2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Foxy_Socks

Evening declutterers! I seem to have my second nasty virus of the festive season (not covid according to the LFTs) but I've managed to get started. I've got rid of:

1 packaging

2 a sachet of washing machine cleaner - I used it on New Year's Day

3 old OOD sweets

4 receipts from gifts given weeks ago

5 holey socks

6 more holey socks

7 cutlery draw detritus - gave the tray a clean too

8 OOD bottle of juice

9 children's drawing (photographed to eventually make a memory book as we have no space for artwork)

10 local newspaper clipping from the 1980s (!)

11 broken lollipop

12 various "favourited items" on Vinted that I will never buy

13 brow gel I don't remember buying

14 OOD spice

15 OOD spice

@Betharooni - Thank you for mentioning that CEX will buy ipods. I've dug my little shuffle out and am planning to sell it. Yay!
@Black_Saturn - I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending a virtual hug.

I've been thinking the past few days about those items that we sit on the fence about deculttering. I've seen the odd item in my home and thought about decluttering it, then immediately come up with various reasons to keep it (It was a present... It might come in handy one day... We don't use it but if we had visitors they might... Every household has one... I paid good money for that... etc.) I realised that I should probably just trust my instinct and get rid of it. Case in point: I have all these wine glasses taking up space in our tiny kitchen, but nobody in our family drinks anymore for health reasons. Do I dare to get rid of the glasses? I hardly ever host at home now (mainly due to covid but I also prefer to just go out). And if someone ever brought wine here and wanted to drink it, well, couldn't they just use a glass tumbler? If they were invited round here for food/wine then I'm sure they'd be a close enough friend to understand my weird minimalist tendencies (some have already noticed them!).

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

So the sum total of my effort today was to make dinner - cold pork & mash with baked beans for DSis & lo roasted vegetables for DH & me. DH did the wudupa 👏

Now a concerted effort to get on track with the cheerleading 🤞

TC77 sending healing vibes for your dad. Love the last line of your post “… putting things in their proper home and like with like - a step in realising abundance and then letting go”

This has struck a cord with me so will try to follow this in future 🤞

Welcome aboard bigbeff 👋 A good start & well done on selecting wardrobe as your 2nd major task 👏 You are very motivated so I have every faith that you will raise £2022 🙂

Great work Finstickle 👏

Baxtersmum sounds like fun - Lego building & walks with the DGC 🙂 You are definitely getting into the swing of decluttering 👏

Thanks for the kiss balabooberlies - it has just arrived 😉

bigbeff - a frog is a task that you keep putting off until it is urgent or too late to deal with. There are many reasons things turn into frogs - you might forget, you might have built it up to be more difficult than it is or it might just be a task you have never enjoyed doing. The upside of dealing with a frog is not only does it get done but you then have the warm glow of knowing you are capable of tackling anything 😁👏 A more succinct explanation from balabooberlies 😉👏

Hop aboard VICTORIASUSSEX13 👋 We are currently touring the country quite slowly making the most of the time to set out our goals & pick up anyone who wishes to join us on the great decluttering journey. You will find plenty of support & ideas on tackling the nostalgic & emotional decluttering. One idea from a couple of years ago was to photograph items & use the photos to prompt the lovely memories. If that works it can make it easier to let go of the items 🤞So welcome aboard 👋 and remember you are already a successful declutterer & you have the tidy lounge to prove it 👏🙂

Lovely succinct explanation of frogs balabooberlies 👏

I am trying to slow it down, bit_by_bit 😉 otherwise I will never catch up on the cheerleading 😉😉 You have been very busy 👏 & thanks for reminding me that I need to sort out the annual birthday cards - I have usually written January, February & March birthday cards by the end of December 😔  What a considerate thing to do - we tend to forget that most CS do not have huge amounts of storage space ☹️ 

D123456789, Don’t you just love it when a new gadget proves its worth 🥳 Absolutely there is room for motivational cleaning after all the whole point of decluttering is to make it easier to clean 😉😉😉😉 Perhaps we can have conversations about the best way to clean certain things 🤔 I will get the ball rolling - what is the best type of cloth to use when wiping down glossy kitchen cupboard fronts? 

