2014 decluttering thread (part 3)

pixtotts

Slowed down big time here, only thing recently has been 3 ebay parcels, and another sold yesterday so 4
Dad being home then half term doesnt help matters feel like I can't make a mess lol
x

Dot_Common

Keen to join in again, I was briefly on an earlier thread, then life got in the way a bit and I lost my way. Life still is getting in the way, but I've realised I can't just wait for a mythical period of calm before I crack on again.

Brief intro - we have moved into a house that we have done a lot of work to, but haven't built much in the way of storage as yet (no wardrobes, limited shelving etc). Plus before this we were renting for a year with a lot of our stuff in storage - much of which is stacked in the garage waiting to be unpacked (despite us having been here for a while!). We really haven't missed much of what was in there, so I'm sure most of it can go. And I don't want to start creating storage before decluttering - we could probably find/create places for everything, but I just want less stuff!

My other half is terrible at making decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of - but once it's decided, he's fine at letting go (and at driving it to the tip or charity shop!). But it means I'm the one who has to find the time. I have two young boys, who are terrible at letting go of stuff, I have not yet taught them the path to minimalism! :rotfl:

115K

1. More crap put in drive for council to take away.

2. Threw away more old paperwork, credit card bills etc...

3. I am trying to unsubscribe to stupid things I get sent in my inbox.

:A

Broomstick

Dot Common, don't know if will help with your boys but something I did with mine was to give them each a smallish plastic crate with a clip on lid (otherwise known as a 'special things box') and any small [STRIKE]junk/rubbish[/STRIKE] special/precious things that they wanted to keep had to be stored in that (eg stones, bits of string, toys from the cereal packets, things out of crackers, anything that was broken and couldn't be fixed... If it didn't fit in the special things box it had to go. It meant that they got the idea of getting rid of unwanted old stuff to make way for new, that they got to choose what they kept and what they got rid of and that they had somewhere to keep things that were really precious to them. It still left the problem of the bigger toys that had been grown out of but at least the small rubbish was under control!

Anyway, I have decided at long last that I am going to tackle one book shelf a day in my bedroom. I have 4 floor to ceiling ones jam packed full in there. Most of our books are upstairs because we are in a flood zone and I don't want to risk leaving too much downstairs. It also means that the shelves acquire all kinds of other junk as well and they desperately need sorting and weeding and dusting. The ones in my room are mostly connected to a long term work project I'm doing but random stuff has crept in amongst them, some books are now redundant.
I have just finished tackling shelf #1. :T I am not going to go any faster than one a day because I know I'll stand more chance of finishing things in babysteps.

B x

Dot_Common

Cheers Broomstick, yes that does help. Neither of them are madly into craft, but we still get plenty of lovingly-made art back from preschool and school. I've had some success taking photos of their art or craft projects, after which they might be ok with them being recycled. And the tat from parties! Gah, it just clutters up the place, it has no home, and they won't be parted from it (until it inevitably breaks). And yes, stones and sticks!! Special boxes would be a good idea, thank you.

Uniscots97

37) Another couple of toiletries bottles used, cleaned and now in the recycling bin

MummyEm

Started off well today as was in study decluttering this morning before breakfast!

Cleared through three boxes of 'bits' and condensed to one and half boxes.
-Found some foreign coins which I will give to my sister tomorrow as she is collecting them as a fundraising drive she is involved in
-Battery recharging unit that I don't use - will see if my dad wants this
-rubbish to bin/recycled
-carp from DH's old mobile recycled

Heading to the shops tomorrow as need to get the kids some new shoes and daughter some new jeans & dress.

charlies_mum

More stuff sorted. About £50 worth sold today on eBay and at least another £30 worth with bids and its all stuff that was laying around. Never dismiss anything, I thought all this was for the bin

mothernerd

Mostly rubbish but it's out of the house. Dealing with the remnants in the newly 'empty' room. Spent Monday reclaiming my kitchen - worktops nearly bare. Put a rack inside one of the doors and hung all my utensils inside it - door won't shut completely but looks much tidier and they are still to hand. I have a second rack so may put that in, higher up and staggered so tools don't end up in bunches and started sawing a shelf (different units used - one must have thicker sides). I am going to put 2 wall cupboard shelves together to make a base cupboard shelf.

