Decluttering one item a day thread number 18 – quickly stashing our clutter in charity shops now we can let people back inside our houses

[stealthninjamum]

Here we are again, still decluttering and still chatting and sometimes getting rid of some clutter.

This is a group of mumsnetters who aspire to live in a lovely clutterfree environment, usually scuppered by husbands, children, dogs and in my house ‘valuable’ bits of twig and stone or origami versions of aardvarks and komodo dragons.

We are slowly decluttering our houses, chatting and updating each other on our slow progress as we go. We only aim to get rid of one a day but often manage more. Newbies are welcome to join us.

Since the last thread charity shops reopened and things got closer to normal. I’ve now invited friends over for the end of June so have a month to get the house ‘guest ready’.

Previous thread here.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4183135-Decluttering-one-item-a-day-and-counting-down-til-the-opening-of-charity-shops-thread-number-17?pg=38

Not been here for a while. I did really well but then lost focus when I achieved some space on the kitchen. Need a new little area to tackle. Three books out yesterday though. Onwards and upwards

nothing out over the weekend.

incessant i keep the dc's "to grow into clothes" in bags in the loft. i have an alarm set on my phone to go up there once every 3 months to have a look through and bring things down and sort out.

i have tidied the house a bit this morning (or rather the garage. have sorted some laundry out and piled it up on our bed - dh will ant a nap later so might have to put it away before he does so)

sort of decluttering - back on sewing machine, churning out Little Hugs blankets for Woolly Hugs (3 done, 2 to go)

I have 2 small blankets to finish for my youngest 2, then I'm onto sorting through a heap of clothes: mending & altering but also throwing away useless bits

Zing I love sewing. I didnt know working hugs took fabric makes?

I have finished the spreadsheet and dd has 436 things to grow into!

So I will get summer over with. She can wear all the 5-6 things then I will replace everything with the sizes up to 7-8 for winter and sort the 7-8 summer bits too.

So nothing out. But lots more organised now. I have the spreadsheet on my phone so I can what she has in instant. No more impulse buys for me.

I also ordered some clothes from Monsoon in the sale which was all hideous so it can all go back

Lots of Gu dishes here too!

I think we've discussed getting rid of body lotion before Wilderness. I'm sure somebody must use it but I am at a loss who!

Zing those look amazing! I woukd never be able to do that

Quite a productive weekend as my parents visited and left with two big bags of baby bits for my sister plus a couple of jigsaws for my niece. I have a bag ready to go to charity shop tomorrow as well which I need to sneak into the car without kids seeing!

I think another aim is to reduce her "to grow into" stash by 50% asap but just swopping the sizes might achive that.

I do use body lotion, although not as frequently as id like to be doing at the moment.

i have the sae one on the go from a while back. just working through the stash i have. . . . slowly.

just ordered some period pants for myself. mostly for use at the gym and while i'm riding. i use washable pads, but am always paranoid that people can see them when i'm wearing leggings. no idea if they can or not. but it makes me a bit paranoid (and i've been meaning to give the pants a go for a while now) so i've done it.

@IncessantNameChanger

yes, there are some projects where sewing can be used!

I'm hopeless at linking but check out Woolly Hugs website and you can see all the projects and their specific info on size, material, colours & crafting details.

For Little Hugs the size is 18" square minimum (whether crocheted, knitted or sewn).
any colour combo, pattern, design are welcome.
Sewn blankets should consist of 2 layers: 100% dress cotton or cotton flannel are the most used, however I've seen baby/needle cord as well.
For the backing cotton flannel or polar fleece are really good.

hope this helps, but feel free to ask more questions!!

*for the top layer 100% dress cotton etc.

forgot to start that sentence properly

I just lost a long post. Bloody phone. Will now summarise.

Body lotions. Yuk. Hate them but use them because it feels wrong to throw them out, curently I am 90% through a body shop one so I smell of coconut which I quite like.

incessant do you let your dd choose her own clothes? My dds seem quite fussy so I take them shopping (online or in real life) and I buy much less than when I used to choose. They’re also quite good at saying when they will never wear something so it goes.

zingdrama those look amazing.

Anyway, my update. Usual update - painting, paperwork shredded etc. I also found a teeny tiny pair of socks in dd2s pyjama drawer. I don’t know how I haven’t thrown them away before so they’re going. I’m struggling to find time to do any decluttering with dc home.

Stealth I didnt use to let her choose, but since this latest round of decluttering she has chosen the very few items I have bought her. I took her to the Next sale only she picked three things that would fit her.

