2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

2Scratters

@Florenceem - oh wow! Dried eggs. I remember us having them back in the 70's. 

A little update from me the items that were removed from the loft have gone to a new home. 2 sheets of waste wood now decanted into the fire.  3 items that have been loitering in the back bedroom have also moved out to new homes, one more to go today. No real space generated but clutter gone!

Removed the little folding formica kitchen table from the hallway, it had been placed there when the new fridge arrived 10 months ago. It is now back in use the back bedroom (soon to be kitchen) which has created a bit more space and the Ikeea one has been dismantled and placed in the loft. Not sure at which point which will survive if either.

DH planted up the left over hyacinth bulbs. 

The plastic bags of remaining coals were added to the bin store. Bags disposed in the general waste that got collected on Tuesday. 2 shelves that were brand new and never used cut up (not the right wood for the fire) binned.

The woodstore has been emptied and re sited (in preparation for the start of the extension) old tatty wood cut down and getting ready to be burned up in the last of the winter. All part of keeping the back garden tidy.

A packet of dog chews thrown, DH says are not safe for our 2 dogs as they do not chew properly. Damn just realised I could have donated them 

Spotted last night an offer of a reduction in fees on the bay sales. Getting some pictures ready to part up load for the weekend.

Used up procrastination time by joining and supporting work colleagues on the picket line on Tuesday afternoon. That was a double whammy support and fresh air.

Today will be a hoover up day - shouldn't take too long in this mansion  (tis a 2 bed bungalow really!)

Be safe and happy in your decluttering

2 Scratters xx

Floss

@secondstar Either buy a job lot of packing tissue online, or newspaper - I bought Sunday papers, and picked up any free ones I could find. 

donna73

Watched Stacey Solomon last night 😀 did anyone else see it? 

And this morning I’ve accidentally found “The Organised Mum Show” podcast on Spotify, not listened to any yet , but thought it might provide some more inspiration and tips. I know she’s all about routines around cleaning and housework , but thought there may be some decluttering going on too? Does anyone else listen to it ?

Made my first sale on gumtree which was exciting!  Have moved some things from vinted that have been listed for ages , onto olio to give away for free, and 4 things have gone to new homes so far which is good. I’ve decided I need to be stricter about moving things on if they’re not selling- they are still cluttering up cupboard space else!! Note to self : Just because you’ve listed them online doesn’t mean they’ve left the house!!! 😉🙄

Deleted several unnecessary photo albums on phone (counting as 1 item as not physical)

5 apps deleted on iPad (counting as 1 item as not physical)

Old cough mixture x1 

Cardboard, layered into compost bin 

Past their best grapes, given to chickens 

Book appointment with British Gas 🐸

3x jewellery sold on vinted 

Packaging reused to send parcel 

Hat & 2 cushion covers given away on olio 

Mended bedsheet from caravan 🐸

Bracelet sold on vinted 

Packaging reused to send parcel 

3x junk mail straight into recycling bin before it got into the house

Storage box given away on olio 

Odd jar lid 

Empty garlic net 

Cardboard - compost bin

Leaking wellies 

Bag of paper clips given away on olio 

3 x cards given away on olio 

Sewing machine sold on gumtree 

Unsubscribe from text message marketing 🐸

Cracker crumbs given to chickens 

Decluttering total so far 343/2023

vulpix

 I love moving. Tesco for banana boxes and newspaper for me. I also ask Aldi for the pieces of bubble wrap they have in the bottom of fruit boxes,great for glasses and ornaments. They don't save banana box lids so hence going to Tesco. Also ask on FB if anyone has moving boxes and bubble wrap before buying any.

 Whilst looking for notepaper last night I turfed out a big pile of paperwork from breast cancer, lymphoedema,various operations,physio instructions etc. Also an unused cheque book. I have no memory of the last cheque I wrote. Also the branch on the details no longer exists.

 63. paperwork

 Vx

grandmanerd

I have the Certificate of Completion on my mum's bungalow so I claim my 1500 points - the stupid buyers failed to complete the first 3 times and am still  waiting for the money to arrive in my bank account. The original completion date was the 14th December and back in the mists of time when I filled in a 3" pile of documents I opted for the 3 - 5 days transfer (14th Dec was too late to start messing with tradespeople to do some of my urgent jobs or start wrangling over the !!!!!! jobs like the kitchen overhaul so I wasn't that worried. I'd  just enjoy Christmas (no elves has been harmed, traditional Christmas runs to February !st) with the satisfaction of completing the long process of emptying, cleaning, updating (the bulbs I'd planted in Autumn for spring flowering had all finished so I added lots of bedding plants and used up the outdoor paint).

