2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

GrannyKate

Trying to make Christmas as good as possible for small people in their new confusing world.  Need biscuits for cheesecake base but anything needed now will come from Mr Coop in the village.  I do need some fuel but not going anywhere and I have 90 miles left on clock.  Meat pack delivered and fruit and veg collected from farm shop. Children in bed almost asleep last night and I sat down to watch some carols when we had a power cut. Off for an hour.  DGS4 panicked a bit when bedroom went completely dark but asleep before power came back on.   Dehumidifier running daytime in small bathroom then turn it off at night.  It will be 6 January before they come to check it again. DD's in laws have had two burst pipes so also have dehumidifier running.  

1323 CS bag dropped off at shop - its been in car boot for last 2 weeks as a roadside collection missed it when I put it out
1324/1325 Ink cartridges changed - will go to tip later today for recycling. I need to order a spare now as run out of black and white toner cartridges.  That expense will wait.
1326 During power cut I sat with my LED light and did some of the random sudoko puzzles I found in a box a few weeks ago.  Completed about 10 and now binned.  
1327 All money envelopes filled up ready to go with presents
1328 More presents wrapped
1329 Vouchers given to ex dil (1) when she brought children the other day - we have good friendly relationship with this one
1330 One chocolate log went home with DGS3 and DGD3
1331 Themed Boxing Day/Christmas menu done on computer with DGD4 which we printed out

Everyone will be gone after 1 so I have house (and mess) to myself until late Christmas Eve/early Christmas morning.  DS3 and I are having simple  Christmas lunch and visitors arrive in the evening.  Big meal planned for Boxing Day for 14. 
I have loads of cans and paper to go as DS2 didn't put it out for collection whilst I was away.  

roundtuit

@GrannyKate I'm beginning to wonder if we are in the same village! Half the village plus neighbouring areas had a power cut last night. My lights flickered but didn't go out. In fact I thought it was a bulb going until the posts started to appear on FB. Don't worry I'm not planning on visiting 😉. 

This morning I decided to look in the 4th drawer under my bed. I know what is in the other three, but haven't been in that 4th drawer for so long that I could only remember the Elvis Presley coin purse. Oooooo. Treasure. 🤣. A handbag. An etched crystal ball and stand. A worry angel. A shower scrunchie - why does every drawer have a shower scrunchie in it? A wax burning kit. An very nice empty box. Oh and some gift bags  

The gift bags have been retrieved and added to the stash that I've pulled together on the ottoman - ready to put the wrapped presents into and deliver tomorrow and Christmas Day. 

My plan is to use that drawer as my 'Christmas' drawer. Everything Christmas (baubles, lights, unused wrapping paper, cards, labels and gift bags) all together in one place. That's a project for the New Year. I'm quite excited at the thought of being 'organised' by December 2023. 

Love to all
Rxx

GrannyKate

@roundtuit - yes think we are close to each other 🙂🙂🙂

Raining now as I am planning tip visit.  Decluttered DS2 and GCs going in 30 minutes. 

1332 Another bag of plastics to SM recycling
1333 Box of tins in car for recycling
1334 Box of paper in car for recycling
1335 Large collection of pruning in car - think there will be a second trip. 

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

1095 & 6 - unravelled a couple of failed knitting projects.  
1096.  Used up antibiotic eye drops
1097.  Poster tube
1098.  Knitting pattern pack

Woke up with more energy this morning so tidied the downstairs of the house.  Came across some pretty fairy lights I'd overlooked so put them up. It looks nice and feels ready for Christmas.   Wrapped DS" gifts. 

DS & I are planning to go up to Town later - he's still in bed and I know he wants to go to the gym first - so clearly it will be a late afternoon / early eve thing - but I guess it'll be all the nicer to see the lights.  

While he's at the gym I'll pop up to the High St to see if I can pick a few gifts up.  They are for people I won't see until after Christmas but it'll be nice to have them ready rather than scramble around.  But if I can't see anything - the scrambling option is still there - so no pressure.

1099. broken fairy lights
1100. half a pack of smudge sticks - neighbour
1101. Tibetan meditation bells - same neighbour

Thanks for your supportive messages around the lost work  - Mrs SD & Bit-by-Bit - its had more of an effect on me than I would have anticipated and its certainly disproportionate to the financial loss.    

