4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Couperwife]

there was a thread in the nesting box about some guy (named dave) who was trying to live with 100 items

 

well, I couldnt do that.

 

at all.

 

so here is my version of it

 

im am going to try and bin 100 items.

 

ok, by bin, I mean get rid of, this could be give away, freecycle, recycle, charity shop, or the FTGH section here

 

so, im going to have a good sort out and list everything that i get rid of (and also where ive sent it to)

 

does this make sense?

 

I will not include "rubbish" by this I mean empty bottles or broken items.

 

so, here goes.

 

hmmmm, a time line....

 

I would like to be sorted by the time I go back to school in September

 

does anyone want to join me you are all more than welcome

 

cathy

x

[Mrs Frugal]

I will see if I can join you, Cathy, as I have been thinking about how much stuff I've got squirrelled away since I read that thread in the NB. I hate decluttering and find it a really painful process and usually end up regretting it but I reckon I could get rid of 100 items if I tried.

 

I was thinking about the cupboard of kitchen gadgets I have but don't use - the electric citrus juicer I bought a few years ago but always reach for the glass one instead, the dehydrator which takes up so much space when the airing cupboard works just as well for drying apple rings, beans etc, the electric yogurt maker which really doesn't make good yogurt when a thermos flask in the airing cupboard does a much better job for free and the electric bread slicer I got so infuriated with and shoved in the back of the cupboard and used a breadboard and bread knife instead and have done ever since! That's 4 items for a start. They'll get cleaned up and will end up in the first charity bag to come through the door. I've been gradually replacing electrical items with hand operated/non-electrical ones anyway so they might as well go instead of taking up space. Something else I could do with sorting out is my vast collection of cookery books as there are many I bought on a whim and don't use.

[Couperwife]

ooh, a sorting buddy

 

go for it kate

 

well, ive started

 

right, im going to put each item on individually to start with, when I get a bit further in, I might bulk things together, so my 100 will end up as 100 types, rather than 100 items

 

so, here goes.

 

if anyone sees anything that they want - please yell - ill drag it out of the bag and send it off)

 

1. a dodgy copy of snow dogs - gone in the bin, cos its dodgy

2. a dodgy copy of Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban - gone in the bin (I did buy a proper copy of this)

3. box of Laura Ashlet fruity candles - gone to the hamper appeal that they have in school every year

4. Virgin vie clippy bracelet - gone to hamper appeal

5. virgin vie necklace - hamper appeal

6. another virgin vie necklace - hamper appeal

7. Brick Lane on DVD - charity shop / freecycle?

8. Pans Labyrinth on dvd - charity shop

9. Margaret Dickinson - the Millers daughter bookcd - charity shop

10. Margaret Dickinson - without sin bookcd - charity shop

11 Buffy Episodes 1.1 to 1.4 dvd - Charity

12. eragon on dvd - charity

13 Katie Fforde Restoring Grace on cd - charity

14 Resident evil on dvd - charity

15 2 free dvds from New woman magazine - Charity

16. set of 4 glass coasters. charity

 

phew

 

do you think I did well?? do you see what I mean about grouping things together, I will easily reach 100 the way im going...

 

this was only the living room.

 

cathy

x

[Olly]

OOh, I'll join you! I desperately need to get rid of some stuff.

 

The experience of clearing my parents' house after they both died was probably the one which has stopped me storing (or buying) too much stuff. I don't consider books as clutter, but there were so many that none of us wanted (and hadn't been read in ages).

 

It was heartbreaking to throw out my mum's 'best' outfits that had not been worn very often, I wished she'd worn them more often and enjoyed them. And there were loads of things that really meant nothing to us, but that she had obviously kept for a reason.

 

There's a brilliant book called 'Clutter's Last Stand' by Don Aslett that I recommend to anyone who struggles to throw stuff out. It transformed me from a hoarder to someone who actively enjoys filling a black bag!

[Couperwife]

right, im back

 

17.plasic tiara - gonna give to the little girl next door

18, plasic alice band - same as above

19. getting rid of matthew by jand fallon (book)

20. french silk by sandra brown (book)

21. Garfield book

22. encounters by barbara erskine (book)

23. barbeques cookbook

24. box of botanics mini body treats

25. ball of white wool

26. ball of green wool

[Mrs Frugal]

Once they are cleaned up they will go in a charity bag...

