2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

GrannyKate

Hugs to all who need it.  Ive been reading along about grief - it is a strange thing and takes us differently each time.  I tend to go into 'to do' mode and with my dear dad (gone 40 years now) it was 6 months before it suddenly hit me.  The feeling of relief that you feel along with the sadness when someone has been suffering is often hard to put into words to others who might take it the wrong way.  Physical mementoes need to be let go of slowly when you are ready - those in our head stay for ever and will gradually bring smiles rather than tears.  Late DH was always buying kitchen gadgets and I found one at back of a drawer - I had no idea what it was exactly but DS2 and I had a smile about his dad and the unused item still wrapped in its protective plastic before it went in charity bag. 

Been a bit shattered since I came back from little holiday so spent afternoons napping in TLC carriage and partaking of cakes and chocolate on offer.  Weight is going nowhere.  I need to stay awake today as complicated after school runs to do.  Trying my new glasses but vision is a bit too good for early morning.  Holiday washing done but a few bits to sort and put away.  In Scotland with DD next month so will keep suitcase out ready.  

Speaking to sister in US (we have definitely infected her with the declutter bug) and she was saying that she realised that she wanted to sort those things which she cares about what happens to them once she is gone.  A lot of the other stuff doesn't really matter - it needs to be sorted though.  She is finding the like with like method works well and putting all the precious stuff together is helping.  I said to sort that a little at a time.  Her OH is gradually joining in but happy to leave her to sort his parents papers and household items. 

300 Very full bag to CS 
301 Random kitchen gadget in bag
302 Old spare glasses to recycling
303 Old prescription sunglasses to recycling (I realise these must be about 6 prescriptions ago)
304 All March and April cards bought and written ready to post

2Scratters

Yesterday I decluttered an item of clothing from the wardrobe to be worn. Instead of the fantasy me as it does fit (not perfectly to go out in) I decided to live in the now and wear it. Must admit it felt a bit odd being presentable and cleaning up also very MSE as prevented me needing to put the heating on too soon.
The 5 shelves in the other wardrobe have now got all bedding stored there and it has highlighted of what we have too much of. That will be natural progression to the rag bag for DH's shed.
Now the empty space in the top of the wardrobe is another space that needs consideration for its new items.
Lets see what today brings.
2Scratters xx

wort

hopefuldebtfree  by the time I got to cards I found I could easily throw away. Who wants them when I’m gone ? I kept just a couple , from my mum and the kids when they were little and my husband. 

Clothes I found it easier to be rid of them as if they hang around too long they are tempting to put back!!  It is said the items that are expensive to look on as sunk costs, as it doesn’t matter how much you paid you are unlikely to recoup, and if you aren’t going to wear or use them they are a constant reminder of the wasted money so it’s better to get them out and forget them . The guilty feeling will pass !! 

As others have said if you prefer give them a set period of a week or 2 on sale but if not gone then remove from the house either to charity where someone will get pleasure from something they can’t afford full price, or cash for clothes. 

Hope this gives you some options.

bit_by_bit

Poor old DD @vulpix. t will pass and she will get away. 

Thankyou MrsSD. It wasn't the weather - it was going on a binge with his mate the night before. Never any good for several days after.

@hopefuldebtfree: I keep a few cards to display in different spots aroung the house but they get moved round a bit. The rest I cut the front off for putting in with online sales and recycle the rest. 

Nothing done the last few days but the furniture has now gone from the van (2 large items) Yippee  Going to refill with DD furntiture but first to move a loa of logs from MiL house to ours. We won't need any wood for a long time now.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 5 tasks
2. Deal with Old Frogs & potential frogs ASAP but at least one on FROG Fridays.
3. Reduce/Restrict time watching TV and playing AB2 during daylight hours 😉
4. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Tuesday has started slightly brighter than yesterday but still breezy. I have risked putting DH’s motorcycle jacket outside draped over a chair as too heavy to peg out safely on the whirligig 😉 I am currently snuggled up in my dressing gown having a cuppa & watching The Royal. Will have a bath (& brave the scales 😉) Then have a long To Do list to be getting on with 😔 

Back to the cheerleading 🙂

Gem-gem, what a great way to recluttering a freezer 🥳 No wonder your DH is so pleased with himself - a ys cake at 10% of the original price 🤩 Great decluttering 👏

Shame about the power cut florianatwobob 😔 but what a great silver lining sorting out your tax rebate as a tadpole instead of a frog 👏🙂 and just to add to the good news a cs bag through the door 🙂 

