November

 10 days in and I've not been able to do my cleaning.  I hurt my foot.

I have been still doing the shopping and cooking and cleaning up after cooking keeping the kitchen clean.

I start cleaning the living room as soon as I'm able. 

Here's my thoughts today.

Cleaning up is not my thing but it something i will have to do. Im ok at doing a deep clean but the everyday wipe overs and small jobs are not satisfying. It's a change of mindset i have to do. But i have no problem wiping over my piano everyday. I need to make wiping the kitchen side a pleasure and not a boring chore. Minimising is the key here and keeping the side clear.

Anyway. Not much to say now. Till next time.

New Update!!

Living room is now cleaner and i can see it is much more organised. I would say that my house is a big difference and clear of most of the clutter. 

It's time now to live and enjoy my space and create new habits and even set my routine. 

I don't need to decorate anything right now as its all looking good already. 

Past me would have thought I'm not completing the job. But I've done so much and gave it a lot of thought. New year is to actually look at each item around the house and minimise it even more and use boxes to store things im using or keeping. I use the whole year to get that job done. Remember i got loads stored in the loft that i need to sort out.

It's a good feeling right now and my next step here is to write up my routine to keep the house clean and tidy while keeping myself healthy and time to work on my projects. 

This would be the end of this blog but i will keep it updated with my cleaning routine and any hurdles i come across and to stop me slipping back to living in clutter. 

Next year is also cleaning up the garden and garages. 

To recap on that.

2024. House items have been organised and stored away till needed. Items not needed have been stored away in the loft for dealing with later as I still might want them.

Every room has been cleaned and is more or less clutter free. I have more space now in the house.

Next now is a cleaning routine aswell as my meal times and work routine.

2025.

Work on my work.

Organise what I'm keeping and store in a suitable box. 

Pack up and organise what I'm getting rid off. Get rid of it.

Make nice in the garden and store tools and building stuff in the shed.

Clean up the front of the house.

Clean all windows. 

Complete big projects and don't take on anymore. Cars, bikes.

Seems alot here but will be done .

2026.. who knows 😉

Kitchen day 6 Finished

 I cleared the sink side and a small wipe over. Thats all today. After dinner i might have time to clean up the side of the kitchen. 

Seems like such a small task and why would it take so long, i hear you saying. 

We all have out set backs and im not about to dive deep into mine.

Maybe i am just slow at cleaning and staying motivated is hard for me.

Also i got distracted today. 

This morning started well. I got up, had my morning tea and got dressed to pop out to the farm for my eggs.

My son woke up as i was leaving and wanted to come with me. So i waiting for him to get ready and we left.

Back home we then sat around chatting and now it's past dinner time. So im making dinner right now and cooking the dog food.

After food if i got the energy, i will finish the kitchen side. If not today, then tomorrow. 

Here is a photo of what I've done so far.

Upfate. 

Cleaned it all up. Kitchen is technically done. I could scrub the floor but it isn't that bad and can wait till it gets all decorated. 

Everything has a place, well almost. Some cupboards stull need reorganising but also can wait.

Today. Kitchen is officially done.

Time to chill till Monday and then start on the living room.

I just noticed i forgot the kitchen lights. They will need a clean up.

Dirty lights 

Kitchen day 5

 Im slightly not motivated to clean up the last bit of the kitchen. 

I got other things on my mind.

I don't have any dinner planed for today. I should go out and get my eggs and the weather is cloudy. 

I don't want a rush job and i still need to organise some more kitchen stuff.

I need to feel more lively so i should probably do the normal morning routine. Wash, get dressed and go het those eggs. 

So just for a while i will forget about the cleaning.  Here's a photo of the sink side before i clean it. It isn't a big deal.

I be back with a update.

.....

Dishwasher emptied. 

Cupboard organised. I had to put the slow cooker on top of the cupboards to make room in the cupboard for my pans.

