2019 - A Clutter Free Life

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

A little flurry of activity so

A very nice large biscuit tin decorated with pictures of Firenze has been repurposed & now contains all our otc medicines/tablets etc. Neat & tidy & meant another cubby hole is sorted & there is space for other things :T Also took the opportunity to clear, clean & sort another cubby hole & found the missing plastic foot for the glass chopping board - serendipitous or what :rotfl: DH has glued it back on :T. Various bits & pieces relocated to more suitable places & only have 5 visible cubby holes to empty, clean & sort (there are still 8 hidden cubby holes though ) I have also stitched together the two halves of the baby blanket, tidied all the ends away (I was using 3 wool colours :eek:) & it is now in the CS bag :T

340 - Knitted Baby blanket in CS bag

GreenQueen, glad to help The trouble with having lots of projects is that I rarely know where to start :rotfl::o My problem with the weather is that I am waiting for the other shoe to drop :eek: loads of snow or a long lasting arctic blast

ailz95, you have been a very busy bee - Well Done :T. As I said, as long as the paperweights have a designated home you are NOT re-cluttering :rotfl:

Happy Kitties - Well Done on the change of attitude :T:T:T You ARE a declutterer :rotfl: & your DM seems to be on the bandwagon as well :rotfl: You are absolutely correct in that you have made a real effort to create spaces & rid yourself of clutter & nobody will rob you of them :rotfl: + plus it is soooo much easier to clean & tidy when there are spaces

See you later

MrsSD
340/2019

bit_by_bit

Thanks for the positive comments Mrs SD. Those bags are now in the CS and sorted straight to their destination so someone else doesn't have to.

Happy Kitties: I get a lot of stuff given to me because of working at the CS and I could easily just put it in a room and forget it. I have been very good for the last three months though. I bring it in, sort it and it goes right out or I relocate more useful items. I don't bring it in unless I have time so there are often bags in my car but they are not there for long. I don't count these ins and outs for this thread though.

I worked at the till on Sunday at the CS.I managed to sort two bags of CDs while it was quiet. The first bag was clearly the ex property of someone with very dirty hands (and an interest in a wide variety of music ) I had to throw some because the CD paper inserts were REALLY grubby. I wiped down the packaging and the discs of the good ones. The second bag was clean but there were loads of scratched or loosed discs and empty boxes without matches.

Such a waste.:(

This week I am working for a few minutes on the dining room/lounge each day. I have cleared my intended writing and sewing desk. Tonight it is the turn of the sideboard.

It was my birthday last week so I asked for donations to Shelter instead of having more stuff. I have raised £75.00 and had a lot less clutter. DH gave me 7 bags of home made compost, decluttering the compost bins as he went :rotfl:

Finally, my theory on hoarding: I think it has a lot to do with what has gone on in your life, especially traumas. Hoarding protects you from loss by you never letting go and a feeling of control of your own destiny when maybe there wasn't in the past. I can say this because 3 out of 4 of us sisters have tendencies. The anxiety about letting go is very real and is a permanent work in progress. Depression is the worst thing I think. Getting immobilised and then overwhelmed is a really nasty cycle to get in.

For myself, the realisation that books were my safety but 3000 plus were too many was when I started letting go. I still have a fair few hundred but each week I take some to work, to the CS and when I can, give them away.

As has been said before, it didn't take a week to get like this so it sure won't take a week to sort it all out.

retiredinfrance

Hello MrsSD. It has been some time since I last posted and just discovered that MSE had forgotten me so had to reset password, which I had forgotten.
Anyway, I have been very very busy getting all our documents ready to apply for residence here in France and anxious as well, I have to admit and couldn't settle to anything really. The house got into a bit of a mess but I have that in a better state now.
Although I haven't been posting I have been collecting up stuff,so.
.
11& 12 two scarves for CS
13 load of envelopes all mixed sizes they came with credit card bills etc and as I pay by ddebit I collect them up intending to use them, but,,I rarely write letters, so I now have an empty drawer.
14&15 two cardboard boxes to recycling,

Not much but there is a load more and I cant be bothered to go into the spare room and list it all. Mainly books.
On the plus side I have decided to stop buying clothes in the CS or elsewhere. I have lots already and need to wear out some before buying more.
After receiving three presents that I won't use for various reasons I decided to send DS an Amazin voucher and she was really pleased and didn't think it was thoughtless at all. So I have saved her from a bit of clutter.
I must say I am delighted that there are so many new people here. welcome everyone.
Hopefully see you soon.
..

retiredinfrance

DSis. sorry.
Bit by Bit- yes various reasons.I think mine is that I am afraid that one day I will need that item as I will be too poor to buy a replacement. I think some of this is also a generation thing - those of us who had parents who went through WW2 were brought up to be thrifty. Although it is also that in earlier years people didn't consume so much stuff. I don't recall my MiL going out and buying a vase, for example,- all she had in the way of ornaments were presents, and it was one present at Christmas, not piles.
My Mother was rather different. she was very very thrifty but then would splurge....counting pennies to spend pounds was more her style.

