2021 MISSION DECLUTTER and CLEAN

TC77

@balabooberlies hope you're all cosy as so cold and windy still and miserable having no heating. My current pattern is staying in bed in the morning with a coffee catching up on posts, so in awe how much everyone is doing.  As well as clutter my big problem is being distracted and moving on to something else so the place gets messy despite me consciously folding clothes, emptying dish washer straight away - all the effort put in I think should offer a tidy house! My cousin is the same and as she , her children, my brother and my DD2 (only picked up at 15) are dyslexic I have accepted that I am, recognising the advantages of thinking differently. Anyway we sent  photos of key areas of clutter yesterday to motivate each other over the weekend. Made me see clutter that I'd become immune to! 
 Still time off work and finally first coat of paint in d/s cloakroom - counting as decluttering paint 551, more shredding of finance stuff 552 , Hoping this weekend to get in garden and clear few things _ all my shed contents in my house as old one taken away n and front bed cleared so will look for plants.
Need plants that like full sun for the front (not too tall as will block light from windows) and shade loving for the back - taller but not growing out (as small garden but against high fence) - all suggestions welcome!

-taff

Mrs_Salad_Dodger said:

 I found a box for the Easter Eggs going to Germany. Now have five parcels to post - ashamed to say  that although wrapped & addressed they will not be posted until next week 😔😔😔😔

Don't know if you've posted anything recently but be aware you have to fill in a customs declaration for each box. just fyi.

villagelife

389-392 glasses and cases put in collection box at work. 
393 battered box file
394 Sat nav given to a friend
395 hand cream sample
396-397 wrapping paper and ribbon.
398-400 cards sent 

Willowtree222

Morning everyone, 
I have been AWOL for a little bit but doing bits in the background. 
I decluttered the mice from the garage thankfully, and the kitchen is 99% done only a few little things. It is officially a clutter free room as I have been ruthless when putting things back in. I have empty spaces in there which is amazing to see. It means everything is now completely spread out and I can see where everything is and it doesn't get messy when I reach in and grab something. 
I sold a few items, chair, dryer, (Think I posted about these) and gave away a few bits to someone who had bought a new house. The conservatory is not quite back to how it was, but is getting there and once I put the things back in the garage it will look 100% better again. 
Weighed myself and have gained 10lb in lockdown. It doesn't seem a lot but I can really feel it. Lost 2lb already this week just by making better choices so hoping for another 8lb in the next few months. x

balabooberlies

good luck Niknak.....

TC, it's lovely being warm.  My nephew diagnosed as ADHD.  When I read a very comprehensive report on him I almost wept.  They were writing about me.  I think I am ADD.  All Those years of hating myself.  Caught myself calling myself lazy this morning, when now I know that it's my inability to focus.  Old habits die hard.  I am working on it.  Know thyself seems like good advice.

Warm hugs to all on this blustery day.

bala

x

mothernerd

A bit more done. A couple of cardboard boxes broken up and another bag of paper recycling gone out. Four boxes of jigsaws (average 5 in each box) on top of the wardrobes and one on top of the bookshelf (was already there and I'm not risking moving it - one of the redone ones was because I was trying to add a fourth jigsaw and it tilted the wrong way and the other four attacked me). Not sure about having them on the wardrobe but I don't need them very often, I can see what they all are and they don't get in my way from day to day.

Yesterday I tackled two cube boxes of craft stuff (mainly embroidery). I had a drawer pack with no drawers (cardboard units, very sturdy, last a few years). Now filled with full felt sheets, part felt sheets plus any oddments of card, self-adhesive card etc (gave most of it away to mummy of twins once I'd done festive decorations) and the third compartment has 'small' pieces of embroidery fabric (small being large enough to make a cushion or C***mas stocking but not the large enough for a cot blanket or shawl) and the 3 large pieces are folded into the space on top of the drawer unit but withing the confines of the cube box. This is what remains after a huge cull which mostly went to the YMCA in 2019. Down the side of the drawer unit but again within the cube box are untouched skeins of embroidery thread, stored in toilet roll middles.

Several years ago I took all the unused threads, sorted them by number, listed them in a notebook, then put them in batches inside toilet roll middles with labels saying what was in each batch. If I'm looking for a particular thread (most of the time I just use ones I have that are near enough/ substitute if changing the colour scheme) I can look through my list to see if I have it, then it's fairly simple to track down the right batch. When I finally give up embroidering (arthritis and eye problems have slowed me down a lot - last year I stuck to 5 wip which I wanted to finish before starting any new) I will have some whole skeins to pass on to cs/ local group/ anyone I know who has taken it up. I bought a lot of my current threads cheaply from people who were giving up, so I want to pass it on - to someone who will appreciate it.

The second cube box contains the other full drawer unit. Two of the drawers have anchor threads on cards - all in numerical order. I took time to make new cards for the front of the drawers so I know where to look/ can just take out one drawer. The third drawer had unused skeins in (must be the ones that have come out of their batches) but was only half full, so I added all the ribbons and bits of lace trimmings (some discarded as there is only so much time you can spend making something so that you can use up a 3" piece of lace/ a 1" daisy or 5 gold stars only 1.5" long). The side of the drawers has two long pieces of rolled up brown paper and the space on the top will hold a large heart shaped box which is my sewing box (tape measure, dressmaking and pinking shears - treated myself to a new pair whilst on holiday a couple of years ago, retiring my grandma's which I'd been using for over 30 years). This hasn't gone into the cube box yet as I'm still rounding up oddments (most done, went through several trays/ bags etc).

