De-cluttering, the never-ending process

Managing to get some more done. As a sick person is staying here, so neither of us can venture out for several days.

She knows a lot more about travel these days, than I do. Hence used her help to go through all things travel related.

It has dawned on me, that with some things I dont know what to do with/about, a 2nd opinion proves to be very helpful.

I expect most of you are still at it, albeit quietly getting on with it. It is a necessary thing if we want to make things easier for any next of kin, downsizing or moves into care etc

I am not swedish death cleaning, not really but am doing my best to keep paperwork etc reasonably up to date. I have to do my files again but that can wait for a winter bad-weather day

I have de-cluttered some big heavy garden pots, hard work but good for muscle-building. I had to break them to get the plants out, very thick salt-washed pots.

Indoors, not a lot but I am on the sensible path wrt my wardrobes and my fabric, yarn and spinning fibre stash. Some of my wood carving equipment has gone up to Scotland to ds. I did 3 big heavy parcels and sent them, one at a time. The third one was stolen in transit (dpd) that was a horrible experience but we have drawn the line across. No point fretting

Indoors, I have de-cluttered several of my wearable toiles from my wardrobe, all in all I now have space in the wardrobes. Obviously more to do from drawers but it really is a slow process. An upside is that there are no clothes in RU boxes under the bed. I never thought I would get to that stage but really, the small steps do add up

I did it, this morning. It took me 9 years to be able to let it all go but the local mens shed are now the very happy owners of very good, big, modern and hardly used expensive items that initially belonged to my husband and have stood there for 9 years. I am talking the likes of a top range scrollsaw

It took me three trips with my cavernous car and my garage looks like a bomb has hit it. I wanted to donate and not sell, they were so happy and I know that karma always comes back, one way or another

I don`t feel flat, just mentally hyper, I want to come to terms quickly. I was going to a lovely sedate craft club today but it will be better for me to get stuck into tidying my garage, moving big shelving systems and so on. I don`t want to feel flat but being physical this afternoon will get rid of the pent-up energy

It is so very different from removing clothes

cookery books today, my foods are very simple these days and I have taken out about 1/3 of my books, two for the cs and the rest have been dismembered so I can shred pages for compost and mulch. I took Nigella out but put her back

Got to keep going with this de-cluttering malarky

It just never ends ☹️ and it’s soooo boring, or I just get stuck looking at photos or reading a much loved book!

I’m still doing it. I found a dress in a wardrobe the other day. Price tag still on. Never worn. Don’t even remember buying it. It was reduced, though, so it was probably yet another example of me using something ‘because it was a bargain’. I went to a second hand dress shop te other day to see if they could sell some of the dresses I never wore ( man not worn at all) and they said they don’t sell anything more than three years old. And yet none of the stuff they had looked fashionable. I spoke to someone in a nearby shop and they said they upset a lot of people with their rather snooty attitude. I did find a list I’d made a while back that was encouraging, as I’d done most of the things on the list. I’ve got the house to self this week so I’m achieving quite a lot. Trouble is the garden now needs work doing on it.

Oh yes re clothes that are never worn. I have one very expensive item, an impulsive buy quite a few years ago, on a hanger with a protective cover over and very out of sight

From celtic and co and is a reversible gilet and I am gutted that I paid so much for a gilet, I just looked the price up. Best thing to do is get it out and keep it in sight downstairs and wear it

Oh, that was when I had widows brain, money meant nothing at the time, what was the point of saving etc. Obviously, I feel very differently now but what was done is done

I had to declutter again recently after my stay in hospital for a week in January. Had lots of plastic containers with 4 clips I was lucky if I could do 2 ,plus all my stoneware oven proof dishes where to heavy . Finally got rid of all my glasses which I haven't used for years as I kept breaking them . Pasta and cereal bowls which where to heavy . Load of towels which I won't use. Sorted out books I won't read again .

My daughter had all the stone ware and plastic containers. Books went to the church where I go to my exercise classes as it's round the corner from where I live . But will have to wait until my daughter dies a charity shop run to get rid of the boxed things as no charity will collect boxes.

Brought the white and blue edged enamel baking dishes which are light. And storage containers from M&S which have a chunky handle which is easy for me to use . My daughter said they are stylist, finally at 66 I am stylist 😂. Replaced my glasses with unbreakable wine glasses and tumblers from Etsy.

All surplus craft things went to my new craft group. Already found more to take this month.

Must admit I do love decluttering as it declutters my mind . When it's warmer the garage needs a good declutter.

I wish I could feel more motivated. The trouble is finding an outlet for lots of the stuff, especially stationery. Hard back note books ( ideal if you write a journal) clip boards, too good for recycling. Quantities of screws and other DIY stuff I shall never use. Not the sort of thing charity shops take. And sentimental stuff.

