2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Wednesday2000

I have been very clumsy this morning. I managed to drop and chip one of my LED candles, kick the dust pan and brush across the kitchen and spill marmalade on the floor.

I am doing two loads of laundry and vacuuming before my dog gets home as she hates the noise it makes.

I did a quick dust and tidy up of the living rooms and sorted out a corner that attracts clutter. I am using up the incense sticks I have left, but then I'm not buying anymore. My wooden incense holder makes too much mess and it is cracked as I dropped that too so that will be binned.

Before and after.

flamingo747

Very pretty Wednesday 😍 
MrsSD it was just a digital book  from the library  so no decluttering 

+2 items decluttered, made £13 which sadly I have to split with my menfolk as it was technically their stuff, despite my argument that as the sorter and arranger I should keep it. They'd make nothing if it had gone to CS, and noone asked me to sell instead! This is in addition to the £24 made yesterday, of which Junior Flamingo is getting £10. I think the rest should be mine as I had to sort, list, arrange,  package, and go to the post office

One more item to be collected today, but no decluttering planned. I still have the cough, and DSil who I visited on sat the same type of cough and a pneumonia diagnosis, so watch this space. Rest and fluids are the order of the day.

oceanspirit

Wednesday what a lovely calm corner you have created.

Welcome to all new declutterers.

A slow week due to high fatigue levels.  On the days I was ok, had to do day to day admin, cooking etc so not much done to move things forward. That said, used up some food stocks in the cooking and a couple of things for friend left the house this morning.  More food items came in - that we have been given - so need to use them all asap as they are fresh veg and herbs.  It’s lovely to be given things however DSis has made and frozen meals for us so I don’t have to use precious energy cooking so I would rather just eat those instead of cooking more.

So, need to make a meal plan for the next few days using what we have been given, get out for some fresh air and put decs away which were taken down nearly 2 weeks ago but not yet packed into their boxes.

BlueJ94

I need to join this thread, I am hopeless of getting stuff out leaving it out and forgetting where it is. So I have a 3 bedroom house, main bedroom, gaming room and the spare room of doom! The spare room is an absolute mess, my goal is to declutter and keep it clean and tidy! I also need to throw away/donate old clothing! 

vulpix

Welcome coffee sonata, looking forward to hearing all about your journey.

DFW, hear,hear. get rid of it. My sentiments exactly. I have asked my kids what they would like of mine and have no qualms about letting everything else go. DS wants some old drawers,DD1 nothing,DD2 an old mirror. I think your children will be younger than mine but even so they will have their own things and taste and may not want other peoples too. My Mum has kept a lot of her Mum's things but they have no emotional connection for me. She died when I was one. I like the idea of either selling my unwanted stuff and using the money to do nice things ( one year I made £3,500 and we went to Turkey with it) or giving them to charity and that way I can make donations or I just like to give stuff away to someone who needs it or will love it. Having emptied my MIL's house last year and currently emptying my own Mothers house I wouldn't want my Children to have such a time consuming burden. I can see why time poor people would just get a house clearance company in. I imagine very little of the house contents would be sensitively disposed of that way. As for me, I have only kept what we use and what we really love. I think the house is still cosy and not austere but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 Wednesday, that looks pretty. I love the tulips.

 Mrs SD, it sounds like your nephew is sticking his head in the sand because he is ashamed of himself. If he was desperate for money I am sure his Mum would have helped all she could. Silly boy. Very sad for your sister, I don't think the sadness she must feel will help her health either.

 I do hope everyone feeling poorly,or out of sorts feels better soon.

 another candle used up, I will take the jar fro someone at craft club.

 Vx

flamingo747

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/organizing/a43826147/swedish-death-cleaning/
The talk of what will happen to your stuff made me think of this! I just turned 40, but Junior Flamingo isn't the sort who will want  a lot of my sentimental stuff from being who he never even met

Dfw38

Thank you vulpix and flamingo, my dc are 8,5 and nearly 3. Having just cleared my dad's house I cannot even bear thinking about my dc having to wade through our stuff (we aren't as bad but there is still a huge job ahead to clear it all) once we have gone. 
I have a guitar of my dad's and a couple of bits of jewellery of my mums. That is all I wanted. 
I have filled bag 6, a load of decorations (will donate later in the year) and some random bits of junk. Bring on bag 7 😁

BudgetingBelinda

1/3 of wardrobe/s done. 1 charity shop bag, one bin bag- holes and old stuff. That door of the wardrobe shuts now! Might do more later but cuppa and chill then the usual chores and see how I feel. There’s always tomorrow and the rest of the week! 💪🏼

Moorviews

@CoffeeSonata - welcome to the declutterati 😊 I think many of us experience those times where everything gets away from us, things pile up and then drag us down further. There are so many reasons for this and none of them are anything to feel embarrassed about. We are then faced with an overwhelming task whilst feeling below par, physically, mentally, emotionally, or all three. I am easily overwhelmed so had to start very small, just picking a single surface area that could be cleared in about half an hour. I often squeezed things into already packed cupboards and drawers just to get like with like. Mrs SD described these smaller tasks as exercising my decluttering muscles. It was true for me and I started to get the confidence to tackle drawers and cupboards. Where my house is now compared to January 2023 feels amazing although there is still plenty to do! Going through the year I have enjoyed reading all the contributions on the thread and visualising fellow members’ successes. I had to let go of the idea that while my fitter past self could have ripped through the tasks, that isn’t where I am now and that’s okay. 

@Brie - your kitchen is looking very promising already and I can’t wait for the big reveal when it is finished!
@Dfw38 - it sounds like you had a 💡 moment about how much time “stuff” takes and what it is really worth. I hope that next time you have a precious 4 hours to yourself you are able to spend it in a more enjoyable way. 

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger - your sister is in a very sad situation which I hope they can find their way through. I am delighted for Mr SD about the boots!

By the time I have read all the posts I run out of time to post. I do register and feel for the various situations and difficulties that people are facing with family, work and pets and offer virtual hugs in response. Big cheers too for the declutter successes, particularly loud for you @charlies_tribe with your epic list! Welcome also to all our new members 🤗 waves at @BlueJ94!

I have been incredibly random in my decluttering but have shifted my cold on, not to anyone else as far as I can tell! A new bathrobe for Christmas means the old one has gone out. I have cleared some old jars and bottles and wiped out some of the fridge. Large collection of butter papers out. Some Christmas chocolates and sweet treats also decluttered, unfortunately for my waistline. Past their best flower arrangements discarded. My poinsettia also needs to go. I have tried to resurrect them in the past but it is too much trouble and not very successful. Sorting out my wool stash revealed some moth damage 😢 I had put it into a different cupboard without first vacuuming it out so I have learned a lesson there. I thought that we had managed to get all the Christmas stuff into the loft but inevitably I missed some things. I am still using up food and have made a mental note that Mr MV coming shopping with me when the shops are full of Christmas stuff is perhaps not the best idea! Going through my china cupboard I have noticed many pretty little knick knack ornamental things which my mother has given me. I shall donate to charity shops probably. They aren’t really my taste but I am sure they will be enjoyed by someone else. I have other, more meaningful things that will keep my mum in mind. 

I need to upset the dog and whizz my latest soup, celery and Stilton, in the liquidiser. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend. 

Moorviews

I knew I had forgotten something! @Wednesday2000, I love the transformation of that corner area!