2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

teachergirl

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger yes a D fourth letter😂 .They used to be such a reputable company!
@Wildrose love your description of elements of danger in the garage...I have those too.🤣

Super proud of myself today despite the heat I have done some fairly major sorting (although not much actually gone yet) DS is hiring a van and going to his sister and then driving here to pick up furniture for his new house ( although it seems to be the longest house purchase in the world) He has given me a list of all the things he wants. A table and easy chair from the summerhouse, which is perfect as a good start in making it into a haven of peace and calm. Our old food processor which has been in the garage for the last few years while I decide what to do with it 🤦🏼‍♀️ So I got this out, checked it worked and then put lots of the bits in the dishwasher. There are loads of bits to it so two small shelves now empty. He also wants his Dads turbo charger bike thing. Searching for the instructions(which I still haven't found ) has made me tackle the large amount of cycle bits still in the garage. Took the advice on here and separated them into the same things, bike locks, pedals ,lights and a large amount of bits labelled don't know🤦🏼‍♀️ Still I managed to get three boxes down to two and a bag. Put a couple of things up on marketplace . Then it was too hot to work even in the garage so I came inside and took down the three boxes of receipts from the study and looked for the instructions ...none found but loads of old manuals and receipts thrown away.


Love and hugs to those who need it. Tackling the P********* at 8.00am tomorrow in the hope of avoiding the 45 minute wait to speak to a human🤞

QueenJess

Managed to declutter a few things as I came across them when I was tidying up earlier. Maybe it’s just my post natal depression clearing 🤞, but I feel like having successfully decluttered is really giving time back. When I was ill for a week and nothing got done, it hardly took any time at all to tidy up and every Sunday I dread thinking about clearing up, but actually I struggle as there’s not too much to do aside for the usual churn of washing and the kids toys. I think I might be winning! Just need to stay aware and keep on top of the maintenance as I go, particularly with the kids stuff.

I am currently concentrating on clearing down all my food stores as I don’t feel in control of it and then I’ll sensibly build some up again. I already reclaimed control of the fridge and I love to open it and see how organised it is! Still lots left to use up, but I’ve made good progress already and we’re all eating really well.

I’ve attached a photo of the beautiful orchid 😍. I love yellow, so it’s perfect for me! 

Decluttering progress:
2588-99 - old magazines DS was hoarding
2660-62 - paper
2663-65 - completed kids activity books
2666-vitamins DD didn’t like the taste of
2667-69 - baby food donated to food bank

nannywindow

My goodness there are a lot of people on here with considerable problems of one sort or another, my heart goes out to all of you 🧡
As it was hot, sunny and dry today I decided to take down a pair of heavy long lounge curtains and give them a wash. I didn't realise just how much dust had collected in the pleats 😲 Now they are clean and fresh and ready to go back up tomorrow and I have given the curtain rail a clean too. There's the other pair to wash so I'm hoping to get done those tomorrow if the weather is good again, I'm sure they'll be just as dusty 🤧. 
Today I have sorted and cleaned my fridge ready for some new shopping tomorrow (I shall be out early before it gets hot and busy 🥵) and I decluttered some lo cooked rice and made a rice salad, I added some tin oranges and lo cooked peas from yesterday then threw in a hand full of sultanas, I cooked breaded sf chicken thighs to go with it, delicious ! The freezer had a tidy too as the "messy elf" had been in there, I also made a new inventory of what's in there..... again, as I keep forgetting to update the list !
Out today an empty shampoo bottle, salad cream bottle, a large box and the packaging, which contained a new toilet flush for the 'van, we'll throw the old one out when it's changed over.
MrsSD I see Dh is still giving the worms their dinners, makes me chuckle every time I think of them salivating with bibs on 🤣
accidentalg I wish you well in your upcoming interviews.
QueenJess beautiful orchid 
Vulpix love the garden pics. I think it was you, apologies if it wasn't, my memory is worse than shocking lately.
Hugs to all, especially anyone having an unpleasant time.
nan  

mhagster

I was in the supermarket where I dropped off the books and was going through self service till getting something for work. One of the staff was tidying up the bookshelves and I saw her lift the large Readers Digest World Atlas I’d left yesterday. Now all the other big RD books were gone each time I went in the following day to drop off more. 

