2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Eggasperated]

Now we're getting the free loft insulation done we have to empty out the loft so I'm determined it's not all going back in .

[Olly]

Two bags to the charity shop yesterday, which made me feel good (and I only bought two books while I was there!). I'm collecting another bag of entirely brand new stuff, which I hope a friend can use for raffle prizes.

 

This morning, I decided to tackle the study - I have to confess that this is procrastination, I have something important and urgent that needs doing on the computer which I keep putting off, but the upside is that my desk is now clear!

 

Apart from filing various things and throwing out some of the surplus biros (I could supply an entire junior school with the free branded pens I've collected), I have just packaged up a very old mobile phone to send to Oxfam, and asked for a quote for another defunct bit of electronic equipment which has been sitting around. The best bit was that I could find an envelope and labels as soon as I wanted them - this decluttering is great!

[chickencam]

We need to do this too. We want to redo our bathroom this year, and went to see a couple of show homes at the weekend to get some ideas. It gave us a real wakup call about how cluttered and dated our house is. We have lived here for 18 years next month and the house is 26 years old. We have done no decorating for nearly 5 years apart from a coat of white gloss on the downstairs doors last year and on the kitchen cupbaords the year before

 

I have a pile of ironing to tackle then i will start the sorting, I am only working one day this week hopefully, so no excuses.

 

We need to get the windows replaced too, which really needs to be done before any redecoartion starts It is going to be an expensive year, but we have been saving for this for a while.

[chickencam]

We have started

 

The top of the kitchen cupboards have been sorted and cleaned and the stash of plastic containers has been sorted and the cutlery drawers have been sorted too.

[Charlottechicken]

Well done!

 

The top of my kitchen cupboards are covered in all the storage bottles and jars which I won't need until June for elderflower fizz and then Autumn. As I don't have a garage, I'm after some shelving to go in the loft, there's plenty of space against one wall for all my bottles and jars to stack neatly until I need them. I'll be able to see at a glance what I've got too, which is a bonus as I may need to dispose of some containers

 

I'm investing in a hanging rail for out of season clothing too, I've had so many lovely charity shop clothing bargains that I really want to move the out of season stuff out of the way. Thankfully, my loft does not get damp or mouldy, and is big enough to be multi purpose. I'm hoping for some skylights this year then I'll have the telescope and sewing machine up there too (and maybe a day bed or big bean bag ).

 

I've got a little pile of nick nacks to go to the charity shop this weekend, and I've saved all the tissue paper I had from Christmas presents, so will wrap them all up to go on Saturday.

 

Olly, great reminder about the free pens, I accumulate these pretty quickly and do pass them on to my local Primary School, they are always grateful!

[chickencam]

Well the kitchen is nearly done, we spent all evening yesterday sorting and moving things around. We have got rid of a lot of old cheap metal baking sheets and tins that have been lurking in the bottom of the large pan drawer for many years and now everything fits and the drawer closes without looking like it could explode at any minute. We have moved all of the food into one large double cupboard where it can be easily seen instead of half a cupbaord and then a deep overflow cupboard where nothing could be found without emptying it. I have a dedicated spice cupboard instead of greasy shelves and all of my oils and vinegars and now together. We had a corner hidden cupboard that still had all the children's painting stuff in it and they are now 13,15 &18 That has now gone and there is a lovely stack for the charity shop and tip.

 

Feeling virtuous

[The Dogmother]

... and so you should!

[chickencam]

Kitchen now done, I just had the under sink cupboard to sort and the windows to wash, I have also washed a few other windows and cleaned the bathroom. I think that the sap is rising

[Lesley]

I've done every cupboard and filing cabinet in the office, all the cupboards in the downstairs spare bedrrom which was used for my gym equipment but now has most of my craft stuff stashed in it and am now on to the two upstairs rooms which look worse now than when I started ( full of gym machines!) but will soon be really tidy and we'll be able to find things we haven't seen since we moved here nearly 6 years ago

[chickencam]

Well done

 

There is something in the air

[Jules.]

It's still decluttering! Do what Flylady recommends - put the bags straight into the car boot, then next time you're passing the charity shop they will be there (and they'll annoy you so much every time you open the boot, you'll make sure you are passing it!).

 

She sounds just like my husband, he is a great de-clutterer

[The Dogmother]

The Japanese antique man is coming to collect the bed that I sold on ebay today - Rosie had an antique pine sleigh bed (child's size) but has grown out of it. I bought it as a total bargain 12 years ago and got more than I paid for it - my first ebay sale! Less clutter too!

