2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

~FlowerPot~

happy to report that DD had a very good session with the tutor, even better I was banished form the lounge, go tidied the kitchen and then went up to bed for a bit!!

ooh also the baby frog paid!! yey.

trying to get another little busness going, not actually advertising at all.   life is too tricky at the moment, but certainly going to take anything that comes knocking at my door!! yes please thank you very much

bit_by_bit

Thankyou for my lovely star MrSD 

Just skim reading at the moment as not much time to sit at the computer. As always I am impressed nby the amount of energy put into the clearing of the clutter big and small. 

I took 5 bags of 'in and outs' the CS today while doing child care.

Managed not to doze off in the evening once I came home. I watched the programme on girls and women with autism and feel I have confirmed what I had already concluded about my DiL and was thinking how to broach the subject. SiL says she has watched to so I will be having an easier discussion now.

Right off to bed. Have a peaceful night all. 

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, had a bit of a slow morning today after the last 2 days. It has been cold, wet and miserable here all day so I have spent some time curled up reading and drinking tea . I have emptied the bedroom recycling bin and the kitchen bin. I have done 2 loads of washing which are now on the maiden. OH was working late so only cooked for myself as OH was having something from the batch cooked in the freezer. After tea I watched the footie on the tv and did some crochet. Even though I have had a slow day I was falling asleep on the couch but managed to drag myself up to bed. OH has sorted 2 bags of stuff from next to the couch and I brought them upstairs with me but they are waiting for OH to store them. They are mainly kids presents for when we see the German great nephew and niece in May. We are going to Cornwall for a family gathering for OHs nephew's 40th birthday. We have a caravan for the week so I can escape from the madness occasionally . I only have a small family and sometimes find large family gatherings overwhelming although they are all lovely people .
I have caught up but am falling asleep as I type so hugs to all who would like one
531 bedroom recycling bin emptied
532 kitchen bin emptied
533 - 534 2 loads of washing sorted
Take care everyone
534/2023

Dfw38

Morning! Damp and drizzly here today @Liverpool_Anne. 
Car is back and fixed, very kind mechanic didn't charge us as it was a case of tightening the fuel injector so the fuel didn't leak any more. The cost of diesel, it was like leaking liquid gold! So to celebrate the car being back, I did the only thing a good declutterer could do and.... booked a tip trip for today 😆 Have realised I have fallen behind on my MMiM so am going to crack on for the next couple of days and get.myself sorted.
Thank you for your optimism @Mrs_Salad_Dodger, I really hope to get to maintenance decluttering at some point but it feels a very long way away. Yesterday me and ds visited our local pop up love local shop, which has locally made crafted items and picked up a small crocheted bird for 2nd dds thank you teacher present (the shop is only there for a few more weeks and will be back at Xmas time, so need to plan ahead) eldest dd has requested one for her teacher so will go back next week and get it. There were also some preloved clothes so picked up a jumper for ds which has an elephant on it and he loved. Hopefully now the car is back I will have some more energy with decluttering! I have got to wash ds walls down tonight and then painting can start tomorrow. Hope you all have a lovely day and successful decluttering too!

donna73

Thank -you for the gold star @Mrs_Salad_Dodger 😀 I shall proudly add it to my signature.

@Madbat60 would love to see the pyjamas and know how you made them, that’s a great idea.

Got to go for my eye test this morning, then I’m going to make decisions on the large bin bag of stuff my parents passed on to me last week from their loft clearout! 😫😱It’s curtains and fabric so I might well be able to put some of it use, but I’m going to be strict on myself and if there’s no real immediate use , I shall pass on. 

Have a good day everyone. 

QueenJess

More digital decluttering late last night to report.  Not sure I will have much more today as have lots of work to do and I desperately need to catch up on the tidying

7,861 - online accounts deleted

7,862-8,329 - emails permanently deleted

8.330-8,339 - photos/videos deleted

8,340-8,341 - packaging (recycled with shredded paper)

8,342 - kitchen cupboard overflow stores used up

Dfw38

Just checking in to keep motivated. MMiM 11; allocate a box for future dc craft supplies. Box has gone on a shelf in my understairs cupboard. Currently has Easter crafting supplies in it. I have had to do this because the dc keep finding this sort of stuff and get grouchy when they can't do it because it is too soon 😊. Will keep an eye out for crafts for the Coronation from next week. 
Been to the tip, was almost empty (only 11 people can go in the prebooked 15 min slot.) One of the men helped me unload which was very kind and he told me that at the weekend they average 1000 cars a day....😳 the prebooking system will stop that from happening. Right going to look for MMiM 12 now. 

