Decluttering Thread 5 - Slowly Does It

[Pigtailsandall]

We filled the previous thread quickly! I'm still in the middle of my annual leave and working through my old sentimental items so I need to keep the momentum going! It's taking ages.

@incessantnamechanger
@EllieQ
@nordicmum
@IndianSummer78
@Realfastfoodie
@nordicmom
@CornedBeef451
@thingshavegottogo

@stealthninjamum
@pissedoffneighbour22

Sorry for anyone I missed! Hope you find us!

Thank you, @IndianSummer78
There's a good deal of clothing still to go. I recently realised I have quite a lot of clothing that no longer fits me since losing lockdown weight (every silver lining has a cloud, lol). I may open a Vinted account and see if I can sell a few items, but that means storing clothes somewhere...

It was a nice, warm day here so I decided to clear up my deck a bit. I got rid of little plastic pots that once contained bedding plants, and a few annuals that are not going to do any more blooming. Had to come in after getting several bites from the end of season mosquitos. I'll wait until a cooler day to continue with the deck.

Thanks everyone. I'll keep plugging away at it and hope for the best. I've gone through another two piles this evening and got rid of 2 pairs of jeans that are too small and also recycled the magazine I finished reading. Total is 1174

In terms of visible difference after decluttering, what did it for me is when I stopped having "piles" of stuff everywhere. I used to store things in boxes or vacuum bags under sofas, or between a side table and the wall, or on the kitchen table or on the windowsills. I had some "floating" items I would just move around and they had no home or space allocated to them (and, it seems, no use either). We still have storage spaces but they are organised and I know what's in them. We have a cupboard under the stairs that has our hoover, mop and bucket, plus a few items we use fairly frequently like picnic blanket, some outdoor toys, most common tools and a big bag of spare bedding. I go through it often to weed out things that get shoved in there. We also have a loft, but everything is in labelled boxes. Most stuff is DH's who has a lot of sentimental stuff.

For me the difference was definitely when I was able to tell you what I had, and where it was stored, and when it was possible to clean the house without first having to move a million things around.

Out today: I sold a pair of earrings on Vinted plus donated a kids' coat. Total is 1583.

I have sold 4 more items of dd clothes on Vinted today. Also washing two things to sell but they arre still stained so they can go.

Really need dhs help so waiting for him to have a day off before I do much more.

@Pigtailsandall That is the dream for me. Labelled storage and no piles of stuff.

We are terrible for ramming things anywhere it will fit, then it becomes something you accept and walk past rather than getting it sorted out and removed asap.

I would love to be able to clean without having to move stuff around. This is my aim! We need a combination of better storage and less stuff here.
Two good outs yesterday. Bike sold and someone collected an item from Freecycle. I've started another charity shop bag today.

20 eBay sales posted. Total now 900.

Still a few more waiting for payment. Feels good to be edging closer to 1000 items out.

Thanks for the inspiration @Pigtailsandall - this is the goal. To save time and money by actually being able to find and use the things we have! To save time on cleaning and be able to just enjoy a bit more!

I’ve lost track but everyone sounds to be doing really well. I’m not doing much in terms of getting stuff out of the house but I have some bags filling up again.

One stained baby dress and one too small pair of baby trousers. Total is 1176

Someone picked up two toys today.

I’m having a bit of a nightmare. I have ear buds I use as dd2 doesn’t like noise. They keep me sane as I have to tiptoe around. I’ve lost the charging wire and had to turn my bedroom upside down looking for them. The plus side is that I am getting rid of a jewellery box and some costume jewellery but I haven’t found the wire and I’m racking my brains wondering if I charged my ear buds in any other room so I am now tidying the whole bloody house looking for them. The old me would buy a new wire but that’s how I got a house of clutter!

I’ve been at work for two long days plus out last night so knackered and done nothing.

But off to brothers house tomorrow and passing along 2 rugby tops too small for my DC.
Plus a silly gift bag we pass back and forth but has been at mine for ages. It from a shop near him that closed down so you can’t get them anymore so it’s kind of special but not really as it’s just a bag. So we give each other gifts in it randomly to give the bag away.
So hopefully tomorrow will be 3 things at least!

