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

I'm back! Haven't touched the big box with 14yrs worth of dds stuff in it. One day!
Charity shop run tomorrow. Out- bodyboard, sledge, very large storage box,scooter, skateboard, massive canvas, 3 smaller canvasses, left handed guitar, stool. Am also parting with dds old doll pram that we put in the loft' for future grandchildren'. I may also see what else is up there. Have a bag of clothes somewhere and a practically brand new guide uniform. Dd fortunately is very good at throwing things out. If it doesn't fit or she doesn't like it, it's gone.
In... Christmas baubles. When dd was born my dad came to the local garden centre with us and bought her a bauble. We've done this every year , bauble and hot chocolate. He died 7 yrs ago but we still do it. Dd has suggested we bin the tat baubles and are just selective and put the nice baubles up. She may have a point!

Sounds like a good day @IncessantNameChanger

Yesterday I got rid of 10 jam jars (mainly the mini ones). We’d been asked to collect them by school (pre-first lockdown) for jam making, which never happened, so they’ve been in a kitchen cupboard since. I thought I’d put them on the local freecycle group before putting them in the recycling, and they were collected yesterday.

I cleared out a bag of chargers and wires Friday night whilst looking for an instruction leaflet. had to put them aside for tip run but I count that as gone

Jumping back in today, DH has gone back to work, he's been off for a week on compassionate leave, so naturally the house is a complete mess now 🤦‍♀️ obviously I'm happy to have him home while he grieves but there was a tingle of happiness that I can get the house sorted today! Problem is I'm so out of routine that I don't know where to start!
Maybe with a cup of tea? 🤔

Hi, I'd like to join you all.

I am very aware of all the junk surrounding me and have manged to reduce my 3 book cases of books to 2 book cases. Having a challenging time at the moment as managing my Mum's house move; my Dad passed away in July and she is desperate to move to sheltered accommodation. Years and years of clutter to deal with for Mum, and we are paying for a house clearance firm to deal with most of it. It's made me very aware of my own space. All I want for Christmas is a decluttered bedroom, and I've made a start!

Thank you for all the links at the beginning of the thread

Hi @LightandAiry - welcome

Glad several of you have had constructive weekends. Mine hasn't been as I've had DC here for once (missing them now they've gone back to school/college) although yet more of DD2s wardrobe has left the house for school - I suspect we are going to need to hire a lorry to bring her home at the end of the year....

Today a big box of lego and some of the DCs other stuff was collected and paid for by a local mum and something I listed on ebay yesterday sold overnight so I've put it in the post. So not a dead loss day but not as good as I might have hoped.

Watched an episode of "Sort your Life out" on iplayer - now swearing I'll get on with the declutter before it gets out of hand!

Morning, London I watched an episode of Sort Your Life Out found it inspiring. Today I will phone British Heart Foundation to collect some stuff I brought back from my Mum's and will wash out some outgrown school blazers and old coats to move on to charity shop.

My DC are 16 and 19 and I need to tackle kid's games; new phase of moving things on now one is at uni. I have GCSE study books to move on and have to look at selling a trampoline, outgrown bikes, hamster cage and pine furniture in the garage! Feels never ending.

@LightandAiry - mine are a similar age and I have finally had permission to declutter most of their childhood toys. Funnily enough I have a pile of GCSE revision books sitting waiting for the nest charity shop bag and a bag of old uniform to go to the school Christmas fair!

I have a sore back from a weekend of decluttering.

We hired a skip as we had a broken piano(🙄) and then found that the skip had loads of room so we cleared out the attic!!! Wow, to say that we found some gems😱

I declutter regularly but even I was shocked. We decided to throw out the 20 year old ski clothes (by the time we go again it really will be time for new clothes - these were in 5 attics since we last skied in 2001!). And in amongst them I found a dress that I wore to my graduation almost 30 years ago!!!! That is now packed gift the charity shop.

My DD also used the weekend to clear out all of her toys from the attic (except for the really amazing Sylvanian Hotel).

The house feels airy and tidy - or it will once I remove all the plastic storage boxes that DH insisted we keep, from the hall.

Welcome lightandairy. You sound busy at the moment, I also think about the clutter my kids will deal with and it's quite motivating. I'd hate for them to spend hours clearing out my stuff.

I am struggling to declutter at the moment. In fact I have brought stuff into the house in the form of xmas presents. I have had a couple of no shows for dress up outfits I advertised but I have got rid of loads of tiny socks and a few bits of school work.

Feel sort of sad to hear of a piano being skipped but I do know it is almost impossible to give them away these days.

I have also bought some Christmas presents today but am trying to stick to getting things that were needed anyway - eg socks, notebooks and calendars.

