Decluttering one item a day (and counting down til the opening of charity shops!) – thread number 17

[stealthninjamum]

This is an accountability and chat thread for mumsnetters who dream of living in an uncluttered haven of calm and tidiness.

Bit by bit we are slowly decluttering our houses and keeping our fingers crossed that charity shops will open on 12th April – although we’re also adding to the list of places in the second post that will also take our clutter.

The aim of this thread is to help us get rid of just one item a day or 365 a year. We just report back on our progress and then chat about anything and everything. The thread is for anyone so newbies are always welcome.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4144854-Decluttering-one-item-a-day-and-having-nowhere-to-put-it-thread-number-16?msgid=105205665

An update from yesterday - I sorted through DD’s outgrown school uniform, and have a bag to drop off at school (if they are still collecting it), and a second bag with items where I couldn’t peel the name labels off, for DH to deal with. I have been meaning to do this for ages, but it’s taken a while to get fifteen minutes where I have the free time and energy.

Earlier in the week I moved the bag of gift bags into the space under the bag that was created when DH used up the last of the wrapping paper that was stored there. So it’s more reorganising than decluttering, but it means there isn’t a bag of gift bags permanently living in the corner of the bedroom.

Can anyone remember the site where you send your clothes and they sell them, part to charity, part to them and part to you?

Yesterday's outs:
1 booties if fancy expensive bubble bath a friend have me. Half used and well out if date but I hate taking baths so it's gone. 3 other used cosmetic bottles.

One person collected some of my FB freebies - 4 kids books and some dressing up clothes.

Ok answered my own qn with a long winded search so for anyone else who wants it

So I did a bit of research and have ordered some bags from Thriftplus thrift.plus/# which I half remembered seeing on Dragons den. Also found isecondthat www.isecondthat.co.uk/ which is a similar principle but takes stuff from Tu and Primark and the lower High Street end which Thrift won't credit: @Lineofconcepcion

Hi all, hope the bank holiday going ok for you.

Sorted through all my sheet music on Friday and got rid of several teams of tatty papers into recycling. Still haven’t got enough space for all my music scores but it is better than it was.

Also bagged up a donate by post for British Red Cross to go out this week. Another still to go.

Might have finally been able to pass on our baby car seat to a friend as a seat for grandparents. Will be nice to get it out of the house!

@Vinorosso74 Glad your operation went well, how are you getting on?

I'm slowly carrying out with the decluttering, have a whole box of toys to go and have managed to get rid of some other items since I posted last. As usual I can't remember which . I have some items to go to the tip and toys to hand down.

sleepingstandingup thanks for those links. I don't think I have heard of those before. I will try to add them to the second post for the next thread although I do find when it comes to starting a new thread I can never find the links! Note to self: also need to add teddybear links.

I've been quiet as I've not really been decluttering. Stbexh was meant to pick up a child yesterday but didn't. Today he was going to make lunch for one and I haven't heard from him. So I've just been hanging out with them - mainly chatting while they play on gadgets - just trying to make them feel loved really.

So I haven't decluttered anything - but I am about to do a big clean before dinner.

Ordered a couple of bags. I prob won't make much but I feel happier them attempting to sell them properly. It's clothes I struggled to part with so hoping this will help

Decluttered - bagged up more of DS's clothes that he wants taken to his flat - two teeshirts, two sweatshirts, one jersey, three pairs jeans.

Similar amount of clothes that he didn't want is now out of his wardrobe and taking up much less space in the bottom of a cupboard.
It is so good to have that wardrobe space back. Now with the shelves back in, I can use it for all the hobby stuff that is scattered around upstairs.

I tidied the xmas tags/ wrapping paper as I'd been in the spare room 'christmas cupboard' the other day and noticed it was messy. I used to keep buying tags, bows and ribbon every year and so one year put them all in a large bag and have been working my way through it. I have used enough tags now that they fit with ribbons and bows in a small bag so I threw the large bag away and lots of empty packaging. It's a small thing but I like having a neat Christmas wrapping area. I also only have 3 rolls of wrapping paper - at one point I had about a dozen. Having said that the Room of Doom has about 3 rolls of paper - that 'Santa' used to use. dd2 has worked out the truth so I can probably combine them all so that's a space cleared from the Room of Doom.

Is everyone unmotivated like me? I have painted a little bit more today and thrown out some post and old lists and bits of paper but that's it.

