2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Morning all
Yesterday i took most stuff out of my bedroom and DD1 and boyfr came round and moved my bedroom furniture for me.  I have put back some stuff but am sorting it as i go.  I have recycled and shredded loads more paperwork, i have half filled a wheelie bin with paper/card since Friday. I have 2 bags for the CS but not counting them as decluttered till they leave the house...  
I have thrown away some holey old underwear and DD1's first bra - we laughed when i found it - goodness knows why i kept it?! Also threw away DDs first teeth - found about 4 in my drawer, don't know which tooth belonged to which DD and no idea why i kept them!  I have kept DDs' first shoes - they are on my chest of drawers and I like looking at them, better than being in a box somewhere.  Ripped up and recycled cards from exes - enjoyed doing that
Under my bed, apart from tons of dust, i found a lovely handwash and handcream set which are in the bathroom ready for use.
I used up some bubble bath last night.
I pulled up some weeds in the garden & neighbour decluttered some grass as he mowed the lawn for me
love Deni x

Fizz2015

Hello All, Had a few nice but exhausting days in Somerset visiting my mum with my DD and looking after my 3 young nieces whilst parents away. 

Back home late yesterday and now to catch up on washing, food shop and a tidy/declutter. Will take it a bit easy as come down with sore throat, earache and cough (not covid). 

I decluttered my mums house by bringing a lot of things back to sell at a carboot, will do a couple and if things don't sell donate to charity. Currently in the  boot as don't want to clutter up the house. 

OH is back from Spain in the early hours and then has to be in work for 7.30. That will be interesting. 

Have a nice chilled bank holiday all. X

basketcase

I've been reading and doing my 15 minutes declutter stints but not posting.  DD's been up from Edinburgh for the Easter weekend and we've been mostly chatting, chilling and catching up on (mostly) Bad TV.  Although we did go for our traditional Chocolate Lunch, which is driving to a nice tea shop to have a hot chocolate with a shared piece of chocolate cake (too big and rich for one each!)

Anyway, Mrs SD's list at the top of her posts seemed such a good idea that I decided to do one as a bare minimum.  My 5 daily basics include the 15 minutes declutter and are:

5 DAILIES

• S&S Bathroom + 1 task
• S&S Kitchen + 1 task
• Washing up (including wiping down all surfaces and the stove top)
• 15 minutes declutter
• Tomorrow’s food

BTW, it encouraged me when I calculated that 15 minutes x 365 is 91.25 hours rubbish clearance in the course of a year - and that's if I don't feel inspired to carry on!

THURSDAY: Hall – dealt with lurking post, shunting large box of compost (2x50 bags) into temporary home in Room of Doom, box of potatoes to chit prior to planting, couple of boxes back into cupboard

FRIDAY: Ovens (electric/halogen/MW) – cleaned all accessories, recycled old aluminium trays used for baking, repurposed rack for MW which has started creating sparks when zapped. (It's useful as a cooling tray)

SATURDAY: Bathroom & Kitchen window ledges – removing empty bottles, dead plants etc

SUNDAY: Fridge - It was fridge cleaning day and you can’t clean what you can’t see ROFL

MRS SD - I was struck by your idea of taking in other people's clutter for counting! Not sure about that, y'know... BUT, going off at a tangent, I did think it was a pity the posters here weren't able to partner up and declutter each other's stuff. 

It'd be simpler too.  No sentimental attachments, no attacks of "Ooh, I remember this" to slow you down etc. And instead of loads of categories of stuff (Keep, Bin, Sell, CS, Decide in 6 months and so on), you could just have Useful, Obvious Rubbish and What-the-Heck-Are-You-Keeping-THIS-For?!

Better dash - DD's back to Edinburgh later and that means The Return of The Rabbit.  So I'd better get on - via scaring a few !!!!!! Pigeons!

florianatwobob

1 x pot of moisturiser u/u - pot recycled 

1 x bottle of make up remover u/u - bottle recycled

1 x pair jeans consigned to the rag bag for recycling

1 x clear wash bag binned 

2 x luggage tags in the charity shop bag

Off to have another tidy so I’m sure more bits will leave the house 

dustydigger

Hi folks,seeing this thread was a blast from the past. Back in 2017 I was in fear that the roof was going to fly off because of all the stuff inside the house.. My OH is a platinum level packrat. He NEVER throws anything away. He actually has an old pair of cuban heeled shoes dating back to 1982.I am strictly forbidden to throw even one little bit over paper away. In the 80s he collected Readers' Digests,and stacked them in the corner of the spare  bedroom. The pile reached well over three feet high.. He never reads anything at all.so when he was away abroad back in 2017 I tossed them all out. He never even noticed for several months and then erupted.You'd think I had destroyed some precious irreplaceable collection of mediaeval manuscripts,plus the Magna Carta and the Domesday Book To this day he upcasts my sin,at great length.I decluttered a lot of stuff and did start off the keep the kichen worktops clear,and have managed to keep that up till now. I may have heaps of kids toy,and  the OH has piles of clutter in one corner of the sitting room.,but there is very little on the tables or cabinet tops.

