2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

TC77

Need some new large curtains , or new to me. Found some in CS abit too short and not quite wide enough.... resisted going back as I may have been able to lengthen but now widen (limited skills) and resisted going back to shops for a mooch and no doubt purchase things.
Made a list of calls and tasks for tomorrow. a couple started but only finished complaint I made last year via website never received so had to do again (related to long standing and fingers crossed historic pest issue), few phone calls, abit of tax stuff and some paper declutter (5, making 138). One item sold but not paid or out yet so yet to count. 
Hope some rest and recuperation as much as possible for folk. 

weenancyinAmerica

TC77 - you can try adding some material to widen and lengthen and then some pillows to match. Make your room look coordinated and like you meant it that way.

sumb7170

Hello all,

I love the EDT, it’s so inspiring reading about everyone’s progress – I’m keeping up daily even though I’m only posting weekly.  Big hugs to those struggling with grief or health issues – make use of the love and care on this great train.  Welcome to all new joiners and BIG THANKS to @Mrs_Salad_Dodger for the excellent cheerleading, you are keeping me on track!

Items decluttered out of the house – 23 clothes items, 2 printer cartridges, 3 big boxes & packaging, 1 large bag tablet blister packs, 6 old magazines/. Plus 49 books and 120 DVDs sorted from last week made it to the CS this week.

Unsubscribed from 7 emailing lists and completed 26 off my list of jobs, including eating a 5 month old frog to sort out a 500+ mailchimp membership list for a voluntary group I’m a member of – such a relief to have done that one!  Total 410/5000.

Purchases incoming – only essential / functional items so not counting them, plus to a secondhand trampoline, which I only bought to replace our broken net, will count that as 1 item in until the rest of the trampoline is decluttered = 409/5000 (day 17 target is 238 items so still ahead).

Also spent 4.5 hours taking down the Christmas tree and going through all the boxes of decorations, now have 8 boxes less than when I got them out, having given away a lot to a friend before Xmas and arranged them better.  Not counting anything yet as the boxes are not yet tidied away and the bald tree is still in the house!

Finished Tess of D’Urberville after mega reading session yesterday, hooray!  Found it a bit of a trial tbh, did you enjoy it @vulpix?  Total 2/52.  Next book group book is Three Women, which I need to read by 12th Feb so will try to read a couple more before then (if I read it now I’ll have forgotten what it was about by 12th!)..

Mending – oxygen bleached some more discoloured bedding (@Liverpool_Anne - I used Bio D oxygen bleach, worked really well, and a Dylon Dye Pod in vintage blue from Hobbycraft, not so successful, should have used a darker colour), sewed a button on DD2’s blazer and another sewing job, and OH fixed a non-working extension lead (one of the wires have come loose)  – Total 14/52.

Used 2 years of garden gift cards vouchers for Birthdays and Christmas on a lovely big plant pot and two jasmine plants – luxury items but decluttered all cards / vouchers so I reckon this is allowed!  No other shopping temptations came my way this week – too busy!

Used up a handcream this week that I had for Christmas at least 2 years ago, but still no progress on sorting my huge amount of ornaments.

Still no dieting this week …

So a good week of progress, focus was really the Christmas decs this week, looking forward to decluttering the boxes away where they go (they were in the storage unit but now I have less they are going into the eaves storage space).

Love to all on board!  H x

oceanspirit

sumb, spending vouchers on something you love is definitely allowed.  We are decluttering to make our homes fabulous places to be and part of that is decorating it inside and out.

A busy week with health appointments so not much decluttering done. 2 items to add to my total.  I have invited someone to stay in March so that gives an incentive to carry on clearing out the little bedroom.

3 walks last week.