I've just returned from 3 days in Blackpool - a family funeral on the Tuesday (mum's cousin) and travelled on Monday and came back yesterday as travelling wears me out. Lovely room - I was trying to find one that have a shower with grab bars (I'd whittled down the original 200+ down to about 27 then saw one had bars next to the toilet which whittled the list down to one hotel with some wheel chair accessible rooms. The bathroom was bigger than the bedroom and I had a choice of a walk in bath (with a shower overhead) and a wet room area with a sit down shower , grab bars and a choice of shower facilities (I used a small shower head like a mini magic wand but with powerful spray jets all along one side). 

I made full use of the facilities - I used the walker to get to the bathroom at night after the funeral (probably too much sugar from the cake but it had been bought specially for me so I couldn't refuse a second piece - but also the mental and physical exhaustion). The emergency cord worked - I couldn't find my moisturiser and remembered that one of the little bottles in the bathroom was moisturiser so went to get it. As I pulled the bottle back towards me the back of my arm brushed against a cord and the staff were knocking on the door to check that I was alright before I'd got back to the bed. Yesterday I still felt weak and wobbly but realised that there was  a bar that you could pull down in front of you when using the sit down shower.

I didn't do everything I wanted to before I left but at least 33 bags and sacks of rubbish and recycling went out to the bins (total includes any boxes too large, too small or too weak to be any use for packing) Some of it accumulated but some sought out piece by piece and inch by inch.

I intended taking sandwiches with me on my journey to Blackpool (bus then train) but ran out of time. Some bread buns and sandwich meats went in the freezer (for when I came back) and some buns, meat, lots of salad and a few 'treats' (no emergency banana but an emergency chocolate snack and 2/3 of a bar I'd started). went into a bag for life with cans of soft drink (decaff coke can be hard to find) and 3 x 2l water and decaff coke in my suitcase). Many buses went in the bus station before one came out 1/2 an hour late so I missed my train but the ticket was open so I continued my journey one hour later than planned so I took advantage of the concourse facilities to buy some warm food (one bake eaten and the second on the platform after traversing the 3 long walkways (and 2 lifts - no stairs for me) and safely installed in the waiting room. The toilets were new and they'd added new moulded (but super comfy) seating and wifi/ charging points but the building are mainly intact and they'd kept the Victorian tiling (I used to go to many meetings in Preston from this station, as well as the odd conference in Blackpool). 

The rail and hotel staff were super helpful (and many of my fellow passengers offered their services). I was glad to collapse onto my bed in my hotel room, ate several bowls of salad (mixed leaves, red onion and baby tomatoes layered in a bowl brought from home along with bamboo cutlery and watched an episode of Morse whilst gradually unpacking. I used the walk in bath, put on my nightie and the waffle robe supplied by the hotel, turned the tv off, checked in with my cousin (3 times removed, I think if I remember rightly) and then mostly read and ate (I could have used the hotel restaurant or bar but didn't feel up to it) until I fell  asleep.

The funeral was a funeral (not inspiring, not dreadful). I got a bit emotional in the middle because I hadn't realised the chief
mourner had used 2 of the photos I'd sent her after my mum died - her mum and my mum on donkeys and drinking at a water fountain. Before and after the funeral (and in the waiting room as the previous service overran) the 4 family members swapped stories and memories. I've realised over the past year that some tales passed down by my mother were the sanitised versions she was told as a child. The 'gushing sycophants' (my phrase but eagerly adopted by other family members) did not speak to us, not even to extend condolences to the deceased's daughter after the service. The cleaner, the gardener, the handyman and the 'best friend' are to get £10,000 each from the estate and the man who did her shopping gets £15,000 - the cleaner's husband was grinning like a Cheshire cat as the hearse pulled up, most distasteful.

Yesterday I decided to walk from the hotel to the train station (I wanted to check newsagents for my puzzle book and there seemed to be quite a few along the route). I had 2 hours and managed it easily but with lots of sitting down. Again lots of people checked to see that I was okay or if I needed help. For the last part it started to rain (not heavily, Blackpool was very mild - I was half expecting waves across the Promenade) but I took my next rest break by a large building with a concrete verandah (it could have been a dance hall, snooker hall, bingo hall or a hostelry but was a bit battered around the edges). 

