2021 MISSION DECLUTTER and CLEAN

CCW007

More cardboard out - I'm happy to count this as decluttering as they were boxes I was actively storing rather than packaging coming into the house needing to be recycled.

Much tidying and putting away of things that have been hanging around for while in preparation of the plasterer coming tomorrow so the house is feeling tidier as well which is a bonus!

vulpix

 BBC, Plenty of helpful advice for you today. I agree with bit by bit about having one room as a sanctuary and not pressurising yourself particularly about your partners belongings. When we moved ourselves here in a great hurry everything was just chucked in and piled up anywhere. I started by making our bedroom a nice place to be. It only has what I want it to have in there. Furniture, clothes, shoes ,a few ornamental things and 2 pictures on the wall. It has taken a little tweaking to find curtains and pictures that I like. I liked it so much I have now done the same for the spare room and am starting on the sitting room. The kitchen is still definitely not a sanctuary ,nor the pantry of doom or the big shed  or the garden. 
 You have a plan ,make yourself somewhere lovely with those framed posters on the wall.xx

 2scratters,fantastic idea about the holly. I asked a friend who makes wreaths ,she is coming to collect it on Sunday.

 bit by bit, yes the pompoms will become party sprouts. I will post a photo when they are finished. I jump about with my craft projects. I get bored and do something else or some things I need daylight for.

 I have made small progress and eaten another frog. Took all of 10 seconds to scrape some old paint off the exposed brick chimney breast.

 965. emulsion frog
 967. 2 bedside drawers given to DD2

 Vx

bit_by_bit

As I have mentiond I have been having a mega sort out. I have now got everything together and boxed that I want to sell and it comes to; whispers ( 35 boxes). 

None of them are big and all are labelled and stored. I know I am not going to sell all of that but I am giving myself some time to work out what it is I really want do with it all. As with all projects it is going to take while before I lose patience and donate it. 

This is a wake up call of the biggest order. Nothing else is coming home from the charity shop unless it is a specific gift for someone.

In the mean time the boxes  are neatly stored now in various places, and I have a list of all of them on my boxes spreasheet so I can't lose the list. 

TC77

In my room while dd1 packs for moving tomorrow , and she's run out of time for sorting so will be leaving total chaos . I want to.nag her to hoover etc but she is out of time.  I will be claiming  everything that I get rid of so my numbers will go up and hopefully my blood pressure down !
Also decluttered a crown which has I'm hoping the dentist can stick on again..
.

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 😉

4. CLEAN & EMPTY SURFACE AREAS - DAILY

Thursday has been another bright, sunny day but cooler than of late. DH walked to surgery pharmacy to pick up the 2 types of medication he has been prescribed. Came back & refitted the newly recovered seat to the Goldwing then took DSis to the hospital for a chest x-ray. She kept offering to show them the text re her negative PCR test but the staff showed absolutely no interest 🤔 so it begs the question why did she have to take it 🙄 I had a busy couple of hours - emptied, cleaned & sorted the 4th shelf of my food cupboard then did all 3 shelves of the double ‘Brexit’ cupboard + the lower 2 shelves of the larder type cupboard, the 3 shelves of the spice/condiment cupboard & finally the 3 shelves of the double cupboard containing cups, glasses, coffee & tea canisters etc. Washed all the glasses & cups as well. The added bonus of sorting out so many cupboards is that I managed to move quite a few food stores from the lounge wall unit 👏🙂 Dinner was veal escalope in breadcrumbs, boiled potatoes & garden peas. Wudupa.

2030 - 2036 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, cardboard packaging, booklet, 2 surplus plastic takeaway boxes, glass jar - recycled 

2037 - 2038 Kitchen detritus, ruined paintbrush - binned 

Welcome aboard chirpycheap 👋 Never too late to join in 🙂 I can confirm I will be setting up a 2022 Decluttering Thread 😀 I can see that several members of our ‘decluttering family’ have provided useful information/explanations 👏 The only thing I will mention is that it takes years to build up the clutter so please don’t despair if it takes a while to declutter 😉 I think we all love to see new faces just to remind us that we are not alone in wanting to have a simpler life with less stuff 🙂

Spot on Blackberrycurved 👏 We each set our own targets/goals & encourage each other to succeed 🙂 No need to apologise for a long post - remember I am the queen of long posts 😉😉 Firstly thank you for sharing your story 👏 My initial thought is to put absolutely everything in just one of the newly decorated rooms & shut the door. This leaves the way clear for your cleaner. Then go into what I will now refer to as your “Room of Doom” and remove one box/crate/bag of stuff & shut the door again. Deal with the box/crate/bag completely - if there is a picture that needs putting on the wall then do it asap, if something/s belong in another room take it/them there & put it/them away, donations for cs should be put in a bag which when full should be taken to cs (sadly this is the one I find most difficult 😥). When you have dealt with the box/crate/bag remember to reward yourself 😉 could be sitting down with a cuppa & reading a book for 15 minutes or popping out for a quick walk 🙂 Rinse & repeat. 

