2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

200. organised meds drawer
201. organised makeup drawer
202. iPhone box (why do I keep them?)  
203. Morning routine 11/100

204. Morning routine 12/100
205. Cat to vet - decluttered £170 for blood tests - bit of a shock but he’s worth it 🐈 ! 

206. An hour of unsubscribing from emails 

I now have some time off work as it’s my birthday tomorrow ! My knee has been playing up & is really sore so I will be visiting the osteopath in the morning. I hope I feel up to doing something a little more fun in the afternoon 🤞

ilovetea

Hello everybody.
Realised it's a week since I posted. Came on here this afternoon and it has taken until now to catch up.
Hugs to those that need them .      You have all been so busy.

Have quite a long list. Not sure of the dates but here goes.
66-67. Rubbish and recycling out.
68-73 5papers and 1 mag to neighbour.
74-101 sachets of cat food to the hedgehog rescue as my fussy cat won't eat them.
102 119. e-bay items sold.
120-121 Rubbish and recycling out.
122-124 3 mags to friend.
125-128  4 balls of wool sold on market place.
129. Felting kit to friend
130-132 large bag of crafty bits to C/S Large bag so counting as 3.
133-134 Cat to to neighbours cat. Something else fussy cat doesn't like.
135 Plastic bags back to tesco.
136 138Lots and lots of e-mails deleted .

Must try and post every day.

  ilovetea  xx

mothernerd

I woke up on Saturday and it wasn't raining, so pulled on my clothes and took the requested donations 2 bags of clothes, 1 large box of bric a brac, 1 box of books to the YMCA. When m-o-t dropped me off she put the things in my trolley for me so no lifting for me. Carried on to purchase the stationery items I wanted (compromised on some) + extra stamps (since found loads) + my puzzle book.

Quick look round 2 clothes shops and bought a plain black tunic that ends below my bum. I have a couple of full length black dresses but both are developing small holes (newer one is just as holey as the 3 yo one so obviously they kept the price but dropped the quality). I don't mind if someone gets a tiny spot of flesh below my knee so if I don't get the chance or don't feel inclined to do further shopping I have something that will do. Did see two gorgeous black coats but the one at sale price did not have my size in stock and the other was full price so £85 and definitely special occasion coats. I'm thinking about it.

Treated myself to the all day breakfast at a locally owned place and had 3 other sit downs along the mall. brief trip outside and across the crossing then sat down on the 'smokers' bench at the side of Tessimo's. Quick trip to the toilet and another sit down (after I don't mean the one during) then a quick shop. Main purchase was soft drinks but bought a sandwich (tea sorted), meal deal (extra 25p on the cost of a sandwich netted me a drink and a snack), bananas, noodle salad (don't buy very often as I regard it as a luxury but complemented some other purchases), 2 things I've been craving and 2 from the ys shelf. 

Another couple of sit downs walking away from the till and then I felt my ankle 'go'. Nothing that getting home and getting it propped up wouldn't fix but painful. Freephone taxis were a 45 minute wait so hobbled to one of the club chairs, phoned my regulars and only had a 15 minute wait. Sat where I was for 10 minutes then hobbled outside but whilst I was sitting I put my head down on the handle of the trolley and had a little weep. No-one bothered me.

Taxi driver asked after mum and again really shocked - he took her to the mid December podiatry appointment, when she was fine. He was bothered that I was in pain, insisted on carrying everything inside for me and didn't want to accept a tip. I picked up the things I needed (not much weight because of stationery items and puzzle book (and a tv guide - don't watch much tv but thought I'd try picking one afternoon programme/ film and one evening one and just sit and do not very much for that time). Oh and I left the trolley at the SM - if they don't have a system for returning one another's trolleys, they should (they're supposed to cost about £700 each).

Made it to the third step before making such a noise that DS3 and Beloved came running. They took the bags upstairs, I did the rest of the stairs slowly holding onto the rail with my right hand and pushing against the stairs with my left. Piled up pillows to support my ankle, told my helper elves what to bring upstairs later (main request was more tap water) stopped to think how to get on the bed and apart from toilet breaks I stayed on the bed until Sunday lunch time.

