2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

mothernerd

Happy belated birthday Bala. Mine was last Friday (21st) and DS2 and his gf came at about 6 pm to spend time with me. They said they would have taken me out for a meal but a takeaway was safer for us all and much better for me (not been in a pub restaurant for 3 - 5 years and need to tiptoe back into any form of socialising). The pregnant lady and I got through 2 bottles of non-alcoholic wine, DS2 didn't approve my choice of photographs for mum's order of service so the whole bag came out again and then DS2 started picking up photos of himself and his brothers. Lots of photos and lots of family stories.

More questions yesterday. Pregnant lady asked how much DS1 weighed at birth, then DS2 and finally DS3. Gales of laughter as DS3 was a planned home birth and I said the midwives put him in the centre of a nappy, attached the corners to a hook and held him up. DS1 said they'd basically used fish scales. DS2's gf said she kept asking him things and his reply was don't know. They may call on Sunday depending on how long the pram research takes (think they're intending to buy this time) and if DS2 has completed all his work tasks. 

Funeral went 'well', everyone I spoke to said it was a lovely service.  The awkward people turned up but did not cause problems. I told DS2 to go and tell them that (3 of them) could go to the crematorium (about 20 of them did but they stayed in a huddle and at least waited for most of the family to precede them (they turned my brother's funeral into a circus, pushing in at the front and many family members were shoved to the back). 

Words about donations and the 'do' afterwards got missed from the final version of the order of service so comparatively few people there but it was lovely. I'd asked for a larger room than we needed and we were given the largest. All the 'most important' people were there, mine and my mum's cousins and my one remaining uncle and really close friends. Because I didn't have to go round from group to groups thanking everyone and spending a few minutes with each of them (as I did at my brother's) I got to spend quality time with the people I most wanted to see and shared my secret baby photo (scan of my first grandchild) with them.

I'd done 4 boards of photos (using the bottoms that had fallen out of the broken drawers - when you've put them back in for the twelfth time, you have to accept that they need retiring) including one of 3 of my aunts (all dead now) at my brother's wedding.

My brother had his own pew at the front of the church and crematorium with an empty row behind him. He was seated before everyone else went in and I'd put 4 orders of service flat in plastic pockets and sprayed and wiped them for my brother and other vulnerable people and because we had so much space at the food venue, my brother spent several hours there with his daughters and one niece's bf (I like that boy - he kept asking if there was anything else they could do, I asked if his drink was G*in*ss and asked if I could have a sip, helped with packing away excess food for me to bring home and he's coming with my niece next week to help me sort and shift stuff).

Had a reasonable sleep woke several times but either got straight back to sleep or did puzzle until I felt sleepy again. Will ease into the day gently again. Have written down details for many of the local charity shops as I've closed mum's bank account and will shortly lose the landline and internet access at the bungalow. Treating myself gently, will look for some nice jobs, I have lots of small packets of photos to post to people who couldn't come to the funeral for various reasons (we're all getting old). Can gather the stuff to take to mum's church with me on Sunday - mementos, raffle or tombola prizes, donations for the church that have come to me and torn off stamps (someone at church collects them for some charity or other). 

Don't need to go out but may later if I feel like it.

Happy_Kitties

🎉25.  Broken glass-binned
🎉26.  Wicker storage box that had been totally wrecked by the cats-binned
🎉27.  Tin of mackerels given to me for the cats which have merrily travelled around the kitchen-finally used
🎉28.  More cardboard into recycling
🎉29.  Plastic bits found in the above storage box into recycling
🎉30.  Paint taster pot used for touch ups, used up and into recycling
🎉31.  Small pot of black pepper out of date by two years-stil used and finally used up. Container into recycling

