2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

vulpix

 Taff, Thank you for showing us your quilts, I know just how much work is there. Love them, particularly the pinks.

 Moorviews, hugs. If an item made me cry I would keep it, unless it was representing a horrible memory and then I would definitely bin it. 

 Sorry to read and run, I have to go and take the curtains down before the plumber gets here.

 Don't despair people if decluttering isn't going as fast as you would like. Eat that elephant one bite at a time.

 Vx

QueenJess

I’ll be resting in the TLC carriage today, but whenever I get up for a drink etc I’ll look to put a couple of things away to meet my 23 target. Picked up a cold from DD I’m struggling to shake off and now have a headache and an ear infection ☹️. Glad I got so much done yesterday now!

Got DS’s friends coming round on Wednesday so really need to make the house more presentable by then 😬. Doesn’t need to be perfect… they’re 6 year old boys so won’t notice, but I don’t want things stood on, broken etc!

Did a few bits last night when I prepped some things in bags outside for buy nothing people to pick up today and actually put away and sorted the gift bags which took two minutes and no idea why I was putting it off as it was so easy. I might tackle wrapping paper later (from bed though).

1,730 - eBay wish items deleted
1,731-1,734 - packaging (used)
1,735 - expired loyalty card (binned)
1,736-1,738 - gift bags (buy nothing)

Thanks for my medal @Mrs_Salad_Dodger, it is on my signature with pride.

Wednesday2000

I started to watch Sort Your Life Out from series 1 last night for inspiration.

I took down the 6 (not 7) grey boxes from on top of my wardrobe. One box has our halogen heaters inside which I'm obviously keeping, three boxes were xmas decorations and a fold down xmas tree and one box had my robot vacuum that I forgot I bought!!! It doesn't work as well as just doing it myself with a normal vacuum cleaner, but I'm keeping it for now.

One box had random stuff that I have emptied into a bag to go to a charity shop today so I have one box empty.

Dfw38

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger I would but dh would order takeaway every night 🙄. Unfortunately his dmum did everything for him when he lived at home ( he didn't move out until mid 30's) so it is a case of breaking bad habits but I think he simply sees it as 'not his job' not that it should be mine either but it is nearly impossible to get him to pull his weight. 
@Liverpool_Anne I am doing the bare minimum so it doesn't impact the dc. Our under stairs cupboard gives me great joy. On balance though the rest of the house is a disaster. I have to be militant with the cupboard or it would become cluttered. 
@Moorviews well done on helping your dh, that is a remarkable amount of clearing! 
Hope all goes well today @Madbat60
Hope you feel better soon @QueenJess.
@Mrs_Salad_Dodger hope your dh is enjoying the walking. Well done on clearing the bathroom stuff 🌟 for you! I don't know how you manage to declutter and keep up with cheerleading! 
Didn't get round to painting woodwork last night. Dc were misbehaving until too late (the instigator was ds....nearly 2 and such a monkey, he knows his sisters adore him and does anything to make them laugh) and dh had to go and do an emergency job for work. Woke up this morning and am not happy with finish on window sill so have sanded that back, will repaint it in a few minutes. 2nd dd is off school today because she had a temperature last night. (She was the only one who behaved and went straight to bed last night....!) She is playing nicely with ds, have a feeling they will both be having a nap soon, she is very tired. Completed my 9th 🐸- glowhite'd the school t shirts as 2nd dd isn't in school and all uniform is in the wash. (Eldest dd wears causal on a Friday for a day of outdoor learning) Hope you all have a lovely day 😀 

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

Didn’t quite manage 02:30 but did manage 03:00 a.m. 

Friday is a bright day & most of the frost has melted - I am up, washed & dressed & having my 1st cuppa by 9:00 a.m. 

