2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

stellata

Thanks again for sympathy, I need it! Got a fair bit of garden done yesterday and then went over to friend's for lunch. We left the wild bit but there were a few comical suggestions from friend as to how I could annoy neighbour. Someone upthread suggested noise, it'll definitely not be silent when it's being done but if I'm honest I think even if I just sat quietly in the garden I'd be annoying him now. 

There's a fairly long back story and a few years ago I was advised to report him to police if things continued but I left it and it all calmed down. It's just made me jumpy now, perfectly pleasant other neighbour is doing some hedge cutting and I've had to stay indoors for some reason it makes me nervy. Just when we get the nice weather too!

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

Love and hugs and nil carborundum illegitimis being distributed as appropriate ❤

3D tiger picture in frame - cs
Bag of Psychology text books- to be returned to DS

Not much left in front of the CuoD (to differentiate from CoD which is in my bedroom). 

I've also shredded a small pile that had accumulated. 

Cider with Rosie has been reread and joined cs pile. And I'm on Book 4 of 7 Chronicles of Narnia....boxed set.....which will go to cs when read.

Little by little I'm moving forward
😊

Siebrie

I've finally managed to declutter a 'fantasy-me': avid vegetable gardener!

I threw out all* the plastic pots and trays for growing seeds. It will not happen in the foreseeable future. I buy a few plugplants every year, and that gets me through the year. I do not have the space or the time to grow from seed and to take care of seedlings. It's happened too often that I finally had some seeds going, and then we went away for a week or a weekend, and the weather was suddenly unbearably hot and all the seedlings had died, or I planted out the seedlings and it started to rain like Noah's flood and all the snails found my seedlings.

*I have a basic, good quality seedsowing set-up, which I will keep, because once dds leave home, I'll likely start again; but that's it, no extras.

Added:

I reorganized the overhead cabinets in the church kitchen. The way they were filled annoyed me, for instance: the children's cups were in the cabinet over the sink. Meaning a constant clash of people doing the washing up and people serving the children drinks. I have rearranged, so that the coffee, tea and sugar are straight above the coffee pot and kettle; the bowls and water jars (we don't use them very often) are over 1 sink; the cabinet over the other sink is empty (hurray!); and the glasses and plastic cups are near the fridge.

roundtuit

Overdue optician's appointment made and added to calendar 

Holder for folding chair retrieved, chair folded into bag - to be returned to DS

😊

Florenceem

I need to go outside and wash my PVC ledges - all mucky after the rain.
OT visit has happened - she took measurements and photos to send to the hospital where Mr F is a patient. Lots of rails to be installed. OT said the work usually happens in 3 days as it is a hospital discharge,
Spoke to Mr F - he is fine.
Going to walk into town - full trolley for the charity shop and visit the bank.
Just had call from water company - wouldn't discuss the account with me - I have emailed a copy of letter of authority now. I paid the 6 months bill and no other letters have come from them so no idea what the issue is.

QueenJess

Some progress to report for over the weekend.  I spent about 5 hours reorganising DS's Lego as he had too many little drawers which meant he was finding it hard to put it all away.  I've now managed to get rid of a whole drawer set and combined some of the rest.  In theory it should now be easier to put away, but I'm not totally convinced.  I did find 2 of 4 of the missing pieces for sets, but who knows where the rest are.

I've spent all weekend puzzling about what to do with his room and every time I think I have a solution, I realise things won't quite fit and end up back at the drawing board.  I am very tempted though to remove his bedside table altogether.  It only has 2 sets of PJ's in there which can go with the rest of the clothes.  Other than that it attracts junk and I can never dust it as there are a thousand bits and pieces on there.  I am thinking of taking it away and instead putting a bookcase there as currently his bookcase is too deep and behind the door - I am hoping I get rid of clutter this way and that he will read more.  He has a light on his headboard and his clock can sit on top of a bookcase.

The toys though are a bit of a puzzle and I can't quite make it work where I want it to.  Even if I work it out, he still has far too much and needs to start getting rid of things as he just can't keep it tidy.  I don't care much about things being messy in kids rooms as long as they can tidy up easily.  DS can't as he has so many bits and pieces that he just gets overwhelmed.  I don't need 100% tidy room 100% of the time, but I don't want Lego all over the floor all the time so that every time I go in there it's like walking around a minefield.  I'm looking at a big desk he can build at and store, but can't quite seem to fit his other toys in the same place and I don't want little bits of furniture everywhere... I was hoping for one place for the desk, Lego and other toys all together. 

