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

@stealthninjamum ah, the sideboard/hutch task is where I stalled with Toss. I didn’t want to skip as I’m sure I do have candles I could let go, but I haven’t yet unearthed them. That was days ago though so I should just jump ahead to the next prompt.

Happy new year everyone,

Just thought I would let you know that EBAY has a maximum £1 selling fee on for the next four days!! So it a good time to put on bundles and those more expensive items.

To all those who now have to deal with home schooling, just try your best and don’t beat your self up!! You can only do what you can do, you are a mum not a teacher.

For those who have just starting there decluttering story just remember you have to break a few eggs to make a omelette, so a room often looks worse before it all come back together!!

miaowse I’m going against the spirit of Toss here but feeling inspired to buy new placemats. We already have about four non matching sets but they’re all getting scruffy.

Where do people get placemats that don’t get water damaged? Mine were expensive brands - white company, John Lewis, Marks and they have all been water damaged. Can anyone recommend any?

@EllieQ sorry to hear that you are suffering with the home learning too. My eldest DD is 5 and also in Y1 and the amount of worksheets etc we have been given to do this week is ridiculous. Some of the tasks are asking for a lot when 5 year olds are not known for their attention span. We also have some computer tasks to do which we are going to have to do tomorrow when my DH can keep an eye on youngest DD who wants to 'help' in her two year old way.
Just to let you know that you are not alone and it isn't because you have over indulged your DD, it is just a weird sh!try time and as much as we try to shelter our children from the reality they are aware that things are different and that we are all under unique pressure. Solidarity to you xx

@footprintsintheslow

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

You need to declutter came and watch telly whilst sitting on your bottom 😂

@EllieQ massive sympathy, year 1 5 yo here too. Thankfully it school work isn't masses but then I work how much our class will be behind in comparison to other schools.

We have 16 maths and 16 phonics questions so we do 8 of each then play time. Snack and YouTube as he's a fair weather child. Then we try and finish that before lunch with bribes of I'll read books to him.

After lunch it's normally a small science one / art piece and a writing piece but his young is 40 times faster than his typing so he slams, I type. And I type literally what he says - "and he was just a bit smallish than her" for example.

We did no work yesterday as he was at Nans due to the Electrican so we'll catch up over the weekend

Downloaded toss. Three medicines gone (as this was today’s prompt).

If it's reassuring I'm a reception/year 1 teacher. Anything you do will be fine. Some of the highest regarded schools in my area are barely sending any work home. Some are sending ridiculous amounts home everyday and the teachers are on their knees.

Personally at that age if you read a few stories and discussed them and played a board game I'd be happy. Lots to be gained by very simple and enjoyable things.

I took my own daughter travelling for 6 months with no formal home schooling at all. She came back and was exactly on track and still flourishing. In actual fact she came back more confident and with skills gained by life experience that you can't get from a classroom. So I suppose I'm saying, I know no one is travelling here but look at it like an opportunity to do things in a different way and see where it takes you.

The children will be fine and if anything we introduce formal learning far too soon. Read and play games.

Anyway rant over, my feet are up relaxing. Tv is on, I'm eyeing up a pasty for lunch and getting my head round the fact baby is being induced on Monday.

@SleepingStandingUp solidarity on the sleep deprivation, it's crap. Last night dd2 would not settle for over an hour and a half (probably teething but who knows) and when I finally got her to sleep (in my bed) dd1 woke me up an hour later to help her go to the toilet. Me moving woke dd2 and off we went again 🙄.
@IWillWearThatGlitteryWoolly ouch, that sounds nasty.

Oh forgot to say @stealthninjamum I have no idea of the brand but my parents bought me toughened glass placemats for my first flat, and they are still pristine.

Digital declutter - About 20,000 emails.

We're done with homelearning for the week! The timetable school sent home says golden time this afternoon so we are all watching TV for a bit. Year 2 here and she can read well but am finding that a lot of the worksheets don't explain what's needed very clearly so need more explanation from me. They have sent us a maths book so am hoping that means less printing at least.

Have just been through the fridge and decluttered had a red cabbage into a pickle which we will have with our dinner. Can't do much else as DH is on a work call so need to keep DC quiet for a bit.

