2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

bit_by_bit

GeorgianaCavendish said:

6. Sorted out a big stack of old paperwork. Anything printed single-sided has gone into my scrap paper box (I get through this very quickly) and double-sided printing has gone in the shredder if confidential and recycling if not. 
7. Shifted a couple of old textbooks 

I used to do this but I have that many notebooks that I have just put the lot into recycling except stuff with names and details on. I have an ongoing bag for that to be shredded.

Great advice @skogar. My Sis died intestate but had a artner. I applied for letters of administration but everything took so long. Partly because I was to exausted to be 'on it' consistently. Better if a will ha been made in the first place.

WOW on the emails BBB 

Sooooo. A busy few days: DH and DD are both back at their desks now. I have really enjoyed the last few days sorting the upstairs, placing like with like etc. 

As there were two rooms to sort I started on the craft room: All the bags with mixed contents emptied and sorted into the right place or pile. Wool in the wool cupboard etc. I then started on the spare room as there was a set of draws I wanted in the craft room as the draws that are in there take a lot of space and DD is taking them when she leaves home; that may be in the next month.

I have not finished yet but have turfed out a bag for the CS, a bag of recycling and a bag of rubbish. Also several file boxes full of scrap paper consisting of OOD handouts from work, research material from nursing and backs of letters sorted and recycled or put for shredding.

The next tasks are to sort though paperwork from nursing. I have years and years worth of folders to get rid of.
I found more blankets to finish and a bag of knitted cushions to deconstruct.
There is a box of mixed craft stuff to place as well as the draws that are to go need emptying.
All jewellery now together needs sorting and  donating or selling.
I have three baskets of ornaments (mostly blue and white) so they will need sorting and decisions need to be about which are to go to the CS.
All stuff to sell is in one place.
Birthday and christmas bags and wrapping all together but need to be separated and a location for them decided on. Acessible but out of the way. I won't be buying any more for sometime.

This is not an exhaustive list but broken down it isn't too bad. 

Right now for another hour of work before  setting down with my crochet.

In another week I may be in a position to use the craft room for what it was intended and the spare room will actually be ready to decorate.

Fizz2015

Wow, this thread moves fast! Been a busy week, spend New Year's at my parents. Monday packed away all decorations which resulted in sorting the cupboard under the stairs and some items decluttered. Had to buy a new freezer, unpacked it and had a fault, a few phone calls later agree to collect and replace the item but no email confirmation yet (been 3 days). Will deal the freezer frog first thing tomorrow. 

Couple days working from home with DD for company. She is now back at school 😄Then today I decluttered money and vouchers on getting my hair done. It is my birthday so thought I deserved it! 

Decluttering has been done alongside real life. To declare
1-20 Left over goodies to OH work colleagues.
21-25 - old boxes to recycling 
26 - old trainers to be recycled
26-40 - outgrown clothes and others items to Charity pile. 
40-50 - deleted 4000 emails from old personal  email account.

No purchases (except freezer and food have entered the house). I have been to 2 supermarkets and never shopped so quickly to avoid temptation. 

Birthday gifts were mainly cash, a coat I choose, perfume and a beautiful orchid.

Tomorrow I need to deal with the freezer frog phonecall, declutter a few parcels to recipients, sort work paperwork and declutter work emails. 

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

147. Faulty fairy lights
148. Storage bag
149. shoe box previously used for storage.
150. Replaced buttons on a cardi with much funkier ones

I've been soooo tired today - had a long break over lunch as something got cancelled and went to bed for a power-nap instead of doing anything - and I needed it!  So I didn't get anything done today other than my morning routine and I also went for a walk with DS (I try to walk at least 10k steps every day but don't record that as its an established habit now)

151, Morning routine 6/100

@craftyforager - I have followed your advice and not been hard on myself for scheduling my accounts for the weekend.
@Mrs SD - will definitely do them at the weekend - it's my birthday at the end of next week and I don't want them to be hanging over my head then. Deadline is 31st.  
@Bala - well done on getting one of your big frogs done.  Extending you a virtual handhold for the other one - I sometimes find it helpful to remind myself "it's just information" when I have things like that to do.  (including stepping on the scales if I haven't for a week  )