Well done on sorting out all your scissors vulpix 👏 Perhaps a pair in the shed & a pair in the garage? Not sure what to recommend for the others - maybe enquire at the cs as they might keep things like scissors & knitting needles under the counter 🤞What a sad world we live in 😔 Interesting conversation with bit_by_bit 😊 - I gave up striving for perfection years ago 😉 now I try for almost perfect 🤞

Well done on getting to grips with frogs & exercise gettingthrifty 👏 Remember that the 23’s can be split into smaller time slots totalling 23 minutes 😉 Excellent decluttering of paperwork & emails 👏

-taff , don’t forget scissors for the garage & shed & a pair in your handbag 😉 You have an enormous car boot - sounds like the TARDIS of car boots 😊 & very well done on restricting yourself to purchasing a single book 👏 Thanks for the photos of the throws - I love the autumnal throw & the blue one 😊 Not really a pink person 😉

Good decluttering EnergyShifter 👏 Enjoy your time in the TLC Carriage - you have earned it 😊

Excellent decluttering 2Scratters 👏 Perhaps you can save the cashmere gloves for a Christmas present 😉 Sorry to hear about your kitchen extension dilemma 😔 I don’t know how expensive it is to get another set of plans drawn up but that may be a solution - then you can make a decision 🤔 Good luck with this & your book reading challenge 🍀

QueenJess, thank goodness for a listen only work call 🙂 Excellent work getting that enormous list finished & managing so much decluttering as well 👏 You should be very proud of yourself 🥲 Please do not put too much pressure on yourself 🙏 Remember it took more than a few days for your home to become untidy, so will take more than a few days to sort out 😊 Are the children old enough to do a bit of tidying to help out? Please, please take care 🙏

Florenceem, I am not surprised that you are tired on Thursdays with the amount of running around you do at the SA on Wednesdays 😪 Shame about the opticians appointment but I hope you took advantage of the unexpected time at home to visit the TLC Carriage 😊 Great decluttering & still ahead of target 👏

Fingers crossed Dfw38 that you finished the woodwork painting last night 🤞as I remember that you have to coax & cajole your DH into helping you put up the wallpaper tonight 😉 So very sorry to hear that your eldestDD is still having a tough time at school 😔 but how lovely that her siblings are there to give her huge hugs 🤗 If the situation doesn’t change when she gets back to school after half term, it might be time to have another word with the teachers & maybe chat to the other girls parents 😔 I am not surprised that you have mixed views on the result of the investigation into your dad’s black eye but I suppose all you can do is stay vigilant & trust that the care home will be more careful in future 🤔Excellent work dealing with 🐸7 - you are motoring along 👏 

Excellent decluttering nu1isit? 👏 Good luck replacing the hard drive in your laptop 🍀

Excellent work Dfw38 👏 Love the flooring 🙂 

Excellent decluttering Madbat60 👏

Excellent decluttering Keiths_Mum 👏 Re the sherry glasses perhaps take a photo then pack them away. If you miss seeing them on a daily basis then unwrap & put back out on display, otherwise donate 🙂

TC77 sherry glasses are so pretty & a reminder of a bygone era 😊 The added advantage is that they are small & don’t take up too much space 😉 At least you have got rid of all 3 bits of bad luck in one go - sleepless nights, journey from hell & cut fingers🤞Things can only get better 😊 Great work on the decluttering & dealing with frogs 👏 

Liverpool_Anne, I hope the funeral goes as well as these things can & that it is more of a celebration of a life well lived than a sombre occasion. Good luck finding items for both the tombola & the car boot sale 🍀 Lovely second half of your post 😊 Re scissors my DH just loses them as opposed to wrecking them 😉 Whenever he asks to borrow a pair of scissors I hover until he has finished then take them back to their designated place - it drives him mad 🤪

Thanks for the reminder about the Jenny Joseph poem Madbat60 👏 I just watched the video 😊 What a lovely & considerate thing to do 😊 

Floss, thanks for that information - I for one had completely forgotten that there are some councils that get the waste facility to do the sorting 🤔

Excellent decluttering Happy_Kitties 👏

Moorviews, I am still surprised at how fast the EDT is moving 😉 so no wonder you are finding it hard to keep up 😅 Excellent decluttering of clothing 👏 Over 50% of MrMV’s shirts is an amazing amount out 😊 As to the contents of the bureau desk - sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between ‘happy’ crying & ‘sad’ crying, so your decision to set those items aside for further contemplation is a good one 😊 

vulpix hope MrV can help you take down the curtains - one of those jobs that is always easier with two people 🙂

QueenJess, hopefully your intermittent resting in the TLC Carriage will be beneficial 😊 Excellent decluttering 👏

