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

@Mommabear20

Is anyone else finding it harder and harder to declutter and tidy the closer it gets to Christmas? Think it's knowing it HAS to get done that's stressful. Have currently got both DC clothes all over my bed as their new hanging rail is due to arrive today and was hoping to get DD wardrobe dismantled this morning so emptied it only to not be able to get into the shed for the tools as DH forgot to put the key back yesterday and has taken it to work in his pocket 🤦‍♀️ will get it done tonight but was really hoping to get it done before he got home.

How is everyone doing?

Yes. I have given up. Another year passed and I'm still in a mess. Feeling despondent I have let myself down there.

Plus covid news.

I'm going to tick over and clean and tidy as best I can with the kids off then do the Stacey Soloman sort your life out after Christmas.

I need to go back to room by room. My head is in a mess still over my sons secondary so I need to stop letting that take over everything.

DC new clothing rail is up and old wardrobe dismantled!! 🙌🙌 just need to move it out to the garden now and then ditch it at the tip after Christmas as I'm sure we'll have lots to go after Christmas Day (packaging of kids toys etc)

DH and I are doing a trip to my mums garage on the 22nd so gonna spend today and tomorrow absolutely blitzing the house of things that can leave the house and then on the 23rd while DH is off clean the whole house. We're all out on the 24th so if everything goes to plan, the house should be clean AND tidy for Christmas Day! 🤞🤞 I can't remember the last time the house was both clean and tidy 😂 it's usually one or the other!!

Good luck to each and everyone of you to getting what you want done before Christmas and I'm gonna sign off now till after Christmas, so merry Christmas to you all! 🦌🎄☃️🎅🤶

Room of Doom tidied as will be occupied by family for the Christmas weekend, but will return to de-cluttering in there after visitors have gone. Have managed to sort the wardrobe of clothes (now in correct bedrooms or ledt the house) and spare hangers. Will store in shed for now and see if the Charity Shop wants them, otherwise will be part of a dump run.

Also signing off until after Christmas. Have a wonderful time everyone, however you end up spending the weekend, Merry Christmas.

Bag of boys clothes passed along yesterday.
In return for a bag of girls but DD didn’t actually want them so they went straight into the charity box for next year.

Also a small pile of old postcards given to a friend who wanted them.

Pretty sure that’s me done until after Christmas too. Looking forward to January and getting back on the horse but with less stuff in the house than last January.

Bag of kitchen things dropped off at the charity shop I don't think that there is anything left in the kitchen that I don't use.
I got DH to clear out the fridges as the Waitrose order arrives tomorrow.

I have just had an email from Thrift+ to review a bag they have sorted for me so hopefully that will go live fairly soon.

I took DD2 out this afternoon to buy her Christmas present (she wanted perfume so we had a trip to try some out) and we then went and had our eyebrows done - nice that she's now old enough to want small presents rather than piles of pink and lilac plastic

I literally cannot wait to get rid of things. One room at a time.

The renovation work will mean we have more storage. But hopefully less stuff. Or at least the stuff we use.

Kids toys are the Problem. But my two are two and four. So they like toys. Sigh.

Just a little pre Christmas check in. New charity bag started with all the books I had hoped might be wanted by music magpie. Not trying to fit in a drop before the new year now. Also have a birthday between now and Jan so only ins here for a while I fear. Definitely better off clutter wise than this time last year so I guess it’s a win! Patience @ememem84 the stuff does get less as they get older - if you can bear to let it go

mommabear I'm struggling decluttering. I've made decluttering such an every day activity that I tend to declutter areas that I'm in like the kitchen or dining room and I'm running out of clutter in them. But I don't have time to go in the Room of Doom or playroom or spare room and I could probably spend a week in them decluttering.

incessant you have done brilliantly this year. I looked back on this thread and by page 2 you'd got out 166 clothes and some toys. I think you've probably done more than you realise.

Today's out is an instruction manual for a cake tin I bought 9 years ago for a birthday. I donated that cake tin about four years ago so don't know why the instruction manual was there.

I have had my jab this morning and feel really knackered. I'm hoping it doesn't slow me down because I've still got packing and shopping to do.

Finished a mascara eyeliner mouthwash box of tissues

I have thrown away some horrible tea tree shampoo we bought about five years ago when we had lice. Dc refuse to wear it so it’s gone.

Use it even

Thrown out a charger cable. It’s done for. And I have three new ones. So why am I keeping it?

Out one Christmas stocking I had listed on ebay that sold.

In two positive covid tests (both DC).

Out - all my Christmas plans
In extra booze as I'll need it......

Oh no @londonmummy1966, that's such a shame. Hope the DC aren't too poorly and you can still have some kind of celebration.

Agree with Stealth @incessantnamechanger, you have done a lot more than you think. It's too easy to focus on what could've gone better sometimes I think.

Out here, one bowl that I dropped and broke as I was taking it out of the cupboard. Sigh.

