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

So much great progress to read about. Hope you are all enjoying the forward progress.

Steady decluttering here with a trip to the dump with cables and a bag of rubbish from DC's room. Have a charity shop bag and a couple of bigger bits to drop in on their next 'receiving' day.

Currently sorting paperwork for filing which will clear the kitchen side. Have been staring at it all summer holiday. Why, just why? It will take a max 10 mins to clear. Much like the DCs return home suitcases that have sat on the landing since early July - finally put away in the loft yesterday - 5 mins. Some will stay there for the next few months but two will be used again mid Sept for university DC, but at least the landing is clear now.

I am finding the positive posts encouraging. To those who have stalled, as I did, the urge to continue does return. Sometimes you just need to take a moment to recharge.

@RaspberryBlonde

both the high school & junior school decided to carry on with kids going in wearing PE kit on PE days.
This is so much better, apart from no chance of losing expensive clothes & trainers we don't need to buy so many multiples of school uniforms as they get used & washed less!
And PE kits are more comfortable.

@pollyannaperspective

great progress for you as well.
suitcases hanging about reminded me of how I left hospital bags unpacked for absolute months after having whichever of my kids.
The longest I left it was about 8m after DD was born, obviously didn't need the boy clothes I packed (didn't know what we'll have) and she had feeding issues so I just didn't have the time. I finally sorted it just before Christmas that year as we needed to clear out a room!🤣

I agree that PE kit is so much more comfy and practical @ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba. School have implied that they are carrying on with it, but haven't confirmed yet which is less than helpful given term starts on Thursday! I've just got one set of everything for now and will be washing lots until I know what we actually need.

Think playdoh might be our out today ememem as ours seems to have gone sticky and hard to shape. DD also finished off a craft activity this morning so that box has gone.

Spent the afternoon sorting through every single piece of clothing that I own (minus the larger sizes I'm currently wearing post baby, that will all go anyway after weight lose) and getting rid of anything that didn't fit prebaby, elastic has gone, holes in or generally doesn't spark love for. Got a whole crate of stuff to go and another of underwear, bras and socks for the bin! 🙌

I did however spend the morning at the car boot sale and bought loads of Christmas tshirts for DD 😂 so ya know! Swings and roundabouts 🤣

An in for next week - I bought a cart from Amazon for all the dcs craft and art supplies. To contain them all in one place instead of every where.

Day7

Technically a rest day, but DH took DS4 to a birthday party near Wimbledon and so decided to pop in to Ikea and get bed for DS1, instead of waiting around.

I've been sorting this bunch of triangle offcuts for a scrappy patchwork blanket.
Not quite halfway through as a lot of them need trimming so the right angles are spot on.
This is how I relax!😁

Very encouraging to read how folk are getting rid of unnecessary bits and pieces. I’d like to join in with my decluttering achievements! So over the last few days I sorted part of my wardrobe and found a fair few bits that I know I will no longer wear. (In the past I would have kept them so as not to be wasteful and would certainly plan to wear them but I’m trying to be more realistic now… if I haven’t worn them in the last few years I won’t suddenly start now!)

I also sorted clothes in my DDs wardrobe, a few items given away.

A fair bit of parcel packaging has gone into recycling or binned.

Ooh, organised my bedding and towels on new shelves exciting!

Have ordered several food canisters. I had too many things in packets in the kitchen but now most dry items can go in canisters.

I have to say a lot of this was possible as I had my mum staying over so she saw to other bits of the house while I decluttered. But it felt so good! I hope I can keep this up and make it a habit to deal with stuff there and then rather than leave it for another time!

Good going Coco.

So 30 items now filed, including my passport, not that we are going abroad any time soon.

Also found a second bag of bits sorted for the charity shop that I had completely forgotten - same cupboard as the filing cabinet.

No new cannisters but I have sorted one pull out larder cupboard and swept out the bottoms of two. Chucked some out of date biscuits we tried but no-one liked, and recycled the tin. Was going to keep it in case it came in handy but decided that would be unlikely so out it went. Finally, unpacked a protein powder DH ordered months ago and put it away and packaging in recycling. Side now empty of detritus and clean. So feel kitchen is much tidier.

