A bit of de-cluttering. Now and then

Keep going, karmalady. It’s hard, I know. We might have thought we were investing in things like coats and books, but as soon as we’ve paid for them they are pretty much worthless. It’s marketing.

You’re right that the trick is to resist buying more to fill the space we’ve created. That’s hard too, but we can do it. Onwards and upwards!

so right Doodledog. I know I have been sucked in, starting with being part of the `qvc family` very many years ago. Older and wiser now and I only tend to buy expendable groceries and cleaning items regularly but still get the endorphins from buying good stash for my hobbies. I need the endorphins from time to time. Latest is a fab knitting bag on pre-order, really good value leather and designed by a knitter. Hey ho, definitely want and not need in this case but the pleasure is beyond measure

I’ve actually managed to take some toys to a charity shop. I have realised, though, that I love toys, specially old Fisher Price ones. I do have a friend who makes a lot of money selling old toys. He’ll buy a job lot in of them at auction and usually finds something of value in the boxes. I need to have a chat with him about what is of value. I’ve got a pile of old books, Magic Roundabout, He Man, that sort of thing. I’m looking for a Facebook page on which people might like looking at them. I’m going away for several weeks on Sunday and need to get on top of the piles of stuff I have everywhere. I’ve had to spend a lot of time this week trying to get rid of the moss that envelopes my garden at the end of winter.Paths and flower pots are green. Some of my oldest photo albums are full of mildew. I don’t know how to save the photos in them: they are from when my first baby was born. When I retired 10 years ago the first thing I did was get in top of putting years of photos into albums. I used to put so much effort into my photo albums thinking that I’d love looking at them in the future, but they just make me feel sad now.

I am getting no-where fast. I haven`t attempted the garage for months and beacame complacent with the house, in which I always feel cosy. I did a bit today but needed to buy some storage from the holding company. Some stacking shoe storage for my wardrobe, that will work to free up the floor space in there, not that I have much floor space left. In return I will give up 3 nice wicker baskets which are holding my 3 currently used items. I would love to stash these in my garage but they will have to go to cs

I also need to tidy my bedside cabinet again and again I have been cosy with items within reach when I am in bed. This one is getting a small lidded box which will hide some things inside and a couple of things can sit on top

I have hardly been knitting lately so stash is not going down but at least is not increasing. I took my needles out today and they sit on my chair trolley, ready to use. My mojo vanished for a while but it is coming back

Having cleared the garage it is now full again temporarily as the decorator is in. One armchair and glassware and crockery collected by BHF. So much to sort and tidy but having got things out of corners they must not go back into them!

I’ve been away for a few weeks at my partners where, to be honest, I’ve been rather miserable. When he’s not there he lets friends stay there so I have to leave it very clean and I get frustrated knowing I have my own cluttered shambolic house waiting for me when I get home.So it’s not like a holiday ( especially with the awful weather as I’ve been very cabin fever’ish, plus the dog isn’t well so haven’t even been walking the dog which is the main reason for going there) nor is it a holiday rental which would be more minimal and have paid cleaners coming in. I’ve now got three weeks to work on my house as I have to go back to the vets near to his house; not helped by the fact that my arthritis is bad, probably a result of the constant wet weather. I don’t really know where to start. Thinking of burning things like old pet memorabilia, pedigree forms, etc. Would I feel better for doing that or will it make me sad? I do feel overwhelmed.

You will feel better! The fact that you have got a new space will cheer you on.

I can recommend this. I started a new decluttering method as my New Year resolution, which has proved quite pain-free so far. It’s one in, two out. Everything I buy, including food until I got rid of my stocks, has been one in two out (eaten, binned, recycled, or donated). It’s made me think before I buy anything, and it’s really working. I can see the difference in every room in my house now.

If I manage three in, one out I will be pleased.

I have been trying to spend an hour a day sorting through decades of stuff.

It's in boxes already which is why it's so easy to ignore but I feel an urgency to go through it now.

It's emotional isn't it.

I have found treasure in the form of photos of my late DH.
Masses of old letters but why am I keeping them?

It's satisfying to send a big box to the recycling, another to charity and yet another bag of rubbish.

I am really envious of you good folk that are able to declutter. It is an impossible task round here
I have a husband who is reluctant to pout his own stuff away just leaves it where he hast had it and promptly forgets Let alone sort out.
Whenever he can’t find things son or I are accused of chucking it out or hiding it
We do find things in the strangest places

I have been working on myself and at last have achieved a full and good sleep so my energy level this morning is good.

I have started on deep cleaning my kitchen again and in process have some more items to go, a slow cooker, mini wesco bread bin and a hardly used le creuset tagine.

I have my sensible hat on and have also lifted a small stash of `stuff`` stored (dumped) in a shallow wicker basket on the worktop. I would rather get rid of the basket so have decided to use the mini bread bin for the same use. It will look much tidier than an overflowing basket and I get to keep that neat bread bin

Slow cooker is definitely going to cs today, I only used it a couple of times in 2 years. I can use the tagine as a slow cooker on a very low heat. There are also a few other bits, such as a folding lakeland shelf that has burst the plastic side due to the weight on it. It served its purpose over very many years

Right now I am cleaning under my edington butchers block, which is mobile and big enough to be an island. My plumber said my kitchen is a cooks kitchen so I no longer feel guilty at what might appear to be a jumble but is not

I need to be careful, I have had a few regrets at what I have given away

It has been a good satisfying day, I have removed kitchen items, permanently and then I actually went into the garage. I need to store the box that my new vintage sewing machine came in, it is big.

