It all started off so well, with good intentions. We were going to get rid of EVERYTHING and I was inspired – except I wasn’t. It was depressing, I was getting rid of the things I was keeping just in case H had a younger sibling, a dream which is never going to happen.

Once I’d got over having to get rid of things, I started to remember what we actually have. We have a lot.. too much, in fact. Things that need to go. Fortunately we have some good local selling sites, and I know a few new mums and childminders around here, so I set up a photo album on my profile at Facebook. This got rid of a few bits quickly, which in turn got me inspired to get rid of things we’ve bought that have lived in the loft. I listed loads of things on a local Facebook selling group, and they’ve gone quickly.

So it’s farewell to H’s bike which was too small from over a year ago, farewell Trunki, farewell Moover Pram, toodle-pip Bumbo, be off with you slide and sandpit, and so many other things. The old baby clothes were overwhelming to the point I couldn’t face looking through them but had to make sure the Joy Division babygro I’d had specially made would survive. Shaun took several bags of clothes to the local Cash for Clothes place and came back with our first money.

After that, things have been selling. People want our things! Still nobody wants the Ozbozz scooter which H rode on outside for one WHOLE minute preventing me from taking it back to the shop and getting a larger one (it was too small for her). It has lived inside the box since we bought it over two years ago now. This must change! I feel like this week is the week someone will buy it.

I’m being really sensible about it too – H wants a trampoline, and so any money made is for the trampoline fund – I just need to work out how big we can go. Our current fund we’ve made so far is just under £150 which is pretty incredible – especially when you consider the amount of things I’ve given away for nothing.

So yes, the decluttering is coming along very well indeed. At last.

Joanne Mallon has set a challenge – and we’re in! A proper pre-Christmas clutter clearout – and it’s something I need to do badly.

Now H is five we have so many things we don’t need any more. She isn’t going to have a little brother or sister so space needs to be made – and I need to get rid.

Getting rid of baby things is hard. It’s like saying “that’s all folks!” and facing reality – I don’t get as many people asking these days “will you have another do you think?” so I must be starting to look (or act?!) my age a bit more maybe.

Things I need to shift.
Our lovely Maclaren Techno buggy. So many people request one on FB groups, ours comes with all the extras, I try for £50 and they tell me it’s too much. Sob.
Fisher-Price sit to stand microphone. I drove all the way to Crawley to buy this, as it was for sale at ELC – for £25. It took me almost two hours to get there and back, and probably almost as much petrol. It was much loved – H played with it so much when we got it.
Fisher-Price infant to toddler rocker – this lasted years – it made a great seat until H decided she wanted to fasten herself into it again, and I knew she was way too big. See also – the pink bumbo which she would sit in (last year!) and crawl around on all fours like some crazy snail child.
A Little Life Infant backpack carrier. As good as new, pretty much. Nobody wants it. I don’t want to give it away.
Oh, and the Ozbozz scooter I bought, which was obviously too small for H, but she took it outside once assembled to skate on it, so I couldn’t take it back. Nobody wants that, not even for £10 – and it was used for about 30 seconds.

There’s so much more, but practical things like that… I could ebay them (and may well resort to doing that) but I’d much rather sell locally. The only problem is nobody seems to want them.

Then there’s her clothes. So many clothes all carefully washed and bagged up into ages, doing nothing. They need to go, we need the space. They’re just clothes. I didn’t keep her first outfit or anything, there is no emotional attachment.

I think her cot is in the loft too.

So yes, we have a lot of things to get rid of. I also have a large pile of CDs that I need to get to Music Magpie to help raise a bit of cash towards Christmas. I sorted out all my old clothes and they were left in a pile in our closet for about six months until Shaun took them to the clothes bank at the end of the road.

So I’m setting myself a challenge. I need to make space. Things need to be sorted out and it needs to be done now. So I want to get rid of one thing a week – be it giving it away or selling it. There is a public photo album on my FB profile which has everything that needs to go. I just need to make a start.

So here goes…