2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

florianatwobob

@vulpix he did travel quite extensively as he used to work on racing cars all around the world! Now he stays far more local but also works Saturdays on private jobs. 

We actually got out into the front garden to weed it today, the lack of impending ‘strange men’ meant that we could focus on other stuff for a change. Also had a good natter with one of the neighbours and met another ones 12 week old furry friend (a little girl German Shepherd). 

TC77

Last night went to neighbour's book swap, so sharing books we like which is great. Little done here
@shabbychic12 , as long as moving now and again then it's in the right direction. I would love to move in the next couple of year but the thought is too overwhelming. DB and SIL came to pick up the rest of Dniece's things that were here while she was between flats, and SIL reiterated that DB isn't to bring anything in from our dad's house, and grimaced at the idea of DB and me being in charge of clearing a house. Had meant to have tidied before they came, could see even DB looking round at the piles!
Am swapping around summer and winter clothes  - as not decluttered lbs not getting rid of things I could fit in next summer - with a good wind, a few prayers and some motivation if I can hunt it down  

TC77

Totally lost my nos, think it was around 1450 or 1540, so going for 1600 which is very generous but have deleted a lot of photos on my phone, 2 notepads, using the blank sheets to create new notepad with my bulldog clip, some gardening and the bags I donated earlier this week. Unsubscribed from around a dozen things, sorted out some bank things and some paperwork. Arranged home insurance and few other things. 

shabbychic12

TC77 I’ve been here 21 years last 8 without DH(but that’s life) know it’s time now. Luckily mortgage free so should make the move easier 🤞. I need to do it before my next move is in a wooden box 😂. Someone said to me you will know when the time is right to both retire and move and you know what l do.

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

Sunday was another bright dry day but temperatures were definitely down. DH watched the MotoGP races then mowed the front lawn, trimmed our front hedge & ndn hedge + filled the bird feeders. My teeny, tiny spurt of activity was deadheading plants 😔 Dinner was chicken & mushroom risotto. Wudupa.

1541 - 1546 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, 2 plastic takeaway containers, cardboard packaging, glass bottle - recycled 

1547 - 1548 Kitchen detritus, plastic packaging - binned

What a brilliant result from the book sale, weenancy 👏 Oh dear, in the wars again 🤕  Please, please get your roommates to move the furniture 🙏 under your direction 🙂 I will be thinking of you whilst you are watching the funeral. Not sure anywhere is open in the U.K. 😔

GrannyKate, another person in the wars. I hope you are well enough to enjoy your birthday even if it a quiet day🤞 Re the face masks - I still wear them in shops & on public transport. Good decluttering 👏 Not old age just a damaged neck with a headache 😉

florianatwobob, a few weeks off from the decorator will be so relaxing 🙂 Keep up the good work with the decluttering 👏

bit_by_bit, shame that MiL can no longer drive 😞 However I am looking forward to your future posts describing the successful training re grocery shopping & money management 😉 Sounds like you had a busy weekend 👏

vulpix, what a lovely sentiment about The Queen 😊 I do like Cable ties but like you we have a large number but rarely the correct size 🙄 Good decluttering 👏 Thank you for sharing the head teachers memory 👏 it really does put things into perspective & reminds us to be grateful for what we have 🙂

Kiloranbay, I fell off the sofa when I saw this cartoon 🤣 Thank you ☺️ 

Excellent decluttering short_bird 👏

Excellent work EnergyShifter 👏 You should be very proud of yourself ☺️

florianatwobob, I see you are already reaping the benefits of no decorator 😉 Gardening, chatting with neighbours & meeting a new puppy 🐶👏

TC77, great idea to have a book swap 🙂 I think/know I need to join you in the effort to lose a few/many lbs - but I also need to hunt down some motivation 😔 Excellent decluttering 👏

shabbychic12, wise words from whomever it was 🙂 Good luck with both your decluttering & your house search 🍀

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅🥇 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 1548/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Running Total £299.22

Happy_Kitties

I have totally lost track of numbers this year as real life got in the way big time, some highs, many lows and there will be a lot of sadness today☹️.

I’ve just been sending out the big parcels to the charity organiser. Whatever my target was with this I can confidently say I’ve hit it this year as I’ve also sent out extra parcels of goodies to smaller animal charity groups for fundraising and another one is just about to be shipped out.

I haven’t stopped decluttering and I found a recycling collection point for cat sachets🙂We go thru a lot of sachets with the cats so must of taken about 6 big bagfuls so far when I have been in that part of town.
Have been shocking sending birthday presents out this year, but had a great satisfaction of decluttering a lot of birthday presents out last week, some for next month and a couple of late ones (March and June😬).

