2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Madbat60

Morning all
At present the installers are here finishing our new kitchen, only started it in October last year.  My plan today is deluttering the airing cupboard.  Will report back later.

wort

My plan for today is to take down the tree and have a good clean, as I am in MM (maintenance mode) hope to find some bits to get rid of along the way. I have something in the fridge which smells but is possibly the Camembert!!! I may need to double bag it! 

I bought a bag to put the tree in this year so after around 20 years the box (or tape holding the box together) is being thrown .
although I miss the tree as I love just having the little lights on, I love ❤️ the space and emptiness it leaves. 

The calendar went in the bin yesterday and I am going to try not having one, as I am getting used to putting appointments on my phone.
Raining today but going to open windows a while to air through , and hopefully clear the lurgy bugs out! 

Still a bit of painting to do but waiting for warmer day so that I can open windows all day and the doors will need to be left open to dry .

Better get cracking.

joanie

Morning all.
my current score is 722/2023. Eek!  to be fair 696 of those are photos and Christmas decorations so I expect it to get much harder now! This still means over 100 items a month out the door (I’m not counting genuine ‘rubbish’ but will count stored rubbish - ie cardboard boxes in loft!!!,)

I also decluttered a wasp nest in loft last night but again not counting that 😁

GrannyKate

A day on my own today so started with banking - updating accounts from last year, shredding stuff, starting new book for 2023 and working out targets (I failed miserably last year and have set some more realistic targets for 2023).  Double state pension last month (2nd and 30th) swallowed up some of the things that RL threw at me.  

19-28 Annual banking update etc - giving myself 10 points
29 Cleared 150 emails

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

Good Tuesday morning from a very overcast Isle of Dogs. I might not be very successful at going to bed earlier but am definitely getting better at getting up earlier 😉 Up, washed & dressed before 9:00 a.m. Just made my first cuppa, written my Daily To Do List (I did manage 3 tasks yesterday 🙂) So back to cheerleading

A good start roundtuit especially using DS’s surprise visit to declutter an item 👏

Sorry to hear that the ‘super cold’ managed to ruin your Christmas festivities nannywindow 🙁 Do please take the necessary time to recover fully 🙏 Very helpful of DH to eat up the snacks although he missed out on a medal by not eating from the fridge 😉 Well done on rescuing the lo meat & stashing it in the freezer. Very nice to hear that you are on the mend - sleeping in your bed will definitely speed up the process 😊 An excellent start to your decluttering campaign as you have started a cs bag & done lots of washing 👏 Fingers crossed that you will also declutter the last of super cold quickly 🤞

Welcome aboard the 2023 EDT MadRatters (aka accidentalglixch) 👋 I am sure your new incarnation will be as successful as your previous one 🙂. I have noted your targets for the year. Excellent work on the under stairs cupboard & an excellent start to your 2023 decluttering campaign 👏

Excellent work Wednesday2000 👏 Clutter is very sneaky especially bedding - it tricks you into thinking you have donated it & whilst you are sealing the donation bag it jumps out & hides 😅 Mind you it does mean that your 2023 decluttering campaign gets off to a good start 👏 W hen you finish the last kitchen cupboard maybe you could pop round to me & help with mine 😉🙃

TC77 & florianatwobob - Shows how out of touch I am - I thought Ted Baker was a cricketer 😂 

What an excellent start to your 2023 Decluttering campaign Foofoopuppy 👏 You have been very busy & very successful 👏 Maybe you can combine dropping off the bag at the CS with a mini search for the reading chair 😉 

Great work LookingForPeace - one a day will see 365 items out over the year 👏 I did have to smile at the mention of Gu pots - yes they are glass & they are pretty 😍 I have one left which is used to collect used teabags - when it has 3 they are used for a 2nd cuppa. Might only save a fraction of a fraction of a penny but every little helps 😉

Welcome aboard fishcakes 👋 Lovely to see you & sorry to hear that the last 2 years have been difficult 😞 We are a supportive group of people who revel in each other’s decluttering successes, so I am looking forward to cheering you on as you join us in the 2023 decluttering campaign 😊

Wow bekah89 what a brilliant day’s work 👏 Are you sure you have any decluttering left to do 😉 Excellent decluttering & very impressed that you not only cleared surfaces but also tackled drawers   👏 One medal 🏅 on its way as a reminder of your success 🙂

Sorry to hear that both you & OH both succumbed to the super lurgy, popthekettleon 🙁 Seems like half the population have had a very muted Christmas 😞 Pleased to hear that you are on the mend 🙂 You have made an excellent start to your decluttering campaign 👏

Welcome aboard gettingthrifty 👋 What a great way to look at 2022 - the year of experimentation and planning for 2023 🙂 Great organisational skills in tailoring bits of various decluttering methods into your your own personalised method of decluttering 👏 A good start to your decluttering campaign 👏

Excellent decluttering PurpleJay 👏 with the wonderful bonus of finding the extra pairs of leggings - so very MSE 🙂

Great work Fayolle especially your decision to release the jigsaws to a new home 👏 One of the challenges of decluttering is to be in the right frame of mind - you not only have to decide to declutter, chose a method or a mix of methods but you also have to decide on what to declutter - decisions, decisions, decisions 😔 Well done 👏 

What a positive post oceanspirit 👏 A great start to 2023 - a new healthier regime, a workable plan & OH fully on board 👏😊

Excellent work mhagster 👏 Not only decluttering but tidying & dealing with paperwork - a very productive day 👏🙂

