2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks 

2. Sort out sleep patterns - target bed by 2:00 a.m. & up by 9:00 a.m 

3. Deal with mail & email on a daily basis

4. Don’t put it down, put it away + deal with mini tasks as soon as they are noticed e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc

5. Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ using the acronym - I.R.I.S. (Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off) - One per quarter

6. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Wednesday is another bright sunny day with temperatures forecast to rise to 28°C 😊 I was actually up before noon today 😂 DH & DSis were pencilled in to go shopping but DSis is not feeling well - I think it is the heat as she really cannot cope with it anymore 😢 The wheelie bin was emptied this morning 🥳 - usually it is a day later after a Bank Holiday. I have dealt with today’s mail which led to phoning my bank (straight through so no listening to naff music 😉) to update accounts, transfer monies to savings a/c + ordering a new cheque book. As I was on a roll, I put some shoes on grabbed my rucksack & headed off to the bus stop & went to the bank - banked my August PB win & withdrew some cash, picked up a loaf of bread & posted a birthday card. In & out in about an hour 🙂 Whilst I was out DH turned off the downstairs electricity supply for the lights & repaired a light switch - the wiring had come loose & he also replaced a blown light bulb. I updated my accounts when I got home. Dinner was chicken fried in butter, boiled new potatoes, sweetcorn & peas. Wudupa

1426 - 1429 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, glass bottle, newspaper - recycled 

1430 Kitchen detritus binned

GrannyKate, sorry to hear about DD’s fall 😔 I hope that she can enjoy the rest of her holiday 🙏 Good luck to DS2 for his move 🍀 How ‘generous’ of DS1 to agree that you have decluttered a lot 😂 As far as I am concerned you have done some excellent decluttering 👏 & once you get an actual moving date I know that your decluttering will zoom along 😊

Gers, good things come to those who wait 😊 So very pleased to hear that your patience has paid off & the beautiful embroidered tablecloths are now being cherished by members of your family 🥹

daisy_1571, well said 😊

Lovely post suzeesu2000 😊

Liverpool_Anne, hopefully your friend will accept your kind offer before she becomes too tired & overwhelmed 🙏 I hope you managed to get a couple of catnaps during the day on Wednesday & that you have a good night’s sleep so that you are all bright eyed & bushy tailed on Thursday 🙏

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 Just wondering if your DB thinks items are saleable why he doesn’t do it rather than expecting you to do it 🤨 Fingers crossed that DD2 gets the decorating finished without too much more mess 🤞

vulpix, sorry to hear how useless your internet upgrade has proved to be 😠 I have had an iPad for over 13 years & have only just found the degree symbol 😉  Good luck for Friday’s viewing 🍀 Well done on selling one of your plants 👏

Great decluttering SuperLooperSaver 👏 No tips from me about thinning out clothes 😔 I tend to keep mine as they fit & are way too scruffy to donate 😂

Excellent work oceanspirit 👏 Re your comments about extra bins I am keeping everything crossed that our council just stick to the 2 bins - one for rubbish & one for all recycling except soft plastic. Garden waste is in green bags. 

Brie, beggars belief at how much money councils waste with unnecessary changes to systems 😠 ☹️ 

Oops a daisy, just realised what the time is 🙊 I am off to bed 😉 Sleep tight 😴 & for those who cannot I am sending cwtches 🤗 

MrsSD: I AM A ⭐️ - 🥇 🎖️ 💐 🌟 🏅 💐 🎖️ 💐 ⭐️ 💐 💐 🥇 ⭐️ ⭐️ 

DH Awards: IS A 💎🏅 🌟 🥰 🏅🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅 💐 💐 🤗 ⭐️ ⭐️

Decluttering Target 2024: 1430/2024

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £381.70

Fizz2015

Morning Everyone and Mrs SD. Decluttering has is still ongoing, just need to count everything and update my figures. Sorted the Welsh dresser over weekend and filled 2 large shopping  bags, one to donate and another with recycling. That was only the shelves sorted, dreading how much more there is to go. 
Also started sorting my clothes, I find it really hard to part with clothes even if never going to wear/fit etc. I do have a large pile to go (lot with tags on) and I am going to attempt to sell on vinted. I'm going to pack away my summer clothes towards end of September as will free up space to clearly see Autumn/winter wardrobe. 

