2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

diminua

I'm still catching up as I was on holiday in Holland (my brother was kind enough to tell me yesterday that the country is The Netherlands, well yes, but the bit I was in was Holland, so ).  Lovely holiday, mostly walking, museums and plenty of coffee and frites and stroopwaffels. I cluttered two books, a paint palette and a tram ticket that is going in my scrap/photo album (I could have bought any amount of stationery and chocolate and small delft pieces, but I resisted).

I've also got some black clothes for a funeral. One of my cousins had an unexpected heart attack about three weeks ago - they confirmed what it was just before I went away. Bizarrely I keep forgetting, actually said to my brother as we parted 'I'll come up and see you soon' and he said 'you'll see me at the funeral'.

I did this with my grandmother as well - kept catching myself thinking 'I'll just pop in and see Nanny on the way home' and then remembering why I couldn't. Maybe it's how the brain lets you get on with everything else. 

A few things out since I came back - I'm going through areas I've been through and finding new things: bras that never fitted, a mismatched glove (I've been hoping to find the match for two winters now as I really liked them. It's time to give up hope) free post its from sock shop, face mask that was always too big, metal bookmark that left a mark on the page, toner I will never use etc... I know I've given a reprieve to a few things that should have gone as well

Currently standing at 203 things out, and 46 in. 

Brie

diminua said:

A few things out since I came back - I'm going through areas I've been through and finding new things: bras that never fitted, a mismatched glove (I've been hoping to find the match for two winters now as I really liked them. It's time to give up hope) 

Glad you had a nice holiday but sorry for your loss....these things do take one by surprise sometimes.

As for the glove.....be strong and chuck it.  And chuck the other too as it's guaranteed to show up as soon as you've chucked the one.

Meanwhile - smile victory......organised all the dvds - foreign language films on shelf 1, box sets on 2, old movies and musicals on 3 and kids stuff (in a household with no kids...) and other random things.  Found 2 duplicates so they're in the CS pile.  Also when checking to be sure realised that the 2 boxes for the same movie only had 1 disc between them.  No idea where the other one went.  And found a disc with no name at all on it so no idea what it is.  Will need to fire up the dvd player and check it out. 

CDs are next but I'll leave the organising to the OH as they're mostly his.  And he won't be allowing duplicates to be binned in any sense.  Yes one does need 8 copies of Wagner's Ring Cycle (all 16 hours of it) because they aren't identical if they have a different tenor or conductor or were recorded by near identical people but 5 years apart.  And talk about a horde.....an Ikea Billy unit can hold 180 cds.  And we have 6 units.  You do the maths as my head hurts.  (but it does make me feel better about having a mere 127 scarves) 

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

A typical BH Monday, chilly & very breezy 😔 I was up & dressed before 10:00 but have wasted my morning completing Sudoku puzzles 😅 DH is still in bed & DSis is up but keeps nodding off & spilling her tea - usually over her slippers 😔

I have put the timer on & will see how far I get in 23 minutes 😉

QueenJess, sounds like your parents only brought a ‘few’ things 😉 although well done on donating items to them to take home 👏 Hopefully now that you have acknowledged your habit of overbuying food, in writing, you can translate that into a new habit of ONLY buying a week of groceries when the cupboards, fridge & freezer are practically bare 😉 Do you menu plan? as that can be helpful in restricting purchases 🤞Excellent idea to declutter 10 things in 5 minutes 👏 If you tackle one or 2 of the worst drawers on a daily basis you will soon get to the back of them & nothing will be hidden 🙂Very pleased to hear that work has quietened down, so you can a few minutes here & there to declutter 😊 Excellent decluttering 👏 I bet the phone works much quicker now 😉

Excellent work on Saturday Soontobeoap 👏 You we’re very busy & got so much done 🙂

Liverpool_Anne, well done on replanning your Saturday & getting so much done 👏 Sending lots of ‘crocheting mojo’ your way so that you can finish the baby blanket before Friday 😊

Florenceem, now that you are negative please still take it a bit easier until you are fully fit 🙏 More excellent work but pleased to hear that Sunday is not a decluttering day apart from Freeglers collecting items 👏 Just noticed your figure of 6498/2023 so another Gold Star ⭐️ is on its way 😊

