2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

teachergirl

Well the last few days have not gone as planned. Had big dump trip planned for Thursday, then packing Friday(going to the Dorset house with my sister to see what furniture she wants etc etc).  I walk my elderly dogs round the very small block every morning.  The little one saw a cat and went for it. Obviously didn't get anywhere near it as on lead etc etc. Then she had a funny turn...she just stood still and it was like she couldn't move. We were on the front lawn so I let her off the lead and opened the door and after a few moments she came in. She didn't eat any breakfast and just lay down and her breathing was very shallow. I really thought it was it. I put her on her favourite sofa and just sat with her...it was very peaceful. After an hour my vet had opened so I phoned and they said take her immediately. She was given Oxygen and an X ray. Her heart was huge, the vet thinks maybe it had been leaking into the cavity around it for ages and the excitement of the cat had caused a massive bleed. She recommended she was PTS 😢  I asked for a few moments....during which she revived a bit.  then I couldn't make the decision so after checking she wasn't in pain or suffering. (no to both) I said I would take her home with the option to bring her back at anytime . She was given a diuretic and a painkiller(no evidence of pain but just in case) . Vet said it could be anytime. So spent the day with a friend planning our holiday and watching her like a hawk.

Short version......she is eating, drinking and jumping on the sofa like there was nothing wrong🤷‍♀️ I mean I know the X ray couldn't lie , she is elderly but glad I didn't do it there and then. I have booked an appointment with the vet for when I get back from Dorset, so if she is still here we can make a plan.

So yesterday when I felt happier leaving her I filled the car with some of the bits from the side of the house, wood, plastic etc, some very old shears with woodworm, two bags of garden rubbish, an old desk top that I had tried to free cycle, all the cardboard from the garage.  and took it to the dump On the front seat I put a load of items I had tried to sell on marketplace but hadn't gone and gave them to my local charity shop.

Today I will have to do some packing, and I am already planning how I can move things around in my garage so I have even more space before doing more decluttering when I get back from Dorset. Hopefully I will do some decluttering in the Dorset house whilst I am there. there are lots of old tools which I will get my sister to bring back as she lives near the place where they take them to be restored to go to Africa.

Those of you with rain please please send some to the  South East.  My lovely garden is looking browner and browner, despite me spending ages watering every day😢

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Lost my post 😡  so will be back later 😔

mhagster

Hello! Just had a hot shower and comfies on…I ain’t going back out today! 

Round to mums this morning. Did a clean sweep of what was left. Most of it in my car. And in the garage. There’s maybe one tip runs worth left inside and stuff that can go in a box to come round here. Then all that needs to go out is 2 beds. I had a cry. As it’s almost empty inside. Almost 10 weeks of almost daily clearing and I’m almost there ( my goal is this Friday) 

Back round with the pressure hose and after a false start and a few tries at different connectors with NDN finally got started. I’ve hosed 37 square slabs. Was absolutely filthy ( hence shower in the middle of the afternoon) many more to go but that was a start and took me about 2 hours! 

Emptied a few more tubs into the garden bin ( and that’s it nearly full again but that’s the stuff I can’t manage to get into bags) and started pruning the bushes in front garden to make them a bit tidier. 

Chap from a neighbouring street went by with his dog, Hello said I in passing, he said ‘ did the old lady that lived  here die?’ Tad direct…yes, my mum. Oh your mum. I’d see the carers going in , chap sat at the window looking like he was waiting for the day shift to go in. I have no idea what he’s talking about! All I can think of is the week after mum died and BIL was here?? Anyway he was way off with his assumptions.  We had no carers. I was the person who cared for mum. Just me…still doing it now! But what a weird conversation and had the chap down the road with the black car been to see me yet as his sister wants to live in this area? Eh, no! And cheerio! 

Anyway I have since decluttered 2 ice-lollies when I got in! 

So there’s a pile dumped downstairs when I got in this morning so need to sort it out. Set of old fashioned scales and about 20 little brass weights that I need to clean and find a home for. A pile of towels that can go for a wash. 

Some Tupperware tubs that can go to work and a pile of tea towels too.

3 big things found homes for. One dropped off and another picked up this afternoon and another will be picked up through the week. 

Hope you are all having a nice weekend 😊

QueenJess

Now I’m back I’m busy decluttering the big freezer again (the small one is ridiculously effective now I’ve defrosted it!). I also decluttered three small packets of duck food with DD this morning.

