Decluttering 2013, the saga continues ...

maddiemay

donnajt wrote: »

HI Bubblegumcola - i completely empathise with you - my DH, DD or DS never tidy up after themselves - althopugh with my constant moaning and nagging they are getting slightly better. Why don't you pick a room- say your living room that you declutter and keep straight that way nobody never need know about the rest of the house

I hope you don't ming me chipping in. I have been lurking for a while and this is my first post. I don't have an enormous amount of clutter, a house move 15 months ago helped in this hugely. A lot of my working life was involved in property buying or selling where first impressions are important. One of my quick fixes (I am a bit untidy) is to stand inside room in question, mainly hall, sitting room and kitchen, stand still just in doorway and register what a stranger might see when stepping in, then scurry round moving, tidying, flicking the duster etc. A friend of mine always said no-one noticed the dust in the house if it was tidy(ish).

bubblegumcola

Thanks donnajt and maddiemay
You have a good point about hiding things but I probably do that too often and the place still looks messy. Upstairs is easy if anyone does visit...close all the doors to the bedrooms and give the bathroom a quick wipe round. Downstairs you walk through my dining room into my living room, so there is no getting away from the unruly mess in the dining room! It's just going to take quite a long time to sort and I will have to do it in very small bits otherwise it just gets too much.

On a positive note I've done a little bit more in my bedroom. Gone through 3 bags of receipts and binned most of them, found old leaflets and receipts from a holiday about 15 years ago!!! so binned them, found a tshirt I had bought for DS still in the bag and thankfully it will fit fine so no money wasted there, some old Xmas decorations binned and a huge pile of clothes for washing. A couple of more items for the charity shop too. Will see how the rest of the week goes but usually too tired after work to do much so might be left until next weekend.

Thanks guys. X

Lilyplonk

Evening everybody :wave:

So sorry to read that a few of our posters are struggling with Depression - (((((BIG HUGS))))) to you all. Don't let your need for decluttering add to it - just take it a bit at a time. Every small item that you can manage to chuck out, or find a proper home for, is a step forward .............. - one less item to spoil things for you. Remember that it isn't all about 'throwing away' - sometimes, it's just stuff that's escaped from where it's supposed to be that's found a temporary residence on a worktop/dining table/coffee table/back of a sofa. My OH is a demon for that kind of thing - wouldn't like to think how many pairs of shoes I'd find, if I went on a hunt for them around the flat - wherever he 'kicks em off', that's where they stay :mad:.

I'm afraid I've no decluttering at all to declare for the weekend - hands head in shame .

dgd1 (age 14) arrived on Friday evening and asked to stay over as going out with her friend on Saturday - friend lives closer to my flat than her own home. She then asked could she stay Saturday night after their Ice Skating session during the day - OK so that was 2 nights. Then dgd2 (her younger sister age 5) also wanted to stay over Saturday night - hmmmmm, can see a pattern developing here. Both due to go back with their mother this evening BUT dgd1 then asked if she could stay another night for school in the morning - school is literally around the corner from me while 'home' is 3mls away ........................... I'm beginning to feel that I've been conned this weekend!

Only thing that got decluttered was the SC full of Ham Shank Stew with Herb Dumplings - fed 3 adults/2 teens (11 & 14)/5yr old x 2 big servings each - that has gone down a treat, accompanied by the last of the Red Cabbage :drool:. There's still a bit left to go in a container for warming up for lunch tomorrow. I suppose you could say, that making it decluttered a drawer in the fridge - carrots, swede, onions, leeks, potatoes etc plus the two Ham Shanks that I bought on Saturday while at the Local Producers Market.

Have also 'had a go' at my Kindle and managed to connect 'wirelessly' and have downloaded quite a few 'freebie books' to get the feel of the thing. So far, so good ..................

Had a visit from DSis and bil yesterday - with a view to him fitting a couple of electric sockets for me IF some wiring was still 'live'. It wasn't - so have decided to move TD into the downstairs porch - he can easily fit a new socket down there for it. It does mean that the cupboard that it currently sits in can have extra shelving fitted - so improved, useable storage space has been created :j.

Bin day tomorrow - including Recycling (bin is full) and Food Waste - so a good start to the day :T.

Have managed to find a couple of kitchen wall cupboards, that are just what I want, on the Ikea website - almost exact match for the ones that I've already got in the kitchen. Also handles that are almost identical :j - now need to enlist DS2 for a visit .................. - can get some more DVD Storage boxes at the same time. Should help to get my kitchen better organised ............. When it's all sorted, I'll take some photos.

