2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, it's official - I have orchid envy, amazing pictures and hopefully one day I will be able to keep one alive

Well 2 more big bags of bramble into the green waste bin and ta da all the above ground is gone. The last bit had just turned the corner to come up the side of the garden and was between another climbing rose and a small holly tree. I have far too many prickles in this garden  

@Mrs SD, OH tried the hack it back last year but unfortunately didn't remove all the cut stuff which just made it harder this year as I had to drag dead bramble and rose out to get to this years lot

@Wildrose, I also have a bamboo it is only a small one but needs getting a grip of. I chopped it back last year and made the base for some wreaths with it while it was still pliable, unfortunately the chopping seemed to stimulate it into growth and it's bigger than ever now but as you say it's very difficult to get out, the roots seem to form an impenetrable woven mat. I am going to try to lift it and put a small bit in a big pot as I do like it. This is my next garden job, I will update later in the week

@nannywindow, you are right about the vinegar bottles no longer being refillable, very annoying. I inherited an old fashioned glass vinegar bottle, like they used to have in the old fish and chip restaurants, from my Mum and use that so I get the cheap vinegar. I think you can still buy them.

Tomorrow I need to take my secateurs to the mending shop, I think I have injured them. They might just need the blade sharpening but if they aren't fixable I will have to get a new pair. They are at least 17 years old and have had a fair bit of use both here and at OH house so I can't complain but if I need a new pair I want the same ones as they are just the right size for my hand and have a rachet system so they cut through quite thick stuff easily, when they are sharp

Well off to sleep now
Take care everyone

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 

Sunday was a dull, overcast day with some light showers but slightly warmer than Saturday. DSis did 2 loads of washing & managed to avoid the showers - clothes almost dried on whirligig but finished off in the td. After watching the MotoGP races, DH did our first planting - 12 potato eyes in 4 potato bags; also started prepping the smaller of our raised beds & lastly started putting up a trellis on the side of the shed. As to me, I have a light summer dress with lots of beading which I wore several times during our holiday. Unfortunately beads kept falling off & because they were so small I never found them - lost approx. 70 beads ☹️ So today I spent about 90 minutes reinforcing the stitching/threading of the remaining 622 beads 😥 ready to hand wash tomorrow & hopefully line dry 🤞 Then as I had my sewing box out I did repairs on 2 T-shirts & a woollen jumper. Only have my camouflage trousers to repair now but need patches 😉 The only other thing I did was cook a full roast dinner - pork with crackling, roast potatoes using goose fat, mashed sweet potatoes, carrots & cabbage 🤤 Wudupa.

937 - 942 Kitchen recycling, glass jar, plastic bottle, cardboard box, cardboard packaging, magazine - recycled 
943 - 945 Kitchen detritus, 2 empty plastic compost bags - binned

Welcome aboard The EDT Wildrose 👋 Firstly I would like to offer my congratulations on your divorce 😉 sounds like it was a wise & brave decision. Secondly I am sorry to hear about your RTC and that you are still suffering from the injury sustained in said RTC - it does make decluttering so much more difficult 😥 You have already done a great deal of work 👏 & I would reiterate that it took a long time to build up that amount of clutter & so will take some time to clear. GrannyKate has come up with some very good suggestions/ideas. My initial suggestion is to make sure you have a haven - a room that is completely clear of clutter & that you can retire to with a beverage of choice & do something you enjoy - could be reading, listening to music, knitting, doing puzzles 🙂 

To make a greater/quicker impact rather than one in, one out try one in, two maybe three out. 

Lastly try not to put so much pressure on yourself - you are already a very successful declutterer 👏 So again welcome aboard & I look forward to reading of your progress 🙂

Some excellent ideas GrannyKate 👏 Also great decluttering 👏

Great work Baxtersmum 👏 I think two shiny pennies qualifies as two days of good luck 🍀 Not sure if I mentioned my holiday finds a total of 81 cents including an Indian Head nickel 🙂

Now that is what I call a Haven, Wildrose 👏 outdoors with nature 🙂 with the lovely smell of baking bread & the joy of washing line drying 👏 

Just seen the time so am off to bed 😉 I really do need to get into a proper routine 😔

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 945/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Running Total £167.12

florianatwobob

@nannywindow I had a similar issue with a vinegar bottle. I now decant from a large plastic vinegar bottle into a lemon juice bottle from S*burys which is refillable 

GrannyKate

Right DGCs collected by their mum to take to school, washing on line and in machine, dishwasher empty, house clean and tidy thanks to DS2.  Going out at 12.30 so I have 4 hours to tackle those frogs - need to catch them first.

