2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Floss

@TC77 I have some Ikea fake trailing plants in my kitchen, they thrive on neglect & have a hot shower every few months to clean them 😉

retiredinfrance

Tc77, I have been thinking about your shelves .  I was looking at the block and shelves on the other side of your shelves. Would an idea be to make this space into a larder cupboard with the addition of lower shelves and a door in front of it all. That way you could fit the boxes in at hand height and all your metal stuff as well and the door would keep dust and grease away and the closeness to the heat would keep things dry. I would put one thing on the top shelf a biggish soup tureen or a CS dish or something that would not need as much attention as plants and then with the boxes in the new larder cupboard you could put say two plants where they would be easier to reach or glass storage jars . This is a bit drastic and I apologize for mentioning spending money on the MSE site but it might might make cleaning and tidying a bit easier.
When we came here we tried to make the house suitable for old age and as DH can’t get down to low cupboards we have open shelves like you for everyday items. Parts look stylish and others are functional but it works for us.
 In case anyone is wondering what is on our top shelf, we have a line of old bottles that I take down once a year or so and wash. 

Good luck with them. 

Fizz2015

Morning, quietly sneaking back into the TLC carriage. Really should of stayed in there instead of trying to carry on as normal but I'm not one for sitting still. 

This cold thing is horrid, feel sick and dizzy at random times, hot and cold. Rather strange symptoms not a traditional cold but guess first Autumn in a few years we have been exposed to germs again. working from home today and doing the bear minimum. My out of office is already on! 

Stay warm, hugs to those who need one x

Siebrie

@TC77 I, too, have been thinking about your shelves. Can you put some sturdy paper (leftover wallpaper?) on the shelves, that catch any dust and grease? Put it a bit from the front, so that you don't spot it, and replace once a year(? However often you want to).

The boxes are see-through, so you can put a label inside. Make something fancy and suitable to your kitchen on your computer and print it?

grandmanerd

Okay my last total was 1039. I posted on the day after my flu and COVID jabs and mentioned 6 bags to bins and recycling and 6 more tubs of soil (into the tree tubs aka incinerators). There were at least 6 other jobs done that day and I processed 3 loads of washing (that's decluttering because it's in heaps - thrown down for washing at the bottom of the stairs, wet stuff mainly from outside but some that needs to go through the wash again on the floor by the washer, clean but wet on top of the 2 kitchen bins they put in my kitchen but don't use - pause to add to one of my many lists -, drying stuff hanging everywhere I can think of). That's 21 (so 1060)

On Thursday I received a list of 10 more questions from the solicitor and a suggested completion date. I more or less answered the questions by 2 pm. There are 2 pieces of paper they want from me but I think one was handed to the solicitor in a package I submitted earlier and the other - I'll pay the insurance required if necessary, I'm not going to drive myself mad looking for one scratty piece of paper (when I sold my dad's house they made me pay for an insurance policy to cover them if someone asked about ground rent even though it hadn't been collected in > 20 years, was less than £4 pa and there's a  limit to the years they can ask for in retrospect). 

We're now in the countdown to completion (fingers crossed) so I have another list of things I need to do (including sorting and labelling keys)

I also had an email confirming my outpatient appointment with the people who replaced my right hip.

After 2 pm (with a suitable break for food and rest) I did various tasks and was on my third page of writing paper (some done Wednesday) of what was accomplished. I'm claiming 40 for that (some were reminders of things to be done) and will give more details when the pages turn up again (1 separated from the pad). 1100 (I hate it when the figures look made up but I also like neat figures - when I was saving for my house, I'd glance at my balance in the building society queue and see if I had enough in my purse to round it up to the next £, tenner or £100, this was after living on one weeks wage for 2 weeks and putting the other into savings).

I did meet with DS1 and darling d-i-l last Saturday for a meal and a look at the Christmas market. Dodgy start as I went to the appointed meeting place only to find the Town Hall and Square bereft of stalls and gluhwein, bedecked with sheeting and circled by portakabins (major renovation until 20240. I went to Central Library for toilets (the Town hall extension which used to house the toilets is now the main Police Station). Was feeling a bit lost and fragile (whole blocks of familiar building on the route into the city replaced with modern monstrosities) so sat on a bench and phoned DS2. I killed my phone in February, managed to keep my number but lost my contact numbers, didn't have DS1's but DS2 was in the messages. 

DS1 phoned back shortly afterwards, they'd misinterpreted my last message and thought I was going direct to the restaurant. Made arrangement which meant I had to travel one block and they did several. We meandered our way through several streets and one square of stalls (did not buy, did not even pick anything up for a closer look) to reach the restaurant at the appointed time (very hungry as there were lots of food stalls). Meal was lovely, staff were lovely, they put me in the service lift for the trip between floors (although DS1 apologised for the performance they made over someone celebrating a birthday 'I did not know they did this'. I was just glad it wasn't me).
 
