30 bags in 30 days decluttering method

I've been through a year's worth of RHS garden magazines, pulled out the odd article I wanted to keep and now have them bundled up ready to take to a friend who truly does want them She'll then pass them onto her daughter who will finally recycle them. Not a huge amount but has uncluttered my brain a bit!

A friend just gave me a pile of magazines, I didn't have the heart to say no because she carried a pile of them to give to me. She is given them, looked through them then passes them on.

They're not RHS, gardening or crafting unfortunately.

Chocolatelovinggran

It was all going so well, but I'm failing at the airing cupboard hurdle. The contents look at me reproachfully whenever I open the door.

Count the items, that's what I did. It was surprising what we'd accumulated over years.
I told myself we do not need more than 3 sets of sheets etc per bed.

Must sort the towels next.
Enough towels for the household plus visitors.
How many bath mats? Really?!

The Animal Rescue Centre needs them.

That HelpX scheme sounds really interesting, Grammaretto! A great way to make connections with people.

I am flattered to have influenced your decluttering but why not have the pleasure of consuming things instead of keeping them for best.

I laughed at your comment about adult children still wanting a room at ‘home’. My 35yo dd came for a sleepover here recently, with her two little ones in tow. She has a bigger house than me, a mere two miles away! 😂 I am reminded that when I left home I discovered on my first visit back, a week or two later, that my old bedroom had been dismantled and was now housing my father’s massive model railway set!

Guesswhat, I am wrestling with throwing away an eyeliner pencil. It’s a new Clinique one but the colour doesn’t suit me and it doesn’t go on well like the other colours I have. I’m never going to use it all up but it seems such a waste to just ditch it. First world problems, eh?

Grammaretto

Yes Maybee that could well be true. Our own experiences colour what we do.
My widowed DM had to go out to work so we were latchkey kids and I vowed my DC would never have to be that so
I made sure I would be home when they were but did they care? Of course not.
But now they have all long gone; I'm a widow rattling around in a huge house it is only sensible to scale things down a bit
I cleared 3 boxes of papers today, saving back a few items for the nostalgia pile.

Yes. I said to my daughter’ weren’t you pleased that I was there for you when you got back from school’ and she said no because if I hadn’t been she would have just accepted it as being the norm.

I am dreading going through my makeup, SueDonim. Like you, I am loath to throw out things I’ve paid good money for.

And, in my case, even the dire warnings about harbouring bacteria haven’t put me off!

I threw away some very expensive Yves St Laurent foundation and some sort of primer that I bought at the same time. Never wore it. I’m very proud of myself for putting it in the bin! I am going to go through some eyeliner pens in a bit. I do like the Clinique ones but sometimes they just dry out even though I keep the tops on them.

I had expensive perfume that evaporated. Never again!

I'm about to burn a pile of old invoices.
My clay mixer left the house today.
What will I fill that space with?

I’ve done it. It’s gone. Also another eyeliner that really only had a few dregs in it. Bye bye! I’ve got rid of various bits of paperwork today, as well.

I had a big bottle of Black Opium perfume that has partially evaporated! I’ve never had that happen before. I am, as my daughters would say, rather salty about that.

I’ve thrown away a plastic toy that had a bit missing. I was never going to find the missing bit anyway as it came from my daughters house! It’s been floating round my house for years!

I found a bag of Trolls 😀

I found a Weeble! Just looking at this packaging from the computer I bought and can’t work out if the symbol means it’s recyclable ( I have googled it but can’t make sense of it). The amount of packaging was horrific.

This is a bit clearer

Is this any help Maybee? www.sustainabilityguide.co.uk/2018/02/05/recyclable-plastic/

Thanks. It looks as though it can be recycled but only in some areas. There is so much of it!

