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

Outs today have been 5 reusable carrier bags of clothes to the clothes bank, along with a pair of wellies, a towel and a duvet cover set.

Have started a bag of the DVDs and books that I've scanned into my music magpie app, just need to find the rest in the garage and get them all sent off.

Am now going through my old barbies and bratz dolls and getting rid of any that have seen better days or outfits I don't want DD to be playing with (mini skirts and cropped tops etc) and they will be going to charity (or trash depending on quality) this week or next.

Having to take a break now as DS is needing some comforting, so a cup of tea and cuddles with my little man is the order of the evening!

Momma bear tea and cuddles sounds good!
Nordic hope you are doing ok and getting some rest in.
OH has identified some things which can go of his, and I have finally moved the ornament to the charity bag. It was a gift, I like it, but I don't love it and we have too much stuff to display.

I’ve almost filled up another bag for the charity shop. It contains 12 children’s books including 8 that I found today), a gu pot and a dress that is missing a belt that I have been wanting to get rid of for about six months but the belt never turns up. Dc have books in their rooms, the playroom, the TV room but I am really pleased that the bookcases are looking visibly emptier.

Bins emptied and all balloons out of my house. Yay.

Yesterday I didn’t do any new decluttering, but I took a bag of my clothes to the charity bank, so that’s stuff out of the house!

Dh went back in the weekend to empty the old house took Ds with him once too on Sunday now not much left some for charity and maybe one /2 loads to dump , the bike box which he needs to clean take photos and list and the bikes to bring here plus cleaners to hire once the landlord tells us when they want us to . We’ve decluttered one house by finally completing on it last week now can’t wait to be done with the rental one . No more mortgage or rent monthly yes !!!
The boys also went to organise their railcards which was a bit too complicated but now done . Today first train cancellation for DS he still just made it to the school bus on the later train but had to run and message a friend to try to hold the bus . Poor thing is now having to get up 5.45 am for the next 2 y . Travel to school is 3.5 h a day but he’s only got the A- levels to finish there and just gets to sit in a school bus half of the journey at least . DH also put the extra shelves in our wardrobes , the black out blinds on my windows and unpacked some boxes . He attempted to mow some of the lawn but it was too damp . He’s taken all the packaging out of the garage to dump in preparation of getting an electrician in for putting in more power pints for his machines then we can get the cabinets and shelves I hope . It’s a mess there that I just want to hide in cupboards neatly . More furniture and organisational stuff is arriving daily . Now dining table delayed from delivery today t possibly fri with other items . I’m getting admin done but I’m bursts im so shattered all the time ,I will sleep now a bit . I have thrown out more . Quite a stack of longsleeved T-shirt’s that I never use they’re a bit small ,for instance . Identified a brand new designer bag I’ll just never use it was a bit of a wrong colour I should have returned it . I have same brand furry slippers in their box still to sell too .
Still trying to decide about what goes where so a lot more to unpack and DH study furniture to build . Itll take us weeks I think

Another boot full loaded into the car to be dropped at the charity shop tomorrow. Found 2 suitcases I don't even remember buying 😂 so they can go to as we have matching sets for me and DH and kids don't need their own for a while. There's also about 15 Christmas reusable carrier bags, gone get rid of about 10 of them, I do love everything Christmas but since we have asda delivery I don't think I need that many bags! 🤣

Had 2 mins today though, took DC shopping and let DD walk (holding my hand as she's still not confident walking by herself or on reins) and only noticed at the check out that she'd picked up a advent calendar 😂 was not letting it go so too avoid a meltdown over a £1 calendar we went and got one for DH as well 😂 seemed very pleased with herself clutching it all the way home!

Pen. Used up and binned. Woo

Binned an old bath lily thing. I'm finding colouring in quite therapeutic and it takes my mind off things so am using DD's old colouring books up and various pens/pencils etc.

Binned a few old socks this evening. That’s it.

We're all doing well. Even if it's just a pen it's a pen that will never waste our time again.

I have decided another set of children's books will go, this is a set of 9 or 10 historical figures. I used to buy loads of sets from places like The Book People when dc were key stage 1 sort of age. I find them hard to get rid of, I like having a load of reference books around but dc prefer the internet.

