2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

QueenJess

My parents visited today and brought up loads more stuff than was previously advertised to me.  Of course the kids saw it and so it was a battle to not keep more of it.  It included a box of old school stuff that must have been hidden in their attic as I thought I'd already got rid of it.  Still got some more to go through and a massive cupboard full of puzzles to make and then decide which to keep or get rid of.

Already feel overwhelmed with it all as none of the stuff the kids have got have a home to live in.  It's like going backwards again *sigh*.  I sorted through as much as I could and need to repack the charity stuff properly and get some sent off next week.  Still working very, very slowly through the big cupboard upstairs that's messy.  Going through things now to declutter down to the minimum I possibly can and get things reorganised in a more sensible manner.  There are a load of things to use up in there as well, but those will take time.

Digital:
31,799-31,801 - text conversations deleted
31,802 - emails unsubscribed from

Physical:
31,803-31,805 - batteries (recycling)
31,806 - kids art work (binned)
31,807 - instructions not needed (recycled)
31,808 - earrings (recycled)
31,809-31,810 - light bulbs (binned)
31,811-31,894 - old school work (recycled)
31,895-31,900 - packaging (recycled)
31,901 - packaging (reused)
31,902-31,911 - random stuff from parents attic (charity bag)
31,912-31,917 - random stuff from parents attic (binned)
31,918-31,928 - random stuff from parents attic (recycled)

The small positive is I had a chat with my parents re: kids clothes that they bring up and what they actually need for the winter (very little), so we won't have more than we need.  I could do that easily because I was already on top of the clothes decluttering.  I also told them to feel free to photo things in their attic and I will tell them if we don't want it and they can go to charity.  Should stop quite as much coming up for me to sort at least.

~FlowerPot~

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger I hope you are well, not seen you today. Im hoping you've just been super busy

EnergyShifter

Had a lovely afternoon in the Sun followed by an hour or so pottering.  Managed to hit my 500 item target.

Tasks:
0

IN (running total 142) 

0 

OUT (running total 494) 

495. vest top 

496. Calf support

497. Ski Mask

498. Shirt (very faded)

499. Swimming Trunks

500. Gloves

501. Bag of Soft toy stuffing

502 & 3 - 2 x vinyl pop figures

@Foofoopuppy - gorgeous cat pic! 

Muddy_Walker

I had great plans for the weekend…..so naturally they all fell apart! And then I had a bit of a turn yesterday so was sent to bed early…
today managed to do some hacking and slaying of very overgrown bushes and start getting ready for autumn.
I have managed to closely look at savings which is good but not my pension which is bad.
ho hum. Love to all xx

bit_by_bit

Wow, just had a quick look at the last 50 odd posts. Loving the cat pics and also all that amazing decluttering. Way to go. 

My house has been like a chinese laundry but managed to get rid of 10 bags of clothes today. All brought home from DS3s flat the week before last. So 3 have gone to the CS, 3 have been returned to DS and partner and 4 of baby clothes passed on to someone who is due soon and has very little money.

Came home with a bag from DS3 to dry as they don't have the space to dry it all from their hols. Had to rewash a few items. i think he overloads the machine.

I did a shift in the CS for the first time in several months yesterday and didn't buy a thing.

Just playing catchup with my house tidying now and the garden and the allotment. DH and I worked on the camper yesterday, working out filling and emptying of water and waste. The campervan has been put together very oddly, not a professional job, Anyway. Not long and we will be on the road with it. If nothing else we can boil a kettle and put some lights on. 

Keep well all. I will pop in again when I can.

Muddy_Walker

The buffet for the insect population plus slugs - in return they allow me the odd flower 🌸 

~FlowerPot~

@Muddy_Walker i L. O. V. E the dragon. You have a very pretty garden x

CharleyStone

My decluttering has been going fairly well, in fits and starts, although I do tend to end up with a lot of stuff piled in my lounge so I can go through it all at once, and then of course that "at once" never happens, and it just hangs about getting in my way until I finally get too sick of it, or my landlord announces she's going to visit...

Anyway! I just felt like posting because I've had my birthday recently, and...I only got consumables or useful things I had specifically asked for! Any decluttering I have to do in the future because of this birthday will be minimal and all my own fault! (Except for the things I can finally declutter because they have been replaced with fewer, better items!) It's such a relief. The person in my life who has always bought me too many *things* out of love has tried so hard this year and at Christmas to rein it in, and I am very grateful. 

betasam

Hello, I have been lurking on this thread for a few weeks and have found some of your comments really thought-provoking. You also seem to be a very supportive group.

I decluttered the house about 5 years ago but things have deteriorated over the past couple of years.

I want to do a first sweep of the entire house (and deep-clean) before the end of the year if possible. I will set 500 items as my initial target.