Bit-by-Bit - Thanks - that sounds like good advice from your DSis.  It's time for me to get out there again to find different work!  In fact I've been saying I will develop my own product (whatever that is)  for months if not years -  but I have fallen back on working as an Associate where I don't have to do the marketing etc.  But it does need to happen so I will attempt to recharge my batteries over Christmas  and get "back on the horse" in the New Year! x

Wednesday2000

I just lugged the bag to the charity shop. I added some more stuff and put it all into a giant Aldi bag. I also got in 7,000 steps. I feel quite virtuous.

short_bird

5217-5222: items to recycling
5223-5232: unrecyclables to bin
5233-5235: 3GB data deleted.
Stood down from a day's work next week: meanwhile, time to get ready for today's shift 

Siebrie

Went to the local recycling centre to drop off 1 queensize mattress, some woodbits, some metalbits, and some hardplasticbits. Free of charge! They have an amnesty at the moment while they are setting up the mattress recycling scheme (I'm in Belgium).

The mattress has been in our garage for a month, so I'm really relieved it's gone.

Decluttered 2 frogs: I arranged for a child to light the advent candles in our church's Christmas service,  and I prepped 4 Bibles to be given as Farewell-presents to be given to 4 children leaving the Sunday School (only 1 will atually be there; the others are either sick or visiting relatives abroad). My 'speech' is almost done.

oceanspirit

Off on our hols for a couple of weeks so no more decluttering this year.

Was thrown off my list of goals part way through the year due to the bedbug incident and have been sorting out my home ever since.  Still more to do but at least the end is now in sight.

Of my goals, only those relating to decluttering have made much progress.  A start has been made on the health goals and I am going away with a plan to keep up with those - I am determined to keep on my path with them as they are too important to let go.  Have had 3 diagnoses this year, all relating to my main condition, are irreversible and could have been prevented had I kept on top of things.

I will put my goals up on 2023 thread once I have had time to fully think them through and I plan to keep up with counting all year.

My 2022 physical decluttering targets will have been reached and greatly surpassed - the papers alone will have done this - however I think 2 full skips speaks volumes.  Added to which, many items gone to charity, clothes to rellies, other items into bin and recycling.

bit_by_bit

ruby_eskimo said:

Thanks for the inspiration @bit_by_bit, I just did our timeline for the next 12 months too, so I can clearly see when I need to make sure I've hit our savings goals by for all the things that are going on next year!

Glad to be of help. I just can't understand why i didn't do it before 

I am loving the sense of the ending of the year on here. I like beginnings so I always look forward to the New Year. Although I didn't achieve everything I wanted to this year I feel like good progress has been made both with decluttering and my attitide to getting rid of stuff, organisation and dealing with frogs. A big win this year was writing birthday cards the month before the day, all in one go. No panicked buying of cards and time wasted do add hoc trips. They have a safe space in the house so don't get ;ost either.

So yesterday I gave a bag of blankets to the local radio for their project and a bag of clothes and bric to the CS, I already have new a bag on the go.

The party went better than I thought yesterday. This morning I had a missed call from DiL which I thought was a complaint, but actually she had fallen downstairs with the baby. Both are bruised but ok. I got all anxious about ringing back but actually I needn't have been.

Today DH is driving up to Manchester to take in laws to visit family and pick up DD for the festive season. With him I sent a bag of items for DD (sleeping bag, tray and plants) and a bag of food and a blanket to SiL. 

Also a huge bag of soft plastics for recycling at T#sco.

The place is slowly getting clearer thank goodness.

Now the house is empty I can do the floors downstairs and make the upstairs habitable for DD visit. It will help once all the decoration boxes are back in the loft. I have also need to put the boxes for wrappings back under the bed. There were two and we are down to one so very pleased with that.

Have a great day all and try not to get stressed. 

vulpix

Hi chums.

 I agree bit by bit there is a nice sense of winding down on the thread. We have all done well,goals reached or not. The fact that we are still here and posting is a marvelous thing. Not only do we post about physical things leaving our care but we declutter some stress and worry by sharing our ups and downs with the lovely people here. I don't have a large extended family but you lot are my internet family. Thank you.x

 We have been to collect the rug from the spa. It is still in the car. I want to wash the laminate floor again before it goes down. There is always debris,mainly from the long haired cat who collects leaves and sticks in her fur in the wood and deposits them wherever she grooms herself!

 We also braved two supermarkets. Very busy but very good natured. Our Christmas feast is made. Chilli, maturing in the fridge. Later, I will make a Black forest gateau  trifle. I asked Mr V to get me a jar of cherries in syrup last week,he came home with 4, yes 4 tubs of glace cherries! And I thought the "olive incident" of 2015 had served as a lesson to him! We were still eating them at Easter. 

 Christmas decorations are up. I now regret getting rid of so many tree decorations,the tree looks bare. I would be happy not to have a tree but Mr V likes it. What it needs is a smaller tree so it could sit atop some drawers out of the way. I will make decorations next year and look out for a smaller tree.

 Have a lovely solstice time/Yule/ Christmas/Hanukkah. See you next year.

 Love to all Vx