2021 MISSION DECLUTTER and CLEAN

GrannyKate

Hope you are feeling better Mrs SD.

A fairly successful day putting things away (after small people) and moving things round - managed to tidy cabin a bit and allocate space for the 5 temporary 'like with like' boxes which are labelled and away from the still to sort boxes (down to 5 now to do - think I started with 20 - although there may be one more in the loft).  My study is much clearer and tidier now and the boxes don't keep looking at me accusingly. Floor in cabin cleared away so children can play out there with lego etc - at least it doesn't come into the house so much then.  Identified a couple of things which may sell.  I've decided to treat myself to some new towels as mine are fraying - don't worry the old ones will leave.  

786 - Mouldy vegetables to compost
787 - Small single mug tray binned - it was my mums but it has faded and I have another nicer one
788 - Random remote control found in garage and binned - batteries to recycling
789-790 - Spare parts for old vacuum (could have been the one before last) and instruction book/guarantee etc binned or recycled
791 - Oddments of paper and general tat thrown away
792 - Some gadgets late DH used but I don't understand - to go or sell will consult with DS2 tomorrow.

Plan to reduce furniture in smallest bedroom to make it easier to have truckle bed out.  Will consult with GD4 tomorrow as she mainly sleeps in there and they have toys in there.  

Gers

My decluttering goes on.  Yesterday  I took two big white bin bags of lovely jumpers to a CS.  Today I found more!  The three old cameras are now packed up ready for me to post them off to a homelessness project which uses cameras to increase confidence and skills.  There's a pile of about eight old but lovely tins to go out and another bag of clothes too.

Unless I come across any hidden food the vast majority of it has been either dumped or relocated to a better place.  There's still umpteen glass jars decorating the kitchen dresser which are full of different kinds of sugar, they need more attention as the sugar is hard. 

Every time I go out I take a bin bag or two with me.  Not moving mountains although it feels like it.

There's so many others doing the same here, what's being done is inspiring. 

vulpix

 Best wishes for you gers,you are doing a difficult thing.x

Oh your poor daughter Leelad. Once it stops hurting she will be a hero in her class and be able to enjoy all the extra attention. My son who was 30 yesterday broke his wrist only 5 years ago on a skateboard. also broke his arm 3 separate times and a very badly broken little finger. All jumping off walls ,swings ,and rugby. They knew me well at the fracture clinic. The first summer holidays he didn't break anything DD1 fell off the bunk beds and broke her elbow!

 stellata fab weight loss ,enjoy your new fancy pants.

 My annoying wok went too ,just too cumbersome to store.

 Hmm aspirational clothing purchases, I have loads. Think the last dress I wore was my wedding dress and I bought a skirt last year just to hang in the  wardrobe. I tried it on recently and it's now too big. I have bought 2 tops today ,been to TKmaxx, quite enjoyed it. First non supermarket shop I have been in for a very long time.

 House purchasers came today and they are very keen so I can now mess up and sort stuff.

 I will start by potting up plants that I want to take from the garden,new people not gardeners so no problem.

 Keep resting Mrs SD

 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. ONCE A WEEK LEAVE THE HOUSE (e.g. Go into city centre for bank & butcher;  go to local town for cs dropping off or buying; visit the pub with DH 😉😉)

Saturday stayed sunny & warm all day 🙂 I have done precisely zero physical work 😉 Have made a couple of hot drinks & am sorting some paperwork. DH & DSis have moved 95% of the old bricks from our garden to a neat stack of 288 bricks in the car park, together with about 20 broken bricks. Dinner was Chinese takeaway as DH didn’t fancy cooking 😉
One bit of news, having tested negative half a dozen times my DB (in Germany) now has Covid ☹️ Fortunately he has a large house, so can be completely separated from his wife & 2 sons & his MiL & FiL. The other good thing is that it appears to be a mild case 👏🙂 🤞

846 - 847 Drinks cans, 1” paperwork - recycled 

Back to cheerleading 🙂

Sounds like you had a lovely time bit_by_bit 🙂 Lovely drive, decluttering & recluttering & a new friend 🥳 Youngsters just don’t have the energy 😉😉

Well done TC77 👏 getting someone to help out 👏 There is absolutely no embarrassment in a messy house especially as their help will put you in a position to have a non-messy house 😉😉 Fingers crossed you hit your target TC77 🤞I have every faith in you 🙂

Good work GrannyKate 👏 Have fun with your new toy 😉 A very successful day GrannyKate 👏 You have tidy rooms, only 5 boxes that need an initial sort & plans in place to dispose of more furniture 👏

Thanks for the kind words leelad 👏 Sorry to hear about your daughter’s broken tibia - is it her 1st broken bone? Btw, no need to feel guilty - it was an accident 🙂 sadly they happen ☹️ Is your daughter back at school - if so all her friends can sign the cast 🙂 Shame about the tomato plants. I must admit to not feeding my tomato plants until I have fruits 😉 Best wishes to you, your wife & daughter 🙂