Dfw38

MMiM 12 completed: allocate a place for dds anxiety related things. Shelf at the bottom holds the craft stuff I organised earlier today.

grandmanerd

I thought I had posted again on Tuesday but apparently not. On Tuesday I carried on from Monday, moving things into the craft drawers and bureau.  Brought downstairs (in stages) 3 bags for life, 2 box files (deeds to mine and my grandma's house, grandma's house is where mum's lodger lives), one magazine box full of paper, plastic wallets (the old tatty ones went some time ago) and dividers for A4 files.

In addition to items already mentioned, the bureau now has condolence cards, a pack of 50 plain white candles, 5 packs of record cards, 2 white glue, 2 packs of sticky tabs (the ones for card making), a pritt stick, coloured sticky labels (when I was sorting mum's house out I put coloured labels on things people had asked for, so I knew what had to go to which house), a pot of pens, sharpies, scissors, pencils (one child's paintbrush for delicate tasks, the other rather chubby - I think it might be a stencil brush), vanilla tealights, Instructions for the desk lamp and the code numbers for the printer inks. I added the light bulb and then some other spare light bulbs (they used to go in the top left cupboard in the kitchen but reaching that is a bit of a grind and impossible for Beloved). That's 16 extras (not counting multiples but suspect I've already listed a couple of those)

The drawers gained an extra 15 embroidery threads (they get everywhere), stamps and a stamp pad, a felt bag, cut out felt animals, the wooden flat stencils I used as templates, the felt scraps leftover from cutting out, a felt bag (it was a £1 from the cs - it's an A4 sized mini satchel in bright green with a red felt ribbon and bow appliqued on - I thought I'd have paid more than that for the 2 sheets of felt). Some small clear templates (traced from books and magazines using old plastic wallets and dividers), some smaller leaf templates that I hand drew (there are leaves with the animals but not sure if I approve of a leaf being as big as a squirrel and drawing smaller ones will let me use some of the felt cut offs).

Some small embroidered festive decorations which are incomplete (done about 5 years ago on very fine aida - 18 or 20 holes to the inch). Not sure if I will be able to do this fine work any more but not throwing them just yet. I usually have a side project like this - it's good to take a break from a big project and it uses up leftover bits of thread including some of the weird colours.

I had a small basket which I'd decided could be me new sewing box (the previous one was a large heart shaped copper one that came with toiletries in) and so far I've rounded up 2 pairs of shears (plain and pinking).  2 tape measures (one was possibly my granddad's - it looks like what they would have used in the days before retractable steel tapes were available, ten yards long and cloth not plastic), 3 lots of ribbon, 2 fat quarter packs (Scandi red and white and dark teal with birds) and some wide bias binding (to finish a cushions cover).

I found several  pieces done at Art therapy, the baby's treasure box gained 5 more items, a snowflake stencil and pen, A plastic wallet and a cardboard wallet , one with bargello patterns, one with cross stitch patterns including some WIP ones and some chibi Dr Who ones (Doctors, companions, villains). I think that's another 28. 2 items to go back upstairs, 3 to go in the kitchen and I used my new garden bag to bring some files downstairs and have added several items to that since.

I think that's another 50 so 849/ 2023 late on (about 7 pm) I sat and listed the contents of each drawer and where everything is in the bureau.

Yesterday Wednesday 15th  I put the bin out for collection early because DS3 hadn't done it overnight. I stayed in my room all morning. I picked out a bag for life full of books to go on the downstairs shelves and pulled out more sets of things that could go in the bureau (street maps, a huge box of coloured pens which DS3 lent me). I went through 2 whole piles of photos, pulling out all the ones of mum (on her own, with me and my brothers, with my sons, and with her partner and various friends on holidays after we'd grown up). Again many of them were parcelled out after mum died (mostly with other people who are still living or who are related to the people in them). I'm holding on to the 'historic' ones - with my great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents.

I've put them roughly in order and will add labels where I can (I know we went to Blackpool in 1966 (World Cup Willie was everywhere) and Southport in 1967 so I can work out ages from that and will take them with me on Sunday and DS2 can make his choices (he could have most of the modern ones but only a few of the ones of mum growing up (I may pick out my favourites before then and at some stage I will  pass them on the my younger niece - she's going to be archive monitor although some documents may be photocopied and sent to various family branches). 

I shuffled the remaining books and now only have the top of one set of drawers (was 3 rows spread over 2 sets of drawers. The bookshelf behind the bathroom door (it opens outwards and has a niche about a foot deep behind it) only has 9 books by one author and 2 singles - room for more toilet rolls. I'll try to keep one set of drawers clear and use it for sorting the remaining bits of paperwork. 2 packs of toilet rolls went into the bathroom bin.