I'm off to bed now, need to be up handy for dgd1 in the morning - no doubt she'll need a blouse ironing for school.

Take care all, speak tomorrow, Lilyplonk xxx

Becky_2

bubblegumcola wrote: »

Thanks donnajt and maddiemay
You have a good point about hiding things but I probably do that too often and the place still looks messy. Upstairs is easy if anyone does visit...close all the doors to the bedrooms and give the bathroom a quick wipe round. Downstairs you walk through my dining room into my living room, so there is no getting away from the unruly mess in the dining room! It's just going to take quite a long time to sort and I will have to do it in very small bits otherwise it just gets too much.X

Bubblegumcola, in our previous home the kitchen and dining room was quite small and always looked messy due to very limited storage space. That is until I bought a old fashioned beautiful carved wood cupboard in the charity shop which I could fill with endless of things (all electrical appliances for instance went in there transforming the area). The first thing people would comment on as they entered the room was the cupboard. Kitchen trolley is another great piece of furniture, microwave on top and then 2 shelves underneath with 2 baskets. Good luck in finding a solution that works for you.

Becky_2

:wave: Hello newbies, welcome on board to this friendly and supportive thread. I find this thread great for inspriration to get decluttering done.

Lilyplonk

:hello: everybody - it certainly sounds 'wild 'n' wicked' out there this morning. It's days like this that I'm so pleased I've retired and don't need to go over the doorstep. Just enjoying a few minutes peace and quiet before waking dgd1 for school.

We've got absolutely everything that we can possibly need, so today will be a 'nsd' (No Spend Day for any newcomers around) - have just dug a bag of bagels and a loaf out of the freezer that will keep us going for a few days.

Right! - procrastination out the window - I am publicly declaring that today I'm going to tackle 'moving the TV' to a different place, and if that works, I'll also relocate the PC/Printer/Desk. I think the 'layout that I can see in my head' will make the living room 'flow better' - and also provide the space needed to use the dining table regularly. We'll see .............................

This afternoon, I'll get one of the plastic crates and put some of the 'little used but much needed' kitchen items into it. The kitchen is so small that there's only space for 'regularly used items' to be in there. There's no need for cupboards to be full of things that only get used once a year while the worktops are cluttered to the eyeballs with 'scrappy stuff'.

Best of luck for today everybody and hope your weather is being kinder than ours is ..................... speak later, Lilyplonk xxx

diluvsdiscounts

94. Slimming World Mag - read - recycled

:eek::eek::eek:
Donnajt

Get the slimming world magazine back out of the recycling and put it on ebay!
I always kept my old magazines to go back to for recipes etc and a couple of years ago decided I would get rid of them. I sold every single one. Some people bought more than one magazine so I combined the postage for them.

Sorry to poke my nose in just thought it could be a missed oppurtunity:o

deborah007

Hello everyone

Well done everyone on all of the decluttering so far. I have done some this weekend but not as much as I hoped. We went round to parents for a family get together and that took over Saturday!

121 – 128 random bits of sewing kit returned to sewing box
129 2 decorative candle holders with shades to cs
130 – 160 old cleaning materials and clutter from underneath the sink, now all tidy (not sure why we need 4 bottles of fabric febreze or 4 tubs of shake’n’vac but I have put them back for now and tidied up – looks much better.
161 spare cutlery and cutlery holder



I know that it can be difficult to declutter - I am struggling at the moment as I am meeting resistance from my DH - he is not keen on things leaving the house. I want him to know and understand what I am trying to do. He is ok with it as long as nothing of his goes....:rotfl:

Even one thing gone feels better - I am so pleased with what I have done so far.

Happy decluttering!

D x

donnajt

diluvsdiscounts wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:
Donnajt

Get the slimming world magazine back out of the recycling and put it on ebay!
I always kept my old magazines to go back to for recipes etc and a couple of years ago decided I would get rid of them. I sold every single one. Some people bought more than one magazine so I combined the postage for them.

Sorry to poke my nose in just thought it could be a missed oppurtunity:o

NO WAY!!! I can't believe that I threw a couple of years worth away in October :mad:

donnajt

I am so tired today so...today is all about ME!

It was lovely to wake up to no ironing, immaculate living room and kitchen...DD already left for school, DS starts pre-school at 9:15 will visit Glass Bank on way as I have a small tesco bag full of bottles and jars from yesterday's manic declutter. DH on lates today so have him home today until midday...then I have 2.5 precious hours to myself