I should put a cover over the slow cooker as things up there seem to get greasy. I do that now. Done ✔️ 

Sorted out the glasses to keep and stored them in a box on top of the cupboards as i don't use them much.

I gave the sink side a quick clean and i do a full job tomorrow. 

I also gave the fridge inside a good clean. It's all looking nice now.

Kitchen day 4

 Done a lot today. Cleaned up what i could and the walls. Cleaned behind the fridge and the fridge. 

I still ned to clean the sink side and clean the floor and fix the cooker fan.

I sorted out the kitchen bits i didn't need, which wasn't much and i managed to put everything back in the kitchen but more organised. 

It all starting to feel almost finished and tomorrow i be cleaning the sink side. I also need a few small shelves to help with keeping the area clear and easy to clean.

I replaced two missing handles as seen here. It will do for now until i decorate the kitchen. 

See you tomorrow with the sink side cleaned up. Also i still need to get my eggs for baking. 

Kitchen day 3

 I was up by 10am. Clocks go back tonight in the uk so i probably be up at 9am tomorrow. 

In the kitchen. The cooker on the outside has been cleaned as well as the oven top fan.

The inside oven is usable and wasn't worth the effort cleaning, as i plan to get a new one when its all done.

The cooker is looking all good on the outside. 

I stated to scrab the floor and it removed some dirt but not brilliant. Then i moved onto the small gap between the kitchen and bathroom. I cleaned up that whole area and is now looking much cleaner. 

Im not sure what other job i will do today. I still got the fridge and sink side to clean up and inside the cupboard. 

If i do anymore today i add it here.

Kitchen day 2

 Half the kitchen is empty. The cooker side and started on the deep clean. Im cleaning the old grease off with baking soda and vinegar then hot water and soap. It seems to be working and getting the hard sticky bits off. I got almost a week to do all this and can concentrate on one small area a time. 

Its 6pm and having a break then i need to start cooking dinner.

I do as as much as i can today concentrating on just the grease.  I wont think to much of tomorrow. 

The living room is packed with kitchen stuff and its not all of it. No way can that all fit back in.

Kitchen day 1

 I started to remove stuff from the kitchen. I am using the living room for now to hold the stuff.

I sorted stuff as,

Stuff i want to keep nearby. 

Stuff to keep but not used regularly. 

Stuff that is rubbish. 

And a pile of pet biscuits that my pets didn't like. Worth trying again to see if they like it this time before its out for the foxes.

I started later then planed to start doing the kitchen but all should be done by end of the month. 

I probably won't decorate it just yet but will give it all a deep clean. 

Not today

 It's Tuesday and i wanted to start the kitchen on Monday. 

Everything seems good. Im in a good mood. I got food. I got the rubbish in bags for wensday rubbish collection day. Just today i can't kick start me cleaning the kitchen. 

Im up all night and sleeping all day. Woke up around 2pm today. It's 5pm now and I've only been awake for 3 hours. This is more likely why I'm not cleaning up the kitchen right now. 

Normally i would feel like im never going to do it. But looking back on my blog i can see i am making progress.  Also i wake up to a clean bedroom.  I've noticed i been using my coat stand as a easy way to hang clothes on. So far it isn't too cluttered, but i have to make a rule. It's ok for the clothes im wearing regularly but not as a storage hanger. I also have my rucksack hanging there but i think that's acceptable. 

Socks are being dumped on the floor. I got two pairs already by the bed. Probably need to be put in the washing basket. 

I wouldn't say i was a slob, but these little mistakes lead to living like one. 

Back to the kitchen. 

I want it done by Friday. Including today, i got 4 days left. But today i just don't feel ready for it. Why?

1. Bad sleep routine. It may be 5pm but im still not fully energised and it's time to make dinner. 

That's the only excuse i got.

I see if i can do it tonight..

Update.....

Thursday morning 430am.

I got up late today and that's effecting my clean up.

Even a simple unload and load up the dishwasher seems a task.

