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!!

I have two bags on door handles. One for outgrown / charity. One for clothes recycling bank. My main issue is clothes for clutter. I also have doubts where I can leave a room without taking five things back to their proper rooms / home. Or wondering around the house looking for say easy grab things to get rid of. If you walked in every room I think it's easy to spot a bad choice of make up, broken toy, dried up pen etc. There's lots of good methods and I don't stick any on method.

I like the sorting and tiding method first as you can look and think about each item then go back to them later with ideas on what can go

Love all these tips thanks. I like the “bag on the go” method, but it was turning into my downfall as I was just collecting stuff for sorting later. I really like the sound of “a shelf at a time”!!

I have not yet managed the food cupboard but I’ll try to do it tonight .
This morning DH took the kids to play a sport for a few hours and when he came back he took the dump load but couldn’t fit the old garden table so that’s left for next weekend to take . He was only able to give the kids and adults clothes to the charity shop ( not our usual one , it was closed , a third didn’t want anything ) they had too much other stuff but then he also managed to leave the book piles to the book collection at the dump so about a box full and a bit out of two big boxes gone . Left here are a bunch of kids board games , a few home items and lots of wrapping paper rolls . I do have a feeling there’s more for it upstairs so I’ll try to fill the second box again for him to take next weekend hopefully ( generally collect 2/3 big box fulls every few months and then take them . Some stuff we’ve given away via Olio . Dump has clothing and shoes collection and a ragbank so quite a lot goes there too not just to charity shop .
We went through DS school sports kit box and most of it was clean and ready to go to school second hand uniform and sports kit collection after I took name stickers off , just 1 sewn in to remove thankfully . We found a long lost umbrella behind the box I’ll check that it is in ok condition then it’ll go to the hall coat cupboard , DS has a replacement one . We kept a few things ; DS engineering car club T-shirt for the memory box , his new dentist made mouthguard for basketball , new looking generic under layers that still fit , 2 pairs of swimming goggles one pair still in a box ,1pair of football shin pads that still fit , a new looking Judo gi and belt that fits he might want to pick it up at Uni or otherwise again . Ended up storing it in the box in the wardrobe I thought I was getting rid of but it’s nearly empty and tidy now .
Got rid of these today besides the sports bag and boot bag mentioned in the last post :
-1 swim bag
-1 swim towel
-2 pairs of games socks
-1 pe top
-2 pairs of games shorts
-2 tracksuit tops
-2 tracksuit trousers
-1 games top
-1 match top
-1 house T-shirt
-1 stained fabric bag to rags

There’s possibly still some pe shorts in the dirty laundry I’ll get rid of when I see them .
DH also went to the garden centre and bought some strawberries he then planted and a replacement climbing plant for the end of our shed to camouflage that a bit hopefully . We’re already eaten some of our own salad which lovely . These are the first things we’ve grown in our new veg boxes we had the landscapers put in for us in the fall .
DH also unpacked and hung up some wall racks in the bike shed which seem a success and pretty space saving . Packaging to start the new box pile in the garage .
more cleaning and tidying jobs inside still left …

Well done all!
A slightly different question… do you have some recommendations for where to get memory boxes? I think having a space for these things is important!

@CherrySocks What are the videos called? I think I need them.

I used to be on the threads ages ago and life got in the way, I've been gradually trying to declutter since. The house is better, it is still too full and I want to get to the point where it is decluttered and easier to manage and clean.

Today's outs: three toys to the charity shop before the kids change their minds.

Nick Keomahavong

I did one of the food cupboard and took a look at the larder drinks section too and so much had gone old , we don’t really drink .
the food cupboard is pretty empty now ( kids snacks, biscuits etc and dog food and some drinks bottles ) , nice and clean . I will buy less . The other one full of cooking and baking ingredients and spices etc will be worse to clean I'm not looking forward to it but it needs doing . I’ll try to do it in the near future . A few other things getting chucked out too .
Out :
-4 DD books
-a pile of hers and other magazines and newspapers
-3 kids old school water bottles
-1 DS old umbrella ( decided it can go after all )
-1 old dog toy
-DS stinky muddy football boots are earmarked to go ( found them when I tossed the school boot bag , he claims they’re still good but they are so smelly and completely caked in mud so they’re going )
-18 bottles sparkling and still water had gone old
-8 old bottles and cans of beer
-4 old cocktail bottles
-2 old non alcoholic mulled wine ,one was open too
-old dog hydration drink packets
-1 old dog food can
-1 old dog ice lolly packet
-15 packets of old dry food ,some half eaten plus empty packaging kids had left in the cupboard .