De-cluttering (rubbish clearing) Tuesday. Set myself a target of filling 2 bin bags by weekend but didn't realise I had a part started one in the kitchen and another on the landing so filled both. Pulled the pizza box mountain from DS3's room so they could be squashed then weighted down with the full binbags. Also comandeered his wastebins to use for paper/ other recycling to save running up and down stairs with little bits. Did the same downstairs (bin bag + 2 bins for recyclables)and all filled bins went outside in late afternoon.

'Empty' room had a box of DS2's things with a few bits of mine (I had been using the room before I got 'bumped' up to the attic (I volunteered, I needed to up my fitness levels - having 2 lots of stairs to go up and down helps concentrate your mind on what you might need during the day).

2 useful cream into drawers in bathroom. 2 hair products taken to DS2 -really pleased as one is no longer available. Also took a 12 of beer (I bought, DS1 may/may not have repaid me for it but it had been there 3 months). DS2 happy (he has had health problems and is struggling to keep working and hours have been cut). Brought my sander back as have 2 or 3 floors to sand. Went to Asd@ to hand in 2 out of date medications, had a look around but not impressed and left without buying anything.

Noticed a pait of shoes on the top shelf -had to get a coat-hanger to get them down. Mine (H*tter brand - used to do standing up all the time work and treated/ loked after myself). I remember asking DS3 to put them up there as the cat used to scratch leather shoes but didn't realise they were such good ones, thought I only had the comfy but cheap ones (once got asked why I was wearing slippers for work). Also found a cotton and a linen sheet - joy, love linen. Again these had to be put away as white sheets didn't go with black cats, especially when the last remaining cat was ill.

The box it was all in (DS1 must have stuffed it all together - I had said he could use the set of plastic drawers) is special too. They (2 sets) are very heavy cardboard covered with woven wheatstraw. The 2 largest (each has 2 smaller ones that fit inside) have cardboard boxes inside which are big enough for files (A4 one way/foolscap the other).They are neutral enough to fadeinto the background but 'posh' enough to be out on display and they fit inside the small filing cabinet downstairs or in the space under the big cupboard in the dining room.

So my total so far is 102 items de-cluttered (counting a couch the same as a shoebox). Hope I can get rid of a few more items before weekend -have a box in the small bedroom to go through but also want to crack on with the ceilings and other painting. DS3's gf is coming for the weekend and the friend who might be able to sort out the attic stairs is due the weekend after. Need to start making some money as well.Happy de-cluttering everyone.MOTTO One drawer at a time.

Lilyplonk

:T:T well done everybody on all the hardwork that's going on - looks like 2014 could finally be a turning point for us all this time :rotfl:.

Welcome to all newbies to the thread and welcome back to all 'returners' - the more the merrier :rotfl:.

mothernerd - how I can sympathise with your situation! Mine are STILL doing this to me. Eldest is now 40, has had two long-term relationships (thankfully married now) and lived in 2 flats on his own / 1 flat and two houses with g/f1 / back home again / then 5 houses with g/f2 and her little boy :eek: - now his wife. I'm in a 2bed flat and I've STILL got all his Fishing Gear (including chair/bivouac/tacklebox/rods/cases AND all his Camping Gear including 3bed tent that's as big as my flat :mad:!

Hopes yours gets resolved quicker than mine has done !



However, I'm ashamed to say , there's not much progress made here this week - been very busy with coming in then going back out again very quickly. But, I have been 'a good girl' and not just 'dumping and running' :j. Whatever shopping I've been doing has been getting immediately put away where it belongs :j.

We have been putting (and keeping) hats/scarves/gloves in their rightful places (plastic drawer tower in the porch).

Managing to keep on top of my Freezer Inventory with updates each time anything goes in OR comes out - making progress with emptying the drawers of Fridge/Freezer in Kitchen :j.

All household waste and recycling is going out on a daily basis and junk mail is being dealt with immediately, instead of just piling up in the porch or on the coffee table.

Have now 'done away with' Bank and Credit Card Statements and arranged to have them delivered to my Email Inbox instead. Still keeping track with 'online banking' anyway to stop myself from going over my overdraft - next move will be to stop using the overdraft facility altogether :A.

All in all, I'm quite pleased at the moment that things aren't getting any worse - but looking forward to having another 'weekend blitz' on a couple more boxes/plastic crates from the 'spare bedroom' and 'landing cupboard' .

Off for a full-day shift in the CS today - with an 'extra shift' tomorrow to cover for a friend who's going on 'Retreat to Walsingham'. Also covering for somebody else on Monday afternoon - so these are going to be a real test of my resolve NOT to bring any more STUFF back into the house !

Positive vibes from you lot are desperately needed, please !!!!