Sunday 20 January 2013

Fifty-five Bags - Week 2

Tagxedo - 55 bags in 55 days - JimjamsLast week labelled my de-cluttering post "Fifty-Five Bags - Week 1" and I wondered if I was being optimistic?  Would I have enough backbone to manage a second week (and keep going even further than that).  Was I setting myself up for a fall?  Or making myself accountable?

Well, thanks in part to all the lovely, encouraging  comments I received last week, I have made it to Week 2.  Some of you were already de-cluttering and others were inspired to play along - do let me know how you that's going - but one comment in particular had me laughing out loud:


You go girl!! I'll watch from here and shout encouragement. I thought a lot about decluttering and decided that if I do that what will my children have to do when I am gone? They won't need to get together and divide up the spoils so, no de cluttering for me! I want them to open a drawer and say "Good grief! what the h*ll did she need fifteen printer cables for?"

Thank you Ladykis for giving me the best reason for NOT tackling the clutter (and I certainly regretted throwing away those 16 airline headsets last week - perhaps I should have put them into a "special" box in the attic for a laugh).

I was working for part of the week and my daily de-cluttering fell by the wayside but I made up for it over the weekend.  On top of that a couple of my 55 locations didn't produce any bags of rubbish/recycling/redistributing (they still benefited from a deep clean and a tidy up though)..

The saddest thing that I addressed was a set of drawers housing the children's old art & craft supplies: felt-pens, "magic" pens, psychedelic papers, crayons, pattern pads, hand-writing books, Christmas card stamps, pipe-cleaners ... As Child No.3 is now of an age to start learning to drive a car, the contents of these drawers haven't been used for a while.  I regularly used to test the felt-pens and throw out the dried up ones, but this time they all went into the rubbish bag.  Child No.3 now has her Pro-markers for colouring!  Her scrapbooking stickers went into my bag of stash to donate and the local charity shop will benefit from several unused craft kits.  The tin of wax crayons has been saved (for now) as I'm sure I saw a tutorial somewhere about melted wax backgrounds :o)

Photo Collage - De-cluttering Week 2

The bottom of the mountainous ironing basket was also tackled this weekend: Child No.3 will be taking her still-wearable old school uniform items back to lost property now that she no longer has to wear a uniform ... {don't tell, but I'm pretty sure she "rescued" a P.E. shirt from there during her final term rather than ask me to buy a new one!}

Running total 12/55 which is still ahead of schedule (just!)

8 comments:

Mary B said...

You're doing brilliantly and thanks for the nudge I realise that I have several drawers in the lounge that need a going through. So that must be my task for this week.
The one thing I just can't seem to face though is my important/or not papers all shoved into a sideboard cupboard. I was going to leave that for N & H to do after I'm dead but if I live for another 10 years I will not be able to push/lever/squeeze them in. I will have to find another poky hole.

Lesley G said...

Well done Jemma, you are doing brilliantly, far better than me. Although I was inspired by your post I find that scrapbooking has just taken over my life so Imogen WILL have to sort the mess out when I'm gone. Mind you, if she's anything like me and my Dad she'll have enough of her own to sort out first.
Keep up the good work :)

Ladkyis said...

I could no more throw out pencils and crayons that fly to the moon! You keep those and the sticker for grandchildren - I know it seems too soon when the fledglings have just flown the nest but trust me things happen. Felt tip pens should go as, in the hands of children, they are the work of satan and should be banned for under 18s.
I was inspired by your determination and "did" the cutlery drawer. I then shared out the - wait for it - 59 medicine spoons. No wonder there was a fountain of plastic every time Mr M opened the thing. My two sons will be getting a very strange packet in the post in a day or two - a brief note that says "this is your share of the cutlery drawer booty, love Mum" and some plastic spoons. Wicked? Me? you betcha!

CoventryAnn said...

I don't think I could ever totally empty my children's 'making cupboard'. It started over 20 years ago in our first house as an empty box of Terry's All Gold; I put in all the pretty papers from the christmas sweets for Hannah (now 21) to play with. Now it takes up a cupboard in the corner of the kitchen. Like you, mine are past the age of many of the items inside were designed for, but the Hama beads, hair braiding kits pens and paints are all staying put! To be honest, i think the girls wouldn't be happy if I cleared it.

Clair said...

Um. Just catching up on my reading and having started with your most recent posts, I'll have to wait to find out exactly what you were doing with 16 Airline Headsets!

I'm in decluttering mode too, so I'll be happy to hold you accountable, if you want to prod me along as well. I've no idea how much I've throw out already (that much!) so maybe I'll have to start from scratch? I have a feeling I can still manage 55 bags! :)

Beverly said...

You are rocking this, I better get back on track!

Missus Wookie said...

well Wookie and mused yesterday that several of our friends have decluttered... as their 'youff' are currently here complete with luggage. Need to have a good tidy - which is on the cards for first thing Saturday...

younger neices and nephews are useful people with left over bits. We donated a box of unused craft kits before Christmas that had for several years for Ewok to decide what to do with...

ComfyMom~Stacey said...

Way to go on the decluttering this week! I'm about to tackle the old pen & art stuff drawers this weekend.