Decluttering 2012, this year, definitely ...

suzeesu2000

Evening all. Everyone is doing really well despite the rush and tear of the season.

4 - bag of shredded paperwork - rc
5/14 - serious old credit cards shredded - bin
15/17 - old cheque books shredded - rc
18/43 - out of date/freezer burnt food stuffs - rc
44/59 - candles used
60 - piece of fabric repurposed into two new tea towels
61/68 - Xmas presents sent off
69 - antique doll returned to owner
70/71 - cardboard boxes - rc
72/74 - boxes folded down - garage
75/78 - sheets of bubble wrap used in present wrappings


Think that's everything, have kept the tea light candle foils as I can use them loads by refilling with a wick and wax!

Am ashamed of the food stuffs that we have thrown today, seriously ashamed. Trouble is that the chest freezer just seems to have stuff added on top of everything else so you are never getting to the bottom.

Also managed to finally pay off a debt, all finished and it feels great!

Ending this week on a positive note, am a happy bunny.

Well done all, nearly Christmas.
x

Lilyplonk

Morning :hello: everybody

I'm getting onto the Housing Association around 10.00am, mineallmine - let you know later how I get on . Hope your Lemon Torte turned out good :drool:.

:T on sorting through paperwork, Becky - makes you wonder where it all comes from doesn't it . Can't believe how much I've had to go through lately.

I also had some trouble accessing the site, loopychriss - I was beginning to think that they were doing some more upgrading, but they normally let us know in advance .

:j on going through your freezer, suzeesu - sometimes things just 'escape' to the bottom layers of the freezer and lurk there for ages . I know it 'goes against the ethos etc' but sometimes it's just best to concede defeat and 'get rid' . Well done on paying off a debt :T!


Yesterday afternoon OH ventured into the shed ............... - we knew there had been a 'little leak' through the roof BUT didn't realise that it had got much worse! I'd also been 'turning a blind eye' to the actual contents of the shed ............:o. He resurfaced with some cardboard boxes - practically falling apart due to being soaked - with intriguing contents all wrapped in 'bubblewrap' - ie obvious signs of having been in there since Nov 2006 when we moved into this house . I'm sure there's more stuff in there, but these were quite enough to confront for now :eek:.

After examining the contents, and dumping the stinky, wet b/wrap, I then spent the evening washing/drying a set of matching glasses bought for my mum Xmas 1967 - set of Britvic advertising glasses - four cups/saucers of Portmeirion Ware Cypher Design - four retro amber glass cups/saucers - an assortment of around 20 coffee/tea mugs - some vintage/antique glass bowls/jugs/serving dishes - matching pyrex gravy boat/dish and serving dish - various china milk jugs.

Obviously I'd completely forgotten that I had these items sitting in the shed and it's going to crack me up to think that I've now got to get rid of all of them, especially as I know that some of these items could make money and I don't have time to 'sell them' for some kind of profit. If the new box that I've put them in wasn't so heavy, I'd take them to the charity shop - but we don't have anybody available to do collections. Oh well Freecycle here they come ................. .

On top of that I found a box of knitting needles - all just loose odds/sods, or so I thought. My OCD got the better of me - and I've sorted them into 21 proper pairs! - plus another 25 odd needles of various sizes/lengths and a stack of double-pointed needles. I know the charity shop can use all these - people often come in for sets of knitting needles - even odd ones - and we sell them at 50p a pair!

Oh well, I need a trip to the charity shop today, I'll take what I can in a taxi trip and deliver some Christmas Cards to colleagues who work there. Also need to post a parcel to USA - but will need a suitable size packet to do it.

speak again later - hopefully with some good news from Housing Associaiton - Lilyplonk xxx

Thanks for your support folks .

happytails

Morning!

Quick post as going out in 5.

In this weekend -

7ft Xmas tree
2 sets of Xmas tree lights
35 bauble dec's
A bigger French press than the one husband bought last week!


