De-cluttering, still at it, still no end

Every time I read the word declutter I look round and am overwhelmed but I have a helper now, I pay my granddaughter (12) to declutter my drawers, I pay her to sort with me and she can keep anything she wants from the declutter, its mostly nail polish, face creams make up that I bought without using, hats scarves etc, jewellery, she loves it and I leave her with my bedside cabinet, books etc, I have a 17 year old that goes through my clothes bags etc looking for vintage stuff, or something I bought hat dosnt fit or looks too young for me, then sometimes 2 other daughters my size ask have I this ir ghat, I say go look , it helps to clear but the house is another thing ,I'm a gadget person,,, ,

HeavenLeigh

Why is it so hard I need a kick up the Jacsie and that’s just to get started

We are on another de-cluttering thread HeavenLeigh on the chat forum. Slow and steady gets it done, just a drawer at a time or even 10 minutes if a drawer is too much

Why is it so hard I need a kick up the Jacsie and that’s just to get started

I have finally got to the exciting part of the decluttering.
Two cheap desks going out to DH shed.
Move some furniture around.
Basically reclaim one of the bedrooms back into a proper bedroom yet again.
All freels a bit like the cycle of life.
My kids have long gone.
Grandkids getting older.

There is already one set of bunk beds in the bedroom.
The space will make room to bring back in the other set.

That is a good idea Tizliz.

Trouble is, I would need to persuade DH to do it. Not sure if he would go for it or not.

Do you have a drawer full of odd cables you daren't throw away? phone chargers, ipad, electric toothbrush etc.

I tipped mine out, got some small plastic bags (3 ½" x 4") and put one cable in each bag. Ten minutes and one drawer tidied.

I asked a friend if he ever threw things away - "No, threw something away once and regretted ever since so never again"

I have 3 bras sitting in a bag, looking at me sadly.
I'm sure they would do someone a turn.
Not soo much decluttering, as sorting this morning.

I found my hospital letters though, which kept me awake last night, wondering where they could be.

Thanks MissAdventure

This thread can just die quietly

Karmalady
There is another decluttering thread, and I'm the culprit who started it without checking if this was still going.

You might find more support or at least camaraderie on the new one.

I need to grab the bull by the horns during this coming summer. Very psychologically difficult for me but the next stage is sewing patterns.

Yesterday I wore a lovely and well-made pinafore dress but my waist has gone so the waistband is snug. I won`t be making another pinafore dress nor dungarees, nice as they are. The dungarees are too impractical. I made both in a beige sanded twill and felt as though I needed to wear an apron all day

These are both going to be re-homed and then I need to erase these patterns from my stash and from my files, only keeping the summary with my comments

I need mental strength and honesty to myself for this massive job, particularly about my changing body with short legs and vanishing waist. I need to start slowly and today will just tackle pinafore dress patterns

I am not going to erase pdf patterns, someone might want to inherit them and they don`t take up any physical space. The printed paper patterns from pdf tend to be bulky and they can go

Knickers too, I make my own now, beautiful and oh so comfy. I have 4 patterns but now only ever use one pattern and one size. The others can go today

Very small steps again, two garments, a few paper patterns but it is a start

Or like my watering can!
I've messed up now, so we have 2 active decluttering threads on the go.
Sorry all.

I have 2 bicycles in the shed. Unused for years. They need new tyres and more
It will cost me too much to have them refurbished..new tyres etc.to sell.

I will have to see if there is anywhere they can go locally to be worked on. There used to be someone who worked I think with the scouts to do up and sell old bikes Or I may just prop one up by the front gate and see if it goes overnight like some plastic garden chairs did last year.

I have finished for the week, result is a sore shoulder but it`ll go in a couple of days. I don`t do much heavy stuff at the weekend if I can help it

De-cluttering has been very successful this week, the re-cycling people have welcomed what I have given them and it is nice to know that my things will live on, I include large and attractive self-watering planters

Dds have had a selection of things including large Alessi storage jars. There are kitchen things I cannot let go eg my wonderful (barely used) nordicware tins but so be it, I don`t notice them on a top shelf anyway

Miss Adventure reminded me that I have a folding board for jigsaws but I don`t do jigsaws. That will find a new home next week, it is under a spare bed so I don`t see it, someone might as well have it. A good candidate for the CS I think

Jigsaw about to go.
I'm not saving it, or selling it, or even giving it away.

I want it gone.

I inherited stuff from my parents house 30 years ago and it has got to go now.

And this week with the awful wet weather I have been happy to be indoors and sorted and packed loads of china into cardboard boxes and a relative will take them away to her local charity shop...so I won't have to see it in my local shop. I am now on a roll. Mainly I am not feeling emotionally attached to any of it now. I seem to have turned a mental corner. It has got to go. So much of it has been unused for years and neither DDs want it.