Thrifty_Taylor

Thanks for my ⭐ Mrs SD! Well done everyone, you're doing great!
Still doing little bits each day, keep looking at the areas I've done so far & smiling 😃

102-106 2 pairs oven gloves binned, 3 pairs donated
107-8 2 pillowcases
209 towel
111 blanket

112 book
113 jigsaw
114 body spray
115 brooch
116-7 books
118 booklet
119 broken metal wall hanging
120 papers to recycling

Found a jigsaw to do on my jigsaw board, finished a book borrowed from a friend & listed 8 things on eboy which I will count once sold, on top of this list.

GrannyKate

Early start today (6.15) and medium sized frog done and dusted.  I have a gardening voucher with about £5 left on it - must use it up.  I also have a N**t voucher - their clothes don't usually fit me so I think I will spend the money on myself elsewhere and use the voucher to get a birthday gift for someone.  Weighed myself and not surprisingly after a week away and meals out it is going in the wrong direction.  Plan for today now frog done includes swimming, quick shopping trip, drop some things off at DS2s and post office for stamps.  DD's family all have evil D & V bug - only 48 hours but going through family.  A change from Covid I guess. Several meetings this week and hopefully the plumber.  Will take bag of books to see if I can drop off at Hospice book shop when I go to DS2's house.  Just round the corner but parking can be dodgy there.  

126 Contacted National Trust as realised renewal information has not arrived
127 Renewed membership of a family history group
128 Answered query email re family history 
129 Boxed game in CS bag as children don't play with it
130 Medium sized frog eaten up early - a voluntary group I belong to - easy once I got on with it
131-132 Used up meat from freezer and oddments from fridge and made 8 dinner portions to put in freezer.  Liver and bacon casserole and beef stew.
133 Unusable veggies to recycling bin

ruby_eskimo

Morning all. I. AM. TIRED.  This weekend was the first (of many) where we attempted to clear out my parents house.  I am not joking, over a thousand were disposed of this weekend (I lost count at about the 1500 mark, so may have been over 2000 items).  And that was only half a room 😳  DH and I arrived about 9:30 on Saturday and cracked on at 10 till 5.  We got into a rhythm of me picking things up, assessing and then handing to him with a word of that was either "keep / throw" and he was sorting everything into piles so we could dispose of stuff appropriately.  5 trips to charity shops in town, 2 trips to the dump and then 2 trips to various clothes donation bins and the stuff was gone, although I do have about 250 books in the boot of my car that I need to see if the Oxfam book store round here will take today.  We actually got banned from the charity shops because they couldn't take anymore of the things we had, hence clothes to bins and bringing books home with us.  You may be wondering what made up all of this stuff?  Well, it was mainly my stuff that my parents didn't want to let me get rid of when I moved out 10 years ago.  The reasons for this are complex but boil down to they didn't want to lose me, being an only child now having lost my siblings both in infancy.  So if my "stuff" was still there then I'd always have a reason to come back and get it.  Lots of emotions to unpick there over an Indian on Saturday night, with the reassurance that they're my parents and of course I will be coming to visit them.  Next time we go back I can finish emptying the bookcase (my car couldn't take anymore weight) and then it's under the bed and the wardrobe.  Have left them with a pile of things that are their's to sort through but they have room to move around in there now rather than boxes piled on top of each other.  On our final run to the charity bins, my mum did give me a black sack with some of my dad's old work shirts in it (he's been working from home for 2 years and will hopefully retire this year so doesn't need a bajillion white shirts anymore) and a few handbags of hers that she doesn't need.  So I think we've inspired them to continue the momentum.  I did bring 3 crates of things back here to sort through, mainly a few books to keep, some CD's from bands I love that aren't available on Spotify, and paperwork that may or may not be important.  I plan to tackle a box every night this week so it doesn't just stay there collecting dust in our house.  

I could say so much more but I probably should do some work today, although I'd rather be sitting in a nice warm bath right now!

