2020 - banish the clutter

bit_by_bit

Hi all, great reading all the exploits and getting rid of clutter.  MR SD I wonder why there hasn't been a CS party before.
Back on form since I last wrote. Took a bin liner of curtains to the CS yesterday as it is now open. I did come back with a half a bag of books to read/sell.  I have a plan for them to leave rather than stay which is the important bit.
I have sold a few items on the Bay this week and will post Monday, I am not quite up to a bag full but will be soon.
MSE: DS3 was looking for a gingerbread house kit and had gone into town looking one without success. Luckily the CS had one and only £1.00 so he was very happy. 
In the week the big chest freezer died.  We don't know when it happened but everything had defrosted although still very cold as the freezer hadn't been opened for a few days. We had to throw some stuff straight away but managed to make a stew out of lamb that had been roasted and stored plus a myriad of veg. Two huge and two small cheesecakes from all the cream stored, (DS3 works at the local college and bring stuff that is out of date and would go in the bin). All now shared and eaten. We also had a huge chicken curry and we had mountains of soup. Some of that has now been eaten and shared and teh rest binned along with the rest of the cream.
It was a bit of a disaster but we actually had very little pre packed food.  We could shared what we could  with the family and it kept us going for three days.No need to think about what to eat. 
The freezer itself is waiting for the tip and we got a second hand one, half the size from G*mtree. 
Today I am going to be doing some cleaning, shopping and put some stuff online for sale. My bedroom is a mess with all the stuff to sell and I want to really get it into shape as a study/library so will work on that today.
I already have another bag for the CS on Tuesday.

ailz95

Not been on for a while - but I have read everything up to date.  We posted our Christmas presents and cards on our day out this Tuesday.  Went to the farm shop as usual - wished them all Merry Christmas as they are in Sussex (Tier 2) and we are in Kent (Tier 3) so we won't be able to go unless the tiers thing changes.  I put a broken tablet on freecycle - I'd got the new screen it needed, but replacing it was beyond me - and it was taken within a couple of days.  Family pass old phones on to me as they seem to think I know what to do with them.  A friend of a friend's Autistic daughter is being sent to a school 250 miles away - I think she's about 11 - and I managed to fix her up with a phone so that they could keep in touch.  We're driving around with another 3 bags for the cs which we'll try to pass on on Tuesday.  

I went through my present stash - I buy things in advance - and some craft pieces that I'd bought for the grandkids to 'grow into' and they never had - I passed on to a friend along with 5 pairs of jeans - me and jeans are definitely not the same shape. Mary the daughter insisted on starting one of the craft packs - a sew pack of owls - as soon as she got home from school and finished it the same evening - she's 7.  We put our Christmas tree up on Tuesday too.  I also bought a manual treadmill as swimming is off for a while - hard to get a rhythm going, but I'll get there.

Our larder cupboard had all sliminess in it - we took everything out, luckily mainly tins - and the darling mice or whatever had also been eating the lagging on the pipes.  We worked out that above that cupboard is one in our bedroom and when I checked, I discovered that something had bitten a small hole in a full 5 litre container of hand wash - it was empty.  Cleaning the kitchen cupboard was a very frothy affair.  DH went out into the field and collected chicken wire from the old fencing and he's been lining cupboards and weather boards with it, along with wire wool.

TC77

ailz95 good luck with the mice...we still have unwanted guests of the larger more unpleasant type but only hear in the walls and not seen any sign in the house! council round tomorrow as another attempt
 2368 - 2376 DD2 nail varnishes taken by F/Cycler
2377 - badminton set f/cycled (our garden is too small) 
dropped off donations
My dad rang me - in his 90s and he said he's busy sorting things out...!!
Take care everyone and hugs to those who need it. 

Happy_Kitties

*559.         One pack of DMs Christmas cards finished
                  DD came over today and took
*560-561   Christmas lights x 2 
*562.         Pile of presents including DMs for family
*563.         Pile of Christmas items- including Christmas cards, towels that DD had stashed and had      forgotten about!  

*564.         Toilet rolls that I had bought on Amaz@n on offer. Quite relieved these have gone.....they take up space  

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

816 - got my flu jab - first time I've managed to organise myself to get it done !