Shangaijimmy what a brilliant start to your 2022 decluttering campaign 👏 And what a great idea to count days 🥳 Very pleased to see that MrsSJ is on board - far easier to keep the motivation high when you have support 👏

AnimalTribe, The ideas are coming thick & fast & it seems like you have taken GrannyKate’s reminder of ‘like with like’ has set you on the path to successful & sustainable decluttering 👏🥳 

SeekingFlight what a pain re the house move 😖 but your perseverance has paid off 👏Sorry to hear that your partner has long term health issues but pleased that she is doing what she can. Try not to get too stressed about disposing of all the clutter before you move - I know it is easier said than done but you are already setting out a plan of attack 👏 Hopefully your new home has a spare room where you can store items/boxes  until you are ready to tackle them. Regrettably I have no advice as the last time I moved was over 20 years ago 😂 

The train is certainly barrelling along vulpix - hopefully as everyone gets settled in we can settle into a slightly more sedate pace, keeping our decluttering motivation steady for the whole year 🤞 Remember we are all probably slightly jealous of you as a maintenance declutterer 😉 It is always nice to hear when someone loves their work & MrV definitely loves his 🙂 Perhaps MrV can become a teacher - there is definitely an art to being a good DJ & it would be nice if he could share some of that knowledge 🙂 Keeping everything crossed that the councillor can resolve the issue with the wall 🤞

Oh bother GrannyKate ☹️ What a bad start to the year for DS1 & family. Hopefully DGS2 will only have a mild version & the holiday can be rearranged 🤞Great work on the financial decluttering 👏

Excellent work shabbychic12 👏 especially dealing with a cupboard of Doom 🙂

The cake sounds delicious TheCraftyForager 😋 Surely it counts as 3 😉

Be back in a little while.

MrsSD  🏅 

Decluttering Target: 17/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Jan

StickyTheStickInsect

Happy New Year everyone xx

@bit_by_bit Congratulations on the new Grandbabies.

@mothernerd I’m sorry to hear about your Mum.

@EnergyShifter I’m glad to hear your son had a good time, hopefully a little less worry for you.

The loft clear out continues, there are now only 8 boxes left in the loft to be moved downstairs (the loft was full when we started in August) and sorted out. I’m still sorting through the ones we brought down on New Year’s Eve and have managed to empty a couple so far. We’ve hoovered and cleaned the loft, DH fixed the broken boarding and we have a carpet off-cut where the suitcases will go when they come back from storage and an old rug nailed down over the newly fixed boards. It’s given me somewhere clean to sit and sort stuff in the loft, so I can carry on doing bits when DH is away when I can’t get stuff up and down the ladder on my own.

I also had a bit of a stealthy sort out of the children’s toys whilst they were in bed.

So my first numbers of the year 😃

1 bag of fabric recycling dropped off.

3 bags to the charity shop (1 books, 1 children’s clothes, 1 household bits), plus a coat hanger stand (which I’ll call half a bag).

Two tins of baby formula to our local charity supporting families in need.

All collected via our local FB freebie site, 2 bags of adults fancy dress, 2 bags of coat hangers, 1 bag of Christmas lights, children’s games and puzzles, an adult puzzle, photo frame, some kids lights, a new Lego set and a large book about Britain at War. Equalling 7.5 bags. I’ve got more listing but yet to be collected.

I also sold a babygate on FB marketplace so it’s clutter gone but I won’t account for it in my numbers as because I sold it and didn’t donate it or give it away, I’ll add it to the £2022 in 2022 money challenge.

More boxes and a tip run to do tomorrow. It’s the last day DH has off work, so it will slow down a lot when I don’t have anyone to herd the small people so I can get stuff done.

11.5/52 bags

Stay safe xxx

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

I think I need to tackle the cheerleading on a person by person basis rather than a page by page basis 😉 so here goes.

So very sorry to hear about the death of your daughter Black_Saturn. I am sending both you & your son lots of hugs but wish I could do more.. 

Well done on the decluttering 👏 

Blackberrycurved so lovely to see original features being kept rather than being destroyed 👏 Perhaps all of us who would like to declutter a ‘few’ pounds can meet up in the TLC Carriage & discuss tactics 🤔 Good luck with the 1p Challenge & hopefully your Emergency Fund can be built up quickly & then not be needed 🤞Well done on the electronic decluttering - I assume you have noticed a pick up in speed 👏 Pleased to hear that setting out a plan is helping you to feel less overwhelmed 🙂

Of course you are allowed on board wort 👋 there is always room for a maintenance declutterer - gives the rest of us something to aspire to 🙂 We do have access to buffet cars but a tea trolley might be nice 😊 & you could dispense decluttering tips with the cups of tea 😉👏 “Like with Like” seems to be the way to go 🤔

Excellent decluttering Thrifty_Taylor 👏 I think I would stick to your original target - it will keep the motivation high should RL raise its ugly head & try to stop you decluttering 😉 

Foofoopuppy what excellent tips for SeekingFlight 👏  The cabinet sounds lovely - Mr Puppy is very lucky 🙂

nannywindow like you I have high hopes that we will all keep each other travelling along the track to clutter free homes 🙂 This year I think we have all given a lot more thought to planning our decluttering strategies 🤔 The wealth of experience here is phenomenal & everyone is so supportive that I think 2022 is The Year of the Declutterers 😁 Excellent decluttering & several smiles crossed my face reading about the DGC 😂 Sorry to hear about your old school friend ☹️ “Dame Salad Dodger” has a nice ring to it but sadly I don’t have the clothes to go with such a grand title 🤣 Maybe it is something I could aspire to 🧐 