I wish I was taller but I managed, there is a long deep shelf up at the top and there I `found` more boxes and two big suitcases and no room for another box. I did eventually make room with a lot of standing on tip toe on my ladder. I took the smallest wrapped case down and instantly got the `what if` mindset. I mean they were so useful when I moved. I lifted it back up

I already have enough cases in my wardrobe. The long heavy piece of wood stored up there is now in my car for recycling tomorrow. Now I am trying to get the courage to go to the new community shed. I have some large equipment to re-home but am not sure if I can do it, yet

Well done Karmalady it is hard emotionally and physically.
I have been through another couple of boxes in the attic today. Plenty still to do and I have not been so ruthless.
I keep looking at old letters and photos and can't quite part with them yet.

well done to you too grammaretto, none of this is easy but better a step at a time than nothing

I took the plank of wood out of my car, back in the garage and I will either take to to mens shed or chop it for kindling, or it might be useful in the garden

The boxes for shoes came today, I love them, they each have a stop on them and stack so neatly underneath hanging tops and skirts in my wardrobe. I have ordered another set of 4 because they will always be useful,no matter where I live in later life

Now I have three lovely empty wicker baskets with neat handles, it is ridiculously hard to let them go, I bought them about 30+ years ago and they have been so handy, starting with being on shelves. They still look good as new, I am wondering where I can stuff them out of sight. Maybe under a bed if I remove something else. I have to prioritise but that will be for another day but I will do it, something else will have to go

I cleared out quite a few kitchen/household stuff by boxing them up for youngest son (21 on friday) to take to the uni accomodation in september (small house for him& a friend on his course) they knew each other at college and both trekking up to 2hour journeys to respective homes every day so next year renting near to uni.So ive got more room in cupboards now.Unfortunately if they dont want to do that following year he will bring it all back home with him!

I'm thinking i need a car boot sale for my other stuff- unused ladies clothes, handbags etc.Maybe you all who declutter can do the same? Either make a bit of extra money towards the bills, or to give to a charity?? We need good weather first though maybe.Or an indoor car boot sale.

I wish I could persuade DH to part with some of his non-fiction books which overflow our bookshelves and are seldom used. I've suggested he donate some to a lovely little privately owned library. Then they'd be there for him to borrow when he missed them. He's not having it.

I donate lots of my books to charity shops but they're mostly paperback fiction and unlikely to be re-read.

Currently watching Obsessive compulsive cleaners on Ch4 catchup. It’s really helping me ( I’ve got four series to watch). I’ve also spoken to my partner and daughter about the realisation that I’m both a hoarder and ocd and explained to them why I have to do things in a certain way and get very twitchy if I have to live by someone else’s standards. It’s quite liberating. Have sent more toys to the charity shop today ( a result!).

Well done MayBee70, it's hard isn't it? Just keep thinking of the little ones who are going to love their new treasures
When I was a young mum (and very hard up) it was a wonderful feeling to find a lovely toy in a charity shop!

I’ve just spent two days cleaning my cooker! Part way through tidying the kitchen I decided the shelves in the cooker needed cleaning.Still watching Obsessive Compulsive cleaners! The ocd people in the programme spend hours each day cleaning and I’ve realised that I do too but my house never seems to get tidier ( although it is quite clean).

I spent today cleaning up after the decorator, washing floors, tiles, windows, hoovering, sweeping bits off the stairs. And finally sweeping the newly exposed concrete floor in the extension before it is screeded next week.
So far I have only put a few things back in place. I did a bit of decluttering beforehand including putting old carpet tiles in the bin, and laying some on the floor of the garage, but I probably ought to do a bit more.
I got rid of three bookcases and many of the books, but I am left with more than I can house, so more will have to go.

I was doing so well this week but today my dog, who was difficult to house train as a puppy but has been bomb proof ever since, not only wee’d on the living room carpet but it also went onto a duvet that we snuggle under in the evening. I’ve had to wash everything. Mind you I now have another series to watch Dirty House Rescue on C5! For some reason I find it easier to throw things away when I watch these programmes. There was one the other night that featured a woman whose problem was all of the things she’d collected for craft ideas that she never found the time or space to do.This is one of my problems.Unfortunately it didn’t really show what they did with it all: it just seemed to go. In one programme they put out of season clothes in vacuum bags but all I could think was that they’d come out of the bag covered in creases.

There is a fantastic charity called Tools with a Mission who will take all kinds of tools etc, they refurbish them and send out to third world countries. I gave them my granny's hand cranked sewing machine and they were really grateful. They have local collectors whom you can find on their website, which also has lists of what they are looking for. When I was finding it hard to part with things I found the fact that they were going to be of help to others really eased my mind

I’ve just spent two days cleaning my cooker!

I had friends coming for a meal before Christmas and was short of time, so I treated myself to a professional oven cleaner.
It only took him an hour, it would have taken me all day and I'd probably have broken most of my nails 😂