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!!

Thinking of you and hoping for a very efficient and positive decluttering experience @heartbroken22 sending all good wishes ❤️

(Ps more than 80% of women who have an induction get an epidural, insist on one if you want it!!)

heartbroken22 that’s exciting news, I hope the birth goes well.

I have put two bags of stuff for the charity shop in the car, including things that have not sold on Facebook.

I have also shredded a lot of papers and thrown out three dried out pens. It’s not much but with so much going on with dd’s schools I’m pleased to just be doing everyday decluttering.

I've really run out of steam this week my decluttering chums. Feels like an endless and thankless task :(

Have sorted through a pile of paperwork today though so still plodding on.

Good luck @heartbroken22 exciting!

I have been to the tip and Binned more stuff, however the cleaning hasn't gone well today. Will see if I can do more before I post my numbers.

Oo Good luck @heartbroken22 I hope it is swift and as painless as womanly possible!!

I did a bit of cleaning (finally) today, and out went:
8 plastic champagne glasses
Expired kids cough syrap
sample deodorant used up
broken hanger
garden bucket, broken
kids' whistle (that drove me nuts)
skincare sample used up
eyedrops
an info leaflet from the hospital
broken wooden spinning toy
belt from my shorts
expired lateral flow test
a job lot of packing material I had hoarded
packet of rubbish balloons

and controversially, I'll count this: I returned a top I had bought on a whim. It was only £17, and I got it whilst out shopping with a friend. She bought loads and I suddenly had FOMO so I HAD to buy something (does anyone else do this??) but I realised that although it was a nice top, I would rather have the £17 as I have tons of tops. So back it went. I'm counting that as one item!

Total is 1077

One stained top gone today. I did my best to remove the stain because the top is so pretty but although it's faded it's still there. Total is 645

Managed to have a bit of a tidy up today while I was off work to look after the kids.

12 items in the fabric recycling and 2 sales on eBay. Total 575.

Also managed to empty the contents of a few boxes into the toy wardrobe upstairs and threw a few boxes out ready to take to the tip.

Well done everyone, lots of progress!

I did a sort of the garden stuff and put it all in a nice new box, and got rid of an old glove and some rusty secateurs. Then I did a big freezer sort and fridge clean out… I’m not quite sure how much decluttering/using up for tonight/combining stuff/throwing out actually that added up to, but I counted at least 14 proper things and it’s made everything better and much easier for cooking/planning etc.

The garden is still a jungle but it’s a pleasant enough jungle

92 total for July
530 total

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

One babygrow and one skirt both too small have gone into the donations bag today. Total is 647

@heartbroken22 I hope baby has arrived safely and you're both doing ok.
Fed up with DP's pile of paperwork which needs sorting and a couple of things need dealing with. It just keeps being moved around! I'm sick of him procrastinating and not doing things. He doesn't do decluttering. Sorry, needed a rant!
Off to see Blur later today but going to attempt some decluttering, even small, this morning.

Didn't do any decluttering yesterday. My helper comes for the first time on Monday so I need to bite the bullet. I have some things on Vi Ted but they aren't going even for £1 with a bundle discounts so I might just dort out two bits bags for the clothes bank.

Dds wardrobe and draws, she is 8 and this is the mess created looking for clothes. I might just do a quick 100 items purge straight to the clothing bank

Before pics of dd draws and wardrobe

There looks to be so many things in those pics that simply don't have a home. You need either a row of shelves up the wall for more storage space, which probably isn't safe for a child unless they're banned from using the stuff on the shelf (but then they're a child and going to grow out of it so what's the point of keeping it?) or less stuff. The baskets are just adding to the chaos, especially the floor ones. This is where I'm at too. I'm going with a combination of both storage and decluttering. It's making a difference. Nothing looks clearer but it all looks tidier. I think you'll be amazed at the difference losing 100 items can make incessant

Great work @IncessantNameChanger !

I've decided that come September I'm just going to donate any 'summer' stuff that hasn't sold on Vinted as some of the bits have been up for 2 years no I noted.

No real major outs here but I am slowly filling another charity bag with clothes and books. Still avoiding the bedroom storage cupboard of doom and the bookcase in the office/study but doors close - so that’s something 🤣🤣@IncessantNameChanger i agree that losing one hundred items from those clothes would make an emotmous difference. So many clothes there that i would constantly forget what there was and it would be outgrown before it got too much use.

83 out today going straight to the village FB clothes bank so far from daughters room! It still doesn't fit! Think I have just sold a huge bundle on Vinted too so let see what that brings. Daughters room is still a chaotic mess! Omg this might take me into tomorrow!

I could get rid of another 50 things before it all fits well into the space. I'm going to give up for tonight, but give it another good bash tomorrow.

After this summer holidays, I think I'm going to try to get the summer things down to 1 or two draws. It's insane. This is a result of not knowing what I have. Dd is overwhelmed, so it lives all over the place as she pulls everything out. I haven't bought her many clothes at all for over 12 months now.

I've got a large worktop in the conservetory I want to tackle, lots of craft stuff up there which I'm really not looking forward to going through but if I don't its not going to ever get used is it?!

I feel overwhelmed just looking at her room incessant. Would it be easier to do it the other way, ask her to choose her favourite summer things then donate the rest? You could give her a suitcase like she's packing to go on holiday. I have two drawers of summer clothes in use and it's plenty, I could get away with one TBH but I like more choices. That's a good pile to go on the landing, I can see the empty space in front of the white-faced drawers where it was cleared from

I tried asking her what she wants to keep. She wanted to keep everything! But we are going on holiday at the end of the month so asking her to pack a case is a good idea.

Well done everyone! I’ve not had much leave the house today, a few bits for the bin (napkins and other bbq detritus) but one really big bit of furniture that wasn’t helping me and is going to a good home, that’s great!

I’m being really thoughtful about storage and furniture. The right things to help us stay organised will help, and it’s ok to get rid of bits that don’t serve a purpose any more!

Also I think I’ve found another place for some quick wins. Will keep you updated.

I've been inspired to go through another pile of clothes and one stained t-shirt has gone. Total is 648

Feeling frustrated today. I feel like one thing a day isn't enough, but at the same time it's 365 things a year at least and this year I've already nearly doubled that in 6 months. I feel so overwhelmed by it all though. I've gone through a pile of clothes making sure everything fits and looking for faults, I'm mentally tired now. It's good my mindset is shifting and I want to get rid of things though. With 600+ items gone and nothing looking very different, I'm wondering how many items are in my home 🧐 must be 1000's

@IndianSummer78 it does feel frustrating, but even that is a good thing as it reinforces that every new thing needs a home, and without the space there can be no home for it. I ordered dd a new party dress and t shirt in the Next sale, but I'm going to have be realistic that unless 5 tshirts go, there is no home.

I have realised dd has things in the wash too so no idea how how ever will fit back in. But it fitted before?! And I got rid of almost 100 things. How is that possible???