2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

QueenJess

One of the parents of the two kids coming to play with DS today is staying for a while, so they are going to have to enjoy the slightly messy house 😬. It would be so nice not to even have to think about tidying for someone to come round. A bit fed up after all this work and it still isn’t sorted.

To finish the kitchen I need to work through three cupboards of overstocking 🙊. I will count anything used up from the overstocking cuoboards in my totals. Need to continue to be utterly ruthless until all this stuff gets properly sorted out. I don’t want to be spending all my time just moving stuff around my house - what a waste of time! At the same time I don’t want to blitz it all at once either as I don’t have that sort of time, so still doing bits everyday. I am thinking my targets for the year should be much higher though.

Anyway, rushed out the house this morning, so just one thing out… need to find another so I can get to 2,000!

1999 - large jar not needed (Buy Nothing)

edit: DH is muttering about getting the garage sorted at some point. He’s deep in work busy season, but gives me slight hope all my decluttering is rubbing off on him! Maybe I should tackle the shoe situation again soon? In the same cupboard we have coats hanging up. DH has over half of the space, whilst me, DS and DD share the other half. How does that work?!

vulpix

 Thanks chums.I have given it a lot of thought. As last time it is actually my Mother's fault. She didn't tell him what she has asked me to do,though why she should is up for debate. So she asks me to get rid of all the curtains and gloves and scarves, I bag it up, foolishly tell him in conversation because I was just talking as we have nothing to say to each other,he says in a "tone" no,no,no,she needs to go through it so she agrees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 He is executor which I suppose shows what she wants. I don't need anything in the way of inheritance. I don't imagine that he will be sorry in any way that I won't be helping. I have explained to my Mum that I don't want a repeat of what we had previously as she was witness to the nastiest scene you can imagine. Ces't la vie. If my children are like this I will come back and haunt them!

 Mr V collected me from craft club yesterday and whisked me off to Llandudno for fish and chips on the prom. Very romantic.

 Ouch about Mr SD's leg. It is amazing what can be done. I am also bionic,in my spine and ankle.

 The plumber is here today. Moving the radiator in the back bedroom to enable a better arrangement of furniture. he is also going to reinstate the outside toilet.

 My builder came yesterday with his notebook! He wrote down all the jobs that need doing to finish the house. Downspout out the back changing,a channel making to connect a flow of water from the stream to the drains. A bit of pointing on the chimney stack, remove all the stone and unwanted concrete flags, take the pantry out, fit insulated plasterboard in the kitchen. We have it in the sitting room and it makes such a difference.

 As for us, we need to talk bathrooms to the plumber and visit a kitchen place that the builder recommends. Thank you for planning advice Mrs SD. I think I am going to go for pale blue Shaker look with Oak worktops that's as much planning as I have done so far. By summer hopefully the place might be finished and tidy.

 Today my intention was to wash down the kitchen,but if the pantry is coming out soon,is it worth it? In a word no. I could have made curtains but Mr V has zoomed off to see his Mother with them in the car as I took them to craft club yesterday. I might just have to potter in the garden.

 Sorry for moaning, it does help get my thoughts in order to write it all down.

 Vx

 

QueenJess

@vulpix not sure if that was on purpose, but I enjoyed the uncluttered white space in your post above 😉😊

Some odd organisation stats I stumbled across this morning: https://www.organizedinteriors.com/blog/home-organization-statistics/

The one that appeals to me the most is that getting rid of clutter in the average home will eliminate 40% of housework! Yes please… I hate tidying and housework with a passion (that’s why I keep getting rid of stuff)!

Shhh… I have a secret diamond medal 🎖️ 💎ambition of getting rid of 12,000 things this year. Is it possible? No idea, but I’m currently on track.

grandmanerd

Hugs for everyone that needs one (or more). Apologies for being absent - not checking in and not responding to others. I've been struggling the last few days. It might be a reaction to having done the great waste clear out last week. I thought I'd done rather well with last week's 'to do' list but got disheartened when I wrote out this week's - it's long and mostly 'big' things. Of course it won't all get done this week or even need to - they're mostly 'projects', but it feels as if I no sooner get one huge task done than another 2 or 3 take its place.

I managed quite a lot yesterday (mainly little things) and listened to a podcast on small organising tricks that save time and hassle in the long run. I'll also be using my old friends 'just do a bit' and '5 minutes at a time'. I took library books before getting the bus to the infirmary (was early in case a bus was missing), took water but bought a sandwich there, had my blood pressure checked (fine), picked up forms for blood and urine tests then sat reading and eating as I had a 25 minute wait for the next bus. Stayed on to the next to the end stop (Morries), bought from the salad bar and some plant based ready meals (expensive - I try to pick them up from the reduced shelf but it must have been too early). However I need to prioritise my health and eat properly - the rm mean I can do this whilst getting on with some of the big projects. Lots of water was consumed.

