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

Awesome iWill

I still have presents to buy waaaahhhhhhh 😭😭😭😭

I can’t believe there’s a new thread - I’m way behind!

There hasn’t been much progress here lately, but I have thrown out three pairs of socks that had gone threadbare at the heel, plus an old plastic folder that wasn’t needed. I’m going to have a look through the bathroom today (probably the easiest room to do?) and see if there’s anything that I can declutter in there!

@IWillWearThatGlitteryWoolly

I still need a gravy boat for DH. I think he's going to have to have a cardboard cut out and a promise at this rate!

What kind of gravy boat does he want??

to ellieq

glitterywooly fantastic!

sleepingstandingup I still have presents to buy too. Mainly people like in-laws, I don’t know if we still buy presents for each other so I want to buy nice wine and chocolates in case they get me something. And my boyfriend. Men are so hard to buy for.

I don’t really have any decluttering plans today as I have started painting above the doors on the landing. I really hate the switching over from brushes to rollers so thought I’d see how much I can do with a brush. We have 7 doors and there are also tiny stretches between doors where a roller won’t go that I might do too. In general I despise using and washing up rollers so always procrastinate over the big bits of wall. I am actually wondering if it’s possible to finish the landing emulsion before Xmas. That would be a huge achievement what with everything else going on.

I managed to declutter the bathroom whilst the baby was asleep and got rid of a plastic bag’s worth of stuff including: a broken beard trimmer, some old make-up I never wear, an ancient bottle of nail polish remover, some instructions for an electric toothbrush (they’re self explanatory really aren’t they), a couple of empty bottles of bathroom cleaner, a few plastic baby bath toys that we never use and a few other bits and pieces.

I’ve held onto some bottles of moisturizer and will try to use them up over the coming months - my skin often gets dry so it’ll be good to have them to hand.

I think I can now say that practically everything in my bathroom is useful and used!

I have done a lot of painting but got bored so maybe I won’t finish before Xmas!

Anyway Dd1s school finishes this afternoon and we’ve decided to have a baking / takeaway / movie night to celebrate. I threw away an empty gift box in the bathroom cabinet - not sure why I didn’t throw it out months ago - so that’s my out for today. Think me and the ninjagirls are going to chill for the rest of the day now.

Early start today and tackled DH's discarded work papers. 49 drawings etc in to recycling and an inch of correspondence papers shredded. Kitchen side now clear (well one anyway).
Completed all 'end of term' thanks yous to staff and board.

Yesterday was declutter of last Christmas Cards in to the post, so to do list ticked off. I also had a final meeting, over a business lunch outside, to conclude my trustee role. 3 docs handed over for admin manager to file. Still have my own papers to sort and shred, maybe later or tomorrow early when no-one else is around to disturb me.

2001/2020 - may even get there with some 2020 days to spare.

The dc just broke two baubles. Ds did it (I saw him throw it). Dd took them off the tree.

Sudden flurry of activity here. Youngest growing rapidly at the mo so several outgrown pairs of socks and some extremely tatty joggers and hoodies into the rag bag. Toy room having a pre christmas tidy and lots of toy cars into the charity bag. I’m busy rearranging kitchen storage and have found two out of date tins. Definiteely a weeks worth!

@IWillWearThatGlitteryWoolly surely a personalized one? www.etsy.com/uk/search/home-and-living/kitchen-and-dining/dining-and-serving/serving-odds-and-ends/gravy-boats?explicit=1&q=gravy+boat&ref=guided_category

Cleared a carrier of toys - couple of spinning tops they're indifferent to, cause bad effect one which got upgraded on their birthday as they now do electronic ones, few other small bits onto the charity bag. One toy into the bin as batteries are rusty.

Living room looks like a bomb exploded as I've emptied all the toy boxes to resort them etc but with 3 kids under my feet so now we've got take out and a moody husband

@ememem84 I love their teamwork though 🤣

Today’s out is really a future one, as a friend who is expecting a baby in a couple of months is going to take an unopened pack of nipple shields for breastfeeding which I bought to use with DD2 but didn’t need. I’ve also got a breast pump and some accessories which she may want.