I spent some time looking through photos to put the photo collage together for Mother's  Day, have a couple of heart shaped lavender bags I can use if I can't locate the one I wanted and looked at paper flowers. Internet was a pig all day, losing signal, taking ages to load so very frustrating. Trying to go for something simple as a card - better to do something simple and do it really well rather than something complicated which falls apart.

I also took a bin bag to the bin (bits gathered over the past week or so as I've been going through things), moved/ watered more seeds and put together most of the things for the wip craft box (2 drawer, wooden). I had a look outside but it was a bit too wild and windy to start potting up/ setting up a temporary home for next stage plants (I have some ideas) but will try to do that today. Considering that quite a lot of me hurt, I am very satisfied with yesterday's progress. Best of all I fixed the telly box - mum had decided to have a play with the buttons, got it stuck of DVD player and I couldn't work out how to get it back (I haven't had a tv at home for about 10 years and DS2 only brought us this set up a few weeks ago - complete with tv/ dvd/ and roku controllers). Sent an urgent message to DS2 and sat on a stool with 3 controllers, laptop, 2 pairs of glasses - really easy to fix once you know which buttons to press in what order (and can actually see the buttons/ instructions).

The injuries aren't really serious Mrs S D. I've reached the age where I bruise easily and take ages to heal. Brushing past things so I don't even notice can cause a bruise so I'm accustomed to mystery bruises (not going to go round the house measuring the height of things to match them to bruises) but the sore spot on my foot is bothersome as I have been trying to walk/ improve length and distance. I have a vague memory of stepping out off bed in the middle of the night onto a plastic bottle top but stopped as soon as I noticed it. Just annoyed as it's holding things up (doing a peculiar limp, limp, hobble, get that heel up off the floor around the house). Will come back with a total later.

short_bird

346: old duvet out
347: appointment booked to talk to GP so GP can book blood tests (yearly thyroid and vit D)
348-349: stuff rearranged into cupboards
350: the usual 100 emails... 
351-352: remains of items from fridge.

moneyonmymindsam

Thank you as always Mrs SD. 
Thank you Bala I am trying to be more ruthless with sentimentals. Think often feel guilty but none of these people are alive (so they won't know or mind 😉) and I have pictures as memories.

Having re-gifted a bear I have said to the person they can sell it and buy something more suitable for baby if they wanted but they love it so I guess they will keep it. 

Well its parcel a go go here  and I don't really have much packaging left. Might have to buy a paper for some extra wrapping /padding. 
Will make do. Big sack of Clothes, shoes all to the clothes bank so gone 😂 that's finally done and the boot is empty 😁👍

Outs this morning are 
Broken lap tray it is practically half a tray and another pole (old wardrobe pole) but plus one had to really think about if they should go 😂🤔🤣😅 it must be a man thing 😁

Half black bag of rubbish cleared from every orifice of the flat. 

Absolutely starving so will muster up some food - I need to make a bread pudding to use up some old bits so will do that later (hopefully) 
Plan is a bit of self care or pamper as I'm looking a bit ratty 😂😘

I've earmarked any unsold ebay sales for charity so I now have another small pile for the boot. 
Waiting to see what I get for my scrap gold (it really is scrap) to add to my pot. 
The old wellies are going!! I've just got to do it 😂 
2 magazines to flick through and pass on to neighbour. 
Note to self: less chat more action 😁
Sam x

D123456789

Just re organised the chest of drawers in the kitchen. I remember posting about it not many weeks ago but they needed doing again. They seem to be a “hot spot” for just chucking random things in to make the room look tidier!! Anyway top drawer is LO craft items all neatly in categories in their own separate containers / clear bags so can find everything easily. 2nd drawer is packaging and tape for flea bay items. Bottom drawer is coat hangers so washing can be hung up then taken upstairs rather than fold and unfold upstairs and hang. Also random items needed for the garden like sun cream sun glasses bicycle pump, jet wash attachments. Totally random but organised at least. Christmas ornaments taken out the drawer and will go in decorations box in loft. 2 of the orchids on the top are flowering beautifully. The other one seems to be in hibernation!

I can really relate to the secret slob on you tube. I find her videos very motivating. I am trying to do something everyday to make progress. Trying not to buy too much on flea bay and just focus on the selling....  well done @moneyonmymindsam sounds like you are doing really well with your sales. Hope you find the right role for you soon. Best wishes to all. 

vulpix

 Thank you Ms SD for my medal. I am really noticing the weight loss.( I have PLENTY more to loose). I could walk for ages yesterday before my back started to twinge. There was a time last year when all I could do was cling onto a shopping trolley to help me walk round a shop. I have lost almost 4 stone since last August.
 Mystery flowers were from DD2,I never asked her as it was so unlike her. very pleasant surprise.
 I love to read all about your endeavours, sometimes it helps me to think about items I had  a blind spot for .
 I am recluttering at the moment. Collecting free glass vases and tea light holders advertised on a local Free stuff site. These are for my son's wedding reception. I think I will need a lot more to have an impact on the room. I am also saving little glass jars and bottles. Dried grasses and flowers are in vogue for weddings presently.
 I wish the weather would buck up a bit.I have so much to do in the garden.
 Vx