The FastDay Forum

Bean very good and decluttered a seldom used electric food steamer from a kitchen cupboard today. It was given to me by my late step mum who was such a healthy eater. I learned a lot about control from her. Anyway, I did used to use it, mainly for fish. Don't use it now, like fish pan fried, it also makes me sad knowing that it is my cupboard not being used, she was a very practical person and I know that she wouldn't mind me giving it to our jumble sale, raising funds for a local charity and doing someone a good turn into the bargain. What's the point in these things never seeing the light of day when someone could be making good use of them?

Thanks to those of you who are joining in with me with intent and thanks also to anyone else that is merely an interested browser. It is really helping me to get on with it

Well done @Wendy Darling You're doing very well with your decluttering and the jumble sale should see a good profit from your donations alone.
Just shows how different we all are because I couldn't live without my electric steamer, used daily for all my vegetables, also cooks fish, and rice beautifully.
Forgot it was bank holiday Monday so my delivery to the charity shop will now have to be Tuesday so an extra day to declutter my clothes again.

Well all you declutterers have inspired me to tackle my wardrobes and make some use of this miserable , wet Sunday afternoon. I've had a good try on off lots of clothes and then been ruthless in bagging up those I know I'll never wear again, are now too big or simply should never have seen the light of day in the first place? Do many of you have garments that now make you shudder and think 'What WAS I thinking of?'
I no longer work in the charity shop, gave it up a few months ago after 6 years volunteering, but my son still does so he'll take them in for me next week. Job well done!

I keep out of season bedding in mine, plus all the extra pillows for guests when they come. But I am seriously overstocked on bedding. Bedding is one thing I know I will need in the future. So a lot of it could be vacuumed and stored in the attic. I have found that the vacuum bags are great for books as well. I have all the Encyclopedia Britannica stacked in giant vacuum bags. It helps that I actually have a light and double socket up there so I can just haul up the hoover to do the sucking, instead of needing extension cords dangling everywhere. I could really do with a nice sunny dry day to get out to a car boot.

Reporting on my Monday fast day: Linen cupboard sorted. You should have seen the huge bags of rags! I never can throw out a good rag, but really! Now I just have a small number of rags. All the sheets and sorted in to 'flat' and 'fitted', single and queen. I have thrown out another huge bag of sheets which are old, not very nice and surplus to requirements; probably could have been even more ruthless. But it's a start.

I have a wonderful book called 'Cut the Clutter' by Cynthia Townley Ewer of OrganizedHome.com - which I am about to look up. She recommends STOP as a method of sorting clutter: Sort; Throw away; Organise; Put Away. You have 3 boxes, labelled 'Put away', "Storage' and 'sell/donate' You set the timer for 15 minutes and quickly go through the area you are decluttering putting things into these boxes. Having a time limit keeps you fresh and puts pressure on to make a decision. She says : 'Each item of clutter in your house represents a frozen decision or an incomplete action.' So having a time limit forces you to decide: do I need this? Is this where it should live? Is it rubbish? Will someone else want it? After 15 minutes when the timer goes off you have 5 minutes to put away all the things you have in the 'put away ' box. It is a very inspiring book and I intend to re-read it and do 20 minutes decluttering on a daily basis, not just on fast days. Clutter really gets me down and we have a very cluttered house.

One of the things she suggests is using a support group, so here you are! I have it organised already! Thanks team.

@Sallyo what a fantastic idea. Just about to start another declutter of clothes, as just returned from holiday where I bought lots in new size. Lots to be cleared out of wardrobes and put for charity shop or 'dress agency'

It is lovely and sunny Bank Holiday here, after a weekend of torrential downpours - so may end up 'decluttering' the garden as well!

A quick tip for your bedding. Sort out all the bedding for a complete change, so duvet cover, all the pillow cases and the sheet for that bed and fold them neatly into one of the pillow cases. This way you can find the matching sets easily and you will always know that there is a full set all in one place. It also makes it very easy to stack the packed pillows one on top of the other.
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I do that Julie, it works really well, so thanks for letting those not in the know know

I have bean in the garage all morning and now have a car load ready to drop off for the jumble sale. I think it could probably be run with just my stuff! It has been a bit emotional because I am a big soppy but I know it has to be done. No point in keeping these things if someone else could be enjoying them.

Had a lovely lunch of cheese and ham omelette with stirfried mushrooms and spinach, topped with tomatoes. Oh and scone with jam and cream with a cuppa just having a little break and then will carry on with my quest. Got such a lot to do.

Mushroom omlette here with a single portion trifle that actually fell out of the fridge, who could I deny its wish to be eaten?

Well done all fellow de clutterers!
To make up for yesterday when I was travelling I have today sorted a big pile of paperwork and used lots to light the cooker ( it is wood burning!). Have also started sorting through kitchen bits that are surplus to requirements. I am loving doing this as I also hate a cluttered house. I had to empty a chest of drawers that has to go to the Gite and most of the contents have been thrown. I am working along the lines of what would I want to keep come the revolution! With the French air force jets and people carriers that keep flying low over us it may come sooner than I think!

Thank you so much @Wendy Darling I am going to have to be a regular here. I qualify to be a life long member as am a clutter collector. I live with a spartan declutterer. Ooh the sparks about what I won't let go. So do have to make an effort to get rid of stuff.

Will have to do the 20 mins a day a good tip Sallyo as is Julie's tip about the linen. Aren't we lucky to. Have found each other

Love @Silverdarlings vac bag thing,deffo worth buying some, and @Sallyo
That book sounds excellent
I am a very good declutterer as i love doing it..but DD suggested a good site..sorry about the name,dont want to offend, so some stars in place, and will leave the rest to your imagination..
Unf**kyour habitat x

Sorted out the chickens today. Moved older chicks in with the flock...all ok so far....moved mummy and six babies into brood pen...all settled. Chicken barn cleaned and old feed bags removed. Nothing will escape the cleaning up!

I love this tent! Today I am fasting and working. I am taking a big box of mum's clothes to the Red Cross. Also someone on CENTs (Community Exchange Network Tasmania) wants my bags of rags. So into the back of the car they go as well. I often get as far as the car port and there's a bit of a bottle neck at that point when I have to actually take the clutter off the property and it is no longer available to be retrieved. Go well de-clutterers.

Took 5 bags of stuff to our local Douglas MacMillan shop.some clothing some nic-nacs
plus I got rid of 3 bags of plants from the garden: split up some shrub + flowers to a person along for freebies on a nationwide freecycle site this is a brilliant way to declutter all items for free therefore not lining someone else's pocket to collect I've got rid of so much stuff this way there are so many very needy people out there, I have to admit there are also some greedy people too the lists some ask for is incredible just thought I'd share this info with all interested parties.