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏 Oops to not putting the wm on overnight 🙊 

Lovely post TC77 😊 Sorry to hear that you are not sleeping & that DD1 is being mean 😢 Hopefully her holiday will set her back on track & she will return rested & relaxed & ready to move into her new flat 🤞Fingers crossed that your friend can repair the PC 🤞

Florenceem, I am with you on not running the washing machine overnight 🙂 Too many horror stories 😱 

GrannyKate, I see what you mean now 🙂 Unfortunately if I put the washing machine on in the late evening I would probably forget to take the clothes out & would have to wash again 😉

TC77, five hours to run a load through the dishwasher 😱 

Florenceem, slightly better but I was under the impression that dishwashers were quite quick 😬Rather pleased that I don’t have the space for a dishwasher 😂

I managed two 23 minute sessions, so will post & take a break. Might join DH in the garage & see what he is doing 😉

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

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

Decluttering Target 2023: 1380/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £116.90

Baxtersmum

Hello, my quarterly check in, not much to report but I have been steadily decluttering, can believe I’m a bit ahead of target as we head into month 6, having 2023 as a total is so satisfying, I’m really enjoying watching the numbers go down.
Big hugs to everyone and hope you’re getting your free vitamin D , amazing that we have so much sunshine on a bank holiday. 

Xxxx

GrannyKate

Part 2 of today's plan completed -  tip, charity shop, pop in a store, swimming on the way back

I just went in one store and got pack of small coloured coat hangers for DGS4's newly arranged wardrobe - left some spare larger ones for DS2 as he was wanting some the other day. Short swim which was nice.  DD and DGD1 currently on an evening/sunset cruise in Mediterranean. Last few flowers for pots brought.

762 Flowers potted up and watered
763 Found some work shorts of DS2s.  Will get him to check they fit and then I can sew buttons on as they are missing.  

Washing on line - rather late but guess it will dry today as breezy and dry.  Ate a half price ready meal (mild curry) that I picked up in store.  I also got three new swimming towels this week - will try to avoid those being used in garden pool and keep for swimming and holidays.  

Not written that list yet.

roundtuit

I was given 9 books to read by friends. One I'd already read so it went straight into cs pile. I've read them all now: 2 put to one side to return to lender and the rest are in cs pile. Then I took 'The Railway Children' from the TARDIS shelf to re-read and add to cs pile. And now I've retrieved 'Single Again' from the bookcase in my bedroom and it can go onto cs when I've read it.

Also found a wodge of bubble wrap in the CoD in my bedroom- so that's been added to the stash in the TARDIS and will be used up as and when I declutter fragile items.

One of my fridge magnets has parted company with its magnet, so I went to the miscellaneous kitchen drawer to get the superglue and 😱 it's not in the corner of the drawer where it's supposed to live. Random shuffle did not turn up the superglue but has highlighted the fact that the drawer needs turning out and sorting. I think that was on the abandoned MMiM list if my memory serves me correctly. 

🐢 Rxx

kboss2010

I decluttered a bunch of promotional conference bumpf (pens, cloth bags, notepads) this morning between work tasks.

I took photos of the leaflets I needed and recycled the paper, it’s my new way of decluttering random paper that I worry I might need at some point! I’m also doing the same with business cards these days.

It’s only a small amount but every little helps, right? My house is slowly being decluttered, tidied & cleaned. I’m finding that not worrying about it and just doing random little bits when I have the motivation seems to be way more effective than my previous method of ‘beat myself up about the clutter, get overwhelmed and then do nothing for months’ so hoping it stays that way!

Florenceem

DGs J has been here and decluttered my cobwebs in awkward areas on the stairs.
Been to visit Mr F - he is much better - talking about when he comes home. 
The ward has been nominated a Covid area so masks and gloves and limited entry. He will be tested again on Friday.
I have been taking cardboard boxes out of one of the ROD - they will go in the recycling collection this week.

oceanspirit

A few things in CS box and others put away.  Brought a few kitchen items from OH’s along with some canned and packet foods so I can menu plan to use them up.  Need to get the stocks down before he moves in as there’s too much to store here.  

Need to rearrange a couple of my kitchen cupboards so there’s room for more of OH’s things.

Dfw38

The more the merrier @leftatthetrafficlights 😁