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

Toss app prompt today was baking supplies - recently did those but motivation very low so didn’t skip and just put 0 items tossed!
@EllieQ do you mind me asking where your cardboard storage boxes are from. I’d like a couple for mums/other sentimental stuff but they will be on open shelves so was looking for something with a bit of pattern. I had some smallish ones for kids stuff from Phoenix but obviously they’ve gone out of business now. Few more kids books added to the now towering pile for charity shop

gassy what sort of boxes are you after?

www.whsmith.co.uk/stationery/storage/document-boxes/sta00236/ whsmith have these?

Packed up dd1's outgrown clothes into vac bags this morning. Found 2 tops which are too worn/stained to be worth passing on, so those can go into the rag bag.
In today are two lasagna dishes with lids, to help my batch cooking exploits. I shall have to tackle the kitchen soon, but I really struggle as when I have got rid of cookware I've ended up regretting it. I've got the biggest kitchen I've ever had though so there must be some way to make it work...

glumy i know what you mean about regretting getting rid of things. is there somewhere you can store the things you won't use often? i have cookie cutters and baking pans i won't use often in a box under the stairs.

Although perhaps is the kitchen is vast it's merely about being organised? So ensuring that what you have is fir for purpose and had a designated home

I have these boxes from Amazon, @gassylady

Pack of 2 Decorative Storage Boxes With Lids www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078PVBV6X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_K2Y9Fb0PQ6R1T?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

They’re basic, but look nice

Today I have outed; a buggy that won't lie flat so no good for new baby, a homemade pom pom garland I have changed my mind about, 2 storage boxes because I will just refill them if they are here, a business card holder, some coin bags, a wooden block that had been drawn over, an unwanted scientific calculator, a folding magnifier, 4x batteries, a cheap spanner and a small souvenir from Amsterdam. 2 fitted sheets, a glitter shaker, a comb and a colouring book completely coloured in.
Outs: 20
Ins: 1 - a Percy pig t shirt for youngest DD form her future brother....!

Very behind with the thread although some school work and some paid work was achieved today. Just need to scan it in for the teacher to look at now as DD is far more motivated if the teacher comments than by me! to everyone else on team homeschool.

DH went to the tip on the way to collect DS from childcare so a few outs. Not sure exactly what but included a random bag of electrical bits and dead light bulbs. I also chucked a packet of teabags that were best before 2017.

Love your journal page Sing, wish mine was that beautiful. As much as I can manage to scribble a meal plan at the moment.

sing that journal is lovely. ellieq those are lovely boxes, I shall try not to buy any!

Had a good day today with homeschool and decluttering my laptop. Just need to spend half an hour tidying the ‘classroom’ and scanning documents in. I am going to have to file them too. In the last lockdown I lost control of the scanning and filing and had mountains of papers. I’m determined to be better organised this time.

emem yes, I think I need to free up a box for occasion cookware and have a real think about how I organise things.
Xavier it's not colossal or anything, but I've only had piddly kitchens before so it feels big to me! Definitely needs a rearrange, it's still in its post move shove stuff anywhere configuration.

@stealthninjamum I had a card I didn't get out to the intended person. I videoed me opening the envelope, showing the front and then opening up so they could see the message. Then I binned it 😂 all with Christmas music in the background.

Day 121:
❄️ 1 x broken bowl that I loved. Did consider glueing it but thought of this thread.
❄️ marble run picked up by freecycle person...hoorah!
❄️emails and photos.
❄️giant pickled onion jar washed and ready to go back to owner and maker of said onions.

@EllieQ @ememem84 thanks for the box recommendations the paper sized ones may be enough. It’s some old stuff including the handwritten letter of recommendation my mother was given when she left school at 15! I’m sure of no interest to my kids but I’m not ready to throw them out.

Don’t know why I didn’t think of WH Smith’s 🤦‍♀️ Probably because I haven’t been into our local one in about 6 months and it always looks like a jumble sale!

XaviersMum I'm definitely not doing that this time . I'm very lucky to have them but no more babies for me!

WinterWoolly Sorry about your foot, it sounds painful .

