2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

weenancyinAmerica

Hi there. Had my second cataract surgery. Doctor says it went very well. I'll know tomorrow when the patch comes off! It will be a couple of weeks before I can get new glasses for long-distance seeing as they fitted my eyes for near-sighted viewing as I read and use the computers most of the time. So roommate has to drive me around for several weeks. 

Next week is our Book Sale again - this time on a Saturday. We have another 12 boxes of books ready to go to the local Jail before then. Books are being donated faster than we can sort them.

Most of refrigerator cleaned out before surgery. They are trying a new waste program here starting the 1st of July. All food waste is to go in our yard bins to be taken away for composting (if we don't use it at home). Want to clean  up as much as we can by then anyway. Will be interesting to see if I can get everyone to sort their trash properly. 

Down to 27emails! Got rid of another 627 this week. Will be trying to get rid of emails as they come in or putting them in the right folder. Roommate D just finishing clearing out her 2014 emails! Trying to convince her she is taking up storage space on the computer. 

Keeping up with getting rid of trash as it comes in, especially the mail. Just need to get the roommates more motivated for this. Will never have things as clean as some people, but will be trying once I can lean over again. Already I can see new places that need to be cleaned that I couldn't see before. Everything is a lot brighter that I thought. 

We're having the June Gloom weather here too - cloudy until after two when the sun finally comes out.

Wishing everyone a good week.

Florenceem

Went to visit Mr F yesterday with my SA officer.So tired today - I got up an hour later.
We left here at 11 and got home at 6 - Mr F has had the catheter removed and it managing to pass water - so very pleased with that progress. However they are not increasing his diuretic and his feet & ankles are so swollen - making it difficult for him to walk. I spoke to the ward matron about feeling that he won't be fit enough to return home on the projected discharge date and she said that can be altered.
I grabbed something to eat when I got home and then popped to SA to lock up. Fell into bed after that.
I have a plumber coming to service my boiler today.
Had a call from the garage door chap - that is being fitted next Thursday.
Going to declutter and deep clean my hallway today.

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, I was woken by a text message at 5.55. Meeting is cancelled again and I have spent the past hour on text messages and emails trying to sort it out. I have made a cuppa and am heading back to bed I am claiming 1 for this as it is turning into a major pain as it will have to be rearranged again but I will sort that later in the day. 
798 cancelling meeting
Take care everyone
798/2023

Dfw38

Glad your second cataract surgery is all done now @weenancyinAmerica,🤞 for successful results and enjoy being chauffeured for a change!💐
Got 2x tip runs to do, one just a build up of general rubbish (unrecyclable) the other wood, electricals and 'rags'. Then off to the supermarket as dc have run out of pain au chocolate and I have been met with disapproving looks over that 🤣 Had to chase people up over rsvps for dds birthday party (only half have responded so far 🙄)

I would love to be an extreme minimalist @queenjess, everything I would want to keep would probably fit in a rucksack and a suitcase. To be honest most of 'my' stuff has been decluttered I have 2 weeks worth of clothes (helped by being a sahm and not needing a work 'uniform') it is just everything else 🤷🏼‍♀️ doesn't help I am alone in the clearing out of unwanted stuff task.

Watched a film on n€tflix last night 'old' by M. Night Shyamalam. Was quite good with his type of twist in it. Certainly makes you think of the passage of time and what is important.
Another 🐸 completed: dcs duvets washed, dried and put away until winter.

Hope you all have a lovely day 😃

Fizz2015

Morning All,
Yesterday I sorted the undersink cupboard. Then decided I would attempt cleaning the oven. No before pictures as it was shocking. It is looking much better but still needs another round of scrubbing today. The racks are almost silver again after lots of elbow grease. 
I then went and hurt my leg last night. I ran up a steep slope and something went pop in my calf muscle and in agony. After ice, elevating it, painkillers, it eased a tiny bit. I can hobble/hop around the house but unable to weight bear or put food flat with pain. Thankfully OH is back later. I can work from home today and just rest. A friend is doing school run for me. 
Hope everyone stays cool in the heat. 

QueenJess

@Dfw38 I’m alone in clearing out as well. DH looks after his stuff (although he doesn’t declutter and needs my help to do it) and I’m in charge of everything else.

