Decluttering Thread 3 - Decluttering on bit at a time

[LivingInaBuildingSite]

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

I made more progress with clearing the living room cupboard last weekend and cleared half a shelf, which has meant that DD’s new toys from Xmas now have a home. I found two unopened large bottles of bubble mixture, a vase, a cocktail mixing set, and a photo frame to get rid of, but none have left the house yet!

I’ve found a local playgroup to take the bubble mixture, and the cocktail set and photo frame can go in the nearby charity bank (which accepts ornaments etc as well as clothes), but the vase is too big/ fragile to put in there so I’ll need to drop it off at a charity shop instead.

I also threw out an old bath toy that had broken and been stuck in the cupboard rather than going straight in the bin! I suspect it was from the toddler years and DD was upset when it broke, so I put it away ‘to be fixed’ until she forgot about it.

I have a bag full of old vinyl singles that I brought back from my mum’s house when we cleared it out, which has been in my bedroom ever since. My plan for the weekend is to make a note of all the singles, then drop them off at the Oxfam book/ music store in town.

Taken my two bags to charity shop. And found a third in the boot of the car. Which has been there since before we went away (early December) ooops.

dd has broken another pair of fairy wings. So they’ve been binned.

I also took 20 minutes and cleared a small bin bag of crap from my two drawers in the bedroom. These house cosmetics and hair bands and assorted junk.

"dd has broken another pair of fairy wings" this made me smile...fairy wings getting a wee bit torn as they fly over the dreaming spires and tallest trees...

my procrastination habits always seem to lead to the same place....I try to do too much, still left the flat very untidy and now have a sudden urge to do ALL THE THINGS because I'm not there for three days.

I agree that starting on a packing box will really help - estimated delivery is Mon, Tues or Weds.

so on Monday I will start getting quotes for the handyman jobs that need to be done in the flat before sale.

Today's items collected for charity shop:

2 paid of shoes
12 items of clothing
dog car seat
2 dog carriers
dog coat
baby carrier

I had planned to drop them at the charity shop this morning but had to make a change of plan and they're still in the car - out of the house at least!!

I've had a cheap fees offer from eBay for this weekend so going to get as many things on there as possible before it expires on Monday.

I had 99% decided the piano could be rehomed yesterday. I've always been very against the idea and the thought of not having a piano in our home made me feel quite sad. When I mentioned getting rid of it to ds, his face fell so I did a quick u-turn and it's staying. However, it did make me reassess some of the other bigger items here that I would be happy to let go of so I'm going to sort out passing them on over the weekend too.

Ok, things decluttered today:
2 gift bags
4 packing boxes
A "nice" plastic bag I was keeping (does anyone else do this?)
2 alcohol--free beers we'll never drink
A hand cream I dislike
Manual to our coffee machine
A broken toy

I ran out of time but I also took out all the clothes I think I no longer like and put them in the loft. If I still feel the same way in 3 months, I'll donate them

I really want a piano, I used to be able to play but my left hand/brain won’t play the bass clef anymore, but I still want one anyway. When I get the front room redecorated and sorted out I’ll get one to go in there.

old space blanket binned
5 old bits of paperwork recycled

dropped off a trophy to be engraved from DD’s primary school, will drop it back in on strike day I think as she’s at home but the primary is staying open.

295+6=301

@Pigtailsandall yes, I keep all bags. The normal supermarket ones get used as a bin bag and the nice one used to be kept for...not sure what. However, I now use them as packaging for eBay sales so my collection is reducing gradually

@LivingInaBuildingSite I learnt as a child (hated lessons) and can just about remember one of my grade 5 pieces from 30 years ago - not anywhere near my piano teacher's standard, I hasten to add!! DS never wanted to learn but in lockdown, taught himself, via YouTube, to play the most amazing piece of music.
I'd come to the conclusion yesterday that as it rarely gets played these days, it was probably best for it to go but it would have been a sad day if it had actually gone. Maybe now the seed has been planted, I'll think up a different plan.

Just spent an hour making a terrible mess in my room but have managed to fill 2 big bags with scarves, clothes, bags and a few random bits. 86 items in total!!

3 sweetie cones leftover from ancient party bags. Ate some of the fizzy sweets in them but they were really chewy and definitely past their best.
1 bottle of sherry finished, which I’m counting as an out because I only really drink it at Christmas so won’t be replacing it for ages.
73/2023

Used up a l’occitane body butter today. So rich and lovely. But man it took ages to get through. And the pot was huge so it took up a load of space.

making a conscious effort to use up what I have this year before buying new.

I need to cull some of the kids toys at some point. But will save that until they’re out of the house. Because I cannot do anything with them here. I just tried to go through the “art cart” we have. But they saw me and immediately wanted to do drawing and painting.

Cleared out the kitchen drawer where all the random stuff gets put and binned quite a few things. It is now tidy with more space.
The using up of things can take a while but it is worth it. I used to keep "fancy" things for occasional use, now I just use them.

10 bits of random junk mail and crap, 6 of which were a party bag and its remaining contents that’s been sitting on the kitchen worktop for TIME
83/2023

@Pigtailsandall I just pulled out a carrier bag to fill with clothes for recycling and it was a Woolworths bag - and how long since they closed down?!

Woolworths?! Wow that’s vintage and probably a collectors item now!

5 x DS T-shirts into charity box

also a side table that’s been decorated with Thomas stuff added to the pile of Thomas stuff I’m planning to pass along, that will boost my numbers of items if I count each train!