Balabooberlies, howling like a wolf 🐺  - was there a full moon 🌕 tee-hee 😉 I fell off the sofa laughing balabooberlies - I never knew woks were in the same family as boomerangs 😂

Very condensed pots & pans newlywed 🙂👏 I have way too many pots & pans but a few of them do belong to DSis 😉 that is my excuse & I am sticking to it 😉😉

Great work moneyonmymindsam 👏 Shame about the overspend, but only 6 more days in April so hopefully won’t be too bad 🤞

Excellent work Gers 👏 I thought it was only boxes & odd socks that breed 😉 now jumpers are added to the list 😱 With all those jars of sugar, is there a baking session in the offing to tempt your DM? or is she sweet enough as she is 🙂 

Vulpix, glad I was only on the sofa whilst I was reading about your son & his fractures & then your DD1 treating you to a visit to the fracture clinic 😉 Touch wood, I have managed 61 years of life without a fracture 🥳 I like the idea of having just one skirt to hang in the wardrobe 😁 but not to wear 😉 Your house move is getting very exciting now 👏 Are you taking lots of plants & do you have enough pots? I have this picture of you tossing things away left, right & centre 😂 but not willy-nilly 😉

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅 ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Decluttering Target: 2021    847/2021

2021 Savings Pot:  £41.00 to end of March

short_bird

605: bottle of wine given to someone else. A robust Shiraz...

bit_by_bit

Wow @stellata ; well done on the weight loss. Ihaven't been at what the charts call my healthy weight since I was 21

I hope your daughter heals ok @leelad.

Managed a walk of 4 miles this morning. Emptied a set of shelves and carried all the books upstairs so DH could do a job in preparation for some decorating. The shelves go upstairs tomorrow. The spent all afternoon in the CS. Bought a few more tops but really need to lsoe some weight so I can fit into my old summer wear.

I took in a bag of stuff given to take yesterday so not counting and a big bag or rags. Nothing left now buit my clothes are going to be next in line for sorting so in a week or two I will have more. 😊

TC77

broadband and home phone not working, long story short, neighbours (live abroad and rent house out) sent someone to look at where our walls adjoing (their builder had dismantled my end bricks and bent a cable and casing so they could build their wall higher. The person they sent just cut the cable! DD in middle of GCSEs (2 exams each day next week- have to call them assessments as exams cancelled but in exam conditions and school use them for gradings so upset DD (tenant and me).

Bought temporary wifi hub.DD1 didn't take all the things I counted before but in a bag for her so not detracting nos.
824 receuots
825-826 took skirt and top back (wont wear and hoping to get back in many clothes I have
827 -829  clothes added to CS bag and dropped off for £5 off H and M for future
830 another book in CS file
831-843 DD2 tidied room and gave me make up, nail varnishes and pens she doesn't want (and other rubbish) so recycled,refuse and have a bag of hair stuff and nail varnishes to pass on.


Been reading on another thread about difficulty selling china and glass and given time and effort wrapping and posting, going to keep til August when DD1 moves into new flatshare with her friend see if she wants anything and then donate to CS. Actually may give some to CS before then as need something to declutter as cothes have to wait for lbs.

Another sunny day hopefully for everyone

mothernerd

Two raised beds in position and part filled with soil. Did shed sorting in the morning sitting on a chair. Mainly clearing the remaining things from the floor. Used mum's grabber stick to pick up plastic bottles and had a large plastic sack next to me hanging over the old dolly trolley, to put them in. They were originally gathered in sacks and put in like that but as the shed filled (mum wanted the yard 'tidy', meaning out of sight), I started posting them in at the top and letting them settle wherever they could find a space.

I Used a brush to sweep all the bits towards me and picked out a lot of drill bits, nails, screws, dowels etc then got paranoid about 'mouse wee' (there was a tiny amount of dust and shredded paper and plastic - no inhabitants) and binned the last two handfuls along with the dust/ shredding. Scrubbed my hands (did it twice more later) and I will tip the collected bits into a bucket of water with a healthy dollop of disinfectant and then spread them on an old towel in the sunshine to dry thoroughly. 

I have a few 'saved' bits for use in the shed - two old metal curtain tiebacks to use as hooks to put the garden umbrella on, an old metal extending curtain rail to be attached to one of the supports to use with S hooks, a couple more bars which I want to put across the top supports (it's a pent shed so I would have a reasonable above my head triangular space to put some items - maybe the rolls of weedproof fabric or the bench cushions when not in use. Any unused ones will go.