I am not blameless either. Boxes of books feature heavily in my house. I have 200 books stacked behind the couch for when I resume life after covid and cant dispose of them  Plus.I did my family tree for years,resulting in masses of files and documents I am in my family home.My parents moved in in 1936 and I took over the house on my mother's death in 1984 I still cant bring myself to get rid of her beautiful tea sets and beautiful glasses . When my dear sister died in 2010 I moved masses of her stuff into my house and just like with my mother,I cant throw the things she loved so much  away.I am the only one surviving of 4 siblings so I feel something of a custodian,but I intend to tough it out this year

But I have the stuff packed in china cabinets so at least we dont fall over them!

Add that I had 4 kids who  though leaving on growing up have left lots of stuff behind. Obviously have their father's packrat gene. Far  too much stuff they claim is essential to their mental health that they have  stored in my home .Most of the good work I did in 2017 has fallen by the wayside.Lets hope I can accomplish some things this summer! Fingers crossed.

Add all the toys required by 6 grandkids and 5 great grand kids,and no wonder I have a stuffed house. I spend a lot of time watching beautiful minimalist house on You Tube!I can but dream.....

GrannyKate

Thankyou for my star MrsSD.  A busy morning sorting garage both my stuff and DS2 but lots gone or ready to go. 
598 - 602 Bags of stuff and random rubbish for tip - not counted individually
603-605 Bags of mixed plastic to recycling
606 - Cardboard and plastic into recycling bin
607 Easter eggs and money left with children yesterday
608 Lots of odd food used up for barbecue
609 Easter decorations, buckets and plastic eggs back in loft
610 Some garage items into DS2's work tool bag
611 Small tool bag made up for someone and taken round

There are a lot of things for sale or to go various places but will count them later when they leave.  Children here now until Weds so I will not get much done.

Guineapigsqueaks

Hello all.
I have asked all in this house which Easter eggs/chocolate received they actually want, rest have all been decluttered into a big box which I will take to work this week and leave in the communal kitchen for people to help themselves. I am ruthless! But it is less wasteful than it sitting in the cupboard for several months, going out of date, then being thrown away. I have asked wider family not to buy, especially now kids are adults, but to no avail .
I have 3 loads of washing swished and fluttering on the line and am currently having a declutter of dust bunnies in locations where I can no longer ignore them. I also have to get my heuchera plants in garden and have a sort through freezer to see if I can do meals for next few evenings, I have gotten a bit out of routine over Easter.
Hope everyone is having a nice BH Monday and possibly achieving a little off the endless list!
Guineapigsqueaks x

weenancyinAmerica

Made it through last week. We now have the books all sorted by categories for the book sales for the rest of the year. I printed off labels for the moving bookshelves and carts. We had the two day sale - but only made as much as we have been doing in one-day. (over $1500 this year so far) But we only do one two-day sale a year to get things uncluttered. Our regulars were impressed by things being organized. We only charge 25 cents a book or $2 a bag, so we have sold a lot of books. 

I am still working on the Room of Doom but I can see the end in sight for removing trash. Emptied her "laundry basket" today and found one of our good plates in it, still with food attached. Still finding forks and spoons. We now have too many of each to fit in the drawers because her father kept buying more when the supply got low rather than tackling the room. Going to write her name on one plate, bowl, small plate, salad bowl, and tableware. Must come out of the room and be cleaned before next meal. 

My next step is to put like with like in small boxes the cat food came in. Found 5 sets tweezers, 6 deodorants, etc. About twenty cables for recharging - kept buying new ones because she couldn't find the old ones. The cat boxes fit nicely on the shelves.

Just washing the floors and the shelves with the help of her father still to come. 

Bag 12 of trash out. Bag 10 of bottles and cans. 

Now comes cleaning up the backyard and the front area for the outdoor cats. 

marrob

Hi everyone
I've been missing for the past two weeks, I lost my decluttering mojo.  I've found it again today hiding in the wardrobe amongst some socks.  So I've hauled it out again (and the socks) and given it a good talking-to and binned the socks - it won't be hiding there again!

I've been reading along and sorry that so many are having a difficult time with decluttering and life in general.  I've been on the decluttering journey for some time.  I keep telling myself that it's taken some time to build up so much stuff, so it's going to take some time to get rid of it, or to have a very organised home,  Every little bit out of the door helps..

Mrs SD, glad that Mr SD is feeling better, shingles is very nasty, hope he recovers well.

I've been counting while I was missing, I was up to 617 items, today's efforts are:

618.  Last week’s papers recycled

619-615.  7 day’s kitchen recycling

616.  200 emails deleted

617.  Cardboard packaging recycled

618.  One book read (16/170)

619.  1lb decluttered

620.  Plastic containers recycled

621.  Emails answered and filed

622-631.  Old socks binned (no idea why I was keeping them)

Keep going everyone, it will be worth it finally....

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

723. Black wheelie bin full of bits of shed
724. Wheelie bin full of green waste
725. Cast iron door stop
726. Scattered a box of wildflower seeds that have been in shed for at least 2 years

727. returned shoes to shop 
728. easter card to cousins
729. Birthday card to Niece
730. Gift to Niece
731. Found I had £7.50 sitting in top cashback - must have been there for years - withdrawn 
732. Completed prep for facilitating job on Weds
733. repaired DS’s jeans