2021 MISSION DECLUTTER and CLEAN

3secondmemory

It’s just getting light so I’m sat in bed with a cup of coffee trying to formulate a plan for the day. I did bits and bobs all over the place yesterday. This is usually where I get overwhelmed and want to give up but I’ve just realised the significance of a recurring dream I’ve had all my life 😃

I have slept in my bed every night this week though 😃 my sitting room is no longer my living room 😃 

I should be able to put my sitting room together tomorrow. I’ve even got round to connecting my TV to the aerial. That’s only taken a year to do! 

I did loads in the garden yesterday which I’m really pleased with and I can’t wait to go out and have a little look. 

I got my peas and first lot of beans out. I started training my strawberries and planting out various cuttings and rescue plants that I had 😃 

wishing everyone a peaceful Sunday 

GrannyKate

Hi all - hugs to anyone who needs one.  I find I stress over things which wouldn't have bothered me pre lockdown.  It has been such a lonely and often boring time.  The focus on decluttering and cleaning has helped so much along with the friendly chat and encouragement.   I won't go on about BG too much but visit number 5 went no better than the others and I was still left with no hot water pump and visitors expected.  Thursday pm my son found a local plumber who visited that afternoon and fixed hot water problem in 5 minutes.  He also has a plan re loo flushing problem - he was able to see it doing it unlike BG who seem to think I am imagining it.  This is costing me money of course although I was able to cancel the order for new water pump at £370.  BG sent one letter saying they were glad they had dealt with my complaint followed by one 3 days later saying they were now dealing with my complaint and would be in touch again.  
Not a lot of decluttering going on but I did clean all the way through yesterday including washing wooden floors and vacuuming.  Love my new cordless cleaner - so light and easy to use.  I have started clearing moss and weeds out of driveway and large paved area at front.  Thought I'd do a bit at a time throughout June.  I'll add it to my cleaning and jobs bingo grid.  Think I need to start a new one for June.  
947 Magazine to DIL
948 Weeding from patio and drive
949 Plants and seedlings potted on and some tubs filled with summer flowers
950 Cleaning throughout house and general tat and bins emptied on the way.  Left my kitchen sinks full of cheap biological washing powder and very hot water and went to DS2 for cup of tea.  When I came back they were beautifully clean.  My sinks are made of something that doesn't like bleach.  Washed out rubbish bin and compost pot and left them soaking in bleach as well.  Had all the windows open so lots of flies came to visit.  Fly sprayed and then collected dead flies afterwards.  
951 Started de-cleuttering some files from laptop
DS1 and family later today until Tuesday and then DD and family Tuesday to Thursday.  It will be lovely to see my 2 older children and 4 oldest grandchildren.  We always used to have everyone here together at least twice a year - Easter and September and late DH used to take picture of 8 grandchildren together. September 2019 was the last time this happened and I took a picture - not up to DH's standards but the 8 together again.  

mothernerd

Very busy week, the sun came out (or at least hid behind a bank of thick cloud but no rain) so many buckets and boards have been painted - boards still need an extra coat on each side. Third raised bed went into position (think I covered that one - it had to go over the washing line post) and was filled, one of the ex kitchen bins went into a corner (behind a metal raised bed - there's a large concrete lump on/ just below the surface in that corner so had to do something different), was levelled and filled, the broad beans are poking their heads out so added lots of (reclaimed trellis) sticks for support.

Finally got to plant a few things out. Three courgettes in the corner bin with a fan arrangement of sticks so they can grow all over the fence panels, comfrey behind the metal raised bed (side fence), lavender plant I dug out split into 6 and a couple replanted, a variety of items (cucumber/ sweetcorn/ aubergine) in the metal raised bed with individual cloches (most of a 2 l bottle) and lots of self watering stations (funnel end of 2 l bottles). Some of the bottled snow melt used to top up all the watering stations. Dug part way along the side bed, transferring soil straight into beds/ tubs/ spaces behind. 