Hope you're all doing well, hugs to those that need them.

vulpix

ruby-eskimo, well done, what a marathon and cathartic for all of you. I have deceased siblings and although it isn't mentioned it is always there.x

 sumb7170, I was 13 or 14 when I read Tess of the Durbervilles. I don't remember if I enjoyed it but do remember it having an affect on my thinking. Anyhow I saved the book all these years so that must say something. I only have a few books after getting rid of hundreds years ago. I just looked at them one day and thought how many of these will I honestly read again? I must make an effort, I used to be a prolific reader and just don't read much at all these days. Since I remarried I feel selfish to have a reading light on when Mr V is trying to sleep.

 GrannyKate, you are always so busy and organised. Not like me at 10am still in bed doing online jigsaws!

 TC77 was it you who said you write lists and lose them? I have an ugly but easy list holder. Last years diary, this years diary, note book and note pad for lists all held together with elastic bands. I have transferred all birthdays into he new diary but am hanging onto the old one for a little while as I recorded last years weight loss in it. There is even the biro that I have been exclusively using tucked into the elastic band.

 Well Happy New Year! Today I feel almost better from the lurgy and ready to start anew. A concerted effort to getting rid of some weight begins today. DD1 is having a leaving party in a few weeks and of course I need to look fab for that!

 I forgot t say,DD1 came to see me the other day and brought me 2 rugs that I gave her. Perhaps DD2 might want them. She still has no date for her house move. The vendors are moving into rented and can't find anywhere.

 5. dead paintbrush

 6. pineapple plant given to friend

 9. Carving set given to friend to take to her chazzer. This was my Grandads and is probably Victorian/Edwardian. Antler handles       with what looks like silver ends..

 Vx

 

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

Sunday I ended up doing one more small task so Monday’s list has 7 tasks on it 😔 Spent the rest of the day nodding off on the sofa although managed to stay awake long enough to cook dinner & watch Dancing on Ice 😉 Dinner was cottage pie & cabbage for DH & DSis but I had cheesy mash with a couple of fried eggs on top. DSis did the wudupa 👏 Fell asleep on sofa whilst watching Vera so woke up & went to bed - 5 hours with only one bathroom break.
Monday is bright, dry & cold 🥶  got up 7:45 a.m. having a cuppa whilst watching Vera 😉 Then a quick bath as have my mammogram this afternoon. 

82 - 83 Kitchen recycling & detritus dealt with.

Great work Floss 👏 Sorry to hear you have a funeral to attend 😞

OWD_nana pleased to see that reading daily is keeping you motivated 🙂 It is obviously working as Excellent decluttering 👏

JustMum89, no doubt about it - you have had a productive day 👏 Excellent decluttering 👏 Keep up the good work 🙂

Excellent decluttering Baxtersmum 👏 Definitely a bonus that you managed to avoid killing Son1 🤣 and really great that he is so happy about decorating 😉 Absolutely a 🦄 is ESSENTIAL 🙂

Great work on getting your son fully on board, mmm_wine 👏 A hugely successful day of decluttering 👏 & hopefully selling a few nerf guns (& possibly the bunk beds) will help towards the cost of the new to you raised bed 🤞 Even with a huge amount of Lego I think it takes up less room than 12 nerf guns 😉 Hope you enjoyed your glass of wine 🙂

Sounds like a capsule wardrobe weenancyinAmerica 🙂 Like you I hate clothes shopping 😠 however I have way too much stuff in my wardrobe - mostly ancient but also went overboard on beach holiday clothes back in 2019 😔 Once you have made your list, perhaps incorporate a CS visit with doing your weekly shop? 

Very strong in resisting the temptation  to take everything offered by DD1, vulpix 👏🙂 You have trained her well 😉 As to the chair perhaps you could swap it out with one of your chairs that you don’t love so much? One in one out 😉 I am sending your DD1 a medal 🏅 plus you have earned a Gold Star ⭐️ for both the training & the resistance 👏

Welcome aboard The EDT mikki2d 👋 it is never too late to climb aboard 🙂 Sorry to hear about your Dad 😞 Well done on clearing his house 👏 - a seasoned declutterer even if some of his belongings made their way back to your home 😉 Congratulations on your new home & I am very impressed by setting a rule for what goes in the attic 👏 So impressed that I am sending you a medal 🏅 & I have added it to my list of great ideas re decluttering 😉 Local bartering groups sound wonderful 🙂 Lovely to have you aboard & looking forward to seeing you in the buffet car 😉

