2021 MISSION DECLUTTER and CLEAN

TC77

@bit_by_bit  mega baking .. all sounds very yummy.
1854- 1855 bag of medicines back to pharmacy, and other bits and pieces -filled recycling bag at my dad's
1856 DD2 let me help her tidy room use for airing and boxes and her study - full bin, and many things in the wrong place away
Reckon over 100 items put in right place counting 1 per 20 so 1861
more packaging out 1862

StickyTheStickInsect

I’ve not posted for 11 weeks (!!) but have been keeping up with posts just too tired really to do anything but read them. Glad to hear that Mr SD is okay @Mrs_Salad_Dodger and that your OH is home @Liverpool_Anne

The loft clearance has continued but we haven’t completed it in the special offer period, so are now paying full rent on the unit so really need to get on with and finish emptying the loft to clean it and move the stuff back in. My storage unit is lovely and tidy though !

The school holidays combined with loft clearance and the trying to get access to NHS services for 3 children with varying additional needs has perhaps unsurprisingly sent my ME in to a spirally decline. I’m back on reduced hours at work and just about hanging on.

Thank you for my gold star Mrs SD, much appreciated as always 😀 

We’ve managed two runs to the tip which I’ll say is the equivalent of 8 bags, managed to get rid of a broken ottoman, a bag of fabric scraps, a broken baby bag, a load of odds and sods and some oversized cardboard which is now too big for our recycling collection as they’ve changed the bin and made it a quarter of the size !

3 bags have gone to fabric recycling, they took a while to get rid off as all the bins locally have been full.

2 bags of school uniform to the local scheme that rehomes it to families that need it. 

Quite a lot via our local freebies site, a swimming vest and baby swimming changing mat, 2 school jumpers and 2 baby toothbrushes, quite a few children’s books, dummy clips, plastic children’s plates and bowls, bathroom accessories, 4 fancy dress costumes including an adult size killer whale (I still don’t have a decent answer from my OH as to why he owned this in the first place !), a bag of Prima magazines, some children’s games, a big wooden chopping board, kids headphones, some kids crocs, a huge tub of coloured pencils, some bathroom scales, a large picnic bag on wheels, a cat carrier, a fish tank filter pump, 2 men’s shirts and a baby book. This is the equivalent of 9 bags. I also got rid of 3 nesting wicker boxes, the largest one was 70 cms long, so I’m going to say these are the equivalent of 3 bags.

2 bags of books and 3 bags of clothes and various odds and sods to the RSPCA charity shop.

Lastly a bag of A4 lever arch files to a friend.

That gives me 28 bags for August, September and October, I’m pretty pleased with that given that I’ve felt pretty rubbish.

That makes my yearly total 84.5, so only half a bag away from my total. The loft isn’t clear, so I’ll get some more bags from there but probably not as many as before. I’ll also do a bit of a toy cull before Christmas to make room for the littles Christmas things, we won’t get them very much but they will get stuff from grandparents and extended family. My father in law is now on board with Amazon wishlists, so we can minimise it a bit there. He’s lovely 😊 

I’ll amend my yearly total to 104 Mrs SD but won’t be too disappointed if we don’t make it.

Take care everyone xxx

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

Sunday has been very mixed weatherwise - heavy showers & high winds interspersed with sunshine. DH carved a pumpkin - very scary face - I will try to post a picture 🤞The hordes never arrived ☹️ We only had a dozen trick or treaters - even though it wasn’t raining ☹️ I need to hide the sweets I bought otherwise we will put on about half a stone each 😉 DSis’s birthday is on Monday & DH had picked up a half leg of lamb for her birthday dinner. However he decided to slow cook with onion, carrots & rosemary in a stock as a Sunday roast - words were had 😉😉 but he was soon forgiven - I have taken out some pork steaks for birthday dinner. Dinner was melt in the mouth lamb, roast potatoes (cooked in goose fat), cabbage & carrots + DH made gravy. Absolutely delicious 😋 🤤  Lamb bone was put out for the foxes. Apart from prepping & cooking the vegetables all I have done today is read & watch TV 😔😝 DH also fed the worms & put away the hose 👏 I did the wudupa - there was loads 😔

2049 - 2053 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, 3 newspapers - recycled 

2054 Kitchen recycling - binned

Very pleased to hear that OH is home, Liverpool_Anne 🙂 Hopefully she will recover soon 🤞 I will join you in the rant but mostly against our gubberment who have had 5 years to get it right but have lied to us every step of the way & cannot negotiate their way out of a paper bag 😔 

TC77, I managed to change my clocks but still waiting for SKY to update automatically as still showing BST 😬 Fingers crossed that you & DB agree on the approach to emptying your dad’s house 🤞 Now, now TC77 - with everything scattered about & drawers etc open it is no wonder you have the odd trip, bang or scrape. Perhaps set up a reward system for your girls e.g. a week of closing drawers/cupboards & they can choose what to have for dinner. Great work with DD2 👏

Nice to see you wort 👋

vulpix, I think we should form a committee on behalf of Vascodakarma 😉 As to treating yourself on your day out well done you 👏 I think Secret Santa is the way to go - very MSE DH & I stopped doing Christmas presents for family years ago 😉 He & my DSis are very difficult to buy for as if they want something they get it 😔 & I never want anything. Personally I am not a fan of Christmas Bah humbug 😉 Hope MrV recovers quickly as I gather the cold that is doing the rounds is a nasty one ☹️

What a lovely post bit_by_bit 🙂 Decluttering plans can always be put on hold to make memories with your DD especially if she is leaving the nest 🙂 Sounds like you are making real progress in your RoD 👏 Might not be an estate but remember the saying ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’ 😂 Btw there is no such thing as a long post so no apology needed 😉 I will be around later for some apple & blackberry crumble 😉 One medal 🏅 to your DH - decluttering & repurposing all in one 👏