Been sorting out DDs bedroom, lots of items out with an old office chair waiting to go to the recycling centre. Bag of her old clothes also went to CS last week. So even though i haven’t managed to post and have no idea of numbers, when I am decluttering something I also think I wonder what my total would be so far.
Things that I have found aswell, like goodie bag contents from a party DD must have gone to about 13 years ago, I have fully used into my Christmas shoeboxes  including some small pretty mugs DD never used. I have been quite ruthless this year. While u cannot see a massive difference, I can see a difference. 

A bag of meds no longer used is  leaving the house tomorrow and I’m debating in getting rid of DD bedside cabinet which is old and battered and using a coffee table from downstairs for now as a side table. That will be a project for next week as I have a foot infection so lots of medical stuff this week to deal with ☹️ Very frustrating

Siebrie

I have had a lovely weekend. It started off a bit weird, as I had somehow contracted food poisoning on Thursday, which lasted through Friday. I didn't eat for 2 days. On Saturday we had tickets to the Open Monument day at the military airport and police heliport next to us, off the side of the commercial Brussels Airport. The weather was lovely for the 2 hours we were there and the shows were really interesting and impressive. The small free coach (the bus!) dropped us off at our front door

We had a quick meal and then joined the Family Union (similar to WI, but more family-oriented) puzzle tour of our village. It took us 2,5 hours to finish (to a bowl of delicious pumpkin soup ), and it rained on and off, but we just didn't notice, as we were having way too much fun.

Husband was invited to both events, I had even bought tickets, but he decided to spend his time elsewhere. Daughters were there when I bought the tickets, and when we discussed plans, and when he decided to not join his family. I'm teaching them that you can lead a horse to water, etc., and that however painful it is that he does not chose us, we can still have a grand time.

Out: some old crafts of dds, and a toddler's knees-and-elbows protection set given to the neighbours for their toddler daughter.

BTW: I just needs someplace safe to work through my relationship status; there are not many people in real life I can currently discuss the situation with. The one friend I confided in is pushing me to divorce NOW, and even though I told her to back off, is like a dog with a bone, which is adding unneeded stress. I may be worth more than be in this situation, but I will be worth nothing if I divorce right now. There's no need to comment, although support is welcome.

grandmanerd

I'm back after a very very long absence and a new name (I used to be mothernerd, I'm now grandmanerd - grandma-nerd). The laptop is new and it demanded that I log into all my accounts from scratch, my MSE one is a 'safe' one that no-one can steal, but is also not the sort of thing you remember off the top of your head. I do have a little book with passwords in, but anything relatively small disappears as soon as it leaves my hands (this weekend I found my A5 chunky diary - last used on June 15th). A new name and account seemed the easiest option. My last post was on 10th May and I read along through the American Road Trip.

RL intruded in a big way and sadly some things have come into my house but I have a plan (a very big one so not really daring to mention it) and hope it will come to fruition by the festive season or shortly after.

My ex-husband died in hospital on May 16th. His latest amputation got infected and the doctor's decided a further operation would be too traumatic (he's had a permanent life expectancy of 2 weeks for the past 9 years).I went to the funeral. Some people didn't go which avoided a lot of conflict and his sister (who would have caused most trouble) came and left, without speaking to anyone. Given the circumstances, it was a relaxing weekend and a happy occasion.

However (anti-declutter alert) my sons' inheritance is all in old cameras and vinyl so (as DS3's share of sorting it all out) my front room now has 8 large boxes of LPs to be catalogued, roughly valued and sold (by auction, hopefully). I also accepted 4 pieces of furniture which my ex's youngest brother identified as having belonged to their mother. 

My nieces' other grandma (helper elf's mum) died at the end of May and that funeral was at the end of June (I went to that as well). But I lost all my little helpers (sons, nieces, niece's bf and helper elf in chief) for many weeks and progress stalled as I was frightened of falling at the bungalow (working outside/ cleaning the shower). I have definitely had enough funerals for this year.

Other News (lots of decluttering)
Garden
My yard is clear. All the paving is visible. My plan for the second long side of the yard worked, but it took me 3 weeks to set up one row of the largest 50 l pots. They have broad beans in and I used all the mini greenhouse rods to support them. Broken pots, an old laundry basket and other broken items have been binned (filling the bins has been a full time mission some weeks). 

The original side has four rows of planting (in pots). Fruit bushes along a builder's plank across the arms of old garden chairs, a row across the chair seats, larger pots on the ground and a top row on slats across the backs of the other planters.