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, reporting in to keep the momentum going . I was indeed like wet dish rag yesterday but I have had a good sleep last night so onward and upward today . The weather was very grey and overcast so the only thing I managed outside was to pot on some baby strawberry plants into a bigger pot. The bedroom recycling and kitchen recycling were emptied and some meds ordered. Very slow day. On the plus side the para Olympics have started which I love as much as the Olympics. I have a load of washing out and another swishing and another waiting so the washing mountain will be gone today and I really need a haircut so I will go and see if I can get that done today while on the sm run .

On the subject of bins it's the hard plastic that annoys me the most. While I try very hard not to bring it in it is very difficult to avoid sometimes so I do have to do a tip run every so often and I really wonder if this is really recycled or just shipped off to some third world country. As Vulpix says we need a national strategy to sort out the situation.

Right off to get something else done so hugs to anybody who would like one

1232 kitchen recycling
1233 bedroom recycling
1234 plants potted on
1235 meds ordered
Take care everyone
1235/2024

BudgetingBelinda

Haven’t reported for ages but decluttering and mindfully working towards less stuff has been happening for this whole year. Came to a glitch with building work and displacement of stuff for that to take place. Went on a little house sitting expedition this month to a gloriously uncluttered and spotless house and came back to mine feeling quite gloomy about my place! Gave me a kick up the bum to have another push and today did two bags of rubbish and one charity shop bag. Still lots to do and once building work done I’m sure with the relocation of stuff back to where it belongs it will look a lot better around here. Need to spend a bit of time over this weekend having more of a sort and decluttering. Want to start the back to school week in some semblance of organised fashion! Good luck to all! Last few months of 2024 is going to be productive here 💪🏼🥳🎉

BudgetingBelinda

One more black bag done and the fridge draws/door also de cluttered! It amazing when you start how contagious decluttering is! Think I’ve stopped for the day now! 🥳

QueenJess

@weenancyinAmerica I'm blushing 😳.  It definitely is possible for everyone, but it did take longer than I thought (a few years).  Each time I thought I was about there and paused, I realised after a while I needed to get rid of more.  I also was laser focused and it occupied a very significant portion of my time as I was determined to get it all under control so I could actually live!  On the other side though, I am naturally quite messy and as I have two young children, I need a much lower amount of stuff than the average person to actually keep on top of things.  I also did notice the difference with everything that I did and it did feel like things were continually improving.  Don't worry though as I always have another project to get on top of, but I am getting to all the stuff now that I never thought I'd be able to get to!

The other morning I came downstairs to find DH with a pile of stuff on the kitchen table.  He told me he was sorting through his massive box of tickets he likes to keep and he actually got rid of loads   I did also suggest he gets one of those glass frame box things so he can actually see and enjoy his tickets rather than ramming them into a cupboard.  He is thinking about it apparently.  I'm still waiting for him to sort out his wardrobe, but I supplied him with packaging to get rid of things as he requested.

As I am a computer screen slave today (work!), I have gone back to reducing my online clutter and deleting more online accounts etc and slowly working through my emails.  I am trying to deal with my email inbox from the oldest ones.  Once I deal with emails I file or delete them, so anything in my inbox is a to do.  It means the oldest ones are most annoying to sort out and I have put off for ages.  I am also thinking about sorting out my library which is still a bit messy.  I would like to get a couple of lovely plants in here, then I need to dust and slightly rearrange the shelves.  Then I just need to work out why I still have some stuff lying around in here, although I think it's mainly empty boxes etc for charity stuff and the odd other thing with longer term/more tricky projects to do.  I've also decided not to database my books because I got rid of a fair few and I am pretty good at knowing what I have now I have less.  Another thing off the to do list!