Anyway she starts bemoaning to her colleague about this book and how it’s  so out of date and she then looks and sees it was published in 1996 and moan and moan and moan. And I just thought how rude! And no one is asking you to make a charitable donation towards it! Someone might take it and for an art project, or like maps, or want to remember what a country was called in 1996 and I don’t know if too many countries have changed their names since then! It’s really not that long ago even though she probably wasn’t even born and therefor thinks its a lifetime ago…but mainly I just thought how rude! 

All I’ve decluttered today is my first big day at work…well worth decluttering 😆

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, well I have sorted my clothes for my trip to see my sister and my niece. The ironing mountain has had a good chunk removed. Some was shaken and folded and put away but some was actually ironed. I have far too many clothes packed but with my tendancy to drop my dinner down my front I like to be prepared. As it is going to be hot it has cut down on the bulk as I won't have to take a variety of jumpers etc. Just the toiletries and meds to go in tomorrow so easy and hopefully we will be on the road fairly early but not much point heading off too early as we will only hit the rush hour somewhere on the M way.
Yesterday we had fish and chips on the beach to celebrate friend's son's birthday. It was supposed to be a lunch party at home but his gf had had covid so had to be rearranged. It was nice anyway and gf had actually tested negative by then anyway but still better to be safe was our thinking.
Off to bed now, the heat just wears you out.
Hugs to all, see you when we get back.
Take care everyone

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 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 way too hot 🥵 DH did a mini shop in MrS - no audit 🥳 DH & I spent time working in the garden - pruning, deadheading, weeding, planted out the 5 tomato plants (from my DH’s BiL) & the sweet pepper, beetroot & carrot seedlings from neighbour’s son, watered in + general tidying. DH also tried to fix the hose - limited success so new hose pipe on order. Now have 11 potato plants out of the 12 eyes planted 🙂 Dinner was salmon fillets, roasted tomatoes, jersey potatoes & peas - very light meal & delicious 😋  Wudupa.

1073 - 1074 Kitchen recycling, cardboard packaging - recycled 
1075 - 1080 Kitchen detritus, 2 greasy cardboard boxes, 3 ‘Justin’ rubbish bags - binned 

weenancy, two very stressful weeks - I am surprised you didn’t retire to the TLC Carriage permanently 😉  However you have had a couple of hard won successes with your roommates & hopefully the husky will be rehomed sooner rather than later - although I think you will miss her 😉 

Hope the book sale goes well & good luck with the sale of antiques 🍀 Sounds like you had a lovely lunch with your sisters ☺️ & great news about the loan 🙂 Very impressed that you resisted temptation in the antique store 🏅

You have been very busy Wildrose 👏 I hope you wore a hat whilst you were wielding your sickle 😉 I have a very specific picture in my mind & have replaced the sickle with a scythe 😂 I loved your descriptions - going Biblical & feeling like a Hardy heroine 🙂👏 A great start on the plan for your garden 👏

You are welcome Rootle 🙂

Pleased to hear that your quick actions prevented the damage from being any worse, oceanspirit. Now we just need to feed you up & give you some TLC  😉  Sorry to hear about your mum ☹️

Good work EnergyShifter 👏

Floss, pleased to hear that the counselling sessions are working & good luck with the psychologist 🍀

I am loving the frugality/decluttering overlap, Foofoopuppy 👏 I did smile at the tale of the can of chilli 😉 Like you I would have probably binned it if I had looked at the BBE date first 😉 You do know that Murphy’s law dictates that you will find the missing piece within a week 😔

vulpix, a great observation re weenancy’s roommates 👏 As your back is still hurting, please get MrV to do the heavy lifting or at the very least do it together 🙏 You might not be minimalist but you are definitely becoming clutter free 👏

teachergirl, I used to work in the Company pensions admin department  of said company. As you say they used to be a reputable company but things have gone downhill very fast over the last 20 years 😔☹️ Excellent decluttering 👏 & fingers crossed that you find the instructions 🤞If not, perhaps you can download them 😉 Wishing you every success with P……… 🍀