I like your thinking Floss 😂

Great work Guineapigsqueaks 👏 You have been very busy & perhaps you could count all the laundry once it is folded & put away 😉

What an excellent decluttering session charlies_tribe 👏 Very pleased to see that various family members are pitching in - definitely makes it easier if everyone is on the same decluttering page 🙂

A very successful day of decluttering Suffolksue 👏 What a great idea to keep the hampers & wooden trays for a planned future use 🙂 In this instance Justin is very welcome to stay 😉 Your previous decluttering has meant that you have a suitable place to store them - as long as you remember where when it comes to using them 😉 only joking 🙃 Where else would melamine crockery go 😉 keeping items in a suitable place whilst a decision is reached is always allowed 👏 

oceanspirit very pleased to see that you & I are on the same wavelength when it comes to the melamine crockery 😉 The Quarantine Box is such a great idea 👏 does one have to set a time limit? The ideas are coming thick & fast 🙂 two great ideas for dealing with sentimental items - thank you for sharing them oceanspirit 👏 Great work on organising the little bedroom - a place for everything 🙂

mothernerd as you say every bag out is win along the way to a clutter free home 👏 Please don’t tire yourself out going up & down the stairs 😟 Excellent numbers by the way 👏 Rather sad to hear that your mum is struggling but as several others have mentioned she is in the right place. My thoughts are with you & your family. 

Well done getting started on your accounts for your Tax Return, EnergyShifter 👏 Don’t you feel so much better 😉 When done you can count it as at least 3 😉 if not more 😉😉

Welcome aboard The EDT kingfisher500 👋 The tipping point for reaching the decision that it is time to declutter is different for each of us but somehow it always surprises us 🤔 However you have taken steps one & two - deciding to declutter & finding us, your fellow declutterers 👏 Plus you have not let the grass grow under your feet - one bag & one box of clutter already sorted 👏 What an excellent start 🥳

Oh dear vulpix & MrV was doing so well 😔  

Now that EnergyShifter is tackling accounts perhaps it will spur you on to start your accounts TheCraftyForager 😉😉

I hope you are feeling better Fairy_Shazza 🤞you can pop along to The TLC Carriage for a sit down 🙂 Please do not underestimate the benefits of digital/electronic decluttering 🙂 It is still decluttering 👏 

Excellent work TheCraftyForager 👏 With the amount of stuff sorted & disposed of you must have oodles of space 🙂 Very pleased that you are rewarding yourself with a bit of crochet 🙂👏 

SeekingFlight I see you are a seasoned declutterer - well done on using the Marie Kondo method 👏 Unfortunately clutter is very sneaky & we have to keep a constant guard against it returning 😔 Keep up the good work 👏

Gem-gem you are definitely on a roll with your decluttering 👏 and added to that you are building memories & keeping clutter out 🥳

Wow Finstickle, talk about catching them young 😂 Nice to see you have a team working on the decluttering 🙂 👏

Well said balabooberlies 👏 digital decluttering is definitely the way to go if physical decluttering is not an option for whatever reason 🙂

Excellent work TC77 👏 especially making progress on a frog 👏

And a Happy New Year to you & your family, leelad. Lovely to see you aboard - I hope you found your seat 🙂 the one next to it is for your daughter & I have booked your wife into the TLC Carriage for a spa day 😉 What an excellent start to your 2022 decluttering campaign 👏

ilovetea, I agree the train is getting busy but fortunately not crowded as we have collected a couple more carriages 😉 Btw you are on track to meet your target of 2022 👏 I have lost track of those of us who want to lose a few pounds this year 😔 but you are welcome to join us 🙂

A very productive day florianatwobob 👏 Not too sure I would be happy if the ironing basket had been refilled 😉

Sorry to hear that you have picked up another virus Foxy_Socks ☹️ but you have still managed some Excellent decluttering 👏 Very interesting thoughts about those items we talk ourselves out of decluttering 🤔 I bit the bullet on glasses a couple of years ago - halved the number 🙂 However, I am now thinking that I might revisit the ones I kept  - none of the 3 of us tend to drink at home even though it is cheaper than going to the pub 🙄 I think I see a further cull 😉

Excellent decluttering of the loft, StickyTheStickInsect 👏 & I did smile at “the stealthy sort out of the children’s toys whilst they were asleep” 😂 You definitely have the bit between your teeth 11.5 bags out of a 52 bag target 🤩 At this rate you might very well receive the first gold star of 2022 🥳

And breath - I have caught up 🥳 

MrsSD  🏅 

Decluttering Target: 17/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Jan

Blackberrycurved

Excellent cheerleading MSD maybe you should do it weekly Sundays or some other day that we travellers will look forward to only if the train is becoming too busy. It is a big task to answer every post. X

Starting a morning routine today as I can feel myself slipping into winter blues. 

