The Great Declutter Part 3 - 2011

BatOutOfhell

Did my 15 minutes today - cleared our bedroom of everything that needed to go in the bin. Not much, compared to some of you who have been ever busy, but it's a start and I shall do another 15 minutes tomorrow....

FelinePrincess

Cheapskate wrote: »

Hello all

Would like to join you in decluttering, as last year was pants! Even teenage DS is so fed up with it that he started on the kitchen today!
Basically I reckon we need to throw/sell/give away at least half of what's in the house, & that doesn't include sorting out the things we were all given for Christmas, so it's a huge job. When my gran died years ago, it took family over a month of full time work to clear her things, & I don't want to be like that, & it's our 35th wedding anniversary this year, so I'd like the house to be a nice, tidy HOME instead of a dumping ground. Looking forward to motivation from this thread, & will start reading properly tomorrow. Thanks in advance!
A xo

I know how you feel. Over the past 2 years I have got rid of two thirds - three quarters of the houses content. You would think that after getting rid of so much stuff I would have a nice, uncluttered home but it's far from it. I still need to get rid of about a quarter-third of the remaining stuff! I live in a tiny 2 up 2 down and at one point the only clear area of the living room was a small path from the door to the electric meter! I blame my horder OH for all the junk in the house.

In a way, I think when you have more stuff to get rid of - it's a bit easier as it's just so easy to spot things that need to go. Even though I still have lots of stuff that needs decluttering I'm finding harder then before as it's all the stuff that was put to one side during previous clearouts, so it's all the things I can't be bothered sorting out and the things that might actually be of some use!

Speaking of my horder OH, he has made a new years resolution to do something that scares him everyday, I realised before that he hadn't done something today so I suggested he get rid of something (he finds parting with stuff upsetting!" and after slight protest he agreed and now I have a rice cooker pending out!

keran77

I''ve started decluttering in earnest! I'm fed up with things all over the place and mess.


In the past week I've:

• filled a bin liner with decent clothes for a local charity shop,
• filled a large bag with cardboard for the recycling bank,
• sorted magazines and newspapers for recycling,
• cleared out bathroom cupboard and organised things like shower gels etc that I've bought when there are special offers.

Next I'm tackling my wardrobe! Argh!:A
Good luck to all you fellow declutterers!

mineallmine

Callisto wrote: »

Congratulations on your huge decluttering total for 2010, mineallmine! :T You've done fantastically and are an inspiration.

Here's to 2011 - Year of the Fab Clutter-Free House!

FelinePrincess wrote: »

Wow Mineallmine, I thought I was doing quite well with decluttering but you are putting me to shame! Going to declutter some paperwork later and got a few things pending out tomorrow, will also try and list some things on ebay later and see if I can get oh to agree to putting some junk of freecycle

Thanks guys! I've been doing it for a year so it works out at um decluttering 4-5 items a day - but usually in more intense periods/targets of say declutter 100 items in 10 days.
It's been a hard slog. Things have improved as a result. The PC/desk is now upstairs out of the lounge, so the lounge now has a nice table and chairs where there was nothing before, for instance. Lots of bad luck has meant the poor house has been on the back burner for a long time. I lost my best friend last year and she said to me that material things aren't important. So I'm driven by her words and to fill the local charity shops with lots of stuff in the process too.
Plus I'm a firm believer that if the house has less stuff it will be easier to keep clean and know where things are and so on.

I've got some definite projects this year - as per my sig. I may add some tough declutter targets of items to those just to help the decision process. Next I need to:
- attack the understairs cupboard again
- sort the absolute rubbish that accumulates on the bedroom window sills - may look for some nice things to relocate from other rooms to help prevent me spoiling them again! :A

dizzybuff

Tip run today for DH and ill carry on with the bedroom. Then charity shop drop offs tomorrow and I'll start and sort flea bay listingas and amazon book listings. Im quite a way from a post office so i need to make sure I put I only post on certain days in my listings and being 36 weeks preg isnt helping.

It'll be much easier as of the 5th when the DS can go back to the childminders. Need to see if Ikea have large boxes for his topys as well.

dobs

wow dizzybuff you sure are busy! Making room for all the baby stuff?:) I keep telling myself it will be easier when the children are back to school and my toddler back at nursery two mornings a wk!

Determined to do something today even if it's just a small drawer lol. Hubby actually started decluttering the garden yesterday :T then 20 minutes into it his work rang and asked him to go to work 5 hours earlier with 40 minutes notice so he had to leave! :mad: Hopefully he might feel motivated again today, he hasn't got to go to work until tea time (hopefully!).

Hope you all have a good and productive day x

charlies_mum

Work yesterday, so no decluttering. However, while I was out OH took down the tree and put everything away, put up a new blind in the bedroom and new curtains in the lounge :j

Decluttering and listing on Ebay day today

dizzybuff

Forgot it was Sunday , so DS has gone to church with my mum . Im sitting down watching heartbeat , and am gonna have a well earned bath in a mo . Not having a three year old running around is so nice .

chocaholic110

Quite a good day yesterday; managed to sort and clean

• undersink cupboard - many plastic cartons into the recycling
• food cupboard - one casserole sauce and one bag of flour into bin
• snacks / cereal cupboard
• plates and stuff cupboard - one chipped plate and one chipped bowl into bin and loads of glass jars down to DH's Grandma
• DD cleared out under her bed - mostly teddies, socks and dust!
• DS1 cleared the top of his drawers - mostly paper junk, inlcuding work from when he was in Y9 (He's in Y12 now!)
• DS1 sorted more socks and underwear that we found down the back of his drawers when we fixed his broken top drawer - mostly odd socks for the bin!
• DH fixed a broken drawer in our room and one in DS1's room.

Aims for today - I'm hoping DH will take all the random DIY stuff (leftover laminate flooring, tools, paint stuff) down the shed. I would also like him to clear the understairs cupboard so he can fit his workboots and the sack of potatoes sitting next to the cupboard inside it. Will he do it? Who knows?

We also need to take the tree down and pack the Christmas stuff away and I need to clear the cups / glasses cupboard. It's getting close to time to go back to work though and the planning I have to do is becoming urgent or I won't have anything to teach next week, eek!

TheDoolallyDilly

Wow, everyone is doing well. dizzybuff, I hope you enjoyed your bath, and don't forget to rest - you'll need your energy when your little one is born!

mineallmine - you are very inspirational!

I sorted out my make up drawer today - as I declutter regularly, there wasn't too much - just those resistant bits and pieces -

An Irish two pence coin (Why. Why??!)
My cycling proficiency badge - from about 35 years ago!
Relocated some paperclips to their rightful place.
Two ancient make up bags - bin.
Half empty bottle of body oil, very old - bin.
Some old receipts - shredded/recycled.