2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

wort

Wow 3 days and 100 posts! 

I haven’t done everything I set out to do this week off but I was ill vomiting one day. I have done the main things on there . Today I will do a quick floor Hoover and mop , then a walk.
loving the TLC carriage, and I hope you are all making good use of it. 

 

I can’t recall who asked about cleaning 🧹 but I find now I’m decluttered it doesn’t take much to clean. You work long days so don’t beat yourself up too much, some people find having set days for things help, so washing Monday , bathrooms Wednesday, etc. or dusting Friday and Hoover Saturday. Certainly a full day off is hard going, have you asked friends if they will do a little cleaning job for you or if they know someone who is willing to make a bit of cash to do a couple of hours for you. I know of people who clean for their friends whilst their kids are at school, or whilst saving up for a house etc. 

hugs to all who need them and a big cuppa and biscuit or piece of cake. ☕️🍰

Fizz2015

Eveyone is doing amazingly well, 😊 I pinpointed why my mood has changed this last few days (work stress aside, it's just very busy), its PMT week and I have always suffered. Need to restock on the relevant supplements as I have ran out, but they have made a noticeable difference in previous months to my mood. 

On a positive I did relax at the health club yesterday and I joined a slimming club last night.

Decluttered a couple more empty boxes, empty plastic bottles in bathroom and all recycling out and collected already. 

Beautiful Day here but icy. 

Fizz xx

princesskitty29

My decluttering has stalled for a couple of days, I had to make an unplanned whirlwind trip to my parents as my dad was taken to hospital during the night on Tuesday night and my mum is really poorly from her radiotherapy treatment. They think they know what is wrong with my dad so hopefully he will be out today and start to get a bit better, I don't think he'll ever be that well again but hopefully he'll be better than he is now. I'm back home but we're actually picking up a puppy tomorrow, i'm very nervous but excited, i've never had a pet before! So today i'm going to be cleaning and puppy-proofing, any decluttering that is done along the way will be a bonus!

I haven't been able to completely catch up with the thread yet, but I just wanted to comment on a few things I did read, sorry if anything is out of date now!

MrsSD oh blimey i've never had a virtual finger wagged at me before, I have taken it on board and will not berate myself for not doing very well with my decluttering!

weenancyinamerica It's lovely to be able to travel in your mind, i've been to New York, Montana and a few places in California, Utah, Arizona and Nevada and can put myself in many places there if I close my eyes. Well done on making some progress in your house and for encouraging others to get on board.

ilovetea I love your name on here! Tea literally keeps me running! Princesskitty is part of an email address I set up when I was young, I have no idea where it came from as i'm not princess like and don't have a special penchant for cats!

bala i'm sorry to hear you are struggling, be kind to yourself and treat yourself as your would a good friend. Sending hugs to you.

GrannyKate

Hugs to all who need them.  Waiting in for plumber today although school run this pm.

116 Went to get new dish cloth out of box and stopped to sort through and tidy it.  2 rather manky looking clothes
binned
117 Sorted and tidied plastic bags box which was on top of the cleaning clothes box above
118-119 Two small frogs eaten up with my morning cup of tea
120 Car tax done on line - not due until end of month but thought Id get it off my to do list and filed away 
121 Sitting in newly arranged study looking at window - got up and fetched cleaning materials and cleaned window!

mmm_wine

Hi, guys. A bit late but can I jump on board?? My house is soooo full of stuff, I really need to pull my finger out and get decluttering and making this house a home. Me and my partner have lived in this house for nearly 15 years, we have 4 children, although our eldest no longer lives with us. I am a bit of a hoarder, not in a sentimental way though.. I see items as having a money value and therefore don't want to chuck money away.. My plan was to sell things, but there is so much I'm never going to have the time or energy to try and sell everything! I am normally over on the Competition Time forum, winning competitions has also added to my clutter.. I also love charity shops! I find it hard to say no to a bargain, so now i have a stupid amount of clothes, some I have never even worn, some don't fit etc.. some of my charity shop buys I don't even like but I got them anyway thinking I could sell on for a profit lol 

So I want to cocentrate first on a few areas/rooms...

1.  My 15 year old sons room.. He will be doing his GCSES this year so want to create a nice calm space in there so he can revise etc.. also now his older brother is no longer in there I want to make it more his room (some of his brothers stuff is still in there so I need to clear that too)

2.  Paperwork! this has got out of control, there is now way too much to shred, anyone any advice on the best way to get rid? I thought maybe burning it in the garden..

3.  Our bedroom - the most cluttered room in the house as everything gets dumped in there as its the one room no guests ever go into.. there are sooo many clothes (mine and outgrown kids clothes) I probably have enough to open my own charity shop lol  I want to get it all decluttered, move the furniture round and make it a relaxing room finally.

