2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

vulpix

No, no photo forthcoming. 

QueenJess

stymied said:

@QueenJess we feed cheap bird food to the ducks - they seem to like it

Thanks, that’s another option if it doesn’t get eaten. Today it seems to have been thrown around everywhere, but unsure if it’s actually been eaten yet.

I am still sorting out the bedroom, which is ridiculous considering it isn’t that messy, but there still seems loads to do. I think I know why I started reading some minimalism sites for inspiration now! I still have to, sort out the indoor plants in there (repotting/replacing/moving etc), plant the seedlings outside and then clear up the mess on the window sill, send some clothes back that don’t fit (and order a different size) and mend some jeans and leggings. I would also like to replace the lamp shade on the main light in the room (it was free but is very small and so looks weird), but can’t find anything I particularly like as there’s too much choice… maybe I should go for something simple.

While I was temporarily free of kids for a bit yesterday, I pulled out the box in my wardrobe that has presents for the kids I collect over the year for Xmas/birthdays and sorted it out. Got rid of some stuff on buy nothing I was given for free and won’t ever use, rearranged what was left, opened a couple of parcels to add in there and listed more things on buy nothing (I got a great priced bundle of second hand books even though I knew some were duplicates, so listed the duplicates). I also went through things hidden elsewhere and wrote the Xmas and birthday lists for the kids. I now know exactly what I need to get (not much) and can keep an eye out online for second hand goodies.

I also went through my seed packets and gave away ones which I know I will never use and organised the ones I can still seed outside. I need to sort out my big trug before I can plant out some of the seedlings in the bedroom. Nothing is simple!

So yesterday afternoon I managed to get rid of quite a bit by doing that, plus the odd other thing I found whilst I was tidying:
2207-2215 baby toys not needed
2216-2226 duplicate books
2227-2234 packaging used to wrap up buy nothing stuff
2235-2240 plant labels not needed
2241-2249 seed packets not needed
2250 seed packet recycled (was empty!)
2251-2255 text conversations deleted

teachergirl

May I join your thread? Very late to the party I know but I need inspiration.
Short version my husband died earlier this year and he was a complete hoarder. Truly one of the only things we ever rowed about was his junk. The fact that I had to move stuff ,I don’t want, to get to stuff I do
Fast forward a few months and I have already got rid of some stuff but there is so much more to go. I need help knowing where I might be able to recycle things as I hate the thought of taking stuff to landfill. Obviously now some stuff is too emotional to sort through, but I have found other things such as my mother in laws junk mail, which I know my hubby just put in a box and forgot to deal with. There are other things like our 6 man tent that I would not be able to put up on my own that will have to go when I can find someone to help me get it down to take pictures of.
Have taken down some garden chair cushions today from the loft in the garage and freecycled them. (Loft and garage worst offenders) Now I am going to make myself do 30 minutes in the loft. When I don’t really want to do it I set a timer for 30 minutes and then reward myself with the same amount of time in a good book. Often I get carried away once I get started but find that getting started is the hardest bit.
Reason for doing it…apart from the fact that I hate clutter…if I ever want to move it is going to take ages to sort all the stuff so sooner rather than later would be good.(I don’t currently have any intention of moving)

QueenJess

@teachergirl sorry to hear about your husband. My DH’s parents are hoarders and I dread the day we have to sort that out.

I would start with the stuff that is just rubbish (empty boxes, junk mail etc) or things that are broken as easy wins without any mentally taxing thoughts about them. Anything sentimental definitely leave until last.

I also hate throwing things away. I’ve had a lot of success on eBay over the years, not making a fortune, but more than covering my costs and then I know it’s going to someone that wants it. Plus it uses up packaging lying around. It can soak up lots of time though. Recently I have no time, so I am bunging everything on my local buy nothing group on Facebook. It’s faster, easier and I leave things outside the door for people to pick up. Also you can get rid of stuff you aren’t sure whether someone would buy (and so a charity shop might be out). I often group things together - eg I just got rid of 8 indoor plant pots I know I will never use. Someone snapped them up this weekend and picked them up today.

teachergirl

Thanks @QueenJess we also have stuff in the loft from the in-laws and my parents. Also some boxes whilst containing mostly rubbish will then have important bits and pieces as well ! So basically everything has to be gone through with a fine tooth comb. To be fair he had started sorting the boxes out but ran out of time There are some obvious things that I am leaving for the moment, these have been put into a suitcase or two for another time.
Anyway….todays 30 minutes yielded 3 hold-alls under the bed in the spare room, I am not sure I have ever seen before and a bag probably from school lost property! One now packed for the charity shop two in the bin. Couple of duvet sets for the charity shop and three jumpers I have not worn in a long while……so a good start I think.