896 Box of small electricals to recycling from DS2's stash
897 Cards posted
898 Broken plastic box to tip
899 Plumbing kit to auction pile at tip
900 Lawn seed sprinkled at front before rain
901 Lawn and patio weeds sprayed - one empty pot to recycling
902 Probable scam text reported to bank

Need to crack on and find another 109 items before half yearly point at 30 June.

Wildrose

Thanks for the warm welcomes, just what I need, I've felt so alone with this huge task. 

Yesterday I planted up a tray of Busy Lizzies, 88p from T***o despite being in good condition, not dehydrated to near death. Also potted up the last of my cosmos. This small area of the garden is v important to me for relaxing, thinking, reading or just being. I lugged some stuff from the big shed to the garage and found some supplies in there for my work on the big shed. So re-arranging things but putting them where they're needed. 

Marvelled at the great quality of my home-made compost then had to set to work shovelling and mixing in-process compost as the dalek had fallen over after I dug out loads of the usuable stuff from the bottom.

Bread was delicious, laundry dried, made a salad nicoise, binned a cracked plastic tub. Took heart from everyone's posts.

@vulpix & @Liverpool_Anne & @Mrs_Salad_Dodger suggested making my bedroom (or somewhere) a calm space. The lack of one has really hasn't helped my state of mind. My bedroom ceiling needs repairing as a sizable area of plaster fell from it, leaving exposed lathes. Makes for a well ventilated room but cold in the winter. So I need to get quotes, empty the room and get it done. There is a huge built in wardrobe all along the longest wall, stuffed full of boxes of assorted items. This will all need to come into the living room which is currently cluttered with DS3's belongings as he is  between homes. He is camping out at DD1's home but I have a lot of his belongings. He sustained a head injury last year and had serious post concussion syndrome, not really over it yet. He went back to work by the end of the year but is not fully himself. For nearly 3 months he needed 24/7 care which I mostly provided which also knocked plans off course. Rental properties are hard to come by and competition is fierce so this situation could take some time.

So, basically, I have no clear, calm space except for my outoor area which only works for some of the year! 

Meant to individually thank more people but I'm afraid of losing my post. Will come back to that. off to take a shower and tackle today's tasks. 

EnergyShifter

EnergyShifter said:

After my strong start to the week I have slowed down - some of it was due to heat so I'm not complaining!  Got a few things done today including washing all the downstairs floors now the dust has settled.  Upstairs tomorrow if I can summon up enough energy.  I'm off to Salisbury for a few days on Monday (I'm referring to it as my DIY Retreat) so will have to pack and get stuff organised in the house as ExH will be staying here with DS.  

698. EMDR Session 3
699. Bin full of shed 
700. Broken plate
701. Cleaned downstairs floors
702. Broken storage container
703 & 4 - 2 x old towels used for floor cleaning

Well ... The train strike has scuppered my plans to go to Salisbury - I'd naively assumed because I was travelling on the non-strike days I would be ok but one of my friends brought me to my senses and only then did I notice all the warnings to avoid travelling by train all week.  I tried to get a coach but they were all booked up and I don't drive so I had to cancel.  The place I was planning staying  at gave me a full refund which I hadn't expected and I was super-grateful for because it means I can simply reschedule and enjoy some time off work.  The knock on effect is that because I am not going away exH felt he couldn't stay here - so he had to look for a hotel and we found that they'd all hiked the prices up - local travel-lodge was £500+ for 3 nights !!!! So he's not coming....!!  Well at least it galvanised me to clean the floors!! DS was is a little disappointed initially but I heard them making alternative arrangements last night.

