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

No new active decluttering happening atm . I’ve been too busy , tired and unwell but I keep on putting stuff aside when I run into it .
Had our new gardener over for the first time last week and we were generally happy so hopefully we can use them in the future monthly in the winter and a couple times a month in the spring / summer . My driver has been picking up DD by herself for the past week and that’s what we’ll do from now on, it’ll help me a lot . DH got the charity shop load taken in yesterday ,and went to the dump today (and will again in the week when he’ll work from home for a day before we’ll travel ). He listed the cupboard and it sold but we haven’t heard from the buyer so will have to probably list it again after get back and then donate if it doesn’t go . He has yet to put the lamp on Olio though he keeps on forgetting . Some more admin done from the big list , prep for Halloween and DH birthday which are when we get back plus for the winter term at school . Have started on Christmas too little by little. Finally managed to get to a few selfcare app after having to reschedule and move everything due to being ill all of September. DS will have uni entrance exams day right before travelling so he’s stressed and only finds out results in Jan. DD first senior school exam is in November also an interview coming and DS will have one too . I’ve been going through the clean laundry mountain tonight and am finally starting to pack for four people and the dog who’s going boarding . Only have a few days until we go and I feel too tired to be doing any of this .
Out recently :
-fishy dog treats
-1 old bottle brush
-2 old wooden spoons
-5 pairs of socks
-7 pairs of pants
-1 old plate
-1 random ping pong ball from school

Some decluttering achieved this weekend. Yesterday I got rid of a pair of dance shoes (gone into the spares box at dance class) and a pair of summer school shoes that DD never wore (passed to charity via FB). The FB collection was a real pain with lots of back and forth and last minute cancellations, and I wish that I’d just put the shoes into a charity bag.

Today I did more work on DD’s old clothes. I finished going through the 6-9 months box, then decided to organise all the clothes that I’m keeping, which were all shoved into a couple of large bags. I’ve organised and bagged them up by age (4-5 down to 6-9 months). Next steps are to do the last two boxes of baby clothes, then decide on how to store the clothes I’m keeping. Think vaccum packs might be the best option.

A few more things tonight
-3 metal dry cleaning hangers to recycling
-1 DD old sweatshirt
-10 pairs of old socks
-1 pair of pants
-1 holey T shirt
-DH old swimming trunks
-1 broken ceramic soap pump
-1 kids rash vest to charity
-1 kids rash vest to clothes bank
-1 DH old shirt

Haven’t done a huge amount of getting rid of things but have reorganised things so I’m counting that.

put all my baking things into one cupboard in the kitchen. Then all snacks in another. So much easier to see everything now.

I have finished a face wash though so that’s a small thing gone.

Finally got round to actually getting the decluttered stuff out of the door and off to the tip and charity shop. Three bags to go but can definitely see a difference in terms of freed up floor space in the living room. Still some work to do going through the toys and games on top of the tv unit.

DP has chucked out a load of old clothes so freed up space in the wardrobe; next step is to go through the summer stuff and get rid of anything that won’t fit next year. There’s also a box of swim nappies that should go in about five seconds on Olio!

started the day with a cold dip therefore had quite a productive day; another electric toothbrush out must contact the oral b lady 1 flask out, 2 bottles of engine oil out, (out= I mean ready to go) lots of cleaning done which no one will see, lots of washing/folding, in new pair of running leggings

Just a brief check in, work has been crazy so not much to report. Few old school exercise books lurking in a drawer found and recycled. Some DVDs and yet more books to charity shop. Next charity bag started with some outgrown clothes including some walking trousers barely worn at scout camps so a great find for someone.

impromptu sort through post/paperwork looking for something 🫣
1 pile out
1 pile shredded
1 pile filed
arranged scrapping my car 🥺

found eldest's new 2 debit cards which he had no idea were there.
looking like a full morning of admin

Decluttered my emails. Have unsubscribed from so many mailing lists!

I dropped a bag off at the charity shop today, really planning on trying to do a carrier bag every couple of weeks (there's one almost on the way to DC's school just got to be organised enough to leave a little earlier on the day I do pick up!).

On the downside I took everything off the shelves in the dining room and put it all on the table - and now I don't know what to do with it. It's clutter but not necessary clutter I can bin do I need to find a home for it.