301+5=306

Popping in ( I follow this thread but don't post often) to say I've achieved some outs this week. I sold a book on eBay, took 6 random items to my friend for her church's "bric-a-crap" stall and have done some paper shredding.
I have been working on decluttering for several years and have dealt with loads. However I had to move out of my flat for a month last summer while subsidence repairs were done and once everything was packed up I realised just how much stuff I still had and how filthy inaccessible corners can get. I wanted to go and live in a white box with minimal possessions and everything on castors so it could be moved for cleaning!
That has passed now but I still want to streamline surfaces to make them easier to clean!

youngest was asking for a stapler; found four! but not the staples to fit found other staples and decluttered a whole bag of dried out pens etc from drawer and a sticky hairy drawer divider I couldn't give away

Educating that is such a good idea - everything on castors!

I was chatting with mum about having minimal stuff. She doesn't really get it, I think because she has plenty of space. I think she might be a bit surprised when she sees the new place as I plan to have all the ornaments packed away. I think it's such a small space, clutter will seem wrong.

@Bottl Woolworths! That's possibly very retro by now!!

I didn't specifically declutter today, but I did throw out items while cleaning: 2 pairs of husbands underwear with holes, a broken bag clip and a single slipper. No idea where the other one is. I also returned 2 items to MIL today that I didn't want. So 43 items since joining. I'm also trying really hard to not being new stuff in.

Are people trying to declutter 2023 items during the year?

DH did a dump run again mainly with boxes from deliveries for recycling etc.
He and DS also took a large storage box full to a charity shop . First one didn’t except donations despite my earlier call but second one took it all thankfully . I have found a warehouse drop off point for a hospice that we’ll go check out next .
DS 18 th birthday tomorrow and we’re going out . Celebrating more on our trip on halfterm and later when it’s warmer time of the year he’s doing a tandem skydive .
I've managed to gather up some more items since the last load went . Painting should be collected in the morning . Hopefully soon DH will list more items on olio . I want them gone ! Am in a clear out mood but don’t have much energy or time atm .

Going out :
-6 packets of old food from the cupboards
-DD old electric toothbrush
-1 half used shampoo and 1 conditioner I’m not using anymore
-a couple of travel sizes of the same shampoo and conditioner
-1 shoe bag
-1 board game
-1 finished book of mine
-1 finished book of DD
-1 whole series of books (13) of DD
-2 pairs of DD too small unused shoes
-1 tea sample
-4 toiletry samples
-1 book mark
-1 table tennis ball
-1 packet of my old meds
-1 half used hand wipes packet
-2 at least of DD winter coats earmarked for charity once the weather warms up

Is there any point in keeping the ornaments at all then?

Pigtails

Are people trying to declutter 2023 items during the year?

Not me. I'm counting items out of curiosity but I don't have a target. I didn't count items last year.

I haven't been counting the beauty stash because it is all neatly in the bathroom but I've made some definite progress using up some of the many multiples. Sanpro, mouthwash, loo rolls and cotton wool pads I'm down to the one item (or one bag, for those that come in multiples) being used plus one spare. I'm almost there with shower gels and bubble bath too, with one in use and two spares of each. I'm still overrun with everything else though. The aim is to eventually have nothing round the edge of the bath or on the window sill impeding their cleaning and to reduce the storage in the bathroom by a third to open out the space.

IndianSummer "Is there any point in keeping the ornaments at all then?"

they'll be packed away and kept at mum's. I should get a bigger place eventually.

Suitcases from our trip plus outdoor cushions and umbrella and assorted Christmas bits are going up in the loft today.

binned my old riding boots today. They were very very last their best and we’re letting in water.

have started (another) bag for charity shop. So far two pairs of jeans a pair of shorts and some tops of mine. And a random coat who we have no idea who it belongs to….

Up to 361 items so far this year. Yes, I am aiming for 2,023 but I managed 2,022 last year so lots of the easy wins are gone.

I took bags to the Charity shop, the rags bank, passed on some more freecycle things just before starting my new job. This week most of the outs have been rubbish that should have been thrown away ages ago - wrinkly conkers, finished craft kits, old cards and concert schedules.

Also, shock horror, I took a long hard look at my to read pile and removed three books that have been there for some years and that realistically I am never going to read. In the charity shop bag now but not counted as they haven't left the house yet.

Indiansummer I started a beauty no buy in 2015. I still have a lifetimes worth of face masks, lipstick and eyeshadow (although I check regularly it hasn't gone bad) but I now am allowed to buy soap, body butter, shampoo and shower gel again. It's nice to be on top of some bits of the stash!

I didn’t manage to look at the bag of vinyl singles over the weekend, but did put two pairs of socks into the textile recycling bag, and put three items of DD’s clothing into the charity bag (a raincoat, a top, and a pair of trousers).

I also spent some time organising the rest of her old clothes to sort through. Previously, I’ve worked through the old clothes that I’d boxed up as she outgrew them, from age 4-5 back to age 3-6 months, and kept some from each age range while donating the rest.

However, I also had a box, a bag, and a pile of outgrown clothes that had built up over the past few years. This afternoon I went though them and sorted the clothes by age, then by type (tops, leggings, dresses, etc). I found I still had quite a few age 4-5 clothes as well as the age 5-6 clothes. They’re now all in one box, ready to be worked through. There’s a separate bag of smaller sized clothes that had been left in that stash, which also need to be sorted out.

This sounds like a weird ritual now I’ve written in all down 😞 But I know that going through the clothes by size and type works for helping me to let go of things.

I’ve also realised that I stopped being organised about boxing up outgrown clothes around the time my mum died, followed several months later by the first lockdown. Hadn’t made that connection until now.

One threadbare bedsheet to the textile recycling today. Total is 18