I have got her a few cheap second hand t shirts from vinted for her birthday. She wore her brothers hoodie out to the beach today so potentially some hoodies can go if she will wear his

Busy weeks and just keeping up with 1 item a day. Hope everyone is doing well and school holidays starting on a positive note.

Did have some family decluttering success at the wekrnd by seizing on some DH enthusiasm. He has sorted the foot high pile of magazines and 30 now in recycling. Just a few kept to finish reading. Also took some old TV stuff to the dump and DH sorted the linked cables and all were for the dump too as too old for current tech - another 28 items. Finally, DC sorted 28 books and they have done to book recycling point at the dump. Feels like progress as two rooms have been tidied completely as a reuslt of these last bits of TV stuff going.

dh has ditched a pair of trainers. that's it

After yesterday’s chat I decided to check the stash of body lotions and found a small shampoo and conditioner set that I won’t use. They’re in the charity shop pile. In a local shop there’s a section for toiletries for a refuge so they will go there, perhaps with a body lotion or two.

One out yesterday - a book I bought to read for book club, which I don’t want to keep.

I’m off work this week but PIL are visiting, so there will probably be zero decluttering. They are not staying with us as we don’t have a spare room, but we’re planning some days out. It is stressful due to MIL’s mobility issues as a lot of our usual days out (eg: farm attractions) involve a lot of walking about, which she would struggle with.

I have started to feel I will never tackle all this clutter It’s too overwhelming and I just never have time or energy. And even when I do some decluttering, it’s impossible to get it out of the house! I have a couple of bags of DD’s clothes that I need to take to charity bank, but the ones near us are always full. We have a few things that need to go to the tip, but DH never offers to do this and I’m sick of having to take responsibility for arranging another thing. It’s wearying

Love those quilts Zing. I am really into sewing, and that’s another thing I need to de clutter!

An old stained (with ink) bed set has gone in the rag bag, and some small shower gels put in the shower to be used up rather than sat in a cupboard. Not a lot else as really busy with work.

ellieq You sound so low and your dh sounds so useless. Have you tried to have a serious chat with him? It’s these kind of issues that can build up and kill all respect and affection in a marriage, I know all about that. Sadly I can’t advise on what you should say as it seems like I’m crap at having a happy marriage.

No decluttering for me as I took dds out and now I’m clearing up after making bread. There’s flour everywhere.

Ellieq decluttering is overwhelming. That's a shame it sounds like you have to do all the thinking. I find if I ask if x can go i get a yes more often than I expect but that does require me to think!

Stealth, home made bread sounds amazing. Worth the clear up hopefully. Yum.

Some recent outs yesterday- some bits of paper, a shampoo I won't use, some chocs I don't like (shocking I know).
Today I cleared out old medicines. The drawer isn't tidy but having a third less stuff should make it easier to find things. More was out of date than I thought. So a trip to the pharmacy needed to get rid.

I feel your pain on the stuff for the tip Ellie. I have offered to take some of our pile a few times and DH always says no but then never gets around to it himself. We have boxes of stuff from our last move in the garage that he hasn't even opened; so much of our clutter is his.

In more positive news, I dropped off the charity shop bag within a week of filling it which must be a record!

EllieQ it can be overwhelming but small nibbles and you will stay afloat until you are in a better place.

Can you take a carrier bag each trip into town for charity? I have started to volunteer in a charity and we sort out the ok bits and rags.

The odd bits and Bob's into the bin. Needs must. Saves a big tip run. Until you can sit dh and explain how important this is for you.

How about bagging things up and leaving the bags in the hall? It will be less hassle to do a tip run then dh keep on navigating around them?

I had 12 ins today! Dd trainers fell apart so did a primark run as for some reason the new trainers I bought her from h&m she insists are too big!

I have ideas on what needs to go, just got to do it. Hard with the kids around but I'm still feeling positive that I'm doing little moves in the right direction over summer

ellieq I agree with incessant sometimes you just need to bin stuff. I’m obsessively green and into recycling but your mental health is worth more. Can you leave stuff outside your house with a ‘free’ sign?

No outs for me, I’m also struggling today.

Thanks pineappleapple yesterday’s bread was sort of decluttering. I suspect my yeast which is a few months out of date is less active so we made hedgehog bread rolls with the bread maker as I felt it didn’t matter as much if the bread doesn’t rise much. So even the machine doing the kneading and messy work dd2 still seemed to create a cloud of flour that coated every surface!