Indoors I've continued with the filing (mine's now in an A4 file, mum's starting to go back into a file box, empty suspension files in the other file box), took the sheets and a cover off the bed to wash them (had to resort to pulling them out which brought to light all sorts of minor bits including the keys I mislaid). Dry weather meant I could finally tackle the muddy bits of the yard (sweeping them as they dried out) and I've done a few bits for mum - setting up the solar lights and partly screwing a metal owl to a tree branch (bits of the owl were in the way of the screwdriver and the spot mum had picked wasn't ideal - and according to DS1 I need new screwdrivers).

DS1, d-i-l and grandpuppy came yesterday (I hadn't told mum in case anything went wrong) and needless to say I hadn't completed any of the tasks I'd set myself - yard looks like a disaster zone and my room was worse. I did take more things from the front room so it looked very tidy and at various points in the afternoon I was asked to try to find various things which entailed going all the way across my room and looking in various drawers/ boxes/ arrangements (fourth dining chair was supporting two cube boxes which built it up to a similar height as the tops of the drawers and provided a continuous row of 'shelving' for the potted up plants across the width of the window/ room). Despite my best efforts DS1 and the dog both went in my room so son has confirmed his view that I live in chaos.

However it was a lovely visit (met the puppy for the first time on 7th March 2020 and not seen any of them since) and they did take home a butterfly shaped lavender bag in d-i-l's favourite colours, their 'New Home' sampler and all the bits for it's frame, olives, feta cheese (d-i-l is half Greek - I was planning canapes/ party bits), dog treats and bbq chicken for young sir as well as leftovers (lots of plastic bags of various sizes decluttered).

The August BH will fall around mum's birthday so I'm formulating a three month plan involving weight loss, decluttering, getting the garden finished (and everything growing), food for any visitors who pop in over the whole weekend - managed a lock down version last year with visitors allowed just inside the gate and 2 tables separating us from them (except for DS2 and his gf who were from another borough and had to sit outside the gate - they brought their own camping chairs and I left the small table outside for them to use). I also need to tackle my house and am hoping to spend at least a couple of half days a week there. D-i-l assured me that this weather is set to stay for a while so will do what I can but taking things at a slower pace today.

Gem-gem

Good morning all. 

All the decluttering that I have been doing has gone. Did a boot-fair this morning. Came home at 10am - £60 made. Packed up two boxes, which came home - the rest - which were mainly books and a few odds and ends - I called out that everything left was free! Most was then taken. The last bits I face to a house clearance van. Yay! 

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 dawned bright & sunny, clear blue skies & fluffy white clouds 🥳 perfect day for a barbecue 🥳 DH had the first bath, I had the second & DSis had the third. No we did not share the water 😱 We all spruced ourselves up - I wore a skirt for the first time in over a year 😉 We set off just before 1:00 p.m. - bus, Underground then train to Norbury. Very lucky in our timings as didn’t have to wait more than 2 minutes for each mode of transport 👏 Popped into an off licence to pick up a few beers & some wine, then 15 minute walk to cousin’s house to attend her son’s 21st birthday party 🥳 The whole family was there - my uncle, 3 cousins & their partners & kids + a couple of their friends. The sun shone bright & warm, the wine & beer flowed freely, the food was plentiful & the afternoon was full of laughter & chatter 🥳🙂🥳🙂😃🥳 (we delivered my uncle’s birthday present from last year - his 80th birthday party had been cancelled - a mug stating “April 2020, Worst Birthday Ever” - it became the source of much merriment 😂. I also gave my cousin 2 hg lettuces & 5 large hg radishes harvested from my garden that morning. 

Our “life batteries” are fully recharged & we have an invite for August 👏🙂 I do not have the vocabulary to describe how inordinately happy & uplifted I feel - my soul feels restored 🙂 😊 
DH decided to treat us & we came home by *ber. Expensive but as we have saved so much money on no outings for at least 18 months, a fully justified expenditure 😉.

Sunday started overcast & not too promising but now have blue skies, sunshine & warmth & a breeze - perfect drying weather so 1st load of washing is on the whirligig & the 2nd load is in the wm. DH is watching the MotoGP races, DSis & I are watching a Star Trek film.