I had an unscheduled day off work yesterday as DS was ill so pottered around while he napped binning old envelopes and bitty things like that. I also found a broken barbie and a pile of ripped doll clothes in my room which I hid a while ago to see if they were missed. They weren't so have also been binned.

I've discovered another hoard of conkers in DD's room. They're still there.

I know what you mean about books Stealth. I'm trying to teach DD how to use a dictionary with limited success!

mommabear you should just tell yourself you're being extra organised on Advent calendars this year!

raspberryblonde I’m also looking at all the horrible history / horrible science books and things like ‘my first atlas’.

I finished off 3 make up/skincare things this morning so that was a positive start! I've had a look in my wardrobe but there's no definite outs. I have several older jumpers which are ok and as I'm mostly at home, I'll wear them.

I’ve just filled another bag with toys from the Room of Doom that I never gave to dc. They’re things like second hand playmobil I bought for a rainy day and presents I didn’t give away. Plus I have another stack of books to go. I always let dc check they don’t want the books before they go but they probably won’t mind. So hopefully that’ll be three big bags in the car for the charity shop.

3two cupboards sorted and cleaned out in the kitchen and over two carrier bags of out of date food! Its disgraceful really. I think really we dont need more than two tins / packets of the things we dont eat all the time. So many tons of soup when really we only have it once a month if that. I have three more places where we store food so I might just crack on with them this week. Fed up of things falling out of cupboards anyway.

Only outs here today has been my diet 😂

I'm wondering how often do people sort out their food cupboards? I know I haven't done it since last year, but maybe if I did it every few months I wouldn't have bought more than I needed or had things hiding at the back.

I had a horrible idea last night when I bed that I should also sort out the bookshelf of doom. Its like jenga. A dangerous tower of never touched junk covered in dust.

I need to move away from the kids clothes anyway as I think that's all sorted now until Christmas/ new year when it might need another thin out.

Maybe time for a list of areas to rotate?

I’m a fan of use it up re food. I bought a jar of ras el hanout a while back specifically for a lamb recipe. Have had to add it to frigging everything.

Same with dds nappies. She’s in pull ups now. But I made sure we used up every single nappy before going into pull ups. DH thinks I’m nuts. But I don’t like waste.

Bin was emptied yesterday so I have a whole wheeley bin now to fill with crap that the dc seem to find break and then leave lying about.

I would normally use up food but some of it was 2019! I still have too much to close to going out of date so I got rid and plan to use up the rest and not buy anymore of a food until it's all gone.

I'm presuming I didnt care much about anything during the pandemic as normally I go through the cupboards and throw away about 5 - 10 tins so I clearly haven't checked since 2019!

I might do a inventory and stick it to the cupboard door in a few weeks once I have used up some more things.

I might need to do some meal planning to use things up. I was already trying to run things down and my food shop was £20 this week for the six of us!

Everytime I start a new area I go back to feeling inna right mess. I'm clearly a bit of a hoarder in most aspects of my life ☹

I know we keep too much food in at any one time but I do go through things occasionally. Still get surprised if DH has put things up high and they disappear for a few years until I unearth them!

Didn’t think anything would go today but I remembered to pass on some unused 11+ papers to another mum so that file went.

Have managed to book all three dc into the same scout camp weekend, that must count as some kind of decluttering at least for a few days 😂

Went through more age 2-3 clothes today, and seven tops have gone in the charity bag.

I also put away my summer shoes, which means there is space on the shoe rack for my winter shoes. However, that task was made more difficult by the fact that side of the wardrobe has boxes piled in front of it, so I had to shift them to be able to get to the bottom of the wardrobe (it has sliding doors so I can reach over the boxes to get the clothes hanging on that side). If I decluttered all this stuff, I’d have been able to put away the shoes in half the time.

I know that decluttering will make my life easier, but it’s so hard to find the time for it. Today I had 30 minutes after dinner while DH and DD were on a zoom call with his parents. Better than nothing, but it feels like an endless task.

Tasks for today include dropping a car load off at the charity shop on my way to sell one of our old pushchairs, fill the car up with more stuff for charity shop to drop off on way back! 🤞i should be able to get everything for the charity shop gone today as DH is home to watch the kids.

EllieQ I feel your pain. I have things on front of my wardrobe as things always get dumped there as soon as i clear it.

Mommabear that sounds so productive! Two boots full for charity? Wow

I'm.going to declutter some emails then do one more area of food today I think