2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

QueenJess

Just checking back in with my celebratory end of the week wine.  Beds all changed, two loads of washing done and hung out and the books in the library have all been sorted out.  The floor is more than half clear now!  I'm still very much behind on the tidying and I have not planted out any seedlings, but I did do half a day of full on work so I think it's still a good result.  I'm starting to think the worst area is the kitchen as I have far too much food stuffed in the freezer/cupboards, but that's going to take some time to eat our way through.

Relaxing this evening and hoping my parents don't bring a car load of stuff for me to deal with when they visit tomorrow!

15,067-15,070 - kids books (Buy Nothing)
15,071-15,072 - instruction manuals not needed (recycling)

florianatwobob

Mostly a gardening day today. DSis tackled the weeding of the front garden. I was given the joy of potting on. Peas & courgettes planted, poinsettia that survived Xmas potted on, Valentine’s cactus (that flowers as and when it likes) repotted, 3 praying plant cuttings potted on (2 to go to a friend and their son - he’s nearly 17 and likes house plants!)

Blue_Doggy

Wow! You are all doing marvels and your decluttered spaces and pretty gardens look fantastic!
 

I seem to have decluttered this week, I’ve no idea where it’s gone, or how. It seems that no sooner was it Monday morning than here we are on Friday evening.

Apart from the usual putting domestic rubbish in the bins, I have been getting on a bit in the garden but at a snail’s pace. I’m trying to accept that I’m no longer as young as I was (reduced strength, can’t do as much at a time), and that a task includes the assembling of materials needed, and putting them away at the end, and a proper tea break needs to be taken when necessary (not perching a mug on the edge of the pond and forgetting it till it’s gone cold!). 

I have decluttered the contents of four indoor pots, plus ten outdoor ones, and repotted both my blueberry bushes and their accompanying bevy of Alpine strawberries. I nearly had a meltdown when I realised that I’d got the garden more cluttered than when I started 😱, but a sit down with a cup of tea and a bit of thinking produced the resolution.
 

- 4 pelargonium cuttings decluttered from kitchen windowsill
- 4 nice pots used for said cuttings, using stored compost

- new big tub prepared for blueberry bush 1, bbb planted
- strawberry plants trimmed and planted
- same steps for bbb2
- a quarter of a binbagful of soaked shredded paper decluttered to bottom of each tub
- 2 x 30 litre bags of ericaceous compost from garage used up in tubs
- stored compost bin emptied, shared between bbb tubs 😀
- plants which didn’t survive the winter although in cold frame binned
- their pots emptied
- rosemary plant repotted into nicer and larger pot
- emptied pots put aside for washing and keep/get rid decision
 

Best wishes to all, keep up the good work!

Florenceem

Up and the bed is stripped and washing machine is on plus - I test negative today!
I have 2 Freeglers collecting today.
Today is the SA table top sale - feel bad that my friend is away on holiday and I haven't been able to help - we organise it between us each month.
Still coughing and feel tired but on the mend.

Moorviews

@Florenceem - great news that you are now testing negative! 

@Blue_Doggy - I totally get that about not being able to blast through things in the garden at the same pace as when we were younger or fitter. I still have more potting on to do and will just have to take it steady. It sounds like you have your blueberry bushes and strawberry plants nicely set up for some lovely fruit this summer. 

@Soontobeoap - I love your craft cabin and think that is such a brilliant idea. You also have a very pretty garden leading down to it. 

@QueenJess - great work with the books and housework. It’s often so nice to just get things straightened out and put back in their places. Like you I enjoy a glass of wine on a Friday. 

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger - I don’t think of myself as eating a 🐸 so thank you for pointing that out and awarding me a medal. 

It will be day 3 of the shed today. I can’t tell you how much I don’t want to be doing it 😂 I find it useful to consider how clutter happens now. In this instance I realise most of the stuff actually came from my mother and my mother in law when they downsized. I took stuff on so that they felt better about getting rid of things. The trouble was that I didn’t know what to do with them and so I put everything in the shed on top of my own things. This got crammed and difficult and overwhelming to enter. The roof has been leaking for a year or two as well. The result is a lot of rubbish really, that I am painstakingly picking through, cleaning what can be saved and deciding what to do with things. Honestly, I would have loved to have lobbed it all into a skip! I will be keeping very little myself, the charity shops will get the nicest things and the rest will go to the recycling centre. I have already recycled a lot of glass jars and plastic bags that were used for wrapping things up. Mr MV has a similar problem in his sheds with all the man stuff that was sent his way. 

