2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Dfw38

My painting plans have been delayed by eldest and youngest dc playing up at bedtime... so while I have been waiting for them to settle I have finished pulling out food for the food bank collection eldest dd's beavers colony have organised. Have also removed anything from pantry that we will eat this week. And had a dust and clean up. Cupboard under the stairs is now finished 😁 so that will be 🐸 8 completed. Just need to chuck Henry vacuum underneath and jobs a good'un

Madbat60

Evening all

Spent half an hour decluttering the wardrobe in the spare room. Found Christmas wrapping paper I didn't know we had, old phone boxes, various bits of bubble wrap, a box of blank greetings cards (all a bit dated) and several empty cardboard rolls. I will donate the  cards to a charity shop.  All the rest binned.

Keiths_Mum

Evening All

Shredded 120 pieces of paperwork.

3 large bone China cups with saucers that I took from my mums house and thought I would use but never have. 2 glayva glasses also from.my mums, not really useful for drinking anything else out of.

I also have some tiny sherry glasses that I think were my grandmother's, I hardly drink sherry and if I do I use a small wine glass, not sure whether to keep them or not, it's not like I have a lot of visitors that drink sherry. I'll think on it.

TC77

Hi, @Keiths_Mum glasses are a dilemma, I got rid of many but did bring the small sherry glasses back - why? I'm thinking on it too
@-taff I love the blankets/quilts , they are fab
After several nights poor sleep, went into work only to have journey home from hell, overcrowded train and squashed against small wheels of something to find my leg was swollen from pressure and painful and today cut myself with the bread knife.... why do fingers bleed so much, steri stripped but feeling sorry for myself although all minor.
Did drop bag to CS adding stuff DD1 gave me, did think of trying to sell but out. decluttered £ to DDs and BGas back today so hopefully heating sorted and have new router to see if that helps. 
Realise I haven't done my nos for a while, and think there have been a few frogs and more in CS bag. I also have got rid of carpet offcuts and few other things. 247

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

Dinner was the 2nd HF meal - Speedy Sausage Linguine with pesto & spinach. Just 6 ingredients but absolutely delicious 😋 DSis was particularly enamoured declaring that she “could eat this every night” 😊 Wudupa. DH had his 2nd walk - a very short one as he only needed 300 steps to hit Thursdays target 😀 I have knitted a few more rows of the striped Boysenberry & black scarf, sorted out my handbag & spent a bit more time organising my Notes App.

537 - 540 Kitchen recycling, cardboard packaging, used envelopes, drinks cans - recycled 

541 - 543 Kitchen detritus, 2” shredding - binned

Lovely post vulpix 😊 The writing down has already worked - DH has crossed off 2 items 🥳  Party, party 🎊🥳 - the plumber is coming 🥳 There is light at the end of the tunnel 🙂 

daisy_1571, I also enjoy seeing before & after photos 🙂 A great reminder that with some hard work we too can enjoy our decluttering journeys & celebrate our successes 👏 Really wish I had taken a before & after photo of packaging corner 😔 Excellent decluttering 👏 & one medal 🏅 coming your way for sorting out your craft room, vinyl & setting up 👏 I am also sending you a Gold Star ⭐️ for passing first target of 873 🙂 

Sorry to hear you are feeling a bit down QueenJess ☹️ Please remember that you are a great declutterer & 2 lots of 23 things tidied away will soon see you right 😊 A good start to your decluttering of the box contents from the cupboard under the sink 👏 A few 5 minute sessions & you will soon get a handle on it 😉 How sad that charity shops are having to ask for donations 😢 as you say if we are anything to go by there must be many, many people have a clear out 🤔 

Excellent work dealing with 🐸 6, Dfw38 👏 Very MSE 🙂 Hope DS stayed asleep long enough for you to finish the gloss painting 🤞

I think you need a visit to the TLC Carriage QueenJess for some  rest & relaxation 😊 Please try not to be so hard on yourself, you are doing a great job 👏 I am also giving you a medal 🏅 for not only sharing your feelings of overwhelm but also sharing your method of relieving said overwhelm - thank you as it will definitely help some of our fellow declutterers 👏

DundeeDoll 😖 to the scammer but the silver lining was that you got to do a 23 minute declutter 👏

Sorry to hear that DH isn’t pulling his weight Dfw38 😔 Perhaps you should eat early & leave your DH to cook for himself & the girls 😉 You are so right “we WILL get there - we are all rooting for each other” 

Useful tip SurreyBoy87 👏

short_bird, not quite sure I take your meaning 😉

Excellent decluttering Wednesday2000 👏 I really, really hope the chap with the grabber was wrong 😑There is something rather disheartening about trying to do your bit to then be told you are wasting your time 😔 Well done on your bit of TLC 😊

charlies_tribe, well done on getting your daughters to tidy/declutter a couple more drawers 👏Definitely sounds like they are better 😉 Some lovely coloured nail varnishes as well as some ‘interesting’ colours 😉 but 72 😯 Good luck thinning out your collection of cups 🍀

Liverpool_Anne, Well done on getting ‘most’ of the hoovering done before the engineer arrived 👏Hope you managed to get the hoover cleared of leaves 🤞Everything crossed that t’internet has speeded up 🤞🤞 

I won’t make it to bed before 2:00 a.m. but will manage 2:30 a.m. Still have 14 posts to reply to but I am getting there 😉

