Decluttering Club thread 20(22)!

[Mommabear20]

Let's go!

Popping back after a few weeks away from the thread (holiday, DH unwell, work catch up) and have managed to do a dump run today. Am thinking that I will mostly be decluttering at the weekends for the next few weeks as other demands must take priority. Still, pleased to have got some electrical cables etc out (8 items) as they were all identified by DH as no use to us anymore.

Sending encouraging thoughts to everyone as you set about whatever you have identified as your aim for now.

Just jumping back on as I fell off the thread at the beginning of February.
I’ve been terrible about making any real progress! The house is still overcrowded with things and every time I clear a space it gets filled up again!!
I’ve had lots of luck selling things on Vinted so have been sending bits out here and there.
Sorted the bathroom cupboard out at last on Thursday so one room done!
I feel so stressed and on edge all the time and I think if I managed to get on top of the sort out then I might feel better but a 3 year old and 9 month old are making it hard! My husband is too scared to throw anything away in case I don’t want it to be thrown but maybe it’ll make it easier for me because he’ll be more brutal 😂.

@EmmaH2022 good luck! Maybe if it’s written down then it makes it easier to get it done! I’m a terrible procrastinator so if it’s written down then I feel like I have to get it done!

I've decluttered and dusted the mantle, which I think has been a dumping ground since we moved here. It was VERY grubby.

Was a really busy week last week so I feel once again like we have had more crap come into the house than go out. It's never ending isn't it?

One of the vacuum storage bags done. Lots of trousers kept as I am actively losing weight, lots into charity bag as I dislike bootcut and low rise. Lots of office wear type tops into charity bag too as I will never need them. Amount halved I would say. A job I’ve been avoiding for months half done in less than an hour, will do the remaining bag tomorrow. Hopefully there will be just one combined bag to put back in the cupboard

[quote Wam90]@EmmaH2022 good luck! Maybe if it’s written down then it makes it easier to get it done! I’m a terrible procrastinator so if it’s written down then I feel like I have to get it done![/quote]
Thank you

I do have it written down and actually I have made a lot of progress. It's so astoundingly boring though.

I've put dinner in the oven and though I don't buy takeaway, I can see why people do. The prep, the irritation of any smells being in the living area, the washing up...it all just feels never ending.

Genuinely wondering if a tidier/organiser person exists and how much they charge!

I would like to form habits but I seem to be at a loss how to do this with an irregular work pattern.

Today's out: a threadbare pair of socks.

@EmmaH2022 I'm doing FlyLady and it's helping. Come join the Fledglings thread if you like.

Thank you
I tried that, and TOMM. They're not for me.

My aim is
Get everything sorted
Figure a minimal hassle routine to keep on top of it

I did all right in January but I planned meticulously. I will have to knuckle down and do that again. It's the boredom of it. If I could get into the habit of cleaning up after myself, it would be better.

When I look at my progress, I see it's good, but I am very very irritable with it all at the moment, especially in a small space.

@EmmaH2022 have you read Dana K White? Her first book How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind is very funny and talks about good habits without making you feel told off. I recently re-read it for an injection of enthusiasm between that and the nudges from lovely ladies here feel I’ve got my mojo back! Still making progress

I don't know how in the space of the week, all the flat surfaces are once again covered in clutter! My partner is currently doing a blitz clean and tidy of the Kitchen. I've got rid of some unopened food items that we just aren't going to consume, and tried to sort through some of the toys in the living room. We have shelves and they just end up dusty dumping ground. I've also chucked out some dead plants!

Living DeadGirl Can you give those shelves a purpose so they're not available as a dumping ground? Alternatively if they're unnecessary, remove them. Either way forces people to put things where they belong and not dumped on the shelves

@BlueSummerBaby

Living DeadGirl Can you give those shelves a purpose so they're not available as a dumping ground? Alternatively if they're unnecessary, remove them. Either way forces people to put things where they belong and not dumped on the shelves

I've honestly been doing this, much to my partners dismay, I think he has hoarding tendencies tbh. Stuff just doesn't get put away properly and there is only so much nagging I have the energy for.

Actual decluttering today: four books to the charity shop. Unfortunately I ended up buying two books while in there (one for me, one for DD), but that’s still more out than in.

