30 bags in 30 days decluttering method

We're still de-cluttering. Oh my, miles to go.

Doodledog And so the plate stacking begins.

Ooh, is this for the wedding?

I hope you get great weather and that it all goes off without a hitch.

Well, two people will be hitched, but you know what I mean

Doodledog

Ooh, is this for the wedding?

I hope you get great weather and that it all goes off without a hitch.

Yes, the beginnings of us stacking plates from boxes to the dining room table, for now. There are at least double more to wash and stack, all sizes and colours (as you see).

She's about pretty china - so it shall be. If you remarry near 60, you really deserve to see precisely as pretty as you want, imo.

Oh my goodness, I bet that can’t go in the dishwasher! I sold some beautiful antique china tea and dinner services when we downsized, belonging to my grandmother and great grandmother. They were exquisitely hand-painted and gilded but I simply never used them (Mum brought them out on important occasions, along with the silver likewise sold) and I knew my son wouldn’t - just too high-maintenance.

Have a wonderful day - it looks perfect for a wedding M

I don’t know where the rogue M came from!

Oh well, rogue M - my posts are 'rogues'.

Wedding party table idea, using Mil's old tat and our garden. Later this summer we can de-clutter more old Mil tat!

That’s beautiful. Mum and I collected the Royal Doulton ladies (well, Mum did because I bought them for her and she seemed to like them!). I loved them but they wouldn’t fit in this modern minimalist house and my son wouldn’t have wanted to inherit them so sold them/ gave them to charity shops when we moved. Still love them though.

Guess who got rid of ten (10!!) black bags of items today?

Five were charity shop donations, and the others were towels, sheets and duvet covers which went to the textile place where they will be sorted and donated or pulped. We now use coverless duvets, so I had lots of decent bedding sets that won't be used. I've gained weight over the past few years (thyroid), so had a lot of clothes that no longer fit, and since leaving work my lifestyle is different anyway, so there is no point in hanging onto clothes in the hope of wearing them again - I won't.

I will get rid of at least as much again tomorrow, and keep going until I've thinned out all the bedrooms, including the 'put it in there out of the way' ones. I am having them decorated soon, so need to be able to get in and move things for the decorator. When they are all cleared I will start on the kitchen.

I hate decluttering, and know I need to do it when I am in a focused phase (probable ADD) or I will get overwhelmed, so I am very pleased with myself after today's progress. The more I get done, the less overwhelming it will seem, and I am really looking forward to having a 'sorted' house when the children come home for Christmas.

and I am really looking forward to having a 'sorted' house when the children come home for Christmas.

I'm hoping mine will have a sort out of their stuff they have left at home!

That’s a big help too . My son took all his stuff when he moved out, but my daughter’s was still here years later. I ended up putting it all into bin bags and telling her I would throw away anything she didn’t take home with her after one Christmas. Of course I didn’t, but it galvanised her a bit and by the next Christmas it was gone. Don’t tell her, but it was quite poignant when her room didn’t have her discarded junk in it - the end of an era.

I want to start a new one now, with all the rooms just bedrooms- not X’s room and Y’s room as they’ve been up to now. The small single room might become a study when I get round to it. I can’t decide if that would be a good use of it or not, now that we have laptops instead of desktop computers, and there are just two of us.

I'm still trying to declutter but life keeps getting in the way. But I'll finish eventually.

Phew Doddledogs on a roll, well done you!
What about the small room becoming a craft/sewing room?
( with a comfy armchair of course- bliss)

I've considered that too, kkac, but the same applies, really. Now that there are just the two of us, I would probably not go there to knit when I can do it on the sofa in front of the TV. Similarly with working and other things I would have done in a study when the children were around - laptops mean that now I have the whole house to do them in, so I don't know if I would want to go and sit in a small upstairs room. There would be fewer distractions, I suppose, but I don't know.

I will get the room decorated first, then decide whether to put the bed back or to look at office furniture.

Sorry - that should be kcac

If anyone has good sheets/duvets/curtains please try the charity shops before dumping them - I often buy them. Although I don't know if charity shops take sheets. I've made curtains and duvet covers into blinds, and last year used sheets and duvet covers to make costumes for the nativity play at the local school. One of the wise men was quite upset at the idea of wearing a sheet but once it was cut down, sewn up and bejewelled he looked extremely regal 😁 Fortunately he didn't recognise the big gold belt as a curtain tie-back.

I have curtains to go in the charity bag, but I don't think they take sheets and duvet covers - charity shops are a lot more picky than they used to be. I think the textile part of the tip now sorts the items and rehomes things that can be used, though. My husband took the bags, and he said that there was no separate one for rags.

Callistemon21

^and I am really looking forward to having a 'sorted' house when the children come home for Christmas^.

I'm hoping mine will have a sort out of their stuff they have left at home!

My youngest did that recently.
Now it is only me who has to decide what to keep from the sort out.
I will keep a few bits.

Then there is the stuff in the loft.
But I need to get it ready for them first, before they decide whether to transfer it all to their houses.

You read my thoughts .
I plan to chuck out as much as possible :
One friend has a lot of my dress patterns another is getting my baking books .

Tomorrow , the charity shop is receiving clothes and books .
I find it really hard .
I am a self confessed hoarder !

It is hard, Esmay. I hate doing it, but it's a good feeling when it's done.

I made no progress today. I had to go out this morning, and a friend came round this afternoon. Tomorrow, however, is another day!

I enjoy doing it.

Perhaps I am unusual, but my reason for some builf up was because..well actually I am not quite sure why.
Found better things to do I think.

Now, well 4 years ago, I decided there wasnt better things to do.
I should finish end of next year.
And I have found it enjoyable.
I have done it at my own pace.

Doodledog

I have curtains to go in the charity bag, but I don't think they take sheets and duvet covers - charity shops are a lot more picky than they used to be. I think the textile part of the tip now sorts the items and rehomes things that can be used, though. My husband took the bags, and he said that there was no separate one for rags.

Some Dunelm stores take them.

Our local charity shop takes good clean sheets and duvet covers but not duvets.

Just a reminder that if it's not good enough for the charity shop then just put a photo and description on Trash Nothing for your local area. I have given away loads over the years. Someone will most likely be round within 48 hours to take it off your hands.
www.trashnothing.com

Been away for four weeks. Returned home to far more chaos than I’d realised and am just looking at it not knowing where to start. Actually just want to curl up in a ball and go to sleep!