Decluttering 2013, the saga continues ...

hedgesparrow

I struggle to get rid of things that have sentimental value too. And gifts especially. But, you've all inspired me to have a go. I'm setting myself the goal of getting rid of 300 things by the end of January (which means I can start now while I have momentum.

In the charity bag:

1. 2013 calendar (we had two for Christmas and I can't cope with the guilt but one has to go and at least someone else can get a bargain at the charity shop)

2. An ornament I don't really love but have kept because it was a gift. It should go to someone who really loves it.

3. A cheepo pedometer that was free with something. I haven't ever used it.

Feels good to have started. Thanks for the inspiration!

museumworker

Gosh, you lot've been busy! Thanks to charlies_mum for the new thread .

Lilyplonk - good luck for the move and see you in the new year :beer:.

Jellie - intrigued by your 9 steps so hope to get enough time to peruse your diary in the next few days.

SammyJ - decluttering is hard. It has probably taken a lifetime to accumulate this stuff so it may take some time to pare it down. My tips would be to start small, and tackle the things you feel most comfortable about parting with, in the beginning at least. Post here to let us know how you get on. Once you get more comfortable with letting things go it will become easier. There are a few good blogs and books you can read too to help with the psychological side, I would recommend 'no more clutter' as it helped me with letting go of sentimental things.

Anyway, count me in the for the year. My aim is to have the house streamlined by the time I go back to work in June (currently on maternity leave). Every part of the house needs looking at to see how it can work more effectively/ be decluttered. Am hoping to go through the cookbook shelf with the OH this week . And to start ebaying (groan ). If I don't ebay the things I have hoarded to ebay in the next couple of months they will have to go to charity- that is the promise I am making to you all. I like a good counting session, so starting aim is 100 things gone in January.

nearlyrich

I have loads of paper "memories" old photos, cards etc I have bough a simple mouse scanner to scan some so I can let go of the actual paper I hope....time is my biggest issue lack of it that is...

DawnW

I need to join in. We have been in this house for about 18 months and the clutter is building up :eek:

I am not minimalist at all (I like my antiques and vintage bits too much for that ) but have too much pointless junk. So, have made a new rule - one in, one out

For example, I took a pair of cheap bedside lamps which I bought as an emergency measure when we moved, and have recently replaced with some nicer ones, to the CS yesterday. Not all CS can take electrical items, but our local hospice one does :T

DD2 gave me a new dressing gown for Christmas, so I will wash the 'old' one and that can go to charity as well.

I have also gone through a load of old stationery and thrown some out, sorted the grandchildren's toy box and thrown out broken items, and finally done the mending that has been bugging me for months, and ironed the mended clothes and put them away. I am off to tackle the bathroom cabinet next

Small steps

lobbyludd

Can I join too? I am not minimalist, and never want to be, but I have a loft rammed to the rafters that I want to convert in 2 years, a shed full of junk and cupboards that I can no longer find things in because they are so full.

I started on Christmas eve, children were away and I had an extremely rare day off without them so went through their bedrooms and decluttered 4 bin bags full of old toys and broken things and DDs pram and pushchair (she's 4, but when I've tried to freecycle it before she had a meltdown when it came to be collected). Unfortunately this all went to land-fill as I was very time-limited. 3 bin bags of old textiles and clothes went to the salvation army though. All this space is now filled with new christmas stuff of course but at least that isn't laid on top of the rest.

I will declutter one thing (box/bag/large peice of furniture) from the loft each week and try to tackle the rest of the house one area at a time.

Tomorrow is going to be the shoe cupboard and the DVDs: I've got them all into their cases (just the kids ones - they were hidden EVERYWHERE - this took over an hour on christmas eve!) now just need to work out which ones actually play and throw the rest.

Looking forward to being able to locate things easily at some point in 2013....

kraftykat

My Dh went to B&Q yesterday and bought some more floorboards for our attic. We are actually surprised that the ceiling hasn't caved in by now as the attic is jam packed :eek:

He laid most of them today and he's trying to move stuff we're keeping to one side of the attic. The other side is for some of DD's toys that she will use again. She has Autism and doesn't play in the street, therefore has loads of toys in the house. I try to rotate her toys between the attic and her room every few months as her bedroom is very small and there isn't space for them all.

We have got stacks of stuff in the attic that could be sold at a car boot sale. So we plan on going to one once the weather improves.

Today I've gotten rid of packaging from toys, selection boxes and boxes from the attic. We'll probably need to make a trip to the tip/dump on Monday as our recycling bin isn't emptied till Tuesday 8th January and it's overflowing as it is :mad:

loopychriss

Oh wow, 5 pages of the new thread already! I haven't been on for a couple of days and it seems to have taken off without me!!! (Or is it that I'm still reading the old thread?)

Anyway, thank you to everyone who sent hugs to me on the old thread, for the loss of my aunty in the States. After looking at flights, the timings and the cost, we decided it wasn't possible for me to get to the funeral in time, so we will light a candle for her on Monday and I'll get the photo album out. I really would have liked to have gone, as none of her English family will be there, but we'll all be thinking of her.

On the decluttering front: I have decluttered quite a bit of fabric into morsbags, made 7 altogether over the past couple of days. Also my daughter wanted 'thank you' cards to send for our grandson's presents: been to town today, do you think I could find any anywhere? Could have bought them at 50p+ each, but she needed 12. So.... came home and decluttered a dozen of my blank cards and envelopes and made them myself (I am a cardmaker, although I don't do much any more). So...

128 Morsbags made out of spare fabric - will be distributed soon
129 A dozen thank you cards made for daughter to send

I'm going to try and concentrate on getting the Christmas decs down over the weekend, also have a general tidy up. Still got all my Christmas presents on the sofa, not that there's that many, but I just haven't taken them upstairs yet. Also need to sort all the Christmas foody bits out and decide what we're keeping/eating and what can be given away. New diet starting Tuesday and all that....! Need to declutter quite a few [STRIKE]pounds[/STRIKE] stones.

So.... tomorrow is another day and I'll try and find 10 things to declutter.

mineallmine

Wow everyone is getting on brilliantly :j

Taplady! Tackle that under stairs with a Hoover in one hand to greet spiders! Hubby greets them Hoover free and releases them while I scream like a hyena!!

Hope you're ok Loopychriss. For anyone new to the thread loopychriss is the queen of declutter targets. About a year or two ago loopychriss mentioned targets like declutter 100 things in 10 days, just 10 things a day. Of course you can flex this to other targets like get rid of 300 things in 30 days. Or target certain areas. Do what works for you.

My house is nowhere near finished but its a lot better for doing this thread and fly lady over on the money saving old style forum. :j

If you're struggling to part with stuff what's helped me is to think of a charity getting some much needed funds. I lost my best friend to cancer and donating stuff to a hospice charity shop felt good :A

DawnW

Right, I am on a roll now - bathroom cabinet done, taken tree down and I have put away the decorations (we are going away tomorrow and it is a living tree - I thought it would be happier outside ).

I put aside some decorations that I no longer like, and didn't use, for the CS. They are quite pretty papier mache ones. Somebody will like them! Also a couple of cushions that I no longer need (they came from the CS originally, now going back )

Fridge clear enough now to take the veg that I had in a basket in the lean to, so tidied a bit out there too

Becky_2

Well done to you all for your decluttering efforts.

I am not getting much decluttering done at the moment since we are out half the days to visit friends/relatives. Tomorrow the last Christmas presents are leaving this house. I am aiming to clean the oven tomorrow and using up a packet of peas when making ham & pea soup. In January my aim is to continue sorting out my photo albums.