2020 - 'Nothing in your life will change until you make the decision to change'

in_need_of_direction

I don’t know how but I’d manage to unbookmark you.  Have just caught up with the last month or so.  Great news on the £350 plus all the saved fees.  Like you, I get depressed thinking of all the things that need addressed at home.  When I remember to, I draw up a list of tolerations.  These are small things that I put up with but that are fairly easily tackled and just take a niggle out of my life.  Things like putting a battery in a clock, or like DIA’s teas.  Have you any of those that could help babystep to a happier place?

as always I’m impressed by your decluttering.  I started the year aiming for 2020 items.  Unfortunately I lost my list for two months but am back on it.  Slowly but definitely heading in the right direction thanks to your inspiration 

jwil

in_need_of_direction said:

I don’t know how but I’d manage to unbookmark you.  Have just caught up with the last month or so.  Great news on the £350 plus all the saved fees.  Like you, I get depressed thinking of all the things that need addressed at home.  When I remember to, I draw up a list of tolerations.  These are small things that I put up with but that are fairly easily tackled and just take a niggle out of my life.  Things like putting a battery in a clock, or like DIA’s teas.  Have you any of those that could help babystep to a happier place?

as always I’m impressed by your decluttering.  I started the year aiming for 2020 items.  Unfortunately I lost my list for two months but am back on it.  Slowly but definitely heading in the right direction thanks to your inspiration 

Thanks for finding me again   

I'm trying to make the effort to do some of those little jobs.  They do make a difference and hopefully will eventually add up.

Glad you are getting on well with the decluttering, I find the list keeps me motivated as when I think we haven't achieved anything, we can see how many items have actually gone.  

jwil

Another quiet day today.  Not much achieved.

Little jwil had a zoom session with his teacher and class which he enjoyed.

DH and I stayed up late (for me) last night watching The Stranger on Netflix.  I wasn't going to watch it until I'd read the book, but did it the other way round.  I've been reading the book today.  I really enjoyed the series.  I see from a piece in the front of the book that there are a couple of other Harlan Coben series on Netflix, so shall look them out.  One of them is the book that I finished yesterday and was another one with lots of twists and turns.  I'll be interested to find that one.

I've tidied a bookcase today.  It's the one opposite where my favourite chair is and I quite often sit there just browsing my books (am I weird?).  By tidying it I've brought forward a load of books that have been hidden from sight for a while, so I've got a nice change to my view.

I've just made a PAD of £1.68 to my mortgage.  

savingholmes

Well done on the PADs and the tidying. I think as you say on the decluttering you need to take the long view - unless your goal is to become a mnimalist decluttering is likely to be a lifelong effort. Hopefully over time it can be done quicker if we learn to bring less into  the house or send more out than we bring in.

jwil

savingholmes said:

Well done on the PADs and the tidying. I think as you say on the decluttering you need to take the long view - unless your goal is to become a mnimalist decluttering is likely to be a lifelong effort. Hopefully over time it can be done quicker if we learn to bring less into  the house or send more out than we bring in.

Thank you   You are right, it's a long term effort.  I'm starting to think I'd like to be a minimalist, but I'll never win that argument in this house

savingholmes

I think DH would like to be minimalist - it's not going to happen. But as you clear stuff you suddenly notice others that need clearing too and it can seem never ending. Taking photos before after and during may help you see the difference you have already made.

doingitanyway

Well done on PAD. The amount is less important than the habit I think. I'm definitely a maximalist masquerading as a minimalist. Like you I have been tidying books. Filthy! I hoovered and dusted them, cleaned the shelf, decluttered a few and put the rest back. I know I have 'lost it on lockdown' as I found myself putting authors who would get on well next to each other

in_need_of_direction

That’s hilarious how you are arranging books.  I read a news story recently about how cleaning staff in a library arranged books in height order during lockdown

jwil

savingholmes said:

I think DH would like to be minimalist - it's not going to happen. But as you clear stuff you suddenly notice others that need clearing too and it can seem never ending. Taking photos before after and during may help you see the difference you have already made.

Yes, as time goes on I realise I don't want things that I kept beforehand.  I've got photos somewhere of the start.  I also have photos of the kids with stuff in the background, and so can definitely see progress.

doingitanyway said:

Well done on PAD. The amount is less important than the habit I think. I'm definitely a maximalist masquerading as a minimalist. Like you I have been tidying books. Filthy! I hoovered and dusted them, cleaned the shelf, decluttered a few and put the rest back. I know I have 'lost it on lockdown' as I found myself putting authors who would get on well next to each other

Haha I love that! Your books can have a nice chat now

in_need_of_direction said:

That’s hilarious how you are arranging books.  I read a news story recently about how cleaning staff in a library arranged books in height order during lockdown

I saw that story, it was brilliant.  I must confess that I totally get that.  I tend to group by author and series but also by size.  It really bothers me when the books in a series are not all the same size

jwil

Well I had  a funny start to the morning.

I had an email yesterday saying someone was trying to change my quidco password.  I haven't ever used quidco, but have signed up, so went into it and closed the account.  I'd forgotten I even had an account!

Today, I had an email from a random saying they know my password, and giving it, and threatening to release images of me doing dodgy things unless I pay a ransom in bitcoin! 

I can only assume that the two are related.  The password is one I used over several sites, but is one that I haven't used for probably over 10 years or more, hencewhy I think they are related. I certainly don't use it any more and not on any existing accounts.

I have also not taken part in any sort of dodgy activities whilst on the computer, so at worst any images they put up of me are likely to be me stuffing my face with chocolate, looking gormless or picking my nose or something   We don't visit 'those' sorts of sites and I know DH doesn't secretly as he's not techy enough and we have parental controls on  
So I have spent the morning doing various malware scans on the computers and making sure there isn't anything untowards on there.  I have filed the email in the spam folder. I shall also change all key passwords to be safe.

Weird!

Not much else to report really.