One bag of previously sorted clothes to the charity bank yesterday. Truthfully, it was only half-full, but I wanted it out of the house rather than hanging about.

I would struggle with that type of clearing shelves @Myleakycauldron - there’s lots of spots I haven’t tackled because I know I would struggle to find homes for everything, especially if I haven’t got much time to sort through them. What did you do in the end?

very sad out of my car today. don't know when I can afford to replace it so it's just an out for now and a few bags of hairbrush/wipes/spare hoodie in from it 🥺

I am constantly on a failed mission to declutter. I fail because am also sentimental. But I threw out a million socks and old tights recently and have about ten bags of clothes waiting for me to take to charity after half tern.

@EllieQ my displaced shelf remains on the table and a few items my husband has moved on (he's terrible with just pushing the issue down the line / moving the clutter to the next room).

Cant think of anything that's left the house the last couple of days tbh! I have a few items to list on FB but it's just annoying amount of admin. Might do one or two tonight.

DH finally on board with decluttering.
I've explained that if we move in 4-5 years time clearing this house will be a nightmare but the immediate stimulus to action was finding we have rats in the garage!
So we're doing 20 mins a night to get it sorted. A pile of stuff to the tip already, various stuff from garage thrown and sorting it out gradually over the next week or so.
Sadly I'm actually quite grateful to the rats as a stimulus

20 mins a night is so good. I wish my DH was more onboard so we could motivate each other - I don't wish for rats, although that might be what it takes at this rate!

No decluttering except of our money since we made it onto our holiday to the Mexican jungle by the Pacific . It’s very hot and humid here so due to my health problems I’m mainly chilling in the villa , swimming in our own little pool and enjoying the different restaurants while kids and DH are going around zip lining , playing sports , swimming in the public pools ( and hopefully in the sea when the beach opens after the cat 4 hurricane that just went trough Sat/ Sun night😳 , thankfully we were protected by the mountain side so just torrential rain and thunder no huge winds at the resort we were pretty worried about ). We’ve booked them also trail riding and a surf trip . there’s lots more activities to do if we have time / weather permits . Today I did make it to look at insects and butterflies at an enclosure next to kids club and the huge jungle playground with treehouses and rope bridges etc . Then I was shattered and falling over with my dizziness . There are insects , lizards ,birds and coatis ( related to raccoons ) everywhere so I really feel like I’m in nature 😊. After the trip there’s bound to be some outs so I’ll list them then . Kids are back to school on Monday on Halloween .

@wwyd2021medicine eek at the rats but well done for getting going. I have listed a few more games on eBay so hopefully they will be my outs for the week.

wwyd2021 I’m sorry you’ve got rats but it is great to have some motivation. Our garage was full and then it got a water leak and I was so pleased to use it as an excuse to get rid of some of exh’s crap.

dd2 has decluttered her bedroom again and there is a pile of stuff waiting to go. I am still sorting through stuff that was in the dining room. Before lockdown I was organised and used to file bank statements and bills. I have let that slide a bit so I am going to sort through that stuff and maybe file when dc go back to school.

I have now managed to move stuff enough to be able to be block where the rats may come in
Another load to the tip! Books from spare room gradually getting to charity shops
DH has been banned from buying wine so that we can clear garage floor
I'm planning to move when both of is have retired and both DH and I are both on board with being ruthless to ease the pain a little

can anyone answer a cleaning question please? I've got egg baked onto ramekins, been soaking a day then I managed to scrub off one with a Brillo pad which I'm sure isn't ideal, the other 2 won't budge! I'm even generating heat with the friction but no dice! thanks
been busy speaking to eldest's college reading about employment law on gov.uk then speaking to his employer you can imagine the situation?

they're not gu pots glass they're this

Half term here and I’ve decluttered not a huge amount. Some sanity maybe.

ds ripped a pair of trousers yesterday so they’re binned
as is a calpol diffuser light thing. Ds broke it. Now wants it back. But it’s binned.

also our a toy harmonica and a toy set of pan pipes. Both came from a comic dm bought the dc.

@seperatedmum only other thing might be to make some bicarbonate into a paste rub that in and leave for a while. Mildly abrasive. Disclaimer definitely NOT a cleaning expert 🤣

@Gassylady thanks. STBXH of all people sorted it while I was out. I'll have to grease ramekins very well next time 😕