[Charlottechicken]

Well done on the bed sale, Dogmother, nice to have a good first time experience on ebay

 

I've got rid of a pile of nick nacks and ornaments to the charity shop yesterday, and am having another swoosh around the house whilst vacuuming this afternoon. I have found a carrier bag full of Betamax tapes, just wondering if I should put them out for the binmen on Tuesday, or contact the museum

[Olly]

I struggle with the cassette tapes - haven't played them for years, only have one bit of equipment left that will play them, and most of them are at least 20 years old. Yet I can't somehow bring myself to let go!

 

However I am patting myself on the back as I've just Freecycled my old PDA (precursor to the iPhone) despite the fact that it was broken, three people wanted it. Seemed a shame to chuck it in the bin, and the nice man who came to collect it was looking forward to seeing if he could revive it. I find it much easier to give stuff away to a good home, than throw it away.

 

Well done on the ebay sale Dogmother, it can get addictive - it's especially good if you don't have to post the stuff!

[The Dogmother]

Well, I have lots of other stuff left to put on ebay - it's just finding the time to photograph and list it.

[chickencam]

We gave the summerhouse a sort out yesterday, went through the stored fruit and veg out there and got rid of some apples to the pigs in the field across the road, so many people feed them apples every day at the moment that they won't need any apple sauce come roasting day They got very excited when my OH gave them some of the previous week's carrots last week after we had picked some fresh ones at the allotment

 

We have quite a few lovely shallots which are keeping well and a couple of small pumpkins, I feel a soup coming on. It had got tho the stage where the apple boxes were quite hard to get at, but we used quite a few in a yummy crumble yesterday.

 

We have made room out there for the propagator which will come into use as soon as this cold snap is over.

[Charlottechicken]

I've been photographing items to go on ebay, just need the time and motivation to list them, and check on the postage.

 

I've had a sort through my boots and shoes too, and have been rather ruthless, five pairs to go out. As they are all branded and lightly worn I'm going to put them on ebay too There's a few pairs already gone to the charity shop too!

 

Now I can continue with the coat and shoe cupboard, I have loads of scarves and pairs of gloves, think it's time to wash the summer scarves and use one of those hanging shoe things to put them all on the back of the door so I can see them.

[Duncan08]

We are looking to start a new business starting from home.

In order to do this I need to declutter the garage.

This is how it looked first thing on Sunday

 

 

 

After spending all day Sunday on it I have made a dint, but going to take tomorrow and Friday off to try and finish it off.

 

Wish me luck

[Charlottechicken]

Good luck!

 

Take a mobile phone with you, just in case you get lost

[Charlottechicken]

We've just had a special one off bulk collection in the road. You are allowed to put out all manner of junk and it will be taken away for free. I managed to get rid of a few bits and pieces from the garden and a bit of old worktop which was cluttering up the place, a broken mirror, a rusty old companion set out of the shed and lots of louvre window glass panes, which were old and very heavy. Also found a broken and squashed laundry basket, now all gone

 

I only remembered about the bulk collection when the doorbell went last night, and a chap who lives up the side road opposite, and knows I have a woodburner, told me he was putting loads of wood out, if I wanted it I should help myself. I did!

 

I'm washing all my gloves and scarves today too, started off with the summer ones, you know, the delicate chiffons, then thought, oh what the heck, clear out all the other woollies and wash the lot, it's a lovely perishing cold and sunny day!

[The Dogmother]

We have those weeks here too - just had one in fact - just phone the council to book a collection and they trundle up to take it away.

 

My clearing of the attic and ebaying is going embarrassingly slowly I only really get a chance at weekends and those are usually too busy. I think I need to book some time off work....

[Charlottechicken]

If your loft is anything like mine, it's a daunting prospect! I've just popped up there for 10 minutes and managed to sort out a bag of clothes and a bag of nick nacks for the charity shop, thank goodness! It is cold up there though. Think I will have to bring a couple of boxes or bags down and go through them in the week, a bit at a time rather than a full on loft assault

 

The ebaying has not even started in this house yet.

[The Dogmother]

It's a proper room Claire and once all the stuff is sorted I will probably use it as my bedroom as it's lovely and quiet.

 

It's taken me ages to get it this far, and I have bought some plastic shelving from Aldi for storing all the boxes, but I just need the time now to sort everything and get the floor cleared.

[chickencam]

I sorted out my knicker and sock drawers yesterday, I decided that I loads that i didn't wear because they fall down are are uncomfortable and I needed to go to the supermarket where they have a clothing bank for old clothes and another for donations so I could get rid of them straight away. I also sorted out the shoes that live in the hall, there were loads that never get worn and some summer sandals that didn't get put away, I put unused children's shoes in their rooms, for them to find a home for, I now have a much tidier hallway

[The Dogmother]

It's a free listings weekend on ebay, so if I have time I'll try to get everything photographed and listed.