2020 - banish the clutter

short_bird

retiredinfrance said:

 All i have to do now is to remember about them.

There's a solution for this: not my solution but I've road tested it and I hope the explanation makes sense! (I would guess this is a good time to start finding the things you need for the events you can have and see that everything has survived the year.)
Seasonal cards need to stay out for a while till we've sent cards to the folks who don't usually send cards to us!! So, seasonal cards, address book, pens, stamps etc all go in one obvious place along with Xmas wrapping stuff, tape, tags until we've actually finished with them in 2020. (Maybe a big carrier bag so it can be hidden in a cupboard?) Keep a bin next to you so anything worn out can be chucked or recycled.
Idea is though that you clear the stuff that's beyond repair and find storage space for it next year so you know cards and wrapping has a place (and retiredinfrance adds envelopes with measurements to their shopping or to do list!) 
Next stage is: 

• repeat this with the tree and decorations when putting up and taking down, some folks have, some folks haven't done this yet!
• check kitchen items that only get used for major occasions
• then serving dishes, table linens - whatever comes out once a year.

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

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

Nothing to do with decluttering but - DS got back from Uni today - It's lovely having him back ! 

821.  Dead secateurs
822.  Wrap
823   Book
824.  Fixed DS' desk chair
825.  Revamped DS' desk top
826.. Dead bucket
827.  Dead socks

leelad

Evening MrsSD and fellow declutterers, I have donated a large bag containing plastic baubles to our gardening group so that they can decorate the Christmas tree in our local town Earby. Earby is located on the Lancs/Yorks border. Will be nice to get all the decorations up around the town this weekend.

bit_by_bit

Thanks for my star Mrs SD. Much appreciated. The new freezer is filling up nicely with cream and other stuff from DS3.
Over the last few days I gave DS2 his box of decorations and a Christmas tree back. Its been in the loft for three years. (counting as 2 bags). Yay. 
I also returned a bag of Christmas decorations rescued from the CS in January that would have been binned and a 2nd bag of stuff on Tuesday. Finally 3 more things sold on The Bay so I will  say one more bag over the last few weeks via the Post Office.
Even better; I didn't buy anything at the CS when I was working there on Tuesday. 
So 5 bags counted out. I am very pleased as I had ground to a halt. 
Total for 2020 so far is 82/100 bags.

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)

Wednesday was a dry, fairly bright day. Day 2 - went to P.O. & posted DSis’s parcels to France, my parcel to Germany & the rest of 2020’s birthday cards. Then caught bus to T*sc* Express & spent 2019’s vouchers (still have £5.40 left) Also have £40 of vouchers for 2020’s participation in the Lung Health Check that DH & I signed up to. Continuing Day 2 - I finished scrubbing the hob, knitted a few more rows of scarf.
DH & I had hm soup for lunch. Dinner was chicken fried in butter, boiled potatoes, green beans & sweetcorn. Oddbox vegetables delivered - spring greens, peppers, beetroot, butternut squash, aubergines, courgettes, Brussel sprouts & 2 of the largest carrots I have ever seen 😱

2307 - 2309 Kitchen recycling, 0.5” paperwork, drinks cans - Recycled
2310 - 2311 Bedroom detritus, kitchen detritus - Binned

Thanks for the info greent 👏

Oh dear nannywindow ☹️ the ‘Shed of Doom’  but at least you have started clearing it out 😉 Well done 👏 No need for shame - binning a little food is actually decluttering the possibility of food poisoning 😉 

Good work retiredinfrance 👏 I did have to smile at the tale of the Christmas cards 🙂 I did the same thing Christmas 2018 - found a couple of hundred Christmas cards 😱 I use about 50 cards each year - so I have topped up my supply with 3 boxes of half price Christmas cards. 

Great solution short_bird 👏 regardless of where it comes from 😉 Think that will form part of my Day 3 tasks - thank you 👏

Good work EnergyShifter 👏 I can see you are very happy that your DS is home safe & sound 🙂

Good work leelad 👏 Earby sounds wonderful - and I love the idea of donated lights.

