2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

LookingForPeace

Hi all,

Just updating that I've continued getting rid of one thing a day in the flat. It has to feel at least a bit "substantial", for example today's was an old container thing for the washing up brush/bits. A chocolate wrapper that should be in the bin anyway won't count 

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

Tasks Completed:

- Set up "new" laptop

Stuff - IN: 

2. Rug for bedroom

Stuff - OUT:

8. Coat

Well today was a challenge - first day back working and before I got started Challenge 1:  I spotted what was either a very fat mouse or a rat in the house.  Called pest control as soon as it was open ( thankfully it turned out to be a fat mouse). Challenge 2:  A few days ago I spotted that I have a blocked drain outside the house in the back garden - I made some DIY attempts to unblock it but no luck - so I've had to arrange someone to come and take a look at that - thankfully my lovely "regular" plumber does drains and will be coming one day this week.  Challenge 3: the 2 week old earbuds I  bought for work have stopped working - company is based in US so not so straightforward to return them - I have emailed them.  Grumble: I had a lot of no shows / last minute cancellations (this is for the place I don't get paid unless the session happens- so I only just managed to earn enough to cover the cost of pest control.  

Anyhoo on the bright side  ...... All the clients that did attend were absolutely lovely and all of the above challenges are in hand - and I'm now sitting on the sofa with a G&T!  I'm quite pleased with myself for dealing with things quickly as I normally procrastinate. 

Tasks Completed:

• renewed microsoft 365 subscription
• Pest control visit sorted
• Contacted plumber
• Emailed earbud company re: return

Stuff - IN: 

3. Pair of brand new blackout curtains left by a neighbour for someone to take - (not 100% sure they will fit and if they don't  I'll donate to CS)

Stuff - OUT:

9.   Completed notebook
10. Tupperware
11. Recycled Christmas Cards

charlies_tribe

Evening. About 3 minutes after my post last night DD3 got back up with a temperature, so this morning I rearranged her appointment.

We've both felt a lit better this afternoon.

27-30 bathroom items opened well over a year ago and hadn'tbeen touched, one had gone a very funny colour, was sat looking at them while I showered so binned them.
31 large fabric softener bottle and 1/4 of the contents after I knocked it over and smashed the lid, luckily the other was almost empty so tipped into that one.
32 100 emails deleted 
33-37 pantry items, just pulled a few bits out while sorting dinner as bins go out tonight
38 OOD (just) cake mix, found in pantry, made into cakes that the DC are currently demolishing.
39 a bin bag of Christmas wrapping from conservatory managed to fit in bin

More than I was planning but still not even a dint where it was. Also decluttered one extremely smelly poodle to the bath and then an hour to dry him. Now the wet dog smell has gone he smells so much better. It must be the fur as we also have labs that don't have anywhere near as many baths but don't smell half as bad 🤣

ilovetea

Please can someone slow this train down. You all seem to be moving very fast.
Yesterday wasn't a very good day so only decluttered the following
28-30  3 more magazines.
31  4 chocolates. I NEEDED to do that :-).

Today was a lot better,Gave myself a bit of a shake.
32-34. Rubbish,recycling and cat litter:-(.
35-58. e-bay items posted.
59-61 3 birthday cards made from stash.
62-63.  Wilted veg from fridge.  Hardly eaten for a couple of weeks,these have hardly been looked at. and I don't like waste.

That's it for now.
        take care all.     ilovetea x

~FlowerPot~

So its been a bits and bobs day today!

Not much decluttered, but have listed a couple of selection boxes of biscuits on Olio. Hoping they will be collected tomorrow.

Pluse decluttering the fridge and freezer for tea!!!!

Keiths_Mum

Keiths_Mum, you could do with a clone of my brother (not sentimental at all about things) 😉. I think a time limit is definitely the way to go coupled with Blue_Doggy’s recording system of when & where the item went 😊 That must have made for an interesting dynamic in your childhood home - a ‘hoarder’ (not enamoured of that word 😔) & a ‘minimalist’ (sounds like your Mum was Marie Kondo’s ancestor

Yep, as fast as my Mum was trying to get things out of the house my Dad was bringing stuff in. He was a big fan of car boot sales and jumble sales. My Mum used to throw his old clothes in the rag bag and he'd take them out again and put them back in his drawers, fun times!

I've started on the paperwork, rather than going by date i am going to shred by importance, leaving things like bank statements and wage slips until last. Shredded about 20 pieces, not much, but a start. Ive just shredded an unused cheque book that was from Woolwich Building Society, which has ceased to exist for many years now!

The cat is now obsessed with watching the paper disappear into the shredder, I wish he would show as much interest in the expensive cat toy I bought him for Christmas which he's barely looked at!

daisy_1571

Suffolk sue i have a specific cabinet i throw funeral order of services in.  Like you i don't like to get rid of them but really don't have a lot of reasons to consult them once the funeral is done.  Since its a cabinet on tall legs that sits at a side of the couch and is same height as the arm, we use it to rest cuppas etc on so even if it was empty it would still sit there and be useful plus I don't have any other job for the inside of the cabinet.   So for now the order of services will continue to reside there and you and I will both puzzle from time to time why we feel a gentle need to keep them. 

Hugs to anyone whod like one.

Daisy xx

Slinky

Keiths_Mum said:

The cat is now obsessed with watching the paper disappear into the shredder, I wish he would show as much interest in the expensive cat toy I bought him for Christmas which he's barely looked at!

Ours is fascinated by the DVD drawer going in and out of the machine.

andyad

Hi, I’d like to join but am a newbie to posting so bear with me as I’ve no idea what I’m doing!!

Have done my usual Xmas break thing of making lists and setting targets in terms of saving, living frugally and decluttering during the year and am hoping that joining this group will help me to sustain more than my usual 3 days now I’m back at work. 

Main things left for me to declutter / use:

1. Bathroom cabinet / toiletries

2. Bedroom cupboard and shelves full of toiletries and cosmetics (mostly unused and obtained thro’ purchasing the John Lewis beauty advent calendar for the last 3 yrs)

3. Cleaning products - from cupboard under kitchen sink and additional stuff in the garage (which I moved there following my last sort out of the cupboard under the sink!!!) 

4. Loft - full of daughters baby clothes, toys and general rubbish

5. Garage - double garage full of things that just need to go to the tip. Obstacle is my dh who insists he’s going to do a car boot sale to get rid of it all 😔 but it never materialises so it just sits there 🤣

6. Daughters clothes - get rid of ones she doesn’t wear / are too small

7. Spices and condiments - full size kitchen drawer of herbs and spices plus cupboard full of sauces and condiments to use before buying more

8. cupboard under the stairs - full of coats and junk - need to make room to store the hoover as a minimum

9. candles, tea lights and wax melts. Have a full drawer jam packed full of them that I need to use before I buy more

Achieved so far in 2023:

- 3 x bags of rubbish cleared from sideboards and cupboards in living and dining room. Can now open doors without clutter falling out. 

- my clothes - sorted wardrobe and drawers and cleared out 100+ items of clothing and pairs of shoes Now need to sell them or take to charity shop

- kitchen cupboards - done an initial sort out to make space for a few things but could go a lot further. That might be for 2024 tho’ having looked at my list for 2023! 

-taff

@nannywindow you don't have t chop the onions, just keep them in a coolish frost free dry place . I keep mine under the cupboard in the kitchen in a metal tray, they last for weeks, honest...And if anyone has those really hard to peel ones, the ones where you can only get a little bit off at a time [lidls are buggers for having those] peel it while running under the tap, much easier.