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 5 tasks
2. Deal with Old Frogs & potential frogs ASAP but at least one on FROG Fridays.
3. Reduce/Restrict time watching TV and playing AB2 during daylight hours 😉
4. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Never did get to finish Wednesday’s 2nd post 🙄 even though I started writing it last night 😱 So here goes - I did sort my mail 😉 I finally plucked up the courage to phone my female cousin R - for some reason I had become worried that something had gone wrong for her brother & his wife who were expecting their 2nd child at the end of December - no message received 😔 However, I was worried for nothing - R was happy to tell me that a bouncing baby boy (7lb+) was born at the end of December - Vincenzo 🥳 The only reason that we weren’t notified was that Covid had laid low R & her family plus her other brother & his wife ☹️ - our usual sources of family news 😉 Fortunately the new parents & their older boy + my 80+ uncle have managed to avoid Covid 🙂 
R & I chatted for a few more minutes & she will be arranging a family get together in a few weeks, once everyone is fully recovered 🙂
The portion of precooked mince from Tuesday’s batch cooking was made into a very tasty Bolognese sauce (recipe written up 😉) served with pasta shells & a generous grating of Parmesan 🤤 Wudupa.

144 - 146 Kitchen & office recycling, cardboard packaging - recycled 
147 Kitchen detritus binned

I will be back in a few minutes to cheerlead 🙂

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 147/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Jan £5.00; Feb

dreamyd

Hi - am delurking.

There's a lot of clutter in my house, and we  (Me, DH and the Feline Dictator) deserve a better environment. We've been WFH since March 2020, and I'll be transitioning back to the physical office at least two days a week.
My clutter triggers are clothes, craft materials and stationery (mostly pens and notebooks). It feels as though a lot of it is weighing me down, and I've got to the point where I just want to get rid of it and have a more 'grown up' house at long last.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 5 tasks
2. Deal with Old Frogs & potential frogs ASAP but at least one on FROG Fridays.
3. Reduce/Restrict time watching TV and playing AB2 during daylight hours 😉
4. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Very impressed at your planning TripleH 👏 It will make decluttering easier with a specific end goal in sight 🙂 Plus I really like that you are using your bay of e sales income to upgrade your top up purchases 👏

Great decluttering Gem-gem 👏 What a result re the shopping 🥳 - I think your DH should do all the shopping 😉 especially if he can get it at 80% off 😉😉 

Excellent work marrob 👏 You & your DH are a team so anything he declutters whether for you or not should be counted 😉

Sorry to hear about the car weenancyinAmerica 😔  Fingers crossed it can be fixed at minimal expense 🤞 Hope the funeral went as well as possible. Good luck with the yard frogs 🍀

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏 from my pov decluttering is far better than cleaning 😉

Good luck with your new project TheCraftyForager 🍀 

Belated birthday greetings balabooberlies 🎂 remember you are allowed a day off on your birthday 🙂

Sorry to hear that you have succumbed Floss ☹️ Please take it easy until you are fully recovered 🙏 

Excellent decluttering charlies_tribe 👏 even though you should be taking it easy 🙏

Suffolksue, it is very gratifying when you start sorting paperwork - especially if you can get rid of lots & organise what is left 👏

Great idea daisy_1571, keeping certain items in more than one place in a large house is definitely the way to go  👏

Well observed TC77 - getting systems to work for you rather than worrying about the style 👏 Sorry to hear about the huge frog that has reared its ugly head ☹️ - is there anyone who could help you or at least do some of the legwork? Good work on the decluttering & how exciting that a Marie Kondoed drawer is still pristine 👏

Lovely post wort 😊

balabooberlies, sorry to hear that your birthday was not great but grief comes at its own pace & does catch us unaware. Please take care & I am sending you hugs 🤗 

TC77 as you say RL is more important & I wish you a swift resolution to the frog. 

Great decluttering donna73 👏

Back later to finish cheerleading 🙂

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 147/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Jan £5.00; Feb

vulpix

Hi, I have been Mia and this is why. 

vulpix

I have also broken my laptop and have yet to set up one of Mr V’s old ones. I have finally managed to shake off my bad chest after weeks of coughing. 