Any ideas where I can recycle old mobile phones? Not the kind you could get money for but really old ones, possibly not with chargers.

pollyanna_26

MrsCD. I'm not a regu;ar poster here just the odd post/ I would ike to thank you for your descriptions of all the wonderful places you both visited and the stunning pictures you posted.

I used to dream of visiting Yosemite one day but never did. Your words made it seem so real I felt as thoiugh I'd been there myself.

Truly the holiday of a lifetime.

All those pictures broiught things to life and will perserve the memories for ever.

I've been trying to recover from two rotator cuff tears. I need scans but both hospitals in our NHS trust are very overloaded trying to catch up.

My Dr tried Oral Steroids which didn't help so has switched to injectibles which seem to be making a difference. Often during the night in too much pain to sleep I would look at your thread to see where you'd been that day and felt less stressed when I had..

polyxx

florianatwobob

@teachergirl I put a post on one of our local reuse FB pages asking where I could recycle old (reading) glasses and mobiles. Turns out one of our local charities collects mobiles to raise funds and one of our opticians has a collection bin for old glasses which are then recycled via our local Round Table. 

florianatwobob

Sorted out the Tupperware cupboard. I have now found 2 snack boxes which can go to charity as I’ve upgraded the stash. I think I may have a small addiction to food storage boxes……

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Shuttle bus turned up, dropped off the new arrivals then drove off empty 🤔 😖 DH got the bellhop to order a shuttle which turned up within 5 minutes 👏 We got to LAX 4 hours before our flight & a good job too. It was  utter chaos at BA check in - the early flight 3:35 p.m. passengers had to be corralled together & rushed through check in/baggage drop as the staff were so far behind + the conveyor belt was not working. I think all the passengers made the flight but not so sure about the baggage. When we checked in & dropped off our 3 suitcases & rucksack (after queuing for about an hourthere was a mountain of luggage. I popped out for a cigarette before we braved security but that was actually relatively painless - walked past a sniffer dog then through the scanner - DH had to have a full body scan & a pat down & never worked out why as it wasn’t the metal work in his leg 🙄 Went straight to our Gate after popping into Duty Free. There was a delay boarding & the plane ended up taking off about 40 minutes late. The flight was pleasant enough & I watched 4 films - The Lost City, Spider-Man No Way Home, Eternals & the new West Side Story. No swapping  seats as the plane was full. Arrived back in the U.K. 11:30 a.m. Sunday & that is when everything started to go wrong 😭 After going through Passport Control there was a long trek to Baggage Reclaim, the 2 larger suitcases turned up quite quickly but then DH suggested I go through customs & then outside to have a cigarette. After 35 minutes I was panicking as no sign of DH. A very kind taxi driver waiting for his passengers from the same plane had received a message saying some of their bags were missing & kindly used his phone to call DH so I could speak to him. Our 3rd suitcase & rucksack never appeared 😖 50 minutes after I left DH he appeared with a claim form - which he was assured could be completed online. Our pre-booked cab had left & we needed to order a new one. Give the cab company their due, the new car arrived within 10 minutes 👏🙂 We finally got home 3.5 hours after our plane landed. Went quickly through the 2 suitcases we had & all our camera equipment is in the missing suitcase together with DSis’s wooden carvings. DSis advised that apart from one hot day it had rained every day we were away ☹️ DH then tried to complete the claim form online but the system didn’t work - quelle surprise 🙄 Means that the paper version will have to be hand delivered to the airport tomorrow 👿 We have no idea where our luggage is - so please can everyone keep their fingers, toes etc crossed that they turn up. I am so angry at BA & really quite scared that we have lost all our holiday pictures 😳 as well as the equipment. 

I am signing off now whilst I try to calm down a bit.

MrsSD
868/2022

weenancyinAmerica

So glad you and OH made it home. You may have to go back to the airport and look around for the luggage. We had a church group that flew from LAX to London and then on to the Holy Land - but none of their luggage did. After their two week tour, they flew back to London to fly home and there was their luggage stacked up in a corner. They retrieved their luggage and flew home. Comment from one was it was the first time she had come home and not needed to do laundry! I had had a bag show up a day late and have had luggage delayed going to Northern Ireland as well. In Belfast they told the luggage would be on the next flight - and if we wanted to wait for it, they would pay our taxi fare to Queen's University, since they had to send the luggage that way anyway. So my friend and I spent a couple hours browsing the shops in the airport - and bought a couple bags of books, and then had a free ride to our destination. I only travel with a rolling backpack and a day bag even if I am going to be gone for 5 or 6 weeks - don't trust the airlines.