Decluttering Thread 6 - hit those targets before New Year!

[Pigtailsandall]

So the last thread got filled up and I think I seem to have taken it on myself to start a new one every time, lol! I hope everyone finds us because I'm too lazy to tag everyone, but here's few who spring to mind. It also doesn't let me add some people, for some reason

@realfastfoodie
@IndianSummer78
@stealthninjamum
@cornedbeef451
@EllieQ
@Gassylady
@IncessantNameChanger

@nordicmom
@Vinorosso74

Now it's the last push until the holidays to get it all out and done (before new cr*p comes in)

Good suggestion @daffodil2023

Total is 429( I’d forgotten to count last time as well as this ) .

Thank you all; it really helps to know I'm not alone in feeling that way.

Got a few ideas for mini projects today, so will report back later

DP did a dump run on Thursday which was 2 plastic tubs from the garden, bag of shredded paper, bag of textile recycling, old pans, 2 large cardboard boxes, batteries and knackered cables/headphones.
I've just taken some bits to the recycling thing in Boots, took ages to scan the bloody QR code, got my 500 points then realised I'd forgotten the bag for the charity shop!

I often feel that sense of overwhelm and ‘where to start?’ and sometimes I just feel the jobs list is too long. It’s true that even just doing one tiny thing does help.

2 x Vinted items sold & out ✅

133+2=135

Otherwise it’s mostly a mums taxi day today. Back to work tomorrow.

I agree @LivingInaBuildingSite I also feel a bit overwhelming sometimes but even one thing out the house is good! Today for example I looked over a shelf while the kettle was boiling. Just a tiny thing but it all adds up!

unexpected out of some aprons on olio
broke my lamp will replace neutral
bundle of papers etc out
approx 17 bundles of some description out this year

Evening all.

still making very slow and steady progress.

Out in last couple of days:

6 old toys binned
2 unused craft sets charity
Paperwork and old catalogues into recycling
Kids magazines and tat
Used activity books,
Xmas head band
MacDonalds toys

total is up to 551

Gone today:

• Too small jeans
• Blazer that didn't turn out to be half as nice as it looked in the photos, was supposed to be an upgrade for a fake suede jacket but is far worse and I missed the window for returning it
• Coat with no buttons or zip, why?! Belt forever coming undone and then everyone can see the poor quality and unlined interior finish, which totally spoils what would otherwise be a gorgeous coat and I get cold
• Thin, unlined, coat with a belt but no belt loops so it keeps getting dropped, it's only a matter of time before it's lost and coat is shapeless so needs the belt
• piece of crumpled up card that I flattened out previously to keep because it might come in handy
• 5 sheets of tissue paper that I was keeping just in case, turned out I didn't need it and I won't have to wrap presents until Christmas now so they're going
• small pile of ribbon that won't get used

Total is 1856

Small but bulky win - 10 old, misshapen, stained (& sometimes all 3) pillows out of the airing cupboard & on their way to the tip!

@ChampagneCommunist - old pillows are the best declutter!! 👍

I've spent this week turning the conservatory, which was apparently a playroom/office but more of a dumping ground into a studio.

Outs...

1. Barbie dream house
2. Barbie campervan (both broken through use and age!)
3. Playdoh (dried up)
4. Aquabeads (to family toy swap)
5. Puzzles (to family toy swap)

10. Craft bits (toy swap) 11 Adult jigsaw to FIL 12 Wooden dolls house and furniture (toy swap) 13Half used craft kits binned 14Science kits condensed 15Dried up paints binned 16Lots of empty cardboard boxes for recycling 17 Game to charity shop 18 Dried up felt pens binned 19 bag of general rubbish

Tip trip tomorrow!

The new studio is really taking shape!

DD1 went through her drawers and removed two bags of clothes. Dd2 needs to have a scavenge before they go to charity shop. (20&21)

Been busy today again. I found a box on top of dds wardrobe of 5-7 clothes and couldn't decide if I should just get rid of it all or try to sell it o Vinted. Still not sure. The aim is to get to a position where I'm only getting rid of the current years out grown. So I should just donate it. But I'm torn.

Apart from that I went to the charity shop and got rid of...

Bedding, curtains, diary, picture, 2 teapots
22 to rags
5 dd t shirts
9 sold on Vinted

Total = 371 out
4 in

This good as I have hit Jan and Febs target already so it feels good to be ahead.

Waiting for someone to collect three sets of bedding. I'm still aiming to have one set on each bed and just one spare. I was agonising over matching up with the pillowcases but that mentality holds me back. So any odd bits can be recycled. Some of it was given to me unsolicited by a relative who got all her kids double beds. It was never my taste or wanted.

But I am the guardian of crap no more.

Remembered more bits!

