All I Want for Christmas is a tidy house - Decluttering thread 9

[Pigtailsandall]

New thread!
Hope you all find this! It's not letting me tag people..

Two big bags full of toys to charity! I’m ridiculously motivated by the year end total, and also getting my house back before Xmas hits.

2024 Total - 1658
November - 329

Thanks @Conquererofallchallenges , she’s still with us, just staggering about like a drunk and not really able to manage the stairs. She’s taking the new painkillers ok so we have to give it a week to see if they make a difference.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures: approx 10?
2. DS2 paperwork: blue badge started
3. my British passport application - need to ring the helpline re my Mum’s passport during the week
4. DS1’s room: Now just needs a chair & for me to make the bed then it’s done and ready for him to come home at Christmas
5. DS1’s gaming, PC, nerf collections to go through and tidy away
6. IKEA wardrobe for DD to order; sort her clothes, her wardrobe to my room; having issues with the IKEA website so it won’t let me order.

Not quite outs yet:
scooter hooks x 3 onto FB
2 old leather sofas: DH has booked the council collection service

Out:
Approx 15 items of crap found in the sofas as DH dismantled them, old playing cards, plastic money, old hair bits
1560+15=1575

When I went out Friday morning I noticed the Charity Shop nearest me wasn't taking donations

Salvation Army in town not taking clothes .

I've got some winter clothes to go out so fingers crossed I can do .

I sorted the winter bedding for DS and DD so need to wash and store the ones I take off . They can go in the attic .

I need to have a look in the Christmas Crockery cupboard , I have my random assortment of Christmas plates and some glassware . I use white plates for everyday and add in the Christmassey ones and some Ikea big serving dishes .

Oh no LivingInABuiltSite 😿 poor kitty

Out went a shrunken jumper. Total is 2980

Didn't get much done yesterday as dd was off school with a nasty cough.
Hoping to clear up the living room today so that we can get it thoroughly cleaned ready for the Xmas tree to go up.
Cannot wait for the charity collection on Thursday.... the massive pile of bags and boxes in the conservatory are getting on my nerves!
The charity shops around here aren't taking any donations either this past week so I am glad I have another charity collection for the 12th Dec - a huge push to get rid of some more bits.
Hope you all have a lovely weekend 😘

1 x too small blouse
1 x too small jeans
1 x too big dress
1 x CD I don't like

Total is 2984

I had the decluttering team come finally this week. Lady's who will work with seem lovely and was happy that I need / want someone to sanity check my decluttering choices. I have been doing categories but I need to do areas now I have cleared out a lot. Its still disorganised and messy. They said I'm a 4-7 depending on the room so that's nice to hear I could be a four everywhere.

Kids,clothes now all fit away with plenty of room to spare. So next year my aim is too buy the absolute minimum for the youngest two to stay like this.

Next year I need to up my target but dh said keep it realistic as 2024 items wasn't too far off what I did. I had 191 ins so I will half that. Maybe just add an extra a month?

Nearly everything we donated to my sons school fair was sold which was amazing. All now at a better home and a nice donation to his school. Next is filling bags for dd Christmas fair.

Next year I think actually I'm going to able to say I'm a former hoarder in remission.

14th 23 toys out, hanger, peeler, shoe
17th out 45 toys, 11 binned
18th out 4 things ds and dd vinted
21st out 6 bits of tat, hangers etc, 7 toys
22 23 out dd, 3 sold vinted

In 31
Out 293

Total for 2024
2137 out 113 over target
191 in
191-113= 78 to go

Sell - too small scooter.
Tub of barbies with her clothes and furniture.
Two outgrown Christmas jumpers.
Two outgrown Christmas teeshirts.
Two pairs Christmas socks.

Old party dress.

Three musical Christmas books.

Three outgrown kids’ hats

Paper recycling bin - four a4 notebooks/diaries.

Ragbag - hat with a hole.

Another CD gone. Total is 2985.

That's amazing news incessant I'm glad you're finally getting some practical help, although all the talking about it with the other guy seems to have made an impact too. I remember you despairing at DC clothes everywhere and drawers that wouldn't shut etc. If the other guy said you were a 10 maybe he meant at the very beginning and now you're a 4-7, that's incredible progress. I can't manage the one-in-one-out thing yet so I'm in awe of you for doing that.

I found some ancient DVDs when I was cleaning , they are films/series that are on Netflicks or iPlayer so no need to keep them ( I don;t even know if the DVD player still works )

Took a bag of clothes to Charity Shop

I can do more tomorrow (I was busy today ....shopping )

Getting there (slowly)

I made a decision to let go of some of the nicer, more vintage-y dresses I have. I used to wear them to work but they've been in a box in the loft for almost 6 years. I got rid of a lot already but kept a few thinking I might return to a more formal workplace. Honestly, I won't, and even if I did, I doubt I'd wear those again. So listed a few on vinted but they are obscure brands so I doubt they'll sell. Going to give them to a charity shop instead I think.

Also few things on freecycle. About to start a big clean so might find stuff then again.

Well done @incessantnamechanger that is truly inspiring

That’s great to hear @IncessantNameChanger

I just set a timer and did 15 minutes of deleting / organising emails and 15 minutes organising the files on my computer. That’s a big job but I think at one point, a few months ago, I had 6000 unread emails and now I have 2,700. Most are really old and unimportant but it’s good to have them go.

i hope everyone’s ok in the storms. I’ve seen on Facebook groups a few trees have come down locally but we’re not really in a bad area. I had planned to sweep up some leaves this weekend but I may as well wait til they’re all down.

