2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

QueenJess

So far this morning I've managed to get the stuff out of the attic for the sorting of future gifts (I closed that hatch pretty quick and got out of there as it's seriously overwhelming up there! ) and put tons of stuff on Buy Nothing, including convincing DH successfully this time that we should get rid of some specific toys he previously said no to.  I have not tackled the future gift pile yet, but at least it is all in one place now!

May do some more later as work is both dull and frustrating today, so lots of mini breaks are useful.  I've got my decluttering mojo back at the moment and just want stuff gone!

One other thing on the list of things to sort is memory box stuff.  I keep putting it off I think I would like a fancy box for each of the kids, but I am going to put them on the long list for xmas/birthday gifts next year as usually I want very little and struggle to provide gift lists as requested by family.  I can't use that as an excuse not to sort it out anymore and I will just grab any old box in the meantime to go through it.  One for another day though.  Tons on the to do list! 

My decluttering list looks really good today, but I can't take most of the credit - I asked DS to go through his box of colouring/random paperwork and decide what he wanted to keep.  I came to help after putting DD to bed and he'd already done it!  He's only 6 and is a decluttering master already and told me off yesterday for not packing myself a lunch and buying something whilst we were out ("waste of money" he utters) Frankly after my no sleep for so long, I was happy to just still be awake and physically there!  I had no energy for sandwich making.

Digital:
12,711 - digital notes deleted
12,732 - emails permanently deleted

Physical:
12,733-12,795 - kids stuff recycled
12,796-12,798 - kids books (Buy nothing)
12,799 - lightbulb broken (bin)
12,800-12,811 - kids toys (Buy Nothing)
12,812-12,814 - kids craft stuff (binned)

QueenJess

Whoops... already got distracted and opened a cupboard in my library.  Immediately found a load of stuff to go at a glance without even pulling anything out.  Must get back to work now

12,815 - plastic bag (used)
12,816-12,817 - puzzles (Buy Nothing)
12,818-12,820 - puzzle boards (Buy Nothing)
12,821-12,827 - pictures w/packaging (Buy Nothing)

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

Back again. I forgot to mention that I received a full & comprehensive reply from the charity I wrote to. My request has been actioned, so I am happy to continue my support 😊 13:45 I went into the kitchen to make myself a drink but decided to clean the last 2 drawers & handles 😉 so 2 minutes turned into 20 minutes 😂 Now just have the 10 cupboard doors & handles to clean 🥳 Now sat back down with my coffee & will resume cheerleading 😉

QueenJess, sounds like you know your DH very well 😊 Three tasks a week sounds like a good compromise 🤞 Good luck with using up food 🍀 It sounds to me like you have managed to catch up on at least some of your missed sleep, although I do hope you are finding pockets of time to just relax & give yourself some time in the TLC Carriage 🙏 Excellent decluttering 👏 and Good Luck with your priority tasks 🍀 

D123456789, I think I would have been a very bad mother as all that buying presents for ALL children’s classmates would not have gone down at all well with me 😖 Whole class parties sound like an absolute nightmare to me 😱 

QueenJess, I think your idea of selling party gifts is probably the better idea 😉 

Florenceem, pleased to hear that MrF was sitting up & lucid 😊 I believe you mentioned in a previous post that MrF asked for his Bible & I was just wondering if there are any passages about ‘not giving up’ that might help MrF’s state of mind? 

Lovely supportive post Soontobeoap 😊

What a busy weekend charlies_tribe 🤩 Excellent decluttering & tidying 👏

florianatwobob, Thank you for sharing your experiences re your DBro’s long stay in hospital 👏

Brie, good idea 👏

TC77, lovely post in support of Florenceem 🙂 Sorry to hear that your Sunday was not as relaxing as it should have been 😔 Hopefully now that you have found the urgent email you can sort it out quickly & with no serious or lasting consequences 🤞 Also everything crossed that the important notebook has stopped hiding & you found it 🤞 Excellent decluttering 👏 I am sending lots of positive thoughts & wishes your way that things slow down a little so that you have time to catch your breath 😊 Perhaps DB can do the listings of items to sell rather than piling even more pressure on you 🙏

I have caught up on another page so will take a short break & sit out in the garden for a while now that the sun has come out 😉

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

DH Awards: 🥇🏅⭐️💐🏅 perseverance medal 🎖️ 🥇 🏅🏅 

Decluttering Target 2023: 1058/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £74.70

florianatwobob

Tried that with DBro @Brie , for a man that is normally surgically attached to his PC and tablet he was having none of them!

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

Whilst away I have cleaned 2 cupboard doors & handles - one only took 15 mins but the other one took 25 minutes as there were lots of dried grease spatters ‘hangs head in shame’ + I finally glued the loose trim 🥳 (I have a vague recollection of asking DH to do it 2 years ago 🤣) Now only 2 low cupboards to clean + 6 high cupboards where I need to use the small collapsible 2-step ladder 😉 DH has spent time in the garden - turned over the wormery trays; used one of the large garden bags of compost to half fill 4 potato bags & planted them up with sprouting potato eyes; moved the 2nd garden bag of compost off the grass & onto a concrete slab. He has also transferred all the kitchen peelings from a trug to  the empty garden bag (both our compost bins are full & the contents need turning) 😔 DH is now in the front garden using his new toy - a lawn ‘plug aerator’ 😁 plus gave the GoldWing a quick hose down 👏 Now back to cheerleading as it has got dark (16:00) & I am determined to catch up on the cheerleading 😉