More soil moving today (in small batches with rests in between) and possibly more painting (have several buckets and containers - mainly large old kitchen bins - which need drainage holes and then painting (either to make them prettier or more fade into the background). However I want to clean the shower screen and base and do more in my room and the kitchen (a dinner will be made, extra veg will be cooked, a mixture of ood cheese will be grated - various dishes will be put together from these and the remaining freezer 'finds'. Dinner and preparation will be done today - other meals may be during the week (not overestimating my ability to stand up for long periods - cheese grating and veg peeling/ chopping can be done sitting in front of the tv which is getting to be a once a week treat for me. So painting may happen another day.

Any used up food items that need replacing have been added to the shopping list as I went along. Defrosted frozen berries have been eaten with vanilla ice cream, may use tinned oranges to the rest but want more berries (I sometimes do a batch of them in individual sugar free strawberry jellies - more fruit variety in my diet and much more economical than buying SM berries). Did a small food order with things we had run out of (bread, tinned prunes and grapefruit for mum) but including a few 'indulgences' (decaff diet coke for me - been on tap water for days, 1 bar of chocolate, 1 packet of chocolate biscuits - both now on top of the wardrobe, I am allowed to eat them but have to think about it and make a deliberate decision to go and get them).  Will still do a 'big' order but can put it off till sometime during the week and continue 'using up' meanwhile.

My DS2 started by trying to climb trees, then progressed to skateboarding, roller blading, roller hockey (street hockey), managed to jump off the small carpark wall onto the only plank with a rusty nail sticking out of it. At high school he fell in with the rugby crowd (union - he's still not forgiven me for calling him a class traitor) although he wasn't built for it. One year I gave a sigh of relief when the rugby season ended, only to have him injure himself playing football in the street (can't remember what that was called but his little finger was bent back at an awkward angle). He had a whole term off school after climbing a tree, hitting the back car park wall (6' not the 3' one they told me he'd fallen off) and landing over the other side (car park for the shops on that side) where the furniture shop man had just demolished a brick garage. Had to have his elbow pinned and the head couldn't guarantee school safety if someone jostled him on the stairs. He also had to have his head stapled after play fighting with DS1 and coming off the top bunk bed backwards.

He got concussed trying out for the uni rugby team - didn't make the team but had to wait at the side of the pitch until the trials were over and then they took him to hospital - so they made him their mascot and he went on all the monthly fancy dress pub crawls. Still played rugby at weekends with his home team (frequent concussions). After one concussion he went on a bungee swing type thing set up temporarily near the pub he worked at on weekends (even though I had expressly forbidden it) and went on to form two American football teams (firstly a joint Manchester uni one and then when numbers increased, separate Man uni and Man Met teams) and played in those for a few years. 

Once when they asked at the walk in centre if he had been there before, I said "He's got airmiles" (don't know who they told but it was used on casualty a few years later) and I once said to another rugby mum (her whole family played and she was coach for my son's team), "It's not a proper Bank Holiday if you haven't spent 4 hours in A & E".

He restarted rugby a few years ago but thankfully the rules on concussions are a lot stricter and he stopped after the third concussion in a season. He still does things he shouldn't (was 34 this week). He did the chasing a cheese down a hill (or down a very steep muddy slope by the end of the day) thing whilst he was at uni and in his final year(5th but ended up doing six - he managed to add two rare illnesses/ conditions to his resume' was hours away from death with one of them before he finally went to the hospital and ended up repeating each year because of sick leave), he spent another week in hospital. The first things his brothers asked me were "Was he doing something stupid?" and "Was he drunk?" respectively.

So I hope your daughter soon recovers leelad but this is just the start of the adventure for you.

newlywed

Wardrobe check today:

2 skirts 
3 blouses
4 cardigans

Into charity shop bag

plus one pair of jeans will go there soon (in the wash)
one skirt also in the pile to ask mum to make into a tote bag.

new trainers ordered so if they are ok then the less comfy (cheaper make) pair that gave me blisters yesterday can definitely go!

I seem to be purchasing my favourite clothes that are now a bit too big, in a size smaller than I am now (second hand)... so my wardrobe contents isn’t shrinking quite as much as it should be! 

at least I am confident it will be filled with things I love!

Emm-in-a-pickle

Mothernerd, you`re brilliant getting so much done despite your aches - but reading about the stubbed toes made my eyes water. As I pretty much live in my flipflops (orthotic, and the only things I`m truly comfy in) toe-stubbing is an occupational hazard here! It sounds so minor yet hurts so much.

I still haven`t started on the dresser, but I spent ages on Sat clearing old emails, both the personal and the `promotion` stuff that I tend to forget to look at. Hundreds of emails decluttered, I lost count, but there were some going back to 2011! Then I found I couldn`t read any of the forum, the tab kept crashing, but only on MSE. Tried again today, same problem, so thought I`d done something to cause that. I asked DS for help, and he couldn`t fathom it. Eventually I tried switching it off, then back on again...and it worked. I get so cross at times like this, especially as I still have no idea what went wrong, and should have tried the `final` solution first.