Tentative walk with 4 sacks/ bags of cans to the recycling point. Worked my way across the bed and through the shelves collecting anything useful (including legal stuff, house deeds, the remaining bits of my dad's and brother's files - one of the insurance policies is the last bit of dad's estate, useful bits) and added the laptop, one bowl and 2 of my knives, forks and spoons (so all mum's ones can be packed for the cs). I'm keeping 4 blue and white plates that were my grandma's. Always thought of them as fake willow pattern but have grown fond of them in recent years and they're quite attractive (Enoch Woods Country Scenery - just googled and they're offered at 2 for £5 and the highest bid is £3.20, was worried they'd be valuable and someone would insist on them being sold).

Came across to mum's bungalow early evening. A few bits of food brought with me but still eating through the freezer. Watched 'Call the Midwife'. Started on sorting the photos I'd kept, have about 12 categories so far, small packets to be handed back to various cousins, ex girlfriends, extended family etc and ones of mum to pass around and let people pick their favourites. I'll stop there for now and have a count up- 28, not counting going stuff until it's packed and off the premises. 614/2022.

shangaijimmy

Day 12
* 1 pair of underpants to the bin!
* 2 broken clothes hangers to the bin.

I have my minds eye on yet another pile of odd socks that are loitering on the stairs... I'm steeling myself to bin them on my way up to bed...

Blackberrycurved

So like a few fellow clutterers on here I am in pain. So I’m wondering what is your efficient rota or way of cleaning that stops it feeling like a big mountain to climb every week. I live alone so no help 4 rooms downstairs 5 upstairs- stairs landing hall and vestibule. If I do it a room at a time properly and only do 3 rooms upstairs it takes me 6 hours not including cleaning the cooker or fridge but pretty much everything else - I lose a day and can’t walk afterwards. ☹️

TC77

Hi, sorry I haven't caught up on all messages but have been regularly but not posting.

@Blackberrycurved.. sorry to hear you're in pain and struggling. I think you may have higher standards than me!
I live with just my 17 year old now, (although older one comes round now and again, creating chaos) and basically some rooms we just don't use, or are rooms of doom, and  I don't worry about cleaning them   I do a little now and then, and probably not more than an hour or two at a time. I will sweep the floor and wipe the sides regularly, although totally overwhelmed today and will attempt the kitchen tomorrow night. I try and think what is urgent, important for safety and good enough. Many things can wait for a while. I work full-time at home so try and put washing on in the morning or lunchtime and take things up and downstairs with me.

I know you mentioned having a cleaner but not sure if you did this in the end. I have someone on an ad hoc basis in the last few months, perhaps every 2-4 weeks for a couple of hours mainly to give the kitchen and bathrooms a good clean. I do clean in between! bathrooms at the weekend mainly, and hoover at odd times ( I like hoovering  and I like to mop the floors). When I open the fridge and think this is just too bad I tend to do it there and then - even though I may have been doing something else so all abit random. If I always start somewhere different then most things will get done at some time. Not sure if this helps, but when there are other things going on, or we're physically and/or emotionally low then I think we have to prioritise, and that's making sure we eat, rest, and there aren't things to trip over....

Hugs to those injured, ill or low. 
Bala please be gentle with yourself, and others too

Chest of drawers I took to DD1 she decided she didn't want and asked me to pick up. Thought about it but told her to freepost it as I have enough.
Artificial xmas tree picked up - I had 2 and decided I didn't want the struggle of putting the second one away. Unused pet feeder taken back to different branch and refunded money as I'd bought and used another.
Two very heavy carrier bags of paper returned to bank for them to shred (they made me ask for a data access request when I only wanted a few pages - given about 18 inches plus about 7 CDs of calls. I wasn't going to shred given the hassle they gave me 
Trouser returned
ood food.
Can't find my notebook with my total so will add 12 as tree in 4 parts and also did few emails, calls for my dad, and recycled batteries.
House chaotic but instead of stressing trying to say its not a priority and focus on the priorities. Losing things for me is def a sign of things going downhill 

TC77

sorry, worded badly, meant everyone be gentle with themselves, Bala I know you are with everyone I meant a reminder to treat yourself as kindly as you do everyone else.

