2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

thriftyscotslass

So have spent some time in the TLC carriage - had a beautiful and very long hot shower washing off travelling muck. This was followed by a much needed and very long, comfortable sleep - 14 hours!!! I'm going to count this as 11-12: decluttering 2 items of self-care.

Today is the first day that I haven't been running on adrenaline and paracetamol so we'll see how I get on - taking it very gently and slowly for what remains of today.

~FlowerPot~

@thriftyscotslass so pleased you are prioritising your self care, Im sure you will feel so much better for it.

Im so pleased I have FINALLY sorted out that basket in the loung, now I know what a frog is, this was the biggest frog! I just procrastinated for a blooming week, simply because I wasnt sure where to put each item that was left in the basket! All now removed, decluttered or filed. Just 4 small sewing items to do this evening 3 are dog toys!!

I also decluttered the 2 bags of bulbs 1 daffs (sitting in the hall since November ) and a bag of Julips which have also been there over a month. I purposely left them in an annoying spot, so I would plant them. Well I have just now, in the rain!! But they are in, hopefully they will manage to grow in time for Spring!!

So, Im rather happy now thats 2/18 rooms or spaces in the house that are sorted and as Im going around more and more bits are being attended to, filed /decluttered etc. Like my tax return, filled that too. Thank you to everyone on here, its very motivating to hear how much everyone is doing.

Moorviews

My goodness I am truly benefiting from the collective wisdom on this thread! Thank you all so much for sharing. I can recognise myself in the concept of fantasy selves but also where something represents my real past self and life. I am giving myself permission to have difficulty with letting go and to not judge myself for this. It feels particularly relevant to my late middle age, to be reflective and to be evaluating what has been, and what I would like for the future, in my current reality of less good health and lower energy levels. 

For those of you who are helping people who are in illness and/or later life I just want to acknowledge and commend your wonderful commitment. I hope that you can find opportunities to nourish yourselves as I understand how hard it is to do this in the circumstances. 

One of the difficulties that my husband and I have is managing the situations, affairs and belongings of those people dear to us who have passed on. It does feel never ending and I have every sympathy with those of you who are engaged in this, or recovering from it. We intend to make things as easy as we can for our children and siblings. It is going to be quite a long process though! 

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger. I really don’t know how you keep up with the cheerleading. You are an absolute marvel 😇 Thank you for your personalised helpful comments. You are quite correct that I am lacking in confidence at the moment. I hope that taking more control over our stuff and our space will help me. 

I managed to do Thursday’s small box of toiletries quite late in the evening but am delighted that gunky stuff has been binned, empty bottles recycled and everything else wiped and neatened up. Yesterday I wanted to clear some things from the bottom of a wardrobe and this led to a lengthy cleaning session of items to go to the charity shop. According to my new policy, I should have stopped there but I then had a bit of a go at my desk and another wardrobe. Big mistake! My energy was lower and I got despondent quickly, instead of allowing myself to feel the sense of accomplishment from the first task and I also felt that I was neglecting other things that needed to be done. Today’s task will be consequently really small; just empty the cordless vacuum and clean the filter. The items from yesterday have been dropped off at the charity shop today, although I have one item that my daughter will hopefully be able to sell. 

Wishing everyone a positive and peaceful weekend 😊

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks

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 daily mail immediately 

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

Saturday morning is darkly overcast & is just starting to rain. I have managed to sleep for 4 hours straight through 🙂 I am wrapped up in my fluffy dressing gown, drinking my first cuppa at 10:50 a.m. & writing my MSE post in Notes.

Not sure what the plans are for today but DH has a day off from visiting M as both her sister & her neighbour are visiting her today 🙂 Straight into cheerleading seems to be my best bet as I have fallen behind again.

We are definitely still moving at ‘Bullet Train’ speed, gettingthrifty 😉 but somehow nuggets of information are being picked up along the way 🙂 Excellent decluttering & well done on recycling ALL the Christmas cards 👏

Excellent organisational skills Siebrie 👏 the items are as good as gone.

Brilliant work florianatwobob 👏 a standing ovation is more appropriate for dealing with your self assessment form so promptly 😉 What a great use for the plastic sweetie tubs 🙂 Also sounds like a successful mooch around town 🙂

Well done on getting your new bedroom all ready to receive new furniture DundeeDoll 👏 What a great payoff - the freedom to visit a 3 storey furniture shop & the successful purchasing of a new bed 🙂 Did you manage to get new curtains as well?🤞Your 23 minutes each day is definitely coming up trumps 👏

I absolutely agree with you daisy_1571, SecondStar did absolutely ‘nail it’ with that “Sunk Costs” post 👏 I am also grinning like a Cheshire Cat at your very specific description - I remember that advertisement very well - I even used that brand of shampoo for a while 😊 