Ive done so many rounds of decluttering over the years and I do think I have less than an average household, but looking at those videos made me realise quite how much I really have. I would love to get down to just what I use and love as I still feel a bit stressed with all the stuff we have so I know there is more to go. It’s so hard when you see it all everyday as you just get used to it all being there and it gets harder and harder to weed things out. Going on holiday for a bit really helps that, but since that’s just one week a year and the feeling does wear off quickly, my alternative is to look for some extreme videos to shock my brain into looking at what I really have.

Even lying in bed now I can think of dozens of things I just don’t need anymore. To be honest, I’ve no idea how in the videos she managed to declutter to this in 5 years as it’s going to take me much longer to get there. However, she did have an overseas move and moving is always a good incentive (it’s where I started although I moved down the road!).

So I am restarting with a full house declutter all over again with the aim of getting rid of about 30% of stuff as a minimum (more is good). I think it won’t be enough, so I will need more rounds, but there is no rush as long as everyday gets better! I am also thinking about purchases. I believe I don’t buy much at all, but since I am the person responsible for all the house purchases, I am currently considering if I do buy a bit more than I think I do. To be fair, what I am decluttering all seems to be old things I’ve had for years and years, but maybe I need a 1 in 1 out policy instead for everything.

Clothing decluttering for me continues today and I’ve already freed up about 12 hangers yesterday. They are really nice good quality wooden ones, so I think I will put them in the attic for use when the kids move onto adult hangers and will aim to get enough free that we can share them. However, I have less nice ones already in there so I’m going to clear out the whole box and put them on Buy Nothing.

Yesterday evening I realised DS never uses his bedside lamp and so I agreed with him to put it in the cupboard. If he doesn’t miss it, we will put it on Buy Nothing. I have to admit I realised it after watching the A to Zen videos where she doesn’t have bedside tables at all!

Siebrie

@Florenceem Re mrF's swollen feet: it's the calf muscle that gets the water moving, so if he can manage to stretch and bend his foot even a little bit, regularly, it will help.

charlies_tribe

Morning all. You are all still doing fantastic. @Florenceem I would just be happy with your before oven photos, that would look clean to mine 🙈

It's been over a week since I posted as no decluttering took place. Decluttered lots of time in a&e after dd2 broke her foot at dance, took a week beforeshe wouldeven attemptto stand on it but shes managing short distances (up/down stairs, up the garden). Then DGD fell and put her teeth through her lip from the inside so went again with DD1 who had gone into a bit of shock, she got in the car and said she had forgotten how to drive! We did get there fine and no stitches were needed.
Then I spent way too long in the garden 'supervising and encouraging' DH. The kids are desperate for the pool up so he needs to get a wriggle on before autumn arrives 🤣 DS1 Decluttered another birthday on Sunday, luckily he just wanted new games so nothing bug coming in to the house.

This morning I've gone through Mays finances, I've been putting it off since the beginning of the year as knew each month we were 'borrowing' from the savings account. Its quite shocking to see how much we've been borrowing. Think a visit back to tge debt free board to get finances under control might be needed.

So my tiny list for about 12 days of decluttering is...
1141-1143 3 xPaper bag recycled
1144 Bin full of garden waste
1145 Pool cover (will need to replace, DH left it out and its disintegrated)
1146-1148 3x boxes recycled

Florenceem

Siebrie - have passed on instructions to Mr F - thank you.
Re my oven - last night - the door wouldn't shut - I have a new catch in stock as it had been playing up for a while. My usual handyman sadly died just before Christmas - going to look on YT to see if I can do it myself - if not I will ask a friend.

vulpix

Just having a break from turning up the white linen trousers that I bought from a chazzer in Llandudno yesterday. I already have 4 pairs but too small!

 Good news that results from your cataract op are positive weenancy. This is why I am having a rest from sewing. My cataracts are not bad enough yet to have the op.it took soooo much time to thread the needle!

 Siebrie I cannot believe your eldest is 14. What maturity your daughters have, a testament to you. There is a trend for people to go to Turkey for dental work here. Hence the cat with beautiful white teeth. 

 Fizz, ouch. I hope you feel better very soon. 

 I am going to apply myself to some tidying shortly. Then off to see a friend who I haven’t seen for ages. I MUST plant out several plants into the garden. There are quite a collection patiently waiting. 

 More in than out atm. Things for the cruise. 

 I will stop at home and apply myself to decluttering but I am making the most of the weather whilst I can. I can declutter when it’s raining. 

 Vx