2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks + a weekly Jettison Junk in January

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 

Managed to wake up slightly earlier today 12:25 😉 It is bitterly cold outside & very grey. So dark that even sat next to the widow I have had to put the light on ☹️

London_1, sounds like Catford & Lewisham we’re both thriving places to live 🙂 Great decluttering 👏 & I am very pleased to hear that your DGS will be moving the bookcases 😊

charlies_tribe, nice to see you.  A lovely supportive post 😊 - I just hope it isn’t years before DSis & DNephew start talking to each other again 😔 You have had a busy week & very well done on sorting the decorations 👏 Just wondering if there is a local crafting club that could make use of the old, damaged/broken decorations 🤨 Excellent digital decluttering as I see you are almost a quarter of the way to your target 👏

TheDoolallyDilly, sorry to hear that you are still feeling groggy 😔 I will have none of that “but no physical objects out” nonsense ‘wagging finger emoji’. You are still completing tasks & doing digital decluttering 😊👏

First things first, EnergyShifter, Happy Birthday 🎂 🎉 & I hope you are having a lovely day & are being spoilt rotten 😊 Meanwhile thanks for the “so here's a general "love / hugs / cheers  to everyone as appropriate.  ❤️ 🤗 🥂” Also great work not only completing your Tax return but also paying the tax AND teaching your DS as well 🥳👏 Worthy of a medal🏅 which is on its way 👏 By the way, what a lovely present to yourself - getting your ‘unloved tattoo’ reworked.

flamingo747, what a brilliant result re junior Flamingo’s toys 🤩 Fingers crossed you get a few more sales like that 🥳 

QueenJess, ah now I understand 🙂 I had visions of cupboards with just one or two items per shelf - silly me 🤪 From memory I think I have 7 types of sugar - icing, white & golden caster, dark & light muscovado, demerara & granulated😱 but I might be missing a couple 😉 I really do need to start doing some baking 😉 Excellent decluttering & great tidying 👏 & the tracking is definitely working as I do believe you have fewer hotspots 🥳 

Betharooni, sorry to hear that work is busy that it is leaving you exhausted 😔 However, well done on getting the clutter out of the house & on its journey to a new life 😊 Excellent work 👏 You have a very busy weekend planned, so do please try to find some time to pop into the TLC Carriage 🙏 

Siebrie, 🥳 to XMas decorations being in the attic - I take it you put them there 😉 Both you & DD2 are on a roll - reflector thingies on bicycle spokes + a clean & tidy living room 👏 Hope DD2 has a lovely time with her friends & that you get a chance to put your feet up for at least a few minutes 🤞

TC77, pleased to see that you are finally going to count digital decluttering 😉 Everything crossed that the big cabinet has been collected 🤞

A suitable place to stop for a few minutes so will post this 😉 DH is up, DSis has been up for hours & I am finally awake 🙂

MrsSD: I AM A ⭐️ - 🥇 🎖️ 💐 🌟 

DH Awards:

Decluttering Target 2023: 70/2024

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

florianatwobob

Box of bits sent to Ziffit yesterday so that will be another £5 in the loft conversion account and we now have floor space in the hall!

Three bags of compost used up today potting up plants and bulbs that should’ve been potted up last year. It as lovely in the sunshine with the blue skies after so much wet weather. Bloomin’ chilly however! Might need to look at some thermal base layers as we do have a habit of January gardening! 

Pitlanepiglet

Hi all, well done on all the good work and hugs to those that need them.  

I cleared a drawer!! 🥳🎉🥳🎉

It's the first I've managed to do in a couple of years so it feels like progress 🥳

I realise that I need to get to grips with how to use the storage in the house.  We have a 2 bed (plus office) bungalow with a 1 bed,  1 living room annexe connected to the kitchen.   We used to live in the annexe (with overflow stuff in the main house), with Dad living in the main house.   He died 2 years ago and I now realise we've never really "moved in" to the main house so everything is scattered around, much is still how it was with Dad here as his dementia meant we had to live in a particular way.    We have empty drawers,  but loose stuff everywhere and then drawers full of stuff that need to be sorted.  I struggled to part with some of dad's stuff and I need to revisit that and also look at the whole house at it as if we had moved house and plan better how to use the space 🤔 

daisy_1571

 I saw this and liked the sentiment, welcome new folks, well done those having successes largecand small, hugs to anyone who wants one and cwtches to those in need of a little gentle cosiness Mrs sd-s included.  I'll be back with some reporting once I declutter the mother back to her own house tomorrow 

Daisy xxx

Floss

@Pitlanepiglet (and other newbies) remember that slow & steady wins the race. It's taken a while to get to where you are, and it will take a while to see changes.

We're here to support, cheer on & celebrate those changes - from the small (drawer / shelf / table top) to the big (bags / wardrobe/ room) and we have your back. 

Don't try to aim too high - I know S-Club 7 said "Reach for the stars", but we start at a more realistic level 😊 Just one shelf, table top or drawer is enough to get you on the decluttering path, and there is no timescale - some folk have been quick, some have taken years, some have health or family that manage their pace.

Basically, there's no rules, no deadlines and no must-do's. 

Dfw38

Thank you moorviews, definitely a light bulb moment for me! Thank you as well daisy1571, a wonderfully accurate post! I am so glad you managed to make money from selling your stuff for nice things vulpix
Bag 7 filled. Most of it destined for the cs but there a couple of things there I might put on v!nted. Going to go through cupboards later and see what I can donate to the food bank.

