Decluttering one item a day thread number 19 – running out of ideas for original titles

[stealthninjamum]

Another ‘one a day’ thread. We’re still here.

This is a group of mumsnetters who are slowly decluttering our spaces and organising our lives, chatting as we go.

We all want to live in a nicer, emptier, clearer more relaxing environment and this is our space to talk and moan about our husbands and children who often do not share our desire for such a peaceful, decluttered haven!

We only aim to get rid of one item a day, when we have time, although often we manage more. Newbies are always welcome to join us.

Previous thread here.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4259830-Decluttering-one-item-a-day-thread-number-18-quickly-stashing-our-clutter-in-charity-shops-now-we-can-let-people-back-inside-our-houses?pg=1

Just been catching up with the thread. Today I've tidied a load of paper of the playroom table while listening to a work call. Most of it into recycling.

Yesterday got two parcels sent out having finally had some success on Vinted. One was a bundle so it's quite a few things gone.

I really need to tackle toys ahead of Xmas. I'm going to try to get DD to go through her teddies this weekend as they're asking for donations for the Christmas fair at school. They have an adopt a Teddy stall so I know that'll be at least one in. Desperate to cancel it out!

DC are finally napping and I'm finally feeling better so have made a list as long as my arm of things to get done before they wake up! Wish me luck! It's pretty extensive! 😂

Momabear I hope you had a cuppa first! Those nap times are precious!
Did a charity shop drop off yesterday, just a couple of carrier bags but I like to get it out once I have that much as I walk into town so not too heavy. Got rid of a couple of those grown up colouring books. I did one page, like the idea but realistically never going to have time to sit abs colour!
Set aside a book I thought I may not want to read again to look through first few pages when I got chance. Unfortunately it was quite a good read so it's back on the shelf!
I need some quick wins I think, not sure where to tackle.

Had a couple of outs on Wednesday - a pair of tights with holes at the toes went in the textile recycling bag, and I got rid of a jar of jam in the fridge that had gone mouldy.

Nothing yesterday. I have decided to give some of DD’s old coats to charity, as I tried selling them on FB marketplace last year but had no interest, so I need to find somewhere to take them. This is where I often struggle - getting stuff out of the house! Still have two bags of bedding for textile recycling that I can’t get motivated to get rid of

Out (yesterday & today):

Old pe bag that’s plot down the side
Old homemade Halloween costume bits into fabric recycling

And a big one: the bike went from out the front. Now to test smallest dc on the other bikes and see if they can go. None of my kids like Nike riding so they’ve sat in the shed for years.

Need to use up the paint by painting DDs room, currently procrastinating.

Sigh. Just went through DD's stash of soft toys and she has agreed to get rid of...zero.

Did bin a bubble bar thing that had gone all gunky and funny smelling plus two bottles of flavoured oil from the kitchen that had also turned so not a total loss!

My DC are like that with cuddly toys! Buckets of the things, my eldest is 15 and still refuses to get rid.

More outs:
3 x old balloons left blown up in a corner, can’t even remember what they were left from!
A broken giant marble left on a shelf for months

And lots of paint onto the wall.
Now have to go and clean up, sigh.

My bag for charity is still on the sofa.

I know if things every changed ( they wont) I could buy it all again. But I'm struggling knowing I'm never going to wear a nice dress again.

That sounds really hard @IncessantNameChanger Would you be able to chose one dress to keep and get rid of the rest? That could make you feel that you haven’t completely lost that part of your life.

This is what I’ve done with DD’s clothes - it feels easier knowing I still have one or two things in each category.

I think I'm getting my decluttering mojo back. Earlier this week I reached the end of an enormous sort-and-tidy, and after a couple of days just enjoying the result, I feel ready to make another decluttering effort this term.

It sounds like nothing, but I came across two pop-a-point pencils, both missing a couple of points. So there is now one complete pencil and the other is in the bin.

Both LOs are growing so fast that there are clothes to donate almost every week, and I'm making every effort to replace only half.

I cleared some of the garage worktable, but can't discard anything that isn't total rubbish. A couple carrier bags of recyclables and garbage.

A few bits and bobs out here, couple of moisturisers which won't get used, and not an out but some baby toys dd has outgrown are in a bag ready to be labelled and put in a drawer. Still a win as they are out the lounge!

More outs today - went through the final bits of DD’s age 2-3 clothes and put a skirt, some tops and some tights into the charity bag. The only thing left was underwear, which I think will go in the textile recycling bag.

I also put an old mattress protector in the textile recycling bag. So it’s felt like a productive day.

I think I need to take a deep breath and go for it tomorrow. I went out to a local firework display tonight and dh spent the entire night talking to someone else he bumped into one minute after arriving. So that with his utter disinterest in going out anywhere with me has confirmed I dont need the bllody clothes. I'm still waiting for my ecg after a month too. I'm worried about that too. Feeling so shit about myself again.

I'm always trying to please someone or be enough or just be a better version of me to get peoples approval. The clothes are more of that. I'm not going to be going anywhere. Right now I'm pissed off with him I wouldnt want to be alone in his company anyway.

