Twiddledout
member
Reged: 17/11/2008
Posts: 1053
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It’s here! Monday January 5th, the start of a brand New Year (well, officially in terms of Twiddling)
This month we are going to be decluttering. It’s good for the soul, good for Feng Shui followers and good for reducing your housework. You can’t clean around piles of STUFF very efficiently!
So, let’s start in the lounge/living room:
Notepads at the ready…
What do you want to use this room for?
Maybe TV/DVD’s reading, board games, chatting, playing, anything else?
What needs to be in here to achieve that?
Maybe DVD’s, TV guide, remote controls, books, games, toys and anything else connected to the room’s use. NOTHING else that needs to live elsewhere needs to be here, find it a home.
Anyone need to take down the tree and decorations today? Let's do that first!
So, after the tree is down and coffee is drunk let’s start at the door, open a drawer or cupboard and see what’s in there! Go on, you’ll be fine!
Chuck into the laundry basket or box anything that doesn’t belong here. Remember, YOU decided what the room was to be used for so anything that doesn’t fit has to go! Take a bin bag too to chuck things away.
When the laundry basket or box is full, take it out of the room and rehome things. Rubbish is rubbish, some things need to go to the charity shop, some things need a new home elsewhere so put them in that room for now – neatly please, and some things will have you scratching your head as to why you keep them. If you don’t love it, use it or need it then move it along!
Books and magazines – do they live in here? Give them a declutter too.
Ornaments – mys sister once wisely said to me ‘just because you own it doesn’t mean you have to display it all at once’ so now I keep ornaments to a minimum and keep some in a cupboard – or send them to the charity shop 
That’s it! You’re on your way to decluttering your home.
Hints & Tips
Do one drawer/shelf at a time, don’t overdo it or else the whole room will look a mess.
Collate like for like in the same place – keep all bulbs together, batteries together etc.
Stop before you’re bored so you have the energy to rehome things!
Let the rest of us know how you’re doing, us TwiddleTiggers like company! 
Please post any particular problems, someone is sure to have a solution (my solution would be bin it but we'll see what others think too 
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www.mrstwiddle.wordpress.com
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Twiddledout
member
Reged: 17/11/2008
Posts: 1053
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Also, use the notepad to jot down any things you need to buy - storage boxes, plants that sort of twiddly thing.
Oh and one more thing, we'll be doing the whole house but you don't have to do the same room as me each time if you have other pressing rooms to declutter!
There aren't any rules, honest, it's just that I make them sound like rules
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www.mrstwiddle.wordpress.com
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Twiddledout
member
Reged: 17/11/2008
Posts: 1053
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Ladies what work - you can use your notepads to visualise your clutter and make notes about it - see, I didn't leave you out!
...but you still have to actually declutter when you get home or at the weekend - sorry!
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www.mrstwiddle.wordpress.com
Edited by MrsTwiddle (05/01/2009 09:00)
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annamezzo
member
Reged: 28/12/2008
Posts: 11
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Sounds great Mrs Twiddle! I often have a skip for my birthday..yes,seriously,and I enjoy nothing more than filling it with the accumulated clutter of a family of 6.Very cathartic!
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Twiddledout
member
Reged: 17/11/2008
Posts: 1053
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Glad to have you Twiddling with us annamezzo, welcome to the forum! I used to order a skip in January each year and I found it very cathartic.
'They' say you have to get rid of the clutter to make room in your life for new things
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www.mrstwiddle.wordpress.com
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Bluebell35
member
Reged: 25/03/2008
Posts: 470
Loc: Kent
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Dear Mrs Twiddle
Happy new year.......
I have been secretly following your twiddling since you started, and now I would like to publicly join in. I love the daily twenty minute twiddles.
I am one of the workers so I cant do anything during the day, however I will make notes as suggested. There is nothing really in my lounge, not even a picture on the wall, so I will start in another room.
Have a nice day.
Bluebell35xx
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Thimble
member
Reged: 04/12/2008
Posts: 4320
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Good morning MrsT......my lounge is done!! I declutter (or put away) as I go along. Only thing in there that shouldn't be is box with tree in it. Too heavy for me to move and OH still very poorly so it will have to wait Everything else has been moved back to where it belongs now ready for a good dust, polish and hoover this week.
Do I get a gold star now please...............
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lizalou
member
Reged: 01/02/2008
Posts: 675
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I love de-cluttering!!
The problem is.. I have nothing left to de-clutter with.
Took down the decorations yesterday and threw away all the old broken ones
(add that to the list...)
I noticed recently that our local Charity shops are all looking a bit bare, so anything you get rid of will be given a good home elsewhere.
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Twiddledout
member
Reged: 17/11/2008
Posts: 1053
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Hi Bluebell, lovely to have you with us, your secret is safe with me 
Thimble, well done!
Lizalou, that's my problem I have hardly anything left to declutter myself! Still, a decluttering Twiddle was requested so that's what we'll do!
To all those reading/lurking, take a coffee break, this has to last all week!!
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www.mrstwiddle.wordpress.com
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Twiddledout
member
Reged: 17/11/2008
Posts: 1053
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My lounge has very little in it, I have a cupboard where we stash 'my' books - girlie ones like Trinny & Susannah and general 'how to be a perfect Mrs Twiddle' and a large coffee table, 2 sofas and a magazine rack.
We also keep a stash of DVD's in that cupboard as we're mad on movies.
