Decluttering thread 4 - progress rather than perfection

[Pigtailsandall]

Thread 3 got filled up so decided to start a new one - hope everyone can find it!!

Today:
-1 more pair of DD small grubby trainers
-1 3in1 Lego left at grandparents
-2 old bra pads
-1 of my books finished
-a couple of old dog toys (as he gets his monthly box I throw away old worn out ones or ones he doesn’t seem to play with )
-old food from the pantry
-2 pairs of old flip flops
-1 DD football is a question mark ( she’s getting a new one for her birthday )
-1 mini cocktail bottle used up ( we have a few in the cupboard we never drink so tried one tonight )

@Nordicmom ·
Oh and an annoying faulty remote control is gone although will be replaced . I’m still celebrating seeing the back of it , I don’t know why I haven’t looked for a new one before .

I have a load of them cos I keep losing them in the black hole which is my bedroom! I still have some from another tv. I am superstitious that I will throw the wrong one away!

Mind you, my friend is donating me a tv which is more compact and will fit in better. There is only one remote with it!

We have a box of cables that my other half will not part with, who knows what they are for or if we even still own the appliances/devices!

Just gone through ds clothes amd earmarked lots for him to try on. All his clothes fit into his draws now so I'm very happy with that. No real outs but there might be when he toys them on

@LivingDeadGirlUK I see your box of cables and I raise you the instructions for putting together a wardrobe we took to the tip three years ago 🙄Also a ton of odd screws which "we might need some day" and an unopened DVD box set of That 70s Show "which I paid a lot of money for so can't get rid of". AAARGH!

I think my partner must have a twin lol. I've been covertly throwing out manuals for things we dont own!

Another 12 items sold on eBay and posted. I should have some more in the next few days and now up to 382/2023.

I've discovered near where I live there's a weekend cheap rental for stalls on the market this spring/summer so am very tempted to round up lots of stuff I haven't managed to sell on eBay and take it all down there. I just don't know how we'd control 2 small kids as both me and DP would need to be there to sell stuff.

@SydneyCarton , just throw away things like that !!!! At least manuals etc ,and there’s only so many spare screws etc u can need but put them all in the same place at least . I don’t discus every little thing like that with everyone else since I’m the one who’s had to go through all our stuff by myself really ,and I don’t discus everything I throw away from DD 11 room or she would keep every piece of paper and grubby tennis ball she’s found at school . I don’t throw away anything of DS 18 except too small socks etc without talking to him since he’s an adult now ,or anything really personal of others but in general I’ve had to use my judgement or we’d never be done with the initial big purge and just live in middle of of piles of crap forever. Sometimes I have to let it go for a bit and then later on people are ready to get rid of the item they first refuse to . Just tossed 3 pairs of DH trousers he hadn’t touched while we’d lived here for 1,5 y and wanted to keep ,now just said go ahead when I asked if they can go . I’ve done some of the first of the two big food cupboards last night . I need to look through all the bottles , kids snacks etc still . The other cupboard will take longer . We need to also do DH study cupboards which are partly organised in labeled boxes but there’s a bunch of crap on the shelves too . Just need to pull it all out and go through the boxes and get rid of something and organise rest of the loose items . The trouble is DH couldn’t care less about doing this and it’s mainly his stuff so I need him to take part.
Super dizzy and in more pain today so nothing extra is getting done beyond daily housework and laundry . I also have DD school run to do our drivers had an emergency , yesterday DS was able to pick her up but not today . I will try to get the clean laundry mountains folded tonight , maybe some outs from that . I have lots of admin and medical stuff that just isn’t getting done I feel like I’m walking in treacle atm ,and DD birthday is this weekend so have her main present delivery tomorrow it’s so big there’s no way to hide it I don’t think . Have to also pack the rest …

I've posted 3 more items of clothing sold today and I've got a carrier bag of bits to go to the charity shop tomorrow.

