2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Beshki

Baxtersmum said:

Why don’t I learn? I repeat the same behaviours every year, buy and incredible amount in the sales just because I get cheap price fever. 

This year I’ve sent it all back except one pair of jeans. Feel very daft. Bought some really silly tat for next Christmas, I’m waiting on that parcel and will return it, no one wants to receive it and I’d pledged to just gift cash then people can but what they’ll use! 

Beating myself up for sale weakness x 

I came on to write pretty much this exact post! However annoying it is, it’s good that we are sending them back!

I actually don’t usually do this and as the emails are coming through advising me that what I’ve ordered is ready to collect it’s actually laughable what junk I ordered! All will be going back for sure.

donna73

*Book passed onto friend x 1

*Picture given away via olio 

* 2 empty boxes from loft - recycling 

*Receipts x3

*4x early attempts at fabric face masks ( have kept the rest , but hoping we never need them🤞)

*Junk Mail x 2 recycled before it even got into the house! 

*Unsubscribed from email x1

*Used up dregs of toiletries x 2

*Bathroom cabinet tat x11 

Decluttering total so far 250/2023

This morning I’ve listed a couple of things on vinted and a few others on Olio, so hopefully they will be gone soon and then I can add those to my total. 

I’m finding that each time I open a cupboard or drawer I’m spotting things that could go (or possibly go) despite the fact that after last year’s big decluttering, I thought I’d be in maintenance mode!! I don’t think I’ll ever be a minimalist but it’s definitely a nice feeling seeing a bit of space in a cupboard or drawer , rather than it being crammed with stuff. 

GrannyKate

I do love opening doors and drawers and seeing space around things and no random items lurking. DS2 had freed up some storage boxes so I did some shifting round in my like for like boxes, put a few things with their proper group (still waiting a final sort) and got rid of random stationary things I will never use and tat from second filing cabinet drawer.  Giving myself 10 points for this. 

90 All November to January photos downloaded, labelled and stored in folders
91-100 Sorting and culling boxes and papers and tat - including three storage boxes to CS
101 Bag of stuff to CS
102 Some family history items scanned
103 Plastic recycling
104 Spoke to surgery and have GP appointment next week (not thinking about it - weight off my mind that I have made the first step)
105 Printed off photos for DGS4's homework
106 Posted letter for DS2 - PO visit as needs to be signed for

Got another £16 from surveys this week to add to my £100 a month target. I have a 23 minute froglet lined up to do.  Small pile of things ready to go to DD's with me on Saturday

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all,

@Vulpix, you sound a bit brighter today

Well I ran out of charge last night before I posted my numbers. I had a day off from the lr but I will be back to it today. The recycling bin was emptied yesterday thank goodness as it was full to the top .

79 union frog tickled
80 & 81 2 tubes of almost finished hand cream uu and binned
82 dregs of a pump bottle of hand cream washed out and bottle into recycling
83 small handbag not currently in use emptied and cleaned. Stitching on 1 of the pockets starting to unravel so it is in the mending pile. It is leather so worth rescuing.
84 bar of soap from stash into bathroom, OH is a bit fussy about soap so we sometimes have 2 on the go.
85 self care
86 plastic sweet tins dropped at school. Nice impromptu chat with a couple of ex colleagues
87 dentist appt and money decluttered as I needed a wobbly filling replaced. Appt also made for check up in 6 months. It's been ages since we could do that . Also had a nice chat with the dentist who has been talking about retiring. It turns out he is not as he says he gets easily bored and doesn't know what he will do with himself. I didn't try too hard to persuade him but it turns out he lives in a grade 2 listed cottage that needs some fairly drastic renovations and I thought well that's at least 6 months taken up right there
88 picked up prescription toothpaste
89 list made of knitting / crochet projects to use up some of the yarn I have.

And this morning
90 Union frog done

Time for lunch and them back to the lr 

Take care everyone

90/2023

Blackandgold_2

Feeling pleased as I've just decluttered 3 large bottles of lemonade and 6 cans of cola to the local food bank collection point. They were left over following a family party in September. We've kept 3 bottles of other soft drink in the cupboard as we might drink it over the winter.

That gives me a bit more access to the bookcases for sorting out stuff on the shelves.

regnbue

@vulpix said   you are the first person I have Ever heard of who has finished a bottle of nail varnish. 

Indeed.  My friend and I used to take day trips to Calais years ago and whilst everyone else made a beeline for booze and cigs we used to visit the huge perfume shop and I would stock up on Bourjois nail polishes.  They do the most beautiful shades and someone told me they are/were made by Chanel.

I have 45 to get through and was rather hoping with age most would be dried up/gloopy and I could bin them but unfortunately the polish is all flowing beautifully.  If I can use up 10 this year I'll be happy.

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger Thank you so much for my medal in recognition of the release into the wild of my beloved pineapple sunglasses.  Also I am chuffed to bits to receive a gold medal for reaching 25% of my decluttering target.  After a flying start I'm sure my numbers will reduce significantly now but the encouragement of all on this thread makes it all worthwhile.