Soooooooo ........... Looks like me & DS are having a staycation this week - the weather-forecast could hardly be better ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

705. Old pillowcase used for floor cleaning
706. Refund for my accommodation

vulpix

You enjoy your staycation energy shifter. Nowhere nicer when the weather is good. 

Granny Kate you are amazing. You do so much and all to the benefit of others too 

wildrose ditto. I would prioritise making a lovely bedroom. A sanctuary for you. I also get your lovely garden space. I am prioritising making a garden over a new bath room and kitchen , and masses of other house jobs. The hard landscaping is beyond my skill but the ideas are all mine. I am almost at the planting up stage. A restful outside space is very important for me. I brought as many plants as I could with me from my old house and I have the lovely job of deciding where their new homes will be. 

 When I have had a tidy round in the house I will paint the 5 bird boxes I got for £5 off fb and go in the back garden and potter about. 

 Oh, I know you like birds Mrs SD, I have seen a Jay a couple of times here recently. I looked them up, not rare just shy. Very impressive looking and it was taking on all comers with the  rooks in a fight over bread on the wall 
 

In even more exciting news after the council wanted £100 to swap my bins to small ones a post on fb has resulted in an avalanche of people wanting to give us a small bin in exchange for our big ones. Good times. 

 Love to all 

Vx

GrannyKate

Thanks for your kind thoughts @vulpix.   Funnily enough I saw what I now know was a Jay sat on fence by woods near swimming pool yesterday.  Beautiful blue flash on side under his wings.  Lots of woodlands here but can’t recall seeing one before.  

Feeling virtuous as after two hours and several cups of tea I have made serious inroads into frogs lurking in study.
903-908 six committee frogs dealt with, docs done and various things shared and answered
909 Random Rubiks Cube in the way so put it in CS bag
910 Text sent off to book on October coach trip

Taking a break before going to see DGS4’s school assembly this pm. 

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 

Monday is a bright sunny & warm day but with a chilly breeze. I am drinking my first cuppa & debating going into town to bank PB cheques & calling in at the butchers 🤔 but will catch up on the cheerleading first 😉 (Forgot to mention that DH surprised me with flowers last Thursday - beautiful white stocks with a lovely scent ☺️)

What a lovely welcoming post Liverpool_Anne 👏 I agree with you that Wildrose is definitely in the ‘Too Hard on Yourself Club’ 😉 but hopefully will be kinder to herself & realise how much she has already managed 👏 I have heard it all now ‘laughing brambles’ indeed 😂 I am blushing at the lovely compliment ☺️

Wildrose, I think you have been aboard the EDT all along 😉 just hiding 🫣  & getting on with your decluttering 👏 I say this as you have all the tools in place already & I think you just needed a bit of affirmation & positive reinforcement from your fellow declutterers 🙂 Being part of the Decluttering Family seems to make it easier to declutter as between us we have a wealth of experience, tips & tricks that everyone is willing to share 👏 A ‘bamboo scourge’ sounds like a torture device 😉 Well done on doing all the hard work to get it restricted to one area 👏 That is worthy of your first medal 🏅 which is on its way. Good luck with the Final Annihilation 🍀

Great advice vulpix 🙂 Excellent decluttering 👏 Two bright spots - baby robins & an unexpected tip - nature & gratitude 🙂

Lovely post florianatwobob 🙂 What a great idea re your two sheds - designated uses for each. Well done on keeping your loft empty 👏 I hope you pop your head in now & again to remind yourself that you are a successful declutterer 😉 Now you just need a financial windfall in order to progress your building plans 🍀

How wonderful Floss ☺️ What a great reward for benign neglect 😉

Excellent decluttering short_bird 👏

Beautiful flowers & well photographed florianatwobob 👏

Great advice weenancy 👏 Absolutely love the idea of a small side business selling bamboo canes - perhaps Wildrose can earn a bit of money 🙂

TC77, please be kind to yourself 🙏 You are trying to declutter 2 houses 😥 Great work in your home & good luck with your dad’s house 🍀 I have to say that your DB seems to be less of a help & more of a hindrance at the moment 😉