Still sick as hell here ☹️😡🤬! With my useless immune system every cough and cold lasts for weeks for me after everyone else has recovered . Also poor puppy’s neutering has been postponed for the third time now . First because of a kennel cough now twice because of a neck wound he won’t leave alone we think he originally got from the new grooming place although we only noticed a while later when there was a scab he then had ripped off several times so can’t be 100% on that . He’s now got a cone on his head and antibiotics and steroids so hopefully will get better soon and we can proceed with his surgery finally . His doggy daycare boarding is all booked up for August so we won’t travel abroad this summer again .I guess it’s for the best since I’m so ill , the poor dog not well and we’ve got the move impending too. I’ve asked about boarding on halfterm in October and will ask for Christmas holidays . Hopefully one of them is available. I would like to see my family eventually. It’s been 2 y now which is the longest I’ve ever gone between visits .
Kids and DH have visited his mom a few times and have been out sailing , wakeboarding and standup paddle boarding , swimming etc and MIL has gotten the kids an archery set so at least they’ve been having some sort of summer holidays . Also they’ve been going out to play tennis regularly near where we live and cycling with DH . My last outing at all was to the aft tea with DD and friends when school had ended for her a couple of weeks ago . I am getting bored at home but also don’t want to plan anything until I feel better. We have a few ideas for kids with DH though . He wants to take them surfing at the artificial wave place near Bristol and as soon as ok weather to a theme park . I’ve also seen a trapeze place in London in a few parks I might book that for the kids if they’re feeling brave ! I’d like to book a few meals out too but I have to wait or book for late august hoping I’ll then be better .
Needless to say nothing much is getting done here on the decluttering front since I’ve been feeling crap just been keeping on top of the normal cleaning and laundry . There’s still a back log and I have lots of new sheets for new house I should launder too and pack . I’m thinking DH who’s actually home next weekend for a change needs to do a charity shop run there’s at least two big storage boxes worth to take again and I was going to be brave and look through 5 boxes of kids clothes I’ve had DH bring back from our storage locker . He now wants to see what some more expensive little baby shoes etc would go for on eBay but I’m
not ready to let everything go and also have zero time or energy for that I feel like I’d rather donate . Hoping to add some to the charity load to go next weekend in any case.
Other than that I’ve managed to go thorough DS old school uniform and after putting a few bits to clothing collection I’ve bagged up the rest into his uniform basket ready to go as soon as we’ve got his replacement clothes bought for A- levels . They can continue wearing standard uniform or switch to smart office wear for the next two years and he wants to wear his own clothes so we have a long shopping list now ,trying to get at least some of it from the sales .
Only a few outs recently besides box piles going out in recycling .

• a few more books
• some old socks etc to rags
• a few kids clothes to dump clothing collection and charity shop pile
• a plastic dog feeding bowl toy he’d chewed a bit too much
• a soft dog post surgery cone that’s too small ,vet gave him a plastic one that attaches into his collar . Poor thing looks so sad in it !

I will need to also get on and check and label DD new uniform plus get a few more socks etc then her stuff inc shoes and a new pencil case are ready . At the moment getting anything extra done is a bit plus . I’ve been getting DH to do deep cleaning jobs done he’s taking Thu off to go do a sport but rest of the day will be jobs in the house ditto this weekend. Starting to feel more pressure about moving practicalities . I’ve been figuring out what furniture we need to order some take a while since not in stock . Others I can’t order yet since have nowhere to put them and no definite moving date yet . It’s so stressful ! Will probably soon get boxes though to start packing wedging China etc not normally used stuff.

dh appears to be decluttering the garage (obviously when i did it a while ago i didnt do it right...) but whatever. he's getting on with it.

our house is about to fill up with toys. dd will be 2 tomorrow.

also decluttered bank account yesterday and paid a hefty deposit for a new kitchen. yippee!

stonking headache today, taken painkillers but can't think straight.

I've just put dinner in the oven (takes ages) so I think I'll have a nap.
happy decluttering everyone

Oh dear I have gone back into a spending cycle! Shoot me now 😫!
Not sure why I have bought more things?!

We are on holiday next week so I can get rid of some of the smaller clothing for the kids after then. Not really sure where my head goes when the kids are off school. I just lose the decluttering plot.

No more new things.

Happy birthday to little ememem. My dd will be 7 next week but I will have a late birthday party in the new term. I have got her a few little bits and take her to a toy shop to choose her own present. I did that with her brother in lockdown. Toom him to the toy dept in Asda and it worked out well as he choose things he really liked and Asda doesnt have really expensive toys.

Right, I'm off to declutter something. To get rid of the numbers I got in. Not feeling it. But i will!