Oh no Londonmummy!!
Hope they aren’t actually poorly with it.
And the wine helps.

Managed an out as realised the care home where I’ve started work needs more vases and spotted one in the cupboard I think came free with flowers. So into the care home and out of my house!

More ins though as brother sent us presents which is bad as I hadn’t sent him or his kids anything.

Thanks everyone. The are both teenagers and so are living their best lives - being allowed to lounge in bed all day with no nagging and frequent room service and getting DH to go and buy them their own choice of biscuits.

Sorry to hear the COVID news @londonmummy1966, though it does sound like the best life for teenagers!

I found the pack of Xmas cards that I’d lost, which cheered me up, and decluttered some presents via the post office at the start of the week. However, more presents have been arriving in their place.

I have been feeling very demotivated on the decluttering front, but will try again in the new year. I’ve started taking an iron supplement (while waiting for a routine appointment with my GP to discuss the low iron levels - could be a while!), and I have noticed an improvement

Oh londonmummy that's really crap. I'm glad they're ok but hope that you don't get it.

ellieq I'm glad the iron is working.

I have decluttered a small child's lamp in the charity bag today and a book. My main challenge before xmas day now is to tidy the dining room that still has my two laptops on the table from lockdown learning (so nearly two years!) There are various bits of admin that seem to follow the laptops around. I'm going to try to remove them all. Also I want a corner of my bedroom to be decluttered (junk hidden) because that's where dc open their 'Santa presents' and I always take photos.

Thanks for all the sympathy - the not so little monkeys have now wrapped up a positive COVID test for DH as he is working tomorrow pm and Christmas am and is stressing big time about them giving it to him. We have little presents from on the tree on Christmas Eve so he'll get it before he goes out.

No decluttering today unless you count wrapping all the family presents and taking them out of the present cupboard and putting them on and under the tree. I also managed to cook the gammon and red cabbage so am beginning to feel on top of things which is just as well as I have a vaccine shift tomorrow.

Merry Christmas everybody!

This might be my last post for a few days as I’m literally rushed off my feet with cooking and wrapping, and hopefully seeing elderly relatives Monday.

Yesterdays tidy went quite well but we still can’t eat at the table! I have donated a bangle and hair clip, thrown out a broken clip, recycled some papers and post, filed papers and cleared loads of stuff from the dining room. I helped dd2 making Xmas cards by sharpening her pencils and chucked a few out and some dead felt tip pens.

Used up all the wrapping paper. And gift ags. And tags. Win.

I think this was the thread where I posted in the summer that we got rid of 130 Bonne Maman jars.
some went to a lady who makes marmalade to sell for charity - look what we've just received as a thank you gift!

Merry Christmas all, no doubt we'll be all back soon decluttering after party rubble🤣

zingdrama how lovely!

Merry Christmas all! My house is full of presents and paper but fortunately the ones I’ve bought are all fairly green / necessary so lots of pyjamas/ onesies / books / mugs and a few bits of plastic.

Anyway while laying the dining table I found four small toys I bought and never gave away so they’re in the charity bag. It also reminded me how well I decluttered the dining room in the lockdown in January. I got rid of some horrible old cork place mats and replaced with some bargainous ones from John Lewis. My drawers are so much emptier, I can notice the difference between this Christmas and last year.

Anyway that’s enough waffling, I have a turkey to carve and 🥂 to drink!

Saying this here because I can’t say it out loud and I’d probably get called selfish if I asked in AIBU.

I really struggle with Christmas gifts. Every year my mum asks me what we’d like, I make a few suggestions that match our interests and are in budget. Every year she turns up with sacks of stuff that we don’t want or need, that she picks up in charity shops/Aldi because “it’s a bargain” and she thinks it’s better to have lots to unwrap.

I’m grateful and thankful and I know she doesn’t have to give us anything. I’ve tried suggesting she limits the number, it doesn’t work. I feel so overwhelmed by stuff in our tiny house, and I’ll have to donate a lot of it. I just wish she’d dial it back a bit.

I found today overwhelming. But we did it.

DH bought me some prints for the living room (which I specifically asked for - although wasn’t expecting two!) and vouchers for a body protector for riding. So useful.

Dparents we’re ace and bought me skincare. Slippers. Socks. And a puzzle board and puzzle. Yay.

The kids got so many toys and books and clothes. So generous.

We are embarking on renovation in the new year so dparents gifted us money too. And family gifted vouchers so we can “restock” the house. New wine glasses etc. yay.

I’ve spent the last half hour having a quick purge in the bedroom. A m&s carrier bag has been filled with socks bras and pants. Another one of rubbish. Feel much better.

Tomorrow two dresses are going out (back to dsis who I borrowed them from). And the last of the Christmas pressies are going out too. Yay!

Bin is over flowing with wrapping paper but slowly things will go back to the way they were.

Merry Christmas y’all.