The meal was slightly over budget (but the meal with baby and her parents at the beginning of the month was half what I'd allowed so I'm ahead over all) and I'm going to their house on Christmas Eve and staying for several days so potentially saved half the December food budget (basically not buying anything except the non-alcoholic wine purchased last week - intended taking some with me so they could take it back with them but decided not to). I did take a huge bag of books to the newest charity place before getting on the bus (counting as 2, it was 3 bags but most of it went in one extra large bag).

After the meal they asked what else I wanted to see but the walker's brakes were playing up so I elected to come home (it was after 4 pm so would be dark before I reached home). They accompanied me to the bus stop with frequent stops for me to rest and DS1 to unstick the brakes (he says it's kaput). The first bus was rammed. three more lined up behind including another of ours. People leapt out so that he didn't just bypass the first. He stopped to speak to the husband of a woman in a motorised wheelchair but then proceeded to the bus stop (first bus had moved on and a second had filled up and gone) but wouldn't let anyone on until he'd accommodated the woman in the wheelchair. 

DS1 told me to follow her and most people made way for me. When I was nearly at the head of the queue a woman jumped on board saying she'd been waiting for ages and 'wasn't going to let all these people push in'. I just said quietly 'some of us can't stand' and the last few people looked at me and urged me forward and glared at the 'stroppy woman' until she said 'Of course I could get on the bus' (even her husband was telling her to get off the bus again). I wouldn't take advantage but I was at my limit and another 2 hours off being able to take more painkillers (pesky paracetamol because of the COVID jab). 

Fairly amicable journey home, the wheelchair woman and her husband chatting with two women nearest them saying that quite often people do not make allowances and will push in front of them. Loud enough for stroppy woman to hear and part of the process of educating people and making them more aware. The 2 jolly women had been 'sampling' all afternoon and told everyone they had 20 assorted bottles of gin in their bags so if the bus broke down we were having a party.

I trudged home from our bus station, came straight upstairs, didn't have an evening meal (I was full enough) and fell asleep early on. My niece finally got back to me. Unfortunately she was in A & E with my brother (his blood tests showed dangerously high levels of potassium). That was about 7 pm. She outlined various courses of action but fortunately messaged me soon after 10 pm to say they'd been allowed to go home - she just has multiple appointments to book today. So anxiety decluttered, my baby brother is okay for now.

Yesterday I did lots of sorting and tidying although you could be forgiven for not seeing the difference. I have multiple bags and piles - book donations, food for the food bank, non-food for the food bank, cs donations, the usual rubbish and recycling bags/ sacks (3rd of each now). Dry clothes brought up, t-shirts and other items put away (Thursday included 2 lone socks which have been waiting a while in case their partners turned up), more places found to hang drying clothes (using the kitchen wall cupboard handles now). I took down a little bit of wall and dislodged the last of the posts with all the attached ivy (it was drilled into the 'coal hole frame which was rotten and which I winkled out last week) whilst looking at 'how to proceed'.

I went out to get cash from the machine and carried on to deposit 4 dead batteries I'd found during the clear up. I asked DS3 about his cash box which has been on my trolley for several weeks. He doesn't think he'll be doing any more conventions so I broke it down - £6 to my taxi fund, over £4 of small change to go in the bottom of my bag for any collection boxes I come across (done this before and it was great fun), another £6 undecided and the box itself on the donations pile.

Yesterday's meals and my next one were sorted because I'd missed a bag that should have gone in the freezer. I'm using a recently purchased file box (the 2 metal ones were too heavy for me to manage any longer) as a 'holding station'. I have lots of information from old appointments and semi sorted 'hobby stuff' - I will need it but possibly not before Christmas (or when I have time for non-urgent stuff) so will put it in there so I can concentrate on 'urgent' stuff. I also had a message exchange with DS2 and I'm meeting baby and her parents next Saturday for a Christmas meal and a gift exchange. Their turn to pay (and I put in a cheeky bid for bringing some stuff back from mum's shed).

I've written out a plan of the coming week. It looks impossible. The 2 most important are Bins out (especially at mum's - would like to get Xmas trees and decorations to cs as a priority) and outpatient's appointment on Friday to get some answers as to why I cannot walk and what they or I can do about it. It's roughly 2 hours travel each way, if they decide I need an op they'll do all the pre-op stuff then (allow 4 hours for my appointment). Need to check bus times - a very early start for me but better than last time when i started twitching at the end of the pre-ops as the time for the last bus approached.

The one I most want is obviously seeing my grand-daughter and the golden couple (DS1 are both happy in their work and in their lives which is a great relief). Plus getting the wall down (mainly DS3 but he might need help with how to proceed - think the 3 top rows which I repaired many years ago) are the problem. If those are chiselled off the rest should be easy. 