I will get rid. Keep a few of the things I love and the rest can be replaced with maybe one or two dresses with pockets!

@IncessantNameChanger that sucks what DH did! I feel your annoyance though! I took the kids to a birthday party yesterday (was DS very first party ever) but DH decided he didn't want to go and would rather sit at home alone and watch the Star Wars movies 😡😡

No more ours here recently but DH may well be next on the list!

Yes I could definitely declutter dh to the bin pile. He is a descent human being and dad. He just isnt a joy sparking partner.

I'm trying to think still about how I can see what I really wear all the time and how much room I have for that. Then fitting what's left around it. But I dont have the spare room to do it gradually. I also want room to be able to look and move things in the wardrobe. A lot has to go to get to that stage. Again. I did it a few months back but I wasn't brutal enough it seems. Maybe some could go into empty draws under the bed for a week until I feel more brave

Well I've surprised myself with how much I've actually achieved today! Having got rid of so much stuff recently (thanks for the motivation from y'all!)! And with the kids being absolute super starts today, my house is now ' visitor ready!' I honestly can't remember the last time I was visitor ready, it was probably when I lived with my parents 😂
Don't get me wrong there's still bits I need to do and there's laundry hanging too dry, but nothing that I would be bothered by is I saw it in someone else's house. Honestly feels amazing to be able to sit and cuddle DD while she has her snack instead of having to put her in her High chair so I can clean/tidy 🥰

I'm sorry incessant your dh sounds crap. FWIW I think men of a certain age (late 40s +) do slow down and get boring. When I did online dating I chatted so many boring men who never went out. I would love to go out more but my partner is a bit scruffy so I always feel overdressed when we do go out. Having said that I think with covid and lockdowns we both got out of the habit of going out.

mommabear that's a lovely update.

I can't think of anything significant that's gone out since I last posted but I am chipping away, shredding and tidying. Dd2 has let me get rid of some much loved socks that are far too small for her.

That sounds great @Mommabear20 - I would love to have a house that is visitor ready!

Should have one item going out of the house today as I have sold DD’s toddler bed guard. I don’t feel upset about getting rid of it, which is good.

Tidied and sorted in garage. MrTidyHouse walks away from any diy when he's finished ; nothing ever tidied or cleaned. It doesn't bother him at all. Layers of stuff on the workbench. All covered with filthy oily rags.

Binned from garage - a handful of odds and ends of broken bits and pieces.

@MrsTidyHouse omg my dh is a tradesman and he is so bloody messy with any DIY. He drills without moving stuff so drilling dust over everything. Worst latest was him routing sp?? Out the work top for a new sink. Kitchen dinner was covered I dust. Everywhere. Everything. He is grating on me. Can you tell? 😉

Oh yes. And for me it's combined with endless procrastination over everything, relentless negativity about any suggestion I make. It's absolutely exhausting.

And on a purely practical note, impossible to keep the place clean.

I think deep down I'm quietly decluttering and sorting and tidying so that when I win the lottery I can just walk away....

My DH declutters himself by working away a lot 😂

Out today:

Big boxes turned into various craft projects by DD months ago
Lots of old paperwork I found on a shelf - trying to go through one set of shelves but not getting very far!

Ready to go:
My Mum’s old teddy that I’m posting to a teddy collector

Getting DD to take lots of photos of her old toys she wants to sell, need to get on with it pre-Christmas.

The bed guard (and instruction leaflet - impressed we still had it!). was collected last night. While I was looking for the instructions, I found the instructions for the high chair that went to the tip in the summer, so they’ve gone in the recycling too.

I’m off work for a couple of days now, and might get some decluttering done today, but we’ve got a day out planned tomorrow.

Struggling with the constant flow of stuff into the house. DD has been in holiday club where they’ve been making things, plus she brings home stones and random sticks most days. She wants to keep everything, and it’s usually me that sorts her piles of stuff and makes her find places for it. I know we’re just storing up clutter for later, really. It’s frustrating.

Got family visiting in a few weeks and I’m embarrassed to let them in the house. Even if we hide all the visible clutter (which is just possible), the house is still scruffy and small and we won’t have enough seats for everyone in the living room. It’s stressing me out

This isn't so much a declutter for today but an admin job I've been putting off for years that was relatively straight forward because I'm more organised because of the decluttering.

I've been meaning to set up bank accounts for dc for years. A couple of friends have made me feel like crap because their dc have accounts / investments and grand parents pay in etc and they seem to have their shit together and I don't! Anyway I have now opened bank accounts for them and dd1 will get a debit card for the first time. I did it online but went through pages of terms and conditions with dd1 and had to take a picture of her face and passport and we have to wait for confirmation of the account. I'll do dd2 later or tomorrow. The decluttering bit is that about 3 years ago my dad gave them £150 and it's been sitting in my knicker drawer waiting for me to open an account! I have spent 3 years looking at that money thinking I'm a crap mum! Now that my admin is fairly organised I can help dc with this too.

@EllieQ I’m sure your family come to see you and don’t notice half the things you do in your house