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…

2 old towels, 1 old pillow, bag cat litter (type cats wouldn't use), plastic spade, old gadget & box, different outdated unused gadget & box, plus sundry items counting as 1. Total today: 10. Running total 194/500.

Ooh 200 is in sight!

I tackled the dd’s bedrooms over the last few days. Lots of odd/holey socks gone and old makeup, tote bags, bent earrings, frayed hair bands etc.

I also found my Mac blusher in my dd’s make up bag!

Hi can join? I started off aiming to do an item a day but easily surpassed that. Then thought I’d aim for 100 but again have surpassed that.

I’m not counting food that we eat or normal rubbish/recycling but am counting stuff that is found lurking in drawers/cupboards that goes in the bins. I also haven’t counted digital decluttering but have unsubscribed from (and deleted) lots of marketing emails, hidden or left groups on Facebook and deleted lots of pictures from my phone. May end up counting some of these towards the end of the month or start counting individual
items rather than sets!

my list so far

1. Kids kitchen and contents (count as 10 with all the different sets of food/crockery etc)
2. Toy till and baskets
3. Big wooden toy box
4. Balance bike
5. Kids xmas dress x2
6. Velvet dress I love but doesn’t suit me
7. Dress I love that’s too small x2
8. Dress p bought me that I don’t love
9. Top I never wear x2

10. Set of three sensory balls 11. Kids winter hat x3 (all too small) 12. Baby change mat with pockets 13. Kids sunglasses 14. Aqua doodle mat x 2 15. Kids crocs x 6 (outgrown) 16. Travel cot 17. Worn out school shoes that d had inexplicably put back in the cupboard despite one not having a sole attached 18. Set of measuring cups 19. Set of Japanese things to cut food into shapes 20. 3 tubes of sprinkles (decanted into other similar sprinkles) 21. 2 bottles neatly empty and very out of date food colouring 22. Wellies x 3 23. Doc martens 24. Trainers x 3 25. School shoes 26. Watch 27. Bag of pebbles 28. Dish of rocks 29. Dolls pram 30. 18 pairs outgrown pants 31. Stained and holey vest 32. 22 pairs of outgrown socks 33. Baby bow tie 34. 4 pairs swimming shorts 35. Swim nappy 36. 8t shirts 37. 2 football kits 38. 1 rugby shirt 39. 6 pairs trousers 40. 3 pairs pyjamas 41. 2 jumpers 42. Holey leggings 43. Takeaway dice 44. Bag of fools gold 45. Earphones that aren’t compatible 46. Ice lolly moulds 47. Steriliser bags 48. Pickled onions 49. Piccalilli 50. Crap peeler 51. 3 tins that “might be useful one day” but haven’t been 52. Journal 53. 11 board games 54. 3 puzzles 55. 3 busy boards 56. 5 packs of cards 57. Broken birthday badge 58 2 ‘best teacher’ plaques 59 wardrobe

getting some great ideas seeing what you’re all going for

I lost a couple of days due to a needy child at home but I've just had a blitz upstairs - tackled the underwear drawer, sock drawer, wardrobe, and bathroom cabinet. Threw out a LOT of out of date medicines! Lost count but reckon I've easily caught up, so will start counting properly again tomorrow.

Took Dd back to uni.
That's a lot of clutter gone!
I also gave her the left over Xmas booze, some wine glasses and cups for her house so I'm on track as long as she never brings it back.

Today I have tackled the hallway and have 3 pairs of shoes to sell, 2 in the bin and 1 in the charity shop bag. A coat my son has outgrown to sell and a couple of random things under the shoe rack and some old letters, so 12 things.

I then tackled the cupboards of doom…

50 things from my old paperwork folder, about 20 dresses and a coat of mine to sell or charity shop and some random toys my son had outgrown and broken bits. Still have loads more to do but I’ll call it 100 for today!

435/500!!!

Not sure when I last posted. I'm on 92/105 for Saturday. I would have been over my target if it weren't for overtired DC 1 suddenly deciding he must go to Lego club right now, which put paid to my charity shop run.

