2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Floss

QJ, do you really NEED to make all the jigsaws up, or read all the unread books? Would you find it too challenging to let some leave the house now unjigged / unread, on the basis of don't like subject / haven't read it yet?

To give context - I only like jigsaws of actual photos of places or of art. Before my surgery, my DSil gave me several of those English cottage/ harbour view jigsaws, but the type that aren't photos - they gave all left un-done. Similarly with books, I recently went through my "bought but not read" stash and reduced it by 30%.

QueenJess

Floss said:

QJ, do you really NEED to make all the jigsaws up, or read all the unread books? Would you find it too challenging to let some leave the house now unjigged / unread, on the basis of don't like subject / haven't read it yet?

To give context - I only like jigsaws of actual photos of places or of art. Before my surgery, my DSil gave me several of those English cottage/ harbour view jigsaws, but the type that aren't photos - they gave all left un-done. Similarly with books, I recently went through my "bought but not read" stash and reduced it by 30%.

Yes. I haven’t made them for years as they’ve been at my parents (actually it was their puzzles so I may not have made all of them before anyway) and I enjoy making them all. So I’ll eventually get through them and then decide after which ones I want to keep. It’s an enjoyable task, not a burden.

Same with books really. I was given some and others were already on my reading pile. Now I have less decluttering to do, I want to do more reading like I did pre kids. I’m really enjoying the book I’m reading now, but I know it’s one I won’t read again, so when I’m done it’ll go on the charity pile. 

Long term I’ll still have a reading pile and maybe a puzzle to do pile, but it’ll be 1 or 2 rather than the loads I have now.

Edit: What I do need to do is fit an empty cardboard box into the upstairs cupboard to hold any decluttering items as we find them. That’ll then let me actually clear up the library properly.

weenancyinAmerica

@QueenJess - we reuse bags also, so we gave all of our wrapping paper to a couple of children's charities here that ask for unwrapped presents to give kids, but then wrap them before giving. Cleared out a lot as my roommate was hoarding rolls of it - but she seldom ever gave anyone a present.

short_bird

2738: magazine to the pile for my colleague
2739: card recycling out
2740: 50 emails deleted
2741-2742: 2 lots of shredding
2743-2754: items to rubbish
2756-2771: items to recycling
2772-2810: 38GB data deleted.

Deferred decisions tackled now up to 348.

betasam

Thank you for my gold stars, MrsSD! I found some gold card stars in a random bag this afternoon (I can remember buying them but not why I thought they'd be useful) so I might put 3 up in my bedroom as a reminder.

My bedroom is in need of some attention at the moment. I discovered one of the bed legs was sitting in a hole in the floor - the carpet stopped it from going through - in March. I spent a couple of months sleeping on a mattress before a new floor was laid (by OH, who did an excellent job of it but unfortunately slipped and put a foot through the living room ceiling... I don't notice the board over the hole now but I must find a plasterer when the bedroom is finished). It took ages to find new wallpaper (the current wallpaper is over 20 years old and looks 'tired') then camp planning took over. I am conscious that the radiator has been taken off the wall so I can't heat the room until the decorating is done. The bank holiday weekend may be spent stripping and prepping for decorating.

The only thing left to declutter from the hall cupboard was my handbag, which I don't use very often:
3 OOD packets of mints to the bin
4 OOD strips of medication will be safely disposed of at work tomorrow. 
1 more shopping bag went out to my sister with some chocolates for her children

Total:448

I may have to tackle the corner of the living room this next week. It is very messy and full (of my paperwork, cross stitch and I'm not really sure what else) and I have lost a notebook containing my plan for making the food for next week's 'cafe church.' 

I hope everyone sleeps well. I, too, will be praying for BC and for an easing of extreme weather everywhere.