Hope the plumber has sorted out the plumbing problem first go, EnergyShifter 🤞 Remember waiting around for other people to sort things out before you can continue with your plans is very enervating - a power nap was just what the doctor ordered 🙂 Great work 👏 & I am looking forward to hearing that you have made a start on your tax return 😉

Excellent decluttering villagelife 👏 

Excellent work ~FlowerPot~ 👏 Re the 4 empty bottles in the bathroom - the usual reason they are kept is that there is ‘always one more use especially if a teeny bit of water is added’ 😉 I believe it is a syndrome 😂

Excellent decluttering Florenceem 👏 Already at day 11 of the 30/31 Day Challenge 🥳 

Remember Madbat60 - every item out is a decluttering win, well done 👏

GrannyKate, munching on a very large frog is definitely more than a ‘pottering day’ - Well Done 👏 At least another week of having to use the dehumidifier is another week free of the disruption of having Contractors in 😊 I believe the luck associated with 1p coins goes to the finder (you) rather than the recipient (DGS4) - so 4 more days of good luck coming your way 🤞

vulpix, lovely comment to make 😊 The reason this is such a lovely place to share is that every one of our fellow declutterers is non judgmental - Martin Lewis might have started the Forum but it is all the posters that make it such a great place to be - especially the OS posters 😊 Lovely picture of your pre-raphaelite self in a beautiful shawl although I don’t really see dainty stilettos as part of the picture more dancing pumps 😊 The 23 minutes a day is definitely working for you - excellent decluttering 👏 Happy Birthday to your Mum 🎂 

Very MSE Florenceem 👏

Excellent decluttering Keiths_Mum & another member of the MSE ‘using up’ club 👏 A very quick explanation of a ‘frog’ is that it is one of those tasks, big or small, which you delay doing/sorting out immediately for ‘no apparent reason’ which then hangs over you 😔 There will be many better & fuller explanations - suffice to say that the feeling of euphoria when you complete a frog is very motivating 😊

Hope the above explanation helps Soontobeoap 🙂

joanie, isn’t it a lovely feeling when you find something that resonates & boosts your motivation to declutter 😊

Thanks GrannyKate - an excellent explanation of ‘frogs’ 👏 Ouch to shutting your finger in the door 😣please spend a bit of time in the TLC carriage 🙏 So far, we have been extremely lucky here - no power cuts 🍀 🤞

All explanations of ‘frogs’ gratefully received, charlies_tribe 👏 Great work dealing with your ‘frog’ 😊👏

Excellent decluttering roundtuit 👏

SuffolkSue, sorry to hear that Wednesday was difficult 😞 but even sorrier to hear about your fall & injury 😔 Pleased that you managed to see a Doctor so quickly & am sending healing vibes & very, very gentle hugs your way 🙂 Please take the time needed to recover fully 🙏 Great decluttering 👏

Florenceem, I would definitely count it as decluttering 🙂 If it has gone out quickly it means that your decision making skills are improving 👏 you could so easily have let the item become a Justin (just in case) 😉

Keiths_Mum, I think many of us have ‘procrastination’ as a middle name 😉 some of us even have it as a title 😂

Nice to see you sillyvixen 👋 Not too sure you ‘fell off’ the decluttering bandwagon I think you just got lost in the Baggage Carriage 😂 However you have more than made up for your absence 🙂 Excellent decluttering 👏 and I am especially impressed that you gave the bread maker another try beforedeciding to declutter it 😊 In this instance procrastination has had a lovely outcome 🙂 as you are able to gift it to a work colleague who has had a run of bad luck 😇 Hopefully the backlog of collections will get sorted before the end of the month 🤞

mfwin2019 that is a big declutter 😉 two DDs back to university 😔 Love the use of your 23 minutes 👏😊

You have been busy weenancy 👏 Pleased to hear that your gas bill was not quite as horrendous as you feared 😔 Sounds like the situation with your roommates is currently on an even keel - long may it last 🤞Sorry to hear about the storm but very pleased to hear that you stayed safe 😊 

Excellent decluttering EnergyShifter 👏 getting a second win is a real bonus 🙂 I am still waiting for my first 😉

Marvellous post TC77 - thank you for sharing 👏 Many of the things you said have resonated with me - especially “everything you say about decluttering things that represent a part of us that have imagined but not got round to………these are things I meant to do 20 years ago…….. I think it's a matter of whether you have the space and whether you can have them somewhere but not mind them there so it's not dragging you down that there time hasn't come” With the plan to clear & re-cover DH’s office ‘desk’ with a nice new fabric - starting today - I should be motivated to finally start practising using my refurbished (several years ago 😔) hand cranked sewing machine 🤞🤞 Sounds like your stash of stationery is finally earning its keep 😊 - so two happy people - you & DD1 🥳 Excellent decluttering 👏and good news that your persistence with the bank is starting to bear fruit 🤞🙂