So, I'll be using the week to clean the windows and hoover behind the sofas etc. Anyone else who has decluttered can join in spring-cleaning
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www.mrstwiddle.wordpress.com
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Suee
member
Reged: 21/01/2008
Posts: 2057
Loc: Switzerland
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My tree only comes down tomorrow,so will twiddle elsewhere until tomorrow.Declutter should be my word this year too!!Oh dear Mrs. T,I am a hopeless specimen.Keep up your good work,it motivates me,Suee xxx
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Twiddledout
member
Reged: 17/11/2008
Posts: 1053
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Jump in when you can Suee, lovely to have you with us, TwiddleTiggers love company!
Good point about the broken decorations lizalou
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www.mrstwiddle.wordpress.com
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MangeTout
member
Reged: 08/07/2007
Posts: 4123
Loc: Oxfordshire
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Mrs T, I'm not going to go on any other thread this week, I have so much to do in my house.
I am starting with my bedroom because my sitting room is clutter free. My main problem is magazines. I know I should throw them but I have a real problem doing so.
I know you're going to tell me to chuck 'em. What does everyone else do?
I will not be back her until lunchtime when I will allow myself a break from cleaning and decluttering.
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Willows Forum www.phpbbplanet.com/willowskitchen/
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Twiddledout
member
Reged: 17/11/2008
Posts: 1053
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Morning MangeTout, it's lovely to have you with us! I'm staying over here too as I have a fair bit to do.
Magazines. I used to keep piles of them but I can honestly say I never referred back to them so I chucked them into the recycling bin.
Some people tear out pages of interest as they go along and keep them in a box file but - can I be honest - magazine editors usually recycle the same articles year in year out, just in a different format and with newer adverts so I don't think you're missing too much. Try keeping 3 months worth if you need a fix
Interested to hear what everyone else does too...
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www.mrstwiddle.wordpress.com
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PLASMO
member
Reged: 13/03/2008
Posts: 12971
Loc: FLOUNCELAND
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Mrs Twiddle,
Good Morning to you.
I have been Twiddling most of the weekend, washing curtains, and ironing them - Yuk.
I love my magazines, so always take them to the local hospital, or Health Centre when finished, recycling as you say is the best option.
Just wondered, how often do you decorate your home, and if so, do you do it yourselves, or get someone in?
Plasmo x
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Daffodil
member
Reged: 03/04/2008
Posts: 274
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Morning Mrs Twiddle and All
Magazines are my downfall too, I have piles of them in several rooms of the house so yesterday I decided to declutter and sat down and went through several of them and tore out recipes which looked good. I do then transfer them to a file which I do use and refer to but I would agree that having done this for several years now the same recipes appear over and over again - I just cant help myself though!!!
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Loo
member
Reged: 09/01/2008
Posts: 2365
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Mangetout. Keep W&H January issue cos we are all in that, and it will become a collectors item. Keep any others where there are any forummers that you know. Bin the rest.
Do you seriously use the recipes you cut out? I never do, so its just a waist of time.
I have huge corner cupboards in the lounge, which have toys and games and 3 million vidoe tapes. I have been meaning to sort them out because I bought a new game for this Christmas, and it won't fit in.
I still need the tree to take down and put in the loft too. This twiddle may last several days! And the rest of the house too. It's almost overwhelming Mrs. T. but I will start with the lounge.
Loo
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...as in Looby Loo
This is me, with Andy Pandy and Teddy.
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MangeTout
member
Reged: 08/07/2007
Posts: 4123
Loc: Oxfordshire
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Daffodil, I'm glad I've found another magazine addict! Mine are mainly home and lifestyle mags because I'm doing up my house. I find it really hard to throw them out because I look at them for inspiration.
Plasmo, last time I took some to the doctors surgery they were politely declined! Maybe they get too many!
I had a box with recipes torn out from magazines but I rarely used them so I chucked them. It really hurt to do it as some I'd had for years but I never made any of them! Now I scan them and store them in a folder on the computer where they don't clutter me up. One less thing to worry about.
I have also keep all my bottles and potions that I use regularly in a basket on my dressing table. Means I can lift it and take it with me around the house, and it's much easier to dust the dressing table.
Just decanting all the half empty bubble bath bottles into one... What time is lunch?
Back soon.
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Willows Forum www.phpbbplanet.com/willowskitchen/
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Twiddledout
member
Reged: 17/11/2008
Posts: 1053
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Slow down everybody! This is declutter one room a WEEK!!
Plasmo, we moved into this house almost 2 years ago and it had been renovated. The whole house had been painted in magnolia emulsion and a few cracks have appeared where the house is settling down into itself.
So, to answer your question, we haven't decorated since we got here - oh, except I did paint the ensuite shower room a couple of months ago and I really like the whole house being magnolia!!
I have a couple of decorating projects this year and as with most things, I'm self-taught so it will be a mess - oops - I mean challenge!
Daffodil - that's a great idea for recipes!
Loo, slow down or you'll have nothing to do tomorrow
MT, you're looking good there!
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www.mrstwiddle.wordpress.com
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PLASMO
member
Reged: 13/03/2008
Posts: 12971
Loc: FLOUNCELAND
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Mange Tout,
Strange you should mention the medical centre refusing your magazines, slightly diverting but similar incident, I took a load of clothes to Age Concern, and they told me they had no room and were not interested at all. I had spent an age ironing and making them all look really presentable.
Charity in my opinion sometimes is a word that I dont always understand the meaning of. Is it charitable to accept and be grateful or charitable to refuse and turn away people with good intentions. I wonder.
Plasmo x
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