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 think my phone is dying, or maybe Mumsnet is? I keep losing messages.

Anyway I found myself unplugging stbexhs stereo and putting it in a pile for him to take, he hasn’t used it for years. The area around my TV / stereo / video games is the dustiest part of the house and has loads of wires. With the stereo gone my life will be much easier. I also decluttered the remote control for a DVD player that died (and got taken to the dump) about eight years ago.

I also made a soup out of leftover veg. Dd2 thought it looked like mould and I shouldn’t eat it!

Mean mother, leftovers soup? How could you?

I've decluttered the hallway window seal of its contents (and mould). Now just the two ornaments on there, instead of a random pile of stuff...like Barbie shoes, Amazon packaging and a window scraper. I walk past it so many times a day.

Have watched a couple of organisation videos on you tube. And have bought a hook for the wardrobe door. To put my next days outfit on.

took a make up storage insert out of y make up drawer and put it in the drawer in living room sideboard/dresser - now its containing all pens stationery etc. neat and tidy.

bought two more on amazon so can do the next drawer and put one back in my make up drawer.

also out - a facemask which is completely useless, three dried up pens, calpol syringe (they are breeding i swears it!) some old receipts and a dried up glue stick,)

I also think that's lots of people will have let things slip now that they don't get unexpected visitors. Taking one item every time you leave a room is a great idea.

You might find this thread useful too

Day 173:
Pair of tights in bin half way through the day as I was sick of them falling down.
Box recycled that was a play item
Toddler cup that was irrationally getting on my nerves.
Photos and emails.

So sorry, posted on the wrong thread

@BunnyRuddington

So sorry, posted on the wrong thread

I was just going to ask did you mean to post a link to the thread on the thread....

Another 'dumping ground' cleared. Outs include a broken umbrella, an old lunch bag, the cutlery tray from our old dishwasher, and some plastic bags. Now all that is there is the cool box lid (the electric part, the rest lives in the garage), a box of cookie cutters and the big shopping bags. Plus my wellies, which always get in the way I the kitchen but they are out of the way now.

Also cleared out school letters off the fridge.

I am eyeing up a pair of scissors that don't cut well to go to metal recycling. How do you know when to give up on scissors? These scissors look fine. I have tried hard to sharpen them (DS got a honing stone with his chisel set) but these scissors don't seem to improve much, they are a cheap rivet-together design. We have others that cut much better...

Today I Gave away some 'funny sauce I bought on impulse'
Found some mixed herbs dated... 2006. They can go into the next batch of bread.

2021 day 60 update:

Not much today due to busyness and tiredness (thanks, bin men who were here at 6am!), but I did sort more receipts from the pile of receipts into date order. I’m now up to September 2019!

I keep checking on thread to see if a picture of cthulus in Big Bang T-shirts has been posted yet

DP has moved some stuff around in our third bedroom and put some stuff downstairs in the storage cupboard, so no real outs but slightly more room. I had a shoe rack thingy from IKEA in the kitchen which served as a bookshelf/tin storage area/dumping ground for clean laundry, which has now been switched for a bookshelf from third bedroom. Much more storage space and also can’t dump clothes on it like I could on the shoe rack, so hopefully it’ll force me to put things away rather than down..... Shoe rack in the girls wardrobe with actual shoes on it

Also decluttered a large bag of textile recycling on a walk, and have earmarked two cassette audiobooks for giveaway this evening on Olio. They were surprisingly popular for redundant tech

Motivation continues today!

So far, I have decluttered some paperwork and receipts as I was boiling the kettle, and sorted out a huge Amazon box into the recycling.

Another pair of worn knickers in the recycling and I would like to get at least a half dozen more items either chucked or in the donate bag before close of play today.

Got a load in the machine to make the most of the sunshine and feeling good :)

Have a good day all.

Took a notebook into the office for my colleague. So that’s been left on his desk. Wahoooo!!

Currently in the 'cloakroom'. How many coats do a family of 4 really need?
(Also... Do coats breed?)

I had never heard of the Cthulus and googled - would the books be suitable for a 13 year old? She hates any sort of romance in a book but loves mythical creatures and fantasy books.

I won my paintings I bid for on eBay and don’t know where to put them. I’m keeping an ear out for online lessons while tetrissing photos, pictures, a clock. I feel like I am missing the creative gene that makes people know where to put decorative items to finish a room. Do I put my two pictures next to each other on one wall? Opposite each other? In different rooms?

Anyway today’s plan is to empty my handbag. I haven’t done it for a couple of months and it’s full of receipts and rubbish.

@stealthninjamum

I had never heard of the Cthulus and googled - would the books be suitable for a 13 year old? She hates any sort of romance in a book but loves mythical creatures and fantasy books.

I won my paintings I bid for on eBay and don’t know where to put them. I’m keeping an ear out for online lessons while tetrissing photos, pictures, a clock. I feel like I am missing the creative gene that makes people know where to put decorative items to finish a room. Do I put my two pictures next to each other on one wall? Opposite each other? In different rooms?

Anyway today’s plan is to empty my handbag. I haven’t done it for a couple of months and it’s full of receipts and rubbish.

I’d be reluctant to give a 13 year old the HP Lovecraft books due to the racist attitudes they contain. Plus, a lot of the ‘Cthulhu Mythos’ books influenced by Lovecraft are quite grim/ horror rather than fantasy, and I don’t think they are suitable for younger teens.

Re paintings/pictures. Have a Pinterest for “gallery wall” decor.

That might help.

I try and get everything in the same frames. So it looks neat. But a friend of mine has mis matched frames and it looks awesome.

Oops, I fell off.

@RoosterRoosteringFree

I keep checking on thread to see if a picture of cthulus in Big Bang T-shirts has been posted yet

Forgive me I lied

aroundtheworldin80moves the mould soup had watercress in it. I knew dc wouldn’t eat green soup so I ate it yesterday and today and there was lots of dramatic yuk noises from them.

Thanks elieq those books don’t sound suitable for dd1.

ememem84 thanks i had a great time on Pinterest. I would love to have a cluster of paintings somewhere and feel really drawn to the stairs galleries. I haven’t necessarily solved my problem of what to do with my two new pictures but I’ll spend a bit longer on Pinterest.

I had intended to do my handbag but couldn’t be bothered. I found we had two copies of the Horrible histories vile victorians so one can go and three very old disney princess comics have gone.

Day 174:
Photos and emails
Posted two birthday things
3 anniversary cards thrown.

2021 day 61 update:

Nothing today - had cramps all afternoon so I haven’t done much since I finished work. Hopefully they won’t continue tomorrow

I also fell off. Stressful few days: waiting all Monday for DD's secondary school place, I had to see GP yesterday and now awaiting breast clinic appointment.
Had a lovely walk out yesterday afternoon with friend of DD and her mum which helped. Will try and find some stuff today.