General housework and cleaning here (and sleeping )while DH has been at his moms with the kids . Our 3 ebay items were picked up yesterday and the total from those was nearly 2000£ so that’s great ! He and kids have had a nice weekend going wakeboarding today , kids swimming and playing with their cousins ( DS 16 has gotten DD 9 into playing American football and rugby apparently she very good at throwing the ball 😄) and yesterday DH went boating with his friend who came in his McLaren DH had wanted to see . We didn’t go away at all this summer with our puppy unwell several times and then being neutered and this move coming up so making the most of what’s available at MILs house . DH uncle unfortunately just passed away a few days ago and the aunt lives next door ( it was her daughters kids my kids played with ) so im sure that was hanging over everyone the whole time though . Now there’ll be a funeral or at least a wake before we move too I expect . I am working on the laundry mountain and packing laundered new bedding for the move . Found a bunch socks etc to rag bag and T-shirt’s to clothing bank from the clean laundry I folded still have a huge basket of socks to pair up later while I watch tv some of those can go too . Am now being ruthless with old clothes that have been in use recently . Might have to take the already sorted boxes with us though and continue to cart those to charity from the new house there’s so much left . Will ask DH to list the bugaboo and take the changing table to reuse area at dump from storage that we’ll give up now that we’ll get a big attic room partly for storage ( am planning to put up a wall there ). I just want him to bring the labeled plastic boxes but nothing else to the new house from that locker so I’m trying to remember what’s in that place ! Will have to get more ready to go next weekend when I want to hire a zip van and then I need to order a hundred and one more things I just made a list and it’s long . We have several pieces of furniture left , some appliances , bedding and towels ,kitchen and bathroom stuff, garage storage etc to still sort . Some need just ordering but the rest actually choosing and some research so I feel like it’s a hurry to do that . I’ve identified a bunch of more stuff that DH can continue too pack in the kitchen and elsewhere that can then go ; my china and crystal , kitchen glass stuff we don’t want movers taking , ornamental stuff , baskets etc we don’t need here for the next month . I’m emptying drawers and shelves so there’s just the furniture itself then waiting .
Luckily we have two more months + of tenancy left in this place after moving day so it’s not like we have to have everything done by the moving day although that’s when we’ll start living at the new address (and I don’t plan to come back here with the kids after that )and need all the big stuff we can’t take ready for the movers. We can then put landlords curtains and lampshades etc back and have this place cleaned , sell our bike storage box , have a gardener in etc
. Landlord can start viewings from the beginning of October as per tendency agreement when we are out of here and not while we are trying to pack and move. They have requested to start viewing early twice once by estate agent call ,once in an email which we have said no to which is within our rights so that’s why we are in a hurry . We have only just confirmed our moving date so we haven’t notified them yet .

6 more outs today - one of my summer tops (wore it earlier in the week and decided I didn’t like the colour or style anymore), and 5 more of DD’s tops (still working my way through the age 3-4 clothes). All gone into the charity bag.

Btw my food canisters etc are waiting for after the move when I’ll hopefully eventually have time to organise them , will need labels still . I am planning on getting a larder cupboard for our open plan kitchen dining family room to give us more storage space I’m thinking I don’t want much on the counters if possible .

Just realised the contents of the topfloor storage cupboard we recently sorted, boxed up and labeled and possibly stuff from the under stairs cupboard we’ve sorted out too can also go so can probably do two van loads at least .
I’m planning to look through the linen cupboards for stuff that can go to rag bank on next weekend dump trip then more will when we leave I think

Ordered some plastic shoe type boxes at 2am this morning so I can start sorting and organising my gift wrap, ribbons and cards. 😁 gotta love an early morning Amazon spree 😂

@Mommabear20
🤣
I couldn't sleep until ridiculous o'clock and was dangerously close to buying a whole bunch of Essie nail polish colours. I bought 3 recently and still have birthday money but do I NEED more??
I did buy some cuticle oil though.

@ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba haha 😂 never thought night feeds would be so expensive! 🤣
I miss having my nails done! What colours are your go too?

I remember those nights @Mommabear20!
In fact when I first joined MN I was on every night while feeding DD!

I love all the colours and sometimes paint each nail a different colour, DH calls that "Smarties nails"🤣
I have a fridge door full of nail polish, sometimes when I get bored with a shade I mix it with something else.

But my favourites are reds (pillar box to deep burgundy), corals, deep pinks & oranges, very dark purples & browns. They suit me best.
Out of the newest 3 I'll be using the middle one (fifth avenue) on my toes and the right one (watermelon) on my hands asap!

Pair of pj shorts which are too short for me now have gone. They were a bit Raggy too so have binned.

Managed to organise my gift wrap in preparation of delivery of my boxes tomorrow :) wrapping paper and ribbon scraps thrown out and the rest folded neatly 😊

Got rid of the booster chair for dd at the table. We’re trying her with a booster cushion this evening. Not ready to ditch the chair completely though. It’s in the garage just in case.

Tomorrow's task is the kids wardrobes! Gonna need a lot of strong tea for those! 😂

Sounds like some fab work is being done. I haven’t dared count the books being sorted but fear it may be close to the 5-600 mark. A bag of kids clothes sorted for charity shop quite a few barely worn - a combination of growth spurts and differing tastes. Hopefully they will find good new homes. Have sold some Molton brown stuff on eBay so will use a tiny bit of the packaging for recycling mountain. Many more ins than outs as eldest getting ready to go to uni next month - taking over a corner of the dining room. Still haven’t gotten going with Lego sorting again that can wait until after the uni drop off now.

@Mommabear20

Tomorrow's task is the kids wardrobes! Gonna need a lot of strong tea for those! 😂

That’s my Wednesday job….tomorrow’s job is my wardrobe. I’m dreading it. Telling myself I’m being ruthless. This time.

Outs this evening. Lavender bubble bath emptied into a new one. Meaning more room in bathroom cabinet.
Finished a make up remover so that’s something off my dressing table and a new one out of the under bed stash.
A cushion cover - the zip had split/jammed so couldn’t get it open/closed. Had to aquish the cushion out of it. It’s a shame as it was a lovely colour but unnecessary.

Hello!
Hope you are all well, is it OK to join in again?
Have an urgent need to declutter because we are hoping to emigrate in the near future and we can't take it all with us.

hi @Iceisnice!
sounds stressful but exciting!

Day 8 went with sorting clothes, putting together 2 beds (mainly DH) and I carried on making Little Hugs.
I've been feeling a bit ill so had to slow the tempo and take it easy.
I might just stay in bed tomorrow as much as I can.