Cabbie21

I wish I could feel more motivated. The trouble is finding an outlet for lots of the stuff, especially stationery. Hard back note books ( ideal if you write a journal) clip boards, too good for recycling. Quantities of screws and other DIY stuff I shall never use. Not the sort of thing charity shops take. And sentimental stuff.

The charity shop where I will be soon accepts everything, and I mean everything 😱.

We had a donation of a pure Cashmere men’s coat. Made and designed in Italy. Never been worn absolutely stunning.
I was able to sell it on a specialist site for £1,000.
That was a good day 😍

I have taken over my dining room as the point where stuff is going until I get to a charity shop. I'm gradually whittling out my painting stash and have culled books I haven't read in years. My cupboard in the hall will be next.

Cabbie could you get in touch with an allotment association or a workshop that teaches practical skills like carpentry etc . If you Google you might find places in your area that will take them . When I moved wood ,pipes ,screws etc went to a local charity which made things to sell in there shop but taught young and old skills to make things . Only kept a few of my husbands tools things I knew would be useful.

Thanks Whiff. A Repair Shop has just opened but it seems they don’t have their own premises, so that’s no help. I have found a charity that sends tools to Africa. Just need my son to sort them out.

Petra, that was a good day ! Sadly, my stuff is more £1 help - yourself- bin job.
They do say " Every Little Helps"..

I was doing really well this week but have come down with a lousy cold and haven’t got any energy. I noticed on a local Facebook page a place that sells upcycled things and bric a brac. It could be just the place to take my lifetime of treasures that I’ve accumulated over the years.

The never-ending process is to put it mildly, haha! I'm planning to get rid of some of my clothes by April (because if I don't set the time limits I'm never doing it) and I've just been through the old photo albums. There is a great article on what to do with them if you have no idea
photoglory.net/what-to-do-with-old-family-photos.php

Stationery, though... Cabbie21 is so right, it feels next to impossible to go through these items because these are either too good for recycling or wouldn't be taken by charity shops.

Chocolatelovinggran
Yesterday was typical. A waste water container used in a caravan and a Murano glass clown.

Two of my large metal veg-trugs are on their last chance this year, I am going to try sprawling butternut squash, grown in halos so they are easier to water. Being metal and south-facing in a sheltered garden, the sun makes them and the soil very hot

I may well start the process at the end of this summer, depends on effort/reward. It will be a big heavy job and a definite project

Last week I got rid of 3 kilmarnock willows in 3 very large pots, it took a lot of work and even the pots have gone.

A step at a time for me these days

We are downsizing and likely to be moving in the next few weeks. DH and BIL emptied our loft on Weds last week and my word, there was sooooooo much stuff. My wedding dress ( 48 years old) cards from almost every family occasion, all our son’s school reports, sporting certificates to name just a few. Not forgetting the clothes I can’t even remember wearing! It’s been difficult trying to sort through everything to be honest. It feels like I’m putting our life in the recycling bin but there’s no way we can take everything with us.

Marriedalongtime, oh I do feel for you, we did the first big de-clutter when we moved from the family home and we were purposeful at first, re-homing etc but as the time to move came ever closer we had to get a skip, I was glad to see stuff removed from it every night, even in a small village. I think we put a notice up to help yourself

Two younger and busy family members had a terrible time, clearing their parents home where nothing was thrown out. Their dad died and still the mum clung onto the past, then she had to go into a care home and clearing was an utter nightmare for those two. Next step for me is to refine my `death` file, has to be done as now widowed for 9 years

I am always happy if I can re-purpose something and did just that today, a heavy fawn cotton woven bed cover, it has the woven texture. Now tucked in over the big hand made fawn sofa covers which took me a long time to make. It looks lovely too

I am having a family gathering tomorrow and have a few items out and ready to give away, honestly it has to be a slow process for me as I am still heavily into all my hobbies, including cooking from scratch, allotment and spinning and they have to stay

I have to finally decide today about my sage waffle maker, I loved it, loved the waffles and used it but have not now used it for two years. It sits quietly out of sight

Have been in the loft today.

We have done a car boot sale every summer for the last 10 years, apart from Covid, so have got rid of quite a bit, but now getting down to the ‘stuff’ that I have avoided.

What does anyone do with beautiful bibles, prayer books, hymn books belonging to late relatives? No one wants them, don’t think that type of paper is wanted in the recycling…..

I end up putting them back usually, but this year, I must be ruthless.

I’m having a new freezer delivered next week so I’m having to tidy my garage so they can carry it through the garage into the utility room. I have the world’s largest collection of cardboard boxes which will have to be put out for recycling. The downside is that the old freezer is going to go in the garage and I’ll be able to fill it with more clutter! There’s lots of furniture there, too, that I don’t know what to do with.

Calendargirl I have seen all sorts of books made into art work . If you look on etsy you will see what I mean. They fold the pages to make words or animals. Old books get brought in charity shops as people do it as a hobby . Also perhaps I don't know but churches may send bibles etc abroad to churches in countries that can't afford them or get them .