*Decluttered head morning meditation 7 mins. 

* Decluttering lbs as a stretch class booked at 10. 

Baxtersmum

Blackberrycurved said:

Excellent cheerleading MSD maybe you should do it weekly Sundays or some other day that we travellers will look forward to only if the train is becoming too busy. It is a big task to answer every post. X

Starting a morning routine today as I can feel myself slipping into winter blues. 

*Decluttered head morning meditation 7 mins. 

* Decluttering lbs as a stretch class booked at 10. 

⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ I second this, I was just thinking about how Fab MrsSD is but if we’re not careful with her she’ll run out of steam and the train might derail xx 

villagelife

I agree MrsSD does a superb job.

14-19 magazines to recycling. Have caught up with some reading over this festive period.
20-21 holey socks.
22 a sponge bag
23 a face mask - I will never wear it again.
24 a box recycled
25 ribbon
26-28 compostable bags to the compost bin rather than cluttering up a cupboard.
29 a broken test which is beyond repair
Will aim to do more today before back to work tomorrow which will get in the way I am sure.

TC77

Mrs SD thank you for superb cheer leading. The getting rid of abundance is hard.
Query re tumblers for wine - absolutely fine for red wine and white wine if slow drinkers can get warm which is where the stem comes in useful .
I used to.collect coloured and vintage glass so.despite getting rid of probably 30/40 glasses and cups/ saucers last year prob have over 60 glasses plus sundae dishes and cups and saucers. Red and green for Xmas entertaining etc. Of course I haven't entertained for years except a handful of friends. Will tackle in the summer.  Of best way of deciding if you luke something is to wear it or use it. Putting on that dress you don't wear but keep reminds you that it isn't comfy etc. Glasses are in kitchen,  dining room, living room and my study! Have feeling there may be more  in boxes on kitchen units! 
Hey ho onwards

Dithering_Dormouse

Good morning all!

This thread goes so fast I don't think I can keep up with it. I'm sure I was reading it yesterday and it was on 14 pages and this morning it's on 24! Think I will just have to dip in each week to report what I've achieved, otherwise I'll spend all my time reading it rather then actually clearing any clutter! From what I have read:

Princess Kitty - wouldn't it be lovely to have the whole house 'embarrassment free' and not to panic at the thought of someone coming to visit?

Suffolk Sue - so glad you found your DH's ipad - it must have some lovely memories on it.

I like the idea of having the kitchen clean and tidy when I go in there in the morning, so I washed up and tidied on New Year's Day (lots of clutter still in the corners but much better than it was) and did the same again yesterday evening. Long may it continue!

Have decided to focus on decluttering my bedroom as DS1 and DDIL will probably visit again toward the end of the month (normally I go to them). Read about the idea of clearing one square foot at a time somewhere once, so will do that. I started with trying to clear off the chair in my bedroom and accidentally cleared another area, just so I could reach the chair! So far have cleared out 14 things - mostly destined for the charity shop, but some edibles to go to work and one or two things that might be sellable. Incidentally, does anyone have any luck with places like Ziffit? When I've looked in the past they've only offered about 10p or 25p for almost new books, which hardly seems worth the effort.

Thanks - will update again  next week!

Vascodakarma

Baxtersmum said:

Vascodakarma said:

🥳🥳🥂🥂 happy New Year! 

my goal for the year is to continue decluttering according to the Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, and to raise £2022 to be spent on future experiences,  rather than tied up in memorabilia from someone else’s  past. 

Oh my, that sounds interesting, tell us more about Swedish Death Cleaning

Hi Baxter‘s mum – sorry I didn’t get back to you. I’m all over the place - incredibly distractable 🤪😂

Dostadning - or the Death Purge - is a Swedish tradition where older people do a massive physical (and often, mental declutter). Primarily to relieve younger members of their family of the stress and sadness having to deal with mountains of memorabilia and grief, it also serves as a rite of passage into the 3rd Age. Unburdened by possessions and dependants, it’s a new phase of life - looking outward instead of inward! 

If you missed my journey last year, I had this really good therapist . . .  😂😂 

It’s a long story 😂😂 


Greetings, Mrs SD. Hope all is well 😃 I’m like a little butterfly flitting all over the place in this whole new space I’ve created! FantasyMe is loving it! I was so excited about my luxury cruise but, that remains on hold for now - i’ve caught the hiking bug, big time! I’ve got 8 weeks to sort out how to spend my time in Lisbon - definitely less art galleries and more outdoors! If I can climb an active volcano in a snowstorm, I can manage some gentle scenic walking 😂😂 (I got carried away and booked  the wrong volcano tour) 🤪😂😂🤦‍♀️