2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

dND

@SIRENS.  Mice will eat through plastic, I binned lots of chewed plastic while I was in France!  Glass or metal will deter them but the most important thing is to figure out where they are getting in.  They can get through the smallest gap - from memory, and I've not checked this - it's a gap of 4 to 6 mm.  Once you know where they're entering, plug it with wire wool and cement as they will eventually eat through expanded foam and even thin layers of plaster.

I had 5 cats and they brough in far more live mice than they ever killed. 🤣

Next up is the not very nice bit.  The only way I found to get rid of mice that had found their own way in was to kill them with one of the little nipper type of traps.  Mice brought in by the cats usually were trapped in a humane trap and let go outside but once mice have told their family the way to the food they'll keep returning.  Also bleach where ever the mice have been.  They dribble urine all the time as a trail which is why other mice will follow the way in.

I did buy one of the UV torches that was supposed to show up urine but it never did.  If anyone knows a brand that actually works I'm interested as my oldest cat is getting older. 🤣

I hope that helps.  I'm not frightened by mice as I've lived with cats for about as long as I can remember but all I can suggest to help you deal is to remember that the mice are probably more scared of you than you are of them. 😁

Good luck as know how distressing feeling that you've been invaded can be - for me it's ants.

flamingo747

+8 Xmas Decs gone, +1 Xmas cards recycled, +1 normal decoration I didn't really love

Living room is back to normal now

EnergyShifter

Happy New Year everyone

I had a nice day up Town yesterday - Lunch, a walk along the South Bank then Evensong at Southwark Cathedral.  Headed home before the crowds started to arrive for the fireworks.

Unfortunately I've succumbed to the lurgy (not Covid) so today was spent in the TLC carriage.    I did however make a start on the "easy" bit of my accounts - the income - as I thought it'd take less than an hour - due to my sloppiness - 3 hours later I finally finished.  That's quite enough for today....

Tasks 

Started my accounts

IN (running total 0)
0

OUT (running total 0)
0

Can anyone tell me how to adjust my signature?  I've done it umpteen times before but for some reason I can't work out how to do it now!. 🤦‍♀️

flamingo747

Go up to the little person in a white circle, into Account And Privacy Settings, scroll down to Signature Settings

~FlowerPot~

1. take down decs and put them away (dont leave the boxes hanging around)

2. clean out white drawers in kitchen

3. clean lounge and clear all the clutter

4. clear out under the stairs ~ properly

5. clean porch and take box of books to CS that have been there for more then 6 months !

6. get lounge curtains dry cleaned

7. clean the car in and out

8. clean work boxes / re order / organise second hall

9. clear up/ sort out / tidy lean too (massive job)

10. clean kitchen cupboards

11. go through my drawers, sort clothes and re line the drawers

12. sort through studio, see if theres any paintings I can sell.

13. tidy and clean the cupboard in out bedroom

14. reorganise healing work books and files

15. look through wardbrobe and sort clothes that are no longer fitting

16. sell coin collection (this has started but is going to be a slow job me thinks)

17. go through book cases upstairs and see if any more books can be culled !!

18. clean oven ~ this is unbelievebly bad and i might delegate to DH hehe!!

19. clean windows in our bedroom and upstairs hall

20. clean wood burner

21. deep clean bathroom / mirrors and cabinet

22. wax the wooden beam on the firplace

23. get the greenhouse ready for winter!!!

24. buy new microwave

So I'm off to a good start the lounge is lovely and clean and all the decs are down and away, my work boxes are spring cleaned. Tools are sterilised and ready to go.

Might go and search the bookcases to see if i can find a few books Im no longer needing to keep. feeling very motivated by having a list ~ very sad I know! 

17. done 8 books ready to leave the house!

EnergyShifter

flamingo747 said:

Go up to the little person in a white circle, into Account And Privacy Settings, scroll down to Signature Settings

Thank you flamingo 💐

SIRENS

Thanks so much dND cousin couldn't see any holes anywhere which makes me worry they are coming in from the kitchen as I can't see behind the cabinets. I had a pest guy in last week who has put down traps and I have some electronic traps (which we caught one in last week) My brain knows that they are more scared of me but I can't get the rest of me to believe it! The pest guy is coming back next week to check again for gaps as best he can. I will get some glass containers next week as well, thank you x

dND

I know where you're coming from Siren, logic and emotion fight it out here too.  🤞🤞`that you've nipped it in the bud.  I used to panic that they were in the kitchen and I would leave a small amount of bacon fat drained off after cooking, or similar in a low bowl to see if anything was getting onto the work surface. 😁

QueenJess

Very little achieved today.  Kids were so naughty and annoying that I decluttered them to DH and took myself off to the shops.  Had a lovely time in a very quiet bookshop and then tried on lots of rings in a jewellery shop.  Only ended up coming back with books for DS's birthday in a month, but it was one thing off the list.  I already have a number of parcels I'm waiting on with second hand clothes goodies to fix the holes in my wardrobe.

After the end of 2023, my totals seem pathetic!  I seem to recall last time that the first 1,000 was the hardest and then it got easier.  Still need to work through some more clothes stuff and also need to start the digital photo declutter.  Delaying both and will be sitting on the sofa decluttering stuff recorded on the box and eating 85% chocolate (and maybe a hm chocolate brownie with hm vanilla ice cream) and pretending the kids are not annoying.  DH is putting them to bed..

I think I have a vague plan to try and blitz lots of stuff (digital stuff especially) in Jan before my new job starts at the end of March.  Feb is normally chaos with half term and too many birthdays!

Digital:
5 - favourites removed from wish list
1 - notes deleted

Physical:
2 - my clothes (charity bag)
1 - bathroom supplies used up

Total: 9

Brambling

I once lent a humane mouse trap to a work colleague she returned it with a large hole eaten in it, they need to be wedge so the can't be flipped upside down and checked very regularly! I was too gobsmacked to suggest she brought me a new one as it couldn't be used again.  My previous cat was great at bringing in 'friends' and letting them go 🐈‍⬛ my current PITA doesn't thank goodness I hate chasing them around trying to catch them 🫣

I decided to make a start whilst the good intentions were good.  The bags for charity will have to lurk until the weekend unless I can find a charity bin with space in one of the car parks 

2 bags of life full of clothes for charity shop
2 pairs of ankle boots - I can't wear the heels anymore and had to be honest with myself 
2 bags of books (novels) for CS - I find decluttering books difficult 
1 bag of old cookery books for charity 
Binned a old shoe cleaning kit - I had to persuade myself not to keep a old tin of dry kiwi polish just because the smell took me back 50 years to my dad polishing shoes on a Sunday night 🙂

I haven't counted the individual items but I spent more than my targeted 24 minutes today and i have some items to add to the local free FB page later