I’m happy with myself with getting on with it today and yesterday !

Sorted through the toys downstairs and also ds’ room yesterday. One bag for life full for charity shop. One black bag of rubbish out.

I put my pants which were SO uncomfortable and socks with holes in the bin. Few years back, I had something like 75 pair of pants and socks. It was insane. I haven't bought any since, apart from a pack of 3 black socks since those are the ones I mainly wear. Now I'm trying to wear them all out and get to 25 pairs of each. No one needs more than that!

997 now. Don't think I'll quite reach my 1000 before end of May but I'm v happy

I have an insane amount of underwear too! I'm wearing it all to death as well. I'm going to take my worst underwear on holiday and bin it there. There was a post on MN years ago about leaving things on holiday and someone was outraged. But honestly who washes their holey pants to recycle them EVERYTIME?! it's got to go in the bin or charity shop / recycling bin somewhere in the world. I couldn't find a recycling point in New York so it went in the bin. I have Environmental Biology degree. Shoot me.

Bag dropped at charity shop this morning, the clothes DVDs and books already counted. Added in a rash vest, pair of swim trunks and two games. Cupboard in kitchen looked through few tins and packets for food bank collection as our WOE has changed.

Five minutes after getting back noticed the duplicate book we were gifted recently 🙄 At least I’ve started my next bag

Today I looked through and tidied one kitchen cupboard where we have a few most often used trays plus ziplock bags , wipes kitchen paper type of stuff and found 2 plastic bags of assorted bags just flung in there when we moved in so emptied those and decluttered and organised . Now pretty empty so might move some other stuff there like tissue boxes from utilty . Also sorted out the integrated bin cupboard and git rid of a bunch of loose wrong sized bin bags etc now tidy there too ! I will try to do my tall utility room cupboard and the remaining food cupboard soon . Will have DH check some mini alcohol bottles neither of us seem to drink unless he wants them they can go . He emptied some stuff out of my dining room which is waiting for the table’s arrival . I’m praying we like it . I just want to be able to use that room as intended ! We now always eat at the table in the open plan kitchen dining family room by the garden doors but I’d love to eat in this room on weekend dinners or something not just at Christmas and Easter !
Out :
-4 rolls of Brabantia bags ( 1 unused roll to food bank )
-assorted bags from the bin cupboard

I just managed to sort through the humongous pile of washing that was left sat for a few days...yesterday and put Autumn wintery clothes away. My kids have enough for the summer which they need to wear out first. But obviously the weathers changed this morning and it's slightly cold. I will declutter vests and briefs today with kids. But I take a step backwards when DH says dd2 can wear dd6 clothes in the future. I don't want to store and keep clothes for 4 years! It's draining! I kept dds clothes for 2 years for next baby and honestly decluttered most of it because I still had memories attached from when she was born and they looked a bit old.

Thank you, the videos were great. No outs today, some tidying instead.

It’s great hearing about everyone’s decluttering methods. I don’t stick to one myself, but I think I’ve almost finished decluttering My remaining areas are wires, toys, playmobil, lego, photos and dc’s school work. They don’t take up much space but are big jobs which will take months around other diy jobs. I am focusing on playmobil at the moment and have someone picking some up at the weekend.

I also have someone picking up an old plastic sandpit as I’m attempting to make that part of the garden nicer. I went to a garden centre with dd1 today as she currently has a gardening hyper focus. We bought some herbs to create a herb garden and I have been looking at creating a container garden where the sandpit was.

