuff in attic with a few bits thinned out along the way.
❄️ baby stuff down from attic am only to find out lie flat car seat doesn't fit with toddlers very nice expensive car seat. So lie flat one and pram being washed now to sell/give away.
❄️clothes and toys gone in attic.
❄️my old business receipts and accounts are all recycled as the time you need to legally keep them has lapsed now.
❄️two box files gone via freecycle
❄️giant doll saga: during lockdown a neighbour have us a giant doll and I mean it's bigger than my toddler at over two foot tall. It was fun, it was free and it was lockdown. But now she has to go. I've posted her twice on freecycle but no takers. Husband took new better photos and someone wanted her immediately so we were thrilled and then she's backed out. So we are stuck with Sarah.
❄️listed marble run on freecycle but no takers after third attempt.
❄️lastly chucked out loads of what can only be described as random crap.

I wish charity shops were open.

@SleepingStandingUp how about “Garage of Carnage” it works in the really harsh Cardiff/Newport accent
My DH dropped into see his mum today (support bubble) and came away with three boxes of chocolates, three books, an old coat of his dads and TWO sets of camping cutlery I had thought he was getting on board with the decluttering

Out today one small pot of cuticle balm. It's about a year and a half old so I just binned it, although I'm still using the also year and a half old lip balm that came with it. Oh well.
Motivation is hanging by a thread but I'll try to post every day to keep me going.
Glittery hope the foot is better soon

sleepingstandingup I can’t think of anything that rhymes with garage could go with alliteration something something like Garage Of Gloom or Garage of Garbage. It’s not easy.

I have some interest in some things from freecycle. I hope they collect, as it’ll clear a couple of bags of space.

Today I persuaded my child to do the “find 10 things to throw away” game again. As before it was mostly stuff that would be actual rubbish in any other house but at least our living room now has ten fewer items in it.

I also chucked an old lottery ticket that I found tucked into a notebook which I was given as a present (it was still in date but I didn’t win anything!), a big sheet of red tissue paper that I was going to save for crafts (olds habits), an unused make up bag went in the charity bag, and I used up a hand cream.

My prompt on Toss today related to clearing a hutch/sideboard of extra dinner sets, candlesticks and candles. I definitely don’t have any candlesticks, but will check for candles I could donate/use up.

I knit and crochet, @footprintsintheslow, though I don’t do much - really struggle to find the time and energy for it. I treated myself to some sparkly sock wool in December, so a new pair of socks will be my next project.

2021 day 2: I had a quick look through my wardrobe and have put three work shirts in the charity bag. I hadn’t worn them for a couple of years, so I’m not likely to wear them again!

My Toss app prompt was baking supplies (after skipping freezer and glove compartment - did the freezer last week, and we don’t have a car). I went though my box of baking ingredients and threw out a tub of bicarbonate of soda that was BBE April 2015

I’ve also researched nice storage boxes for some things from box 3 that belonged to my grandmother - I don’t want to keep them (think religious ornaments), but can’t quite part with them yet, so I’ve found a spot with space for a nice storage box until I can deal with them.

Feeling a bit down as we are heading back to normality, and I know I’ll have less time/ energy for decluttering once I’m back at work. Also stressed about primary schools possibly not opening - we’re in Tier 3 so nothing has been announced yet, but there’s still time for another government U-turn

Garage of Carnage works in a midland accent too.

Got DS to go through the dressing up box with me as the twins have taken to sitting IN it with whatever breakfast they've pilfered from DS's table so it needed a thorough clean.

DS decided he didn't need his Power Puff Girls costume any more but he did keep Princess Poppy. A few other bits have gone in the the two small bag for the twins. Thrown out some broken dress up bits too - glasses and a mask.
Had also put in two smaller boxes into it to help keep it sorted but it hasn't worked, so they've gone in the out pile too. I'll use them to store charity shop stuff in temporarily then bin them.

23:3 -

Was struggling to find an out today and then came upon a bunch of calpol syringes (always a handy fallback, I think I’ll still be throwing the blasted things out when I’m 80). Chucked the two most chewed ones and then found an old plastic mould for making dumplings which I will never use again as I barely have the energy to microwave the frozen ones, so threw that out as well.

I am attempting to say garage of carnage in a Midlands accent. Is it East or West? I'm a Geordie who lives in London so it doesn't sound quite right in my confused accent.
Decluttered some spicy Christmas nuts tonight. We did do some cleaning and tidying so not a complete loss!

West, not quite Brummy.