Gem-gem, have you deducted the 11p from the £8.60 cost of a day out in London 😉 Very MSE 👏 Great decluttering 👏 I think you have earned a cuppa & a sit down to catch up on your reading 😉

Wow you have been busy Fizz2015 🤩👏 and we’ll done on making time to stroll along the beach 🙂👏 Excellent decluttering & well done to your dd re taking LFTs 👏

Well said Finstickle 👏

Well done on resisting curtain temptation TC77 👏 Excellent work & well done at least starting your accounts 😉👏 Keep up the good work 🙂

You temptress weenancyinAmerica 😞 

🤩 sumb7170 - I was exhausted reading about all the Decluttering & tidying & mending etc etc etc Absolutely brilliant work 👏 One Gold Star ⭐️ on its way for reaching & passing a milestone in your mending category 👏 As to the dieting, I think with all the moving about & hard work you might be pleasantly surprised 🤞

Hope the medical appointments all led to good news, oceanspirit 🤞 Sounds like your visitor in March is keeping you well motivated 👏🙂

Excellent decluttering Thrifty_Taylor 👏 & great idea to keep admiring your clear spaces 🙂 

Great work on dealing with a frog, GrannyKate 👏 Sorry to hear that DD’s family all have the D&V bug 😞 but as you say a change from Covid with the advantage that once it is finished it is DONE 🙂 Good work on the decluttering 👏

No wonder you are tired ruby_eskimo 😔 Not only a humongous amount of physical decluttering but also lots of emotional decluttering. So sorry to hear about the loss of your siblings 😞 I would like to thank you for sharing your life with us - it must be very hard coping with all this. Although I did smile at the ‘being banned from CS’ Well done on inspiring your parents to continue decluttering 👏 

‘Cathartic’ is such a descriptive word vulpix 🙂 Such a lovely post - full of praise & encouragement 👏 A Happy New Year to you too vulpix 🙂 So pleased that the lurgy is finally releasing its hold on you 🥳 I am sure that you will look absolutely fabulous for DD1’s leaving party 🙂

Now off to have my bath 😉

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 83/2022

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

bit_by_bit

31 posts in 24 hours  and mountains of stuff rehomed. 

No decluttering yesterday for us but 3 frogs gone; all at my SiL and her husbands in Manchester. 

The first was a a longstanding promise to put some curtains and a new rail up in her flat.

The second to take a sofa to the tip. Two trips taken after it was destroyed. We bought the bed bit home to see if we can adapt it to our campervan.

The third was to sort out info as Sil was very poorly last year and the hospital wouldn't speak to anyone but her DH. Sadly they both have learning difficulties and he was unable to understand or retain info given and she too ill and confused. We thought they were reasonably independent and when everything is going smoothly they were. No one was willing to get involved except us. 

Whilst his wife seriously ill someone knocked on the door from Scottish Powr and sold BiL a dual fuel account with bill. BiL  had been paying as he went for several years and had managed quite fine. He was led to understand that his company had gone bust, it had not. It has doubled his bill and seeing as he is on benefits should not have moved. We are writing a seriously long complaint.

So I have done a financial health check with them and a health history. I will type them up and print some copies to take to the hospital in times of crisis. 

Finally helped them declutter 7 bags of clothes and other things. I should start a count of stuff give that goes straight out for the CS ad there has been a lot of it over the last few years. I think there have already been 4 in and outs. 

Finally I bought several bags of Christmas decs back from the CS to store. They would have gone in the bin as they have no storage. They are not mine and I will be returning them at the end of October so they can sell them then. Today I ahve a couple of easy frogs and then will be putting stuff in the loft and sorting through SiL bags to rehome appropriatly.