I should hopefully finish up today. Once Mr MV has completed the roof repairs I’ll ask him to sweep out the humongous cobwebs and their creators, then I can clean properly in there. I’ll clean the furniture and put my things back in once I have given them all a good wash. Oh, and the spiders hid among all the items pulled out of the shed so that has been fun, not!
My husband and our son are also applying themselves to going through some of their stuff and have taken a huge load off for recycling. We still have such a long way to go though to get ourselves down to just having what we need. 

Hope all my fellow declutterati have an enjoyable weekend 😊

Dfw38

The cs was grateful for the donations @Mrs_Salad_Dodger. I would agree about the ice cream and jelly 😋. I have been rearranging our pantry (cupboard under the stairs) as our kitchen is part of the conservatory (previous owners 🙄) and is too hot to store the food in cupboards over the next few months. I have also arranged a shelf for dds to organise their pack lunch extras e.g. flapjacks, biscuits etc so they can start becoming self sufficient 😃
Both dds birthday presents wrapped (so they can't see what is in there) just waiting for 2 to be delivered for 2nd dd. Going to organise party supplies today. 
Have realised that I have missed my frog and MMiM target in a big way 😪. Going to wipe the slate clean next month (as I will never catch up at this rate) and will think of a new challenge for June. Tempted to do an incremental gain one for the garden and house (pick an area and do a small amount of work each day so it snowballs and is then done ta-dah!) Only problem is there are so many places to choose from 🤣

Florenceem

Moorviews - I feel your pain. I really don't have much that has come from my parents. They weren't collectors of anything.
On the other hand - Mr F has lots of stuff from his Mum's flat. I found a box of stuff in our old bedroom - it is now on a shelf in the office. There is a bag of stuff that I need to look through - seems to be old books and maps. I will Freegle most of it - if anyone wants it. His parents seem to have collected maps as well as books and everything else. Mr F didn't have much hope of not being a hoarder with his parents being collectors of lots of stuff.
I am finding just putting new bedding on - exhausting - wrestling with the duvet cover now.

GrannyKate

Morning all.  Beautiful day.  I can feel a list coming on - I keep thinking of things to do but probably need to see them written down.  There are some big items to go on it.  I have to have my eyes tested again on Wednesday as struggling with computer.  New glasses only 2 months old. Hoping DS2 is going to be around today as need some things done. 

710 Cleaned filter on dryer as I had done washing machine yesterday 
711 Ten items put away

Not enough washing in basket to put machine on.  I love it when everything gets dry outside and can be put straight away.

@Florenceem - my daughter's local scout group were pleased to have my late DH's collection of ordnance survey maps

Fizz2015

Morning All, having a cheeky lie-in after 6am alarms all week. I do need to brave the supermarket soon though before it gets busy.
So much to do this weekend not sure where to start. Think will make a list with a cuppa and go from there. Will be practising the 23min slots to do things.
Positive day in work yesterday, office was very quiet. Colleague donated 2 bags of clothes to DD, another donated plants for the allotment (tomatoes, broccoli and sprouts) and the best one colleague brought be an icelolly as a surprise! All very thoughtful and lovely. 
Also met with my boss and been given clear parameters and responsibilities for my job role. 

TC77

@Moorviews, I too have inherited things in my house and still more at my dad's and really feel betwixt and between about what to keep. I have decided a long sort of TV unit with drawers bought with advice of ex b/f will  go - mainly has DVDs and DD2 electronics and can't be sorted before her exams finish and then g-plan big chest in my bedroom will go there - although need to get rid of my clothes (which I was waiting for lbs decluttering. 
Carpet down in office and hoovered skirtings and edges - desk from my dad's to go down and thinking of bringing stuff I need know and then another van but much more expensive but have no desk there at the moment. Hmm tetris with the whole house comes to mind.
Going to post 2 pics of DD1 old bedroom mainly stuff and living room to shame myself with aim of sorting by end July. DD2 doesn't move to end of June so allows me a month to focus
Unfortunately as well as inheriting furniture I like a bargain and a womble