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)

Thanks @Gassylady , it’s such unbelievably timing with Christmas and DS finally coming home from Uni. I’m alone in my room upstairs while others are eating a nice home made meal together downstairs 😥. Had to FaceTime them . Haven’t even seen our dog for 2 days … I wish I was more into this by now but I’m afraid it’s only the beginning being day 2 !
I still have a sense of taste and smell but food’s now tasting a bit odd; very sweet . Last time I lost my sense of smell for a few days but not taste . I was very relieved when it came back . Hope it won’t happen it now . Last time I had a high fever but not now , otherwise I have similar symptoms . Funnily enough I had a booster shot a while back as did my MIL and her sister who then both got it anyway so didn’t seem to be the same strain or offer enough protection . I had pretty much been at home recently too .

A handful of broken crayons and dried pens - I'm counting these as one item as there were loads of chipped pieces. Also out an airport panic-buy novel which I finished and will definitely not read again.

Total is 2003.

been in the loft
about 3 empty decoration boxes out
2 unloved decorations out
put a good outdoor decoration together neutral
and emptied 2 storage boxes properly I mean not just coz Christmas neutral
2 bundles of uniform down neutral
3 liked items of clothing re-found neutral
spotted more easy outs but had to stop or I'll be too tired for regular housework

I am having a really shit time of it right now so not much has happened.

However I'm going to do 2024 things out next year -ekk! I'm going to go room by room and area by area and reduce everything by 50% I keep on chippy away. I don't buy much at all. I'm.not replacing things I get rid of. Yet it's not enough.

I'm going to buy a new bed in the new year so I will start with the bedroom. I still have clothes for a lifestyle in my past. Same for my dd. Lots of dresses and sparkly things for girl that lives in sweat suits and never gets invited to parties.

I might start before the new year. I just want to keep things tidy right now. Not sure when to start. Maybe I will bage some stuff up

I've not been on this new thread which means I've been slacking! It's been a busy few weeks with various things.
All the Christmas presents are wrapped and we've used up nearly all the paper we had. However DP needed some roll wrap for larger gifts for his family so off I went and got 3 rolls which were reduced and on 3 for 2. I've used up various packaging we had to post some presents.
We have a lot of cardboard to get rid of. Some has gone in recycling, I'll see if there's space in the box for more tomorrow night once the other stuff has gone out.
About to tidy bedroom, usually find something to go out from there!

I have lost the sense of smell now like last time I had Covid. thankfully it came back after a few days so I’m praying it will now too . I still can taste .
DS took the 6 kids new Lego , craft and science kits to a Charity kids toy collection for me , DH and DD picked up a tree that’s in water outside for the time being and took a lot of cardboard mainly , and bags to clothes bank and some shoes as well to the dump . Now he’s deep cleaning . I’ve got the clean laundry fold after managing to sort out all parcels yesterday . Have 2 things to organise a return for . I’ll have DS deal with them since I can’t and DH will be at work all next week . DS will also hopefully take the couple boxes worth of a charity shop load for me to the warehouse drop off point in the New Year before returning to Uni . 3rd day of positive tests for me and being stuck in my bedroom now . I feel like hell so not getting anything done really . Hoping I’ll be much better by Christmas then it’d be 10 days since my positive test and the first day of feeling properly ill .
might get more items from clean laundry but for now just these to go ;
-1 book earmarked to go ,I’ve nearly finished it
-1 kids new activity book to charity
-1 travel face moisturiser finished
-2 bottles of vitamins ,one old the other new one wasn’t sealed properly so it went
-1 new dog toy and a Christmas treat from our dog to my friend’s one
-1 old “ Rubik’s “cube we have two of it so DS won’t need it I’m sure

soon I’ll start packing the family presents and that should declutter lots of paper rolls from my stash in the attic !

Incessant you've mentioned before your DD choosing what to declutter/keep and now you've said she doesn't get invited anywhere. So if getting rid of her dresses is going to be difficult, I have an idea that could maybe help? You could have her dress up in one and go out for the afternoon with you. Doesn't matter where - cinema, park, café, library - anywhere will do, the point is to have fun and take a pic of her in the dress. Then donate it. By the end of the year she'll have an album of happy memories in her dresses and it won't feel like she never got to wear them or was a waste buying them. I feel for you having to get rid of clothes from a past lifestyle, I always find that emotional. I'm in awe of your plan to reduce by 50% I hope you have success. I'd love to do the same but know I won't. I still need to stop buying things!

Sorry you're unwell Nordic hope you're better by Christmas. My DP is ill too just a cold though. So many viruses around, it's awful.

Vinorosso I've been resisting the urge to purchase pretty wrapping paper for years and I'm finally down to my last roll.

This is one of the things I'm liking about decluttering too Tallsmall, finding all the things I'd kind of lost.

You always spur me on Pigtails, seeing what little things you've found to get rid of. You're going to meet your target I think. I didn't have a target but I'm amazed how much I've got rid of in a year and the difference it's started to make with space. I'm definitely up for continuing next year.

I finished a novel but I'm keeping it so no outs for me today. The next novel I'm starting I've read before and I think I'll let go of it when I'm done. It's good but I only kept it because it's winter themed. Now I've got so many winter themed books I feel pressured to read them before spring comes! Going to have to let some go. I always have to read them first though to be certain. I'm still on 1756

Such a lovely suggestion @IndianSummer78 😊

Ah that is a lovely idea @IndianSummer78 I will ask dd if she wants to do this.