Staying up late is how i live. Im not one for Staying in a routine and always around winter time and parts of summer, i end up Staying awake at night. 

Being awake at night isn't the same energy as being awake in the day.

Im in a restless state and my body still wants to rest. Maybe something to do with the sun and night cycle affecting our mind and body's. 

I can't see this kitchen getting done this week and im only two rooms away from a competently clutter free home. 

Here is how i plan to takle this.

Tomorrow when i wake up. I will fill just one box of stuff from the kitchen that i want to keep and use regularly. 

It's easier to pick things i know i use then to pick stuff im not sure i want.

I will keep the box nearby and then move on to packing bits i use weekly. 

That will leave bits i don't use which i will pack up and store away waiting to go in the loft.

With the kitchen cleared. Time to clean everything. 

As long as i do a little bit then it will eventually get done and even at this slow pace it will be done by next week.

Also i will do what i can to snap out of this sleep routine to speed up the de cluttering. 

I'm having a bath and i got relaxing music on. I won't stress over this time delay as life isn't all about cleaning.  If the kitchen is done by the end of this month (7 days) then i got the whole of November to do the living room. 

Ok. Next post will be a job post.

Busy day

 Not sure how many hours sleep i had last night but was up quite early.

This morning i was helping a mate with he's car and didn't get back home till 5pm.

I fed the dog, cooked her chicken and then got on with the last bits at tidy-up my bedroom and clearing up the spare room. More stuff went up the loft and my room is ready to wire everything up.

Tomorrow i have outside jobs to do and won't be back doing house jobs till Monday. 

Im planning to start on the kitchen Monday, but we will see how it goes.

I just read my while blog

 Thursday morning at 530am. I've just read my blog from the beginning to this point.

I feel i have done more then i realised and I've learnt to keep small plans and stick with them and just don't think about much else. 

Also I've learnt that it is important to take regular rest days. Days off. Don't over work.

I just had a thought now that a sign on the wall would help temporary. A sign that reads, 

Am I using this? Do i want it? Dose it belong to this room?

Just as a reminder. 

Ive rearrange one side of the living room. More for a tester and might stay that way but I still need to finish my bedroom and clear the spare room of things that can go in the loft.

I should still be able to finish my bedroom and storage room by Friday and then next week the living room, or kitchen. 

Also something completely different. Last two weeks i changed my meal plan. Im eating more veg and trying out other foods i don't normally eat. Today the new recipe didn't quite agree with me. Too much cheese and gave my a headache. I stopped suffering from headaches many years ago.  Also i might have changed my diet too quickly.  I miss a burger and chips 😉

Ok. Thats all done for this post. 

Goodnight. 

Bedroom building

 Today little by little i cleaned up my room and introduced my things back. I only been bringing back things i want to keep and use. 

The room still looks busy as it's my bedroom and music studio and office. I also have a spin bike i haven't used much but hopefully i will now.

I used to have a real drum kit and i would play that almost everyday. Since getting the electric drum kit i haven't used it as much.

If i don't use it as much then i probably have to get rid of it. That goes for the spin bike too.

I do a bit more tomorrow and might have time to wire up the computer and stuff.

Lost motivation cleaning the bedroom

 Im working on my bedroom today. Most of the room is cleared out and stored neatly in the spare room.

My plan for today is to clean the carpet and do the new layout. 

The room is almost cleared out and I've just lost motivation. I started when i started to think about moving the clothes rail to the other side. It's was a bit late to be drilling new holes and then i started thinking maybe it should stay where it is.

This put my mind in a loop and span me out of control.. i then had a nap but made myself get up and think about it abit more. And this is where i am now. Writing about it to help me in the future to overcome this living in a mess issue. 

I have done a fair few bits today so it isn't a wasted Sunday. I need to figure this out and then i can continue. 

Part 2.

Im back on track. My mistake was forgetting to minimise. I was tidy-up so well that it sliped my mind.