I’m so impressed. I involved my younger two children yesterday when going through the board games then last night when I was putting them to bed they asked to go through their teddies to see if they still wanted them all. I’ve just been reminded by them that it’s a job for today. One dc in particular has always been really resistant to getting rid of things so this is a huge step!

Also need to add two bits of craft that we got rid of yesterday. I think I’m on about 167 so far

That’s great @Orcubed . I’ve tried with
my oldest but there’s still resistant so it happens when they are at school.

@Sallygoroundtheroses that would be an easy win for me, the tupperware.

Yesterday only 4 - 3 bottles sun screen (several years old) and 1 empty talc.

I have started using the cotton wool pleat that I've had since I stopped using it for nappy changes, (ds2 is nearly 6) rather than buying more pads for cleanser etc.

176/496

Child free today and crap weather so I plan a blitz. Day off work tomorriw so will fill the car up for a charity shop run.

25 so far to include....
5 lidless tubs
5 tubless lids
Ice lolly molds
Goggles case
Baby snack pots
Formula pots (I breast fed , youngest child us nearly 6 )
Aged butternut squash.

201/496

153/496. I’ve done all the easy stuff, now I need to tackle the not so easy bits. What do you do with bits you are emotionally attached to but serve no purpose?

We're up to 223/496 today so pretty pleased with that, though the house still isn't looking any different so I think it's going to be an ongoing task beyond January.

What do you do with bits you are emotionally attached to but serve no purpose?

Good question! These are the things I find hardest. If it's something that someone else might enjoy I can sometimes bring myself to donate it to charity but otherwise... I get seriously stuck on these items.

@Sallygoroundtheroses sadly it didn’t go quite as planned. She decluttered three teddies (has an entire laundry bin of them)… into her younger brother’s bedroom 😖. He wants them. So they’ve just moved.

Have been out most of the day so haven’t done anything here. Will try to make it up tomorrow

with sentimental emotional stuff I think get yourself a memory box ( you chose size ) then you allow yourself to keep anything you want but it has to fit in box with lid shut so if there is no space you may need to remove something. I do the same with childrens art one box everything is kept a week or so then you select the best of that week and at end of year just thin it out again

Just checking in to say I missed yesterday and today, and will miss tomorrow. So busy at work and absolutely shattered! I'm going to do extra on Tuesday when I'm off!

11 more done along with housework this afternoon
2 dummies
1 vit C face cream that I didn't like
1 perfume
Bath toys
Old tooth brushes dc had kept.

212/496

Jumper and some socks to recycle (didn't count them though - Rookie Error)

15 items of general tat gone!

A few years ago sentimental items were very hard for me, but when I read Marie Kondo, that advice worked for me. It’s not for everyone but it’s along the lines of thanking the item for the feeling it gave you (a memory or being in someone’s thoughts when they selected the gift for you) and saying goodbye. I do still keep thinks but on a much much lower level.

Nothing today but have tidied and re-organised the remaining contents of cupboard under stairs which is a big win itself.

Haven't decluttered anything from the house today. I have hoovered the hallway upstairs and downstairs though 😁

Made it to the charity shop and also dropped off the rag bag at H&M for a voucher and an old pair of glasses at Specsavers. Now on 128/120. Did buy DC1 a Trunki in the charity shop, but that will come in super handy when we next fly and it was an absolute bargain at £5!

Day 13 ( still behind!) - car emptied and cleaned today and a trip to the tip as passing, and a tidy up of garage ready for a boiler service tomorrow:

2 large pieces of rotten wood taken to the tip
1 rusty metal pole - tip
3 boxes of garage junk emptied and binned
6 unwanted Christmas decorations
1 child’s coat in my selling pile

So 98/496

2 days behind, but I now have a slightly dejunked garage and an empty, clean car which is so nice.

plan is to tackle some messy kitchen drawers and the under stairs cupboard tomorrow!

More kitchen bits. 16 bits.