Always lovely to hear about a life well lived TC77 😊 Your dad was an inspiration. Perhaps you can set up a sideline in upholstery repair 😉 Hopefully the visit with your cousins will be a joyous time & there will be plenty of family photographs 🤞 Re the missing file - and breathe slowly. Now pop into the TLC Carriage, have a cuppa & a chat about the most unusual places people have found a missing item. Hopefully inspiration will strike 🤞

So very sorry that your daughter’s plans have been thrown into disarray 😢 Sending positive thoughts that DD1 has a very mild case of Covid & that her planned move can be back on track very soon 🤞

EnergyShifter decluttering even whilst working 👏 What a great solution re the cards 🙂

GrannyKate thanking you for sharing your experiences of grief. Did you work out what the kitchen gadget was before putting it in the CS bag?  Possibly something your DH thought would make life easier or maybe just something pretty 😉 From my own experience, it is quite often the case that I need a rest to recover from a holiday 😉 I am very pleased to hear that your DSis in the USA is fully ‘infected with the decluttering bug’ 😉 I am awarding her a medal 🏅 for the timely reminder (via you) that we should deal with our precious items ourselves as it puts our minds at rest knowing that items have been dealt with according to our wishes 🙂 Like with like seems to be one of the most successful methods of decluttering & once our bedroom is completely finished I will employ this method for sorting mine & DH’s clothes - DH’s first of course 😂 Great decluttering on your part 👏

What a great idea to wear nice clothes round the house, 2Scratters 👏 Excellent work on allocating bedding to your empty shelves, presumably that has created space elsewhere 👏 Must be very exciting having space to allocate other items to 🙂

wort, Wonderful options for hopefuldebtfree to consider 👏 My favourite bit of your post is the following “It is said the items that are expensive to look on as sunk costs, as it doesn’t matter how much you paid you are unlikely to recoup, and if you aren’t going to wear or use them they are a constant reminder of the wasted money so it’s better to get them out and forget them . The guilty feeling will pass !!” 

Off to have my bath shortly 🙂

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 272/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Running Total £17.92

Floss

I found a relatively easy way to sort through my kept cards - I had already whittled down those from my kids & mum, and all those from my now ex-husband went into recycling when I was moving out 😉 including engagement & wedding cards and every birthday, valentines and Christmas card from him for over 15 years. I carefully filled his just-emptied recycling bin with all sorts of stuff I no longer wanted or needed, finishing with the wedding cards so he would see them when he opened the lid, just to reinforce the point that if he could trash our marriage, so could I. I also left him the wedding album and all the wedding photos we had (but took the empty frames 😉)

weenancyinAmerica

Today is our trash pick-up day. Filled both the recycling bin and the trash bin, both to overflowing - but it still looks like we have a lot more to do. The new dog keeps finding things in the yard that she shouldn't, and has broken up several plastic pots so the yard really has to be cleaned up this week. Managed to cut up over ten empty boxes which will need to go out next week. 

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said: 

511. eBay item to Post Office
512. returned clothing item to shop

513. Repaired trim on DS' desk
514. Collected trial contact lenses
515. Full bin of shredding emptied

TC77

Interested in how everyone deals with cards @Floss, I know difficult split with your ex but the way you tell it makes me smile and you sound so strong and inspiring. I did take out wedding album and decided quite like some of the photos and couldn't cope with weeding out at the moment. Did find a letter from my ex to my mum and dad in my dad's strong box along with v important documents. Ready to be v cross but it just said sorry we're so different but did say about our counselling which I thought totally inappropriate and v unsure why my parents  kept for over 20 years - although it did stress his commitment to supporting our daughter which he hasn't but that may have been the reason!

Bought car insurance
Went to neighbours for cup of tea which was lovely, but noted how welcoming her house was and made me come back and put things away - why a box of shoes laces out when I have drawer space (I know some can go but need to check with DDs if want some for DMs etc, few bits in the bin, and paint samples in box instead of dotted around - need to try harder with the like with like!  Emails re family arrangements. 298

@weenancyinAmerica wow you are getting through so much, well done.

stellata

I've been feeling very sad and sluggish recently so the decluttering has taken a back seat, but today I went to work via the tip and got rid of a manky sheet of board and an old tv aerial which had both been leaning by the bins and probably annoying the neighbours for months. It looks unnaturally tidy out front now. I think that's 21 items this year, although I also took back a pair of pjs I'd bought which didn't suit so at least they aren't clutter and I haven't wasted the money.

I went to see Ex as he'd asked me to get him a prescription but I didn't stay long as he was watching tv and barely looked up. Rude so and so.