2020 - banish the clutter

newlywed

Fantastically hot today so having swapped to the thin summer duvet, I washed the autumn one This morning and it dried outside (and looks much better too!) 

Did two more lots of washing and now have an empty wash bin

Trimmed some of the forest of rocket in the garden and had salad for tea with lasagna. 

My storage boxes arrived tonight so will be doing some organising and stacking tomorrow... have planned what I’d like so hope that these give enough room for that. 

Also, lockdown (Along with ynab) has changed my spending and shopping habits and I have finally decluttered my overdraft! Next plan is an emergency pot. And I’m really sorry to everyone struggling. OH has had no work at all but we budget on one wage so his is always bonus money to spend on the house, appliances etc. However my Bought lunches at work, my impulse buying and supermarket habits have been drastically curbed and so I have been able to see how much I truly spend on “stuff”.  This also means that hopefully the clutter won’t increase again in a hurry!

TC77

Boazu - I have kept things my DDs have made, and have a couple of busy spots but they make me smile and I also have some in a drawer and sometimes swap around. I have got rid of some but then look at other things I keep which bring me no joy  so think there is no problem keeping them. I framed a couple of paintings (junior school so 'naïve style' but means on the wall and not a shelf. 
Little here as busy working
1240 some of the packaging from new mattress. Still have box and need DD1 to help move out mattress which will go on spare room and that mattress get picked up by the Council
1241 old receipts and proof of posting.
1242  moved old computer off the dining room table - still have it but I'm counting it.
DD2 has exams (GCSEs next year) online but finish this week so she's agreed to help sort things in the house (Hopefully she'll keep to this).
Take care all xx

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. WRITE AND USE “TO DO LISTS” - MINIMUM 30 MINUTE BURSTS OF ACTIVITY AT LEAST TWICE EVERY DAY

2. KITCHEN WILL BE LEFT CLEAN & TIDY EVERY NIGHT

3. I WILL ENDEAVOUR TO BE NICE TO EVERYONE & TRY TO SEE THE FUNNY OR PECULIAR SIDE TO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
4. DAY TO DAY DECLUTTERING WILL CONTINUE

Wednesday was even hotter than Tuesday - a real scorcher 🥵 🥵 🥵 🥵 DH took me to Kent to see his DSis & DBiL - we were trying to upgrade the cabin for her daughter &    son-in-law. We will be cruising in Russia in 2021. Unfortunately the travel shop is closed on Wednesdays 🙁 This took me back to being a child when all the local shops were closed Wednesday afternoons - anyone else remember that? DH treated us to a 99 each 😉 - practically a 2nd mortgage 😂 We then drove round to his DSis’s place & joined their extended bubble 👏 DH’s DSis lives next door to her daughter & they have a gate between their exceedingly long gardens.  We spent several happy hours in the garden, sunning ourselves - sandwiches, cake, coffee + gin fizzes (for me 😉) So saw DH’s - DSis, DBiL, DNiece & her husband + DGNiece & her husband & DGGNephew. Lots of laughter & chat but NO hugs - although we were a bit remiss re the 2m rule 😞. We got home at just gone 7:00 p.m. having left our house at 11:50 a.m. - although we did stop off at MrSfor a small shop. Lovely surprise when we got home - DSis had hoovered downstairs + washed the kitchen, cloakroom & hall floors 👏 Dinner was pork medallions in a mushroom & Marsala sauce with boiled potatoes & Savoy cabbage - delicious 🤤 

1138 - 1141 Office recycling, kitchen recycling, Newspaper, cardboard packaging - Recycled
1142 Kitchen detritus - Binned

You are welcome Nicnak 🙂

Good work boazu 👏 Sentimental items are really difficult to part with - just remember to take your time on decisions. One solution is to take photos, then box up items one at a time & see if you miss them. Wow boazu, you are motoring & you are an inspiration to us all 👏 

You have every right to feel proud of yourself stellata. Great work & all generous donations - you get clear spaces & others benefit from your largesse 👏

Great work nannywindow 👏 & yes you can count grass cuttings 😉 Ooh, I am slightly envious of the hedgehog & weasel 😞 but we really don’t do too badly on the wildlife front even with a postage stamp garden on theIsle of Dogs 😉

Brilliant work newlywed 👏 Sounds like you are using lockdown to your advantage & more power to you 👏 

Great work TC77 👏 & hopefully DD2 will help not hinder in your ongoing decluttering journey 😉


BE KIND. STAY SAFE. BREAK THE CHAIN. SAVE LIVES.

MrsSD ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

1137/2020

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Forgot to update numbers

MrsSD ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

1142/2020

gilly1964

Everyone is doing so well, I have no idea of my numbers as that got forgotten long ago.

My hours have had to change to fit in with the works needs and looks like I will be WFH until 2021 if not longer.  Our electricity bill has rocketed.