Wow EcoIntent - excellent decluttering 👏 Over 100 items out & only the 2nd day of the New year 👏 One medal 🏅 coming your way 😊

There are a few events that put decluttering way down the list of priorities Madbat60 & family visits are top of that list. It must have been so lovely to see your brother & his wife as America is just that bit too far away to just pop in for a cuppa 😉

Excellent work villagelife 👏

Welcome aboard the 2023 EDT, Keiths_Mum, lovely to see you 👋 Sorry to hear about your Uncle & no matter how long ago it was, I know you always miss your parents 🙁 You have taken the first steps on your Decluttering Journey by finding us & stating your intentions 👏 Now that you are here, you will find plenty of support & encouragement & maybe a few ideas 😊 Your next step is to rid yourself of one item - savour the joy & then continue 🙂 2023 is your year 👏

Back in a while after I have done a bit of decluttering 😉

MrsSD

Decluttering Target 2023: 15/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5:00

Moorviews

Wow, everyone seems to be off to an amazing start! I would love to take part in the challenge this year please. Last year I lurked but got lots of inspiration from you all and was, many a time, spurred on to do a spot of decluttering, so a huge Thank You for that!
My target is small but I hope will have a cumulative effect. I am going to choose one small area a day to go through, or resolve in some way, every day of the year that I am at home. If I do a big chunk of decluttering in one go, then it seems to exhaust me and I then don’t want to do any more for a while and things go back to square one. I also get easily distracted and will move onto another area without completing the first, so being more strictly focused should help with that. In addition, I am going to be trying to maintain the surfaces that I would like to keep clear of random stuff. In this house, it seems that if someone has put something down on a flat surface, then it is considered to have found it’s permanent resting place! Gradually, as I declutter storage areas then I hope it will become progressively easier for people to put things away. Currently, my husband finds it difficult to put things away because he thinks that there is no point if he is going to be getting it out again soon. I think he is open to making a positive change though, as he acknowledges that we have too much stuff and that not being well organised does make everyday life more difficult and stressful. 

Today, we are going to be putting all the Christmas stuff away but I also have my eye on one corner of our bedroom.
I look forward to following all of your journeys 😊

Beshki

I am now back at work and have a full time volunteer ‘job’ alongside so won’t have time to do much very often, which is why I went hard at it during the Christmas break. I feel in a much better frame of mind to keep doing what I’m able to now though, which is good.

I did three of my kitchen cupboards over Christmas and honestly the difference is phenomenal. As well as the huge feeling of relief each time I open a ‘finished’ one! That’s spurring me on to do the rest. My OH has a habit of making up new cleaning liquids (eg. Washing up liquid and water) in old bottles. As such it’s messy and annoying. I’m planning to nip and purchase new of what we use (minimal to be honest, likely £5 of goods) and get rid of all his useless home remedies. 

Umming and aahing over some storage boxes I’ve seen, they are stackable with a tilted front so you can access them whilst stacked. I do feel that they may be the answer to my nightmare of a conservatory as it’s all things I access twice a day. So it’s all over the floor currently!

Frogletina

Yesterday I tackled the area under the sink. 

I threw out 4 brushes that I don't use and I have a more usable cleaning caddy to carry around. Also some manky dusters went in the bin.

I've also got a box of cleaning cloths of various sorts, some unopened. I'm keeping them for now, but I prefer other ones that I have so they might go when I do that area again. 

Why do I prefer my old cloths and tea towels to new ones? It's a mystery.

I also sorted out my food cupboard and only decluttered a few chocolates! 

ruby_eskimo

My goodness the EDT is chugging along at a pace!  Happy New Year to one and all - here's hoping 2023 will be a gentle and calm year for us all.  SIMPLIFYING is the theme for the year so that includes decluttering and like a few of you I want to minimise the visual clutter and find better ways of organising my things and using the things that I do have without buying new things "just in case". 

Not sure if I said that my target for the year is 365 again and we're already off to a strong start; while dinner was cooking away last night I went through the cutlery drawer and managed to get rid of (and by got rid of I mean, donated, recycled or given away):

1-6. Gu glass pots (everyone has these right?! And we've kept a couple for when we need them)
7. a peeler that doesn't peel
8. a bottle stopper that came out of a cracker and doesn't work
9. half a tea infuser (no idea where the other half went)
10. A random plastic ring
11. A potato ricer that doesn't work

Now the drawer looks practically empty and isn't a pain to shut.  In addition to that we've also seen the following leaving the house:

12-13. Old boxes that we no longer need
14. Storage tin that we don't need
15. Some kind of candle holder that DH found in the loft, leftover from the previous owners
16. Excess bubble wrap passed on to a friend
17. My old electric toothbrush
18. DH's old electric toothbrush

So only 347 items to go!  I've also unsubscribed from a bunch of email lists, and cleared down a lot of my inbox but I won't count that unless I'm desperate towards the end of the year.

Next on the list of attack are the other 3 kitchen drawers and the cupboard under the sink, which I think may necessitate a trip to the big blue and yellow swedish shop for some drawer organisers and boxes to help with the organisation so will try and get those done by the weekend in case we do need to make a trip.

Hope everyone is having a good day and a good start to 2023.

Wednesday2000

Frogletina said:

I've also got a box of cleaning cloths of various sorts, some unopened. I'm keeping them for now, but I prefer other ones that I have so they might go when I do that area again. 

I have some microfibre cloths in different colours and I always pick the green one to use. It is very weird!