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

Huge achievement! That must feel great.

Still feeling a bit sore today so haven't managed the walk I'd hoped to do.
Someone came and bought an item I had on Gumtree. Someone else was due to pick up a free item yesterday, no show so I've offered it to the other person who replied. Put some old boots in the shoe recycling bin.

Well, I’m gutted.

I tried to schedule an Icollectclothes collection for the end of next week, only to have it immediately cancelled as there is no service in my area. I don’t know what I’m gonna do with this stuff now 🥺. Our non-essential is looking to reopen at the back end of April, but past experience tells me it will be weeks after that before the charity shops are ready.

I'm sorry to hear that Hagqueen what is it you're getting rid of? Do you feel like just trying freecycle or a charity shop like BHF or Shelter? There will be someone that wants your stuff. Perhaps ask on a Nextdoor or local facebook group? There might be a local refuge that take some clothes.

Thanks 1990s I wouldn't say 'huge', the photos I got rid of are the tip of the iceberg really. But it will take time.

vinorosso I'm sorry you're still sore. I hope it gets better soon.

Alright stealth I’ll downgrade to big My most recent photos attempt ended with my adding some back in from the (digital) trash somehow, so ended up with more than when I started.... compared with that 79 physical things out is big

Ah who am I kidding, I had a panic when I’d deleted a load and undid all my work... the mental struggle is real.

@stealthninjamum bit of everything really :( lots of home decor, but nothing of big value! I may list a few pieces on market place for free, but in all honesty I am not sure I have the energy to pull apart stuff for free listings and going through the rigmarole of communicating with people and getting let down with pickups etc. Most of the stuff worth listing for sale I have done so, other stuff is stuff I wouldn’t risk posting really. Hey ho, I will keep my eye open for opprtunities to get rid.

On the plus, I decluttered a huge chunk from my one ‘sentimental’ box. Just a few photos and cards and papers. I only have one box and it wasn’t even full so not really a big deal but one thing done.

I have got some stuff sitting, new decor for projects not yet undertaken, gonna use my time off and try to get rid of some of it by putting it up and painting a bit!!

Thanks, 1990s. Sadly, if it was a real innersole emergency, I'd be useless as I'd have to cut round them first! This is possibly why I kept the others for so long.

Stealth - I'm impressed with you doing photos. I've been avoiding doing mine and as you know, I've done a lot of other things. I think it's possibly the feelings which I'm avoiding. So, well done for going there; I know it's not easy.

I've had an idea today which involves moving some of DP's stuff, in order to free that space up for more useful things. He actually agrees with me that this would be better, but is strangely not available atm. So, I've been through a kitchen drawer instead.

My outs are:

1 Douwe Egbert's jar w a strangely missing lid.
2 measuring cups.
2 measuring spoons.

The bedding I bought the other day is also packed up, ready to go back.

Hagqueen - I posted on a local fb group and found that there are still local charities taking stuff.

I’ve a huge number of bookends in today but they will - fingers crossed - make it possible to actually find the book I need in future. I spent five hours being shuttled between GP and hospital departments today so am currently decluttering some Lindt balls (I managed to injure myself so ridiculously I needed stitches in my armpit).

I am jealous of those of you who have made any progress today.
I think I have some unloved photos downstairs, should maybe see if cull is possible.

Day 184:
A notepad that has been used up in recycling.
Baby grow out away as too small

sandandsea thanks, it has been hard and I think I have culled another 50.

It sounds impressive that I think I have got rid of about 150 since Sunday but they’re mainly blurry, rubbish ones or the crapper ones if there are duplicates. It has been painful to do because of photos of 3 exes, my wedding, in-laws etc. It’s also hard because there are photos of people I haven’t seen for years and didn’t even remember until I saw the photos but now I can’t make myself throw them away and I feel like befriending them in Facebook just to send them the photos.

And I have a stupid thing about keeping all the film negatives so I have ordered some plastic wallets to keep them in. They arrive tomorrow.

I am giving myself a week to organise them all, I hadn’t intended to but now they’re in piles all over the floor I think she it’s easiest to finish the job.

hagqueen do you have any clothes bins near you? I took a bag each time I went food shopping.

stealth you are doing really well with photos, im not sure I could do that. There's thousands of photos on various hard drives I need to sort but just can't face it right now!