Out:
Big office desk
Big wheelie bin sack of rubbish and tat to tip
25 books, a bag of clothes and bits and pieces to CS
Knitting needles, photo box, and a few kitchen items to CS
sold 6 items, all going to post office later
4 jars of sauce, pasta and breadcrumbs to mum (we are going primal/paleo so not going to use)
A bag of tinned and packet foods to go to the homeless shelter today
All presents for mums house taken round (4 carrier bags full)
Faulty weighing scales returned and refunded.

Not done too badly

Sarah x

mineallmine

Morning,

Hope you hear some HA progress Lilyplonk Think of those things going to homes where they'll be loved. Don't beat yourself up. Accidents do happen. Hubby broke a glass bowl of my mums. It hurt. I cried. But it is just stuff. Someone will pick up some lovely things now at that CS courtesy of you :j

Fab decluttering there happytails hope our declutter baby is doing well :j

I've done a bit more decluttering. Got rid of 3 books and 2 more odd socks. So will add that to this month's tally. :j

Lilyplonk

Good evening all :wave: - I'd like to say a big for all the 'kick-asre vibes' that you sent to my Housing Association today.

The 'offending stair-lift' has now been removed and I've got an appointment to sign-up for my Tenancy Agreement on Wednesday morning :j! The carpet guys are booked for half an hour later and they can fit on Friday :dance:.

Still can't see me being in before Christmas - but I'm sure it'll all be done at some point between Christmas and New Year:rotfl:. DS1 has promised to visit with his work van over the weekend to start shifting some of the boxes, so it'll just be the furniture that will need to go into a larger van .

Good Luck with the primal/paleo diet, happytails - it's not something that I could do for very long, but it does make a great deal of sense. When I started my 'life-style change' just over a year ago, I was eating along 'similar lines' though I DID have some carbs but just restricted them a BIT more than my dietician recommended . Well done on your 25 books out :T!

Hi Mineallmine - after all that work, I didn't even manage to take the box of china/mugs/glassware to cs as the bags with the Needlework Mags were very heavy. Well done on rounding up two more 'odd socks on the run' - wouldn't you just LOVE to know where their 'other halves' go to :rotfl:!


Out today -

Four folders of weekly Needlework Magazines (86 magazines) to cs.

All the knitting needles to cs.

Couple of books to another cs.

Parcel posted to yankee cousin - at last .


I'm planning a last 'major push' on sorting/chucking/packing tomorrow.

I got a 'small whoopsie haul' today - salad (46p), Lir Choccies (£12.00 down to £6.00) into pressie box, Pineapple (60p) now portioned up, Ruby Red Sprouts (£1.65 down to 75p) now blanched/fozen, 2 packs Extra Special Rare Roast Beef (65p each) now frozen, celery/nut/apple salad - 23p, Beetroot couscous 30p, 2 loaves 20p each now in freezer, pack of spicey wedges down to 65p - now inside OH, along with 2 Piri Piri Chicken Thighs, for his tea :rotfl:. I used some of the Roast Beef with salad for MY tea !

Oh well folks - tomorrow IS another day and, following on from my good news today, I'm now feeling full of and just raring to go ................

speak again in the morning - Lilyplonk xxx

happytails

Lilyplonk, we are including carbs, just not from grains, sugar, legumes etc. IE we are still eating potato in moderation etc. I think DH is going dairy free too but im not, with 2 fussy kids i need all the help i can get lol. On day 3 now and really craving sugary goodness. I know ill be having a gingerbread at my friends this morning, she has made them especially for our visit so cant really decline lol so back on the bandwagon after that!!

How is everyone doing on the 7 day countdown to Xmas :eek: Everyone ready?Any more decluttering going on in this last week?