DH is at his mom’s with the kids and the dog for 3 days now and for once I was productive while they’re gone and did the second big kitchen food cupboard.
The gardener came too so garden is looking tidy again . They come twice a month now then DH mows the lawn once a week in between and tidied things up .
I managed to over heat the food disposal and it stopped working when I was getting rid of the old food . I was nearly done luckily . To my shame there was about 60! packets of old food and spices etc . Now looking very empty and tidy . Took me forever to wash all the jars for recycling .
I also got rid of some alcohol bottles we won’t drink ; two big ones and some mini bottles . Then tried to remove a stain from a dress I’ve kept for ages hoping I can but no luck so it went with a stained cardigan and some kids old sweatpants . I noticed DH and DS books have gotten a bit mixed in the living room bookshelf so we’ll have to look through so they know which is whose and do they really need them all . I finished washing the second set of sofa covers as well . When dry they’ll be stored in a labeled box in the attic so we can find them next time . Now very very sore and sleepy so having my dinner a bit early then going up to bed go watch tv and read I reckon . Tomorrow I can sleep all morning yeah !!!!
tomorrow or Sat I might try to go back to the attic . Will have to see if I’ll be in hernia pain from todays efforts . Hopefully not !

Out:
-3 old wooden spoons & spatulas

-1 stained cardigan
-1 stained dress
-2 pairs of kids old sweatpants
-2 plates we’d gotten rid of the rest of already
-DD half used up paint by numbers she won’t finish
-6 plates delivered broken ( have already complained now I’ll have to again )
-60 packets of old spices and food , oils etc
-2 large alcohol bottles
-11 mini alcohol bottles

One halter neck bikini gone. I can't wear halter neck due to a neck problem. Total is 488

Added this morning's wrap top, that doesn't want to stay wrapped, to the charity bag. A shame because it's lovely, but I have so much and I need to reduce so I've decided not to alter anything to make it fit but to donate instead. Total is 489

Managed to sell some bundles of clothes on eBay this week but was surprised to see I got rid of 56 items.
Total now is 492.

@Pigtailsandall @IncessantNameChanger I'm a pants and socks hoarder too 🫣. The amount of underwear I own that doesn't fit is ridiculous! But I really struggle to throw any away as most is new and it seems such a waste.

I have a few days off work coming up so am hoping to clear more clothes out. We're decorating the spare bedroom soon and I want to clear out some of the unnecessary clothes taking up space in there.

Up until this year I maybe had 7 briefs...with pregnancy I'm needing like 13 (I can't fit a lot in my drawer). Beas I used to have 3 on the go but realised I needed more as they'd get worn out after so much washing and wearing (saggy not bobbly...straps getting loose and just feeling old).

I went through kids toy box and got a bag full out. Feel guilt but they've had their birthdays and have a lot of stuff. Got rid of the teeny tiny toys they don't play with and I keep having to pick up.

Also got rid of a bag full of clothes. Had pyjama tops knee length that have shrunk to below stomach length and are not flattering and feel worn. Bobbly pyjama pants have gone too. Some wide black pants, a dress that shrunk. Some socks and underwear too. Still progress and better than nothing. Hope I can do more before I hit 36 weeks. I'm really not ready.

The amount of underwear I own that doesn't fit is ridiculous! But I really struggle to throw any away as most is new and it seems such a waste.

The charity Smalls For All collects brand new undies and distributes to those who can't afford any PissedOff

"Heartbroken* I'm sure your DC won't notice the missing toys. You've done well with your own things too

I got rid of a canvas storage bag tonight. I don't need it any more so I'll fill it with things for the charity shop and they can have the bag too. Total is 490

Interesting to read about the emotional issues with procrastination and decluttering. I’ve done two difficult things over the past week - donated leftover cat food to a local cat rescue charity after our cat died last month (I miss her a lot), and finally started going through the boxes of stuff I brought back after clearing my mum’s house.

The boxes have been in the corner of our bedroom for two years. I had a look through them all, and made a start on shredding old paperwork and got through half a folder of bank statements.

I also took a bag of old shoes (which is sorted through a couple of months ago) to be recycled.

I feel like I’m stuck on decluttering in lots of ways so I’m trying to find easy things to tackle.

Pair of jeans binned. They’re ripped to pieces and I cannot justify keeping them anymore.

Thanks @IndianSummer78 I'll take a look at that when I get time.