Happy birthday to whoever it was that mentioned the other day it was their birthday today

Would also recommend the glass placemats stealth, my mum has had the same ones for years and our glass coasters also look good still. The coasters came from The Pier which is no help to you as they went under years ago. We have the cardboard type ones for day to day and as soon as anything greasy goes anywhere near they look manky.

Hope that the induction goes OK footprints . Love your card opening video idea.

Well, after a week of reading all your home learning woes and thinking thank God I've not got that to worry about dd1's preschool teacher just called to ask why we've not logged on for home learning 😱.

The dc are happily colouring probably on the wooden floor.... and they are quiet definetly colouring on the floor not paper

I’ve taken the opportunity to sort some paperwork. It’s all either filed away or shredded ripped up into teeny pieces and I’ve made space in the cupboard for all the big serving plates which were on the side gathering dust, all vases and candle holders and candles.

Have moved avocado plant to a new home it’ll probably die now and have moved the pineapple plant too ditto haven’t moved orchids as they will apparently get very unhappy if they move.

Books next. Maybe.

Toss prompt today was undergarments so dutifully had a look and three items for rag bag. May have to try a tip run next week as the cardboard is becoming overwhelming!
Otherwise have dealt with all the post promptly so addresses shredded and flyers all in the recycling

I've called an early finish to homeschooling as well, although it went OK today. Today's out is a broken pencil sharpener (dream big ) and yesterday's was a bottle of baby Abidec - DS is constantly swiping his sisters' gummy vitamins so I figured he might as well have his own, and the Abidec is OOD anyway.

Toss is prompting me to get rid of books, but that's not going to happen anytime soon with charity shops all shut, and I'm reluctant to take them off the shelves and add to the general clutter, so I've mentally earmarked half a dozen which can go as and when possible.

@GlumyGloomer

Well, after a week of reading all your home learning woes and thinking thank God I've not got that to worry about dd1's preschool teacher just called to ask why we've not logged on for home learning 😱.

Eek, naughty corner!! How old?

@glumygloomer oh no! Have you got to play catch up or can you just start fresh from next week?
Our school have uploaded the next log of home learning: 14 things to do, some straight forward others totally not. Apparently we are having zoom sessions as well next week, which should be interesting as my DD hates video calls and legs it.... Think by the end of next week I will have decluttered my sense of humour in its entirety and I am lucky in that I am a Sahm and my DD generally enjoys learning.

@footprintsintheslow wow! Almost here 🤗. Hope all goes well.
Thank you for the reassuring message re home learning, I am not concerned my DD falling behind, we do work at home most nights, she can count to over 100, knows her phonics sounds and loves science and maths and reads daily. But, we are learning Boudicca, and the work set is immense, we are also working on biographies which they are asking a lot I think for the kids concentration span and we have had 2 days when no set work was completed but we worked on times tables and high frequency words. And new work has been uploaded today, again expecting a lot from the kids especially those who have parents who are WFH.

Today I stumbled across a book to help with potty training which is thankfully no longer needed so I put it in the charity shop bag.

I also finished my latest handcream (used as a body cream).

48-51. Cheeky side trip to post office to get rid of 3 snow suits and a Gruffalo set.

@GlumyGloomer I hoped you just laughed at them!

Day 122:
❄️toss prompt: receipts so found one.
❄️emails and photos
❄️new cot mattress packaging out.

@SleepingStandingUp and @Iceisnice
Dd is 4, and she's in a preschool attached to the school she'll hopefully be going to. There's only a handful of things on so hopefully not too hard to catch up. So far she's actually excited about it, and we've managed to submit 1 set of letter practice sheets. I meanwhile feel frazzled from the effort of preventing dd2 from destroying the computer while I use it....

@glumygloomer feeling your pain re younger child potentially destroying the computer!
Sorry for the earlier rant, just needed to vent!

@Iceisnice ranting entirely justified! We have much less to do and I still felt like I'd been hit by a torpedo trying to work out how to manage it.
Today I have decluttered chocolate, but as it will be replaced shortly I guess that doesn't count 😅