I've done shuffling of bits of information across from old diaries and notebooks - I'm going to try the 23 minutes a day on that. I can do it when I'm resting but limiting the time will make it less mind numbing (a lot of it's non urgent but the nuisance factor is ramping up).

My handbag has gone on the door hook which previously held the garden bag and pillows now have pillowcase.  More covers than pillows so they have 2 each (I have thrown out one old pillowcase and have another 2 ready for throwing - they have been restuffed and resewn several times and I have a string bag full of stuffing anything that needs it. They're only earmarked because I wait for a week when there is loads of room in the bin.

In the afternoon I went out to quest for hair and threading appointments. The hairdresser could fit me in about an hour later so I went to the threading bar. That was £5 more than expected (to be fair, the prices haven't risen in the past 2-3 years. I'd only taken notes from my tray so I had to do a fast hobble back home to get more cash. I sat outside whilst DS3 ran upstairs for me. On the way back to the hairdresser's I noticed  the left handle of the walker was wobbling, I'd lost a knob (do your worst censor elves) so I continued, retracing my steps and scanning the pavement , whilst holding the pin in place so I didn't lose that. I found it at the entrance to the bus station. A man thought I was having trouble with the kerb so he came back to help and I held the pin in place whilst he screwed the knob back on.

Was at the hairdresser's in time for a much needed sit down, read my book and remembered how to breathe again. Hair is lovely - not my usual woman and I think the fringe may be irritating in a week or two but pennies and grooming decluttered (both tasks I cannot do any more and since my last visit, the cost works out at just over 50p a day for both).

Came home, collapsed on the sofa next to DS3, had a drink, ate and read for a bit. put away the books from upstairs, found another 5 to be donated. Asked DS3  when he was going to bed (midnight) so I came upstairs instead and settled down to sleep at 7-30 pm. 

I'll call that 15 (but extra for anxiety decluttered so 864/ 2023

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks to include MMiM - do this before I go to bed

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 ‘Urgent’ daily mail immediately & the rest at the weekend

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

Wednesday night’s dinner - we used one of our HF recipe cards & made sausage linguine. I weighed out & prepped all the ingredients & DH did the cooking 😉 It was just as tasty the 2nd time around 🙂DH did the washing up & I dried & put away. DSis & I watched the final of The Piano - the 4 amateurs were all brilliant & we loved the pieces each of them played - went straight to our hearts. We were moved to tears of both joy & sadness. The only playing we were disappointed with was Lang Lang’s 😂 

823 - 824 Kitchen recycling & detritus

Thursday has started dry but overcast & breezy. I was up & dressed by 11:15 & came downstairs to find DH making soup 🙂 DH has just set off for his 1st walk (13:00) Not sure about today’s MMiM 🤔However have dealt with today’s mail which has generated

825 Brochure & envelopes recycled 

826 Shredding - emptied into wheelie bin

Madbat60, another talented seamstress 😊 I second ~FlowerPot~’s request for a photo 🙏

Florenceem, I definitely approve of Girl Power 😉 Naughty, naughty looking in the garage 😂

How wonderful ~FlowerPot~ 😊 Hopefully the tutor is coming back for a 2nd and subsequent sessions with DD 🤞 Good luck with your little side business 🍀

You are very welcome bit_by_bit 😊 Excellent decluttering of your in and outs 👏 Wishing you a successful conversation/discussion with DiL.

Liverpool_Anne, doesn’t sound like a slow morning to me 😉 Excellent work decluttering & completing housework tasks 👏 Please don’t forget where you store the 2 bags of presents 😉 

Yippee to getting the car back Dfw38 🥳 and I love it that your first thought was to book a Tip run 😅Good luck catching up on your MMiM & washing down DS’s bedroom walls🍀 

Hope the eye test goes well donna73 🙂 I am sending lots of good luck wishes in reaching & implementing your decisions re the bag of curtains & fabrics 🍀

Excellent digital decluttering QueenJess 👏

Excellent work catching up on your MMiM Dfw38 👏 A lovely photo & I see you have an empty middle shelf 🥳

Wow grandmanerd you have been busy 🤩 So much decluttered, reorganised, & filed away 👏 You are definitely on a roll 👏 Even more impressive is that you found time for some TLC 😊 I am continually amazed at how much you get done 🤩 

Meanwhile all I have done is one wash load - half the clothing in td & the other half line drying.

Have a good day everyone & I will see you later 👋

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

DH Awards: 🥇🏅⭐️

Decluttering Target 2023: 826/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £74.70