Excellent decluttering diminua 👏 As an aside, when I used to enter lots of postal competitions (before the cost of a stamp became so expensive) I made use of all the postcards I had picked up from travels abroad & at home … working on the almost certainly misguided notion that a nice postcard might be noticed & selected 😊 You have been very busy & must be noticing a difference with the amount of decluttering you have done 🙂 Hope the landlady visit goes well 🤞

QueenJess, Great post in response to Florenceem’s question 👏 & it made perfect sense 🙂 Excellent decluttering & what a bonus re the swap of books for reusable snack bags - 2 more happy people 👏

Sorry to hear that your holiday in Tenerife is almost over Fizz2015 😔 It seems to have passed in the blink of an eye 🙁 Sounds like you have had a wonderful time & you have even managed a fair bit of decluttering 👏😊 Wishing you a safe trip back 😊

Lovely to see you back 👋 & Excellent decluttering D123456789 you have been very busy 👏 & well done on your Fleabay sales 👏

Excellent work shabbychic12 👏 I don’t blame you for staying out of the rain - the last thing you need is to get ill 😉

Excellent decluttering Blackandgold_2 👏 & lovely that DH is helping 😊 Sorry to hear about the shredder 🙁 you have obviously worked it too hard 😅

Excellent work roundtuit 👏 At least putting like with like gives you an indication as to whether more drastic decluttering needs doing 😉

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏 especially the little ones even if only for a few days 🙃 only joking 🙃 

2Scratters, I am all agog - can hardly contain myself waiting for the ‘button tin exposure’ You have a good DH - definitely a keeper 😊

Good luck finishing your dress Madbat60 🍀 Any chance of a picture 🙏

Great work tidying away the Christmas bits Florenceem 👏 Not sure what to say about MrF’s actions 🤔 

Only a couple of pages behind now so am off to get dressed 😉 DSis came down to make a cuppa but has retired back to her room as still feeling under the weather 🙁 DH is up & dressed & currently chatting to his sister - one phone call a week which usually lasts a good hour - not quite sure what they find to talk about 😉 

Apologies for the exceedingly long post 😔 See you all later.

MrsSD (a superwoman) 

Decluttering Target 2023: 47/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

Happy_Kitties

Not specifically decluttering, but trying to do things as I move through the days.

4. lots of paperwork, shredded and binned
5. expensive bauble broken when putting the tree away-binned
6. random Christmas bits like scraggly bits of tinsel, and torn bits of packing -binned
7-8. two left over bottles of perfume used up, bottles into recycling 
9-10 two Christmas items returned after arriving damaged.

Not quite sure what to do with the tree skirt yet. Dried it at work and random bits fell off including a snowman’s head and nose, also found an arm. Yet to look closely to see if it can be saved. Also putting together a bag of clothes for the charity shop and for the rag bag.

As neutral items are trying to take over the house and I had a box, 13 items boxed up and ready to be sent to the organiser to try and clear some space.
Neutral items sent=13

Soontobeoap

Understairs cupboard all papered and ready to go. One bag of wallpaper off cuts thrown out. Cant believe I have left that job over 2 years. I guess that was an enormous frog. 

GrannyKate

I found some energy and decided to tidy/clean kitchen and sort a few cupboards - trying to avoid bashing my sore finger.  I have a large supply of unused postcards I can use for competitions as MIL collected them when she visited places (don't do many because of stamp prices). She also bought memento pens which I decluttered last year (used up, thrown away or in my pen drawer).  

65- 74 Kitchen - giving myself 10 points for random cleaning, tidying, throwing away OOD stuff, filling dishwasher salt, throwing away tat etc etc.  

Crazycatlady2

I lurk and don’t post but wanted to pop up and say how great everyone is doing. 

I have a shopping trolly of stuff to go to charity shop next week and am gradually sorting through our sheds as I have one that’s dropping to bits so I’m putting all rubbish etc in that atm and then discovering one of the good ones either has a leak or condensation issues sent me over the edge on top off all current stress so have to make a plan for this now too

TC77

Mrs SD, in awe how you keep up! I caught up this morning ready to post, got distracted and find more pages! 

Agree with @EnergyShifter tis only a bargain if you use it, and helpful to hear approaches about sunk costs. I am also wary of living in the past and not allowing space for new things if I bring parents stuff to me and burdening my kids. think they will curse me if left with hoards  - a sobering thought. 
Counting 20 stationery to DD1, sealed unused packs of things counted as 1 but shows the stock I have.now .34
item back 35
printing excess/errors put together with bulldog clip as new to me notepad 36
hope to report back with more later.
Had been sorting through folders just before DD1 asked so good to give her some and realise some abit the worse for wear so another area to tackle
Big recliner picked up from my dad's - not counting as never going to be taken by me.

Bored

Decided to tackle paperwork today. Not much physical paper left from previous decluttering efforts so I scanned in three documents and got rid of around 10 in total. Decided to use the time to declutter my digital documents and re-organise my online document filing system.