Decluttering Club thread 20(22)!

[Mommabear20]

Let's go!

I'm feeling a bit under the weather today so not as productive. DD2 met a friend for lunch at her old school so took a bag of uniform to donate to the PTA with her. I posted a top that sold on ebay and DD and I dropped off a bag of old clothes at H&M so that she could get the £5 voucher. I also went through a bag of clothes stored in the airing cupboard, nothing to keep so split into Vinted, Thrift+ and charity shop and a bag packed to drop off tomorrow.

I also went through a cupboard I did in November - all my neat and tidy arranging of the cards and wrapping paper had been undone. I packed all the Christmas stuff in a bag to go with the decorations in the garage and rearranged everything else neatly. Found a couple of non wrapping items for the charity shop at the same time. Have given DH and DC my death stare and warned of dire consequences if they mess it up again!

@IncessantNameChanger this is the list I worked off for my kids wardrobes :)

I haven't got huge amounts done but I am trying to stay small and keep consistent. Toss app sent me to look at the laundry pile, and I chucked a few bits away and have a pile of clothes to wash then add to the charity bag.

Bought some new running leggings in the sale and about to clear out a load of old pairs that don't get worn.

Teenage bedroom today. Lots of old and outgrown clothing. Did well but nothing sentimental (for either of us).

I have done quite well this week.

This month I have identified 4 areas that are really bugging me, and are planning to sort them out first. They are:

(1) Kitchen worktops and table
(2) Porch shelf/windowsill
(3) Recessed shelf in hall
(4) Dining room desks and floor

So far I have done about a third of the porch, and nearly half the kitchen surfaces. The kitchen table had become a dumping ground for washed plastic food storage boxes and lids, but we have had a couple of instances recently where food was emptied into a tub, and no suitable lid could be found. I have now gone through the kitchen cupboards and matched up all boxes and lids, stacking the small ones in a large basket. I have thrown out a number of orphan lids and tubs, including some that were really discoloured. I did think about using the odd tubs in drawers but they weren’t really the correct size or shape. The work surface next to the table has been completely cleared and washed, and new homes found on it for the food processor and soupmaker. The bread bin and toaster were particularly manky and are now shining. I have thrown out a lot of open dog treats and bird food that all went out of date over 5 years ago. I still have a small pile of things left on the table to wash or find homes for.

I did some gardening early in the week and sent DP off to the tip yesterday with 2 full large garden bags full of bush clippings and a sack full of elder logs. Although we no longer have to book our closest recycling site, it is still only open 2 days a week. However, as it was closed on both of the recent holiday Sundays, it has actually only been open 1 day a week. Sigh!

I took a bag of 12 clothing items to the Salvation Army collection bin at Tesco. The bag had been sitting there since before Christmas but hadn’t made it out of the house.

Today I returned a pair of slippers that didn’t fit - they were part of a Black Friday order, and I have been meaning to do it for weeks.

Last week’s bin collection was paper/cardboard and I got round to going through and chucking out the rest of my University notes. Today I had a look at the lever arch files they were stored in, and decided they were not worth passing on to anyone, so I have chucked out the worst 5 in the landfill bin - collected today.

This year I am not going to explicitly count things, but plan to keep the momentum going.

I think today it's just going to be a few items of clothing set aside for next door. put those bags from weds into recycling. still tired from 2-8 shift yesterday it seems

Minor day for me today - a lampshade, a bauble, and I've wrapped up in black sacks a large ride-on toy of DS' but haven't actually moved it out of the hallway yet. Been more positive on the organising side though - my transparent plastic book ends arrived so now all my books sit up nice and straight and my new storage boxes arrived as I'd run out, so that'll make for a more productive weekend!

Mostly rubbish out and cleaning today . House looks cleaner...ooh for at least 12 hours

I did give a friend a perfume that I was keeping for no reason. I liked it but have other nicer perfumes that I reach for first.

Recycling bin is full but I'm not counting the stuff in there as it should have been gone a long time ago.....

Well done everyone giving vinted a go. Afraid I am mostly donating as I realistically know jt would just sit in a pile waiting to be listed. Anything high value I do have a friend who likes to ebay, but most stuff is cheap.
Just installing the toss app.
I managed a little more tonight - a book, identified a babygrow I borrowed that can go back, and not decluttered but finally asked my OH if we need a bit of plastic that's been hanging about. We do, I know what it is and where to put it away (I confess I haven't put it away yet)

When filing away bank statements, noticed I had a load of paper that could go, statements, old payslips, out of date stuff so thats gone.

Also decluttered for the chairty pile:

One dog coat
A bouquet of faux flowers

Car packed for drop off tomorrow

32 pairs of dd leggings! Thinned down to 22. 23 things out in her first pass of clothes but I need to go through it all again tomorrow and that's one chest of draws! I'm going to thin it out, put the summer things away and then start to get out some of her bigger sizes with the aim of freeing up some storage boxes.

Thanks for the list @Mommabear20 I clearly have a long long way to go to even get to the plenty stage!

I’ve started one small case gone some dvds, drawers Soon.

