I’m doing the 31 Day declutter challenge

[Sallygoroundtheroses]

I’ve done it before but not for a while. Despite a huge effort to declutter last year, the house is looking a bit chaotic again. So 1 item on day 1, 2 on day 2 etc.

I’m off to find an item…

Today was much harder, not because I'm running out of stuff (I'm not sure that will ever happen) but now we are getting into bigger numbers and the easy pickings have gone. It becomes much more difficult on a busy day when I'm out all day with work and/or kids activities.

I got an open bottle of spirits given away that I'll never drink, running shoes recycled in a donation box, out of date coupons and a box that I'd been saving "just in case" for over a year, plus 6 other things. It's all still feeling very productive even if finding time is getting trickier!

So I have had a busy long day today and my next set of decluttering is in my sons room and he was fast on at 7. So I have done some digital decluttering. No idea what number to put on it as I have deleted 100's of photos, literally 4000 emails and about 20 unused folders in my inbox. I will call it 50.

Total 331/500

@BrewandBiscuit unsubscribing to emails is a good one for digital decluttering too.

That is what started me off! 20 odd unsubscribes, deleting emails, deleting folders then emptying the 4000 strong ‘bin’! Feels good 😊

Bit of a quick Sweep again today with limited time after work.

8 cardboard/foil box/containers, ds tend to hoard these things "for crafting".
1 bra which had holes in it. Shameful
1 bowl suction mat thingummy. To stick the baby's bowl of porridge to the table. (Youngest is 6 in a couple of weeks)

110/496

Day 10:

A cat toy, a sheet of old tissue paper and a random gift tag, got husband to declutter his sock drawer - 6 pairs gone.

118/310

I'm away this weekend so I'll use a quiet time with a cuppa to empty my emails and do some unsubscribing.

This is so good for me. The house feels so much tidier and will be even better after a charity shop run next week (after wardrobes).

The amount of Calpol syringes I have accumulated is daft. 11
items from the utensil drawer.

5 yesterday and one today, plus 2 I'd forgotten about.

47/66

About to donate to the charity shop and foodbank though.

Day 10:

5 pairs of old sports socks ( one child’s draw sorted yesterday)
1 bottle of out of date toddler vitamins
1 half used bottle of chicken pox cream
1 medicine spoon
1 big cardboard tube
1 plastic tub, unwanted that has sat in the kitchen for months

Day 11

2 Thomas the Tank engine toys
1 hat
3 good condition items of clothing
1 unwanted, new, toy, boy
1 unwanted toy, new, girl
1 brand new DVD
1 duplicate book

All of day 10 in the bin, all of day 11 taken to a charity shop straight after school drop off.

due to the challenge I have made myself sort things out. Small steps, but at least more out of the house, charity shops benefit etc.

Oh and 73/496

TODAY 2 packs of playing cards with some missing, 5 magazines and a book 8 items total 182/496

Dropped off my charity shop and foodbank donations, taking me to 78 in total. I also took a travel cup, lid and sleeve into work, which I will count as three things out because I don't want it back in the house and the bits were in different places.

81/66 so tomorrow is covered as well (and a good job too, as it'll be so busy I won't have time for a wee, let alone decluttering!)

Does anyone else feel they have done absolutely loads already when they're less than a fifth of the way through? Trying not to get demotivated but I might have to relax my definitions of what counts and as how many items a little bit!

Yes, I feel as if I have done loads!
The fact it has made me do a tip run, pile for charity, things given to friends with younger children!

Found my 11 items for today, clothes and a selection of kids wellies for the charity shop, but have missed the opening hours for dropping off donations for today, so it will have to go tomorrow instead.

40 items from cupboard under stairs - wrote a longer message but stupid McAfee warning came up before I'd clicked post and now my message is gone. 😡
Running total 175/500

Dh just said " we'd have nothing left if you could drive"

I love a de-clutter and tend to have a binge every time I'm off work. It then all lingers in piles though until dh gets fed up and goes to the tip / charity shop

In the To Go pile
Jumper , too big and looks baggy and unflattering on me so it needs to scoot

Someone collected the bagful of kids socks and pants yesterday, via Olio. I'd already counted them.
1 pair shoes sold on vented
3 clothing tags that I'd been keeping.....why??
Pile of paper from kids desk
4 items "art"
1 pair surgical stockings
1 water pistol

121/496

Good morning.
20 tops before work.
The wardrobe cull has begun.

@Theimpossiblegirl 20 tops before work this early in the morning is impressive going!

I have a cupboard in my spare room that I hardly go in, I'm hoping that will yield a high number of things to go!

12 random items found in places they shouldn’t have been.

Forgot to post yesterday!

Day 11: a plastic chopping board, 12 handmade covid masks, 3 bras and a t-shirt.

135/310

Day 12: a zipped storage bag, 2 pairs of flip-flops, some bubble wrap, a plastic bag, pile of old artwork and 2 old bits of fabric.

143/310

I've had a good declutter again today
Scrap man took-
2 bikes
1 scooter
2 hoovers
1 projector screen
1 remote control car ride on

I've listed arm bands on vinted

And thrown away about 25 bits of broken toys out of the Playmobil basket which I intend to list on vinted as well.

We're planning an extension and we're so excited about the plans but it occurred to us that the house isn't going to be magically clear and tidy just because we've extended. And it's such a waste to spend all that money and still live in a tip. So I'm determined that this year we really will get the house in order. So far I'm on 156/496, which is great, but depressing that the house looks NO DIFFERENT. Which just goes to show how much junk we have. I'll keep at it and hopefully it will eventually start to make a difference.