The bus was leaving the stop as I came out of the SM so sat on the bench reading for half an hour until I saw the bus approaching (it goes one more stop to the college and then turns round for the return journey, so when I see it coming I have plenty of time to hobble to the bus stop. I had planned to get off at the stop for mum's (plaguey son of the woman who bought the bungalow wants me to remove 'the garden furniture' by the end of the week) but wisely decided to stay on the bus and bring my food home.

Packed things away, brought the things I needed upstairs and collapsed on the bed (knees and ankles and my back nagging).  fell asleep about 6 pm and woke near to midnight. Could not make myself get up and go down to see to the bins. At 6.30 am I looked out of the window (difficult as it was still pitch black) and thankfully DS3 had put them out (he's reasonably ok with the black rubbish bin and brown (glass, plastic and tin) and he had 3 bags piled by the back door (Beloved's I think but maybe the one from the front room as well) so I went back to sleep. 

My darling d-i-l had bought me a subscription for my puzzle book which arrived yesterday, so I can cross that off my 'to do' list for the next 12 months and I've delegated 'checking out a house in Keighley' to Beloved's dad (except now her mum's doing it which I can't help thinking is a huge mistake).  Our 'family values' are completely different - they solve problems by throwing money at them, I've never had money and of necessity have had to do things myself or wait until I had the money to pay for them. I hope I'm just being paranoid but I can imagine her taking Beloved on little girly trips to kit the house out like a doll's house whilst I'm trying to convince them they need to budget for the essentials and save every penny so they could get a mortgage on the property in a year or two.

This particular house is up for auction on the 23rd, the starting price is £35k (it will be higher) and looks better than many of the similar properties they've been looking at (£65 - 75 k range). I made a start on Monday but got stuck in the middle of the registration process as all the documents (ID, proof of address etc) need to be uploaded and put in a format that can be transmitted to the auctioneers via the internet. I'm not sure how to do this - what tech we have that joins all the bits together, so it made me feel stupid.

Delegating the house viewing saves £120 in train fares for the 3 of us (I vetoed a hotel stay unless they were willing to view as many possible properties as we could make appointments for) and gives me my Saturday back but I'm worried that it's slipping out of my control. Sorry not really on topic (apart from a possible 6 week completion and getting my house back in just over 2 months from now).

Lots of rubbish and recycling left the house (including 3 small and one large cardboard boxes broken up), toiletries, cleaning materials and cupboard store items being consumed and little bits of actual stuff leaving too. Will read (might need a nap) and then plod on.

oceanspirit

Lots more emails deleted, some admin attended to and a few little bits and pieces out.

Need to deal with a pile of filing - have been ignoring it because filing cabinet is crammed full.  May be able to squeeze it in.  Full filing cabinet declutter will take place end of tax year.

Brie

I noticed that someone had decluttered a bra (horrid but needful things!) and wanted to put this out to you in case anyone has discovered a stash of new panties or new or lightly used bras of which they need to rid themselves.

Smalls for All

I've not used this but friends have - just a case of popping things in an envelop and posting.  Yes that means it costs but it's a nice alternative if your local charity shops aren't taking these items.  

sumb7170

Hello my fellow declutterers,

I’ve now recovered from my cold, thank goodness.  Hope all those who are feeling poorly or are dealing with bereavements or poorly family members are taking time to care for themselves.

I’m enjoying reading along about all your progress, and it is keeping me going with my tidying and decluttering, and I do love seeing everyone pictures!  I haven’t posted for a while as I’ve been waiting to finish the sorting out of my front lounge – it’s now almost there, but I thought I ought to post anyway!

So to my progress report:

Physical items decluttered or frogs ticked off –

15 books, 115 CDs / DVDs / VHS tapes, 78 misc items to cs, bag of light bulbs and bag of batteries (count as 10 each), 3 bags of cans, bag each of tetrapacks, tinfoil and soft plastics, 20 electrical / electronic and metal items, 4 bags sawdust, 14 large cardboards boxes, 4 appliance instruction booklets, 12 glass dishes and candle jars, old x-box and accessories (6), old portable dvd player, 10 items textiles, 2 console shelves, 16 cables and an old wooden children’s step to recycling at supermarket, charity collection point or at the tip.  13 old / ood food and drink items uu.  24 misc items binned and over 60 CDs, VHS videos and dvds and cases to the black bag waste at the tip – can’t be recycled anywhere here, sadly.  Plus 6 black bags from village litter pick to tip.  10 vinyl records, one console and 4 games and one psu all sold to raise £90.85!  Plus I completed 72 frogs / froglets (hopefully including a toad – a new work contract, have meeting to finalise the details on Friday!).  Total 515 = 1933 / 2023 – WOW!!!

