Decluttering 2013, the saga continues ...

Chris25

wish I'd been as organised as you Jojo when mine were little

I sent 2 pairs of curtains to the Guide hut.

3 brand new Whittards mugs gone to charity coffee morning collection - I debated long & hard because they're so lovely but I've a cupboard overflowing already with china & as they're new, hopefully someone will benefit from them.

2 old handbags with broken handles (that I was going to 'fix' - *rolls eyes up to heaven*) & scraps of fabric from my sewing box now gone to the CS for their rag bag.

5 rusty needles (from the cleared out sewing box) gone to the local surgery which kindly put in their 'sharps' box. I didn't know what to do with them.

I'm going to phone the Police & ask if they have a knife amnesty coming up. Last time they did, I got rid of a couple of old bent breadknives. This time, I've got another old breadknife which has almost worn down to a smooth blade

trulymadlydeeply_indebt!

lobbyludd wrote: »

under the stairs is now much tidier, although I hate the shoe cupboard under there, if I can get rid of a few more pairs of shoes, I should be able to freecycle it and look for a storage seat to go in there.

Can I make a friendly suggestion lobbyludd? How about purchasing the storage seat first and then you HAVE to deal with the shoes. This method works for me and I get happier, quicker.

Becky_2 wrote: »

Just popping in to let you know that I got the job that I had an interview for today. Feeling really pleased.

Congratulations Becky 2

Regrettably, I think the only decluttering I'll be able to do before work in an hour is the sleep from my eyes.

good_advice

Morning all
A little warmer today in the house 19.1C so far. Makes you have more need to get up and get active decluttering.

Following on from yesterdays chat =
binned some flowers my DD was given last night.Half left now. The flowers have lasted well.

Emptied all house hold bins ready for bin collection bright and early this morning.

Today = washed dishes & rebooted laundry. Put free paper in the recycle bin now every one has finished reading it.

We all know the top places for clutter is the loft, spare room, cupboard, storage under bed and the shed now, which area shall I pick next? Ok, the loft it is...when I work up the courage.

Clothes, books and shoes are said to be the most stashed away items.

Well I have started in the loft. I figured, I would bring down the small items I could reach from standing on the ladder, near the hatch door.
Then I gingerly climbed in...son was right. Loft is stuffed full of clutter.
Have brought down a huge pile of stuff. I said to Oh " it does not make much of a dent though!".

mrs-moneypenny

scrapman has just been and taken all the metal off the drive
found a little (unused) set of erasers in a plastic case, going to take it into school for the 'treats' box
gathered loads of little plastic figures that are bagged ready to go to school for the play table.
not much but at least its going out

going to tackle some shredding now so that can go out for recycling

lobbyludd

well done becky!

thanks truelymadly - you're right although I am in the process of renovating the hall and the order of renovating has to go: repair victorian floor, get electrics done, fill existing woodwork, (toying with idea of putting 2 small windows in between very dark narrow hall and lovely bright sitting room although this may be for the future) add panelling and mouldings, fit radiator covers (made from old church pew fronts - they're gorgeous!) fill cracks in wall, paper and paint woodwork and THEN I can buy nice things to fit. I keep buying nice things now - and there's no room for them!

plus I'm skint, so I'm trying to concentrate on the "free" decluttering/destructing bits!

I lurk on the hoarding thread because my tendencies are definitely that way, and some posts on there today have prompted me to make another step in getting rid of ex's things - I've decided that in APril I will put them all into storage, use my clubcard points to pay for it and give him x weeks to pick up the key and get his things, otherwise I'll dispose of it all (I won't have him in the house because he keeps threatening me).

so I've taken all my clothes out of the chest of drawers that is to go to him, and put them in the one a friend gave me to replace it, sorting out binbag of clothes for cs in the process. cleaned the floor under there and put my chest of drawers into place. My bedroom still looks like a furniture shop but it's his things that are now empty and in the way, rather than mine.

I've found a bag of his clothes that he left here (I took them out of "his" wardrobe and put them in the loft 2 years after he left and he went mental when he found out that I'd moved them).

these aren't named in the divorce agreement, so they are going to the cs.

slowly, slowly, but chipping away at it!

mrs-moneypenny

lobbyludd, sending hugs your way, sounds like you have a lot of his baggage to deal with. little steps and a bit at a time and it will all work out.

theres a hording thread? in that case i think ive found my new home. no seriously we do have too much stuff and DH is th worst for keeping things "just in case" to me it was a corner turned when he actually agreed some of the stuff in the attic is junk that needs to go, ill keep chipping away and it will clear slowly.
we go to carboots often and have tons of dvds- he will buy duplicates of films we already have either becuse we have so many he cant remember what we have or its such a great film and a bargain atthat price so he cant leave it there. Slowly these doubles are finding new homes with friends and family but 'boot season will soon be upon us again so im clearing what i can before he starts bringing more in.
im as bad with wool and cross stitch stuff, i have four bin bags of wool and the cupboard under the stairs is crammed full of sewing stuff. ive made a concerted decision to use up some of my sewing stash to make gifts for people this christmas - mse and stash busting, and im really trying not to buy any more wool till ive knitted up what i have, the children recon theses a chance of me not leaving them any wool only if i live to about 120!!

just found a little science kit to pop in the CS box - going to need another box at this rate

pjran

.

5 rusty needles (from the clea3ee1a5red out sewing box) gone to the local surgery which kindly put in their 'sharps' box.

thank you, you inspired me to tidy my sewing box, sounds grand doesn't it but its just a big plastic box really. I pushed some of my bent old pins into a potato and then wrapped it old newspaper just to be safe.

I'm feeling quite proud of myself and deserve a well earned rest which is why I'm back on here reporting positively as I'd lost my way

mrs-moneypenny

nipped up in the attic, i said i wouldnt go up again till next weekend but id put a dolls house on freecycle and someones coming for it tomorrow so got it down for a quick spring clean.

while up there got 2 boxes of one of the childrens ornaments, they really are naff ive culled them down to 4 nice ornaments that are worth keeping (incase they ever ask) the rest are in the bathroom awaiting a wash rewrapping and a trip to the CS. also found a set of 4 champagne glasses they are meeting the same fate. hopefully someone else will be able to love them and make a home for them as well as making a few pennies for the CS.
off to give them all a good wash and dust.

trulymadlydeeply_indebt!

Your home improvements sound great lobbyludd. I used to live in a Victorian house and they are truly beautiful to live in. Maintenance is always costly as the ceilings are so darn high, so everything has to be worked out, planned and budgeted for. It'll all be worth it in the end. Sorry to hear you and your Ex are in a complicated situation - that'll all be worth it in the end too!

TMD xx

lobbyludd

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

im as bad with wool and cross stitch stuff, i have four bin bags of wool and the cupboard under the stairs is crammed full of sewing stuff. ive made a concerted decision to use up some of my sewing stash to make gifts for people this christmas - mse and stash busting, and im really trying not to buy any more wool till ive knitted up what i have, the children recon theses a chance of me not leaving them any wool only if i live to about 120!!

fabric definitely is my Achilles heal! I could probably make a cover for the house and next door's with all my fabric, and still have enough left over to pad all the internal walls and yet I have a real difficulty letting go of tiny scraps of fabric that I don't particularly like that I could decorate cards with or make into christmas decorations or ......? madness.

I am going to make a concerted effort to make gifts though from the stash I already have, that is a great idea.