2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

x_raphael_xx

joanie said:

Hello everyone 🙋‍♀️ long time lurker but ready to join - I think! 

Not sure exactly how I’m going to do this but I will split it into categories, so for example, clothing and shoes, toiletries and make up, household items (bedding, ornaments etc) and Kitchen stuff. Then I’ll probably need a miscellaneous section as well!

The Kon Mari method may work good for you then, she works in catagories. The less emotional first (like clothes) before moving onto more sentimental items.

I think she's currently got a show on Netflix.

Brie

Count me in please.

2022 has been quite a good year in some ways for decluttering.  Well bad for MiL as she was one of the things decluttered (if you catch my drift - lovely lady, she will be missed) and as a result so have got rid of the better part of 2 rooms full of her things.  In a similar vein there's my mom - still with us but moved from a sprawling farm house to a 1 bedroom assisted living flat.  A large portion of her clothes going back decades have been shifted and lots of hidden house "carp" binned or recycled.  

This has put me in a good state of mind regarding our very own "carp" and I'm eyeing up lots of things and wondering why do I have them.  (I do the same with him indoors but then I remember he's a good cook)  Shamefully we still have things in boxes from when we moved in nearly 5 years back.  Some in a rain breezy carport.  

So - my pledge to the collective for 2023 is to:

• clear the carport  - soaked boxes to the dump, MiL mobility scooter sold, and the rest.  (net result - to park the car)
• install the wardrobes in the back bedroom and organise the clothes scattered there currently. (net result - less clothes dumped everywhere in main bedroom)
• tidy the garage by getting ikea wardrobes up to the bedroom, deal with the spare tv, clear that old dining room table off ready to be recycled, get rid of MiL's old washer/dryer unit (net result be able to actually see what we have on the bookshelves in there)
• clear summer house (why is there broken wine glasses in there?  unruly mice??) (net result - painting studio)
• clear MiL's bedroom - mostly done but it's become the dumping ground. (net result - spare bedroom or OH's dressing room)
• clear and clean whatever you call that bit at the front of the house that OH uses as an office - it's part entrance way, part conservatory and it has a lot of weird garbage in it.  (net result - be able to let people in the front door without dying of embarrassment)
• clear greenhouse.  (net result - be able to see the cement pad its on and decide if it could be used for a hot tub)

Hmmm - I think that will do it for now.  In know that once you do one bit the other bits become more obvious but also easier to deal with.  At least that's what I keep telling myself.

bit_by_bit

Its great to see so many new people. 

I count out in bags. Not the size, just a full bag of anything. I also have 'inandouts' which is stuff people give me to get rid of. Finally I count large items - things that won't go in a bag usually e.g. the broken vacuum cleaner waiting for the tip.

bit_by_bit

Welcome @diminua ,@bekah89, @herebeme, @joanie and @Suffolksue

I have been here a few years now and have enjoyed a lot of support and fun. I count out in bags.

stellata

Can I rejoin please? 2022 wasn't my best decluttering year but for joyous reasons (son got married, new granddaughter born) so I'm not really any further on. Well I am, because I think about my home in a different way now, I've learned to appreciate the good parts and keep chipping away at the things which need changing. I'll start anew on 1st January, until then seasons greetings to all 🎄

Fizz2015

I keep count on the notes section of my of phone. I find it motivates me when I can see my progress.

I count individual items or frogs (something I need to do / sort and keeping putting off). If it's things like a bag of soft plastic recycling I count that as 1 item. I don't include everyday recycling but if I was clearing old plastics from the cupboard or old food items or used up toiletries I would. If getting rid of donating an item (or anything that leaves my house),  benefits reducing things in my home, creating space and calm I count it.

Hope that makes sense.

DrCarrie

Hi all declutter bugs. 

I would like to join please for 2023, I hope to be moving in the next 12 months, and want to make the removal fees very cheap. 
Most of my clutter is in my bedroom, hidden away, but o know its there and the drawers don't open because they are jam-packed.