Great work QueenJess 👏 May I borrow the idea of a Master List of Tasks to be done? I am currently a bit disorganised - have various bits of paper scattered around with tasks jotted down (rather like Jack Frost in A Touch of Frost 😂 😔)

Thank you for sharing your experiences of decluttering, mhagster 👏 especially how draining it can be when you find yourself the keeper of family items with the attendant emotional challenges 😔

What a fabulous post nannywindow 👏 - I am loving that so many of our decluttering family are such excellent cheerleaders ☺️ Btw, you would be surprised at how fast slugs can move so I insist that you revert to being a tortoise 😉 a more dignified description of your decluttering prowess 🙂 Great work getting the caravan sorted & using up food from the freezer 👏 What is this - half a bottle of sparkling wine in the fridge - unheard of 😂

Liverpool_Anne, love it Orchid Envy ☺️ Great work on the bramble removal 👏 Your OH sounds like how my DH used to be - just doing the enjoyable part of hacking & slashing but leaving the clearing up to the magical garden elf 🤣 Good luck with your secateurs hopefully they can be mended & give you another 17 years of sterling service 🍀

Very MSE florianatwobob 👏

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏 Good luck with catching your frogs 🍀 at least mine are all in one place but have been ignored for so long that they are silent & sulking 😉😉 Really must get back into Friday Frog clearance 🙂

Wildrose, you are never alone when you find your ‘family’ 🙂 so I am very pleased that you have found us 🙂 You already sound more relaxed & your outdoor haven is just as beneficial as an indoor haven 👏 I know my next suggestion might be more work but would it be possible to temporarily cover & screen your garden haven so you can use it for longer until such time as you have an indoor haven? You are a remarkable lady having gone through all the considerable worry of your son’s injury & now worrying about his recovery & his residential status 😔 I will keep everything crossed that DS3 recovers fully & finds a new home that he is happy with 🤞

EnergyShifter, like you I would have thought that although there might be a slight knock on effect from a train strike it would only be a day rather a week 😔 Hopefully as the place you originally booked has given you a full refund 👏 you will be able to rebook the same place later in the year🤞 
Enjoy your staycation 🙂 & you never know you might even manage a bit of decluttering…… only joking 🙃 

Lovely post vulpix 👏 I love reading about other people’s well thought out plans. Sadly I am not an ideas person when it comes to gardening - I have no vision 😔 Lucky you seeing a Jay in your garden ☺️ and thank you for the good news that jays are shy rather than rare 👏 Councils can be very odd - our large wheelie bin for recycling was free, but a wheelie bin for rubbish was exorbitantly expensive & not very big 😖 We resorted to a private purchase of a 240l bin which was cheaper than the council option 😔 Fb can be such a useful resource - saving money & the planet 👏

GrannyKate, how lucky to see an elusive Jay 🙂 Excellent work dealing with so many frogs 👏 it must definitely be quieter in the study 😉

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 945/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Running Total £167.12

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, well the garden repair shop has closed :-( , I have searched t'interweb and there is nothing local for secateurs, I did find somewhere very close to my sister but she lives at the other end of the country. I am now debating whether to persevere with them until I visit, probably in July and take them with me for repair or just bite the bullet and get a new pair. I will see how it goes when I tackle the bamboo. 
A bit of annoyance today as OH had made an order with Oc**o after receiving an offer of spend £60 and get  a £30 bundle of food free. We debated it as I had done quite a big shop last week but decided it was probably worth it. It arrived shortly after I got home and OH dealt with it. No free bundle. OH managed to find a phone number, and was told that the code had not been entered at checkout. OH insisted it was and had checked it when the order was amended. What can be done? Well you still have 2 days to use it came the reply!!!  So we have to spend another £60 to redeem it with no guarantee it will work then, and we don't need anything now. They have just lost a customer and a very negative review has been left but while I am a bit miffed OH is furious and I have had to make cups of tea and have a calming talk. We have only used them once before to send some vegan food as a gift, I think we will stick with Al*I in future
Right off to see what to make for tea
Take care everyone