When DD was asleep today I went a bit mad and ran round all DD’s toys getting rid of some and putting a couple of boxes worth into the attic. Made DH help me though 😀. Hopefully it will look much better now, but still have DS’s stuff to wade through and all the stuff I am getting rid of is cluttering up my library .. it looks like the room of doom again, but I have listed every single item so am hoping they will all disappear within a week.

2637-45 - baby toys
2646-48 - kids colouring/sticker books
2649-57 - kids craft stuff
2658 - paperwork
2659-61 - duck food
2662-65 - huge plastic boxes (don’t need them if I have less stuff!)
2666-2720 - kids toys

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Hi all

Yesterday I donated a bag of 12 magazines via Fb to a lady who wanted them for the care home where she works.  She's been messaging me since tuesday saying she'd collect and i kept leaving them outside but she didn't show - turned out she was in hospital!  Nothing serious but she collected them last night.  
Just spent 10 minutes shredding more paperwork and putting shredded paper into empty cat boxes for the recycling bin.
Found a tin of woodstain in the garage and a paintbrush so put one coat of stain on my garden chair. 
Back not too bad now thank you Mrs S_D 

love Deni x  

weenancyinAmerica

Friday and Saturday jobs:

Big frog done - package off to ex-roommate in Missouri (first of several to go - about 5 or 6 more to follow)
30 DVDs to library
Box of people food and case of dog food to associate minister's family
Box of books ready for niece and nephews - to give to their grandmother tomorrow along with another box or two of stuff
Another box of books ready for used bookstore
Two bags of kitchen trash out
Getting there a little at a time 

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 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. Declutter/Relocate one item every time I stand up.

5. Don’t put it down, put it away

6. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Try again 🤞 Friday was another hot sunny day. Went a bit off piste re the tasks list. 5th load of washing put on whirligig, dried & folded. Sewing repairs done - several pairs of knickers & a T-shirt. Put in an extra line of elastic in holiday skirt as it kept falling down 😉 Then the sewing job that took forever - DH’s tailored shorts were too tight round his knees - that was my Friday frog 😉. I unpicked the outside (closed) seam of each leg for about 2.5” then tidied up to prevent tearing. DH tried them on & can now bend his knees, sit down etc quite comfortably 👏 Wrote a 4 day menu plan & shopping list then sent DH to sm after he had finished watching MotoGP practice sessions. He also posted letters & birthday cards as well as filling up with petrol. Dinner for DH & DSis was the 2nd half of their Chinese. I had a sandwich. Wudupa. Cleared down 15 episodes of Downton Abbey 😥 

1155 - 1163 Kitchen recycling, newspaper, booklet, magazine, 5 plastic takeaway boxes & lids - recycled 
1164 - 1165 Kitchen detritus, pair of Sunday knickers - binned

Saturday was another glorious summers day but temperatures finally falling to pleasant rather than hot 🙂 Less busy today - started emptying & putting away contents of last suitcase; did my hand washing in a bucket - skirt, 2 dresses & 2 cloth face masks - out on whirligig to dry. Washing & rinsing water used to water pots - very MSE 😉 Stained white beach shirt currently soaking. Also created space in a cupboard by clearing out some old magazines. Dinner was salad - I laid everything out & we helped ourselves. Wudupa. Today I cleared down all episodes of Heartbeat & The Control Room. 

1166 - 1180 Kitchen recycling, cardboard packaging, phone book, 12 magazines - recycled
1181 - 1182 Kitchen detritus, plastic packaging - binned

QueenJess, a very stressful & exhausting “test” holiday 😥 but as you say you have survived it 👏 

Any chance of a bit of child free time to relax & recharge your batteries 🤞Good luck with the toy decluttering 🍀 Sounds like a great idea to involve DS in the decluttering process - hopefully it will help him keep his room tidy & you can continue impacting your wisdom re quality not quantity 🤞 Re the grandparents, it sounds like you are fighting a losing battle 😔 I sort of understand them buying toys as distance precludes frequent visits but rather sad that they won’t/can’t understand your point of view. Apart from buying a good quality toy for any of our nieces/nephews or great nieces & nephews, we have gone down the route of putting money in savings accounts & sending birthday cards. No clutter or perhaps inappropriate toys for the parents to worry about 😉 Good work on unpacking & dealing with half the holiday stuff 👏 & a medal 🏅 for sorting the kids desk tidy 👏 Have to say that I don’t think your DH understands minimalism 😉 Wishing you great success in your campaign to declutter toiletries - hopefully DH will get on board 🤞Excellent work decluttering the freezer & DD’s toys 👏 Even better that you got DH involved 😉 maybe he will start to understand how stressed all the clutter makes you feel 😔 