I've also decided to stop tracking stuff coming in.  Point proved that there is more than I thought, but the admin takes up too much time.  I will continue thinking about 10 items a day to go (until it becomes impossible) and I'm trying to look more carefully at budgets that should reduce the stuff coming in as well.  As long as I can keep on top of things then it must be ok.  That is my only requirement!

Digital:
4 - online accounts deleted
1 - notes deleted
2 - documents deleted
1 - emails unsubscribed from

Physical:
11 - DD paperwork recycled
3 - craft stuff used up
1 - kids games (charity box)
1 - paper, reused then recycled
14 - Lego bricks (added to charity bag)

New total = 14,948

August In: 110, August Out: 548

Floss

QueenJess said:

The other morning I came downstairs to find DH with a pile of stuff on the kitchen table.  He told me he was sorting through his massive box of tickets he likes to keep and he actually got rid of loads   I did also suggest he gets one of those glass frame box things so he can actually see and enjoy his tickets rather than ramming them into a cupboard.  He is thinking about it apparently.  

I left most of my gig tickets & programmes behind when I left the ex as they were all in the attic. However, I have managed to find tour flyers or posters for almost all of them, and these are framed & displayed in my downstairs loo 😊

Brie

I would like to proudly announce I binned a pair of knickers today.  Took them off last night, put them in the bedroom bin and they are now in the waste bin outside awaiting collection in the morning.

As the the reason.....they were perfectly nice knickers.  I tend to buy the 5 pack from M&S and have bought the same size for years (despite increases in my weight.....).  But I have a couple of pairs, these included, that have become very loose on me.  So if the jeans I'm wearing are on the large size the knickers head south.  And when I pull them back up I discovered I could actually pull them all the way up to my bra line.  No matter what fashion you're following this is not a good look.  Certainly it won't get me a job with Victoria's Secret or even Snags!!  (in general the second being more likely than the first.)  So off they go.

Meanwhile I decluttered a fair bit of pruning from the garden.  We're told that we shouldn't put garden waste in our standard bin but i've never understood why.  Except that they want us to either pay for a green bin or take our cuttings to the tip - either way they can be composted.  But they must know that lots of people can't afford one and can't do the transporting either.  

crazybunnylady4

evening all, 

well first things first... interview outcome via email today - didnt get the job. apparantly all the candidates were of a high calibre, yada yada, so they wont be progressing me. however, for anyone who read my long rambly post from about a week ago.....you may understand when I say I am not that bothered by it.  their attitude towards me as a potential employee was nothing less than shocking. 

been at work last 2 days so not much done around the house today other than dailies. I think I have got well on top of things at the moment. We had a handyman in on Tuesday who did some smaller jobs and charged a reasonable price, so Mum has booked him to fix an outside step and jet wash the back patio in the New Year (after the bad weather). 

Took Mac to the vet today as well, so his nails have been trimmed - thats decluttering right? On arriving home left him in the carry cage while I quickly changed his hutch - and then in he went to recover; he's not that big a fan of car rides sometimes but then I guess for a small animal it is all a bit overwhelming as they dont really know whats going on. 

lovely useup type dinner of sausages with last of the Aunt B's yorkie puds from the freezer, plus some cabbage from the fridge (the hard white bit that Mac wont eat but is quite nice when cooked!) 
tomorrow I will make rhubarb crumble as we have a tin of rhubarb I found, bought it a while back so that will be tomorrow afternoons little dalliance. tomorrow evening I'm out with some work colleagues in central london so that will be nice. 

I may be MIA for a bit as I then have work for 5 days straight (Sat-Wed) and along with another colleague have been tasked with a mammoth undertaking for our reconcilation - quite straightforward in theory but in practise........well lets just say the last time they tried this, everything fell behind by a week! lol...wish me luck

xx

Happy_Kitties

426- 446 neutral items x20 given to a friend to help them out.

Will hopefully have another 32 neutral items out of the house this weekend for another good cause  slowly things are beginning to leave and I’ve started to put some bags of joy together, room is my problem at the minute.

General decluttering 
253)-254) Friend also took two other items that I didn’t know what to do with and was going to donate to the charity shop l
255) mug broken and binned, gutted it was one of my nice ones too.