More clutter

lovebeigecardigan1955. No books are not clutter as long as they are in a bookcase or shelf. :-). Nicely displayed sentimental ornaments are also no clutter in my eyes (although I have hardly any). As long as things have a ‘home’ and don’t pile up indiscriminately in corners and on any available surface things are just sentimental possessions.

I like to declutter, feels good to have a sort out and tidy up and gi e a few things away to charity shops or friends or family who can make use of the stuff. But then I love charity shops and car boot sales and just end up buying other clutter! Oh well, it's all a change and no one loses out, me, family, friends, charity shops, car boot sellers...

I call it a Throw Away Day. I have a small home w/6 bookcases and a cup collection on my kitchen wall. GC never give me anything. I have about a dozen family photos and four souveniers. I've always been a tidy housekeeper, but then I remarried. DH is a Keeper, but alot of his stuff is not. About three times a year I try to get his permission to throw some of his stuff away. That's why I celebrate Throw Away Day.

I love that Throw Away Day

Lots of my 'clutter' has a story behind it - either it was given by someone dear and perhaps deceased or inherited (each with its own story) or, as annsixty says, made or given by a DC or DGC, although I must confess some of the home-made precious stuff is carefully stored in a nice box!

And books .....

I have recently begun to declutter, and it is refreshing, as the stuff that needs to go, I DO NOT NEED! However, I do keep certain memorabilia which my children and grandchildren I think would find interesting. I like the idea of 'throw away day' and will continue to sort out cupboards.

Juggernaut I have an unused celery jar somewhere and an unopened packet of those lights - thank you for the idea!

Now, where to put it, no space

Kim19 Your Mum’s ‘wartime depravity’ sounds interesting. Can we have some more details?
Or was it a slip of the finger, and you meant ‘deprivation?’

This is as cluttered as I get.

MissAdventure mind still boggling at:

"I may get rid of a couple of dangly things."

I may treat you to a picture of one of my surfaces, Bradfordlass but I'm a bit scared you might tell me off!

Yours does look lovely, fresh and clean.

Kim19 - I have begged my mum to get a skip and offered I would take any time off work to help her declutter so that one day when we have to clear the house (large 5 bed house with full celler all filled up) it would not be such a night mare. she just laughed and said. It’s mine and other people can throw everything away when she is gone.
Father in law has also so many little side tables and dressers and lamps that he found it hard to navigate around the house. He has just seen the light when he got rid of some random rugs on a carpet and a few little pieces of furniture and may continue the good work.

Spare long life shopping bags are returned to boot of car for next grocery run. The paper bags that come from other shopping are saved for charity collections .... they appreciate same for use in their shops.

Jalima
There's always space for a beautiful, illuminated celery jar

I don't have a celery jar.
Should I get one?

My children are dreading having to clear our house. To be fair, a lot of the clutter belongs to DD, who still lives with us.

I have tried 'bring one thing into the house and throw one thing out'. I have tried 'throw out 10 things per day' (which turned out to be the empty dog food can and 9 paperclips). Tried 5 things - same result.

Like a lot of people, I went the opposite way to my mother. She got rid of a lot of my childhood things without telling me, and they had such happy memories. I have replaced some of them from charity shops/eBay! There's no hope for me.

Having checked some out online, I'm not sure that my celery jar is beautiful - it's very plain.
But it does look very old.

rather like me in fact

I love my clutter, my elder daughter could never resist buying me plant pots , angels and owls. And my grandchildren have given me quite a collection of Willow angels. And I have photographs of my daughters and grandchildren.

And wind chimes and butterflies hanging from ceiling.

Unfortunately I'm well aware of my clutter as the attached shows. All of this and more not on the picture has come out of the wall unit I'm currently renovating. I do try to keep the house tidy but love lights, candles and flowers so there are quite a few scattered about the rooms and kitchen. I can't wait to get this lot put away again - my mothers dinner service especially - the cats are banned from the conservatory at the moment in case they knock something over!

My bookcase has been whittled down to those collections I won't part with - we took 5 boxes of books to the local supermarket last year for their swap table. Needless to say I've not brought any home again!

Jalima
Beauty is in the eye etc!
I'm betting it's lovely, and will look glorious with tiny lights twinkling away, brightening up a corner!
MissA I'm not recommending you bring more 'stuff' into your home, but if you see a lovely one, why not!

Having looked at some online now I'm not even sure it's a celery jar - MIL, who passed it on to me, said it was.
We used to put celery in it anyway

Oh no, I wouldn't tell you off and I'd love to see a photo.

Actually, I have heaps of things I could put our but don't. They're all packed away carefully. A de-cluttered house works for me because my eyesight is so poor.
I'm afraid I've dropped, knocked and smashed too many things to dare have stuff on display now.

One bit of my clutter

One of the danglers

Very blurry, but who can live without a plant, 3 Chinese children holding a pumpkin, and a wooden cat, complete with another dangler hanging off the wotnot.