Decluttering one item a day (and having nowhere to put it!) – thread number 16

[stealthninjamum]

Once again this tireless group of mumsnetters are decluttering our houses by getting rid of one item a day. Of course this year I’m just piling the stuff behind the settee because the charity shops are all closed but luckily noone’s allowed to visit me to see my clutter mountain.

This is an accountability and general chatter thread and newbies and old hands are always welcome to join in the conversation while we keep working on our houses making them clearer, organised, and clutter free.

This year some of us are trying to get rid of 2021 items and some of us are working through the Toss app that tells us what to get rid of each day. Then we report back on the thread with an update.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4105255-The-countdown-to-Christmas-but-still-decluttering-one-item-a-day-Thread-number-15?pg=1

I had a slow day yesterday.

I still have the important and stressful admin task hanging over my head so I expect more desk decluttering will be done while procrastinating.

Coincidentally @stealthninjamum I have started using a new app called A Lot Less. I’m using it to log things I actually use/wear (not including consumables, though I probably will include cosmetics/perfumes). So far I’m up to 28 items and I only added it late last night. I don’t know how long I’ll keep it up, but I thought it would be interesting to see how many items are actually in use over the course of a day/week/month. I tried something similar years ago by putting little sticker dots on things as I used them but it wasn’t very practical so I gave up quite quickly.

This is of course another displacement activity but I’m telling myself it will help give me the confidence to let go of more items!!

Welcome @thatwentbadly - it’s a friendly and supportive thread. I aim for minimum 1 item a day, but do have days where I get rid of a lot more and others when I fail completely so just do my best and reading the updates is encouraging and inspiring. How’s the kondo-ing going?

Thank you! I’ve tried it before but then gave up. I have done my clothes (still kept some I’m hoping to fit into when I get round to loosing the toddler weight), book are done to and now I’m onto paperwork. DH is currently doing his clothes and I’ve sorted out the biscuit shelf today.

I’m dreading children’s toys. We have way too many.

Holding pattern here the doorstep bag collection people didnt come but the weather was absolutely foul! Luckily the double bagging kept stuff dry and I’ve found a clothing bin locally that has reopened so ive had a rearrange and will drop the three bags there this week if it stops raining so much! Few additional work maga ines to go into recycling this week. Kitchen drawer with lots of too bulky camping/outdoor plastic tableware is calling to me. Plates are 12inch diameter for heavens sake. May try them on ebay as theyve been barely used. Sorry to hear things remain so tough EllieQ hang in there.

Sold another item on vinted so that will leave tomorrow. Love the Hermes locker system. Cleared a bit of the dining table and got rid of some old paperwork. Destroyed another pair of socks yesterday so that was an easy out. I got given some for my birthday and less than 6mths later they are nearly all gone due to holes!

Planning to tackle the baking drawer and Tupperware if DC is kind with bedtime. Also want to sort shoes this weekend.

Day 164: attack session so lots listed on freecycle or marketplace

Child's desk
Swim nappy
Boots abs shoes
Newborn baby clothes bundle
Swaddle thing

Some stuff put in attic and some taken down like bigger baby clothes.

@EllieQ I need to look up your thread as I've done exactly the same this week. I've been pushed to my limit and I need to handle it differently.

Did you get any good advice you can share?

Sorry to hear of difficulties with kids. They certainly can try our patience and I don't think lockdown helps us or them as everything seems more intense. It is so hard at times. My DD is 11 and puberty is hitting hard so she can be quite emotional and moods can be very changeable!
Bit of using foods up today and notebook finished.

Spent the last couple of days (in between normal housework and entertaining DDs) blitzing DD2s room. She's not tidy. (Understatement of the year). A couple of bags of outgrown clothes sorted. Outgrown dressing up outfits. Completed sticker books. Random bits of rubbish.

Clothes off to clothing bank tomorrow. Got a pile of puzzles, books and games building up.

We've also started copying out recipes we actually use so the recipe books can be passed on.

[quote footprintsintheslow]@EllieQ I need to look up your thread as I've done exactly the same this week. I've been pushed to my limit and I need to handle it differently.

Did you get any good advice you can share?[/quote]
Sorry you’re having a tough time as well, Footprints. The most useful comments were about stepping back and looking at the way I react to her when she starts playing up - a couple of people said that I’d got stuck in a dynamic where she was getting a lot of attention, even if it was negative. They are right, and I realised that as soon as she starts messing about and being grumpy, I react badly because I expect it to go to a full-on tantrum. There were also some comments about micro-managing and not giving her enough control. This is the thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/4169454-Why-won-t-my-daughter-follow-basic-requests

316: Got DS to go through his cupboards as he has lots of tops and some he's never worn but drawers that won't close. He's chucked a couple he doesn't like Inc trousers I've not even taken the label off (deciding whether to keep or sell) and some that are a touch right on his big head 🤣 ✧(>o

@Thatwentbadly

Thank you! I’ve tried it before but then gave up. I have done my clothes (still kept some I’m hoping to fit into when I get round to loosing the toddler weight), book are done to and now I’m onto paperwork. DH is currently doing his clothes and I’ve sorted out the biscuit shelf today.

