Clutter Clearout - Countdown to Christmas

[chubbachub]

@MNHQ im unsure if there is a more appropriate topic for this, feel free to move if you wish.

There are 135 days until Christmas 2022. Christmas feels like a good goal as I know more things will come into the house so i want to use the time until then to have a good clearout.

My house (and mind) is cluttered with toys/mess. It's not unclean, it's just that 3 kids and summer holidays = mess and it's stressing me out. Luckily they are back to school next week but I'll still have a tornado of a toddler roaming about so there will still be plenty of mess.

Earlier today I was thinking about how the last few Christmases and birthdays we have been more minimal with what we bring in to the house but I know there is tons of stuff and toys the kids have outgrown/don't play with anymore that could be donated or sold or just chucked in the bin if it's broken etc.

Anyway I have decided I am going to go on a clearout journey and address different small areas of my house every day until a Christmas and try and get rid of at least 3-5 things per day. That could be literally putting it in the bin, in a donation bag or listing on Facebook etc.

Would anyone like to join me ?
We still plan on keeping it to a minimum regarding what we bring in to the house so I am just hoping to achieve a calmer space around me. I will be reporting back with what I have cleared out to keep me on track.

Areas that need immediate attention

Kids toys in their bedroom
Soft teddy toys
Big cupboard in kitchen which holds bakeware, pots and pans, blenders and such. Shit tip.
Two storage baskets in the bathroom that are full of products, some of which I know are empty.
Bath toys - some need a good clean or to be binned.
Garden/outdoor toys - we have too many scooters/bikes/skateboards due to outgrowing them
Toy box in garden is full of bits of things
Toddlers wardrobe, need to go through and see what she has grown out of that can be donated or sold on Vinted
Sort kids books and see what can be passed down to the younger ones and what can be donated

I'm sure there will be more things I find along the way.

Feel free to join or add your to do list even just to get it out of your mind and down in black and white.

I have fallen off the wagon. So overwhelmed with it & don't really know where to start. Think I need to make plan.

I've realised that being able to sell stuff has really stopped me decluttering.

Before kids I'd sell everything, even making £1 on an item was worth the time. Now I've realised that I have held onto tons of stuff to sell when I have the time and I'll never have the time.

I bit the bullet and booked a BHF van with 2 weeks notice. Pretty much filled it! Gave them furniture, exercise machines, appliances, good books and the best of the clothes. Made such a difference.

But now I've ground to a halt. I'll give myself a break until they're back at school but then I need to crack on.

I'll follow for inspiration, I'm in awe of all of you successful declutterers.

Kids back to school on Wednesday so have finally managed to make a start. 2 big black bags of DDs old clothes went to my SIL, three bags went to the clothes recycling bank, one bag to the charity shop.

My mum is also in the middle of a big declutter so I did end up bringing back a bag of stuff from her house but it included tea lights which we use a lot of, tea towels which I'll used to replace some of mine which are gone v tatty and knives which we were short of.

I knew this already but it’s been proven this week that going back to work = no decluttering! I can only manage the household and my school work (teacher) so everything else has to wait. 😢

We haven't many plans today so I’m going to try and do a bit. All 4 kids home and dp working away. Wish me luck! 🙄🤣

5 bags this week but lots more to go. I find I'm much slower with the selling.

Everyone seems to be doing better than me! I spent the weekend thinking of where to start and I achieved nothing! I talked myself out of everything😔

I sorted the kitchen cupboards this morning while cooking a roast for the first time in months.
We have loads of stuff in the cupboards including a Christmas pudding, 4 jars of chutney, 3 jars of jam and 4 packs of stuffing so with last years turkey still residing in the freezer due to covid - we are well sorted for Christmas 🎅🏻

I've attacked our cellar today, full of tons of crap that we've needed to get rid of for ages!

A little bit more for my DH to finish then we're getting some shelving put up to keep it more organised

@Tilda77 I've not managed any declutteting in the last week either. I've hit the hard stuff (sentimental) and just ground to a halt.

@GlumyGloomer The trouble I'm having is not knowing what to do with the things I no longer need or didn't use! Last summer we had got rid of all the clutter. This past year it's crept back. I could do another car boot sale but after we decluttered last year DH was so fed up with car boot sales we sold our fold up tables😅 So while I swing back and forth deciding what to do with the stuff I don't do anything as I don't want them piled up somewhere in the house(No one can see through my cupboard doors😂🤭)

I'm stuck with many items in purgatory as well 😂 I might use them, or they cost a bit (sunk costs fallacy).

