Seeking Tidying/decluttering buddy/ies

[petal2019]

Does anyone fancy a tidying buddy? Or in fact a virtual decluttering buddy? I need to do some major decluttering and tidying... I wonder if anyone would like to join me in this and we could cheer each other on!!!?

DDIJ: if your body is telling you that you need sleep, I'd listen to it. Decluttering can take so much mental and physical energy and you might have reached your limit for the moment. I know that your children might not make that possible but maybe a bit of self care should be high on your priority list

Petal Proponents of Feng Shui would certainly have you believe that the two things (and all the luck in the world) are linked. Our house has been upside down for 3.5 years and it has been challenging to walk into rooms and look at the clutter, and motivate yourself to do something about it when I've been knowing that it's all going to be covered in dust again next week.

However, the final carpet is being laid in the extension on Wednesday and I will have one room that will be filled only with the furniture that is supposed to be in the room, which will leave space in other rooms and we can finally decide where things are going. Still a huge uphill climb, especially as I've had to start repainting two walls and then you notice settling cracks appearing in the new plaster so you get out the polyfilla, then you have to dust again when you sand it down....

Having a moments peace with a coffee before getting on with the chores. I started digging into the huge pile of clean clothes that needs putting away yesterday, so once I've done my general chores, I'm going to carry on with that. It isn't decluttering but will make the day to day things easier rather than looking through a pile of clothes every day ! It's the one thing that I fall behind on when life gets crazy, but has the most day to day impact

I need to-
•washing clothes
•bleach everywhere // clean bathroom
•vacuum
•clean the hamster out
•de clutter a lot of shit in the spare room
Which is actually gonna take ages and I feel like I just want to shut the door and never look at it ever again
•more washing
I hate washing

Today I have painted a wall, emptied a room ready for new carpet, and discovered some of the screws holding the plasterboard in said room have popped and I had to polyfilla them earlier. Just about to sand down and slap on some paint before tomorrow.

@Tidyhomewannabe I know exactly what you mean... me too! How did you get on in the end with that?
I have a pile of clothes to reach the ceiling .... waiting to iron...things that have to be ironed and then on the floor of my bedroom is the biggest heap of clothes that has been there for weeks while Ive been feeling a bit low. However Im determined to tackle them now.
Once Ive done my general downstairs tidy for today I will join you in clothes putting away!

@DDIJ I really echo what @9Greenbottles said about you caring for yourself. Poor you... Im so sorry you are feeling so overwhelmed. Did you undertake any 'self care'? Im not sure what that would be for you.... sleep? nice hot bath? I do hope you are alright and feeling a bit better today!

@9Greenbottles.... I don't know anything about Feng shui.... is a tidy house really linked to luck? In which case I am determined to increase my luck!!
sounds very nice to have an extra new room...that sounds like a great new start!

Ok! my daily early morn tidy.... I have an hour before going to an exercise class!! I wonder if I can get the whole of downstairs done and start getting my ginormous HEAP of clothes in my rooms sorted....

on my marks.... get set... tea....go
4.55 sofa

5.07 rug
5.09 dresser top
5.12 Table
5.33 sitting room done and dusted... I think Im getting quicker!
ok.... kitchen
5.34
oh I hate doing the kitchen...
clear the side...
5.35
5.38 clear other side
5.44 empty dishwasher
5.50 oh yuk... washing up....
I hate it.
5.56 oh god washing up! need to get rubber gloves.
and ....
kitchen done 6.10
so now off to fitness class.

7.10 back again.
cuppa tea then try and get kitchen floor and humungous pile of clothes in my rom sorted.

Improvement ideas!!
I was just thinking that if I could possibly cook in advance for the evening then I would probably manage to get small person to help tidy before bed... and then I would feel less overwhelmed. I shall try and do this today.

Ok... had a long breakfast break.. onwards.
bathroom. 7.40
7.49
hi @elmoo76
I really know what you mean about washing. For me the problem is putting it all away!