The house is extra messy at the moment as I have just returned from church camp and most of the stuff we take for the group resides with me. Lots of plastic crates currently being tidied and topped up before they go back into the 'camp shed'.

I wanted to start decluttering a few weeks ago but camp takes over my life in June/July! The preparation paid off though, as we coped with a very wet week where we had to swap some trips out for indoor activities for the girls and we had more than enough to choose from.

Today I have sorted the peg bag (5 broken pegs to the bin) and my box of greetings cards (cards now allocated for all birthdays for the rest of the year and stored in a file). 23 greetings cards that I decided I won't send and one booklet of 'Bible verses for times of stress' given to a lady at church to use. These both live in the hall cupboard, which is very untidy and over full at the moment.

Total so far: 29

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

Saturday was a mainly cloudy but warm day until about 17:30 when the sun finally put in an appearance for a couple of hours 🙂 DH & I both had leisurely baths in the morning. Eventually setting off to cousin R at about noon. Bus to Canary Wharf, Jubilee Line to London Bridge then train to Norbury. Stopped off at our usual off licence for alcohol & arrived just before 14:00. The BBQ went well with family & friends turning up at various stages through the afternoon. (Age range 18 months to 80+) Lots of chatting & laughter but tinged with sadness that no uncle M although he & aunt V were mentioned throughout the day as well as my Mum & Dad. Cousin R got to hear a few amusing stories that she hadn’t heard before 😉 Family & friends started to drift away from about 18:00 eventually leaving just DH & I chatting to R before we finally left at 20:15. An absolutely wonderful day - weather was kind, great food, plenty to drink & wonderful company. A day to restore the spirits & strengthen family bonds 🥹 R’s brother is no longer really in her bad books as he has phoned a couple of times now. He is finding it a bit of struggle being in Australia - no family support network, new job, new home etc. 😔 Our journey home was slightly different as we missed the train to LB so caught one to Victoria. Then decided to get a cab home rather than public transport. Expensive but we had a great cabbie who chatted about retiring back home to Yorkshire after 38 years as a cabbie in London 😉 All in all a wonderful day 😊🥹 (As an aside, R & family are taking a well deserved holiday from Thursday to visit family in Italy) 

Sunday I woke up at just gone 08:00 & decided to get up 😉 I am in my dressing gown & drinking my 2nd cuppa. The weather is overcast but quite bright although a tad breezy. Update: took 5 hours to watch a 2 hour film 😬 kept nodding off 💤

1796 - 1799 Two foil trays used for peperonata, kitchen recycling, newspaper - recycled 

1800 Kitchen detritus binned

Excellent decluttering Florenceem 👏 Not surprised you have even more orders for beaded pens 😊

oceanspirit, congratulations on starting frogs 3 & 4 👏 You are having far more success dealing with your frogs than I am having 😉 Good luck with your shed decluttering 🍀

GrannyKate, sorry to hear about your very frustrating call 😔 The concept of true customer service seems to be a rapidly fading art 😔 😖 

~FlowerPot~ , so pleased that you had such a wonderful time at the open air theatre 😊 Such a lovely compliment - I blushed from head to toe 😊 as I’ve never been described as a “ray of sunshine” before 🤭 Hope you had a successful day in the garden 🤞

2Scratters, hopefully Mr Brie will make the decision 🤞

Excellent decluttering applepad 👏 And yes emptying vacuum cleaner counts as decluttering 😊 

Excellent decluttering Rootle 👏 Still on track 😊

QueenJess, please, please sit back for a minute each day & remember just how much decluttering & tidying you have done this year 🙏 You are a marvel & an inspiration 😊🥳 Good luck with your continuing upstairs cupboard decluttering & your plan to bring decluttering & tidying into your daily routine🍀

Moorviews, an excellent decluttering project with such a great outcome 👏 Hopefully you will find a little time to finish the finally part of the sorting 🤞Re the sheer & nude tights - sometimes only they will do when putting together an outfit 😊 

Deni_debt-free_dreamer, well done on continuing to work on the frog that is your self assessment 👏 I need to bite the bullet on sorting my wardrobe & drawers & I will use your success as inspiration 😊Such a nice thing for the CS staff to take the suitcase full of clothes even though the shop was ‘technically’ shut 😊 By the way, I like the suitcase ….. even with the cat hair 😉

TC77, prioritising your huge frog is definitely the way to proceed 😊 Once completed it will mean that you can then concentrate on decluttering with no distractions & less mental stress 👏 Sorry to hear about the oven biting the dust - more expense at a time when it really is not needed 😔 

Excellent decluttering Happy_Kitties 👏 I am awarding you a Gold Star ⭐️ for getting over halfway on decluttering neutral items 👏