Some of the Lego sets DS won't build/use (I dislike sets... just lots of different bricks is so much better), but is keeping because he wants a few of the pieces to build with.  I've decided it's silly to keep all the bits he then doesn't want.  I will look online to see if the sets are worthwhile selling second hand.  If so, and DS is just keeping the odd piece, I could buy those bits and sell the complete set.  If they aren't worthwhile, I think we will get rid of the manuals and pieces he won't use and sell just as parts or something.

I will continue to try and convince DS to keep getting rid of things.  We are planning to do his bookshelves later today and so I can arrange them roughly how the new one would be so I can see if that will work.  The toy situation I will continue to puzzle over.  My library stuff has also come to a bit of a halt as I have a few things to think through like photo albums etc.  Now I just have a tip in there and in DS's room

16,722 - packaging (reused)
16,723-16,730 - albums (up for sale)
16,731 - foreign coins (charity bag)
16,732-16,737 - broken Lego pieces (bin)
16,738-16,746 - greetings cards (recycled)
16,747-16,779 - DS’s paperwork (recycled)
16,780-16,809 - DS’s stones/rocks etc (binned)

roundtuit

P & S came for coffee, and P has taken another bag of textiles for recycling at the tip. 

As they left I performed the grand opening of the Cupboard of Doom! Only a couple of things left to declutter in front of the door so it felt right to do it then. P knows what the CuoD is like. So does S now 🤣 I wish I'd taken a photo of her face when I opened the door. It is literally rammed floor to ceiling....and front to back, but you can't see that from the front. S wasn't expecting that even though I had said what it was like. Then I was spying things: I knew I had a fly swat somewhere,  oh, I forgot that scarf. Ooo I don't remember that etc etc. My main concern will be big spiders... I'm not a fan.

Can't wait to get stuck in. I'll take a photo before I start. Not sure if I can put photos on the thread anymore after pressing a wrong button or two. We'll see.

Lunch first. 

I'm excited
Rxx

Wednesday2000

Progress seems very slow today!

I have a donation bag with two tops, a skirt, a chopping board and a necklace so far.

I threw some stuff away from my husband's ripped bag and left the few papers etc... for him to go through when he gets home. He had some spare plastic gloves from work that I put in the kitchen cupboard with the other gloves.

I tidied up the bathroom and threw away an empty bleach bottle and put an empty shower gel bottle into the recycling bin.

I used up all the food I was supposed to before my Asda delivery tonight. I cut up and roasted the remaining vegetables in oil.

Siebrie

I started on the stuff that needs to go in the 2 bins last night, only to find that 1 bin was already half full. I couldn't remember putting anything in, and husband confirmed that he did it. Now I have to remove everything, because it's not tightly packed, and - as he was clearing the living room - I have no idea what else is in that bin! The bin comes upto my b..bs and has only a small opening (1'8"?) at the top, so it's a hassle getting everything out!

QueenJess

Re: DS's room.. maybe I'm making it too complicated.  If I got a desk it should contain all his Lego stuff.  He doesn't have many toys apart from this and can't fill the bookshelves I want to get him, so he can use his existing pull out cloth box things for the rest of his bits and pieces and put them on the bookshelf.  He would then have in his room:

1. A large desk with display shelving over it and 3 pull out drawers next to the desk.  This should all contain Lego stuff and his pot of pencils.

2. A bookshelf with 3 shelves for all his books and the rest of his toys.

3. Bed

4. Wardrobe

5. Chest of drawers

I feel like that should be plenty - it's still more than I could fit in my room growing up!  To be fair I would rather a wardrobe with drawers under it as we don't really utilise all the drawers, but I don't really want to buy a new wardrobe at this stage.  DS and DD also share a load of cupboards downstairs for things they play together like playdough, colouring/art stuff and games.

Will consult DH about it.  We already spent an hour discussing why DS's room was always out of control and he can't keep it tidy.  I think a big desk would help him with that, although decluttering first is a must..