 

1. electric citrus juicer

2. electric bread/meat slicer

3. Lakeland yogurt maker

4. Dehydrator

 

also destined for charity bag

 

5. "Tale of Little Pig Robinson" audio cassette

6. "12 Best Loved Poems" audio cassette

7. "Anthem for Doomed Youth - Wilfred Owen" audio cassette

8. "Nations Favourite Love Poems" audio cassette (hate letting this go but I don't have a cassette player anymore .

9. "Shakespeare's Sonnets" audio cassette

10. "Poetry Please vol 2" audio cassette

11. 3 small pine picture frames (do they count as 3 individual pieces )

12. 2 little souvenir plates which were a present from a friend's holiday trip

13. a still wrapped bar of Roger et Gallet soap in a decorative travelling soap dish

14. 3 decorative glass jars with cork lids containing guest soaps, bath salts and bubble bath

 

destined for skip/bin/recycling:

 

15. Pine bathroom cupboard - definitely seen better days

16. bathroom scales (yayyyyyyyyyyyy !!!)

17. a whole load of audio cassettes (ex-blanks) which are useless now I don't have a cassette player!

18. a whole load of old birthday cards I'd been saving for some reason (gone into recycling)

19. a pile of newspapers commemorating significant dates (9/11, royal weddings etc) - gone to line Cube droppings trays

20. some old but treasured bottles of Gucci perfume from my youth! Shame, but they don't smell the same anymore and what's the point in hoarding them if they aren't any use - I don't wear perfume anymore .

 

I have a big kitchen shelf clear now as well as a couple of drawers in the dining room dresser and am 1/5 of the way there!

[Ygerna]

I am going to be showing DH this thread, he is the worlds biggest hoarder of 'stuff'

[carrie]

I have started too

1. A coat I never wear

2. 2 bags from Clarkes

4. accessorize hat

5. childs jacket

6. child's coat

7. baby back carrier (why did I keep this? my youngest is 10)

8. loads of casettes (my husbands )

 

Now you've got me started.

I'm already thinking about what I can get rid of tomorrrow and on Wednesday when OH is back at work in Wiltshire so lives down there during the week

[Olly]

What are you doing with your cassettes? I have loads - some home recordings, some proper recordings - never listen to them, and if I'm honest, I am not likely to. I've replaced all the ones I really liked with DVDs. Has anyone Freecycled them? it seems a shame just to chuck them away.

[Mrs Frugal]

I am putting my pre-recorded cassettes in a charity bag as they are usually stocked in our local charity shops and might be of use to someone. The ones I've recorded myself onto blank tapes are going in the bin as they aren't any use to anyone.

 

21-25 Five pairs of lovely strappy shoes which I can't wear anymore are going to Mum

26 & 27 Two bracelets I no longer wear (charity bag)

28-32 Five pairs of earrings which hurt my ears (charity bag)

33-35 Two necklaces (charity bag)

[Couperwife]

wow kate

 

you are doing brilliantly

 

heres me...

 

27 - 28 2 glass chopping boards (why would anyone need 2 of these - we dont use either)

29 digital photo keyring

30 snowman cookie cutter

31 paper lanterns

32 bbq set (still in cardboard )

[Mrs Frugal]

You're doing a great job too, Cathy!! It's the next bit that's going to be hard, though . I'm running out of things I'd happily pass on/get rid of.

[Couperwife]

Kate - the scary thing is that Im not

 

I might get to 200 and not see a dent in the jumble sale called home

[Mrs Frugal]

Well if I was brutally honest, I could get rid of a lot more things easily if I didn't have a horribly sentimental side of me which won't let me throw away anything which has remotely sentimental memories like Grandma's teacup with the broken handle and a whole cupboard full of other stuff like that which never gets used or sees the light of day . LSH moans about my "clutter" so one day I really must be tough and do something about it .

[Couperwife]

I usually find that someone helping me is a great way to go

 

I have all of this junk and my mum comes in with the "what on earth are you keeping this for???" question, if I cant answer in 3 seconds, then it goes in the bin

[Mrs Frugal]

That sounds like a plan, Cathy!!

