2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

GrannyKate

Many thanks for all the suggestions re hallway colours.  Currently grey and I find it dreary (I know it's trendy) - I have gone for a darker beige colour as there are 8 doors (bungalow) which are all painted white and reflect plenty of light.  Glad to say all doors will get painted and skirtings have to be replaced with new.  I have gone for a green shade in kitchen.  We had it painted ivory when extension was built as we were not sure how the light would work out as door and windows only at one end of long room but have lived with it 10 years now and darker, more practical colour, should be fine.  It took workmen 5 plus hours yesterday to get the rest of the kitchen flooring up as it was stuck down.  Concrete came up with it in places so they had to put levelling stuff (I'm sure that's the technical term!) down.  Think new floor will be laid in kitchen today.  I may get excited later.  

Mrs SD Thanks for 🏅 for DS2 - I will share it with him.  DS2 car passed its MOT last weekend but windscreen wiper fell apart when he washed it yesterday so had to be replaced.  I have my colonoscopy appointment for next week - DD coming up to go with me.  Delicious chicken curry last night.  Cooked in slow cooker on dining room table as we had to keep out of kitchen. Free range chicken breasts bought from YS shelf £14 reduced to £3. 

I use my best glasses now and sent cheaper ones to CS.

137 DS2 cleaned some gutters
138 Plastic Easter egg complete with chocolate inside found blocking one drain - binned rather than eaten!
139 Old kitchen flooring left house with contractors
140 DS2 completed framing mementos from youth choir event last year for DGD4.  It looks cool.
141 Ironing board got out for use in above so I did the three items in my basket before putting board away 😇
142 Broken hose accessory to bin
143 Cleaned up and polished muddy boots from weekend away
144 Added me to DS2's car insurance - 23 minute ++ frog - painful process 
145 One small item from DS2's list paid off yesterday - its a good start.
146 Windscreen wiper replaced

Off to write down meter readings - plan to do it hourly today as trying to work out what is using so much energy now dehumidifiers have gone. I ran wm for a spin now trying dishwasher on usual short programme.  

Floss

I've previously found FD to be good, but recently they seem to have lost all common sense, for example they wanted me to tell them the balance of an account closed several months ago 🤷‍♀️

Also, when it's an automated system asking for things I deliberately input a wrong number or just stop, and miraculously get through to a real person 😉

wort

I have gone through nail polishes got rid of sticky bottles and colors that don’t apply nicely as I avoid using them .
massive clear out at work ,getting everywhere straight and labeling all the containers and shelves. I love getting it organized it feels so satisfying. Bags and bags of shredding and old tat cleared. A full days shift and I’m hoping it’s still looking tidy when I go back in after my days off.🤔😬
just pegged out my wash ,it’s very still and grey but as the heating won’t be on until teatime it’s better to be in the fresh air than inside .
I have just mopped and cleaned the downstairs cloakroom and living room, and with the
sunny daffodils and some hyacinth in vases to brighten my living room, 
I think Stacey Solomon is on Tomorrow? With her decluttering show sort out your life.

wort

@SecondStar I agree with Taff, also I would use it as a chance to manage to live with less, use the do I want to keep this question and all the definite yes you keep all the ones you are dithering over are a no .
its very freeing to have less things to manage, if you use your friends garage space to store things , you can start with the basics in your house and gradually add until you are happy with how it looks , if you still have stuff in storage after 6 months then it’s not important and can be donated.
Wishing you lots of happiness in your new home.

I watched a short reel where someone did a reset of the living room by taking out all the small items , e.g. side tables ,ornaments, then put things back one at a time maybe putting in different positions ,it really helped to refresh the room and see what items were not needed anymore.

SecondStar

wort said:

@SecondStar I agree with Taff, also I would use it as a chance to manage to live with less, use the do I want to keep this question and all the definite yes you keep all the ones you are dithering over are a no .
its very freeing to have less things to manage, if you use your friends garage space to store things , you can start with the basics in your house and gradually add until you are happy with how it looks , if you still have stuff in storage after 6 months then it’s not important and can be donated.
Wishing you lots of happiness in your new home.

I watched a short reel where someone did a reset of the living room by taking out all the small items , e.g. side tables ,ornaments, then put things back one at a time maybe putting in different positions ,it really helped to refresh the room and see what items were not needed anymore.