Pixie_Cosmo, you are so right it is a very busy thread - only another 4 pages of posts & we will be at the same point as 31st August last year 🤩 Excellent work in the garden & well done on starting your main planting 👏 So far all we have planted are some potatoes ☹️ I know it is a bit late to leave it but as long as it is not coming down in stair rods, we will start planting next week 🤞Good luck with the crockery cupboards 🍀

Excellent decluttering Florenceem, you have been busy 👏 Good luck on your shopping trip for comfy shoes 🍀 The last thing you need right now is to have an accident 😱

QueenJess, I am awarding you a medal 🏅 for being strong & resisting the lure of buying new storage boxes 👏 Hopefully when you have decluttered a few more items in the upstairs cupboard a suitable solution will present itself 🤞Good luck 🍀 

Siebrie, no hoax although it would appear that not everyone got the alarm 😉 DH’s phone went off but DSis’s didn’t 🤷‍♀️ 

roundtuit, sounds like the whole thing was a bit of a damp squib as evidenced by the comments of QueenJess, Soontobeoap, -taff   😅

Sorry to hear that the shoe shopping was a bust, Florenceem ☹️ Pavers seem to be a bit behind the times - surely they should be stocking autumn/winter shoes by now 😉 Hopefully you can get the PIN sorted very quickly 🤞

Muddy_Walker, good luck with your trainee 🍀 Hopefully they will learn quickly & you can move away from TB to your new job 🤞 

Great work QueenJess 👏 Nice to hear that you are feeling inspired & making use of your renewed decluttering mojo 😊 However, please, please don’t work yourself into a state of exhaustion 🙏 Good idea to add fancy boxes to your wish list for gifts to you 🙂 Like you I struggle to come up with any ideas when my DH aks what I would like as a birthday/Christmas present 😔 Excellent decluttering Especially by DS to whom I am awarding a medal 🏅 I am beaming at the idea that DS is already a seasoned member of the ‘declutterati’ at age 6 🤩

florianatwobob, sounds like your DBro decided on a rest from electronic gadgets 😉

All caught up so will post & then watch a bit of TV 🙂

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

DH Awards: 🥇🏅⭐️💐🏅 perseverance medal 🎖️ 🥇 🏅🏅 

Decluttering Target 2023: 1058/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £74.70

Brie

I would like to say I was pleased when the OH started going through a box of his mom's stuff.  I'd like to say it but it was just before I was about to do something using the dining room table and he had stuff spread all over it. 

Like MiL's autograph book that has the signature of every cast member of the 1948 staging of Oklahoma in London.  Starring Harold Keel.  (who changed his name later to Howard....).  He's asking me if things might be worth something.  I've pointed him to ebay which may or may not get him ££.  There's a massive pile of programmes, many which the stars signed, from just after the war when she went to the shows a couple of times a week.  I'm going to suggest he get rid of the dross, catalogue the rest and then put it on ebay.  That will keep him busy for a day or two!!! (or keep me busy....)

Florenceem

I did some sorting before hospital visiting - found some new clothes that I had forgotten about - I don't like some of them now so - off to the charity shop.
I am gradually emptying the wine rack -  scared at removing some bottles as the rack is a bit past it.
Mr F was in bed today - they did an EEG this morning. Not all test results are back - I saw a Doctor. Mr F was meant to be weighed today but it hadn't happened. I tried to motivate him but all I got was - I am too far gone now.

Floss

@Florenceem have you been able to get MrF's authority to access the bank & your household bills? I wonder if Age Concern might be able to advise, it's probably something they come across quite often when the one who does the finances in a couple is taken ill.

Marpau

This might be useful for someone age UK produce a booklet  called my life book. There is space to record all bank accounts passwords name of utilities etc also to list hymns and readings you may want at a funeral plus guest list. Serious stuff however DH and I have had fun choosing appropriate ( inappropriate) songs to go out with

Blue_Doggy

QueenJess said: I opened the packaging box (all saved from parcels etc) and excluding cardboard boxes in the attic and the random bits of bubblewrap, I have 42 bags/jiffy bags to be used up.  Most of them are the annoying small ones, but I do use them to put Buy Nothing stuff in.  So today I am scouring the house for bits and pieces to go on Buy Nothing.  Will count up the packaging at the end of the week and see how far I've come!  I don't "need" any of it since I have a big roll of brown paper which covers all eventualities and I've been shopping as little as I can this year (was buying slightly too much online).

Have you thought about offering the spare empty packaging on Buy Nothing as they are (empty)? There may be ebayers or others who could use extra empty packaging.

21/4

Decluttering:

• Completed garage loyalty card found in car - decluttered for free car wash 💦🚗✨
• Laundry done, ironing basket emptied (not sure it really counts, as it’ll all be to do again soon)
• 100 text messages deleted from phone
• 100 emails deleted from iPad

22&23/4

No real decluttering, clean ironed laundry put away, general & superficial tidy up done, kitchen rubbish to bin with contents of room bins, travel details for today looked up and written down. Canine Doggy groomed and myself rested.

24/4

Some light filing and putting away done this morning. Four hours of this afternoon decluttered with an eye clinic checkup - I am requested not to drive to these, and the kind friends who have given me lifts before were not available - so I went by bus. It takes a long time because there is only one bus an hour from my village to the nearest town to catch the bus to the clinic.

I am now by request cuddling a seriously cuddle-deprived dog. 

Kind thoughts to all who are struggling or caring.