What a pleasant surprise D123456789 🙂 Neither are particularly cheap 😉 

p00, hopefully the sales momentum will continue 🤞 The bedroom sounds lovely & should be perfect for your soon whilst he recuperates 👏 Ooh 😯 a magic sock 😉 Well done on almost decluttering the contents of your freezers 👏 - I see defrosting in your future 😉

nannywindow that is what I love about this thread - the generosity in offering advice, suggestions & support (even if only virtually) A large family pulling together to get free from clutter 🙂 What a sad state of affairs that 19 months on we are still not able to live our lives freely ☹️ However it sounds like your DGD eventually had a good if unconventional birthday. Re the recycling - how very odd 🤔 surely it is easier to recycle plain brown paper rather than shiny leaflet paper 🙄 Not Clumsy Clara just Strong Susan - all that decluttering has built up your muscles 😂😉 

Wow chirpycheap 🤩 you are motoring along 👏 I have been a bit remiss in my awards ☹️ 230/300 has earned you three Gold Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️  Well done 👏 Not disloyal at all but if you do donate gifts to a CS it might help if you can find one that is unlikely to be visited by the gift giver 🙂 

How lovely to see you StickyTheStickInsect 👋 DH is OK & getting into a routine with his tablets. Such a shame that you haven’t managed to clear the loft as quickly as you would have liked but when it is cleared it sounds like moving the stuff from the storage unit will be a doddle. We might not have heard from you in a while but you have been inordinately busy 👏 & I am very impressed that you have done so much even with your health challenges 👏 I am just going to check my list of awards ………….. yep one Gold Star ⭐️ coming your way 👏 Hope you managed to get the access to all the relevant NHS services for your children 🤞I have made a note of your new target but please try not to stress 😉 If you can finish the loft clearance that will earn you another gold star 😉😉

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

Decluttering Target: 2021    2054/2021

2021 Savings Pot:  £466.45 to end of October

Vascodakarma

The good news is that my cabin was sorted out very promptly. It’s actually lovely and it’s turning into real adventure. 

Watching the sun come up on the open sea is so uplifting. 

I don’t have to worry about a thing because I’ve been adopted by a South African lady and also, I didn’t realise it but my niece who booked the Cruise for me is also on the ship with her hubby and four of our friends. Her friends booked it as a surprise for her when they knew I was on it! 

Aside from not being able to get around too much because the ship is so huge all is good and I’d definitely do this again 😃 i’m going to have to think about her mobility scooter but unfortunately I just think of Nan from Benidorm 😂😂 

Many thanks to everyone who’s been wishing me well. It’s been quite a year but I have decluttered most of my old life. I can start planning my future 

skogar

Vascodakarma - Wow what a lovely sunrise. Great to know your cabin got sorted. What a nice surprise to find your niece is on the boat too. I hope you have a lovely holiday.

Remember - it's not a mobility scooter - it's a chariot!

florianatwobob

skogar said:

Remember - it's not a mobility scooter - it's a chariot!

That made me giggle, one of my aunties used to describe my pram/pushchair as a chariot apparently! 

nannywindow

Vasco glad to see you had your cabin sorted tout suite. Hope you have a lovely time. Bon Voyage !!

nan

vulpix

Vascoda,go girl !

 Bit by bit, you are on fire! Most of my wrapping paper stash has been used before. Very MSE. A few of years ago I started using more gift bags so it doesn't get used like it used to. As my kids got older their gifts got smaller. What I need is some Grandchildren, they have much bigger gifts. This year I will just wrap, no gift bags. I can't bear to just recycle it all. I re use gift tags too! Makes me sound a complete skinflint but when my kids were young I really was unbelievably poor.
  I was the original MSE. It is ingrained in me now. I couldn't splash the cash if I wanted to. I have relaxed a bit since I have been married to Mr V and we enjoy a holiday and a nice car.

 I had a lot I wanted to do today with Mr V's help on his day off but he has fallen to sleep. Bless him.

 I don't have any numbers to update but I cleaned the house top to bottom yesterday in about an hour. Love it. Don't love cleaning but love the fact it only takes an hour. I will add some more frogs to my list even though there is a massive frog uneaten from last time.

 Frogs

 put new handles on drawers, not as easy as it sounds

 phone my mobile provider and Leave. I may have to fake my own death.

 clean the windows inside

 finish the neckband on 2 baby jumpers that I knitted about 2 years ago

  Everyone is working so hard. I miss not getting rid of stuff. There is of course the pantry but I am still enjoying the tidiness in the house for now. My wardrobe could also do with a tidy ,I had trouble stuffing my new coat in.

 Vx

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Yippee, photo of DH’s carved pumpkin 🥳 Suitably scary 😦 

Finstickle

Lots to catch up on today - thank you for my medal @Mrs_Salad_Dodger

A few items to update

278 - A favourite top  , I went to put it on to go out on Saturday and discovered some mysterious and large holes!!  this has now gone in the recycling and although I take comfort in having had it for 15 years I am still sad
279 - DD's witches outfit for Halloween was made from a nun's outfit I had.  Her outfit now into the recycling with the rest of the nun's habit in the material\craft section for possible future use
280 - long wooly cardigan.  I bought myself a new cozy cardi, with pockets, for my birthday which has completely replaced a pocket free one I already had so that has gone into the Charity bag
281 - a pair of Winter boots whose sole had come off, I had hoped they would be repairable - unfortunately not

Not many items, but feels like space has been created as all were in the wardrobe not to be replaced.