Read a book every other week The Jurassic Coast non- fiction book read, Mudbound and The Corfe Castle Murders books read, The President is Missing audible book listened to (cheating really as I’d already listened to over 3/4s of it!) and Cat and Mouse and Truth or Dare - E-books read – total 11/26

Mend one item per week – Toy mouse sewn up and foot switch added to lamp cable - total 10/52

Weight goal of losing 24kg – no progress – haven’t dared to even weigh myself (still eating Christmas leftovers – oh dear!)

One significant home maintenance or improvement job per month - total 12 (of my wish list of 20) – front lounge (not on list) now 95% complete.

Sort out and use up old toiletries and excess cleaning products or donate / dispose of so only one of each - 1 toiletry item uu.

Operate a 1 in 1 out rule for clothes, books and ornaments, excess items in = a negative number – finished 2 out of 3 of the books ordered secondhand, will be donated to the charity shop after discussing them and book groups.  Plus 49 ornaments and candles and 6 items jewellery to cs, so plenty of credit there!

Try mending or buying secondhand before buying anything expensive as new – Haven’t managed to buy any secondhand doors for the bookcase in the lounge so had to buy them new from Ikea.  Also bought an octopus-like sock hanger and food from there, really restrained, at least for me!

I’m hoping to finish the last few tweaks in the front lounge today - recovering a lampshade, fitting a floor switch the other lamp, and arranging the remaining ornaments on the bookcase once the new doors are fitted!

Hugs to all, thank you MrsSD for running this thread for us all to contribute to and enjoy, love H x

2023 Decluttering Campaign ⭐⭐

2022 Decluttering Campaign 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

regnbue

Afternoon peeps

Managed to eat a long time frog by cutting up into little sticks the very long buddleia branches that I had cut down in November.  Unfortunately the 2 ropey inherited pairs of secateurs I have were really making it hard work so yesterday lavishly purchased a new pair (10% discount tee hee).  

I'm no gardener but these are ratchet ones and wow what a difference.  Did half the job yesterday in 45 mins in lovely sunshine.  Waited for sunshine this morning but none forthcoming and another hour and it was all done and dried leaves swept up.  

Due to being able to cut the branches so small I got away with just 2 bin liners worth instead of the usual 4/5 bags full.  The sunshine made an appearance in the last 2 mins just as I was tidying up - typical!

The following items were dropped into the cs this morning: 

2 keyrings
corkscrew
unused make up bag
unused handbag mirror
large wooden fork(?)
cloth bag
barometer (been on the wall over 10 years and I must have looked at it about 4 times)
5 drinking glasses
3 glass ramekins
2 sundae dishes
1 dvd
3 Easter cards
1 lever arch file
28 plastic dividers (counted as 2 items)
packet of gold foil scatter things for birthday parties
4 unworn too-fancy-for-me hair claws
2 pairs of shoes
pack of napkins
8 other bits and bobs

Total 41 items.

Decluttering 390/500    Photo albums    /17    Nail polishes 1/45                Cleaning products     /28
Magazines       17/50    Hair mousse     /11     NSD Feb    /15   Jan 17/15  Make £100 in 2023  £33/100

Regional Xmas Tree Wrestling Champion 2022 🏅 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💐

"The only time I'm happy is when I'm doing absolutely nothing" - Ava Gardner

Dfw38

Tried to get the dcs to help with the gravel today- they spent the whole time arguing 🙄.  Sent them inside, put cartoons on... job was done in 20 mins! So 🐸 12 completed! I have washed the bedroom window inside and out - what a difference, prepped the room for dh to wallpaper... no excuse now! Been tackling the shredding, 3xbins of shredded paper full. Need to get dh from work this afternoon as he was borrowing a work van and he can drive his new one to him tomorrow (it is at home) so I have a 80 mile round trip this afternoon so clothes will not be sorted but pleased so far with progress.
I have every faith you will get that diamond medal @queenjess.
Wow @sumb7170 you have done brilliantly! Glad you are feeling better. 

Dfw38

Gah! Forgot to post before and after pictures