I’m dreading children’s toys. We have way too many.

I did my clothes the kondo way (although kept way too much...!) and the kids toys. That was an eye opener.

I did toys before Christmas so I could make room for new things. May have to do it again soon.

raspberryblonde I suppose if you went through the faff of logging everything you’d probably throw stuff away rather than log it. I have been slightly nosy. One lady had logged all the brands of her clothes and every single item eg ‘white Uniqlo t shirt’ but I just looked at a french lady’s wardbrobe list and I think she just had ‘shoes 23, trousers 9’ and I suppose that would be slightly easier to do. I do sometimes count the number of things I have eg handbags, shoes to see if it sounds too much.

Hello thatwentbadly of course you’re welcome. I bought kondo’s book a couple of years ago and it is cluttering my bedroom! It wasn’t for me then as I just mentally couldn’t get rid of that much stuff in one go but i wonder if I’d be able to these days. I will be very interested to hear how you do.

miaowse i looked at that app too and chose ‘byebye’ because I think it had more reviews. I wish I could design an app. There’s a real gap in the market for something like Toss but with much more categories and the ability to do it forever rather than just finish it. I wonder if I should start again with it and add my own areas but I would have to lose my history.

I think I’ll read that thread too ellieq I’m always looking for advice on how to parent my dc.

@MrsTidyHouse That's interesting about changing your mindset and seeing what needs to be done - I need to do that, too.

@FatLadySang your dining table sounds like ours. We got it clear at Christmas (not that anyone could join us for Christmas) but the mess has crept back. It's mostly DH's stuff - he doesn't keep up with opening his post, and won't put things away. I have asked him to sort it out - we'll see.

Yesterday I put a top in the charity shop bag.

I'm on leave next week but feel exhausted today - I think I worked so hard last week to get work done before finishing yesterday that it's caught up with me. I'm looking forward to the week, though.

Out:

• big stack of paper for recycling
• two unused bedside lamps (will probably sell on Ebay)
• a large poster
• a pack of useless hair ties
• an air freshener I don't like the smell of
• a reusable bag

331 total items out. Nothing new in today.

2021 day 51 update:

General decluttering:

• Two packing boxes (used to bring stuff back from mum’s house) passed on to someone from a FB zero waste group.
• Old router (replaced back in the autumn) posted back to BT for recycling (by DH - he’s been meaning to send it off for ages).
• More household paperwork from the Pile of Paperwork filed/ recycled/ shredded. I thought I’d gone through all of this category, but found a stash at the bottom of the box.

A nice day with DD as well. I’m glad I was able to stay calm in the face of some complaining and grumpiness!

I've had another late night burst of energy and have been through my under sink cupboard and about half of another kitchen cupboard. It didn't take too long really and I managed to get a few outs:

1 jar + lid.
5 cloths which I never use (but thought I might).
1 cleaning sponge. (I saw a thing online about germs in sponges. I don't buy them normally but DP turned up with a big pack one day so I've been trying to use them up.)
1 food container - contents emptied into another.
3 plastic (food type) bags.

My under-sink cupboard is a thing of beauty now.

Outs today so far

Valentine’s Day cards
Flowers

I have done the bare minimum recently so i have been in the playroom. It has masses of built in cupboards and Ikea storage. Anyway I have emptied a drawer and found 45 books that are either sticker books, dot to dot, colouring or activity of some kind. I am going to ask dc what they want to keep, I can’t imagine it will be much as some of them are for toddlers.

The good news is dds are happy to get rid of 36 books and keep 9. I have a set of Ikea wire baskets on the playroom and the bottom basket hand these in with lots of loom bands. That’s one basket almost empty.

I also moved my post table and the hall looks instantly better. It’s been in the same place for ten years so I’m not sure why I didn’t do it before.

A pittance of outs today. A couple of broken pegs.

Before I have a read through, has anyone used this website for soft toys before?

www.lovedbefore.london/donate

Might be a way to convince my daughters to part with some teddies especially if they can give them a story to go with them!!

@stealthninjamum 36 books is amazing! It's nice they were happy to sort through them and let them go.

A few random bits out today:

• 7 scruffy tshirts
• 3 packs of lightbulbs that don't fit any light fittings in the house
• an old packet of latex gloves
• dried up super glue
• 3 old cloths

346 items out so far! Nothing in today. Keeping the credit card decluttered is a pretty good motivator on that front...

i have been in the playroom. It has masses of built in cupboards and Ikea storage. I'm so jealous

317: mil brought me clean clothes and took away cardboard. Result.

I also played nurse last night and repaired the big doll who was easy to stitch but the small one, there's not enough material to glue really so might try again tonight to stitch it . They're both 35ish years old so I'm desperate to fix not bin her

I unexpectedly felt a bit better this morning so have managed to get rid of quite a few bits as well as some tidying yay