4.  Finish decorating the bathroom. We finally got a new bathroom fitted December 2019... still not finished decorating it! 

5. Kitchen - firstly the junk on tops of cuboards and tops of fridge and freezer. The stuff you can't see in drawers and cupboards can wait for now..


I'm hoping even doing a little everyday I will finally get there... Once I have completed these 5 areas I will write another list  

roundtuit

Morning xx 

I'm adopting the like with like idea - seen on this thread. I usually recycle packaging as soon as the parcel is opened, but I'm going to keep a small box* and put all random cables and connectors in it. Any that have not found a home by the end of the decluttering journey will be disposed of. I already have a bag for odd socks. 

I need to do the same with shower scrunchie thingys- there seems to be one in every drawer that I open. As I find them I'll rehome them together. 

* No I'm not.  Re cables etc. I have an empty drawer under the TV. All cables, connectors can go in there. Box can be recycled.

Sorry. WIP and thinking aloud.

Rxx

Suffolksue

Thinking aloud is good Round ,
I hosted my U3A wine group yesterday,had thought my living room was good to go ,but a box of’stuff ‘ I gathered is now in my partially sorted bed room awaiting my attention .

Wine group was great fun ,we take it in turns to host,choose a theme and supply lunch ,we’ve been going a few years now so are all good friends .DH loved it and we still raise a glass to him.
They met via Zoom during lockdown but We couldn’t join them as it clashed with things I had to do for him 

not good for the diet though!
Thats me done for 2022 ,

Off to sort this box out now so it doesn’t hang around 

Blackberrycurved

My back is a bit better today so hopefully tomorrow I can put 50,000 things in my recycle bins. I have missed doing it for maybe 4 weeks because I wasn't up to dragging my wheelies up and down the cobbles. That is usually a joy as everyone has made our entry megga pretty with flowers and arches and seats, in summer we have BBQs and film nights.
Tomorrow paper work decluttering lots of it.
Still trying to get a cleaner.

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

Friday is currently dry with clear blue skies & cold 🥶 
Straight into cheerleading as you have all been very busy bees 🙂

Lovely post retiredinfrance 😊

So true short_bird 😉 the bag sweep is usually when you have someone coming round 😉

Sorry to hear that you are feeling so overwhelmed Fizz2015 ☹️ but a great idea from ruby_eskimo 🙂 

Good idea ruby_eskimo 👏

You are very welcome roundtuit 🙂 & I like my title - I am a star 🌟😁 Well done on the decluttering 👏 You seem to be practising the ‘One Touch’ method - it can be very therapeutic although occasionally time consuming if you have accidentally picked up something that you are not yet ready to make a decision on 😉

well done Fizz2015, you have a plan and are enlisting help 👏

Hope you had a lovely time GrannyKate 🙂 not too sure about driving into the sun 😉 Good decluttering 👏

roundtuit, always surprising to me what memories are stirred when decluttering - some sad but some joyous 🙂

GeogianaCavendish, you inspired me to read about both Dorothy Vernon & your namesake - both very interesting women 🙂 Very generous with the the handbag 👏 

vulpix, perhaps you have an old photo of the door in situ? Covid the gift that keeps on giving 😖 

EnergyShifter not a good start to your birthday ☹️ but the good news was that you only irritated your knee joint 🙂 

weenancyinAmerica, welcome news about your car 👏 even if you were delayed by Covid 😖 The whole Covid situation seems never ending 😔 Lovely side conversations with balabooberlies & retiredinfrance 🙂

TC77 sounds like decluttering to me - I think it is called decluttering temptation 😉 Thank you for the timely reminder of why I am decluttering i.e. to be able to find important items quickly 👏 Excellent decluttering 👏 I agree that Bala The Brave is very apt 🙂

CCW007 Try not to get too disheartened about the empty DVD cases - you tried everything 🙂 However you have made an excellent start - so well done 👏 Can I pop round for the bonfire?🙂

Yippee TC77 🥳 & well done for ploughing on - a successful decluttering session 👏 Good luck with your accounts 🍀 

The thread is moving on apace newlywed 😱 might I suggest reading my posts to give you a general idea of what is being decluttered - a bit cheeky I know 😉 but hopefully one of the benefits of my cheerleading 😉😉 Your tea collection sounds very interesting & has reminded me that I have a single jar of teabags (appropriated from various hotels 😱) which I haven’t tried. Well done on sorting your tea collection 👏 & hopefully you will find some new favourites 🤞

Now, now Guineapigsqueaks ‘wagging finger emoji’ you are NOT doomed. You are here aboard The EDT with fellow ‘sinners’ 😉😉 and we don’t judge - just put it behind you 🙂 Every task you complete & every bit of clutter you banish from your home 👏 is a step towards a clutter free home & I KNOW you can do it especially with all the encouragement from each of us 🙂 

Excellent work charlies_tribe 👏 especially the removing address labels & decluttering the cardboard boxes immediately 🥳 - you have kept the conservatory clear 👏🙂 As to the old children's books perhaps you could make up small boxes (10 in each box) & offer them for free on one of the websites? If no one wants them perhaps you can investigate getting them pulped?