MayBee70 It’s worth checking your local supermarkets for plastics recycling. I take mine to Sainsburys, here’s a list of their stores that do it, but Tesco do it too, and possibly others?
www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/~/media/Files/S/Sainsburys/CRS%20Policies%20and%20Reports/Flexible%20Plastic%20Recycling%20Stores%20-%20June%202021.pdf

I’ll hang onto it for now, then.

My bin was emptied yesterday, half full of purposeful decluttering

I am nicely, if slowly, getting through my storecupbard stash, stored in my garage. This morning huge pleasure from emptying 3 cartons into three kitchen containers. Dried soya beans are now soaking to make tofu tomorrow.

Shortly I will make some easy yo yogurt, I have 12 packs. Ok lesson learned, I now live near shops but I did succumb to my ingrained instinct and bought them last autumn. Once they are used then the easy yo equipment will go to the cs

There is a big big upside to doing this ie money. All I buy now is the fresh veg and some fruit which is organic and delivered. Its been a heavy two months regarding bills but my savings pot is filling via the high interest yearly regular savers, over 5%. Normal years I would be withdrawing from savings. I had the lightbulb moment

I have been saving small brown boxes and the packing puffs. I need to get the courage to go through my spinning spindles. All one-offs and some from australia as limited editions. I don`t use the spindles and they will sell but right frame of mind is needed, so not yet

another easy de-clutter for me:

A stash that I am purposely using up is a stove fuel. I have three different types and am using one type on a daily basis. I bought that type three years ago and am down to 10 days worth left. It was all too easy to leave it stashed

It is resulting in a cleared space in my garage and in me not using ch at all for weeks now, it helps that I have a smart monitor, which has been good incentive. I will have a much lower gas bill at the end of this month, helpful as the gov handout is stopping this month

Well done everyone!
I haven't had time for a few days and there's about 12 big bags of prunings from DMiL's garden to take to the recycle.
Her house is going on the market soon and she has moved into her DS flat.
So while all this happens my own decluttering is on hold.

Not exactly decluttering but I’ve bought a bathroom cabinet to go over the sink. I’ve always just had a mirror there and I have stuff cluttering up all the shelves. I got up to go to the loo the other night and tripped over something that I’d left lying around. Thankfully I didn’t fall but came close to it. I’m too old to risk tripping over something which, I believe is one of the main reason for hospital admissions in older people. Being me I’ve just spent an hour going through Duplo that the grandchildren never play with now and putting in in different boxes. Even though my house is chaotic I’m obsessed with keeping drawers and cupboards immaculate. When I house sit for DD I have to resist the urge to tidy up the cupboards in her otherwise immaculate show home type house!

My DH went to the municipal tip to get rid of a lot of the things I had sorted. Including boxes of the last but one kettle, toaster and printer. He did say they might come in useful and I said no. My offer of going to help was declined.
He was back within the hour and it's quite a distance.
It turned out there had been no supervisors and he had tipped them all into the same container after I had sorted them.
This morning I went into the gardening shed and there hidden under some dumpy bags were the cardboard boxes.
He is still wearing a cardigan I put in the throw bag a fortnight ago It is all bobbled and needs handwashing I am tempted to put it in the washing machine with the sheets on a hot wash.

Damn. The ‘ready assembled’ bathroom cabinet arrived in a flat pack so that means I have to send it back. Why is nothing straight forward these days!

More for the ragman (underwear, still good but can only go for rags) but too much has been folded up carefully and returned to the drawers in case I lose a stone 🙂. At least they're tidy.

I've been sorting undies and socks today too. I've got rid of a lot, and now have three bags - one of plain black in a million different shades and leg lengths, one striped and one spotty - all odd. When I've checked that I really can't find their partners, they can go out too.

I also sorted a few doombags that I'd hidden in a cupboard at Christmas, and sorted the contents into different places where they can be more easily found. I still have one miscellaneous bag, but it's a step in the right direction.

Whilst I was sorting the socks, I found a beanbag of stuff to throw out, and half a bag of paper waste, so that wasn't bad either.