2020 - banish the clutter

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. DO NOT PUT OFF TO TOMORROW WHAT CAN/SHOULD BE DONE TODAY

2. WRITE AND USE “TO DO LISTS” - MINIMUM 10 MINUTE BURSTS OF ACTIVITY UNTIL THE DECLUTTERING MOJO RETURNS (Thanks oceanspirit 👏)
3. LEAVE A ROOM TIDIER THAN WHEN I ENTERED
4. KITCHEN WILL BE LEFT CLEAN & TIDY EVERY NIGHT
5. WHEN DEALING WITH CLUTTER I WILL USE ‘Daisy1571’s idea of ‘WHAT WOULD I DO WITH THIS ITEM IF IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE’S?

Friday was a lovely day - sunshine & warmer than of late. 2nd visit of the week to the Chinese Wellness Centre - acupuncture was relaxing as usual but had a new masseuse who was quite brutal - so painful 😖  but effective 🙂. Trip to MrA - good job I picked up TP a few days ago as the shelves were empty 😱 Rearranged a 4 cubby hole cupboard & found a big bag of DSis’s paperwork 😬 so that has now been given to her to sort & has created a space 😁 Also a bonus from the previous sort out of the medical supplies - I managed to immediately locate a wrist support for DSis 😆
Cooked sausages, mash, mushrooms & tomatoes for DSis whilst DH & I had chilli & rice with tortilla chips. The chilli is quite lively now so grateful for the soured cream 👏 

Saturday is not quite as nice as yesterday - still dry but colder than yesterday & the sun can’t break through the clouds 🙁 No decluttering as yet 🙁 but do have some paperwork to sort 😉

524 - 528 Cardboard packaging, 2 newspapers, bag of kitchen recycling - Recycled 
529 Bag of kitchen detritus

Thanks oceanspirit 👏- no plans yet for the weekend but am toying with rearranging the freezers again 😉 - they were tidy but are now higgledly piggledy again 🙁, making a soup & possibly biting the bullet & going through my drinking glasses again (in the wall unit so will k*ll 2 birds with one stone)  - most of them were gifts but as we don’t use them I think now is the time to be brave 😭 Well done on your decluttering 👏 & especially on the plan for the desk items 👏 

Excellent work gilly1964 👏 As you have gone over 500 I am awarding you a Gold Star ⭐️ - well done.  Glad you persevered with the forum 🙂 

Welcome aboard gocurlygirl 👏 Surprising how watching Hoarder programmes can incentivise one to start decluttering 😆 You have made a good start & I look forward to reading about your successes 👏 

Good work elsien 👏 You had a premonition that you would sell them 😉 Another one here with🤞 for good weather. You have also earned yourself a Gold Star ⭐️ for your brilliant advice to Jami74.

Great work RepentHoarder 👏 RL getting in the way & still decluttering 👏 I am especially impressed by ‘moving on’ the collection of jugs - just the encouragement I need to sort the glasses 🙂 Enjoy your time with DGS 😃 

Welcome aboard Jami74 👏 Absolutely no need to apologise for a long post - it helps to set down exactly what your decluttering challenge is & how it makes you feel. It appears you have found a fellow spirit in elsien - who has given you some excellent advice. Also useful information from TC77 👏 & Nicnak 👏  & Foofoopuppy 👏 

🥳 Jami74 - you have started 👏 - now this is important - you need to remember that lovely feeling you get when ‘stuff’ is gone - it will sustain you in your decluttering endeavours 🙂

Great work newlywed 👏 

Excellent work greent 👏 800 is a brilliant number & rapidly heading towards your 2nd gold star ! I especially liked the office chair 🤭 

Good work Nicnak 👏 as you say ‘stuff’ still being released 😁

I should get started 😉 so see you later 👋 

MrsSD
529/2020

Willowtree222

I'm up to 10 items. 
I have several bottle of perfume. Some I don't wear anymore. I looked at one bottle and it had about three sprays left in it so wore that today. Then the second bottle has been in there since about 2006 so I am pretty sure it has gone off. I wasn't thinking about gone off perfume, but I'm pretty sure that won't be any good now. Not sure I will be able to do anymore tonight. I'm wanting to do some reading. 
Have a lovely evening and hope you get some decluttering done. I am up to 1820. It is going very very slowly now. I still have the garage and loft to do, but just can't face it at the minute. x

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

194 -      Christmas present finally given  to cousin (yes I'm really that late)
195.        Changed mobile contract for my son (its taken me 3 months to sort it!)
196 - 8    3 items of jewellery for CS 

 Not too much physical decluttering but a huge focus on self-care this week which involved handing in my resignation for job - thankfully they will let me work freelance for them when I'm finished (I really needed this) - I can regulate the hours I work more working freelance.  I've given extended notice but just knowing there is an end in sight has made a real difference.  I still am distinctly under par health wise but making rest a priority.  I've got a fairly hectic week next week but self-care measures kick in the following week.  Just need to make sure I keep myself well for this week. 
Thanks for encouragement & support @ MrsSD 
199 - resigned from job! 
200 - dead nightie
201 - dead dressing gown
202 - desk tidy - friend
203 - decorative box
204 - bundle of postcards (about 50 but will count as 1 item)
205 - top
206 - poncho

TC77

Think I'm on 429 and really hadn't done much but had so wanted to be at 500 tomorrow ( birthday) so added 31 decorative bows to cs bag and hope I may get there tomorrow also opened one of craft box, used to do range of things but years ago 
429 paint binned 
430 pen binned 
431-432 rubbish from craft box
433 paints put together 
434 extension lead to daughter ( forgot to count last week) 
435- 465 decorative bows cs
466 storage box ( had bows in it) 
467-468 old food binned 
469 lighter binned ( DD1 left it and I binned the other day) adding things I have missed off. 
470-471 Xmas badge and Xmas decoration
472-474 sweatshirt, eye mask and another item ( can't remember ) in cs bag .
Hoping that I may make 500 tomorrow. 
Love to hear how people find it when there house really feels clearer !. 

short_bird

160-164: 4 cotton bags to local junk food group.
165-170: Assortment of haberdashery and a patch used at the local repair cafe while I was fixing stuff for folks!
171-176: stuff from fridge that had gone off.
177: temporarily decluttered a job while I'm getting stuff sorted for my mother - she had to be forced to the doctors and has district nurses visiting 3 times a week for the foreseeable future so yes,  that's ongoing... 