Another man stopped to talk to ask if I was okay and then proceeded to tell me his life story (I must have that sort of face). He had two false legs, had been sanctioned (refused benefits for the sin of not having a permanent address) but his wife was still receiving benefits. He hadn't eaten for several days, so I asked if my leftover food was any use to him - I handed over cauliflower and broccoli (I eat both raw), a bag of peppers (I checked that he had facilities to turn it into veg curry or similar) 4 bread buns, 2 slices of roast beef, all the remaining salad items and 'treats'. His story was believable because he tore into the baby tomatoes straight away. He was very thankful, would add me to his prayers that night and no-one had ever done something like that for him.

The rain was enough to soak my hair and mask and there was a detour due to the road being repaired so I was glad to get inside and sit in the little cafe and sip hot chocolate (and a sandwich that was so massive I had to wrap the last quarter in napkins to bring home). I was quite bright until 2 stops from my train station and then any remaining energy left my body. The platform we arrived up had a small smith's coffee shop and I was lucky enough to get copies of both my puzzle books (one only has a few puzzles that interest me but they are large print versions of ones I love but can no longer read the tiny numbers in the corners on the regular versions. I took midday pills and painkiller but they took along while to kick in so I 'endured' the bus ride home. One tiny task to sort with the solicitor (annoying but not going to dwell on it, suffice to say that a week ago they would have had a positive response to their survey and now they won't) and came straight to bed (DS3 brought a second bag up for me later, the suitcase will stay downstairs until the contents have been decanted into the WM. I'm well ressted but still a bit unsteady when standing so I'm going to easee myself into the day slowly. My niece will be coming with me to sort mum's Council Tax, either today or tomorrow (she's not an early riser so it will be this afternoon at the earliest) whichever suits us both.

Decluttering My previous total was 312 (I think), 1500 for selling the bungalow (half of that is worry and frustration), 33 rubbish and recycling, at least 12 used up toiletries/ medicinal items/ cleaning supplies (including a whole pack of thin plastic gloves used on public transport) so my current total is 1857/2023.

Well done to everyone on your efforts (slow or fast, progress is progress), lots of things I could comment on (including a half purple, half bright yellow bedroom) but I've waffled enough so I'l go and seee if I feel up having a shower now.

QueenJess

Thanks @bit_by_bit and @Dfw38.  I'm so used to continuous slow improvements and was looking forward to a dramatic improvement in DD's room (that is achieved), the total disaster area in the rest of the house was a shock!  It really shows how your environment does affect your mental health/mood.

I am currently trying to ignore the furniture that is temporarily everywhere.  I have arranged DD's room and pretty much put stuff away.  I just have a couple of decisions to make re: whether to buy a couple of storage things to put in the furniture.  Will come to that later as I'm currently overwhelmed with decisions.  The main thing is that it is 90% done, it looks a million times better and DD absolutely loves it.

Going to tackle the general tip now by doing some tidying and chasing up people on Buy Nothing to get everything I can removed before the end of the weekend.  A bit more progress in convincing DH to part with the furniture I don't think we need, so more gone on Buy Nothing today.  There's more, but I can only make so many decisions in a day!  I still feel like there is tons of stuff to get rid of and go through in the house, but will stick with attempting to find at least 10 items a day as a general concept as that should get decent progress.  I'm hoping I can finish the kids rooms and all kids stuff by the end of March.  Then I can hit the rest of the house which is generally not too bad (garage excepted, but then it's mainly DH's tat anyway).

I have recorded Sort Your Life Out, but DS says I am not allowed to watch it without him, so it'll have to wait until tomorrow now.

822-39 - furniture spare bits (buy nothing)

840-43 - storage boxes not needed (buy nothing)

844 - bookcase (buy nothing)

845 - spare shelf (buy nothing)

846 - packaging (used)

847 - book (recycled)

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks

2. Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ I have an acronym - I.R.I.S. being Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off

3. Implement a new sleep/wake up regime - start going to bed earlier (target before 2:00 a.m.) get up earlier (target by 9:00 a.m.)