Next Door
I went to see the man at the white goods shop and my neighbour is not dead. He found him collapsed on the floor one day, called the ambulance and after treatment he moved to a (v good) local nursing home. The dog has been re-homed. The shop man assured me that he would start clearing the house and yard within the next fortnight (nothing happened) but the house is not for sale. 
Finding out more is on my to do list. I've been getting more proactive, removing any easy to reach branches and ivy that threaten my property and limit further damage to his. Must have done 10 wheelie bins of green waste at least.

I've also started on reclaiming the backs as I had to walk round the fallen wall and the ground was uneven (build up of soil, rubbish from the car park and the shopping street on the other side of the fence and rubble + dumped items). I've litter picked, weeded out cans and bottles, reclaimed the soil by sifting out lumps of mortar, small pieces of brick and rubbish - the stones are being held in rubble sacks as they can't go in the bins. Yes I admit that this is in preference to tackling the mess inside the house but it's been good for my mental health.

Mental Health
It's now about a year since I had a face-to-face appointment with a doctor at my local surgery. My main concerns then were my depression (partly mum's constant criticism), the never ending cough/ cold/ sore throat bug that was wearing me down) and my mobility (flat feet, arthritis +dizziness and a tendency to walk to one side when trying to go in a straight line). I asked to be referred back to CBT. I did a group course in December/ January and one to one in May- June (she did 2 referrals - to adult social services and to a link worker who helped with my bus pass application and let me vent about things that had been happening. At the end of the one to one, I asked to be put on the waiting list for the Mindfulness Course. 

The following week I had a phone call - I had been put on the list for a mindfulness course starting the next day. I opted to start the next day and we went through the questions. Well it was a bit of a rush but it's been enormously helpful. I'd already accepted that I could only do things slowly but now I'm enjoying the journey. My mental health is better than it has been in years. So it's taken a year but I'm in a fairly good place right now. 

I also joined an art therapy group (was initially for eight weeks but they've now got the funding to continue until the festive period) and I'm loving that. I just totally switch off from everything outside of that room for 2 hours (it's upstairs at the library). I've also been to film club a few times and that was really good.

Physical Health
Not so great. I did lose a stone in weight in 3 months and managed to reverse my diabetic blood test results. However on the Friday before my return visit to the Practice Nurse the guidelines changed so we agreed to increase the dosage of my daily medication (but there are several more steps before I have to go on insulin). I've struggled in the second 3 months (too many other things getting in the way) but need to get back on track.

My mobility has continued to deteriorate, fairly steep downward trend in the past 2 months and the last 2 weeks (tried to measure the distance to the library last week and I was only taking 1' steps). Using my mindfulness exercise to remind me of exercise I can do - toe wiggling, writing the alphabet with my foot, shoulder shrugs and circles, massaging the knots out of my leg - anything I can do to get my circulation going and as many bits of my body as I can. I had a phone interview with my doctor last week and she will do a referral to see if I need to go on a waiting list for an operation on my left leg (knee, hip, both?) However I'm down to using pieces of furniture and door frames to navigate the house and everything has limits - 5 mins max standing, 5 mins max walking. I'm increasingly reluctant to go anywhere (putting off shopping, anything that means walking, even watering the garden).

Benefits
When mum died I had to apply for Universal Credit. Staff at the local DWP Office were supportive from the first time I hobbled in with my walker, encouraged me to apply for Personal Independence Payment and quietly switched me to telephone appointments whenever possible. However from January onwards I had a deficit budget (UC less than my monthly standing orders).

I had a Work Assessment interview in June. The doctor was lovely (she wanted to send me home in a taxi), thought I was in a lot of pain and should discuss pain relief with my doctor. I was found not fit for work (no need to look for work or attend any more job search interviews) and the money they were giving me increased (nearly doubled). This will end once mum's estate is sorted as It will put me over the £16, 000 capital limit. I want to be on PIP because it's not means tested. I had a phone assessment the week before last, received a text saying I had been awarded PIP but when the letter came - they've given me it for daily living needs But Not for mobility (this probably means I won't get the bus pass either). So I need to phone them and ask for a mandatory reconsideration and after that it's an appeal. So worries and red tape decluttered and then added back. Need to make it through the last 16 months until I get my retirement pension (only 6 years late).

My social services (early intervention) appointment was at the beginning of September and I've been given a bathboard and someone's coming tomorrow to put handles either side of the front doors and one by the back door to help me getting over the step. they will also extend the stair rail and put another on the other side.

Best News
I became a grandma for the first time on July 8th. She's lovely, I have photos on my phone with me holding her (I don't know how to do anything else with them). They were very anxious new parents - the maximum heatwave was coming up. I'm hoping to make a woodland garland for her bedroom (I think I'm more or less done with cross-stitch - passed on 3/4 of my threads to my younger niece - 3 A4 sized drawers full) and then will try to make a doll with clothes - might be ready by the time she's 3 y o.