Ive moved the stuff out my room to clean up and make a new layout with less stuff.

I forgot and got stuck on thinking where will i put everything back.

Tomorrow i got a job to clean the room. I got my new clean layout and im only putting back stuff i want to keep. 

Next update on next post.

Bathroom Done

 Bathroom is done. Declutterd and cleaned. Lovely. 

I've always kept my bathroom clear of most junk, so it was the easiest room in the house. 

It took me an hour to clean everything and on my hands and knees wiping the floor. 

I just need to remember to clean it once a week or maybe every 2 weeks.

Relax

 Friday morning and I'm feeling drained. 

I am just a few bags and boxes away from a almost completely clutter free home and ready to start cleaning. 

The feeling of feeling drained may be because I need a rest, or it may be because i am up all night. Either way i need to feel better to continue with the clean up.

I know i will do the last bits today, i will make sure i do. And that's where my mind is at a blank. 

It must be the cleaning i know is next and im thinking about it and where do I start that is holding me up. 

I decorated the bathroom some months ago and i haven't been keeping as clean as i want it. That has been playing on my mind today. I clean up the house just for it to get dirty again. 

So I'm sitting here thinking about these things and making myself even more tired. 

My advice to myself is just to pack up the last few bits, have a shower. Eat some dinner and relax today. 

UPDATE. 430pm

I packed up the last bits and had a shower. Im not feeling as tired now but i still haven't got much motivation to do anymore cleaning. Im sick of it.

Today i will continue with relaxing and recharge myself up for the next process. 

Amazing progress

 330am and I've just loaded up the loft with what might be the 2nd to last time.

I'm looking around my house and everything is just small bits i can easily pack in bags and stick up the loft.

I guess at about 4 bags but not including the kitchen things.

Amazing! I've basically removed the clutter from my living space and the loft isn't overflowing leaving me plenty of room to go up there and sort it out bit by bit.

If i can bag up whats left and put it in the loft tomorrow then i can start thinking about the furniture and decorating. 

Only yesterday i said i was over thinking and thinking too far ahead. I didn't realise how close i was to this point.

I gave myself 2 months, which is the end of November but ive clearly declutterd sooner then i expected. It is a cheat sticking it all in the loft, but it had to be done. And it will be all sorted out throughout next year. 

Tonight i think i can relax now till the morning, then i bag up whats left remembering to not bag up anything that i use regularly and anything that may be used to decorate the house. 

I got about 7 weeks left till my end date.

Thinking to far ahead

Warning ⚠️  looking to far ahead of the job.

Box up more stuff today organising things together will make it easier for later when i have to decide what to keep or not. 

Move non essentials up in the loft making more space in the storage room for things i want to use.

I got this really fancy idea for decorating the living room inspired by a AI image i gave details to. I think i will do a test paint on my bedroom first to see how it looks. I could end up with my bedroom looking like my living room, or at least the same theme. Im happy with that. And i can't decorate yet till all this house is cleaned up.

I can't get my room to look actually the same but it helps to have a reference. 

It's too much thinking too far ahead as i can feel myself just sitting here dreaming of the room and it all seems far away from now.  I always thought looking ahead was a good thing to do as it would give me the drive to get up and get on with it. But to my surprise, it is the opposite. Without writing this blog i don't think i would have picked up on that. 

Storage space

 My plan today is to sort some bits from the storage room and put some bits in the loft.

I need to make space in the storage room to hold my packed bits im keeping that will go back around the house as they belong there. I've decided i will decorate the house once i have it very minimal and im the storage room doesn't need decorating. 

I sorted out some boxes organising whats inside and got a few more things for the loft. 

Having a little break now for tea then i get some more stuff ready for the loft.

So far it doesn't look like I've done much. I still have clutter everywhere.

Boxed the office

 My little cabinet i call the office is now all boxed up and old un needed letters have been trashed. 

Boxed and labelled. 