Will start on glassware next then cutlery etc. I have lots of fabric as well. I am pleased with this weeks effort. I need some more boxes and more bubble wrap.

I am a fair bit younger than you.
But even I keep thinking, I need to do this job now, while i have energy and mobility. And am not further weighed down by relatives who are considerably older than I am.

What motivates me is the realisation is that I am 78 and now an oldie, I have to do what I can right now

I am not posting much now, maybe weekly on GN. This last week has been tremendously busy, I dismantled a large keter storage box, bagged the screws and took that to recycling. They do try to re-home as much as possible.

I have replaced with two of my keter city boxes in place of the above. They are small and I can easily lift them, hence are future-proofed

I went through various storage like a dose of salts, two loads more to the tip and my grey bin is full. This week I want to go through garden stuff, I have a large keter storage unit and 7 more city boxes, all full of `essentials`. I am thinking of deep diving and may well get well and truly stuck in, when I get into the mood.

That all sounds complicated.

You might want to start a thread about all those issues?

Feeling very down about not putting my house on the market ages ago as next doors build is messy and I don't think it will sell. I went out three times this week each time bought a new top, necklace and pair of cut offs with some vouchers I had. I didn't need any of them I had a big clear out if my clothes . Don't know what to do with unwanted ornaments and gifts, agreed with rookie from now on no gifts just company and a meal and meet up.

Yet another biggie for me, patio parasol is arriving soon and I was looking for a storage space in my garage. I have stored this rug for 6 years, rolled and protected and it is mighty heavy. A quality wool/viscose rug, far too big for any room I have now. A dd has just said she would love it. Thank goodness, my conscience is clear again. I like it when they want stuff

I did take in the appearance in my pull our larder today and instead of layer upon layer, I am down to one layer on each of three shelves and empty storage boxes on the top shelf. A big win so far

fancythat

^whereas my house with things belonging to me, my ex husband, his parents, my kids^

You may have mentioned before, but can you declutter the things that dont belong to you?

I have now started on this in the loft, and the difference is quite visible already.

It’s really up to them to dispose of their stuff and they’re all so busy. My ex and my son both live in quite small houses and don’t have room to take on their clutter that’s in my house. I’ve got an amp that my ex made when everyone was making their own hi fi equipment and I love things like that. I think part of the problem is that we have never really emotionally been divorced.

I've been decluttering for ages now and after a bedroom refurbishment where we got rid of stuff before moving temporarily into one of the spare bedrooms. We are back in our room and new furniture installed - we are still geting rid of stuff that we feel a bit Meh!! about.
Now we have the loft to do again - we did it a few years ago but lots of stuff including Christmas paraphernalia has crept up there.
We still have the smallest room to finish decluttering and also need to finish dismantling DHs railway hobby but I can at least see some of the floor again. DD is doing a boot sale - so I have been through GCs toys too. At the very least daily, I try and go in there and physically remove 10 items - doesn't matter if it's a piece of paper for the bin or something going to charity or something for the tip - it is removed - thereby adding to the decluttering process. As they say - How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!!

whereas my house with things belonging to me, my ex husband, his parents, my kids

You may have mentioned before, but can you declutter the things that dont belong to you?

I have now started on this in the loft, and the difference is quite visible already.

I’m carrying on reducing ‘stuff’ as the mood takes me.

This afternoon we’ll combine a sea front stroll with taking three large bags of clothes to three different charity shops. There will soon be some more.

Tomorrow a bag of broken plastic pots and other garden items will be taken to the recycling centre before we head to a supermarket. I’m happy letting many things go, my Nan’s treasured small ornaments and bits from both sets of parents homes are going nowhere. We both enjoy having them here. All are photographed and annotated so family understand why they were here. It will be their choice what happens next.

The loft in our family home took two years to empty. We took our time and enjoyed the process. Lots of memories were triggered along with much ‘why on earth did we think that was a good idea’. Our sons had their own homes. We put their things in the dining room. Identified a weekend they were all available and explained anything left after that weekend would be disposed of. Most of it disappeared. As we went I made up folders of a selection artwork which they now have.

We thought it was so much easier to accomplish loft emptying when we were relatively hale and hearty and had no time pressure. Our loft here has suitcases and boxes we keep until warranty periods are over and that’s it.

This summers challenge is a full to bursting shed in the garden. All tools - and rubbish - kept by the squirrel I’m married to. Now that will be a challenge!

MayBee, could you take something equivalent to the tea light holders to a charity shop to make a space (as in one in one out, two in two out etc)? Probably you’d need to take the ‘out’ items and donate them before you buy the tea lights 😂. I must try to take my own advice!