Thank you @wort !

Yes, I think starting with the basics is a very good idea.

I’ve been staying with my friend for 6 weeks now, and when I came I brought pants & socks, 3 pairs of pjs, 2 pairs of joggers, 6 tops, 2 dresses, 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of trousers, 2 bras, 1 jacket, 1 coat, 1 oodie, and 1 towel. And there’s been some of those clothes that I’ve not worn at all!

I also brought a dozen bits of makeup & skincare, half a dozen bits of haircare, my work laptop, kindle, iPad, noise cancelling headphones, and a heated blanket.

Admittedly, I’ve not really been in the mood for much other than watching tv, browsing the internet, or reading a book; but I’ve also not NEEDED anything else, in these 6 weeks.

I use basic cutlery and utensils from my friend’s kitchen, and the rest I’ve managed without.

Aside from the fact that all this has been caused by an awful relationship breakdown, it’s been interesting to realise that it is completely possible to live with the contents of a suitcase.

Dfw38

Your colour choice sounds lovely grannykate.  I have a dark beige in my current bedroom (we are having bedroom chess when I start decorating and am going to claim back the master bedroom from 2 dds!)

Kiwi crush is a lovely colour Liverpool_Anne it is just very bright ( I am more of a botanical green kind of person), it is a lime green and probably perfect for a kids room as we enter the tween years to be honest but her sister wants blue... shared room problems 🙄. 

The hospital called me today (I had to leave details because couldn't book online due to excessive waiting list times...41 weeks) and I am now on the waiting list to see a Dr so I can then go on another waiting list to get whatever needs sorting, sorted. wahoo! Lady said it is a long wait, I asked how long, she said May/June so that is an improvement on what the booking website said.  Had a celebratory pastry and am about to embark on another bout of decluttering. But I don't know where to start... want to chuck it in a church hall somewhere and sort it all 🤣.
Hope you all have a lovely productive day.

QueenJess

Feeling a bit stuck today.  Can't progress DD's room any further without furniture and I haven't had a text to say when it is arriving today.  It also says "waiting to dispatch" online and I'm concerned that means it won't arrive today.  Fingers crossed it's just arriving later in the day/evening instead...

Don't want to start a whole new area, but I would like to progress.  Just procrastinating now.  At least I got rid of a few bits last night I can add on for today:

772-773 - card making supplies (used up)

774 - toy (bin)

775-779 - paper (recycled)

780 - deflated balloon (binned)

Liverpool_Anne

@Dfw38, yes those greens on the lime side are not my favourite maybe you could just do a section of the room in that colour near where the dd who likes it sleeps and the rest in a calmer colour. Those bright colours are always attractive to the young Is there a similar colour with a little less yellow that might be a compromise and acceptable to both? It might be an opportunity for them to develop some negotiating skills . After all it is their room and they will have to live with it and each other . I remember when my niece was young she insisted she wanted her hair cut short, much to my sister's disgust but she allowed her to get it cut. After a few weeks she said next time she got it cut she was getting it cut long . Sometimes we have to let young people make choices they have to live with for a while. 

EnergyShifter

Popped on to say - I DID MY TAX RETURN!!! and paid the tax over !!! Whoo Hoo!!! It's always such a relief when its done! Might have a lie down now  

Tasks

• did my tax return (did I mention that ) 

IN (running total 20)
0

OUT (running total 103)
104. frame
105. Notebook that reminded me of somewhere that I worked - which was not a good thing.... 

Thanks for encouragement re: tax return liverpoolanne
mrs sd - that sounds like a very frustrating experience with the bank.  

nu1isit?

Hello,

Thank you for the welcome Liverpool_Anne.

So far I've declutter this lot:

2x DD's coats

7x Stuffed toys

1x My Coat that doesn't fit anymore

1x waistcoat

2x trousers

1x book

Today, I had a quick cuppa after I came back, shoved on a short timer, and went to look for one item to declutter. I ended up with: 4x old shirts, 1x old work coat, and 2x books 😇😜.

That's 21 items so far. I'm only aiming for roughly one a day, or seven in a week if possible. So I'm happy with that, just have to keep doing it bit by bit now. 🙂