Im hoping to sort out the lounge/office and finish decorating the Xmas tree and have it tidy for Xmas (photos of the kids opening presents etc so need a clear background lol) And sort through the toy boxes to clear some more space!! MY DS is 2 on the 27th so no doubt family will be popping in and out then too so need to keep on top of it LOL

Sarah x

loopychriss

Nothing to report today I'm afraid. Still trying to get around to wrapping Christmas pressie up. Did manage one, for a friend that came round earlier. Also been making some cards today that will get posted off tomorrow.... better late than never!

I seem to be reverting to my "Queen of the Last Minute" persona again: I know things have to be done, but leave them and leave them, until it's imminent that they have to be done and then I get into a stress and don't have enough time. e.g. I've only just made my mum and dad's Christmas card tonight. It's mum's birthday tomorrow and I haven't wrapped her pressies up, and nowhere near getting their Christmas presents wrapped!

115. One Christmas gift given to friend
116. 12 Christmas cards made

I will get organised and back to how I was in the summer (house clean and tidy and all jobs tackled on a daily basis...... just not yet!

mineallmine

Evening all. Fly lady was upstairs floors today. Sorted hubby's side of bed. And landing. Cleared a bag of packaging, rubbish, an odd shoe (I'd chucked the other one already)!

Hope everyone is ok :j

Lilyplonk

Good evening all :wave:

I love my pulses/grains, so I'd be no good at all on your primal/paleo routine, happy tails - but I do have to 'count them' in my carbs allowance. Have to admit that, as I'm well into my eating plan, I'm not quite as rigid about the limits. I'm far more active now so I'm burning off anything over-and-above my allowance . I'm hoping not to put on too much weight over Christmas - fingers crossed.

I'm sure the next couple of days will see you regain your momentum, loopychriss - good luck with the pressie wrapping .

Hi mineallmine - good for you on tackling OH's side of the bedroom - I try to avoid going around HIS side of the room altogether. Have to stride over things just to straighten the blasted duvet :mad:! He's getting another ultimatum this weekend - either HE does things or I will :rotfl:.


Today I went to sign for my new Tenancy Agreement and collect the keys to the flat. Carpet fitter arrived to measure up and says they can do the fitting tomorrow afternoon :j - so we can start to move some of the boxes from tomorrow onwards :T.

I'm looking after dgs1 (age 11) on Saturday while DD goes shopping for the rest of their presents and food - he can come with me in a taxi to help carry some stuff up. He's a very willing helper IF you can capture his interest and make him feel important. As he'll be the first grandchild to visit the flat, that should be enough to do it . I'll treat him to lunch at the local Garden Centre afterwards.

I've got a stint in the cs tomorrow morning so will get rid of a box of spare crockery and glassware.


Today, I've shredded and disposed of 20yrs of weekly payslips :eek: PLUS all the stupid, nasty, vile letters that ex-OH sent me when we split up :mad: . I'd kept them, at the time, as proof of the harassment that he was causing me but then gradually became used to them 'being around'. It was time for them to go - especially as we've been divorced for around 10yrs :beer:. Unfortunately, I made the big mistake of re-reading them as they were going into the shredder which only served to get me :mad: all over again - so I had to just get rid and dump them into the garden waste bin once-and-for-all :T.

I know that there's another 8yrs of monthly payslips in a filing box upstairs - so those can get done tomorrow evening - then there's 25yrs of Bank Statements ........................... and some Council Tax and Utility Bills . Just wondering if it's worthwhile investing in an Incinerator instead of shredding them all .................!

I'll speak again in the morning folks - good luck with pressie wrapping / decluttering / card writing - Lilyplonk xxx

kururunfa

I've just found this thread, what a great idea! I really need to de-clutter. I live in a two bedroom house, and it is absolutely full of clutter! Before moving here I lived in another (also 2 bed) place that was a lot bigger, and I took everything with me when I moved, and have acquired more stuff since - there's just too much stuff in here, and a lot of it is junk that could easily be thrown away.

I'll be doing a "make the living room semi respectable" session tomorrow, but a year's worth of gradual de-cluttering is definitely on the cards for January onwards.