An excellent start to the shed decluttering oceanspirit 👏 

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏

Excellent decluttering on Saturday Liverpool_Anne 👏 Re the TV box, not sure your OH has quite got the idea - Record, Watch, Delete 😉 Once full you might as well unplug it & buy a new one 😔 Ask me how I know 😉🤣 I have to double delete - as deleted programmes are kept for 2 months (which takes up storage space) before finally vanishing 😉 Hopefully your new approach to emails will result in less stress 🤞Enjoy the birthday party today 😊

Excellent decluttering EnergyShifter 👏 Fingers crossed that you hit your 500 items out target today - maybe decluttering the extra wedding outfits now that the wedding is over 😉 Sounds like you had a lovely time at the wedding 😊 As it was so lavish, I think I might have spent the day keeping myself amused by working out how much the day cost but that might just be me 🤣

Sorry to hear that RL has been so hard Fizz2015 😔 but pleased to hear that you managed a few days away in North Devon to recharge your Life Batteries 😊 Also very sorry to hear about the family member 😔 sending get well wishes for a speedy recovery ❤️‍🩹 What a lovely thoughtful action by you & SIL 🥹 A young declutterer in the making - well done to your DD 👏 & a medal 🏅 on it its way to keep her motivated 😊

2Scratters, please don’t be so hard on yourself 🙏 You are dealing with so much in RL that any decluttering is a huge win 😊 Isn’t it lovely when getting rid of one item snowballs into lots of other items being decluttered & tasks being completed - great work 👏 worthy of a Gold Star ⭐️ which is on its way 😊

Great work in the shed oceanspirit 👏 Good luck with getting your listings loaded 🍀

Excellent decluttering Wednesday2000 👏 Especially all the lovely items that you are donating to the CS 😊 Fingers crossed that the bulky waste collection is  not too early tomorrow morning 🤞

Brie, very droll re Deni’s comment about cat hair 😉 Thanks for the reminder about Turtle Doves, I think I might treat myself to some gloves 😊

Florenceem, pleased to hear that you are going to have a less busy week than usual 😊

sumb7170, blushing again - thank you for your kind words 😊 Lovely to see you 👋 Fingers crossed that you finally get some time to deal with some of the craft projects on your To Do list 🤞Excellent work on all your targets especially the physical items decluttered & frogs/toads etc dealt with 👏 Good luck with the redecorating in the lounge 🍀 An added bonus that your touch up will result in you being able to decorate to match your beloved curtains 😊

Excellent decluttering Foofoopuppy 👏 Very impressed with your determination to use up condiments & candles/toiletries 👏 It is a rather nice feeling when you finally have clear floor space & the more there is the more you want 😊 Gorgeous cats & great names - Cloud & Tifa 😊

Lovely post TC77 😊

QueenJess, sounds like your parents are also decluttering - which is rather nice for them 🙂 but a shame that they are decluttering to you 😔 Well done on working your way through quite a lot of the excess items 👏 All in all excellent decluttering 👏 Flowers 💐 are on their way for having ‘the conversation’ with your parents 😊 Hopefully now that only photos will be sent you can gradually work your way through the current items with no additions 🤞

Sadly not busy ~FlowerPot~ just lazy 😔 DH fed the worms & I cleaned the document case ready for donation to CS. Dinner was cheesy beans on toast with some tinned ham. 

Excellent decluttering EnergyShifter 👏 Well done on reaching over 500 items out - a Gold Star ⭐️ is on its way 🙂 

Sorry to hear that your weekend plans fell apart Muddy_Walker & that you were unwell yesterday 😔Hope you didn’t do too much in the garden today 🤞

Excellent work dealing with so much laundry bit_by_bit 👏 DS3 & partner must be so pleased with all your hard work & that they have lots of space with only 3 bags of clothes (out of 10 bags) returned to them 🥳 Sending you flowers 💐 to brighten up the camper van & wishing you pleasant travels in your camper van 😊

Muddy_Walker, I agree with ~FlowerPot~ - not only a pretty garden but I love the upcycling of old boots & trainers as plant pots 😊

Lovely to see you CharleyStone 👋 I definitely empathise with your method of decluttering 😉especially the bit about “…. it just hangs about getting in my way until I finally get too sick of it, or my landlord announces she's going to visit...” Belated Happy Birthday 🎂 💐 & what great news that family & friends have finally got the message that you are happiest when receiving requested items & consumables as gifts 🥳😊

Welcome aboard the EDT betasam, lovely to see a new face 👋 Sounds like a busy couple of months with church camp but also sounds very rewarding 😊 I have made a note of your 500 initial target & have to say what an excellent start you have made👏 We are all at differing stages in our decluttering journeys but hopefully you will find plenty of inspiration & support here 😊 

Hope everyone has a good nights sleep 💤 & fingers crossed that we get some pleasant weather this week 🤞

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

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

Decluttering Target 2023: 1800/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £299.00