Pre Xmas De-cluttering Pledge support requested

Somebody, not me, has carefully put all our end of packet pasta, sesame seeds, rice, raisins etc into jamjars and put them into crates where they have stayed for 6 months while our kitchen cupboards were getting repaired.
I had forgotten about them and opened new packets.
Do I now bin the lot? Or create some strange soup?

I think there is an app you can get where you input your ingredients, and it will come up with a recipe for them.

It depends if you can muster up the inclination.

I've just gone through old Christmas decorations and have a bag for a charity shop. I wait till November as I don't think they want to store them if they receive them earlier.

Oh, I'm so glad you mentioned that.
I have a festive twig (not as bad as it sounds, honestly!) to go.

I should put it on eBay in the next couple of days.

Two bags to the Salvation Army yesterday plus another bag sorted for the charity shop. On Nanny duty for the next two days but will be back on it (decluttering) on Thursday.

I'm finding this is going in fits and starts. Some days I don't feel inspired and then I may find several to go at once.
Just re homed (ie passed to GC) two knitted scarves. Thrown out a torn Christmas gift bag and yet more magazines.

I took two (heavy!) carrier bags of stuff to work with me this morning, intending to drop it into charity shop on my way home.

I then got called and asked to go on to work somewhere else straight after, so ended up lugging the carrier bags with me as I didn't have time to stop off.

So, my clutter has had a lovely day out, my arms have been pulled nearly out of their sockets, and the bags are back here, cluttering up my living room again.

Who knew! MissA some people would call it weight training. It doubles as exercise.
I was at a GN meetup today so didn't manage to shed clutter.

A day out for a meet up sounds much better than decluttering.

Weight training sounds about right. I think they should introduce an Olympic event of carrying bags of clutter.

I swore the bags were going straight in the bin if I actually made it home.

What memories this pledge has invoked.

Decided to target the top of my wardrobe to find items to keep my pledge.
Among them I found a bag which had some knitted and crocheted baby shawls and an outfit that I bought DS2 as a newborn for his cousins christening. DS2 turns 41 in a couple of months. Clearly this bag of goodies has been in the top of my wardrobe since we moved into this house 39 years ago! Time to send them on their way me thinks.

I'm now trying to do the hardest bit - parting with some of my craft stuff.
I still do plenty of crafts but I'd need at least another lifetime to get through all I've got!

Still got my carrier bags full in my living room.
I will get them to a charity shop before Christmas!

I have my eye on a small drawer in my kitchen which is packed full of pills, tablets and portions.

I really need to sort that out, so its next on my list.

Oops! Potions not portions!

I went through some of the toys in the attic today with 4yr old in tow. It's amazing what we uncovered. I will get shot of some jigsaws with missing pieces but we found things she and her sister played happily with for an hour. Things I had forgotten we had.

That's the messy drawer sorted and organised.
It's meant that the medications on top of the fridge have been cleared away into the drawer now.

Yes I try to declutter once a year, this years mission has been books, 6 carrier bags full taken to the local book bank. If I don’t get rid of it now my kids will throw it all in the skip when I’m no longer here!

I’m afraid I’m giving up now, I trailed around town yesterday with two big bags of assorted stuff, all good condition, some never used. I had to go to four charity shops before I found one accepting donations .

What’s that all about for goodness sake?

Lack of volunteers to sort it?

Well they all seemed very well staffed!

I've had a count up and think I've got rid of about 100 items since I started this including a couple of big items ie suitcase and old sewing machine. Glad I kept a record as you'd never know much has gone! Perhaps it will look better when the Christmas gifts have gone!!

My carrier bags finally went to the charity shop today!

I am sad to hear sara that the charity shops aren't accepting donations.
It has always been a bit like that. When I worked at Oxfam the sorters were very fussy IMO and would chuck out any clothes which weren't perfect.

When our DC were small I bought lots of their stuff at jumble sales. A bag of clothes for 50p etc. No jumble sales any more.

What was most shocking was when I was helping at a volunteer centre collecting for Bosnia in the 1990s
The warehouse walls were stacked roof high with donations and we were told we had to reject anything with a button missing or crumpled! and we weren't allowed to rescue things either

Oxfam will take textiles to be sold for recycling to make carseat covers, I'm told. The charity receives some money for them. Waste Savers I think it's called.

What happens to books at the book bank Nana05?

You have all made brilliant progress. I've not but there are still a few weeks until Christmas. 100 items threexnanny !!

I am sure that our local Red Cross shop sells clothes unfit for selling to the ragman (he probably has a pc name now).

They also send bags and bags of books for pulping
Books! - with stories, information in their pages

Sorted out the GC's toy box today. They've grown out of so much and I hope the charity shop will want their stuff.

My eBay item finally sold (£10) so I ought to think about listing my Christmas twig now.

I can't face it tonight though; the plan is to do it on Tuesday.