  

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Evening
Some decluttering achieved - broken plastic tub and plastic spoon binned; old lanyard in CS bag; soggy pair of old rubber gloves left in the garden now binned; battered boxes broken up and put in recycling bin - were used for Xmas decs but have arranged stuff much better in some plastic tubs so can get rid of old boxes.
Kitchen nice and tidy and off to bed
love Deni

thriftwizard

I took that bag of fabric down to the seaside Emporium today, after visiting my mother in her care home there. Plus two 70s fringed bedspreads & a matching curtain, and a stunning marble-based lamp that I love, but is totally impractical in this household, so was just taking up space. Need to tackle the garage next; my upholsterer friend couldn't look after the chairs whilst making the new cushions, as the key to her store room has gone AWOL, so the chairs will have to stay out there for now, and it's currently rammed. Hopefully two bin-bags of excess yarn, fabric, fibre etc. will be going off to the Scrapstore tomorrow afternoon, but that will still leave us with waaay Too Much! 

I did cull the Christmas decorations yesterday; we've gone from 7 boxes and two bags to 4 boxes and one bag, and Freecycled the biggest box with all the rejects in for someone else to have fun with - a lot of it was suitable for re-use, re-making or upcycling. A lady picked them up this morning. A few broken bits ended up in the bin. The cards have been made into gift tags for next year & the remains recycled; with 10 "immediate" family (ourselves, 5 offspring, two partners and one baby) a lot of tags are needed! The tree has been cut into kindling and sturdier wood to be seasoned & burnt in a couple of years, though I was eyeing it up as a possible bean or squash support at the allotment.

So the next step will be asking DD1 whether her charity shop is in need of books; there are two crates of books out in the garage that could go, sorted out before the pandemic but never taken. That's the space the chairs need to be stored in...

mothernerd

No figures for today (will count later) but 2 bags of toiletries/ most needed items taken to the food bank, Huge bag of mum's pills dropped in at the pharmacy (took out the aspirin, eardrops and such like this morning). Nipped into mum's bank to sort out what I need to do (and see if they can arrange to pay for the funeral from mum's account). Called in at 3 charity shops to ask what they are taking/ most needed. Could have done more shops but was thoroughly soaked so spent money for the first time this year I spent money - on 2 hot pies and they had carrot cake on the shelf.

Went home, took off my wet clothes and ate. Was hoping to do the Citizens Advice but library was only open for another hour and the forms are long and complicated, so returned 4 library books and picked another 4. Spent some time gathering stuff together (including emptying, washing and packing 4 milk bottles to return - only left a message asking the milkman not to leave any for a week as mum was in hospital). Wanted a few items from the stationer's but it's next to the bus station and it was time for hordes of teenagers to descend from school buses and colonise the town centre so decided to leave it for a while.

Read then felt sleepy so unpacked my CPAP machine - had decided it would be easier to stay at mum's overnight and do a little bit now and then and make a start on washing couch and chair covers and bedding, dry it over the weekend and pack what I can off to the charity shop on Monday - DS2 and his gf are coming and can move carloads. 

Instead I slept for a good few hours. Had a message on my phone from mummy of twins who will pick me up and help me tomorrow afternoon. If I sleep again soon I could be awake early and will get a taxi to mum's before the milkman calls (will phone mummy of twins to say I'm already there, if I do this). I could always have another little nap afterwards, if needed. Everything but my CPAP machine is already packed.

I have thrown down some things for washing, picked up the paper and can recycling (brought the emptied paper sack up earlier), unpacked the phone charger and put the phone to charge, had my teatime pill and eaten 1.5 scones (4 in the pack but the exposed ones were hard and one was crumbled - sorry for the food waste but I'm not gluing the crumbs together with spread). Only ate as a precaution, not terribly hungry but don't want to wake at 4 am, ravenous and shaking.  

Time for another sleep. I am resting a lot (not much choice when I keep falling asleep) and eating regularly. If I'm not in time for the milkman I will do the CAB thing in the morning and start applying for money.

gilly1964

Arrrrgh lost my post, does that count as decluttering?

short_bird

80-94: items to bin or recycling
95-99: documents deleted from hard drive
100-109: 10 GB data deleted from hard drive and memory stick.  