Ga-ridge of car-nidge

Good late save Sydney

Just one out today in the recycling bin - the Christmas Radio Times. DH dutifully circled all the programmes of interest and we watched virtually none of them.

Threw out a broken pot of hair cream that was in the bathroom and i never felt like using; that thing was probably rancid by now. Will be keeping my lovely curly hair cream that smells of bananas!

Out: 9
In: 8

I downloaded the Toss app and it’s telling me to do the laundry area. I’m not sure there’s much to declutter there but it should be quick. I am feeling really stressed about homeschooling but still determined to declutter so perhaps if I follow the app and literally do ‘one a day’ rather than a big project I’ll keep up the momentum.

Today’s main focus will be taking down the decorations and preparing the home school room. I also have two more tiny pieces of stinky cheese to be eaten then diet starts tomorrow.

Today's out will be my old coat, as new all singing (well, waterproof anyway) coat has arrived. The old one has been with me for a decade. It's shabby beyond belief but I still feel oddly guilty about getting rid of it

Late out last night and an early one today: finished a box of posh teabags I got DP as part of a box of treats for Father’s Day. They’re okay but we preferred our usual ones so they’ve been hanging around in the cupboard for ages, now all gone!

Used up some more leftovers, put the Christmas biscuits into the normal tin, broken down some more packaging. Our usual collection day for paper and card recycling has been put back four days because of the Christmas and New Year break which means it will hopefully go on Monday. All the bins are looking really full but because we’re in a flat I’m never sure if we’re on the same collection schedule as houses and we often seem to get dropped

Decorations down which is sad as the house looks so miserable.

I did the laundry area as ‘toss’ said. I have 9 bottles of washing liquid which I don’t really see as clutter because I always buy them on offer in the supermarket. I found 3 old packets of seeds so they’re going.

I also had a look in the fridge. We have another load of carrots so I’ll be doing carrot fries for dinner, they were really popular the last time I did them.

FOrgot to say I also threw away a gift bag with gift receipts and packaging in from a friend. It was from a stylish shop (jo malone although the gifts weren’t jo malone!) so I got used to seeing it next to the door! It’s funny how sometimes something doesn’t look like clutter and we start to live with it!

Took the snowflakes that the dcs made off the window this morning and have sorted the recycling.

I think I’m going to have to let a mascara go as i think it’s drying out.

Happy New Year everyone!

Not much progress here, but I did throw out a few things yesterday: an old slotted spoon that had gone rusty, four pillows that were ancient and very discoloured, and a ripped pillowcase. I’m hoping 2021 will be the year when I can finally say that everything in my house is genuinely either beautiful, useful or both!

@stealthninjamum

FOrgot to say I also threw away a gift bag with gift receipts and packaging in from a friend. It was from a stylish shop (jo malone although the gifts weren’t jo malone!) so I got used to seeing it next to the door! It’s funny how sometimes something doesn’t look like clutter and we start to live with it!

"Beware of what you get used to" is a common saying in my home. We get used to clutter, to mess, to bad behaviour and so on. My MIL is an accumulator and i always say to DP that MIL seems somewhat desensitized to the amount of stuff she has and the dirt it creates. I try my best not to get used to having a chair full of clothes or a pile of stuff in a corner of the room as in the past they used to be invisible to me.

Happy New year everyone. We had a recycling collection yesterday so managed to get rid of some of the boxes and packaging. Lots stop to go on a fortnight though. It feels a bit like I can't get anything out of the house at the moment. Charity shops all closed (not that they were taking anything) and our bin is amidst full and that won't go until next Friday!

Anyway, I did a bit of general tidying today and got rid of a couple of drawings plus some university exam papers that were lurking under the bed. Not sure why I kept them at I wouldn't have the first idea how to answer them now.

Have made a start on decorations coming down. Tree may get another day I guess.

Carrot fries sound good Stealth, will have to try that one as we also have loads.

Good luck to everyone doing home school tomorrow.

Christmas tree down and put away. Flat is cleaned and tidyish. Outs today are a finished notepad of mine and some random papers from DD's room.

And yes good luck to those home schooling from tomorrow. I'm really not looking forward to it.

Thanks for the recommendation thought I’d give Toss a try too. It recommended perfume knew I had none of that to declutter. But did spot some travel sized hair sprays and gels etc. These have all been left over from gift sets. Thought I might put them in the changing room at work with a help yourself sign. Then I thought that might be a bit barmy and perhaps I should bin them? Would you pick any of these up if you saw them?