The Great Declutter Part 3 - 2011

iamsalt

I have been lurking here for a little while, being inspired to start decluttering so I have been doing a little sorting out. I know i need to get myself organised as i am currently waiting for a new job to start and that will involve a bit of travelling and is full time so i will have less time to get things done at home. I am guessing i am likely to start at the beginning of september so i have a month. My trouble is i have inherited a preference to be out in the garden rather than indoors sorting so I manage 10 mins and then the outdoors calls me! off outside to make a list of what I would like to declutter . Well I have to start somewhere

Yorkielass

I haven't posted for a few weeks, been MIA with other stuff going on but the decluttering is still going on - or trying to!

My husband has a new job and needed new clothes for it, just a bit smarter so a few things in there and I managed to get him to go through his wardrobes fully for the first time since we've lived in our current house which is over 4 1/2 years!

Out 14 items to charity and 11 for textile recycling and I had another 4 or so for charity too and about 10 for textile recycling.

Took stuff to oxfam & got an M&S voucher which was used towards some of the new bits too.

OH went through some paperwork from his post grad stuff and filled the recycling box & shredder took a hammering too and then a bit more sorting and general waste has meant we'll have 2 full paper boxes to put out tomorrow!

There's been a bit more finding homes for things and sorting but not much else out which is a shame as we seem to be doing rather well with the in's recently with clothes for us both and various other things, as the bank balance will testify. Although we did go to IKEA last week and only spend £27 - least ever I think!

Annoyingly the private ads service at work was taken down without warning a couple of weeks ago and that was a great way of selling things and really helped with decluttering and building up funds at the same time so very cross they didn't even give me warning as now I need to find a way to get rid of the stuff I was planning to try and sell on there once things had calmed down at home.

Got a busy few weeks coming up but less should come into the house too and I hope I can get on top of things a bit more again too.

Hello to all the new posters and good luck in your decluttering journeys.

Caty

8 bags out to the charity shop today, and 5 bags to the secondhand bookshop!! So happy! Only got £5 for the books, but it's still something I guess.

cyclingyorkie

charity bag filled and flung out this am.

it was collected at 8am!

I have started!

minuettoallegretto

Having picked up about 95% of DS1s wardrobe from the floor yesterday - the vast majority being unworn! - I spent the day washing every piece of clothing I could find. I then spent all of 30 minutes picking up the obvious rubbish, plus the 5 loads of washing - he now has clean clothes and a clean bed to come home to, and can actually walk into his room without standing on things. Not sure a 14 year old will be able to cope with the cleanliness though...

Savvy_sewing

I think that the more I say I want to declutter, the more stuff I am actually amassing.
Now that I want to sew from my fabrics/clothes etc, I see everything in a different light, and see that I can make them into bags, aprons etc etc so they all get kept!.
The only way I am going to manage to declutter seems to be if I can make up all my things into what ever it is that i am going to recycle them into!.
Bags, purses and aprons are the majority of things I am making.

We did manage, with a little help from my eldest daughter to remove a black sack full of DGD's clothes that are now too small. My daughter took them to sort out, and see what she wants for keeping for her baby.
We also cleared out and emptied the stacking toy boxes in DGD's room, and managed to have a completely empty box at the end of it all. Although we still need to sort out the other stack under the bed!

I think that decluttering is going to be a bit of a slow process for me.

I have decided to try and stay away from the charity shops and to see about every time I do manage to bring a carrier bag of things into the house that I take a bag full out!. That will really be quite difficult for me, as I am such a horder.

cat04

Yesterday was a write off as I was sorting the girls for their visit to their dad's and then I had to meet him to see a Notary Public to sign somethings which ended up taking about and hour and a half! By the time I got home I was too tired and lonely to do much, then OH came home from work and took me out for tea So, today is the first day without the kiddies (until Thursday afternoon) and today I want to achive the following:
Post Office for 2 ebay parcels, 2 letters and buy more stamps
Clean/tidy/declutter kitchen sides/dinning room/bathroom/living room/hall as a) it needs doing and b) OH's grandparent's come for tea on Tuesdays
Drop off a Vie order locally
Finish sorting washing piles ready for new washer coming tomorrow
Strip our bedding and put on new

Right then, off to get dressed (!) and package up ebay parcels so I can tick off the first job

greent

Not much happening here. Couple of broken tupperware tubs to the bin. Lots of school uniform to recycling or charity bags. Couple of too-small but good condition items put in loft from DS1 for DS2. Old manky lunchboxes to bin.

Have started sorting and tidying the children's rooms. DD is sorting her books - I don;t expect any to leave (in fact she gained one from DS2's room and 2 from the cupboard in the playroom!) DS1 got rid of a massive pile of clothes, books and 2 games. Books have gone to DS2/ loft for NCT sale/ couple to charity. GAmes to NCT sale. Clothes to charity or loft. Old completed sticker books to recycling. DS2 got rid of a few books - mainly to NCT sale pile, couple to DS3. Lots of in the night garden magazines to DS3. Haven't started on DS3's room yet.... ;-) We don't get rid of much for ages in this house - it goes down and around the children!! Great for reusing etc, but not good for reducing the amount of 'stuff' in the house!!!!

iamsalt

Very proud of myself, went out for lunch with DM and avoided buying anything from the 4 CS we visited. Not even a book or a sewing pattern. No decluttering though so will make a mini list for tomorrow:

1. sort one uni file
2. sort out the 2 kitchen cupboards which (only) contain plastic food boxes
3. drop one bag of clothes to CS
4. Put all drama scripts (currently distributed around the house into one box

THink that may be it, best trying a little at a time

tattycath

Sorted out girls' bedroom today and got a bin liner full of rubbish and 2 carrier bags of clothes to get rid of!! x