I'm writing lists and trying to put things in order - urgent, this week, soon, later, sometime, not urgent but do them before I can no longer remember - memories and family stories. Today I'm mainly going to keep plodding (knee is still hurting and other bits complaining). Hoping to postpone meeting with my brother and niece (might have to sleep Wednesday), I really don't need anything else to do.

So numbers - I'll award myself 4 for Saturday and 15 for yesterday, anything else will be counted as it leaves the house. 1119/ 2022
total.

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

956. Made a makeshift window covering for kitchen - it was looking a bit stark in there
957-9 - 3 x Christmas decs
960.  Storage bag

Popped on to say - my op got cancelled this morning!  It's partly my fault as I didn't see the information about not wearing contact lenses for 24 hours before the op  -  I only saw it 18 hrs before and immediately took lenses out and called their helpline  - they said they’d thought it would be OK and emailed the clinic - I assumed it was ok but when I got to the clinic they said it wasn’t long enough and sent me home!!!  It was really hidden in the info  booklet under pre-op assessment which I'd had 2 months ago, so I must have glossed over when I read the booklet-  there was nothing in the dos & don’ts for the op section or on the letter - but If I had used my common sense I'd have checked.  

I was upset at the time as I'd had a really fitful night's sleep due to nerves and got up at 6am to get there by 8am.  Op has been re-booked for next Weds so I’ve had to do lots of rearranging appointments etc - no point dwelling on it.   Have booked in a couple of clients for the next couple of days so I can claw back some money.  

I have designated today as a "sofa-day"!!  

TC77

@Siebrie thank you, I have some leaf patterned paper - either drawer  liner or wall paper andni thought of putting thus inside the boxes and then a label and the fake / real plants. 
So pleased with ideas  and support from this group. 
Found cat more accidents so gardening trainers and a storage bag out. Have item to get ready for tomorrow.to post and DB posting and dispatching item for collection.

grandmanerd

Massive hugs weenancy.

Rubbish out, can recycling out (both taken downstairs and added to). Big fridge clear out finding bits hidden in corners and behind larger items including some takeaway dips gifted by DS3 and black olives bb June. Big success was dislodging a knife that's been welded to the back of the fridge for weeks with a massive ice lump on either side. It also took out a half tube of tomato puree and 3 eggs which splattered on the floor. 

Based myself on the bed this afternoon. I have a large box (the sort lettuces come packed in) and have filled it with smaller boxes and large yoghurt pots. Moved across various items of stationery, diy, craft bits (those not already in the big crate), pills, medications and creams and small cosmetic items (nail clippers etc), all subdivided. Have cleared most of the bedside chest of drawers and several other areas, nothing will get lost during the sorting and will be easy to put away once they have homes.

Lots of filing including travel brochures, bus timetables and maps, instructions for the kettle and one of the drills, quite a lot of routine/ latest medical information, CBT notes, doll and toy patterns, garden planting guide, PIP and bus pass paperwork, puzzle book, savings account information and family history stuff. Just taken out the WM info from the pack for mum's gadgets - will take it with me next week as my brother has the machine.

A small book purge (lots more downstairs) - decided if I don't absolutely need them, they're going. If I miss them I will attempt to buy them back but there are a lot of lock down purchases that were a reasonable read but don't want them on my shelves (just keeping several series by my favourite authors, which will be read over and over).

Counting that as 43 so now on 1162/ 2022. Sneezing my head off again (just had a very comforting bowl of baked beans) so will  prioritise the essentials tomorrow and then see what else I can do. Found some of the presents and 2 rolls of cellotape so will do wrapping when I get as far as the wrapping paper bag. Large crate of craft items could be split into smaller categories (will take some to the food bank along with children's books).

bit_by_bit

A quick drop in to report a large item out. A TV for DS2. Delivered and set up tonight. 

Just clearing the back of the lounge which is also the dining room. Once sorted through I think everything will have to go upstairs except essentials as I am piling up all sorts of stuff. 

Had a bone density scan today. The easiest test I have and no pain involved. Bought a small amount of wool for a baby blanket for GS3's pushchair. It needs to be done for his birthday on the 22nd of December,  Should be ok for time.

Right, back to sorting. On the table I have two boxes of cards for coming birthdays and Christmas, boxes and tubs of collected seeed which keep getting knocked over, On the floor a pile of paperwork plus several boxes of listed items under my desk. I will be back when it is sorted.

Take care all.

QueenJess

Didn't enjoy work today, so I found time for a tidy round instead and some more things to declutter.  I took some very summery clothes out of DD's wardrobe as there's no way they will still fit once it comes to the summer again.

Decluttering:

4895 - plastic bag (used)

4896-7 - paper (recycled)

4898-4908 - summer kids clothes (charity)

4909 - kids toys (charity/buy nothing)