Pens, paper, envelopes and the small filing case has todays paperwork such as car documents.

I probably never use the envelopes but it is packed and labelled. 

It took a few hours and now the cabinet is free to move once i have cleared the top and packed the computer up.

The stuff on top need to go somewhere. 

Loft is almost full

 Today i have added more stuff to the loft.

Its not something i want to keep repeating. 

Im storing too much stuff and that's isn't what i had in mind.

I want to declutter my home, not hide it away.

It's the weekend and I will make a new start on Monday.  Time to move stuff closer to the door and out the door.

Update. 8th October 2024.

The weekend past and it's a Tuesday.  My sleep pattern has moved again and I'm up wasting time all night watching telly. 

Today i really feel like im struggling with all this cleaning up and I'm back here writing about it so i can learn myself and move forward in my cleaning journey. 

I feel i need this time to relax. I am playing my old. Tunes from the 80s on my portable speaker and having a nice cup of tea.

Im also waiting for a small delivery from online shopping that i ordered a few days ago.

I also got the dinner on in the slow cooker and it's getting dark outside. 

My mind isn't on cleaning up or Decluttering, im just sitting here very relaxed and enjoying the music. 

It has past a whole week since i said i have 2 months to clean up this place and not very much has been done.

This week a spent an hour putting more stuff in the loft. That's it! 

I don't even feel bad about not doing much more. Im lacking motivation to do it. I probably need to get excited about it. 

Ok. I see if that helps. Im going to put this down and think of stuff to excite me to tidy-up. 

Im not sure if that sounds strange but maybe when i read this later i can correct myself. Either way it's here and it's what popping out my head right now.

Kitchen shelves

 I sorted the kitchen shelves today. Got rid of a few things i didn't need and kept what i needed and my sons cups.

Also i got some glass jars I'm not sure what to do with just yet.

First month in

 It's been almost a month since i started this blog and my aim to clean up this house.

I've only done a few things in that time and to be honest, i don't feel very confident that it will be done by December. 

Yesterday i was going to do something in the kitchen but ended up sitting and chatting to my son for hours till late night. 

I feel mentally tired and i just want to drink tea.

I am physically able to get up but my mind is stopping me. I keep losing focus on why I'm doing this when i really want to be doing other things. 

Im writing this post for me to read later and say to myself something positive. 

Last year was the worst and we all have our own problems so i wont dive into mine.

It's when we decide to get back up and keep living is where i have been pushing myself. 

Decluttering the house makes a nice fresh start. A new life in a matter of specking. 

I don't mind sharing how i feel but i want to stay on track and get this house in order for my new projects im looking forward to be doing.

Under the sink

 In less then 30 minutes, I have a organised under the kitchen sink.

A nice before and after picture would have been nice, but i forgot to take the before picture. 

Before it was just ramed in there. I removed a small handful of stuff that belongs in the garage and a small few bits fit for the bin.

I then used the cat food empty boxes i been saving and used them to keep separate the under the kitchen sink stuff. 

In the boxes I got, basic cleaning products that can be used daily. Then i got deep cleaning products for once a month and then a pet care box for pet care stuff and the last box to hold cleaning cloths and sponges. 

I'm very proud of this small achievement as it is something i will be using and no more digging away in there looking for stuff.

The next cupboard is the laundry cupboard. I took a peek and decided to do it later.

I want to re decorate the whole house but only once i have decluttered and have it organised. 

Work smart

 A week and a half has passed since my last post. I have been working on a regular up keep cleaning routine. Things that never seem to go away such as washing, hovering and wiping sides and dusting.

This house seems to create a lot of dust and living with two pets and a grown up kid is a constant mess machines. 

Cooking also creates a lot of mess and bins are constantly getting full.

If i want to live in a clean home then these little jobs need to be straight forward and Simple. 

Starting with my clothes. Having to fold them or hang them is very time consuming,  why can't I just have a box for main clothes and a smaller box for socks and pants and just hang up shirts and trousers.  