4. Deal with daily mail immediately 

5. Don’t put it down, put it away

6. If I spot a mini task deal with it immediately e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc

7. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Thursday is overcast again & feels cooler than yesterday. I woke up @ 09:51 for a bathroom visit so decided to put on my fleecy dressing gown & come downstairs for a cuppa. However will probably go back to bed once drunk 😉 

Plans for today are fluid but may include cleaning the small oven 😅 Now a sort session of cheerleading. P.S. I never did go back to bed instead I fell asleep on the sofa 😔oh well sleep is sleep 😉

charlies_tribe, your tale of teenagers being risqué & calling your buns ni??les reminded me of my lovely mum seeing someone wearing a string vest & describing their ‘nibbles’ sticking out 😂 slightly bemusing but very mum 😊 Excellent work finishing the pantry sort out 👏 & fingers crossed that no one dares to mess it up 🤞😅

Dfw38, seems we have a few people who like the idea of kiwi crush as a paint colour as much as your DD 😬 😅 Well done on sorting out the dcs helmets & kneepads, one less task to do 👏 I hope you were paying proper attention to Thomas the Tank engine - it could be your specialist subject on Mastermind 😂 Good luck with your walk 🍀

EnergyShifter, perhaps you should hire yourself out to others to help them complete their tax returns - might be a nice little earner 😉

mfwin2019, hope the food was good 🤞Great use of your 23 minutes 👏 you are now ready for a globe trotting 2023 😉

Fayolle, sorry to hear that work has been so stressful ☹️ All I can think is that you weren’t quite ready to find them 😉 Now that you are becoming attuned to your decluttering journey, these programmes are now on your radar & you can enjoy them 👏 Re your DH spending a whole afternoon decluttering paperwork you should also share in the credit 👏 He has obviously seen how much pleasure you are getting from decluttering & creating order where there was chaos & decided to participate 😉 As an encouragement I am awarding you each a medal 🏅🏅 Such a shame that you won’t be a famous watercolour artist but I did go down a rabbit hole for a few minutes looking at watercolour paintings & found two I particularly liked - Stonehenge by Constable & Peach Tree in Blossom by Van Gogh 😉Interesting observations re the ‘for best’ conversation - it seems to me that previous generations probably got more pleasure from owning a couple of ‘for best’ items rather than using them with the attendant risk of damage occurring 😔

DSis has just gone out 🥳

MrsSD (a superwoman) 😇 🎖💐🤩🏅🦸🏅💐🏆 💐

DH Awards: 🥇 

Decluttering Target 2023: 354/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

nu1isit?

Hello everyone. Just one item today again. A broken rear light cluster I was keeping, just in case I could use it 😬. Managed to get a couple of bulbs from it, and ended up using one to help the MIL fix her light. The rest's in the bin now.
Doing some staff training this evening, so hopefully have a bit more of a look, and declutter on Sunday 🙂😇.

Millie2008_2

Hello all I hope you're all having a good Thursday! The weather is a bit Meh here, but I managed to get out to the shops by myself, which did me good! I also dropped a bag of books to the charity shop and a few bits off with my friend 

I have continued on my mission, but was side swiped (again) yesterday when the GP called with my blood results- My Haemoglobin and iron are picking up (yay), but my B12 is very low- I need to start on injections tomorrow (6, over 2 weeks).

Looking at the list of symptoms, this makes sense and it's likely been creeping up on me for a good while- I'm usually such a healthy, energetic person, but these past few months, I just haven't felt right. It's a relief in a way, as should be easily treated. I just want my energy back....

Anyhow, checking in with 
128. DD's Halloween sweets- she doesn't have a sweet tooth, they have been sitting in her halloween bucket since Oct, so I have put them in a tub, ready to leave in the kitchen at the stables (where they will likely disappear in about 20 minutes!)
129. A few bits of old make up
130. Book donated to friend's son
131. DD's hair clips- destined for charity shop as they are in lovely condition
132. DD's tiny minnie mouse sunglasses from our Disney trip about 4 years ago- happy memories
133. I decluttered DDs bedside drawer
134. I have just done a mini tidy/declutter of DD's room

Radish72

Wow, this week is flying but and I'm not getting much de cluttering done, last week end of January coming up and have I finished the job/frog/de-clutter list I planned to do, NO but there is still time or I'll add it to Feb's list

I am however randomly doing small spots in the kitchen whilst waiting for a cup of tea to brew

We have 3 bottles of malt vinegar, all out of date, the 2 unopened bottles where compressing in on  themselves some how, so emptied out and put in recycling, the 1 that is opened (BB 2021) I think can go as not much in it and I'll treat us to a new bottle when we go shopping

We have 3 jars of tarragon, all BB 2023, only 1 has been opened though, can't remember what we have eaten with tarragon in

Also out, 1 spray bottle of oil, bottle of vanilla, jar of cinnamon, and other spice/herbs I've already forgotten about but all at least BB 2018 or worse

Love, hugs and tickles to all and in the style of strictly come dancing - keep plodding