2021 MISSION DECLUTTER and CLEAN

TC77

BarbCh - great to hear your thought process and what you're doing. I have quite a lot of old family china and had  many mid century glasses/jugs etc. I found the old china which I thought might have value hasn't so as it feels special to me I am keeping, and the glass I have gradually been selling on ebay, giving some away, CS etc (still have lots to go) but helps to understand if of any value, and what you will get pleasure from. 
287 emailed deleted
288 some paper declutters
289 appointment cards decluttered and calendar updated 
290 notebook recycled (I have too many on the go at one time)

mothernerd

4 hours of painting outside. Didn't really want to go back after I had stopped for a late lunch but kept telling myself that if we get another solid week of rain, I would be kicking myself for not having done more, so I ploughed on. It started raining before I had finished but it was only odd drops. Most of the slats are against the fence panels (painted in the same colour), the bins are in front of them (3" - 6" gap) and there's an overhanging tree so hoping that nothing more than the odd spot of damage. It all needs a second coat anyway and some protection is better than none. All the bits for all 3 raised beds now have a first coat. Some recycled plastic ones still to do but could not have done more today.

All the polystyrene slats and the bag of paper and dismantled box went into the relevant bins before they were covered in plastic and then pieces of wood put all over them to dry (already counted in my total, this was just the final 'get it out of the house' stage).

Spent the afternoon trying to put parts of the family tree in order. This is for mum's cousin's son who has survived a series of complicated cancer surgeries over the past few years (last year he claimed his doctor's were just making it up as they went along because no-one else has survived this long with these particular cancers). He's estranged from his immediate family (this family knows how to keep a feud going) so mum and another cousin are helping with bits they know. Last week I was looking at mum's dad's family, this week it's her mum's family. All the bits have multiple mistakes, some repeats, children in the wrong order, and the bits from mum and her cousin are in a muddle. Mum said she understood what her cousin said but that's because she knew most of the people concerned. I didn't and it was incomprehensible. Lots of names are repeated in different generations and mum had put in a chunk which belonged two generations back - wrong uncle D.

Mum asked for a large piece of paper this morning. She struggles to write at the best of times so I asked her to leave it until I could help but I needed to get out and paint. I spent all afternoon on it and gave myself a headache. I was using a long roll of brown paper (type used to pad out boxes sent by an online supplier) and I drew pencil lines across it using a yardstick so I've mostly kept the generations in a line going across. I've put in some details, (d.o.b), actual names of spouses, marriages, divorces and deaths where possible - that's only for the line from my grandmother down to my children. Then I started on the cousin's info. Had to go back and redo it twice due to omissions - eldest child missing as he died when he was 5 and then she hadn't put down any children for her brother (mum knew he had 2 sons and one was called Wayne, but only because he was someone my brother was friendly with). Still need to complete that and then go back to some of mum's jottings and extend the top line out to include my grandma's cousins and their parents. Everything is in pencil for the moment, going to go over in coloured pens, when It's laid out properly.

Wish I could find my graph paper. I knew where it was and then mum 'tidied' and put graph paper in with stuff for filing / appointment letters and all the scraps from old notebooks which needed to be transferred into their proper places (if I'm phoning eg the doctor's I have a page with all the things I need to ask on it, then scribble in the answers, any phone numbers etc). When a notebook is used up, I go through and pull out any scraps of information and won't throw them away until I can check they are safely stored.  So there's a bag or box somewhere that's so full of stuff (most of which had already been sorted into categories). Ah well, tomorrow is another day.
 

moneyonmymindsam

Love what you have done @BarbCh and welcome to the thread. 

@mothernerd you sound so busy, good luck with the family tree saga 👪 

Everyone is doing so well makes me wish I had more to declutter.. Lol. 

So I've had a chat with plus one about donating some things, saving the planet etc, etc he's coming round slowly so pleased about that. 

Sam x

vulpix

Hi, inspirational people.
moneyonmymindsam,I agree, I wish I had more to declutter too.
 After a chat with DD2 she tells me she only wants her old bed and wardrobe when she moves house. Pine beside drawers listed on Fb and collected half an hour later. Kerching.
 We have spent most of the day doing DIY. Mr V put up a shelf, dismantled more pallets and started to build the cat house until rain stopped play. I have used my new sander on an ercol chair that I was given ages ago. It had been painted white and that has taken an age to get off. A hand sanding and waxing could be in order tomorrow. Will put it in the spare room...for now, it may get sold. No furniture expects to be a permanent resident in my house.
 We have had amazing luck with the cat flap. A double glazed patio door unit the exact size with a microchip cat flap already fitted for £60 on FB,and local!
 My letter arrived from the bank but as yet not finished my bank task. Can't rush these things, only been 3 years.