4 empty boxes gone today. Total is 547

Dropped off a bag to the charity shop with some outgrown trousers, 2 hats and some books in. I've also sold some books on Vinted that I need to pack up and post today.

Two pieces of paper recycled, a pair of cheap broken earrings binned and a handbag to the donations pile. Total is 551

I decided to let go of my last pair of really high heels, and dropped them off at the charity shop immediately before I regretted it. I also convinced husband to let go of 2 book-size magazines, plus 2 cards, and binned another unidentified plastic toy (where do they come from??)
680 now.

Still got a way to go before floor is really clear but at least any toiletries can go to the beauty box at work for the patients. Plus any clothing.

I might then find my laundry card (you pay online) and my what's my password notebook. I am always losing something though hardly surprising in the state the room is in.

I have decided to chuck all my blue glass ornaments and use that area for my towels as I have nowhere else to put them!

Pigtails I remember getting rid of my last pair of fancy stiletto heeled sandals 5yrs ago. Relics of a past life. I've still got a pair of nude kitten heels, tweed stilettoes and patent pink ones, but at least they're wearable during the daytime. I'll stick to block heels once they're gone.

Went through another drawer and got rid of 2 pairs of too small jeans and one pair of cargoes with a busted zip. Total is 554

I had a late out yesterday of 9 baby toys, still so many cuddle toys left but its a start!

I know its not decluttering but I finished my first week of The Organised Mum Method and feel quite satisfied. My house is not totally clean yet but I can see how it will get there if I keep going. Its also been handy for decluttering some bits and bobs!

I've been tackling my under bed boxes. Finally going out is crap like my old gymnastics badges, brownies sash, planner from my last year of school. Loads of story notes that are now obsolete, and, amusingly, a to do list telling me to sort out the boxes in the bedroom. That was a fun meta moment 😅

A few outs from this morning. Mostly multiples but I'm counting them each as one

• corks (nope, no idea, they were with the gardening things)
• plastic gardening labels for seeds (haven't used them in over 10yrs)
• empty cardboard box (found a plastic container to use instead)
• all the leaflets trying to make me buy sale items, which came with my parcel today (usually I keep them and buy more stuff)
• all the packaging from the parcel (no more keeping it "just in case")

Total is 559

A spatula gone. Total is 560

I did the de-cluttering thing on here in January then fell off the wagon. Now over the past couple of weeks I seem to have quietly re-gained my decluttering energy - went through all my clothes and now three bags of de-cluttered clothes are out of the house (1 to charity shop, 2 to charity collection containers), some paperwork shredded today, old electric razor into bedroom bin (will have to retrieve it and recycle it properly), about 20 out of date spice jars emptied and washed out, have finished consuming (one a day) a large tub of vitamin supplements that had been lurking in cupboard forgotten, eaten a tin of food that had expired, dealt with some outstanding financial things ( a type of decluttering), - and strangely all done on a kind of calm domestic autopilot rather than my previous desperate fighting the clutter mode. I've been watching a Buddhist monk's videos on YouTube so maybe the serenity and simplicity of that approach to life are beginning to take effect.

an easy out of 3 instruction manuals from behind the dishwasher

I've got a load of stuff sitting in our bedroom that needs to go, that's been decluttered from other parts of the house.

Would you focus on this kind of thing or try to do more rooms first? I'm stalling. My "new" golden rule has been to get stuff out of the house ASAP, and because I didn't it's just sort of sitting there (aaaaargh)

OK I think I've answered my own question! On the way to pick DC up today I'll make a detour and take things to the second hand shop.

Went through the cupboard under the stairs this morning. One bin liner of rubbish out, and other stuff moved to the new shed. Cupboard is looking vastly better and I found all my lost screwdrivers, hurray :)

Hopefully dropping 2 bags of clothes to the charity shop after school.

Trying to get back on top of things. DP sorted some clothes out and I helped DD sort through her clothes. Two bags gone to the textile recycling. Some items can go to charity shop.
Also finished a huge candle which I've had for ages.

5 cook books donated today.