MiniLaura

Some weekend progress

9-14 six ebay items sold n dispatched

15-16 two old doormats binned

17-18 two broken plastic storage binned

osbornbiscuit

Well another week has passed and I have took two more bags to the charity shop and took one carrier bag to the tip (electrical stuff). Have also decluttered some more of my wool stash with two more childrens cardigans for the refugees. 5 beanie hats and some dolls blankets and rompers to a dementia doll group.
Unfortunately there was a slight lapse as the charity shop where I volunteer were given a bag a wool and I just couldn't refuse, 7 balls of Rowan wool in a heather colour and several balls of wool from Aldi in a lovely silk texture. I justified it as I will quickly knit them up into cardies and the refugees will benefit.
On an even more positive note no 2 son is moving into his own house with his girlfriend and that will be a massive declutter.
I will miss him loads but being able to walk into the room without treading on plates, dirty clothes and wet towels.......bliss

somerandom

somerandom wrote: »

199 - ring holders - gift to friend
200 - resolved issue with BT - refund for £100 on it's way

201 & 2012 - 2 x sets of blinds - replaced. (1 - broken bin & other to be left outside house

Hermia

bit_by_bit wrote: »

For myself, the realisation that books were my safety but 3000 plus were too many was when I started letting go. I still have a fair few hundred but each week I take some to work, to the CS and when I can, give them away.

I used to own about 2000 books and it was pretty awful because I just did not have the room for them. I then read this fantastic decluttering book (which I sadly can't remember the name of) where the author was a decluttering coach. She said she always asked people why they had a collection of a certain item and how they would feel if it wasn't there. She felt books were tied up with a person's identity. She would always ask people how they would feel if a new visitor went to their house and there were no books. She said they would freak out at the idea! I freaked out reading it! I grew up in a fairly uneducated area/family and went to a rubbish school. Being well-read was a sign I had escaped from all that. Once I realised that I was able to start letting go of all the books. I now mostly read e-books and library books. There is a part of me that does still worry that people will judge my fairly book-free house.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Back again :rotfl:

Decluttered lo cheesey pasta into DH’s tummy & I finished the last of the hm soup. My F*tb*t will not be happy as I will only manage 5 out of 6 targets

341 small bag of paperwork recycled
342 small amount of personal paperwork shredded
343 magazine read & recycled

milasavesmoney, great mantra Picking up as you go along is a great way to keep clutter down :T

Well Done Marpau, I think it is easier decluttering other people’s stuff because we are not emotionally invested Unfortunately it is really difficult to strip out emotions when dealing with our own stuff

Well Done chupachups4 - more decluttering & more pennies in the travel pot :T My DSis lived south of Pau in Baigts de Bearn.

bit by bit, it sounds like little & often is working really well :T I think you are spot on with your theory :T Belated Birthday greetings :bdaycake:

Lovely to hear from you retiredinfrance it is that dreaded B word isn’t it :mad: Trying to get residency sorted before March 29th must be a nightmare & French bureaucracy is not exactly the fastest in the world :rotfl: You are allowed to let things slide when dealing with stressful situations, because then when you are less stressed you can tidy & declutter & take control :T which it sounds like you have done, retiredinfrance :T Wishing you a speedy resolution to your residency application & am looking forward to welcoming you back as a regular poster

MiniLaura, Well Done on the decluttering :T & the sales :T

osbornbiscuit, Well Done on the decluttering :T you have absolutely no need to justify bringing wool into your home - especially as you have a plan. Congratulations to son 2 - a new home that he can clutter to his hearts content :rotfl: provided the gf will let him :rotfl: You will end up with so much space you won’t know what to do with yourself :rotfl:

somerandom, Well Done :T

Hermia, I think most people will probably be admiring your clutter free home not counting your books :rotfl:

See you tomorrow

MrsSD
343/2019

CompletelyLost

Morning all,

Woke up in a funk, didn't sleep all to well.. thought I'd channel the bad mood into something postive - clean/tidy up!

So far:

• I'm mid-cleaning bathroom as it was long overdue! Need to hang bathmat and shower curtain up to dry, rinse cream cleaner off and and wipe over the floor.
• 1 lot of washing done and hung up to dry, some washing put away too
• listed a few things on ebay
• washed up last night's dishes. I need to get out of the habit of leaving these overnight. :mad:

OUT:
20. item returned to shop
21-23. 3x ebay items
24. receipt folder sorted through and binned anything old
25. stray odd socks binned