Whilst I am busy working the DC have been carrying on with the mission to get rid of "stuff".  
Toolbox sold on FB
Coffee pod drawer sold on FB
Fishing gear sold on eBay
Golf club on Ebay has a bid and many watchers

Two piles of "stuff" from the garden and shed at the front of the garage to go to the tip.  We need to book a slot, our tips are now open but you can't just turn up

Various bottles, cans, paper and plastics all to weekly recycling collection

Working our way through the freezer supplies to save on shopping trips. I do need to declutter the timber I have gained during lockdown.  I am heavier now than when I started SW, but appreciate the DC cooking so I don't have to.  They try to make it SW friendly but then DH comes along and adds butter or olive oil and pours me a G&T.  Portion sizes have also grown so need to get that in check.  

Stay safe and well.  Off to work xx

Willowtree222

Bid on the boot sale items. £5, but a ton of clutter leaving my house is great x

bit_by_bit

All so busy.  I went for my antibiody test today as I am NHS. Not sure it will make any difference to what I do though. I have another blood test next week but thats just normal 6 monthly thing. 
I have been working though my DSis's paperwork as I am nearly at the end of sorting her estate. I kept getting stuck with it with all the meaningless forms and poor information. Anyway. I closed two more items and have one on the way. I have to post another form tomorrow and then it is done. I will then have to apply for probate. It seems a long time but it is only 13 months. My sister would have been proud as it has no doubt saved £10000s. She would have been proud. I feel lots of weights lifting off my shoulders. Clearing out physically equals clearing out mentally for me it seems.
Nearly there with the RoD Mrs SD. Just a few more things in the loft and a cleanup to go. 

short_bird

470: another cereal box of paper recycling
471-476: 6 dead batteries 
477: another canvas bag and
478-487: 10 carriers to the local food project
488: several inches of hair. It's a bit hacked but it was annoying me
489: Call to a certain company who, despite having the right address in writing for my late mother's house had closed the wrong account.  I was surprisingly polite.

stellata

Sold a few things yesterday on fb, only £16 altogether so Sis and friend will no doubt be saying oh it's not worth it, but my goodness it is, that's £16 I didn't have, I can eat for a week on that! And a bit of space cleared too as you say Mrs SD. None of it is special, I just go round the house looking for things I don't use, this weeks was clothes I'd bought and never worn for one reason or another. I don't do that any more, if I'm doubtful about something new I just return it. Not that I buy anything new any more! Things are very uncertain here at the moment and I may be moving on again soon so the less I have to take with me the better.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. WRITE AND USE “TO DO LISTS” - MINIMUM 30 MINUTE BURSTS OF ACTIVITY AT LEAST TWICE EVERY DAY

2. KITCHEN WILL BE LEFT CLEAN & TIDY EVERY NIGHT

3. I WILL ENDEAVOUR TO BE NICE TO EVERYONE & TRY TO SEE THE FUNNY OR PECULIAR SIDE TO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
4. DAY TO DAY DECLUTTERING WILL CONTINUE

Thursday was Another scorcher 🥵 but with a lovely breeze occasionally throughout the day. DH went shopping & the only thing he couldn’t get was Worcestershire sauce - who knew it was so popular🤷‍♀️ I cleared down a few more programmes from my planner. Dinner was sausages, mash & plum tomatoes. DH is officially the go to guy in our close - neighbour knocked & asked if he had tools to tighten various bolts on a new bicycle 🙂

1143 - 1149 Kitchen recycling, uu hotel shower gel, plastic bottle, 2 newspapers, egg carton, cardboard packaging - Recycled
1150 - 1151 Kitchen detritus, plastic packaging - Binned

Gilly1964, well done for training the DC to keep the decluttering going 👏 & feeding you even if your DH is trying to sabotage your diet.Re your wfh - surely your employer should be making a contribution towards your increased electricity bill? I understand that your travel costs will be low to zero but I doubt your employer was paying those. 

Good work Nicnak 👏 shame it is only a few pennies but at least it is lots of clutter 👏

Very impressed bit-by-bit 👏 I take it that you will add this as a large item 😉 - sounds terribly complicated & probably needlessly so 🙁 And the RoD nearly finished - decluttering must be a welcome relief from dealing with officialdom 😉

Good work on the decluttering short_bird 👏 A medal 🏅 is on its way for being polite when dealing with an incompetent company 😖 It was probably the computer’s fault 😆😉

More power to you stellata 👏 Any amount of extra money is useful if you don’t have much. I would expect a bit more support from your Sis.  It sounds like you are a bit of a nomad & not through choice. Fingers crossed 🤞 that the uncertainty is resolved without the need for moving on 🤞 


BE KIND. STAY SAFE. BREAK THE CHAIN. SAVE LIVES.

MrsSD ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

1151/2020