Trying to decide if I should try for a 2025 target next year. It feels like a lot when I don't think I have that much in the house- just have to keep on top of it...

Indiansummer I don't think I was ever a ten. My floors are clear they always was. I think ten is no clear floor and 9 is paths. Anyway is suspect he bumped me up to seem like we had had made miracle progress, bit your right, he did help either way. Storm is bad here. We are rural so undoubtedly trees down but I'm venturing out or looking on FB. Except I need potatoes for Sunday lunch so might have no choice.

Pretty blowy along the coast down here in Essex, went for a run in it earlier, was a bit mad.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures: approx 10?
2. DS2 paperwork: blue badge started
3. my British passport application - need to ring the helpline re my Mum’s passport during the week
4. DS1’s room: Now just needs a chair & for me to make the bed then it’s done and ready for him to come home at Christmas : chair put up there ☑️
5. DS1’s gaming, PC, nerf collections to go through and tidy away; Warhammer all tidied away into its proper storage boxes and onto shelves in the front room ☑️
6. IKEA wardrobe for DD to order; sort her clothes, her wardrobe to my room; having issues with the IKEA website so it won’t let me order.

Not quite outs yet:
scooter hooks x 3 onto FB
2 old leather sofas: DH has booked the council collection service
started collection box of random bits for a Christmas charity collection thing next week

Out:
approx 10 items into recycling or bin from DS2’s room
gift voucher for a meal out that we won’t use delivered to a friend
1575+11=1586

I'm totally new to this thread, so I hope it's ok to join you all.

The whole house is pretty cluttered, but I want to focus on decluttering my bedroom first as that one is getting me down the most. I've got more clothes than there is storage space and tonnes of paperwork (probably ten years' worth) that needs sorting through and filing or shredding. Plus, the kids' cast-offs and various random stuff in the big cupboard. Every surface is full too.

I've made a really good start on it over the last couple of days, but I know my motivation has a habit of disappearing as I start to realise exactly how much there is to do...

I took 3 bags to the charity shop yesterday and I've got 2 more ready to go tomorrow, plus a bag of old school uniform to go to the school.
And a huge bin bag full to go to the tip.

Very blustery in London. Took dc to cinema as the playground was just too wind-whipped!

Woman on freecycle came and took duvet, duvet cover and 2 vacuum storage bags. I was delighted.

I've also tried using up my mini travel toiletries. Most are open and we don't have a trip planned. 2 finished and recycled today.

Other outs: bag of screws, small plastic flower pot, 2 more small candles used up, and 2 old journals leafed through and recycled

Year total = 1768

@IncessantNameChanger - I guess I’ve been off and on these threads for over a year, maybe even 18 months now and I can see such a difference. You have done incredibly well.

@Pigtailsandall - blustery is the word! it has felt a bit like some of my roof was trying to declutter itself!

So, I enlisted my other half and have done a huge push. Bags and bags of stuff. Last night I piled it up in our sitting room and re-bagged into places to go and today I remembered this group and how it helped me understand that until things had actually left the house, they were still clutter.

Today, we made it our mission to get the following out:

45 bin
19 fabric recycling (huge bag!)
5 electrical recycling (these are all big things left over from projects which we’ve failed to rehome)
1 amazon return
4 vinted / packaging
79 children’s clothes given away to a friend and to someone who collects for the baby bank

and we reclaimed our sitting room!

If I’ve counted correctly that is another 153 things for my total, bringing November to 482 and YTD to 1811.

Thank you all for the motivation and encouragement, I needed it.

My big problem I think is that I worry about disposing of things optimally, which means I never optimise for “get it the hell out of my house”. Today felt good, literally bags of stuff have left.

One big candle used up. Total is 2986

Welcome to the thread blueberry

Hope your roof stayed in place realfastfoodie

I’ve got to start and carry on till it’s done. Not in the best of health. I have three young 20’s nieces and have three big Sea Salt winter coats it’s just a pain getting to them up North. Then I have lovely stuff from the 90’s that is back in but I can’t be bothered with Vinted how hard is it? I hate the thought of selling good Whistles stuff for very little I’d rather give it to charity does anyone else feel like that? I need to get on top of my jewellery also some of it has gone off colour and im always losing parts.

Thanks @IndianSummer78

@Realfastfoodie I love your “get it the hell out of my house” line. You made me get real about the bag of stuff I’m never actually going to sell. Thanks!

@EachandEveryone I’m with you on the amount you get for things on Vinted. It’s not really worth it unless you’re ok with getting £2 an item. I just sold some brand new, unused slippers for £4.50, and now I have to work up the energy to package them up! It’d be much better for a charity shop to reap the benefits.

Sorry, I’m not sure if I should be tagging you all or just typing out your names? Please tell me if I’m doing it wrong :)

A tip trip for me today and a boot full of stuff has gone 🥳.
Am itching to continue organising stuff for the charity collection coming on Thursday but I have a load of 'life admin' to tackle first. 🫣.
The good thing is that I have almost finished with the 'ins' for Christmas as I have actually had enough of shopping. Beginning to feel tedious now (and I haven't even done a lot).
I might spend the next few days trying to have a huge sort out and then have the weekend off.... ready to swing into December .

Just a silly declutter - a small bottle of non-alcoholic Xmas drink bought last year at a Christmas fair. Found it at the back of the cupboard and DH always says, "sure, we'll drink it some point" so I said "some point is now!" So have just had that 😆 I need the cupboard space for this year's stuff!

Total is 1769