That is so funny you sold your car boot tables Tilda. 😆 Top decluttering!

Loving the fact the car boot sale tables were sold!

A bathroom unit, broken parasol and a car load of miscellaneous crap from the garage went off to the recycling centre this morning.

Bag of clothes left to go in a chazza or a clothes bank whichever I see first.

I think we're drawing to a natural pause as I'm about to enter 6 weeks or so of hell work and study wise. So any decluttering will be odd bits rather than planned. I'll be keeping up with the thread to maintain motivation though!

Can I join? Setting myself 100 day challenge - aiming to complete a task a day.

Day 1 - sorted a bedroom. Recycled 3 carriers of clothes that were rags (!) and took a carrier of outgrown items to the charity shop. If I don't act fast decluttered items become bags of clutter somewhere else in the house.

Well Done Sitoff - Good Luck with your 100 day challenge!

I made a start on the Garage.this week. Ten years ago we added fitted storage - shelves, drawers, large cupboard, etc - which have just become excuses for hoarding. In addition to this we have plastic boxes full of stuff in front of some of the cupboards. I went through three boxes today and none of it went back into the garage. I am not sure it will be sorted by Christmas but moving forward!

Thanks @LittleLlama . Much of my house sounds like your garage - fitted storage has slowly been filled so boxes and piles placed in front. Well done on making a start.

Day 2 - sorted pile of paperwork that has become a fixture on the kitchen table and binned as much as I could. Remainder filed or progressed.

I've achieved quite a lot (for me) this morning. I sorted through some paperwork and sorted through both of my DSs clothes to get rid of the stuff that's too small. Made some space for anything new they might get for Christmas and can actually see what they need! 2 bags ready for recycling and charity shop.
This wasn't what I was supposed to be doing though....I bought the paint in the week to decorate the hallway🤭
My mum offered me the use of her folding tables to do a car boot but the weather has turned and doesn't inspire me. DH wanted never to do another car boot so he can have the task of selling our unwanted items on FB market place😅

Well done @Tilda77 even if it was a distraction from doing what you intended!

Made some more progress here each day although a bit random - weather so good today had to spend some time out there tidying up.

I've been recovering from surgery so haven't been decluttering the last week. Tomorrow dh and I are going through our (huge) collection of board games. Currently stored in 3 places of the house, but I'd like to get it down 2. Less used ones upstairs and more used downstairs.

I did really well selling board games on Facebook marketplace. I priced very reasonably (checked for completeness of pieces, and stated clearly where not complete). All went quickly with no messing about.

Hope you are recovering from your surgery well @torthecatlady Board games would take a weekend to sort here. I feel I need to check them for all the bits but the task seems too big.

Managed a huge sort out in my bedroom and the bathroom. Clothes for charity shop and plenty of rubbish binned. Just need to make sure I take the clothes quickly this week or they will become part of the clutter.

I fell off this thread a few weeks ago but, today, I cleared out my sheds and took 7 bags to the clothes bank.
Please don't ask why there were even clothes in my sheds to begin with 😆

Great job Zim Zam Zoom!

Few bits listed on Facebook finally! Just hope someone buys them now 😂

I've also done a big pile of mending that I had been putting off. So those things can go back into circulation.

Thanks for the well wishes! On the mend and should be back to work in a couple of days.

I have tried selling some games on Facebook, without much luck. Think I'll just donate them. Gets them out of my house before we change our minds!

Fortunately, I'm pretty OCD so all of our board games are complete. All pieces get put into grip seal bags and cards are key together with elastic bands from the first time they're played likewise with jigsaws, once completed all put in a bag and taped up so pieces won't go astray and donated straight away as I will definitely not complete the same one twice!

Well done @ZimZamZoom and @BluOcty

@torthecatlady I bow down before you. Wish my family had your discipline.

On early today so managed to drop my donations to the charity shop and sort the hall cupboard. Not much gone but I can at last shut the doors.

I'll join you! I think I'll need the support. Started the big clear out - so out come all the baby clothes.....so I am finding the big clear difficult and emotional as I go through all the stuff remembering when they last wore this and that.... Maybe in hindsight should have started with husbands wardrobe or something less emotionally tiring :-)