2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, sorry I have not been posting as I took myself off to the tlc carriage with this stupid sinus thing that developed into a sore throat and persistent cough that kept me awake through the night and left me with very little energy. Even OH commented on how tired I looked but I have done a few bits that I have kept a note of. I dragged myself out on Wednesday to collect my meds and bought some cough medicine which has let me sleep for the last couple of nights so I am feeling a bit better this morning. I have tried to continue with the clothes sort out and while I was out on Wednesday I checked the cs but it was still closed so I still have that bag in the boot of my car, my mission in the next week will be to find another cs that I can get to easily and is taking donations.

I have tried to keep up with posts but the details are hazy

@Vulpix you are welcome to any of my excess plants you would like and I will sort out a time to deliver them to you when I think they will have a chance of surviving and so I can have a look at your garden . I understand your reluctance about the bluebells, to be honest I thought mine were English bluebells as they have been in the garden since I moved in but as the Spanish bluebells were introduced in the Victorian era they are probably hybrids but I will check them out carefully when they flower which probably won't be long now. I will keep an eye out for English bluebells when I am on my travels around and let you know if I find a reliable source. . I can also give you as many cuttings as you would like of honeysuckle . Mine survived a determined assault by my neighbour to kill off all my climbinng plants that I had growing on wires down the boundary fence. He managed to kill the 2 clematis, Jasmine and kiwi but the honeysuckle defeated him

Sorry I can't remember what else I wanted to say, medically induced brain fog , so hugs to anybody who would like one

Over the past few days
575 - 578 LDFPA
579 bedroom recycling
580 bedroom bin
581 kitchen bin
582 kitchen recycling
583 & 584 ironing
585 - 587 large cardboard boxes broken up and recycled as OH has been buying things again but these are presents so will eventually leave the house
588 a lovely posh hardly worn jumper that no longer fits given to ln
589 meds collected and sorted

I have also put a Sunday nighty into the cs rag bag and a book into the cs bag, hopefully I can get them out of the house soon . I am way behind with my target now but I am starting to be able to see the wood from the trees it can't be helped so onwards and upwards as they say . Lets see if I can get something done today

Take care everyone
589/2024

kiss_me_now9

Hope you are all well. 

I am very pleased as a couple of weeks ago I managed to almost completely declutter my office craft room. However looking at it now it looks almost exactly the same as it did before I started! And I haven't added anything in either - I think it's just because I've rearranged the bits and tidied it. I threw about a quarter of my stuff away, gave a quarter of it away to a local arts and crafts charity and re-organised the rest. I have two metre high 4 box storage towers and they now both have an empty box and three half empty boxes in them, but the two shelves are still full. 

I have about 3 pictures frames of different sizes that don't have any glass in them anymore (so just the frame and the backing card). I am not sure what to do with them. We have a local village freebie site but I hate seeing what is essentially other peoples junk/rubbish on it myself and I feel this very much falls into the rubbish side of things. Can you guys think of any legitimate uses for them? If so I will put them up and see if anyone wants them. I have a few other things to put up as well which are actually useful, just need to gather the mental energy to go through all the messages you get when stuff goes up! 

charlies_tribe

Good morning. Hugs to all who need them. 

Thank you for my star Mrs SD.

I finally sorted and listed the knitted dolls clothes and they were collected within an hour, 2 bin liners full!

DC5 kept complaining about having no clothes even though her wardrobe is overflowing. I told her I can't buy new when I don't know what she already has/doesn't have. She said she would sort it so sent her up with a bin bag. Knew she had done a big cull when she came back for another.  She filled both. She doesn't have much left as only things from the boys section or that looked like boys were kept (after having 2 girly girls, I have struggled with a child that is having thoughts she might actually be/want to be a boy and there is a lot of items I've bought and she has never worn so our next shop will be together so its clothes that will be worn).

DGD has been very poorly after her first day of nursery Monday but with her not being here it does mean I've managed to sort through a couple of things and have some broken toddler toys to go in the bin too.

112 knitted dolls items: 2 mermaid tails, 1 grobag, 11 trousers/tights, 1 tshirt, 6 rompers/vests, 4 dungarees, 11 dresses, 6 pants, 7 sets booties, 13 hats, 6 jumpers, 18 cardigans and 26 crochet blankets
Pair of holey socks
Physical 1126/2024

daisy_1571

None of my beeswax charlies_tribe but I would say let her be.  I think if I was me nowadays when I was about 8 till teens I'd be pushed/helped/influenced/??  Not sure what the right word would be.  I was always mistaken for a boy, wanted to be called Norman, always dressed in my older brothers cast offs etc however I've happily been a tomboyish girl my whole life, happier among bikers, tools, garages etc but also going my own way doing sewing and crafty things. 