There's a lot of small bits going out but don't forget each one's a decision...
5 no spend days so far this year. 

Marpau

bit_by_bit don't know if this will work for you but I store my gift bags and wrapping paper in a clear suit cover which hangs in the wardrobe in spare room with winter coats

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 hadn’t realised the time - so cooked dinner: roasted tomatoes & mushrooms, fried bacon, black pudding (for DH & me) & eggs + baked beans 😋 Wudupa. Have done 4 of 5 things today so tomorrow’s list is 6 tasks.

32 - 35 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, paper packaging, cardboard box -  recycled 
36 Kitchen detritus binned 

Back to cheerleading 😉

Still going strong mothernerd - 86 items is a massive number 👏 Pleased to hear that you have had a 2nd -ve result & are now out of quarantine. It means that you can now start getting rid of most of the items you have already sorted which although hard work will put your mind at rest & show how far you have come 🙂 It is also far easier to deal with official matters face to face rather than over the phone. I am also very pleased to hear that you have managed to complete another CBT session - it seems to be helping & is useful as it counts as self care 👏 Well done on eating regularly - the eating healthily will come once you have more time & energy. 

What a thoughtful & supportive post vulpix ☺️ See, posting & writing down your quandary has helped you reach a decision - so well worth posting 👏🙂

dollypeeps, remember cleaning & tidying is decluttering - dust & the stress of seeing ‘stuff’ all over the place 😉 As to the new carpets, it might be better to start the ball rolling now - decide which rooms, measure & choose your carpets. Then if you can afford to buy now then do so (especially as there are sales on 👏) after all it will probably be 4 to 6 weeks before the carpet/s are available for fitting 😉 

What a lovely post GeorgianaCavendish full of useful information 👏 Well done on sorting a frog 👏 Never be embarrassed about tackling a frog Georgiana - especially as it was finally dealt with quickly & easily 👏 The strangest things become frogs & when we deal with them it encourages us not to let other tasks turn into frogs 😉 

Great work Baxtersmum 👏 

Nice to see you Gers 👋 Thanks for all the research 👏 Gluten-free seems to be a minefield 😱

What a very interesting conversation about gluten. Thank you for sharing short_bird - it sounds like a flipping nightmare having to check everything 😱😔 

Thanks Floss, the more information shared the better 👏

Great work shangaijimmy 👏 

Thanks Liverpool_Anne 👏 it seems that there are many people who have problems with gluten ☹️

Lovely supportive post bit_by_bit ☺️ As to your decluttering - wow you have been busy 👏 and enjoying it 😉👏 There are few things that give such a sense of accomplishment as successful decluttering 🙂👏 but when you are on a roll with the decluttering and can see the light at the end of the tunnel it is very heartening not only for yourself but for others 🥳 

Belated Birthday Greetings Fizz2015 🥳 Hope you had a lovely day. Excellent decluttering 👏 What a pain re the new freezer 😖 these companies are quick enough to take your money but exceedingly slow in sorting out problems 😡 Sadly the art of customer service is being lost 😞 

Sorry to hear that you have been so tired today EnergyShifter ☹️ but well done on taking a  power-nap 👏 If I miss saying it next week let me wish you an early Happy Birthday 🎂 

What a lovely suggestion on how to look at dealing with a frog 👏 - one medal 🏅 is on its way 🙂

Good work Deni_debt-free_dreamer 👏 especially keeping the kitchen tidy 🙂

Excellent work thriftwizard 👏 I am especially impressed with the culling of Christmas decorations 👏🙂 Hopefully the crates of books will be gone soon & you can store the chairs 🤞

Another very busy day mothernerd 👏 making the most of being out of quarantine 🙂 Very pleased to see that you are continuing to eat regularly and that you are having extended catnaps 👏 

Grr gilly1964 😖 how can I swing it 🤔 how about it counts as decluttering time 😉😉

Good work short_bird 👏 A timely reminder to us all “There's a lot of small bits going out but don't forget each one's a decision...” 

What a great idea Marpau 👏

MrsSD  🏅🏅

Decluttering Target: 36/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Jan £5.00; Feb