Then I have a few days off coming up so hope to crack on with some areas of doom 🤞

Tent out on Tues too.

Two pairs of bobbled baby tights
One baby vest with a stretched out neck hole
One DVD I won't watch again

Total is 1180

@stealthninjamum I know how you feel. I have lost all of dds cycling shorts shecwears under her school skirt. I swear I bought about ten pairs I Juuly but dis pite going through every item of her clothes, I can't find them! I'm hoping they turn up when dh helps me tidy on Monday. I think they might be in our room . Every thrown in a corner to put away or hanging up with out clothes. I they don't turn up I will just buy more. Its something that causes meltdowns.

12 out in Vinted today. Lots I can get out to the clothes recycling bin too.

I'm going to pack away the little twos summer clothes tomorrow I think so that I can re thin the winter items. I think both the youngest too are at maintainable levels of clothes now. Still no plans to buy them anything. However I did pick up a sparkly jumper dress for dd in the charity shop today.

Didn't sleep much last night worried about my tribunals. I want to treat myself but dispite taking my eldest to Dunelm and getting him lots for his bedroom, I couldn't justify needing anything for me. I might till some of boots fall apart then get one really nice pair. Downside of decluttering. No adrenaline rush on buying stuff.

Some worn out socks gone this morning. Total is 1181

I've got friends coming over this evening so have sorted through and chucked out a lot of the paperwork that was taking up half the dining table. I'm quite pleased its not taken long to get the place ok for guests, but the dream would be not having to panic clean at all!

The inevitable pair of pants and pair of socks for the rag bag from the washing. Two more eBay items posted and plan to list another 5-10 tomorrow as it is another 80% off fees weekend. Busy sorting through a pile of books several heavy ones accepted by music magpie so that saves carrying them to the charity shop. Next charity bag started with yet more books, a couple of DVDs and a couple of my tops I’ve not worn in ages.

Thanks for the tip about Ebay.

6 spools of thread off to a new home. This freed up a box which I've used to store a pile of tights that were loose on the bedroom floor. Total is 1187.

Some outs:
5 pens and a notebook from my A level revision 20 years ago. Has moved with me 3 times just for the sake of 5 blank pages, now used up.

Random stick, giraffe with no head in the bin, bundle of rags hastily grabbed as I rushed to Little Sainsburys which has a fabric recycling bin.

1211 to date, hoping to reach 1,250 by the end of September.

Kids are really hard work at the moment so not feeling like I'm making much progress

Did a weekly tidy of the house, which saw me take a huge amount to recycling; no one in this house throws out boxes or packaging. The real outs were piles of stuff from recent kids parties: some hard sweets, balloons, glow sticks, broken crayons. Will count each pile as one thing.
Also out:
Broken Tupperware container
Top sold on vinted
5 postcards from my stash
Birthday candle
2 fabric pouches - not even sure where they are from
Calpol syringe
Skincare sample
Small measuring spoon
User manual
Small pack of v old envelopes

Total is a round 1600. Still procrastinating on the big items.

I put most of dds summer hanging wardrobe items into a box to free room up for her winter jumpers. Got to do her draws and then ds summer bits. I should thin the winter items as I put them out. Earmarked more ruined kids clothes to go but not out yet.

Need to go to clothes recycling bin tomorrow really. Got more bits to list on Vinted too

@ThreeBearsPorridge what was the eBay tip please? I need all the tips I can get!

Committing to listing lots of stuff this week as that's the point at which I get stuck! Lots of boxes and bags sorted as 'to go' but not hen they just sit there

Two school skirts to the charity bag yesterday as they are now too small. They were hanging up in my wardrobe for some reason. I’d already bought two skirts in the next size up at some point last year, so sticking to one in and one out.

@Pigtailsandall when these were “one thing a day” threads then the calpol syringe was a last minute out for many of us - lovely to see it make a comeback 👏🤣