2021 MISSION DECLUTTER and CLEAN

Emm-in-a-pickle

Good afternoon all.

Sam, good luck with the driving test, stay calm and confident, practise being that as well as driving!

Mehefin, grat to know your cataract will soon be decluttered - my SiL is like a new woman since having hers decluttered last year.

Balabooberlies - I love hearing there are folks like you, and folks who agree with you about leaving their dogs...nothing against kennels, but taking the animals` previous life/experience into account. My little chap was in rescue kennels, someone `adopted` him then took him back after THREE MONTHS. He was only 18 months old when I went to the kennels and we chose each other. It was mutual love at first sight. he`s some sorts of terrier cross with big ears, a bit like a Yoda, and he started licking me as soon as he could reach. I was told about his failed adoption when we were doing the paperwork, and just out of curiosity I asked what reason the previous adopters had given. Honestly, with no young children at home whatever reason they`d given I wasn`t going to change my mind. "They said he was naughty on the lead" the kennelman told me. So what had they been doing to train him for 3 months???? The very idea of leaving him in kennels is unthinkable, however kind and careful the folks in charge. At first he was scared going in the car, but we got him used to that just doing a small drive round the block and coming home for lots of fuss and cuddles.He must have thought we were taking him back, and I didn`t want him to only go in car for vet visits. He`s great on the lead, very clean, loves people, especially small children, and apart from yapping at large dogs (Napoleon complex!) and eating corners of a jute mat and one of my orthotic flip-flops soon after he came to live with us he is perfectly well-behaved. But I`d still love him even if he wasn`t.

Sorry, rambled on a bit there...

Gers, after that pantry victory you deserved a takeaway treat!

Well the heating engineer didn`t get to us till 4pm, had been delayed on way back from previous job out in the sticks. Very nice, and knowledgeable,  didn`t need to go upstairs just measured chimney breast and asked a few questions, I told him what I was after and he said I`d been well-advised, and now I have to wait for him to put his findings in and they `ll be in touch with estimate, then I go visit their showrooms and set things in motion. They are booked up till June so I want to get in queue asap!

I had the LR looking clean and tidy, and need to keep it that way now - I also did upstairs, at least looking reasonable despite stalled decluttering there, dunno why but I thought he might need to look in the loft!!

My next deadline is April 21st, when we`re having gas smart meter fitted. They`ll need to access gas meter (in corner of LR) and the gas boiler (in back bedroom alcove - my room) so bedroom is my next real target. I also still need to empty and sort welsh dresser contents at some point before log-burner gets done but that can wait, I`d really prefer to do that when I get the mood as I work better then!

What I must NOT do is relax my efforts and sit on my laurels - he who sits on laurels is wearing them in the wrong place!

oceanspirit

3 books to CS
3 items plus related paperwork gone from shed to friends son.  As one of them was in my way on a daily basis, it is a huge relief that it's gone. 

GrannyKate

All day zoom meeting today but managed to do a few bits in between.  Desktop was not co-operating so used laptop.  Two more boxes brought in from cabin and sorting started.  Thanks for my gold star Mrs SD.  We had 3 rescue dogs and they were lovely once they'd got over their traumatic start in life.  The second one walked into our dining room and immediately cocked his leg on the bag of knitting.
717-718 2 boxes in and emptied
719 Loads of pictures and docs scanned and shared

mothernerd

Pills sorted for the week - one of the things I'm attempting to do is organise all the essential bits (pills, glasses, money, diary/ notebook, pen) the way I do when I'm on holiday. Lots of bits of foil packs cut off - they run out over a period of about three days but I've also fumbled a couple and lost them in the bedclothes and one pinged off into outer space (well the far side of the bedroom) and I've been trying to round up any strays that are at the bottom of my handbag. 

One hamper full of eggs and assorted chocolate (mum won first prize in the church raffle) sent off with grand-daughter for ggds, two bouquets of flowers sent with gd for delivery (one recipient lives in the same street as her, the other is around the next corner). Shredded paper from hamper in paper recycling. Wrapping paper folded up for mum (I will dispose of it at a later date because she won't be able to find it when she needs it). Box saved for the time being. At least one or two manky ones to go from the shed (on the floor and still too many things in the way, mostly metal bars. This one is a small version of the ones bananas come in (the ones all the market traders pack their stock in). It may be used as an overflow space for seedlings awaiting their permanent homes. Some of the brassicas I'm currently harvesting spent several months in one last year - about half had spaces ready for them, the box held the rest (could pack nearly 6" of soil in it and it didn't disintegrate when watered) until I could find more space.

One bad mood decluttered (woke up feeling great, then mum got up and started finding fault) by having a moan to gd. Mum's walking stick put back in it's normal place - I can walk without it but I have taken things slowly. Rubbish from kitchen and the bin bag I've been gathering into bin.

A little bit more outside work done (sitting down). Found more packs of screws, think I used the wrong ones the other day, these are shorter, thinner and made of brass which is much more suitable for outside. Still an effort (5 rusty cross point screwdrivers of varying usefulness and my weak wrists and fingers) but a lot easier than the other day.

All the food made yesterday (lamb curry, lamb hotpot and pasta bake, all stuffed with veg) has been portioned out and added to the fridge and freezer.

6 for today, I think, 855/2021 in total.

Floss

Emm-in-a-pickle said:

My next deadline is April 21st, when we`re having gas smart meter fitted. They`ll need to access gas meter (in corner of LR) and the gas boiler (in back bedroom alcove - my room) so bedroom is my next real target.