 76. 2 bedside drawers

 Pounds gained £110
 Pounds lost 7lbs
 Vx

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. KITCHEN WILL CONTINUE TO BE LEFT CLEAN & TIDY EVERY NIGHT

2. JUST DO ONE THING EVERY DAY (courtesy of bit_by_bit) OTHER THAN DAY TO DAY CLEANING & DECLUTTERING 
3. CLEAN ONE ROOM (TOP TO BOTTOM) EVERY MONTH (hopefully 3 weekly by the end of the year)

Wednesday over & done - dampish, dark day & cold 🥶 Earnest didn’t visit me at all today ☹️ All I did was watch TV, write 3 birthday cards & do the Wudupa after DH cooked a delicious cheesy pasta 😋

286 - 287 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans - recycled 
288 Kitchen detritus - binned

Great work OWD_nana 👏 It might have been me - I did mention a leave in conditioner for long hair ‘revlon professional equave hydro detangling shampoo &/or conditioner’  not sure about curly hair 🤔 - quite expensive 😱 

Lovely to see you BarbCh & so happy that you have joined us on the Decluttering Thread as your first interaction 👋 If the pictures are anything to go by not only will you succeed in your massive declutter mission but you will have a fully decorated home 👏👏 The pictures are wonderful and much as I love the up-cycled sideboard 🙂 I adore 😊 the
up-cycled tool box - it is beautiful 😻  I am also very impressed with your use of natural products for cleaning 👏  Wow BarbCh 🤩 you are a marvel 👏 and you certainly have given us some great ideas 👏 & I am in awe of your re-inventions 😊

Great work bit_by_bit 👏 + more cash for clutter 🙂. Enjoy the space 😉

A great new hobby Viking_mfw 👏 I have an huge grin on my face at your ‘explanation’ for the missing clothes 😆 My thought is that you gave them away or donated to CS 😉😉 but nowhere near as amusing as DH stripping the baby & flinging the clothes to the winds 😂

Excellent work GrannyKate 👏

Great work HappyKitties 👏

Great work moneyonmymindsam 👏 🤞that the job search will be successful 🤞 I just wish I had a spare room to put you up, so you could come round to my place & help me to declutter 😉😉 🤞that the chat with your plus one is productive 🙂

You have a convert charlies_tribe 😉 your DH is keeping your numbers moving 👏 shame you didn’t get at least one mini egg ☹️

Great work Nicnak 👏 nice that ‘someone’ is making use of skip items 😉

Good work short_bird 👏

Good work TC77 👏 Remember things you love are NOT clutter 🙂

Wow mothernerd 🤩 You must be both physically & mentally exhausted - made me tired just reading about all you have accomplished 😉 

We certainly do have inspirational people here, vulpix - well said 👏🙂 I knew there was a reason for your procrastination about the cat flap 😉 a serendipitous outcome 👏🙂😉

MrsSD  🏅🏅 🏅⭐️⭐️

Decluttering Target: 2021    285/2021

Savings Pot: 

balabooberlies

oye Mrs S.D. !

You have Ernest.  Can I have Sam please...........

BarbCh

TC77 thanks for your feedback and observations about my thought processes....I'm of the 'Old School' and see value in many things that others may readily discard! We live in a throw away society today and many people strive for cheap imported goods to keep up with latest trends etc! 
I believe a whole generation of people have grown up not knowing how to make do and mend etc..... they seek pride and status in having the latest, newest possessions, which begs the thought....'is it the oldies who are clutter bugs?'   And when does the perceived value in keeping things, become clutter and rubbish? 
I don't believe any of my clutter is rubbish.... I've just accumulated too many useful, come in handy in the future resources! and not got round to using them for the reasons that I kept things in the first place! 
Hence my decluttering projects are about repurposing, upcycling etc, as the first port of call.... evaluation of its value to me first, and if it no longer serves the purpose of why I kept it... then it moves into the next stage of can I sell it etc....

BarbCh

Mrs SD... thanks for your wonderful feedback... and for praising a lot of others too!
 I'm a big fan of motivating people and giving praise where due.... it costs nothing to give a kind word that can mean so much to the people on the receiving end!
I have many many tips and ideas to share and hope that they will inspire people. After analysing my own situation I  realised that it was the 'clutter in my mind' that exasperated the clutter in my home. I'm a philosophical and spiritual person, and you may see this creep out in my posts ( but only to encourage others to look into their own thought processes with an aim to make changes).
And I look forward to reading posts and picking up tips from them.... there's always more to learn. 

balabooberlies

BarbCh said:

Mrs SD... thanks for your wonderful feedback... and for praising a lot of others too!
 I'm a big fan of motivating people and giving praise where due.... it costs nothing to give a kind word that can mean so much to the people on the receiving end!
I have many many tips and ideas to share and hope that they will inspire people. After analysing my own situation I  realised that it was the 'clutter in my mind' that exasperated the clutter in my home. I'm a philosophical and spiritual person, and you may see this creep out in my posts ( but only to encourage others to look into their own thought processes with an aim to make changes).
And I look forward to reading posts and picking up tips from them.... there's always more to learn. 

Ditto on your thoughts about kind words.  I cannot count how many times in my life I have glowed/been thrilled because someone has said something nice.  I pass it on when I feel I have something genuine to say.  Which I am lucky to say is more often than not.

bala

TC77

BarbCh, I had to scroll back to see the photos- inspirational! I have too much inherited furniture and collected from Freecycle but then 16 years ago got rid of 3 items, most fabulous armchair - googled to see if I could get another to refurb and found in 4 figs! All cos then partner didn't like them! How do I declutter grudges and resentment!some about my own weakness and lack of confidence at the time. Focusing on keeping things that have more meaning etc. Have 70s collapsible table I used as a desk as an 11 year. Has been used over years and stored at times but will go to donation hub at weekend. Want to get rid of more things so then I know what furniture I need and want. Hopefully back with decluttering update.