Have bagged up school uniform to donate this week, and listed a coat on FB, but no interest yet.

Done quite a bit today but unfortunately I should really have done some cleaning too, so need to focus on that for a bit. Will update with my list later!

More stuff out of the house today - two bags of old school uniform dropped off at school this morning. There’s another two bags to go tomorrow. Pleased to have got it out of the house.

Today's out: a manky middle from a cushion. Not sure what I'll do with the cover yet.

I did well yesterday, my toddler had a decent nap so tackled a few bits. Also did a charity shop run with a big toy. Outs were a board game, mug
2 ramekins, a radio and book back to owners. Also realised I have so many sanitary towels but I prefer reusable ones now, so mainly use those. So it will take forever to get through all I have, found the ones which were unopened packets and put in a bag for the food bank with some flavoured rice we won't use. Also went through the food cupboard quickly and got rid of some cereal that has gone off etc.
Went through a couple of photo albums, ones with pictures I'd taken as a teenager, lots of blurry ones and ones of scenery/ animals. Sifted through and got three albums down to one without any difficult decisions. I have two more similar albums so will wait until I have done those before deciding which albums to keep. Haven't done photos before as thought they are so small they take up no space but 2 albums definitely do take space up on my bookcase. Small ones but it all adds up.
Not an exciting update but it helps to write it all down!
I need to concentrate on more cleaning/ tidying today which I definitely find less motivating. Decluttering feels more of a permanent improvement as it's gone forever, cleaning and tidying is very temporary, at least in my house!

Not happy today- remember me saying I'd sold phones to twig a while back? well a few days ago I was forced to pay for an underpaid parcel, thought it was from my little nephews maybe, just stepped in from school run, it's my bloody phones back from twig, so I've paid £3.50 to get them back and got nothing for them* 🤬THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I TRY TO GET RID OF THINGS* 🤬 I'll have to investigate what happened of course but it's bloody typical! won't be doing anything to house until legal stuff is all done anyway 😶

I'm hoping to get back on this. My active treatment is finished so I can manage some decluttering again.
In the last week, I've sorted a kitchen cupboard out (didn't have much to bin but it's tidy), got some old clothes sorted for recycling, got a bag of DD's too small clothes together but have to go through everything, dropped a bag in to a charity shop this morning.

Hi vinorosso it’s good to have you back, I hope you’re feeling well.

I have completely fallen off the decluttering wagon, both dc are having mental health problems and Its affected me. I didn’t have the energy to do housework or decluttering.

Anyway this week I have turned a bit of a corner, things are still shit with dc, stbexh is being an arse. At least my boyfriend is being supportive but from a distance so I can spend time with dc.

i have taken six big bags of stuff to the charity shop. About three bags were toys / games that I could have easily sold but I just want this stuff gone now. The cuddly toys that went had been in my wardrobe and it’s amazing I can see the bottom of it now. The house is an absolute tip and I hate it.

Tonight I’m going to tackle the post pile in the hall as that has grown again. Most of it belongs to stbexh so I’m going to bag it up for him.

I’m also going to sell a couple of big toys that dc won’t want to get rid of but they’re taking space.

well a charity bag of rag-clothes went today so that's something

Lovely to ‘see’ you back @Vinorosso74

Sorry things are stressful @stealthninjamum and I hope things improve for both DC

Today DH took the other two bags of school uniform to school for their uniform ‘bank’. There’s also a pair of wellies and a pair of plimsolls that can go as well - plan to do this tomorrow or Friday.

Digital decluttering today. I found an email folder full of those joke emails your friends send round everyone and a few chatty ones. I'd forgotten the folder was there, most of them weren't that funny and the friendships ended long ago. So I deleted them. Made me miss my ex-friends though, but time moves on and lives diverge.

Thanks for the welcome backs. Sorry you're having a tough time stealthninjamum
I don't feel too bad but get tired more easily and feel a lot older than I did last year!!!
Started sorting through things to go in our bedroom yesterday. A few things have gone in the bin bag/recycling but there's still so much to sort through and actually go out the front door. I've started another charity shop bag and found a bag of DD's too small clothes, some of which I'm going to wash to see if they're charity shoppable.
I bought some new clothes hangers today as we seem to have several too small ones so that should help tidy wardrobes.
Best crack on!