Decluttering Thread 3 - Decluttering on bit at a time

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Just realised we filled up Thread 2 without a way to link to this one, can’t see that anyone else has started one?

I did drop back the borrowed boots, go me!

didn’t tackle the umbrella pot/dumping ground though

Great, I'll add the car items to my total then 👍

I started clearing out the tv cupboard yesterday. It's supposed to house the tv which swings in and out on a bracket but there're so many things stuffed behind it that the tv hasn't been put back for well over a year, probably 2!! There are 2 Wii consoles in there with a million accessories which needed sorting out to list on eBay so I've tackled that and will hopefully list on Friday.

Also found another 10 dvds that can go to the CS.

The next 3 days are busy work days so I don't expect to achieve a tremendous amount but will try for some small wins!!

Got rid of a few more things yesterday. Itching to get on to some bigger jobs but that will have to wait, although hoping to do shoe cupboard today at some point.

Some old letters and child artwork
2 summer tops
5 bras (plus lots more to try on and get rid of if they don't fit)

103/2023

@Turtleoo good luck with the shoe cupboard. I have several pairs to pass on aswell. Anyone know if there's anywhere that will take very worn pairs? For recycling, I suppose. Some of them are absolutely fine but the ones that aren't end up hanging around because I don't know what to do with them...must get over my irrational fear of throwing things in the bin!!!!

Oh and an exciting thing happened yesterday. When I sorted out my glove box, I found the ice scraper (despite checking twice this winter!) so my bank card is now safely back in my purse

I found a load of missing CDs from about 2016 that I thought I had lent and not got back!

Marks and Spencers.

I went though a pile of papers yesterday. I find paper really daunting, even though I have minimised the amount that comes through pretty efficiently. It had all built up a bit during December. It looked like a lit but actually it didn't take long to separate recycling, shredding and filing. I kept very little and brought sensitive documents for shredding at work today. Very happy

spent a few hours this morning tidying and sorting my orchestra’s music.
threw out broken folders, etc.
carrying some of them finished off a foldable storage box that I really loved as was so useful, may buy another one soon.

out:
folders etc into recycling approx 10
broken storage box
assorted rubbish from music shelves 10

268+21=289

I brought a lot of old bank statements and P60s etc to work for shredding and I jammed the shredder!

Today's outgrown declutter - six school polo shirts, three pairs underpants.

Except for pants and socks, I'm doing at least two items out for every one item in.

Also cleared litter out of vehicle. Not really decluttering, but helps with creating a calmer environment.

had 3 children home most of the day only 1 was ill so didn't exactly achieve much 😕
1 1/2 bags of decent stuff to NDN
2 pairs of shoes for clothes recycling bin
1 bin full of unsuitable stuff
put a decent kids top on olio
1 pair of leggings for nephew

I got rid of a box of toys today. Total 22

Thanks Bottl!

Shoe cupboard declutter was a success. 12 pairs gone. Too many have gone back in the cupboard, I'm sure I could have been more ruthless. But I was doing it with a little helper and it's so much harder to make decisions

115/2023

I've been vindicated on this decluttering ' journey' a former friend told me she returned an item of clothing years ago when I know she didn't 🤦🏽‍♀️ If I ever see her again I'll tell her it's definitely not here

Freecycle is brilliant. There is someone who wants nearly everything.

I went to the charity shop but had already counted all those clothes as outs already.

Passed along a running tshirt to a friend.

have sorted through the enormous Thomas pile and taken photos - going to donate to some other autistic kids a friend works with - my DS2 was into Thomas for years so we have a lot! Can’t count them out yet though.

3 broken random bits into the bin

289 + 4 = 293

Sorted through a couple of drawers yesterday and have half filled a bag for textile recycling. Put some old trainers in shoe recycling today.

I can’t remember when I last updated the thread but at some point in the last ten days I donated the four or five bags of stuff to the charity shop that were in my boot. It’s amazing to have an empty boot again.

dd1 isn’t happy because I emptied a box from her wardrobe and went through it. She is actually getting better at decluttering and we have thrown away / recycled 52 bits of crap. I also have a box of stuff to take to the charity shop.

I will count that after dinner and add to the total.

Total so far - 115/ 2023

Im pretty certain I’ll get to the month’s target just with that lot.

Also dd2 has outgrown her booster seat. She’s actually been over 135cm for about three years but she finally decided it should go. It’s probably too old to give away so I am collecting stuff to take to the dump. I have a few pots in the garden and offcuts of wood and plastic from diy jobs so hopefully I’ll go next week.

This has inspired me to finally get rid of all the CDs and DVDs which I haven’t watched in years or listened to. Then I can move onto the books …

Stacked up fruit crates in the garage to take back to farm. Decided that I'm never going to use the old milk cartons for the gardening project I had in mind, and chucked about a dozen of them into the recycling trolley.

Found an item in the house that I was on the verge of adding to tesco order, so a little money and a tiny space reclaimed.

Gone through dd1s charity shop stuff. It included games, books, an eye mask, lots of hair scrunchies. I have added some of her books to the ziffit basket and some to webuy books so we’ll be making some money.

Total now 151 / 2023

A few random bits out.
1 more pair of shoes I didn't get round to trying on yesterday
2 dresses
1 plastic flute that doesn't make a sound when you blow it
Some bath toys
5 more bras (slowly working through a huge pile and confirming that no, they don't fit comfortably, so out they go)
Plus some other bits and pieces

Am up to 133/2023 so making good progress

Wow, everyone is counting their items? That's impressive. I have done the 30-day declutter challenge twice now but last time found it so hard to get the 30 items together!
I had a free hour on my lunch break and dropped off some stuff:

10 pairs of outgrown kids pyjamas and trousers to a little girl down the road, plus 2 books we had duplicates of
Binned another pile of paper from the office, plus an old sim card, a dry pen and a decorative box I had been saving up
took 2 empty shoeboxes to nursery (they love getting them) which I had been hoarding
a very big and noisy rattle-y toy to the charity shop
I shall also be decluttering my pants from today - they are so uncomfortable! AND my socks - the soles have worn through. I hadn't even noticed.
So if I am counting, 26 things since I joined the thread. I'll count each pile of paper as one thing because I could easily get to 2000 just by collecting all the paper!

I don’t count mine. I probably should. But always forget.

yeaterday I ditched my holiday hat and my flip flops. Couldn’t bring them home as no room in suitcases.

have ditched a hairband today and two egg timers the kids use to time their teeth brushing. We have three. We do not need three. Two is fine.

Is it okay to join here for help with moving?

For info, I'm moving from a small place to a small place today. I was meant to do lots today but tbh I mostly just got on my own nerves and moved small bits around. I really struggle to keep a tidy home, so OTOH this is a good opportunity to learn. OTOH I'm feeling overwhelmed. I have already parted with so much stuff over the years that I wanted to keep. So now, some stuff will be stored at mum's house, other decisions have to be made about ancient furniture, and generally everything is madly disorganised.

For the record, I wasn't always like this, I don't know what happened but I need to start over.

I'm also unsure what charity shops will take eg crockery and some stuff definitely needs to be collected by a service.

The idea of having to pack crockery, get on a bus to the charity shop - just argh - so I really hope it can be collected.

The freezing weather doesn't help either.

Sorry, I'm feeling quite argh about it. There are big (nestable) boxes arriving next week so I am hoping that will help as I will have a visual representation of what's happening.

I don't understand how housework can suddenly feel like a portal to hell.

i'm really looking for cheerleaders but I have given up on today as I'm now just really iritated with it so going to do some yoga and wind down before bed.