I am finding for things that are overwhelming.. if I tackle it in tiny increments it is not so bad. I find choosing just one topic.... like white things ... or things near the door... things on table.... all the shoes... and then writing it here (scintillating reading) works quite well for me. although poss not for others.

ok... onwards and upwards... that is what I have to tackle now...
cuppa tea... and ....
....at least sorted the ironing into piles. first step.

Petal: You appear to be a real early bird - I can't function for a couple of hours in the morning. If you're thinking about making dinner the night before, have a look at batch cooking and putting things in the freezer.

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese belief system about different parts of your home being related to different parts of your life. There are various schools but generally clutter is not beneficial.

@ddij omgoodness! Mine chucks it all in the cupboard as a way of tidying up.... Im beginning to envisage this decluttered very minimised selection of clothes... and the ease it would create for tidying!

@9Greenbottles
early bird.... well sort of.... I am regretting it now though! think I still v worried about decisions.... so that was why I woke up... however Im regretting it now!

petal all clothes are folded and in allocated rooms so will hopefully be put away tomorrow !
I bought a second hand kallax unit the other day that 'had a few stickers' on it, took me all evening yesterday and all day today to clean them off !! Looks good as new now though, can't complain for £15 for the 16 cubed one ! It's now in its place in the playroom and all the toys are all over the floor waiting to be decluttered and put away I am calling it a day now though and having a gin cheers everyone, hope you've all had a productive day, if you haven't , rest and try again tomorrow.

Wow @Tidyhomewannabe! fab going! Well done! im being shockingly slow... I think I need to sleep!!
I will try again in the am!!
good night!

I'm hoping because you haven't posted petal that you've managed some sleep after your super early get up !

I'm needing lots of caffeine today, busy from 1130 today, visitors, dental appointments for all 3 children and a presentation evening. Concentrating on clothes putting away and toy sorting this morning after the school run .

DDIJ What sort of response would you get if you hid the clothes they put in the bag and said you had thrown them away? Would it teach them a lesson about consequences or would they be too young/just not care? Of course, you're just moving the clutter elsewhere by doing that 😀

Tidy Kallax are great with those boxes that you throw everything in. £15 was a bargain!

Petal So is this a bit of therapeutic displacement activity? Sometimes we need to take our minds off the big decisions and let our subconscious have time to work. I hope you are able to sleep more.

Yesterday we moved the furniture into the dining room and it looks pretty good. There are a couple of cupboards that I'm not 100% sure are right where they are, and the side table we bought is too small and looks a bit ridiculous - but finishing that room means we have space to start moving things everywhere else in the house to their permanent homes. It did feel odd to come downstairs and not have a table, two cupboards and a big mirror to squeeze past in the hall for the first time in three years! There is still an Ikea Pax bargain off ebay and a big sack of cat litter so it's not exactly tidy 😀

Today I'm going to load up the car with carpet and underlay offcuts so that clears a bit more space.

Gosh, everyone is making progress

I’ve been knackered as mum is ill but she has someone else with her today and I’m trying to crack on. I have realised that it’s more about regularly keeping on top of stuff...and planning...so hard to have a place for everything in a small flat.

I’m going to tackle the kitchen....I will not MN for 1 hour!

Wow, that was so boring!

Been back for a few days, but running around doing errands and taxi service for DDs. I finally have some time to make a start. One coffee first, then I’ll leap into action.

I did get rid of a few things yesterday, I collect the points on the Yeo Valley yoghurts and a huge pile of yoghurt pot lids. That’s gone now, all tokens added online. So that’s one small job done.

That wasn’t boring Rosa, hope your DM feels better.

Thank you Adora
I actually meant the hour cleaning the kitchen was boring 😂

🤣 my mistake, sorry.

I’ve done about an hour this evening, 13 boxes emptied and collapsed for recycling. Shame it was collected day. Also a bag full to take to chazza.

Well done everyone