Was training yesterday and working this morning so not much decluttering time this weekend.  Managed to do some admin this afternoon.  The paint on my newly painted fence and garden gate has started to come off after some heavy rain.  It must have needed priming - I didn't think it would have as there were a couple of coats of paint already on it.  Thankfully the front door seems to be fine... 
817 & 8 - designed 2 x client forms for my work
819.        Helped friend with CV
820.        Bodged up some damaged external paintwork on a window frame until I have time to repaint in the Spring

Willowtree222

3 ebay items posted, several cards posted. That's one less thing!
Some gift bags gifted to my mum for using as I have managed to breed them. 
I binned a few items, just bits and pieces. 
Plan is to clear out the drawers to get rid of the unit and make space. It has 20 drawers in so another tall ask. I am sure I will get it done though. x

garden_girl_2

TC77 and Nannywindow...thanks. Driving home tonight we had thick fog freezing in places.... ive certainly had my share of crappy weather in the last few days!!!  Her house is still a mess and will  be for a while!! Slowly slowly, she has all week off work, so most sorting should be done by the weekend, even if the decorating isnt done, its livable. Took a lovely tasty lamb casserole over in slow cooker....it survived the drive, even over all the speed humps near hers!! Lol. We went to Mr T to stock her cupboards, she was very thrifty....wonder who she gets that from...hehe. I think she did well. MSE.....

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. WRITE/USE DECLUTTERING & CLEANING “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. JUST DO ONE THING (courtesy of bit_by_bit)

Sunday was a dark, damp day & rather chilly. Day 6 - suitcases, garden furniture cushions & a large (empty) cardboard box put in loft; DH sorted the wormeries which had flooded due to the rain 😱 - hundreds of worms had made a bid for freedom & were on the outside of the wormeries. DH unblocked the taps & emptied one tray from each wormery into the raised beds. The worms found their way back in 👏 DH & I made soup. I knitted another beanie. I also taste tested the tomato chutney I made in September - one is delicious 😋, the other is rather sharp 😬 so I will not repeat the recipe next year ☹️ 

Dinner was sausages, bacon, mash, baked beans & plum tomatoes for DH & DSis. I had lo cheesy pasta with baked beans - went together surprisingly well 😉

Enough tasks done to warrant a Gold Star ⭐️ 😉

2280 - 2285 Kitchen recycling, 4 newspapers, drinks cans - Recycled 
2286 Kitchen detritus - Binned

Well done Nicnak 👏 I admire the dedication to selling on bay of e 👏 & every penny helps. Welcome to the CSP - lapses will keep us on our toes 😂

You have worked hard garden_girl_2 👏 You have earned a Gold Star ⭐️ for the amount shifted plus a Gold Star ⭐️ for driving in appalling conditions & lastly a Gold Star ⭐️ for being so MSE 👏 Welcome to the CSP 🙂 & I agree, they are all as bad as each other & appear to live on ‘planet fu U.K.’  Sounds like your MSE experience has definitely been passed onto your DD. Your DD must be so excited to be in her own home 🙂

Great work TC77 👏 How very kind of DD1 to help bump up your numbers 😉😉 Re the missing bay of e item - have you looked in the bottom of your wardrobe? or reading your next post have you looked in the walls - maybe your larger unwelcome guests have nabbed it 😉 Sorry 😞 joking aside I hope the council can finally sort it out 🤞Your dad sounds wonderful 🙂

Brilliant work nannywindow 👏 I am especially impressed with using up craft stash & wrapping paper stash 👏 Welcome to the CSP, you rebel 😉

Nice to see you bit_by_bit 👋 I take it you are joining the CSP? 😉 You have been busy & I am very impressed that you managed to turn the freezer disaster into a rather positive experience 👏 - one Gold Star ⭐️ to you. You are definitely on a roll 👏

You have been busy ailz95 👏 Sliminess in the larder  🤢 but at least you now have the cleanest larder in the land 😉😂 I hope your DH’s hard work with the chicken wire will reap dividends 🤞

Great work Happy_Kitties 👏

Good work EnergyShifter 👏 Shame about the paintwork but 🤞 that the front door stays painted 🤞

Good work Nicnak 👏 Re the 20 drawers I have every faith that you will succeed - will you sell the unit once emptied? 

MrsSD ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️🏅
Decluttered: New target = 2500: 2286/2500
Daily Spend: £0

£5.00 into Savings pot - up to & incl. 13/12/2020

Happy_Kitties

*565.      batteries recycled in supermarket recycling point
*566.      plastic wrappings the same as above
*567.      toy dropped off in collection point
*568.      Pet food donation dropped off
found myself going round and round the entrance of Tesc@s doing all of the above!

Willowtree222

Heya,
Yes. I'll replace it with a much smaller one to stop the temptation of filling the drawers again! X