MrsSD (a superwoman) 😇 🎖💐🤩🏅🦸🏅💐🏆 💐🍰🍾🌟⭐️

DH Awards: 🥇 🏅

Decluttering Target 2023: 543/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, I spent some time this afternoon sorting out what I am wearing to the funeral tomorrow. It is always a dilema for me as I don't have loads of formal type clothes and apart from trousers very few dark colours but I have sorted it. I need to give everything a quick press in the morning. It got me thinking about the funeral of a friend's Mum I went to a few years ago when her best friend wore one of the most colourful flower printed waterproof coats I have ever seen. She told me that my friend's Mum had always loved it and never liked black and she hoped she was watching and laughing about it. It really made me smile and think yes that's what I want people to do at my funeral. Anyhow I then had a quick rummage around and have taken 2 items out of the cs bag for my friend's tombola, very little else is presenting itself atm but I will keep looking. The problem is I know she is wanting gift set type of things but I don't get many now I am not working and the few things that might have done that I got for Christmas have been removed from their packaging and put into use. I will keep looking. I have also started sorting a few things for a car boot that I have arranged to do with OHs sister but it is not until May as it is an outdoor one. Hopefully I will have a car load to go The only other thing I have done today is to go through the empty boxes I have and identified 3 that will be the right size for the cardstock I am planning on giving to school. There may be more needed but it is a plan

@Keiths_Mum to be honest I don't worry that I will declutter too much because I will always keep the things I really like even if others think I have too much . I am not aiming to be minamalist, I just want to be able to find things when I want them without spending half a day searching for them   I think everyone has their own level of tolerance for stuff and should be guided by that. When you have sorted a draw or cupboard and are happy it is tidy stop and move on to the next thing. I do think clutter breeds though so places should be revisited just to keep on top of it. If you are worrying about it I would ask yourself why. 

@QueenJess, yes we all get overwhelmed at times and I know in my case it can make me freeze and do absolutely nothing but I think I am getting over that now as I do believe everything helps so even if it's just 1 piece of paper it all adds up

@Dfw38 I think you need to tell a few people that while you are doing the bulk of the decorating they need to step up and do some of the other jobs. In fact they could help even when the decorating is finished . Your understairs is a wonder to behold. In my wildest dreams I can't imagine mine looking as empty as that

On the subject of scissors I have enough to stock a small shop. I have at least 2 pairs in the kitchen, 2 pairs in my bedside draw and so many I couldn't count in various other places but I don't think I will be getting rid of any anytime soon, OH uses them for all sorts of things, like screw drivers etc. and wrecks them on a regular basis. Though my good scissors are well hidden

@-taff those throws are lovely. You have obviously spent quite a bit of time on them because they have been colour coordinated so beautifully. I love them.

Well off to bed now
Take care everyone
Still 318/2023

Madbat60

Morning all

@Liverpool_Anne I wore a purple coat to my Mum's funeral and I read that poem by Jenny Joseph. I hate black mourning clothes. I believe a life should be celebrated.

We are off this afternoon to plant my ex-husband and his son in the woodland plot in our crematorium. His son died 18 years ago and I found his ashes in his Dad's flat when I cleared it.  It's a beautiful cold sunny day for it.  Other plans are shopping and cleaning.  I finally feel I'm getting there.

Floss

Wednesday2000 said:

 ... A man was picking up litter with one of those grabber things and I wanted to put my empty wine bottles into the recycling bin next to him. He said to put them in the rubbish cart he was pushing as all rubbish goes into the same bin in the end and they don't recycle anything! I have heard this anecdotally before.

It may be that the council has what is known as a co-mingled waste contract, where it is collected together & sorted in a waste facility for recycling / landfill / incineration.

Happy_Kitties

*51. Almost BN saucepan given to friend
*52. Cat food donation taken to supermarket collection point
*53. Items (drawstring bag/BN cuddly toy popped into Christmas shoebox last night)
*54. Job lot of cardboard either recycled or reused
*55. Christmas dec that was for Christmas auctions-binned as the cats had managed to it’s full destruction (downside glass bits everywhere)
*56 Collection of bath bombs also given to friend

as soon as I get another cardboard box I will be sending more items to the organiser….found a cardboard box so that will make 59+16= 75 items sent to charity. The 16 items are being sent tomorrow

Moorviews

@Madbat60 - I hope all goes well today. 

I keep catching up with the thread only to find that I don’t have time to post myself! So just a quick update from me today. It’s amazing how much everyone is getting done and I am loving the photos of pretty throws and quilts, newly decorated rooms, lovely new fireplace and freshly tidied spaces. 

I helped Mr MV with the shirt overload and 35 have been reduced to 15 shirts that he likes and are in good repair. There were some real shockers of frayed rags in there! Probably about 20 ties have gone too and a suit jacket that didn’t have its trousers anymore. I have also bagged up 4 evening dresses and some other day dresses that I would never wear again. 

Another big drawer of the bureau desk is now empty. It’s a tough job and is provoking a lot of emotions due to being stuffed with sentimental keepsakes and photos over the years. Quite a few people have passed away and it is hard to know what to let go of. I’m thinking that if things make me cry when I come across them then maybe it is not such a good idea to keep them but I don’t know, so I have a small reserved pile for another set of decision making when the main job is done.