 

I've cleared out the dressers in the dining room and

 

(destined for charity bag)

 

36-40 Four blue glass sundae dishes I never really liked even when I bought them

41 & 42 pair of Salt and pepper pots

43 willow pattern tea pot which I never use

44 small battery operated clock which has sat in the cupboard for years

 

(binned)

 

45 lopsided candle which melted when it was left on the fire surround

46 & 47 two tatty lace tablecloths

48 & 49 two equally tatty plastic tablecloths

50 broken picture frame

51 Grandma's teacup with the broken handle

52 a large pile of recipes cut from magazines which have been in the cupboard unused for years (recycling)!

53 & 54 two candle saucers which have seen better days

55 Sunday Times commemorative LOTR magazine (recycling)

 

Yay! I'm over half way there already !!

 

Edit - (more stuff in the bin)

 

56 - 58 three cushion pads which had lost their shape

59 & 60 - broken lamp and tatty shade

61 old Filofax

62 street map of Barcelona

63 broken telephone handset and base

64 lonely wicker table mat

65 plastic apron which belonged to Tom as a toddler

66 another broken picture frame

67 bag of dusty old pot pourri

68 empty DVD box

69 "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing" CDRom (charity bag)

70 millennium editions of Daily Telegraph and Times newspapers

[carrie]

9. Lava lamp

10. Black bin bag full of clothes or charity shop

11. Black bin bag full of clothes for dump

12.set of table mats

13. set of coasters

14. map of Paris

15. 2 electrical chargers for things we no longer own

17. swimming bag

18. old school bag

 

This is really good, I haven't even looked in the attic yet, but there a big boxes that haven't even been opened for at least 11 years

[Mrs Frugal]

Well done Carrie ! It's quite liberating once you get started, isn't it. I need to find 30 more items.....eeek!!

[carrie]

This is now quite addictive.

Husband left for work in Wiltshire at 5pm, so it was straight for the attic (we live in a dormer bungalow so the attic is a room off my bedroom-so easy to fill it with junk).

 

2 hours later

19. 5 old duvets?

24. 9 old pillows

32. baby car seat

33 booster seat

34 3 bags

37 12 books

48. lampshade

49. bag of hangers

50. old car stereo bag

51. 7 cudly toys

58. blanket

 

and hundreds of magazines.

 

There's loads more to go yet, car is full.

Thanks for starting this challenge thread

[Couperwife]

eeek, carrie, you are getting through this AND bulking items together, if I did this i'd only be up to 9

 

not done any binning today

 

full force tomorrow though

 

cathy

x

[Olly]

I haven't done much yet - lack of time to rummage, not lack of willpower!

 

1. Eazipull corkscrew (which belies it's name - it's not easy at all!)

2. 2 CDs that are still in cellophane wrappers (unwanted gifts)

both in charity bag

3. Old trousers kept for painting, but they're so loose they fall down - bin

4. Handful of paperback books, to the charity shop as well

5. Old mirror - I'm going to put on Freecycle.

 

I've got a free weekend, my aim is to get up to at least 30 items by Sunday night!

[Mrs Frugal]

More charity bag items:

 

71 curling tongs - hardly used as my hair's curly anyway

72 -74 three hair clips

75 pair of earrings

 

bin:

 

76 broken horse ornament

77 bent storage tin

[Couperwife]

wow Kate

 

coming through, coming through Kate on a mission

 

the big question is..... are you going to make it 200???

 

33. pair of green cords (charity)

34 - 35 2 pairs of jeans (charity)

36. pain your own mug, mug (half painted) (charity)

 

and its not even 9am

[Mrs Frugal]

200 . Well maybe............. . I'm only really scratching the surface at the moment so it's possible. Next task is to rootle out all the old videos! That should boost my total .

 

You're going well, Cathy!! Do you think we'll end up living a minimalistic existence after this.........or does it just give us more room to add MORE clutter .

[Mrs Frugal]

More stuff gone!!!

 

For charity bag:

 

78-88 ten pre-recorded video cassettes

89-94 six more talking book cassettes

95 framed iris print

96 silly woolly hat I bought but have never worn

 

For bin:

 

97 pile of old Homes and Antiques magazines (plus dust !)

98 plastic storage tray

99 - 106 old videos

107 free classical CD

108 plastic video rack

109 - 112 old cushion covers

 

I think I'll try for the 200, Cathy! I'm over my original target and am still only scratching the surface .