Outs: several to do list tasks
In: food shopping including wine

Other outs:

Travel sickness tablets which had expired.
iPhone box - only the bottom part. Kept the lid and used it in a drawer for storage
Empty vitamin bottle - popped the remainder into the new one

Don’t think this counts but have put some things back in the bathroom which were in my drawers in the bedroom. Cleared a bit of space though.

2021 day 7 update.

Category 1 (general decluttering): More work paperwork shredded, and the toddler snowsuit I sold at the weekend was collected today.
Category 2 (Toss app prompts): Today was games, so I took two wooden puzzles that are too young for DD out of the back of the toy cupboard - now in a charity bag.
Category 3 (mum’s stuff): no progress. Storage boxes I like are still out of stock in the size I need.

Day 2 of homeschooling was tough. We don’t have live lessons - it’s all on google classroom and one of us needs to supervise and explain. At the moment, DD is really volatile and explosive, gets very upset at minor things, and goes in a strop/ tantrums if you tell her not to do something. When you ask her something, you don’t know if she’s going to react normally or refuse to do it/ shout and scream. She gets upset if she makes a mistake and refuses to try again. DH got her to do one piece of schoolwork today.

It’s really tiring. I don’t know if it’s because we’re crap parents who have over-indulged her, because of the effect of the past year (she’s only 5), or if there are other issues we don’t know about. It made me feel very low today.

Today's declutter -

One cut up credit card
One cut up store card
One ancient wooden cutlery container.

Cutlery from wooden container and an equally ancient plastic container is gradually being washed and sorted into sets. There is space in a kitchen drawer for it. Most of it is of sentimental value, and I'm not yet ready to dispose of it.

Not much out today as i had 3 hours sleep last night, then the electrician was here at 9, sent DS and DH away but i had to stay with the twins and it was bloody cold. Thankfully they slept at 11 and it was warm upstairs so i napped on the sofa whilst watching Bigerton.

So just a changing mat, they don't let me change them lying down but the stitching is going so bin not pass on

I have downloaded the Toss app on your recommendation. Am also keeping a list of the areas I want to tackle myself but figured Toss was a good way of getting something out everyday. Today's prompt was tea towels and I've put 4 in the textile recycling. It also made me think where are the other 3 linen union ones I own but sinceI haven't missed them if I do find them they'd better go!

I give in...I've got the Toss app just now too.

I really can’t seem to get motivated to tackle anything major/anything that requires too much decision making.

Tonight I got rid of a bent nail that’s been sitting in a pot by my sink for a very long time.

I recycled a pretty menu planner that got very wet on a number of occasions, so the pages are all wrinkled.

I also used up a large bottle of medication. I have two more in the cupboard but one is plenty so I’m counting this as an out.

@SingToTheSky love your journal spread, so pretty!

@SleepingStandingUp hope you get more sleep tonight

@IWillWearThatGlitteryWoolly no wonder your foot was sore Does it need any medical intervention?

Patience and fortitude to all the posters with stressful home learning situations. Lots of battles here too...

Had some hectic days this week but am happy that the 8th is a municipal holiday. It turns out i'll need to have my gallbladder surgically decluttered removed but I'll try to postpone it if possible due to the pandemic.

I'm getting rid of yet another piggy bank. Yes. I know. It's the third one i'm decluttering.

Out: 15
In: 12

miaowse I agree it is hard to make decisions. My head is focused on homeschooling and that’s it. I have filled the freezer with food as I don’t even have the headspace for mealplanning so it’s lots of fishfingers and pizzas. That’s why the Toss app takes the thinking away from me.

Anyway today Toss is telling me to do my sideboard, it mentions candles. Im just going to start that now before dc are awake.

ellieq I know it’s so hard but fortunately at 5 a lot of it is about learning phonics and basic number bonds. Because dd2 is difficult I have in the past invented my own homework for her and sent it back to school. At reception/ year 1 there are some quite attractive apps for phonics and maths and YouTube / bbc for history, science, geography. I used to make up stories with story cubes for dd1s vocabulary, play board games, do flash cards with phonics or number bonds on and smarties as rewards. There was also a magic purse with coins in it and dd2 was given a task ‘jump up three times / hop on the spot’ for a money reward - this started with simple amounts eg 1p, 6p and got more complicated as dd2 got older.

Anyway I do know that this is hard work but I would just look at the task and see if there’s an alternative, more fun way of getting her to learn the same stuff.