22. Broken electric razor
23. Bbq sword
24. Old ration packs (army stuff!)
25. Colouring books (family toy swap)
26. Paint your own dinosaurs (family toy swap)

Nearly caught up with the daily count!

I put a bag of little bits and pieces of accumulated crap in the bin. Just counting as 1 because it should all have been in the bin before now…

Also really hoping to get my baby bank bag out soon. I have a small bag of toys which I need to add to a bit and send to a charity shop. I’m wondering about getting rid of some jigsaws too…

@Realfastfoodie I have decided that given the amount of time our heads are on our pillows we deserve new, plump, unstained ones.

And no "just in case" spares.

Exactly @ChampagneCommunist. I had this really bad inherited “pillows are expensive, you can’t get rid” thing. Bearing in mind some of my spares may well have been pre-ww2 (don’t ask!) I dread to think what they were doing to our air quality and health. I am happy enough now that if we need new pillows we will buy them and not bankrupt ourselves in the process. And it frees up so much space ☺️

I do wonder sometimes how outing this thread must be to family/close friends. If you know me IRL - hello 👋

The last time I bought new pillows they were £20 for two. I couldn't believe the state of the old ones I'd been keeping as spares, they were definitely only for for the bin.

Another out of a makeup compact all used up. Total is 1857

Yes to the pillows thing. We had some similar kept as extras “just in case” I think they were just in case anyone wanted to recreate the hotel experience of the pillow being flat, too soft yet with many hard lumpy bits! As you say bought a pack of two for £20 instead. It’s yet another 80% off listing weekend on eBay so may put some toiletry bits on later if there is time.

Some paperwork shredded, some more leaflets in recycling bin. Things are unsettled and stressful here. I indulged in some impulse buying yesterday and today. Stuck to replacing ratty teeshirts, and some snacks. All were totally unnecessary, so I'm now annoyed at myself.

Masses more paper to deal with. I'm getting into the swing of it.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Sometimes we need some new clothes to signal that we value ourselves.

Given some things away via FB but again I get annoyed at the basic lack of manners so I don't think I will do this again. Give it to charity of the clothing bank so I don't have to deal with people. I put out a massive bin bag for enough for two people, the first person took it all and all the bin bags as well to divide it up. Today I have someone telling me when they will come and barking for my address

Do you have this?
I will come at 12
Address?
Postcode?

If your abrupt I won't think of them if I find more bits. If they are human I think of them when I find more. I'm almost scared to be in now!

I'm always bringing things in too TidyClutter. Over time I've become more considered with my purchases though. I've gone from hoovering up anything that's a bargain in the sales, buying things I'm not overly bothered about because they're low in stock and ok, being convinced I need them - as if some disaster might befall the entire world tomorrow and there'd be no clothes left to buy. To considering if things suit my personality not only my body shape, whether I've got something similar already, recognising I'm shopping for some reason other than needing clothes and this year I'm taking it a step further considering whether they fit my lifestyle, because I've got enough nice things to look at and I need things I will definitely wear that are suitable for the places I go. Gradually I'm bringing in less and less. Hopefully it'll be the same for you, in time. You sound like you applied some thought to the purchase and didn't run totally wild. At least the things you bought you like them, they fit you and are in good condition, which is an improvement on the things you decluttered. Even if in the ideal world you'd not have replaced them at all.

I like SpringCleaning take on it, makes sense.

I find it's like dieting. I can decide not to eat cake for 2 weeks in the hope of losing a pound and I can do that repeatedly, with breaks. But to decide never to eat cake again until I've lost 2st is unrealistic and results in cake binges when I can't keep going with the denial.

I'm letting go of another trench coat this morning. It's thin, not waterproof, there's no lining and I'm fairly certain if I'm cold on a summer evening I'll put on a chunky cardigan. Total is 1858

Chucked out a load of packaging today and an old sweets tub. Other half has put 4 textbooks that are out of date into the recycling.

Kitchen is so cluttered at the moment its a bit depressing. Hoping to have some energy to tackle it during the week.

@IncessantNameChanger i hate rude people. I have someone recently who I think just said ‘available?’ with no niceness so I ignored them. I’d rather give things to a charity shop.

@TidyClutterIsStillClutter i hope things are better soon, life can be overwhelming.

I’m trying to do mini projects at the moment, just a quick drawer at a time but got arts and crafts and stationery in my app and ended up emptying out my 16 ikea trofast drawers and spending hours tidying them. I have chucked out lots of stuff. My label maker isn’t working, it’s scrunching up the labels I’m making and says its batteries are low, so I’m going to change them just in case that’s why the labels are coming out scrunched.

Best of all dd1 wanted me to buy some stationary from WH Smith today and I refused because I knew we had the item already because I’d found some yesterday. Lots of ‘but mum this one is nicer’, I told her she could buy whatever she liked with her pocket money. End result, I saved about £2.50 and have had less crap come into the house.