Couple of broken kids toys in the bin yesterday. Nothing much else to teport

Spent the last hour blitzing (whilst DH and DS are out the house)! Gone today: 2 old nappies that are too small, 2 bottles of toiletries we don't use, 2 laundry bags that are brand new and have sat in a drawer for years, 1 muslin and a couple bits of rubbish. I've also done a tonne more organising this morning and have effectively used all 6 of my new storage boxes which turned up yesterday! Very pleased with that, particularly the top drawer in DS' changing table which felt like a problem area for me, not too much clutter in there but absolutely no idea where anything was, and having to rummage around for things like calpol/nappy cream with a frustrated baby just wasn't working for me!

I've now got three more bin bags to go to charity sorted.

My new office was completed yesterday which means I can move a load of stuff that's in my bureau in the sitting room upstairs & out of the way. None of it is clutter - my working area is one that I keep very minimalist. But it'll just make for more space now I've effectively got twice the storage for things stationary.

I put a coat on eBay for £45 which was top end going by what others are selling for but it went within 24 hours with an offer at £40 👏🏻 I do like to try a punt on something the first time I list it, then reduce if it doesn't sell. I didn't get my one thing a day listed yesterday as it was just too busy a day but I'm back on that now.

The chap who built my office furniture also put things like picture hooks & new smoke alarms up whilst he was here, so all that stuff is off the surfaces/windowsills where it has lain since we'll before Christmas waiting to be sorted. It's amazing how much difference little things like that make.

Afternoon!
Will catch up in a bit.
Out..
2 vases
1 glass jar
4 shot glasses
8 glasses
I glass pint mug
Here's hoping dd can get things in the cupboard now without breaking them!

Not much happening here today as dh is on nights so busy trying to keep 2 children quiet 🤪🤪 however I'm seeing a friend next week that I have allllll the baby stuff for so looking forward to having half my spare room back!!

Also chucked out some mouldy hot cross buns I forgot about but I dont think that counts

Shredded one year of paperwork from an old business that I didn’t realise I could chuck already, in a few weeks I can do this years - exciting!

Decluttered:

Folder from paperwork (broken and battered!)
Ten or so dog toys
An old passport
Three old bank cards
One dehumidifer box thingy
One hairgel

Plus today charity shopped everything - house feels empty!

Not great progress in terms of volume today but reached into the back of a cupboard I have not gone near for years. Pulled out the start of the outgrown clothes. Washed some for charity and recycled the rest - why didn't I do that years ago and all of it would possibly have been useful!
Loving reading the progress everyone is making and the different approaches. Helps to motivate me to keep going when I see more areas I still have to tackle.

Thanks for sharing that list Momma Bear - I need to go through their clothes again. I sold an item and posted it today. Added three more items to my ragbag which I leave into my local charity shop when full - they sell them to a recycling company.
This year I am finally tackling the office of doom - it is not used an office anymore so it is a dumping ground for all kinds of everything.

Really good afternoon here de-cluttering wise. Started with a sort out, added 6 items of clothing, 1 photo frame, 3 rubbers, 2 toys, 2 pieces of jewellery, 2 ornaments,
2 tins and a load of old rubbish and paperwork to the 'to go' pile. Then took 5 full carrier bags to the charity shop (yay) and 3 coin bags to the bank, and added another 2 coin bags to DS' piggy bank. Also had someone collect all my unwanted crockery for free via Facebay, and removed myself from more email subscription lists.

Finished a book I got for Christmas and have already passed it on. Finally allowed to get the last of the Christmas decorations down this weekend. Tree down in living room as can now see them again went through the dvd shelves. Got a bag of about 20 going to try music magpie as charity shops not accepting at the moment.
New sofa has also meant furniture moving around a bit craft cupboard from dinningroom now in livingroom. Emptied all the craft/drawing stuff out for rid of a few wipe clean books and puzzle books which are too young for Ds now. Swapped the craft stuff with the games in the dinningroom and binned 2 packs of top trumps. Also used a face mask this week so that’s another out.

Tomorrow is getting the decorations down in Ds room and tidying and re-organising that. A few bits will be put under Ds bed out of the way before they can be sold/donated, this is to make way for Ds birthday presents.

In putting away the Christmas decorations have also got rid of a few and reduced it all down by 1 box.

As well as Ds room tomorrow also need to sort the food cupboards in the kitchen out to put all the Christmas chocolates away.

Had a big clear out of Xmas decs before they went back in the loft and used the trash nothing app to list two sets of Ikea fairy lights and a box of mixed baubles (about 30 in total).

A lovely lady came and collected them within a few hours and is going to use the lights for her playgroup.

I also moved all the Lego up into the loft and assembled a shelving unit to store it and other stuff. DD2 isn’t ready to give up the Lego yet but doesn’t want it in her room so this was the compromise. I kept a small box of Lego out and have stored it on the bookcase in my office as it’s handy when I have friends here who have younger kids.

Totally knackered now!

The big out today was DC1 back to college with a large suitcase and cello. I also put up an item I'd got 2 of on a local mums group and someone will collect tomorrow. Hopefully they'll come fairly early so I can get some stuff to the charity shop in the afternoon. DD2 goes back to school tomorrow so a lot of stuff will leave the house!