Jami74

@TC77 Happy Birthday! 

@EnergyShifter Congratulations on handing your notice in! I'm on a zero hour contract for the same reasons. I'm also starting self-care measures. I haven't thought of myself as depressed, but I feel like I'm coming out of three years of 'can't be bothered', 'it doesn't matter' and 'what's the point'.

Yesterday was my Day 1. 
Bathroom cupboard cleared out.
Tip run included the expired and unwanted toiletries, 3 'pretty' tins, a broken remote control car and several cardboard boxes.
My sofa pulled out, hoovered and several years old work resources and junk recycled (old glasses and fitbit found!). Was lovely waking up to it all clean this morning.

Today I might tackle the Craft Cupboard. My kids haven't done crafts for ten years and were never much into sticking tosh onto paper, there was really no need for me to save every button, bead and ribbon I came across. Also want to clean the inside of my car. 

TC77

Jami 74 thank you.. about to go to a birthday tea with a friend with same birthday and as extra present going to regift some gorgeous soaps I can't use !  It sound like you're doing so much - my kids haven't done crafts for years but I keep in case I might want to make something (I know v unlikely)/ Although I have decided to knit square for blankets for rescue cats and dogs to get me back into knitting (good stress release and easy and will use up wool).

Found nearly 20 pens/pencils etc in my car so DD2 doesn't need to go and buy anymore.

475 - rubbish from car cleared or brought if ok (all the pens, 3.5 pairs of gloves and 2 hair brushes)

476 - bits in craft give a way bag

477 - 478 soft toys with labels in CS bag - don't know anyone that age

478 filed some papers

479 used up a credit receipt in shop (awful paper ones) and found gift card I have has zero on it! 

480 Gift card with zero binned

Every little bit counts...

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. DO NOT PUT OFF TO TOMORROW WHAT CAN/SHOULD BE DONE TODAY

2. WRITE AND USE “TO DO LISTS” - MINIMUM 10 MINUTE BURSTS OF ACTIVITY UNTIL THE DECLUTTERING MOJO RETURNS (Thanks oceanspirit 👏)
3. LEAVE A ROOM TIDIER THAN WHEN I ENTERED
4. KITCHEN WILL BE LEFT CLEAN & TIDY EVERY NIGHT
5. WHEN DEALING WITH CLUTTER I WILL USE ‘Daisy1571’s idea of ‘WHAT WOULD I DO WITH THIS ITEM IF IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE’S?

MrsSD

529/2020

Saturday stayed dry until late. Did NOT do the paperwork but the freezers have been rearranged & I have some space 😁, the soup has been made - zizzed & taste tested & is quite spicy (enough for 6 bowlful) plus I went through the glasses. I was obviously quite brutal the last time I sorted them as I only managed to find 2 large wine glasses for the CS 🙄 
DH & I had chilli for the 3rd night running 🤭 & the last portion for 2 is now bagged & in the freezer 👏 DSis made herself beans on toast. 

Sunday is so far a showery day interspersed with dry spells - will it ever stop raining long enough for the ground to dry out?

530 - 535 Foil lids, 3 newspapers, glass bottle, kitchen recycling - Recycled
536 Bag of kitchen detritus
537 - 538 Two large wine glasses washed, wrapped & added to CS bag

You are doing really well Nicnak 👏 1820 & only in March - so please do not beat yourself up about the loft & garage - wagging finger (I do miss the emojis 🙁) 

Well done EnergyShifter 👏 Decluttering is always easier if you are fit & well so congratulations on resigning 👏 I am awarding you a medal🏅 for deciding on self-care but please try to start next week with a couple of little things - maybe a face mask or mini manicure or even a glass of wine - whatever is a treat for you 🙂 SEE Mantra 1 above 😊 

Happy birthday TC77 🥳 hope you have a lovely day & enjoy your birthday tea + manage to give yourself the birthday 🎁 of reaching 500 🤭 You are doing really well on your decluttering. No idea how it feels when the house is cleared but I do now how happy I am when a shelf or drawer is empty 😜 😆 

Good work short_bird 👏 Best wishes for a speedy recovery for your mother.

Brilliant start Jami74 👏 You are now officially a Declutterer 👏 

See you all later

MrsSD
538/2020

Foofoopuppy

Happy birthday TC77! Not much decluttering happened here, just a few bits and pieces but I have started packing away more non essentials and am sorting through them as I go 😅

savvy

Foofoopuppy said:

Happy birthday TC77! Not much decluttering happened here

Nor here, far too many other issues to sort out 😔 BUT I did manage to offload 10 boxes and 5 bubble wraps to a client of mine that is moving away.....bitter sweet, it’s crippling my income and the sons aren’t utilising the boxes I had saved for their clutter, but at least I could help somebody with my clutter! 

Happy birthday to TC77 and anyone else I’ve missed prior 😉😉
469/2020