London_1

 Its become almost a habit now to see things in a different light. I had got rid of such a lot, and to be honest really not missed any of it.
I am probably about halfway through my major declutter and every day if I spot something I think 'do I really need that  or is it just a dust catcher' .

I seem to have accumulated so many photo frames over the years.I have a feeling they will be going to the CS next week as most of them don't even have photos in them Why on earth am I keeping a box of them ?

its weird when you suddenly start to think about what stuff you have kept even in a 'just in case' scenario. I have now got to thinking if I've not used it/touched it  or even seen it for 6 months why am I keeping it ?    

But what started as baby steps, a little at a time has grown  quite a bit in the past month or so.
 Well done MrsSD you have given me the gentle push I needed to sort the junket thats been cluttering up my house for the past 28 years  

  JackieO xx

flamingo747

+1 another toy gone, another £5 made

Mostly just resting up, I'm fed up of the stupid cough 

Pitlanepiglet

Floss said:

@Pitlanepiglet (and other newbies) remember that slow & steady wins the race. It's taken a while to get to where you are, and it will take a while to see changes.

We're here to support, cheer on & celebrate those changes - from the small (drawer / shelf / table top) to the big (bags / wardrobe/ room) and we have your back. 

Don't try to aim too high - I know S-Club 7 said "Reach for the stars", but we start at a more realistic level 😊 Just one shelf, table top or drawer is enough to get you on the decluttering path, and there is no timescale - some folk have been quick, some have taken years, some have health or family that manage their pace.

Basically, there's no rules, no deadlines and no must-do's. 

Thanks Floss 🙏  It's much appreciated x 

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks + a weekly Jettison Junk in January

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 

Back again, so much for a few minutes - 4 hrs later 😉 DH started making a focaccia (1st proving) + has made a double batch of orange flavoured rock buns/cakes. I was chief weights & measures bod 😉 DH has also done all the washing up & I have dupa. The rockies are now cooked but the bread dough needs more time in the warming drawer as is still a bit flat 😬 

bit_by_bit, which would you prefer - venison or beef 🙂 Excellent & copious digital decluttering 👏

Excellent decluttering Florafauna 👏 apart from the £525 😱 a private dentist I assume 😫 

Brambling, your sister’s kitchen sounds beautiful 😻 Getting rid of work clutter from your head still counts 👏 

Welcome aboard the EDT, CoffeeSonata 👋 Sorry to hear that RL has been so very unkind over the last few years 😔 but pleased that you have found us  & taken your first step on the Decluttering Journey 😊 I am hoping that, although your partner doesn’t like letting go of things, they will at least be on board with helping you to relocate items from one room to another 🤞🙏 Might I be so bold as to suggest that a priority could be to create some space/a haven in your bedroom 🙏 Easy access to your bed, a clear bed and knowing that you have somewhere to have a restful nights sleep will work wonders on your general wellbeing 😊 As TC77 has already commented - “Do remember as Mrs SD reminds us that it has taken time to get into overwhelm so be kind to yourself” 😊 We are all here to offer lots of support, advice & encouragement + cwtches (aka special hugs 🤗). Many of your fellow declutterati family have started from the same point of overwhelm but have kept on decluttering - usually using a  little & often timed approach 😊 2024 is Your Year 🤩

TC77, a lovely welcome for CoffeeSonata 😊 Some great digital decluttering 👏

Siebrie what a marvellous post 🤩 Some great ideas for CoffeeSonata (also a great reminder to our Declutterati family both experienced & inexperienced 👏) to build her Decluttering Muscles & find the method that fits in with her situation & suits her best 😊

Dfw38, maybe not this year with the XMas decorations - I might need a couple of years to build up to it 🤣 As to your epiphany I am repeating chunks of it below :

“……… I had the house to myself so I sat down with these blasted decorations. 4 hrs later was extremely annoyed with myself... I very rarely get a night to myself and I spent it trying to sort through the baubles etc.” “What a waste of a night….  and was so annoyed I had trouble sleeping” “Woke up at the crack of dawn….. and had an epiphany, I am spending hour upon hour uhmming and aaahing about a load of stuff …….. that my dcs wouldn't even argue over when I am pushing up daisies and that I don't even care for. What is the point?!” “Enter existential crisis... and for the past few hours all I can see is stuff that I can willingly chuck or donate” So I am ………. start 'operation get life back from junk' I may be a while....😬 and it turns out it wasn't a wasted night - it was just what I needed!”  Currently standing at 7/366 bags so I am betting that the number will jump significantly over the next few days 🥳 Happy decluttering 😊

Liverpool_Anne, sorry to hear that you “have been feeling a bit strange” over the last couple of days. (Maybe an electrolyte imbalance through too much salt & then too much water 🧐 ) I hope that you are feeling better now 🤞 Some great decluttering & sorting 👏 How lovely that the carefully chosen rose given as a small engagement present was so well received 😊 & now you get to choose even more plants 🥳 Another lovely welcome for CoffeeSonata 😊

Excellent decluttering of books London_1 👏 That is a Lot of Books 🤩 Just curious about how many shelves there are in each bookcase 🧐 Four bags for life full of books must be extremely heavy, so I hope you are taking care when delivering them to the CS 🙏 Everything crossed that your DD’s house doesn’t take too much longer to sell than your’s 🤞When is your next IoW house hunting session? Not sure if you have realised yet just how “nosy” I am 🤣

The focaccia is almost done with its 2nd proving, so a perfect time to post & run 😊 Just the 2 pages behind 😉

MrsSD: I AM A ⭐️ - 🥇 🎖️ 💐 🌟 

DH Awards:

Decluttering Target 2023: 70/2024

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00