Sometimes getting through the day is a success...and should be recognised. x

TC77

caught up abit more @Mothernerd ..extra hugs and special request to be kind to yourself x

charlies_tribe

Been trying to catch up on posts but you've all been so busy. Sending hugs to all sho need them x

I've started an extra room this week and hoping to do 2 half hours in each room each day. Monday was living room and hall/stairs landing. All had a tidy and hoover and not much actually left.
Yesterday DD1 came, I haven't seen her since boxing day, so nothing got done until she left. After doing dinners/swimming lessons/dance (the kids, not me) I only managed to give the bathroom a quick clean.
Today DH went to the unit. The first 4 boxes and a black bag came back. I have slowly gone through 2 boxes this afternoon. So much rubbish! Receipts from 2016, broken ornaments a pile of young kids tights, pants and socks... no idea why most of it was kept (guessing all the underware was from emptying dd3s drawers as she grew out of them but why on earth not bin them then, someone go back and slap me!) the first box is now 1/3 full of things that need looking through again and keeping or charity. The second box currently has shoes and 6 (odd) rollerskates! Waiting for their partners. I went through the bag and that is all to go in the clothes bin. Hoping DH will drop it in tomorrow when he goes to work so not counting it yet. 2 boxes to get through before DH fetches the next lot on Monday.


134 100 emails deleted
135-154 DD1 stuff bagged up and taken to her new house for her to sort.
155 calendar wallet recycled
156 100 emails deleted while waiting for shopping.

157 100 emails
158-160 3 carrier bags full of rubbish, everything from rusty cake tins to a bike helmet to pens pencils and old receipts.
161 huge maternity pillow sent home with dd1

Right I better try to sleep as have an early start tomorrow.

akh43

This thread is so hard to keep up with, but was determined to get up to date before going to bed.

Still not counting deluttered stuff, but far exceeding my target of 6 a day.  I am setting myself a small task/frog each day and once finished if still feeling keen then finding a new task while I am on a roll as want to get as much cleared as I can while before the moment goes.  I didn't realise how many frogs I had, but one by one getting through them.

Not getting rid of everything, but emptying a shelf/cupboard/box and sorting, taking stock of what is there, getting rid of some and then cleaning and putting back much less and leaving tidy and actually knowing what is there.

3 bags of recycling dropped off today at local supermarket

1 bag of wool given to friend who knits baby stuff for local hospital and innocents caps as finally realised I am never going to knit like I used to.

Pending:

Back room has multiple bags on the go, 3 for charity shop, 1 clothes for recycling, 1 bag of carrier bags for a local veterans group to use to give out donations (glad to have a use for them as I no longer use plastic carrier bags since covid I use washable ones), 3 for recycling tip, 1 metals/1 small electrical and one non recycleable which I keep adding to daily and will take once there is enough. A bag of beauty empties to recycle at Boots https://boots.scan2recycle.com/faqs/ - once I get more items and need to buy something I will take them instore and get the extra boots points.

Several items listed on freecycle and 2 already gone and a few items upcycled as too good to throw and have a bag in with isolation items, till I decide what to do with them or finally throw, but that is going down.

I am sure I have missed things since I last posted, but thats its from me for now. 

Still feeling very positive about decluttering and determined this year is going to be the one I finally get a tidy house. I did declutter to some extent when I retired in 2019 and was getting some work done, but now realise I barely did anything

A few ins at the weekend 4 x 9p chocs from aldi, 2 already gone, and 3 new plants from Homebase Casualty Corner, but I couldn't resist at the price as love different plants.

Its good reading this thread and picking up lots of tips from others on here