2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Muddy_Walker

Hello! Confession time - I well and truly over did it today and nearly passed out walking Dog1. I blitzed the areas that my cleaner doesn’t do decluttering rather a lot of dust, washing done and dried, bed changed, settees cleaned, dog beds wiped over, rearranged some lights in the living room, up and down the stairs endless times, sorted and wiped 3 cupboards, threw out very OOD tea bags and hot chocolate, trimmed the fur on Dog1’s feet and ears……popped over to MIL for a cuppa and a catch up.
So waved my own finger at myself - hubby just “looked” at me and after 26 years of marriage I know that look was a complete and utter b0ll&cking. 

So this evening I chilled out and finished watching The Crown.
ended perfectly I felt!
Ill probably pop on tomorrow to say hi…

Floss

Brie said:

weenancyinAmerica said:

Can't have visitors yet as there is no place for them to sit down. Going to be hard to get roommate moving on cleaning up, but we are expecting a check to arrive for her and will use part of it to have more bookcases built in her bedroom to try and contain most of the books she has. Also she will be able to see what she has in duplicate - many books from what I've seen - that can go to the bookstore. That is our major problem here - books. And family history papers. That is about 95% of the mess here. But they have taken over the house and garage. If we can just sort out the book problem, we will be well on the way to having a decluttered house. I am also putting together a bookcase to go in my room. We already have it as it was in another room of the house, but it fell apart when we went to move it. So I am reconstructing it. My goal is next week, so I can move several boxes of books onto the shelves. Ready for this year to end - but not ready for next year. Next week will be rough so I am drawing a chart of what has to be done before the next year starts. 

It's a well known scientific fact that books multiply.  The loss of energy for this multiplication is balanced by the energy that is generated when socks disappear.  I'm sure if we google we can find someone's physics thesis.....

And if we can't find one maybe between us we can write one!

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

Never did get around to writing my Good Intentions List 😔 DH went to bed for the afternoon. DSis went to hairdressers & came back with a very short cut 😧 I used the rest of the bolognaise sauce with peas added in a cottage pie accompanied by cabbage & carrots for our dinner. Wudupa.

2531 - 2533 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, glass jar - recycled 

2534 Kitchen detritus binned 

I will cheerlead later today as I am nodding off 😴 

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

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

Decluttering Target 2023: 2534/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £679.00

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, my sleep pattern is all over the place as I keep dosing off and waking up at stupid o'clock. Yesterday 8 presents left the house as a friend called and we did a socially distanced swap that involved me wearing a mask and gloves and placing the bagged presents in the porch as it was raining. They have been bagged up waiting to be delivered for over a week. The downside is some things have come into the house. Not sure what they are as they will not be opened until christmas day but I am counting the 8 out .The footy ticket was finally sorted and a large cardboard box has gone into the recycling bin. I have a few bits left to wrap tomorrow but as we can't deliver them for a while I am not rushing though I have sorted through the paper and binned some so that's something and I can see the stash is decreasing .
OH is on some special vulnerable list so after testing positive contacted the Drs and today went off for an anti viral infusion so hopefully will not be ill for long .I watched the footy on tv

@Mrs SD I love your olive tree and I love olive wood, it is one of my favourite woods I suspect I am too far north with too much rain to ever be able to grow an olive tree

@QueenJess reading about how often you have to sort your children's things made me think about what and how often my Mum sorted my things. I can't honestly ever remember having to throw or give things away to make room for new things. Maybe we didn't have as much as children today or maybe my Mum was just ruthless . I do remember my sister being upset after my Mum died because she hadn't kept any cards sent to her from dniece and dnephew though she loved them dearly. I imagine it's like painting the forth bridge

@weenancyinAmerica I agree with Brie, books breed and more power to them I say but they are so difficult to move on

Right off to make a cuppa and try to get back to sleep so hugs to anybody who would like one

1672 - 1679 presents gone
1680 footy ticket finally sorted
1681 cardboard box recycled
Take care everyone
1681/2023

London_1

I have not been too bad decluttering books so far, but I'm getting now to the time when I have to think seriously about what I want to actually keep and move with me next year.

My trouble is I have just too many books, and not enough time in the day to read them all.

 My set of big book shelves upstairs in my (what is now my second spare bedroom now the computer stuff has all gone ) is when I go to go through them as soon as I pick one up, and look through I tend to think 'Oh that looks really good and I can't get rid of that one' .

I also get library books, I cannot imagine a time when I won't be able to read one.I have two library ones at the moment and both are 'must read' ones.

I'm thinking once I move perhaps I'll wait before joining the library, and read all the ones in my collection I've not got round to first.Trouble is because my friends all know I'm an avid reader I tend to get lots given to me.