You have been busy bit_by_bit 👏 I think you should count the bag of XMas decorations as ten - one for every month the bag was in your house 😉😉

MrsSD ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️🏅
Decluttered: New target = 2500: 2311/2500
Daily Spend: £41.80 P.O. & £17.10 vouchers in sm

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

villagelife

It's been chaotic here since my last post. DS1 has moved into his flat and seems happy. We helped him move and I was putting flat pack furniture together and cleaning carpets for him.
Then we have had builders in and a wall knocked down as stairs refurbished and awaiting a wooden floor and a large cupboard to be built. There is mess and clutter everywhere at the moment.
Stuff which left with DS1
1427-1429 plasters, medicine etc
1430 iron
1431-1439 PS4 and games and DVD
1440-1443 bags
1444-1448 protein shakes and cup
1449 exercise may
1450-1451 dumb bells
1452-1458 cleaning stuff
1459-1468 various tins and pasta from my cupboards
1469-1472 photo frames
1473-1474 tv's
1475-1482 bedding etc
1483-1495 books
1496-1545 clothes
1546-1561 shoes
1562-1566 toiletries
1567-1568 towels
1569 laundry basket
1570 golf clubs
1571 laptop
1572 iPad
1573 printer
1574 -1578 assortment of cables
1579-1586 assortment of kitchen pots etc

Probably not all he has taken and sure underestimate numbers for clothes etc but his room was very empty before all the stuff from reinstatement into it!!

Now for stuff I've decluttered
1587 small sponge bag
1588-1597 more tiles
1598 a sock 
1599 a bag
1600 a broken ornament
1601-1613 books
1614 pillow being feather went on compost heap
1615 a holey blanket
1616 a wall!!!
1617 a door
1618 shelving from inside the cupboard under the stairs which is no longer a cupboard.
1619 carpet
1620 carpet troopers
1621 underlay
1622-1625 shoes
1626-1627 assortment of photos
1628 a jigsaw
1629-1668 CD's
1669-1698 records
1700 a case
1701-1702 cards from stash
1703-1704 wrapping paper, ribbon and tag
1705 an old store card
1706-1725 clothes which are too big for DS2
1726-1728 magazines
1729-1732 moisturiser sample used up
1733 various packaging
1734 shoe cabinet

short_bird

1146: bag of rubbish out: bin day is Friday so need to time my clear outs.
1147: mixed recycling to bin
1148-1150: 3 items from fridge: must check out the new greengrocer for loose veg
1151: disposed of underwear that will never be comfortable even when it fits...
1152-1161: carriers back to supermarket delivery person, cash credited toward the bill.
1162: Vitamin D consolidated into one container 
1163-1165: empty jam jar collection halved, am keeping a certain style until I know whether I will need them for storage    
1166: film deleted off the recorder
1167-1170: email inbox tidy...
Xmas cards and prescription renewal need sorting... 

nannywindow

MrsSD I had already cleared out my shed of doom, or so I thought. Perhaps if I keep going in there I can declutter some more !

In the recycling today went 2 empty xmas card boxes and an empty selection box. I was very good with the latter as the box was damaged so I split the items between my DGC and only ate the odd one that was left over, which I shared with DH ........ honest   I also emptied the overflowing bin in my craft room and posted my last card to a new neighbour, they seem to be a very nice family.

I'm glad your DS is back from uni EnergyShifter. A lovely early xmas present.

Hugs to anyone in need.

nan

moneyonmymindsam

At my late mum's 
Happy and sad memories. Managed to do a charity run of a lot of nice things and the staff member was so pleased to accept so had that feel good factor so came back and inspired to clear more.

2 more orange boxes to go to Air ambulance next visit then I think once house is sold everything else can either go to charity or house clearance.

The garden had 1 ton of leaves and garden waste never mind at least its done. 

Taking the washing powder, cleaning stuff and toiletries etc home as awful as that sounds as it will all save me money. 
Hope everyone is safe and warm and omg C is nearly upon us. 
Sam xx

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

826.. Dead bucket
827.  Dead socks

Today was a day of returns.... 
828.  Returned broken headphones
829 & 830 - 2 x jumpers returned 
631 - returned item to B&Q 

Take Care moneyonmymind - it's not an easy thing to have to do x