So today has been a mad panic clean and tidy up. My mum is coming over to babysit tomorrow as I've got to go on a first aid course for work. My house was (still is a bit) a tip as no visitors means I get lazy! I sorted the bathroom. A bagful of half used old toiletries and general rubbish gone. I attempted to replace the broken toilet seat... the new one is fault so now have no toilet seat at all! I put on my soap dish that drains the water out, looks very nice!

Then I did my getting ready area (by the front door where I do hair, makeup etc). I got rid of several bottles of products that don't work for my skin, old suncream, empty mascaras and 2 hairbrushes that won't go through any of our hair!

A whole lot of dust and grime has been decluttered today too!

2 ins today was the girls world book day books I picked up and a hoodie dd1 fell in love with on ebay (five nights at freddys one!)

Good day today. Several sets of Lego now checked and ready to be listed. Box of books/DVD accepted by music magpie - the bare minimum £5 trade but a shelf worth in the one of the bookcases.

I think I’m finally getting through to DH - he has a lot of unused hobby stuff, mostly cycling and camping, that I’ve been encouraging him to sell in order to raise money for a thing he does really want. It’s actually working and this last week he sold half a dozen things!

A sock died this morning, or rather I ripped & added to rag pile.
I might be able to do a whole year of adding holey socks to meet my daily quota on this thread .

Thanks all for suggestions, mostly it is non-clothes, but icollectclothes was happy to take them (i emailed a while ago). I’ve recycled a lot of clothes and I’m reluctant to put anymore in the bins here at some are new with tags (but not worth selling online). I may do so if things drag out to reduce the pile.

to give you a taste of my mindset this morning... I decided to count my socks. I got bored so stopped counting merely on the 'overflow' stash that doesn't fit in the giant sock drawer... so that's about 36 pairs. Must be > 70 in the main drawer. I never bought most of these, btw, probably 90% are gifts or ones that DC decided they didn't like.

Will catch up later. But so far today a lot of envelopes, some of ds’ art, a bottle of shower gel, mouthwash.

lljkk that made me laugh. Are you going to get rid of any socks?

I have done more painting and started organising my film negatives so that they can be nicely filed and the photos put away and the little envelopes thrown away. I have been labelling the backs of the photos I’m keeping. I’m feeling really organised but I am aware that I probably should just chuck the negatives away!

lljkk about two years ago, I had lots of socks, possibly 40 to 50 pairs. I have gradually reduced the amount as they wore out and apart from some trainer socks/liners haven't bought any new ones. They all easily fit in a small drawer now.
Outs today, 2 pens which have almost run out.

Phew! It’s taken me since the middle of the last thread to catch up but I finally have!

@Vinorosso74 sorry to hear your news - I hope you’re feeling less sore and the biopsy results are good. Will keep everything crossed for you

@Slothkin I hope you’re less sore today too!

I’ve been slowly plodding along with the decluttering. Went to list a bag of almost new toys the other day to find DH had accidentally taken them to the charity shop the last time he went. I’m half pleased that I don’t have the hassle of selling them but also a bit that he got rid of what was £120 new. Ah well, someone’s going to get a bargain Rubens Barn doll at the charity shop when they reopen!

We’re supposed to be moving house so I should really make more of an effort to streamline our possessions but it all feels a bit premature at the moment - there’s literally nothing coming on the market for us to buy so I’m feeling a bit jaded by it all.

@Vinorosso74 Sorry you are feeling sore, hope it is getting better today.

@EllieQ and @Times10 and anyone else struggling with their kids, I saw this article the other day and thought of the thread. It basically says that when our children act up or shout, to take our responses down a notch - so if they shout, you respond more calmly than normal and it defuses the situation. I'm trying it with DD and it's helping.

www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/03/hunt-gather-parent-timeless-advice-for-modern-parents/618172/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

Outs: some emails and too much chocolate

So you work away for a weekend and items on selling/free sites for months suddenly become irresistible.... so by mid next week I should have got rid of a load of crockery, a rash suit, a t shirt and a baby gym 😂. I should work away more often!!