Great idea Floss - toy rotation 👏

Excellent decluttering mhagster, it must be almost done now 👏 I will NOT be telling you off for the birdbath reclamation 😉 as if I had space in my garden I would have probably done the same as you 😂 You have worked so hard on decluttering your mum’s home that I am not surprised that now that it is almost ‘an empty house’ you were overcome with emotion. Patio cleaning is such a messy job so must have been a real relief to shower & change 😊 What a very bizarre conversation 😣 & a tad creepy re the mention of a black car 😬 Excellent work on getting 3 big items decluttered 👏

No telling off 2Scratters 😉 I only ‘wag my finger’ when people don’t take care of themselves emotionally & physically 🙂 

Sounds like excellent progress is being made with the plastering florianatwobob 🙂 Please, please take care with climbing the stairs until the banister is re-sited 🙏 Good luck with the snagging list 🍀

So sorry to hear about all your worry over the little dog, teachergirl 😔 but glad that she has rallied 🙂 Everything crossed that she continues to rally & you can relax a little. Excellent decluttering 👏
& good luck with the Dorset house decluttering 🍀 My rain dance doesn’t seem to be working yet 😔

Deni_debt-free_dreamer, oh dear poor lady but at least the magazines are gone now. Pleased to hear that your back is getting better 🙂

Excellent amount of decluttering weenancy 👏 one medal 🏅 on its way re the frog 👏  Has the husky been rehomed or was the donated crate of dog food something that husky wouldn’t eat?

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅🥇 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 1182/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Running Total £228.22

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

835 & 6 .   2 x Opticians - referred for cataract op
837-840    Potted up some lovely geraniums
841 -         Cleaned out a wheelie bin
842           Wheelie bin full of shed 

Happy to report some very good (non-decluttering related news).  Some of you will remember that this time last year my DS suffered a psychotic episode and was sectioned.  He is 6 months med free now and thankfully doing well.  We went to the clinic this week and the psychiatrist is so pleased with him they are expecting to discharge him from the service early - at the end of the year.  I express just how grateful I am feeling right now.  🙏 .  We had a wonderful day out yesterday at the Coast to celebrate  

Thank you all for the support you played during the darkest times.   

843.  Caught up with replying to emails.

GrannyKate

Good news re DS @EnergyShifter

Slowly recovering from Covid but it knocks you for six.  Found myself home alone for the weekend so done extra washing of various bed covers and cushions and reorganised study yet again.  Tumble drier has decided to die on me but fault seems to be simply fixed according to google so DS to do that this week.  Taking DGCs away for a few days then I have DB's funeral the following week.  

1015 various cards posted
1016 general tat and garden rubbish binned
1017 tat from garage binned and some tidying done
1018 waterproof cot sheet to CS bag
1019 excess of tea lights to CS bag
1020 unworn shorts to CS bag
1021 baby pillow binned
1022 energy saving lightbulb to special bin at tip
1023 large bag of dolls and dolls clothes to CS
1024 another bag of stuff to CS shop
1025 mixed plastics to sm bin
1026 random cardboard to tip

QueenJess

Today I attacked DD’s clothes and books as well as starting DS’s clothes. DS’s clothes need to be stored for DD and DD has a whole heap of books to store and swap out as needed. I currently have nowhere to store these items and they are cluttering up the room of doom. Will need to make a plan for these items..

There is so much to do that I think I’m going to be drowning in items very soon. Luckily I have two pick ups today and I am listing things as soon as I get rid of them. DS was also very decisive on his clothes and instantly said “yes” or “no” as to whether he wants to keep them. It was impressive. 

DD’s stuff is all done now in theory, but I still feel like there is a bit much there. I think I’ll treat it like round one and come back in a while to see if there is more. We can also see if she plays more now she has less there.

Anyway, lots decluttered today, but there is still tons to get through. May do a little bit more later.

2721-22 - cardboard boxes
2723 - medical supplies
2724 - kids toys
2725-26 - kids crafts
2727-56 - baby clothes
2757-62 - muslin cloths
2763-67 - kids books
2768 - packaging
2769-70 - curtain tie backs
2771-76 - kids clothes
2777-97 - broken Lego bricks