I finally cracked the jigsaws - counted the pieces and then taped up the boxes and dropped those off at the charity shop with a load of small pretty tins that the girls no longer use. One music book in the post to a mum on another thread who needed it. I also took a lovely but ripped silk scarf to the tailor as my coat sleeves needed relining - he's agreed to use the scarf for the lining - quite like the idea of upcycling something rather than throwing it out.

Managed to declutter a pair of hair straighteners that don't work anymore (discovering they don't work with 10 minutes till I needed to leave the house!) 🤦‍♀️

londonmummy I agree about pianos it is sad that no one wants them. I have seen a few on Facebook that no one wanted and been tempted to have one but I haven’t played for 40 years and wouldn’t have the time to anyway.

I have a pile of 12 big books and craft sets that dc have agreed can go. They’re about twelve inches high so that’s a massive area to be cleared.

I got rid of 2 bags and some shoes today, along with a few bags for my Mum. Dropped them into the Salvation Army bin. Will carry on with my bedroom tomorrow!

Stealth seeing the end result of decades of untackled clutter at Mum's has motivated me, just a little every day...

Brilliant work everyone! It really is just a little every day that makes a big difference isn’t it?
Five more graphic novels/ comic sets put on eBay and somebody bought one today. I have loads of those to put on - hundreds. They’re DH’s - and these are the ones he’s willing to get rid of - there are a thousand more that he refuses to part with. Their just taking up space in the cupboard.
If they won’t sell, I’ll put them all on as one big lot.

Haven’t really managed much today just an old pe bag into the textile recycling as the string broke.

Tomorrow looks busy too, but will get back to it on Wednesday I hope.

I agree that a bit a day helps although I'm not sure I've noticed much of a difference yet.... I'm now eyeing up a set of drawers which is tomorrows task. Also does anyone have a bright idea on what to do with about 40 spare rulers (mixture of wood and plastic)?

Morning ☺️ I wish I could suggest something re 40 spare rulers London

A bit random but I have just binned a candle in the shape of a willy (no emoji for that one) was a souvenir from Spain given to me by a work colleague(I had to make that clear 😊), found some coloured fairy lights and chucked out another couple of old glass candle holders.

I want to get rid of a chest of drawers in my bedroom and replace.with a relaxing corner to read, with comfy chair and fairy lights but full of junk mostly dh's.

Stressful for my Mum as at hers there is loads of stuff not anything to do with her - sensitive issue as family member has stored stuff there for decades.

Absolute jam packed car full taken to charity shop this morning. I can get in my shed now. And my spare room 🙂

Spurred on by this dh is determined to sort through the heaps of stuff in the loft this weekend.

We did tell the charity shop lady we would be back!

Had a rather unexpected spritz through the lounge and our bedroom this afternoon with DH and have 20 tshirts for the charity bag as well as 26 DVDs s well as a bin liner of rubbish gone!! 🙌🙌 dunno where his sudden motivation came from but I'm not knocking it!!

Plus a dvd unit that is now empty to go to the tip and a no longer water proof jacket gone! So only 40 things left to go before the end of November! Feeling rather positive about being able to achieve this now!

I seem to be piling stuff up in the study ready to go - apart from little things holding fire until we get rid of it apart from old toiletries. Good luck with the loft Row and Momma bear you've reminded me need to sort out cupboard under stairs - a few old coats and non waterproof jackets!

@londonmummy1966, @stealthninjamum,

We took the piano off someone in Freecycle. When DH went to collect the piano, the owner had ‘helpfully’ removed the inside to make it lighter to load into the van 🙄. We didn’t realise until we spoke to a tuner that it was beyond repair. DH hid this fact from me and our DC stopped playing as it was so pot of tune.

When my friend told me she was looking to buy a piano I suggested giving her ours - DH then told me we couldn’t as it was beyond repair 🙄.

So I ordered a skip.

I'm rather at anyone being dumb enough to take the insides out of a piano to make it lighter - but there again someone asked my DD if her harp collapsed to put it in the car... Our last piano had a cracked soundboard so eventually needed replacing for a (far) more expensive version. The guys who brought it agreed to do it for nothing so that they could take the old one for free. It wasn't great as a piano but had a beautiful burr walnut case so has been reinvented as a cocktail cabinet or two.

Glad people are cracking on. I failed to do more with the corner of doom but did dispose of a bag of crockery to the charity shop so not a dead loss day. Also a neighbour has asked for an old christmas jumper and DD has deigned to take some of her old piano beginner books with her as she is about to begin teaching.

Still no idea what to do with the 40 rulers though......

cleared some unusable uniform (school has changed names) aside for textile recycling last night