Good work short_bird 👏

wort, I didn’t realise it was quite so many 😱 Sorry to hear you have been unwell & I hope you are on the mend 🤞Thank you for reminding us that decluttering has the extra benefit of making cleaning far easier 👏 and what a great idea re getting someone in to help & earn a bit of money 👏 

Fizz2015, Sorry to hear that PMT is such a problem for you but 🤞 that the supplements can make it easier to cope with. Well done on a bit of TLC 👏 and good work on the decluttering - every bit out is a win 👏

princesskitty29, so sorry to hear that your dad has been hospitalised & that your mum is so poorly 😔 Sending Get Well Wishes & gently reminding you to give yourself a bit of TLC 🙂 How exciting - a puppy 🐶 🥳 What a lovely 2nd half of your post - even with your worries you have still found time to support & be kind to others 😊

Great work GrannyKate 👏 🤞 that the plumber turns up promptly & is efficient 🤞

Welcome aboard The EDT, mmm_wine 👋 It is never too late to join us 🙂 but of course the earlier you jump aboard, the more ‘stuff’ you can declutter & every little bit helps 🙂 I have made a note of the page number for your list & will be able to confirm that to avoid you backtracking to find your list 😉 As you have such an extensive list may I offer up one idea that may help get you started 🙏 Each time you enter a room pick up 3 items that can be binned, recycled or put in the correct room. So again welcome aboard - we are all supporting you on your grand decluttering journey 🙂

What a great use of the like with like method, roundtuit 👏 See it has already paid dividends just by writing it down 😉👏

Sounds like you had a lovely time Suffolksue 😊 Your decluttering is obviously going very well as just one box of bits had to be removed 👏 

Pleased to hear that your back is gradually getting better Blackberrycurved 🙂 but do please be careful when moving your wheelie bins 🙏 Good neighbours all pitching in to make something beautiful 👏😊

Yippee, caught up 🥳

P.S. just watched Save The Cinema what a lovely film & all the better for being based on a true story 😊 Also just had a nice chat with a neighbour 🙂

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 60/2022

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

vulpix

mmm wine, Hello and welcome.
 In your shoes I would just start in the kitchen and recycle/ throw out obvious rubbish and then chip away until you have some clear space. Put a timer on or get up at every add break on the telly. When I have a CBA day I wash up and tidy the kitchen during add breaks. As for Charity shop purchases that have never been used, could you see them as a donation to a charity when you bought them, so some could go back to the charity shop and make money for them again. I think trying to sell clothes is a big time consuming faff. Only expensive brands in as new condition will realise any amount of money. As for your sons room, put a timer on for half an hour and each have a couple of bin bags. Rubbish, recycling, charity, brothers stuff etc That should make him some space and have another half hour session next week. Keep the half hours up and when it's clear do couple of drawers or book shelves etc. and Voila!
 Paperwork, yeah burn it but that takes ages as nice white letter paper doesn't burn too well left to it's own devices. You need a couple of nice clear evenings and sit outside with a glass of wine and slowly feed your paper work onto the fire. I would say don't overwhelm yourself. Slow and steady wins the race.

 PK29 The boys will LOVE a puppy. What type will he/she be? I am sorry to hear about your Mum and Dad's health.x

 BBC I am glad to hear that your back is a bit easier. I think word of mouth is the best way to get a cleaner. I used to clean for someone when my kids were little. All her friends wanted me too! I ended up cleaning every week day! Didn't want to do mine at all after all that! 

 I am beginning to feel better from my cold/Covid. I am a little down, some depressing family news giving me anxiety. I am beginning to realise how much I rely on DD1 and her move to Shetland is weeks away. Still, Mr V and I have had a chat about a little holiday. We have lots of holiday to use from work before April. I work best if I have a project so a holiday is what I will be working towards until Spring then I will be onto making a garden.

 Today is the day people break their New Year resolutions according to the newspaper. I will start mine next week as I have been poorly. They will be to get some chubbage off (love that term, Thank You) Not buy any clothes, shoes handbags, jewellery, shiny things, stuff for the house ,garden or toiletries. Basically don't buy owt until what I have is used up. Difficult for me. I LIKE STUFF.

 Vx