Decluttering
My latest project (last few days) was dismantling a large wardrobe. I originally bought it for me, DS1 took it (still in boxes) as it went with all his other stuff (think I was still living at the 4 bed house which had fitted wardrobes in some rooms), then complained that I'd given him the wrong fittings so it returned. I got round to putting it together 6 or 7 years ago and it's very heavy. DS3 helped me put 5 wheels on it which made it manageable - doors have all been used as shelves in the kitchen. When it moved back into my room in December (it was previously on the other side of a door but accessible by me) one wheel bent and another came off altogether. 

Looking forward (to me living alone) it's not a viable option for me. I've dismantled it, used the two sides as work surfaces by putting them across drawers and the rest is stacked on the landing (needs to go outside). I'm working on reducing the remaining cans from mum's stash - most went to the food bank and to another charity that feeds the homeless and others in need, think the ones I have are mostly ood. I may regret this as any replacements will cost considerably more but it makes more space for when I get my long awaited kitchen (I am not carrying things upstairs and then back down again - I will have to move some things but I'd rather just use the tinned food - when I restock it will be with things I use all the time rather than mum's requirements.

Progress
Probate came through and I'm allowed to spend the money from mum's bank account so finally I had a replacement soil pipe fitted and the displaced joint replaced (no more poo-gate incidents). Mr and Mrs Builder have been round to measure up for a new gate and fence panel and we think the back wall can be rebuilt (just the bit that's been damaged by next door's coming down). The kitchen needs totally rethinking. DS3 won't go up the ladders to change the light bulbs (he can reach all the others from the ground or a chair) and it's something I won't be able to do in future. We've decided it will be easier once DS3 and his Beloved are out of the way.

Bungalow
My little helpers came back and chief helper elf hired a van for the day (24 hours but we didn't tell other people about this) and various items were moved to my brother's, my niece's and my house (decided in the end to take the fridge-freezer while we had the van rather than finding another driver and van later if the buyers didn't want it) - unfortunately it's still stuck in the front room close to the door (at least it means no-one at the door sees the rest of the mess). 

Helper elf did a grand job helping with a further clean and tidy. the waste wizards came for all the stuff the Council won't (and not allowed in the bins either). I bought a load of bedding plants to supplement what's already in the pots and beds and threw lots of beans in beds as well (they only need 10 weeks in this weather and they're a cheap filler). I painted the old driveway blue (it now looks 'meant' rather than an eyesore, arranged all the leftover edging stones (white scallops around the blue painted shed, Cotswold stone around the loose chippings.

The EA came round to do a valuation 1st September, the photographer came later whilst I was still tidying the last of the soil and stones. Phone call on Thursday 2nd to say someone wanted to view it on Saturday and I accepted their offer late on the Saturday. So I will have some money. Current hiatus because I have to organise my brother into finding various bits of ID and going to the EA and the solicitors. Phoned my niece at the beginning of the week but not had a reply (might be away on holiday). But I can make plans.

Secret Plan
Have spoken to DS3 and Beloved. it's not about me throwing them out but about them deciding it's time to get their own place. I will have enough (my share of the bungalow) to buy a property which they will live in and pay money to me so that the property transfers to them (a mortgage but not yet worked out the details). I'd still have enough to do the repairs/ improvements to my house and a little lump of savings (emergency fund +). Beloved is from Keighley and wants to go back there (familiar supportive doctor etc) and they keep finding cheap properties there so my grand declutter plan is for that to happen before Isaac Newton's birthday or just after.

Numbers
My last reported figure was 1736/ 2022. No idea what to count for my work between May and now. Only 286 off my target. Do I declare it done and start again/ start with a new total but give myself a head start in lieu of the work done (500/ 2022). Any ideas - what is fair?


  

Floss

A very cheerful & full update, @grandmanerd and congratulations on the new baby x

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

805. dress
806. decorative Easter Egg
807 & 8. 2 x candle rings 
809. fruit bowl
810. Fixed new door bell

A funny old day.  I did a bit of work this morning - then ex-H was in the house most of the day - he's flying out this eve and because of the Queen's funeral he & DS had nowhere else to go.  I couldn't settle with him here so did a lot of chores which is a good thing - we also had another heated discussion about him going away for so long - I hadn't intended for that to happen but it did.   I'm frustrated that I allowed it to take me off course but  he's on his way to airport now and hopefully I can start to regain my equilibrium. 

811. Top
812. Bag
813. Painted a picture frame - so much nicer!!! 
814. Touched up paint on a set of drawers
815 - 7 - 3 x decorating stuff
818. Wooden strat from old blinds

Good to see you back mother/grandmanerd