I'm sure the way things are nowadays are great for some people but im always aware of my own experience and slightly uncomfortable when schools and others seem to jump in deciding almost for the young person and before they know it they are going down a path.  I'm not saying don't take it seriously, but also .....not sure what I'm trying to say.  Maybe just, not being a girly girl doesn't straight away mean she has to take drastic action so dont cross hurdlestill they are there.     

I know you'll be aware of all this and be doing your best to support her as you sound a great mum.  Just wanted to give you my own experience.   I know my mum would have liked/known how to deal with a girly girl and I'm glad I was of a time when you got time to work things through.   I'm sure there will be others of my age who were unhappy with their life experience but it worked for me.

No idea if that helps or not. 

Daisy xxx

Siebrie

@charlies_tribe @daisy_1571 I grew up in the 70s and 80s and have a feeling that it was a free-er time than now. I happily had short hair and wore unisex jeans and sneakers. Looking at my dds and their peers, it seems all girls have to have long hair and be voluptuous. DD1 had short hair when she was around 7, and she was constantly mistaken for a boy, even when wearing a bikini or a dress. She had people tell her that they supported her, fathers holding the door of the men's loo open for her (as a courtesy, nothing creepy), children telling her outright that she was a boy in a dress.

Floss

daisy_1571 said:

None of my beeswax charlies_tribe but I would say let her be.  I think if I was me nowadays when I was about 8 till teens I'd be pushed/helped/influenced/??  Not sure what the right word would be.  I was always mistaken for a boy, wanted to be called Norman, always dressed in my older brothers cast offs etc however I've happily been a tomboyish girl my whole life, happier among bikers, tools, garages etc but also going my own way doing sewing and crafty things. 

I'm sure the way things are nowadays are great for some people but im always aware of my own experience and slightly uncomfortable when schools and others seem to jump in deciding almost for the young person and before they know it they are going down a path.  I'm not saying don't take it seriously, but also .....not sure what I'm trying to say.  Maybe just, not being a girly girl doesn't straight away mean she has to take drastic action so dont cross hurdlestill they are there.     

I know you'll be aware of all this and be doing your best to support her as you sound a great mum.  Just wanted to give you my own experience.   I know my mum would have liked/known how to deal with a girly girl and I'm glad I was of a time when you got time to work things through.   I'm sure there will be others of my age who were unhappy with their life experience but it worked for me.

No idea if that helps or not. 

Daisy xxx

^^^ This 😍

Perfect words for a difficult period for a family. Thanks @Daisy_1571

Floss

Siebrie said:

@charlies_tribe @daisy_1571 I grew up in the 70s and 80s and have a feeling that it was a free-er time than now. I happily had short hair and wore unisex jeans and sneakers. 

I was the same in the 60s/70s, and I think you're right about it being a freer time, without the box-fitting that there is now.

charlies_tribe

Thank you @daisy_1571 and @Siebrie. I was a tomboy too and have never really wore dresses, used makeup and my hair just gets fastened back and Dd3 has always been the same but a few weeks ago said she thinks she could be trans. A lot of it coming from kids at school asking if she was a boy if why she acted like a boy, we did talk about the fact she could just be a tomboy and thats okay too. There does seem to be a thing in school that if you dont do hair/makeup/like dresses and skirts you must be a boy. She hasn't asked he be called he/they or by another name yet and we talked and she was happy to wait to make any big changes/decisions for another couple of years to see how feelings are then. Her wardrobe was bursting and I've just been to look and she has 2 tshirts, 3 joggers and 3 hoodie left (and some bits in the wash) but now she's finally done the big declutter we can buy things she's comfortable in. It looks like she's gone through everything so I'll bring yhe bags down later and see if anything can be sold.
She knows she's still my baby and we still love her anyway. 
Sorry, I waffled a lot there to explain her huge wardrobe declutter.

I've sorted through another box, not much will be going out but lots of things with like items. Another load of teddies have been through the washer, I did 2 yesterday and I've just risked it and thrown my wedding dress in. It's been sat in a shopping bag for the last 20 odd years gathering muck and fluff. Ifs only a basic satin dress that my mums friend made, no fancy sparkly bits so I'm hoping it survives and comes out clean and then I might donate it.

daisy_1571

Thanks all.  Wasnt sure if I should write anything or not but thats what I was trying to say - folk nowadays seem to want to quickly label and box people.  On one hand (almost) everyone is more open and understanding but on the other it seems like a determination to start the box when they are 18 months old lol.  Yes in my day you were just a tomboywhen you were wee and if later you came to a different decision you could.   Its sad that these kids, with more choices and sophistication than ever, feel they should limit their choices in ways that my generation didn't really think about. 

Sounds like you are tackling it well

Dxxxx

Florenceem

daisy_1571 - wise words.
I am ridiculously happy about - gates - there are some on our driveway now. Mr F has lived here since 1983 and never bothered. I moved in 26 years ago and we finally have gates. So I have decluttered money today to a builder friend for hanging the gates.