Counteracting the clutter in 2023

[Texaco Shirley]

Is it blue?

[FiveO'Clock]

It is!

[Texaco Shirley]

Ooh! I wonder how it got there!

[Disco]

[Squirrel]

That’s brilliant

[Little My]

[nineseven]

I took a bag of clothes to the charity shop a couple of days ago. I have a lot more to sort through in the loft.

[Squirrel]

I went to drop my bags off at the charity shop today only to discover that they’re shut for a refit. I can only assume that the shop needs more shelving and rails to house all the treasures that I have gifted them .

[Morganna]

Well done, Squizz - single handedly responsible for their expansion!

I did well yesterday, and sorted two large bags for chucking (one paper and one miscellaneous tat), and three for the donation pickup. I have a pile of books to take upstairs then just two boxes left in the kitchen to deal with. This is real progress, as the stuff hasn't just been moved out of sight, or into new doom places. It is either in a place of its own, or has gone out/will go out.

Today's chore is to fill a bookcase upstairs, and possibly to deal with one of the kitchen boxes. I have ordered some storage items too, which I'll post on the home thread.

[Little My]

That is brilliant progress, Morgs. Some items are really tricky to deal with.

I have so much regular housework to get done today, I doubt I'll get around to anything else. But we shall see.. Mr LM cleared up the garage yesterday while I was out so that I could park in it when I got home. So_happy!

[Cerise]

I have had to unpack the under stairs cupboard due to a change of meters. Oh my god. So much crap!

[Squirrel]

Ooh that looks like it will be satisfying to tidy up! We have had those exact Decathlon snow boots in every size I think. The bigger ones from the previous year never fit the smaller child the following year . .

Our under stairs cupboard looks messy because it’s an awkward shape, but actually it’s not too bad I don’t think. There are big wheely boxes that live at the back so when we need them they can be wheeled out easily. I’m going to tidy it but it’s not a big job.

[Squirrel]

And I meant to say well done everyone, we are all doing very well .

[Morganna]

Thank you, Squizz.

I have just sorted out a big pile of files and folders and uploaded a photo of them to the local recycle page. That is the sort of thing I struggle to get rid of, as they can be reused, but I don't tend to keep a lot of paper now* and if I really needed a folder I could buy one for 99p or something. I definitely don't need all of these.

Screenshot 2023-02-07 at 10.48.51.png

Interestingly (by my standards anyway ) there has been a trend for old colouring books being offered since I got rid of mine. There are four on there just now.

*probably nobody else does either, so nobody will want them . Do schoolkids still write paper notes?

[Squirrel]

My children generate vast volumes of notes but it’s mostly in exercise books. They look like they could be useful for teachers though? Disclaimer: am not a teacher. Hopefully someone will snap them up.

I’ve got lots of spare large notebooks. I tend to use small notebooks (like the ones Bean sent me ) and get through them quite quickly, but I’ve been given a few larger ones that aren’t likely to get used. I need to pick one to keep and donate / regift the rest.

[Morganna]

Some of the files had my old notes in (student ones!). The notes were binned at the start of the declutter, so this is stage 2. Others were brought home when I left work, but haven't been used since.

[Little My]

My kids still use binders for school, so someone may find them useful. But you're right, if you got rid of that lot and then a year from now needed a binder it wouldn't be the end of the world to get a shiny new one.

On a side note, what do you lot call the style of folder in Morg's photo that is orange? They do not exist in foreign, and I think I desperately NEED a stack of these in my life for my ADHD people. I will ask MIL to bring some over for us.

[emma_p]

A cardboard document folder? Does Canada have A4 paper? It always blew my mind that Americans didn't.

[Little My]

Good point Emma! We use letter size here, which is slightly wider (and shorter), so perhaps A4 folders wouldn't work very well.

[Cerise]

Right, the only things that went back in the cupboard were a pair of wellies, a pair of walking boots and three rucksacks that are regularly used. Everything else has been sorted, binned or donated.