She was suspended last week. Her ASD anxiety is through the roof. I'm quite outspoken on SEN and course a real tribunal guru so the HT told me I had a reputation and a veiled threat that I need to shut up and back off. I'm so glad for some head space from school. Not sure if I should show him how I earned my reputation and gut him like a fish. I'm really shocked. But my basic rule is if your not with with my kids your part of my issue. So that's nice.

was sore after my loft session but had an unexpected urge to tidy a doorless cupboard
4 craft sets finished off and out
half a bin bag of unsavable bits out
2 wanted photos & 1 mini display thing found neutral
1 big Amazon envelope finally returned out
2 items I'm going to try to Olio
so maybe 26 bundles new tally?

I've chucked out an old pair of trainers, listed a pair of seldom worn shoes on Vinted and 'decluttered' the dregs of a tequila bottle I found in the garage.

Well done @LivingDeadGirlUK and @tallsmallmum.

@IncessantNameChanger - sounds like you have a lot going on there. Threats are never nice-veiled or otherwise. Hope you are all ok.

21 things to charity /clothes recycling.

Today has proven that I'm finally more interested in decluttering my house than worrying about wasting the money I've spent on the items I'm getting rid of.... I gave away an enormous cat tree, still boxed up and never opened. I could have tried selling it but the box was slightly damp damaged and I'd have to completely unpack it all to check first. Even a couple of weeks ago I wouldn't have got rid of it due to how much it originally cost, but then never got round to actually selling it...! Now I'm only interested in selling things that are quick and easy to sell. I posted out another item sold on vinted today, and reduced the price of the unsold items. If they've not sold in a few days then I will give them away locally instead. Still need to list all my maternity clothing!

😭 I've come to a realisation that I've reached a point where I've run out of time to declutter. Building contractors arrive on 3rd Jan to start our home reno and we just haven't finished decluttering so... we've had to bite the bullet and hire a storage unit. We just don't have the space to juggle the remaining clutter alongside our 'possessions to keep' while we clear half the house into the other half the house while the work is underway.

It'll be a good kick up the bum to only return the things we want and need into the house though once the work is done! But in the mean time I'm going to be paying to store clutter (as well as stuff to keep). 😭

Still, got a couple of weeks left to blitz as much as possible!

Out today:
3 candles
3 rubber ducks
30 reusable fleece nappy liners

Total: 190

Binned a jumper today. Too full of holes to even fix. Sad because she was a favourite. But she’s had a good run.

also binned a pair of ds’ trousers that he’d knee slided through.

some boxes.

1 game just collected out

Decided to join in! My friends and family would tell you that my house is already decluttered… In fact, I often joke about applying for Stacey Solomon’s “sort your life out” (because I’d love to see all my stuff in a warehouse and be ruthless!) and my family say the warehouse would be empty🙈 But I know I have lots of stuff that could be binned/recycled/vinted/charity shopped/etc.

I’ll report back soon🤞

One pair of too small jeans donated. Total is now 1757

Took a full bag to the charity shop yesterday, although came back with 5 packs of last-minute Christmas cards for classmates. Still have a few left but some will be for family who we're seeing on the 23rd, and we just got one through the door from our upstairs neighbour (first time in 9 years 🤔) so I may return the gesture to the rest of the block! Still have the bin bags of blankets from the airing cupboard taking up space in the not-very-spacious hallway, and I have my doubts they'll be gone by Christmas, but hey ho.

Need to get the full bag of paper and cardboard recycling into the communal bin asap, as it's not being collected until next Saturday and it'll be a post-Christmas scramble as everyone tries to get rid of wrapping paper and packaging.

incessantnamechanger I’m so sorry that you’re having a hard time and your dd has been so poorly treated. I would see your head’s threat as a challenge and would be extra firm with the school. I always mean to ask, how your youngest son is? I know you spent years finding him a good school, I hope it is working out.

incessant I know you’ve mentioned nice dresses before. Could you make an effort to go somewhere smart or wear them on Xmas / new year. I can’t get rid of some of my smart dresses either so sometimes wear them at home - even though my kids have sensory issues and don’t wear smart clothes. I also have a pair of red high heels that I love but can’t walk in so they’re my Christmas Day shoes.

nordicmom sorry you’ve got covid, I hope you’re feeling better.

I haven’t had much time to declutter but have been gradually getting a few bits out when I find them. So that includes some gift bags that I realised were too scruffy to give away and had been in the cupboard for years. I also sold some toys that had been on marketplace for ages. There’s also a towel that exmil gave me and is really rough now so that’s gone in the rag bag.

I have bought dc a huge mountain of presents but actually it includes lots of stuff like dressing gowns, slippers, pyjamas that replace scruffier items. It feels good that they don’t need toys or plastic stuff these days so it’ll be a more sustainable Christmas.

One face oil finished. I have 3 left. Total is 1758

another impromptu tidy of a drawer this time while failing to find the new tape dispenser.
1 small bin bag full out

OK, few more of our travel items out...

2 pairs of pants with elastic pretty much gone
Kids activity book
Sample-size moisturiser
A pair of shorts which were so stretched out that they kept falling off
Bubble wand

Also counting a big photo declutter which saw me work through all my photos from the last 6 months. I did the same in the summer and having a curated digital album feels good. I'm counting that as 1 thing

Total is 2010

Out yesterday:

2 broken plastic toys

Total: 192

Joining as I have just had a toddler birthday and already can’t stand how my house looks with the toys/crap and we still have Christmas to go!

what are some of your best decluttering tactics? Can’t wait to get stuck in in the new year!