I had smart meters fitted last year and British Gas didn't go near my boiler, just swapped them both straight out of the cupboard.

balabooberlies

Emmm....you made me laugh.  Have never thought of laurels quite in that fashion....

As for my Tiggy I can wax lyrical.  Got her the day before she was to be euthanised.  No-one wanted her.  Emaciated, massive lump on chest where she had been attacked by 2 mating dogs, no (or very little) socialisation with other dogs or humans.  NOT house or lead trained as I was told.  Skin on her stomach so loose where she had been pupped (still cannot give her a toy).  Became possesive of me, would show aggression near food.  It took me a year to convince her that she would be fed everyday.  Very few thought I would stay the course.  Shows how little they know me.  

Too old and tired to do that again but I would take on the 'oldies' even with medical conditions.  Hoping to give them love and cuddles as their last memories of us.  Not yet though.....

Well done you on your love for your little one......


bala

x

vulpix

 Love to hear what everyone has to say. Thank you for posting. Love a photo too. It fills a void for me ,just catching up with people. That is the only thing I miss about my old job. I worked in a primary and infant school and just loved chatting to colleagues and the children alike. I am interested in people.

 Well we have had heavy snow for most of the afternoon and evening. So my jobs in the garden are on hold. My baby plants are tucked up in their banana box for the night.

 I think animals have feelings too,maybe not as complex as humans but definitely there. When the penny dropped with my Tom cat he was transformed. It did take 2 years before I could stroke him! Now he is my shadow. The other one has no interest in humans and slept under the neighbours hedge whilst it snowed for 3 hours! 

 Lots of jobs completed today. Painted my new to me bird table 3 coats on the sitting room floor! Touched up the paintwork on the stairs, did a load of washing, knitting for nephews baby due any time, indoor house plant maintenance and lots of day dreaming about moving house. Oh I also went through all my clothes again. All my clothes now fit in one chest of drawers. I have sorted them into sizes. I will work my way through the present size and get rid of anything I don't like or too big. I am going to get back on the weight loss wagon and see if I can lose a stone before the June wedding.

 We have an estate agent coming on Monday. We will see if the house sells quickly enough to benefit from the tax break. If not, we will stay here a while longer. Gardening at DD1's cancelled tomorrow so cleaning for me and Mr V and his amazing hoovering will put in an appearance, He also does a good line in window cleaning. I just hope all our decluttering efforts will pay dividends with the house valuation. Young people seem to like empty, grey houses and mine is neither.!

 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)

Saturday stayed dark, dreary, damp, breezy & very cold. I spent most of the day nodding off 😔 Woke up long enough to have hm soup for lunch, a ‘tiff’ with my DSis (ungrateful b....) & cook dinner - sausages, mash, baked beans & plum tomatoes. Currently wide awake & watching Identity. DH did washing up & I dried & put away.

764 - 765 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans - recycled 
766 - 767 Kitchen detritus, plastic packaging - binned

Gers, fancy finding a picture of the kitchen older than the contents of the larder 😉😉 Seems like they used to manufacture white goods to last if the wm is the same one from 1989 🙂👏
I am correct in thinking that B.C. (before Covid19) you posted lots of pictures of your garden? I remember thinking what a wonderful & interesting garden. I hope the sneaky Chinese was delicious- it was definitely well earned 🙂👏

Emm-in-a-pickle, what a lovely story about your little chap 👏🙂 It was obviously meant to be 🙂 & you are a responsible & loving mummy 🙂 You have taken time & paid attention giving your little chap the life that all dogs deserve. 
My mum & dad then step dad used to have dogs - started with a Jack Russell, a Great Dane, an Alsatian & 2 mixed breeds - names were Kim, Seven, Sheba, Max & finally Purdey. My DH & I have never had a dog - firstly because we were both at work (never seemed right to me to leave a dog at home on its own) & then when we retired we enjoyed our overseas holidays too much. 

I have every faith that you will not ‘sit on your laurels’ 😂 My vision was of one of those pressure Relief rings 😉😉

Good work oceanspirit 👏

Great work GrannyKate 👏 Did you ever discover why 2nd rescue dog hated knitting 😛 

You have been very busy mothernerd 👏 Seems like more than 6 should be added to your total 🙂

Thanks for the info Floss 👏

Wax away balabooberlies 🙂 Tiggy is very lucky that you came along & I wish you many more joyous years with her 🤞 

Vulpix, like you I love hearing people’s stories. You appear to be living in a Winter Wonderland 😉 but not very conducive to gardening ☹️ You have been very busy & hopefully all your hard work will pay off 🤞 in a decent valuation & a sale in a quick enough time to benefit from the tax break. If not, you will reap the benefits of your decluttering 😉

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Decluttering Target: 2021    767/2021

2021 Savings Pot:  £41.00 to end of March

villagelife

More done this week

459-460 sunglasses - one pair to SAy and the other pair binned as very badly scratched
461 keys to DS1
462-464 card,tag, wrapping paper and ribbon from stash used up for DS1 girlfriend birthday present.
465 a bag for life given to DS1
466-467 a bottle of vodka and a bottle of wine given to DS1
468-469 parcels given to DS2
470 golf divet thing returned to DS2
471 protein bars eaten by DS2
472 old toothbrush binned still have too many in bathroom but DH insists he used them all.
473 light fittings binned
474 more shredding done
475-476 magazines recycled
477 candle remains binned
478 shampoo sample used up and binned
479 rubbish at bottom of handbag binned

That was more than I thought!

mandy47

Started sorting books for selling.
Took down vertical blinds. Gave them a really good clean and put them back up. They look like new.
Recycling sorted in garage.