So that my pledge de clutter my bedroom drawers and cupboard 10 areas in total. 

TC77

Hi all, joining again and looking forward to the journey with old friends and new. 
My mission seems abit overwhelming but will set out to help make me accountable. 
Continue the sorting and clearing of my dads house. Prob 7% done in the last 6 months so need to speed up. House needs to be let or sold.
Dd1 old bedroom, needs new carpet and then instead of storage given a purpose as spare room/ ? But useable.
Sort out books, a thinning out and putting in order , including reducing the many from my parents which are heading my way.
Sorting living room.and dining room so more use able and edit furniture or get some from dads restored and use.
Fingers 🤞 Dd2 will go to uni so sort her  bedroom and airing room/her study area in 2nd half of year. Just have to look the other way for time being.
Sort my clothes, either accepting never getting back in to them and passing on or culling them..
Challenge of reducing my wombling and bringing in free or cheap things.
Photos and memorabilia will be 2024! 
If I get 50% of my.list done will be happy. 
Will start with 2023 as my target.
Also big frogs ( and small) some ongoing for years and hoping for conclusions. 
Huge thank you to MrsSD for leading and cheering us on. Looking forward to hearing the declutterinf adventures of everyone and a reminder to use the TLC carriage and that when RL tough important to rest and if need be would scale my target down and anything out is progress. 
Will return soon!

grandmanerd

I'd like to join again please and many, many thanks for your excellent cheer leading Mrs SD. I'll stick with the 2022 challenge until I reach my target (not far to go - I'm off to DS1's on Christmas Eve so would like to be sorted by then.

In 2023 I hope to declutter a bungalow (still disappointed about the failure to complete last week). I did do half a swear in the solicitor's office (a bad swear, luckily DS2 can't report me to grandma "because she is your mummy and she will tell you off") but then swallowed it and apologised, but I've  worked so long and so hard on it and really would have felt much better if that part of it had been concluded.

My other goals are to be rid of my ex-husband's 800 or so LPs. I got rid of them over 30 years ago when I divorced him and now they're back and seem to have brought a few friends. Missed the November auction and we're not going to make the February one either. The Department of Work and Pensions is investigating him going over the capital limit on a means tested benefit and has asked for 7 years back bank statements, so they can determine when he went over the limit and how much they want to reclaim and we're (my sons really, I'm just helping) not allowed to sell anything until then. Inland revenue was fine, they signed off on it straight away.

DS2 is dealing with Probate which is proceeding but he and his partner had a baby in July and he's behind with his Masters. He says once he has completed his masters, he'll wind everything up within a month (he has all the old cameras in his conservatory). he did offer to buy me industrial shelving (to be sold when no longer needed) so I could store them in a smaller space and also said I could purchase new software if it will make the cataloguing easier. He tried to explain what a database is to me - I do like it when my children talk to me like I'm an idiot. I have tried to explain life before windows and that I actually learnt several systems prior to that (and I did do 2 years of Management Accounting and helped him with his algebra and calculus when he was doing 'A' level Chemistry).  Maybe I should tell him I'd prefer to use Lotus 123 (it's been discontinued after they watered it down to work on windows 10).

Goal number 3. To declutter two 34 year olds (they'll both have birthdays before they leave), 3 chinchillas, about half the current contents of my house and all their numerous possessions. Going to start with the looking at houses lessons soon (and explaining to daughter out law that you don't set your heart on one property from reading the estate agent details... and that they will be having a proper van not just what will fit in her parents cars (especially as we're not sure we want her parents to know their new address - they're rather fond of dropping in unannounced and we're on the other side of the Pennines, they'll be round every day if they move back to d-o-l's home town.