1077 - 1079 Kitchen recycling, Uu hotel sized bath gel container, drinks cans - recycled 
1080 - 1082 Kitchen detritus, 2 pairs of Sunday socks - binned

Will be back in a while for cheerleading as the wm requires my attention 😉

MrsSD   🏅 🏅 🏅🏅 🏅 🏅    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Decluttering Target: 2021    1082/2021

2021 Savings Pot:  £114.80 to end of May

elsien

How lovely for you MrsSD. Glad it turned out so well. 

TC77

Mrs SD, sounds a lovely gathering.

DD1 has come round to bake - cooker doesn't work in flat she's renting a room. I can hear crashing and banging and more bowls being taken out and used !!

A few things out 1023 - 1028 -  DD2 jeans and old cricket things to CS.

1029 -1033 - medicines taken to pharmacy

Have old glasses but opticians closed so couldn't drop off.

1034 -1035 old carpet and blind samples recycled

1036 blinds ordered.

1037 little filing done

1038 bowl broken by DD1

1039 Hat to CS (bag dropped off)

Few things listed for sale, trying to give most to charity.

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 😉

DH has been a busy bee - he finished sifting the debris in ndn’s garden, scattered grass seed, mowed the front lawn & used the clippings as mulch over the seeds. DH also used the strimmer to tidy up the edges of the front lawn. Btw, we have our first peony bloom 🙂
All 3 loads of washing are on the whirligig & I will check dryness once I have finished cheerleading 😉

So few bright spots in our lives currently 3secondmemory ☹️ that I am surprised any of us know what day of the week it is 😉 However very well done on working around the ‘blown up knees’ 👏 Good luck with your final week with the coach 🤞 You have worked very hard & will soon have all the tools to continue your decluttering journey 🙂 So sorry to hear about your old lady cat & all best wishes that she passes peacefully. Well done on taking the time to formulate a plan. A bit of dream analysis, sounds good & you have worked out that doing all your bus & bobs adds up to good decluttering 👏 One medal 🏅 coming your way for sleeping in your bed 😉 Great work in the garden 👏

Good work villagelife 👏

Lovely to see you back EnergyShifter 👋 and now newly invigorated and taking care of yourself 👏🙂 You have had a revelation and have acted promptly 👏 so although battered & bruised you are now taking care of yourself 👏 Well done on the decluttering, especially the weight 👏

Lovely supportive post, TC77 😊 Very pleased that you found your notebook 👏 Fingers crossed that everyone collects the items you have reserved for them 🤞 How wonderful TC77 - always good to catch up 😉

Great work elsien 👏 Always nice to hear about people following their dreams 🙂

Nice to see you nannywindow 👋 Tootling along & doing your own thing, sounds like the best way to declutter 🙂 Doesn’t really matter about the items decluttered - as long as you can see the difference 😉👏

Good work boultdj 👏 Good idea to rest & recharge 🙂

Well done oceanspirit 👏 clearing out paperwork 👏  😖 to the cancelled boiler service but at least you have done all the hard work already 👏

Enjoy your period of rest vulpix 🙂 you have earned it 🙂

Back later to catch up with cheerleading 🙂

MrsSD   🏅 🏅🏅 🏅 🏅 🏅    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Decluttering Target: 2021    1082/2021

2021 Savings Pot:  £114.80 to end of May

mehefin

Decluttered some plants to a plant sale for our library. Some more to various pots.
2 unused Airfix kits and some Meccano to neighbour up road who is looking after grandson while GD is having chemo ( she is 7).

Happy_Kitties

287. Lots of weeds and brambles decluttered today. I can only do so much in the wheelchair before I lose my balance and faceplant the floor so very pleased with what I did
288 brioche buns x 2 from the freezer into recycling as they crumbled and fell apart when brought out.
289 tin out of DDs room, worse for wear into recycling.
290 when sorting DM things out, found some brand new nail care sets not used so repurposed for Christmas shoeboxes.
Glad u had a good time at the BBQ Mrs SD, it makes such a difference and sunshine thrown in aswell, I’ve been washing like mad on a catch up today