Chucked out a couple of happy meal toys (the bane of my life 😤), plus used up one of the endless jars of pasta sauce which DP panic bought in lockdown 1.0 and chucked in the last few cocktail sausages in an open tub to clear some fridge and cupboard space

@SydneyCarton yep. They love each other when it’s convenient. They’re lucky they’re cute.

I’m lucky in that they haven’t discovered McDonald’s yet. Ds is only 3 and I never bothered taking him pre lockdown.

Managed to get rid of some toddler art and sort through the present stash for Christmas. Re-arranged part of the lounge and magicked up some more space. Cleared the table so I can ice the remaining two Christmas cakes which will then leave. Tried to sell some stuff on fb but no joy so far. All recycling out and the toys slightly tidied. A few bits and bobs into the charity bag so a good day all round.

101:
Delivered 4 presents to doorsteps
Delivered work stuff back to them
photos and emails.

Outs today are a dead charger into the electronics recycling and (more of a downgrade really) a shirt into the sewing fabric pile.

Lord help me.

Friend brought round the twins birthday presents. They're pass me downs, so toys her boys no longer play with which is cool, except it means they're much bigger than if she'd paid for them new. So now we have a little truck with pullalong carriage which o can at least for in a box, and this huge car carrier thing with two cars that must be a metre long. She has a lovely big house with a play room. I don't

Aagghhhhh.

And you know all three love it already l so it's never leaving.

Photo is just the twins toys, plus two ride one, a walker, the new toy truck, and another box this size of random toys.

I'm regressing.

Today's outs:

2 deodorants - 1 used up (finally) and 1 crystal one dropped on the floor and smashed for the last time.
2 bits of soap which I was collecting to make hand soap but, I changed my mind.

I think I've finished my present buying now. I got an idea for DP on MN some time ago and decided to go for it.

Anyway, following on from last night, I've been going through my stationery box again and I've got quite a bit going out. It's so much that I think I will now be able to fit my paper cutter in there, rather than storing that separately, which is a step towards losing another item of furniture... maybe... in the future.

Anyway, my outs are:

17 open plastic wallets. (Unused for many years. I don't even like them as they're too slippery and papers fall out.)
5 wallets with a clip for holes (for submitting essays at uni, a long time ago!)
3 other plastic wallets and their packet.
1 card folder.
1 envelope used several times - dated 2007.
4 postcards.
2 plastic things for filing.
1 notelets box. (Remaining notelets have been taken out and take up much less room that way.)
1 bag.

Most of this has been well used in the past but has since been stored, unused, for YEARS! All of it feels horrible! I'm so pleased to be free of it.

I have a lovely day with dc but I still haven’t bought anything for my boyfriend I don’t even have any good ideas. glitterywooly what a lovely idea.

Off to lurk on the Christmas board to see if that will inspire me.

Anyway someone has offered me money for the bookcase I’m selling which is a surprise. Fingers crossed it goes tomorrow.

I've just done a quick sweep through another box and binned another wad of papers, including 2 astrological reports which I had done years ago. One of them was almost identical to another which I've kept, except that they entered some wrong info and so got some of the planetary positions etc wrong. I have no clue why I decided to keep this when I boxed it up originally. Anyway, this box (and quite a lot of other stuff) is in a cupboard which I don't like anymore. I'm wondering if I might be able to get rid of it if I can just get rid of some more stuff from it. Either that, or I might re-paint it. It's something to think about anyway.

@EllieQ good luck lovely at this difficult time. The end is in sight now when you can rest and recuperate.

@wondering7777 I have the same problem with socks. I've been considering men's socks so they are bigger.

@stealthninjamum go for it with the painting. Stick some music on and go for it. Remember the roller is your friend really as it's quick to use. Worry about washing it later.

@SydneyCarton we have a few curry pastes that I bought in the first lockdown that won't get used so I've put them in the grown up children's stockings.

@Weneedmusicandtheatre thanks for Christmas cake reminder we've had a notification to isolate so we can do that this weekend. Husband will help too as he's very creative.