Goal number 4 - proceed with my much needed new kitchen, one that will work for the last 20 + years of my life. Arthritis in my right shoulder means I can only put one plate at a time away in a cupboard and I've mostly stopped using them. I loved mum's pan drawers and think I'd like all the lower cupboards replacing with them. The lighting I have is close to the nearly 9' ceiling and there's no way I can get to the top of the ladders, let alone perch with one knee across the top to lock myself in position because the fiddly lights need two hands. I might want the ceiling dropped anyway. I'm thinking I might have a compact counter top oven as I don't do roasts or baking very often (to avoid temptation) and I want DS3 and Beloved to take the tumble dryer and dishwasher (the latter bought at their request) with them.

I've a number of other outstanding house repairs/ improvements. When I told DS1 I'd had the soil stack replaced he said 'You mean the one that's needed doing for the last 20 years'. Any indoor work is on hold as I've agreed with Mr and Mrs Builder that it will be much easier after DS3 and Beloved and the Chinchillas and all their possessions leave ( and I need my half of the money from the  sale of mum's bungalow).

Future proofing. I have a detailed plan for the kitchen as I've been planning it for the last 5 years (it's 8 years since my total hip replacement and 5 years since the arthritis was diagnosed, probably about the same for other limiting factors). I've recently had stair rails, a bath board and shower curtain (already had grip handles on the walls) and handles by the front and back doors to make life a bit easier. After my last major round of improvements 7 years ago I started to put wheels on heavier pieces of furniture to make changing room layouts easier. After my hip  operation I lived mostly upstairs (very large front bedroom, currently occupied by DS3 and Beloved) and came down once a day to make hot food and take supplies back with me. I arranged everything I needed at waist height and above (not allowed to bend or twist). I'm thinking if I add a microwave and a small fridge/ freezer, I could stay upstairs when I'm too ill to do much (I can do a lot more if I don't have to tackle the stairs or risk falling). If I can put a day bed in the living room and install a downstairs toilet I'd be fine downstairs too (more convenient if I had deliveries due). I've recently started to dismantle heavy items of furniture as I'm not going to be able to manage them.

Deal with my own clutter. I know my mother kept many things for many years after she could make use of them and some became unusable in the process. I don't want to be like that. I've not quite given up on my embroidery but I gave my niece 3/4 of the threads I had left (I have been giving them away letting other people use them in craft sessions for several years). What I had left by last year was about 1/4 to 1/5 of my peak stock. I'm hoping I can make some things for the baby in felt (I have forest animals and leaves cut out), I've loved the art therapy sessions I've attended this year and I want to be able to do 'creative' things. I have tried very hard not to be carried away and buy too many craft products as I know I'm very slow - I'm going to have to pick and choose which I most want to do. I'll be starting to make dolls and dolls clothing next year in the hope that I'll have them ready by the time my little grand-daughter is 3 yo. I have some wooden toys bought (mostly wooden sustainable versions of things my sons loved).

I've done a fairly severe book cull.  I gave away most of my books years ago but the car park behind my house is shared with the library so picking up and returning books was never a problem. I bought books during COVID - a trolley load or two before lockdown and when I could get out again after about six months and I bought second hand online or 3 for £5 bundles. I'm keeping some of my favourite authors and plan to get the whole series. I also need to investigate other media - e-books and audio, I need large print some of the time and the books make my wrists ache. I'm also ready to  pass on photos and mementos of previous generations to my sons and nieces (probably DS2 and DN2) but would also like to document 'stories' about them. I plan to start with my memories of my ex (including the ones from before I met him) for my new grand-daughter 'who he was very much looking forward too but he couldn't wait long enough'. DS2 wants to keep a 'presence' of him and has already started playing the baby records that he'd listened to with his father. She's also having a teddy mad from one of his shirts and some ties - the rest of the ties went to a group 
who make them into quilts for premature or sick babies, they include the name of the person they came from and the babies take their quilt with them when they go home.

I seem to have written another epic and I think I'm brave enough to take my things off and have a shower, so I'll stop for now.

Betharooni

Can I join in for 2023? I don’t have a numbered target but would just like to make some progress every week. House is a state so plenty to do. Will post more detailed plans later.

B x