Great work sorting out the 6 boxes Wednesday2000 👏 Perhaps you can sell the robot vacuum 😉 

Dfw38, I was obviously lucky with my DH - when he told his lovely mum that he was looking just looking mind you 😉 at flats in London (living in Kent at the time), she started to gather together items he would need for his own place - crockery & cutlery, kettle & pans, bedding & towels etc etc & trying to find a tenant for his room 🤣 By the time he got home from looking at the first flat, she had practically kicked him out 🤣 It took him a while to explain that he hadn’t actually found anywhere to move to 😉  Perhaps with your DH you could confiscate his phone when he comes indoors & lock him in the kitchen until he has made dinner 😉😂 but only after he has helped you put up the wallpaper 🙃 Thank you for my Gold Star 🌟- although I feel a bit of a fraud accepting it as the decluttering is currently going at a snails pace 😉 however I do so love shiny things so have already added it to my signature 😊 I did smile when I read about your DS 🙂 Shame that you didn’t finish painting the woodwork & were unhappy with the windowsill 😔 Sorry to hear about 2nd DD - sending lots of get well wishes & hopefully she can keep her brother occupied leaving you free to get jobs done 😉 Great work dealing with 🐸9 👏

Well I am all caught up, DH is up & I hear my DSis moving around as well 😉 Will now drink my 2nd cuppa & decide on todays’s tasks 😉

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

DH Awards: 🥇 🏅

Decluttering Target 2023: 543/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

-taff

Thank you for the comments about the throws, they;re just chuck togethers from this and that. Mrs SD, well, I didnt like pink either until I realised I wasn't supposed to, so being a contrary kind of person, decided I liked it too. And in that pink throw, are plenty of skulls because if you must have pink, you also must have something that says, ooo, watch out, I'm also dangerous, but fluffy...

The car is basically a slightly posher version of a small van with seats. When my sister and I drove to Italy last year, there was an inordinate amount of stuff in there, two large suitcases, two small, chemical toilet, two storage boxes of tools and general things, a 30m roll of stiff netting, a large storage box of presents and stuff, duvets, cleaning stuff. There was about a foot of headroom left and space for us two to sit up front.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

-taff, the pink throw has grown on me at the mention of skulls 😅 even more so as I managed to expand the photo & can see that they are skulls and crossbones 😊 I see your car can be packed with everything & possibly even the kitchen sink 😉 

MrsSD

donna73

Still decluttering physical items and frog tasks on a daily basis. And Ssssh I’m sleeping better… maybe the 2 are related!?!? Couple more things listed on olio this morning and have earmarked some to list on vinted, so hopefully I’ll be adding more to my decluttering list soon. 

Broken bag for life-  binned 

210 x documents shredded - use for chicken bedding 

2 x big empty boxes - recycling 

Used up dregs of toiletries x 3

Used up fridge oddments x 5

185 emails deleted (counting as 1 item as not physical)

Phoned alarm company 🐸

Phoned home insurance company 🐸

Cleaned rust off bath caddy 🐸

Manky bath mitt binned 

Ripped sheet cut up into cleaning rags 

100 emails deleted (counting as 1 item as not physical)

Grapes to chickens 

Made call re boiler quote 🐸

Cushion 

23 items to charity shop

Business cards x 6 

Dead flowers - compost bin

WD40 on shower cubicle door to get it moving properly 🐸

Lego set sold on vinted 

Packaging reused to send parcel 

Booked date for boiler installation!! 🐸💪

Decluttering total so far 853/ 2023

Happy Friday everyone!!😀

Brie

@Dfw38 - isn't it supposed to be a beaver den, not a colony?  Or is that just in Canada.....   No matter, anything for the foodbanks is always great.

And as for all the scissors we have....why can I never find the ones I want when I need them???  Am I allowed to blame him indoors!!?!?!?!??

Dfw38

@Brie just had a quick Google and apparently there are beaver colonies (family of 5-8 beavers), they live in lodges where the water levels are not sufficient for a bank den... the scouting website calls the beavers a colony 🤷🏼‍♀️ I'm just winging it! 🤣. Found out loads of interesting stuff about the beaver animal though so thank you for questioning it! 
The foodbanks round here (and probably around the country) really struggle with donations in January and February so I am pleased it is the focus for the 'charity' badge for my dd.