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, well the past two days seems to have been wall to wall football for me. Happy with the result on Saturday for my team but gutted for the women today. In between times I have cleared some stuff out of the fridge, unfortunately 3 things had to go into the bin but I rescued some bits of fruit into a crumble I still have one shelf to deal with that is mainly jars so that will be done tomorrow. I have passed on to a friend a book and 3 pairs of new socks that were gifted to me but I didn't like the colours. They were very nice bamboo socks so I had kept them for a while thinking I would use them but months later they were still in their original packaging and I still didn't like the colours. Friend was very happy to take them so win win
I had a sort out in the toilet and put the very old window blind in the bin then planted up some plants, ( picked up reduced in Mr T which had been hanging around for nearly a week ) to put on the window sill until I can find a new blind that I like  
The kitchen recycling bin emptied and going through the cleaning stuff I binned 2 empty cans of spray starch. I never use this but OH does, hence the empty cans not thrown away. I suppose I should be happy that they were at least put back with the cleaning stuff rather than being left on the floor but somehow I am not .

@weenancyinAmerica thinking of you and hoping Hilary doesn't hit too hard, take care and hugs.

@QueenJess, I have loads of wrapping paper as well as gift bags, what I sometimes do is put a piece of wrapping paper over the gift in the bag, or if it is several small gifts I wrap them individually and then put them in a bag. Also anything that has to go in the post is wrapped but I suppose it depends on what the present is if you need it to be wrapped or bagged
 
@Mrs SD thank you for my medal, those emails were really getting to me, there are still a couple of large files to go through but that feeling of dread has lifted and I no longer fear opening my emails so it is worth it

Hugs to everyone who would like one

1141 book to friend
1142 - 1144 socks to friend
1145 toilet blind
1146 plants potted up
1147 - 1149 food from the fridge
1150 kitchen recycling emptied
1151 & 1152 empty spray starch
Take care everyone
1152/2023

GrannyKate

Morning all - I have returned from my travels again.  Will read posts and catch up later today.  Unpacked and most of the washing done.  WM engineer coming later today.  Acquired 'stuff' from DS2's old house which will need to be sorted and homed somewhere.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Morning everyone

Thank you for the nice comments MrsS_D 
I'm still in my holiday flat but alone now till I go home tomorrow. I had to get up at 5am to drop DD2 off at the station to go to London for work!
I'm doing a little bit of my self employment - doing a bit each day so I'm not overwhelmed when i get home! I'm doing an hour then going to have a wander round the town as a reward
I'm meeting DSis #4 for a walk later then we're picking up DSis#3 and going out for tea. 

Love Deni x

QueenJess

weenancyinAmerica said:

@QueenJess - we reuse bags also, so we gave all of our wrapping paper to a couple of children's charities here that ask for unwrapped presents to give kids, but then wrap them before giving. Cleared out a lot as my roommate was hoarding rolls of it - but she seldom ever gave anyone a present.

That's a great idea, but sadly most of my wrapping paper is already reused as I hate to throw it away/recycle unless it can't be reused, so I expect most people wouldn't want it.  I will try and use it on the kids presents this year to work my way through it.  I suspect it won't be able to be reused again once they've got to it!

It'll still take me a while to get through though as the kids only have a few gifts for xmas/birthday.

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

Sunday - Up at 11:10 to a bright sunny day which stayed sunny & warm all day ☀️ DH watched the MotoGP races & then put together another shelving unit for his office. I cleared down a few programmes from the TV planner. Did nothing else all day apart from make dinner which was the last of the los from the freezer - cheesy linguine accompanied by chicken pieces in a white sauce, fried mushrooms, peppers, onions & bacon bits all mixed together - both heated through in oven. Rather tasty & went together very well 😋 Wudupa. DSis phoned DH to enquire about printing off her boarding pass for tomorrow 😉 It was already in her suitcase - she has a memory like a sieve 😅 Apparently she sounded quite upbeat. 

1856 - 1858 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, cardboard packaging - recycled 

1859 - 1861 Kitchen detritus, plastic packaging, broken tongs  - binned

~FlowerPot~ thank you for my bouquet 💐 which I have added to my signature 😊 Excellent cleaning + decluttering of books 👏 Not quite the result I wanted for the football 😔

Forgot to post this yesterday 🙊

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

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

Decluttering Target 2023: 1861/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £299.00