My eldest DD as part of my Christmas present every year always buys me one from one of my favourite authors I bet this year it will be the latest Ken Follett.

I have a good few Alan Bennett ones to read as well from last Christmas and birthday. She too reads a lot but she prefers her Kindle I'm not keen on them, I have got one somewhere I put it away so well I can't find it Just as well as I think there are around 110 books on it as well. I could never run a book shop I'd never let anyone take one away  

 Come the New Year when I'm back at home, I will sort them out, and try to whittle them down a bit more I know there are some text books from when I did a law exam that can go.

 I've had those well over 22 years and certainly don't need them now. There is also a complete shelf of cookery books that have barely been looked at,  and some rather nice travel books Oh dear its going to be hard ,but I must be ruthless
 I actually find it easier to declutter clothes rather than books

I should really be abandoned on a desert Island for a few months to read them all. When I was in hospital for 5 weeks I was reading 2-3 a week and even some of those were from the hospital bookshelves  

  JackieO xx

TC77

@Brie and @weenancyinAmerica, not just socks and books!

@QueenJess 96% tidy with little ones is v impressive. Mine is more like 6%

I know that having things scattered around is the main problem - wrapping paper under different beds/wardrobes.
My house is on 3 floors so I use this as a reason/excuse. 

I moved into spare room after op/injury as less stairs and created more chaos! DD2 back from Uni lives in chaos and I have to remind myself that I need to set an example and not nag.

I am letting go of more things and in the slightly more difficult category! 

I thought I would get more done before christmas but the time has flown by.

Have a CS bag on the go which will go in Jan so count for 2024!  2024 physical and digital items decluttered sounds v clhallening without frogs but needed.

Old food out yesterday.


Wondering round the house deciding where on earth to start!!

flamingo747

Hope everything is starting to come together for everyone before tomorrow! 

I don't think there'll be much decluttering here today, Mr Flamingo is at work, so just Junior Flamingo and I. Might give the kitchen a deep clean so it's nice and ready for the coking, and have presents to drop off tonight

vulpix

 Hi,

 LiverpoolAnne you definitely can have an olive tree. As long as you have full sun for it. I had one in a pot at the last house but not enough sun at this place. I gave it my friend who didn't take my advice and put it where she thought it looked nice out of the sun and it died. They are no trouble and just want free drainage and full sun. Aldi seem to sell them every year. Mine was £10 from there. Not a magnificent specimen like Mrs SD's but I think she has had that one for 20 plus years.
 You are spot on with your observations about the population of rural areas. The same applies to some extent where I live. Hence all my kids have moved away.I have always had an expectation for them to though. I moved away for 15 years and came back to raise my kids here. Some people I was at school with have never ventured afield. To my mind they seem so much older than me. 

 I hope everyone under the weather feels better soon. Merry Christmas to you all. Vxxxxx

 

Brie

Floss said:

Brie said:

weenancyinAmerica said:

Can't have visitors yet as there is no place for them to sit down. Going to be hard to get roommate moving on cleaning up, but we are expecting a check to arrive for her and will use part of it to have more bookcases built in her bedroom to try and contain most of the books she has. Also she will be able to see what she has in duplicate - many books from what I've seen - that can go to the bookstore. That is our major problem here - books. And family history papers. That is about 95% of the mess here. But they have taken over the house and garage. If we can just sort out the book problem, we will be well on the way to having a decluttered house. I am also putting together a bookcase to go in my room. We already have it as it was in another room of the house, but it fell apart when we went to move it. So I am reconstructing it. My goal is next week, so I can move several boxes of books onto the shelves. Ready for this year to end - but not ready for next year. Next week will be rough so I am drawing a chart of what has to be done before the next year starts. 

It's a well known scientific fact that books multiply.  The loss of energy for this multiplication is balanced by the energy that is generated when socks disappear.  I'm sure if we google we can find someone's physics thesis.....

And if we can't find one maybe between us we can write one!

My OH used to put things on Wikipedia that were completely made up....they do check eventually but it was great fun and one entry actually got cited in an academic paper!!!

nannywindow

Hello all, still in the TLC carriage 😒 but wanted to pop in and wish everyone a Happy and Peaceful Christmas.
I get some results at the hospital in early Jan but have more tests still to be done for something else. I'm fast falling apart !
Not much decluttering has been done except the daily detritus plus cardboard recycling and packaging from deliveries, most of them DD's. We are going to DD's for Christmas lunch tomorrow and then they are here for Boxing day lunch, cold cuts, chips and pickles will be on offer plus a buffet tea later. Luckily DH is doing most of the cooking and I feel very thankful that he's here with me.  
Hugs to the poorly ones and the sad and the lonely ones at this time of year.
Take care all. Thank you all for being on this journey with me and a special thanks to MrsSD.
Love nan