Decluttering 184/500           Photo albums    /10                Nail polishes 1/45     Cleaning products     /25
Magazines       /48               Hair mousse     /11                 NSD Jan       /15       Make £100 in 2023       /100

Regional Xmas Tree Wrestling Champion 2022 🏅⭐️

"The only time I'm happy is when I'm doing absolutely nothing" - Ava Gardner

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

Thursday is another dark, damp day. I was very good - up at 9:15 but only put on my fluffy dressing gown. Came downstairs, made my cuppa, sat on the sofa & fell asleep after a few sips of my tea 😔 The postman woke me up delivering a parcel for DSis 😉 nodded off again & was woken by DH at 10:45 - what a waste of a morning 😔 DH is currently having his cuppa then will head off on his ‘Public Transport Rally’ using buses, DLR & tube with a very specific destination &  goal of photographing the 160 year anniversary “heart shaped roundel” at Baker Street 🙂 He will continue on by bus to visit M in hospital. Yesterday poor M was waiting around several hours not allowed to drink as she was having a scan which was cancelled 😖 DH has just set off in the dry 🙂 I will have another cuppa, probably get dressed 😉 & then I will potter - I have plenty of things to do without leaving the house. Have already taken a couple of bags/boxes out of the freezer - a portion of cottage pie for DSis & a portion of Bolognese pasta for either me or DH + have last night’s lo pasta. 

Liverpool_Anne, Thanks for your contribution to the conversation about having work done 👏 A cautionary tale of workmen taking the p… 🙁 not realising that you wouldn’t  be taken advantage of 😅 What a lovely idea, a petition to get “Christmas tree wrestling” made into an Olympic sport” We are “bound to have some real experts on this train” 😄 Lovely 2nd post 👏 Excellent decluttering & great work dealing with frogs 👏

Excellent decluttering Moorviews 👏 I rather like your filing system - very efficient & works well for you 😊 What an awful call to receive - these scammers seem to get nastier & more vicious each year. Please report it 🙏 - if enough of us report them we might be able to stop a vulnerable person being targeted. 

Baxtersmum, I agree with vulpix “don’t beat yourself up. You have realised what you are doing so that is half the battle. It's hard to get out of buying gifts mindset” & very well done on sending practically all of it back 👏

Great decluttering Siebrie 👏 I look forward to watching DD1 (14) in the 2028 Olympic Games 😀

Lovely supportive post vulpix 😊 You & MrV must be getting quite excited now that the various tradesmen are coming in & dealing with the various renovations 😊 Love that you have such an MSE hobby & are so supportive of charity shops 👏😊🥳

A good result Beshki - now you know you are not alone you will find it easier to be strong & return everything 👏😉

Excellent decluttering donna73 👏 Such a lovely feeling seeing organised cupboards with empty spaces 😊 I think your big declutter of 2022 has honed your decluttering skills & strengthened your decluttering muscles making it easier to spot the few items of clutter that escaped your attention last year 😅 To me you are in Maintenance Mode 🥳

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏 The feeling you get when you open an organised cupboard with space to see what you have is priceless 😊

Blackandgold_2, it gives you a warm glow when your decluttering can help some one else 😊 

regnbue, I always wondered if anyone ever went into the huge perfume shop 😉 You have bought quality as well as quantity of nail polishes & have been rewarded by still having them to brighten your life & reminding you to have regular pamper sessions 😊👏 You are very welcome - after all you are the one who earned both the medal & Gold Star 🙂 Good luck with your future decluttering - remember every item out is a win 🙂

Off to make another cuppa & yes I will get dressed whilst waiting for the kettle to boil 🙂

MrsSD (a superwoman) 😇 🎖 💐 🤩 🏅🦸

Decluttering Target 2023: 78/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

MadamMim2013

Afternoon everyone:)
Thanks for keeping my spirits up with all your hard work.. 🥳
Hugs & Spoons for anyone in need.. I’m bringing Australian crunch to the TLC carriage as I had my B12 jab this morning, feeling it now.. want to curl up and sleep..🥱
Trying to write goals/lists of things I want to happen this year, brain is 🤯
A spendy day, shopping bought for me also purchased for my mum & MiL..😇
Old bingo pens out in a newly started “charity bag”.. more to be added later.
Off to grab the washing from the TD 🫣 naughty, yet I’m just too darn tired to shuffle all the washing about! 😔

charlies_tribe

Afternoon all. You're all doing fantastic! Just posting to stay in the habit of posting so I keep decluttering. Tuesday we took DD3 for her appointment and what should have been 10 minutes needed up 3 hours altogether. Then I decluttered a nap in the afternoon. Yesterday DD1 asked me to go shopping with her. As I don't usually leave the house this was a massive task and it did leave me wiped out for the day. So the only things I decluttered were the emails when laid in bed.

Today after the children going to school I have had GD while DD1 has been to the doctors. They've just gone home as DD1 has her first shift back at work today after almost a year off.
DH is off for a week from Saturday. We are going to attempt to decorate the boys bedroom in a week! Hopefully lots will get decluttered then. I need to go and ring Mr t about a delivery that should have arrived before Christmas, I rang about it 2 weeks ago and was supposed to be getting a refund and still nothing.

89-93 500 emails
94-98 500 emails

ETA Mrs SD thank you for our medals I told DH and he said he bets I took all the credit, had to show him it was actually for him before he would believe me🤣
CrazyCatLady, my 4 aren't actually bothered by the actual hoover but if I take the tools off to use the nozzle on the rug/sofas etc the little dog goes absolutely crazy growling and trying to bite the nozzel, I think he thinks it's eating something he hasn't had yet.

mhagster

Hello. 

A doggy in the car and a quick walk on the way to the charity shop this morning. Dropped off two bin liner sized bags and one carrier bag. 

One big thing picked up last night, one to get collected this evening ( actually just collected 😊) and another item offered on local FB page. 

And another bag started for charity shop. I’m hoping to sell my desk so need to clear it first. Emptied two drawers with one more to go. Pile do paperwork for recycling. And a pile of cards ( blank/ birthday type) that I’d got from mums but do you know what if I need to send a card I’ll go an buy one rather than keep 30 in a drawer as a just in case!  So they can go in the bag. 

Also started painting my top landing so used an old sheet I’d kept from my airing cupboard clear out the other day. I actually hate painting but there are seven doors on my landing so it’s actually not big expanses of wall!