It would be quicker and easy to upkeep. 

I also dry towels up stairs bought up from the washing machine downstairs. Then the towels go downstairs to the bathroom. Im thinking i could dry them downstairs,  maybe in the bathroom and then its automatically where it should be.

These small job ideas could be something worth thinking about and trying. If i think of anymore,  i add it here.

Living room storage

 I've noticed i am using my living room space as a storage space. 

Blankets on top of the cabinet with 2 DJ mixers. A box full of storage stuff on top of the other cabinet. I got used parcel boxes with bubble wrap under the side, and so on.

Today small job is to remove everything that shouldn't be in my living room out the room. It can all go in my storage room.

I think I've picked up on a problem. 

I do need some storage in the living room and that's why i bought some storage cabinets. But that has incoraged me to store more stuff down here.

I got 3 big storage cabinets in the living room that probably could be used else where. I think i should start thinking about removing the cabinets out the room and also get todays job done removing all storage stuff to the storage room.

Above is pictures i just took now of my living room storage. 

Im not entirely happy about uploading these pictures. I haven't uploaded them to be judged on how I live. I need this reference to look back on to encourage myself to clean it up. It's been many years living in clutter and ive had enough of it. But i still want to keep it. Eventually it should be less clutter and what i keep should be organised or displayed somewhere nice.

And it isn't the worst cluttered house I've seen but thats how it all starts and even living with this amount of clutter dose stop you enjoying your home as much as you could be.

Cleared A Shelve

 Another very small step,  but this shelving was a damping ground for small things i didn't want to lose when i needee them.

My wallet, a pen and other bits that didn't need to be there.

I'm not really sure what should go here but i do like the shelve. 

DVD Box

 I used a old box and stuck all the DVD's and game cds in there. It isn't much but it is a start.

I haven't got a place for the box but it has a lable.

Music box

 I got the microKorg keyboard and the volca korgs to fit in this case. I also got the electribe sampler that fits with this equipment. 

I adapted this case a few months ago to fit it all in but it never stayed that way. But it is a good idea to keep them all together and in a case.

It's half done today and something that i will finish, but for now it is packed and waiting to be done which was better then it was.

Sems Impossible

Looking at the stuff in the house to organise now seems like a impossible task.

I know that can't be true and i know i have been here many times before. Only this time, I am documenting it.

The house has stuff everywhere and I don't know what to do about it.

Just before this, I was playing the piano and playing a nice melody. I have ideas about it and I want to keep playing. I've closed the piano lid and made some tea to think about this cleaning up task and thought best to come here and write what I'm feeling about it.

I don't want to do it. But i have to do it. I want to be doing something else. Im over 50 years old and ive always had clutter. I should know better by now. 

Im writing this on my Mobile phone the table in front of me has no room for my laptop. 

Things are pretty bad.

Nothing done.

 2 days in and I've done nothing.

Saturday the 1st September, i had a friend round and we went out and meet with other friends and all stayed awake till 9am. So the following day was just to recover.  But then that night and i ended up staying awake till 7am just playing the piano and watching some tv. 

Today, Monday has been another wasted day and also sleeping most of the day.

Im making dinner at 11pm and probably will be awake till 4am.

I need to get back into a day light living and get on with this house clean up.

The purpose of this post was to document why i haven't started yet. 

Not yet Started

 Today is a Thursday August 29th 2024.

I have just 2 days to go to start on my clean up which will be on a Sunday. Even if I just do a small job. It will be posted here.

As for most of the time. Life get's in the way of cleaning up and free time is time to relax. 

This has to be more of just a clean up plan, as I've done that many times before. This has to be a change of habit plan. Like putting things back if they had a place to put back too. Small boxes that hold bits in. I have been reading up and will use most of the advice given.

I'm looking forward to the end results and decorating the house all nice. If I can declutter and have minimal stuff laying around then cleaning up should be a breeze☺