What a brilliant post vulpix 👏 I read the article & whilst I am nowhere near the writers level😔, I am trying 🙂 Btw I love my new title “secret weapon” 🙂 The amount of work you have done already is awe inspiring plus dealing with frogs as well 👏 I hope the knife worked on removing the paint 🤞

What a nice idea Siebrie 👏

Great ideas from you too 2Scratters 👏 As you say it all depends on what works for each individual 🙂 What a huge amount of work you have done 🤩 I am so impressed that a Gold Star ⭐️ is on its way 🙂

Vascodakarma what a great result ….. finally 👏 although you have had to fight every step of the way 😖 That first lockdown did cause quite a few problems didn’t it ?😉 DH & I never bought anything we didn’t really like but did go overboard on flour & rice. This wouldn’t have been quite so bad if I hadn’t stopped baking 😔 😔 More frogs to deal with 😉😉 I love the idea of companies checking you are still alive 😂 Excellent decluttering 👏

Finstickle, another great idea with how to start decluttering when feeling overwhelmed 👏 medal 🏅 on its way 🙂 Great decluttering 👏

What an excellent post Working_Mum 👏 Some great tips & thanks for reminding us about Dana K White 👏 

Sounds like you have a plan Blackberrycurved 👏 Please try to factor in some ‘you time’ 😉 Good luck for Sunday 🤞

Excellent work nannywindow 👏 especially dealing with a frog 👏🙂 I rather think my decluttering is turning into a trip to the moon 🤣

p00, seems like you have inducted both your daughter & granddaughter into the Decluttering Club 👏 that deserves a medal 🏅 

What great advice bit_by_bit 👏 Excellent work on dealing with a big frog - that merits a Gold Star ⭐️ Sounds like the allotment is coming along nicely 👏 Wow, think of all the lovely money that will come your way with selling “whispers” 35 boxes of stuff 🤩 

EnergyShifter mindless TV is a great way to relax 🙂 & you have earned it 👏

CCW007, Great work on decluttering ‘Justin’ cardboard boxes 👏 and doing lots of tidying 👏

Brilliant post vulpix & such a lovely idea for Blackberrycurved 👏 Well done on sorting the paint frog 👏

TC77, I am picturing that your dd1 left everything until the last minute 😉😉 At least you are looking on the bright side - your numbers will soar 😅

See you all later 🙂

MrsSD   🏅 🏅 🏅 🏅 🏅🏅 🏅 🥇🥇      ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

Decluttering Target: 2021    2038/2021

2021 Savings Pot:  £466.45 to end of October

TC77

Mrs SD, I woke early and looks as if we have been burgled, although ones who decided to cook in the middle of the night, boxes, clothes, washing done but not hung up and impossible to know what is for CS/bin /moving!!

I will be bursting to say stuff so big aim to stay calm(esp as tired) - already taken 4 bags of DD1 stuff to CS.
Wheelchair being collected today. We have 3 prs crutches (one left from a long time ago) - debating whether to keep one in the car - DD2's coach injured at training yesterday and could have used them, (and a friend who went to A/E a few weeks ago during match) also fracture boot. Trying again find NHS dept which will take crutches back! 

Getting work done early as know I will be called on to help. Decluttering my stress here!

Floss

@TC77 has your daughter offered to sort the mess out? I think I would seriously be considering sending photos to her and asking when she's coming back to tidy up...

TC77

@floss , we've agreed that she will put everything she doesn't want eg from the bathroom in a box and then I will see if anything good for her sister/ fregle etc. She would put all in the bin which stresses me.  Rubbish in bins and empty plastic bags together  etc. I've said things left behind she wants to keep ok but in cupboard or boxes. I have a big house and she's renting v small flat and going to nanny / bank work while recovers from.accident and mental health and goes back to uni next year. 
Apologies for ramble.
Shows up my hoarding tendencies  as want to go through bin bags! 
Wishing everyone a peaceful Friday and weekend.x

wort

BlackBerry, You mention some of the stuff belongs to your daughter, is she able/willing to come and sort through it ,maybe condense it down? Then perhaps she could help you declutter some of your things? It’s sometimes easier if you have help to realize you don’t need everything.
With regard to your husbands things, is any of it clothes? When my husband died I got rid of everything straight away, which is not what suits everyone but was right for me.
His clothes after my children took an item each and his local team supporters tops boxed up for dgs when he’s older, I took them to a charity that gives to homeless particularly coats jumpers etc. are in demand at this time of year. It helps to know you are helping others. Be aware things perish if not stored correctly .
 Something these threads have taught me is that  it’s better to let someone else have the use of items that may languish in rooms until they are no longer usable. This applies to furniture,ornaments and clothes. 

I hope you find it easier by being part of this group . Little and often is as good as huge amounts .

There are many decluttering books and YouTube videos plus tv programs that I find watching and reading inspires me . Good luck with clearing 🤗

Siebrie

@Blackberrycurved "My man's stuff I didn't think it would be a problem until he died now so many things are a problem ,everything I get rid of feels like another part of him lost so for now everything in a wardrobe, his big pics / posters I'll frame, photographs can go into a photo album."

This is hard. I don't know when you lost him, and I can understand wanting to finish the plans you had (putting up the posters), and I do suggest you finish this for completion's sake. But they were his; do the big pics/posters spark you joy? For just now, please do hang them up, but maybe put a timeframe on it? That you will look and decide whether they can stay in, say, a year's time (or 2)? Put the date on the calendar and forget about it until that time?