 So lots of craft materials used up, along with wrapping paper from stash and cards made. The quilt is for DIL birthday. 

 Happy birthday mothernerd and Bala. Xxxx

 well done all you hard working folk on the declttering bullet train. 

 Vx

GrannyKate

@vulpix - lovely quilt well done

222 Hive batteries changed
223 Collection of used batteries put out with tins for collection
224 Answered and saved/deleted lots of emails

balabooberlies

Happy Birthday Mothernerd

Vulpix, my jealousy at your skills knows no bounds !

x

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 5 tasks
2. Deal with Old Frogs & potential frogs ASAP but at least one on FROG Fridays.
3. Reduce/Restrict time watching TV and playing AB2 during daylight hours 😉
4. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Back again 🙂

Nice to see you sumb7170 - with all the pages of posts to read, all the decluttering & working full time, I am just pleased you found enough time to post 👏😉 You have been extremely busy & so much decluttering 👏 and sorting - excellent work 👏 Very impressed that you returned unsuitable boxes & replaced with suitable storage for your art supplies 🙂 Your ‘Like with Like’ mission is going extremely well 👏 

EnergyShifter, Sorry to hear that your cold, obviously a very heavy one, has sapped your energy & now you are too busy to give yourself a bit of TLC 😔 Hopefully you will be able to relax on the train journey & enjoy the wedding 🙂 Very impressed that you resisted the lure of CS contents 👏 Hopefully now you know about your eyes, it can all be rectified quickly & painlessly 🤞 sending you good wishes.

Great work oceanspirit 👏 combining physical decluttering & continuing your journey to a healthier lifestyle 👏

mothernerd, what a lovely birthday 🎉 Always nice when a new member of the family wants to chat about the past - leads to lots of lovely memories  🙂 Lovely to hear that the funeral went so well & was a celebration of a life well lived 👏 Your niece’s bf sounds like a keeper & hopefully a new hat might be on the cards 🤞 Well done on giving yourself a bit of TLC - you have worked so hard to make everything go off so well that you deserve it 🙂

Great work Happy_Kitties 👏

Welcome aboard The EDT dreamyd 👋 Pleased that you have emerged from lurkdom with your DH & Feline Dictator 😉 & are ready to start your decluttering journey 👏 You are definitely not alone in those particular clutter triggers - there are so many of us who have ‘challenges’ with clothes, craft materials & stationery 😉 I would recommend dealing with them one at a time - so your first decision is which ‘stash’ is causing you most stress? As you are working full time my advice is to start small but also start now 😉  Remember you have taken the 1st step to a clutter free life 👏

The quilt is absolutely stunning vulpix 😍 

Back in a mo DH has just turned up - shopping all put away 😉

vulpix, a labour of love & it shows 👏😍 Very pleased to hear that you have despatched the cough 👏 + you have reminded me to post the baby blanket & card 😉 Shame about your laptop but very MSE that you don’t have to buy a new one 👏🙂

Great work GrannyKate 👏

You have your own skills balabooberlies so please celebrate those 🙂🎉 

Excellent decluttering donna73 👏 Paperwork sorted & well done on an empty porch 👏 even if it is only for a couple of days 😉

Thanks bit_by_bit - 3 years worry free is something I look forward to each time 🙂 A lovely post full of praise & support for fellow declutterers 🙂 What a huge amount of work you have done & I am very pleased that you have help from DS2 👏 Were you a farmer in a previous life? The skills you have are in great demand 🙂 You might feel very lucky but so is your plot buddy 👏

Yippee I have caught up 🥳 I will have a bowl of hm soup then wrap the baby blanket ready to post tomorrow, deal with todays post & write a proper menu plan. That should keep me busy for a while 😉

148 - 149 Two newspapers recycled

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 149/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Jan £5.00; Feb