Definitely unmotivated here @stealthninjamum Just getting through each day is taking all of my energy at the moment - once I’ve finished work and done the day-to-day stuff, I’m shattered And that’s with DH doing his half of household stuff and childcare, if not more. I felt better over the bank holiday weekend, but today it’s back to normal.

The sale of my mum’s house will go through in a couple of weeks, and my sister has arranged the house clearance, so that is weighing on me. I think I’ll feel relieved once it’s done and there’s no going back.

This evening DH has cleared all his random bits of paper and junk from the dining table, and is going to sort through them, so that’s progress, even if it’s not me! I didn’t even have to ask him, which is unusual

Day 234: yesterday
Baby items and maternity dress in bag for my friend.

Day 235: today
A cardi and tights to my friend
Finally posted my postal vote

I’ve finally gotten all the cleaning liquids organised into wire baskets in categories into the utility cupboards . I’m yet to manage to go do the 9 shelves in 3 wall cupboards but the clear plastic home edit containers are waiting in the hall . I’m feeling so tired and not up to anything atm so just been doing normal cleaning and laundry and admin and going to appointments etc.I’m getting my second Covid jab on sat and yesterday went to dentist again . DH went to dump again with boxes and recycling and stuff I’ve mentioned before . Out recently ;

• DD old roller skates now that she got online rollerblades for her birthday ( they were getting small and we don’t need both !)
• my old bikini , I’ve finally found a replacement I have bought the top earlier and today ordered bottoms and another top which I pray are good
• a few more bits to rag bag
• a few more clothes to clothing collection and better ones to charity shop bag
• a couple of books and an unused sticker book
• pair of kids little used silver ugg boots to charity shop . I’m finding this hard since I have kept all kids especially my DD good conditioned or unused expensive clothes for another child we now won’t have I’m sure , they’re in storage and I’m not ready to let go but I’m trying to give away things now little by little as she grows out if then . I am keeping a lace summer dress that’s virtually new though .
• 40 awful smelly even after washing squishy animals DH let DD buy on Amazon with her birthday money without asking me . There’s no way I’m going to have my house and her hands and body stink like that and this awful residue hanging around . We’ve explained and reimbursed her .

- another unravelling dog toy made of rope ,I’ve got to believe these don’t stand a chance against our puppy’s teeth and stop buying them ! I have more admin and laundry to fold today but I am trying to gather the energy to go do those shelves in utility later this week ...

Ellieq apologies if I remembered it wrong but don't you also have loads of your mums stuff still? I'm so sorry, it must be such a difficult time for you and your sister. It sounds like even dh is stepping up so maybe he likes living in a nice house? You having a few weeks off isn't going to hurt as long as you get back in the zone afterwards.

I'm still demotivated, there's just still so much to do and I feel like I'm barely scratching at the surface and as I've said before a million times I never seem to finish a job. So with that in mind I have done more painting. I have stopped at a bit where stbexh hit his stupid head on the doorframe and cracked it so I need to get the polyfilla out.

In terms of decluttering I have chucked out some boxes including dd2's shoebox from Saturday.I hope she doesn't remember it. I have already marinaded chicken for dinner tonight and am going to now attempt to spend the rest of the afternoon doing admin and going through photos. I am wondering if I can finish the photos today, I can't hoover my bedroom because of the photos on the floor.

Day236:

Under sink cleared 3 times revues and 2 given away.
3 pairs of broken flip flops thrown out.

You’re remembering correctly Stealth as I do have several boxes and bags of stuff from my mum’s house - some is my old stuff (A Level notes etc) and the rest is family stuff that I want to keep. I’m not in the right place to deal with it now, tbh.

Today I got rid of a notebook that was full - nothing important, just my weekly To Do lists. I have been using a new notebook for these for a couple of months, and finally got round to recycling the old one. Tiny steps...!

DH has done some sorting/ shredding of his pile of paperwork from the table, so that was good to see

Forgot a big out earlier ;
-DH sold one of his old mountain bikes for a good amount on eBay it’s being picked up in the next few days

• also a too small kids raincoat although this is being replaced

DH is helping his mom declutter her house after his dad passed a few years ago so that’s added work for him . She’s gotten quite a lot of things sold at local auction houses etc .some Chinese items went for a huge amount actually ,these vases that were in the hallway for all the years of our kids racing around and survived were worth thousands each ! DH has been selling his dads bikes and just listed the last normal sized one . Then has to start trying to unload a collection of all kinds of old different sized boats . I think his mom is preparing to sell the house eventually but probably not for years yet which is great since it’s such a lovely place by the water for kids to visit and there’s much to do there for them . DH doesn’t seem to want to keep anything really he took a few small objects only that are in his study so far except he’d want a big boat painting if it’s offered to him apparently . I’m not into paintings on my walls so it would go into his study or something . Still in a funk here but managing some admin ;getting more appointments booked , necessary items ordered and trying to get DD birthday party sorted too. Poor DS is doing 22 exams for GCSEs in the next 3 w I feel sorry for him . We just have to get through these weeks now although results will come only in August . I don’t envy him the stress level is very high .in the meantime I’m still up at this hour watching tv due to anxiety keeping me up at night . At least the leaking boiler is being looked into tomorrow and the landlord agreed to the extension to our stay here for a few months while we wait for our house to finish being built . Counting the positives as much as I can ... -Out also a couple of kids birthday presents to friends and relatives .

7 food magazines and local papers (April dates) looked at and in recycling bin.
2 cookery books bought by DH now located on kitchen bookshelf having lurked on the worktop for weeks.
Personal admin tasks dealt with so decluttered that 'nagging' something needs doing feeling.

And 4 polling cards binned #voted.

Oh yes we can bin our polling cards too , we normally vote in all elections but this time we thought there wasn’t one good candidate so we didn’t ...
And the boiler repairman cancelled 😡 luckily leak isn’t big and has gotten less plus DH is catching it with his ingenious water bottle funnel system into a box ( lucky I seemed to have married Macgyver ) and we can still use he boiler so it’s not an emergency. Second day of DS exams went ok as well . Mood is zero here not getting anything done today what so ever but it’s another day tomorrow and I might get the laundry folded in front of the tv after next watching The Mandalorian with DH and DS once the doggy has been dried after his bath

Day 237:

All the bagged baby items delivered to friend so actually OUT.
A few extra bits added to the bags that are too small.
A bottle of Piri piri sauce given away.

ellieq I'm sorry to hear that, I can understand why you wouldn't be in the right place to go through your mum's stuff. I offer a virtual cup of tea and cake or maybe gin as it's late.

1 polling card in the shredded pile along with a few catalogues and bits of junk mail.

I also looked through my photos today and yesterday. I only decided to get rid of about 20 but I emptied a big photo album that I might give to a charity shop (but it looks really old fashioned - it must be 25 years old). I am so slow with these bloody photos, I have to write on the back what the photo is with the year. I was trying to put , city, month / year but I have so many photos I can't identify. And does it really matter? It's just slowing me down.

I can't remember what my clutterbug personality is but I think I am too much of a perfectionist which stops me starting and finishing jobs. I spend hours looking for a storage 'solution' for my perfect organisation. I haven't looked at many of these photos for 15 years (since I got a digital camera I suppose) so what does it matter if I can't remember which month I visited Brighton with a friend?

Slightly lacking in motivation here as well! Just don't have the energy after work at the moment.

Sorry to here your ex is being unreliable Stealth. May be frustrating. I also have the perfectionist tendencies, I think I am a ladybird.

I hope your mum's house sale goes through smoothly Ellie. A work colleague is doing similar at the moment and says it is very emotionally tiring so you have my sympathy.

You always seem to be getting loads done nordic!

I opened the cupboard of doom for the first time in weeks yesterday. Managed to get rid of a few stray bits of paper. There are two huge bags for the charity shop in there too so that will free up some space. I'm going to have a last pass through the bag of dvds to see if Ziffit will take any.

I’m like that too Stealth - it does put me off doing something if I know it’s not going to be perfect.

Yesterday I put some of my old A Level notes in the recycling - I’d sorted through them last summer and kept a few pages (with the best handwriting or nice comments from my teachers), and the rest have been in a box under the dining room table. I felt weird about putting them all in the recycling at once, so I’ve been doing it bit by bit.

And there’s been another out today as DH dropped off a bag of old school uniform at school. I’ve just had a little panic as I realised I forgot to take a photo of it before it went out (I usually take photos of anything I get rid of). There is another bag to go (once the name labels are removed) so I’ll take a photo of everything in there. I’m glad I’ve been able to let go of it.