Absolutely wonderful news QueenJess ☺️ You have worked hard on your decluttering & are reaping the rewards 👏 Well done on your successful work in reclaiming control of your fridge 👏 Success breeds success so I am very confident that you will gain control of your food stores 🙂 The yellow orchid is beautiful, thanks for the photo 👏

Excellent work nannywindow 👏 Nothing like seeing curtains drying on the line 🙂 Well done on the fridge & freezer tidying 👏 Hopefully ‘‘messy elf” has now been kicked into touch 😉😉 I love it when you remind me of the salivating worms with bibs on 😉🙂

mhagster, I agree very rude 😣 I got distracted by your comment re name changes - went off on a little expedition - initial investigations revealed that a total of 11 countries have had name changes in the 20th & 21st centuries 😉 Well done on decluttering your first big day at work 👏

Great work on the clothes packing Liverpool_Anne 👏 enjoy your holiday 🙂 Congratulations on reducing your mountain of ironing to a hill of ironing 👏 Fish & chips on the beach 🙂 hope the seagulls let you eat in peace 🤞

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 1077/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Running Total £228.22

teachergirl

Morning rant because I am so angry I could cry!  (there is some decluttering involved)

Had checked the phone number on the letter with the cheque, from the P********* lines open at 8.00am. On the dot I phone. After going through several options it tells me lines open at 8.30am 🤦🏼‍♀️.

So as I am in the study, I start to declutter the magazine files on the shelf. Some old school books for the charity shop and some old baseline tests (see user name) out for recycling, cannot imagine why they are still there.

8.30am I am back on the phone. The first call handler asks to speak to my husband.....despite having been given the policy number etc  etc 😢 Then tells me I am through to the wrong department (even though it is the number on the letter)  Then I get through to another call handler . I explain that the bank will not take the cheque. She says she will have to talk to the claims staff. I ask if I can talk to the claims staff.?..apparently not, they are back of staff. I ask to speak to a manager, apparently I cannot do that either because they only manage staff, not claims. I explain that this is urgent and I need the money( I don't but obviously I have plans to give it to my children and they do both need it) Apparently it is policy to write the cheque to the executors, even though I point out it would still be an error as there is only one executor, me as they would know if they read my probate form , and one beneficiary , as they would know if they read my will.😩
Apparently someone will text me within the next 24-48 hours😡   I hate them

Sorry just needed to get this off my chest

florianatwobob

Oh @teachergirl I really feel for you. Clearly the (wo)Man from the P….. really is taking the proverbial. 

There must be a process owner/subject matter expert for claims. You cannot have a person just managing people. There must be a quality aspect of the claim handlers work. 

If I could I would get my ‘kicking boots on for you and do battle on your behalf’. 

Floss

@teachergirl get on Twitter - they don't like dirty laundry being aired so will respond quickly - @Pru_UK
Read some of the other tweets to get a feel for it x

2Scratters

@teachergirl oh my. I am exasperated at reading your frustration. Well done to declutter that here.
Have you documented the times and dates and names of people you have spoken to? Also ask where they are based if it is a non geographical telephone number. I take it you are advised that (all) calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes whilst trying to get through, then remind the call handler of same. It shows them they are responsible for handling your call and will mean business if it does not go well. They are also not permitted to refuse to speak with a manager/supervisor/team leader. Especially when they clearly are not understanding or may not have access to the information at the entry level within call handling.

We did a car boot yesterday finally, the van wasn't even half full (still took 2 weeks to get that together) but too full for my car. It goes to show that we are clearly decluttering quite well as we have never done one that small. A lovely young student girl bought my favourite T shirts. For sure they will be unique in their excellent condition but were older than her I really should have told her that Money was not for anything marked but has gone into the cash stash. DH recycled his money for new tools. The stuff that is left in the van needs to be disseminated to the CH and maybe FB market place. Really am trying to avoid any coming back in the house with no stairs. 
Enjoy the sunshine peeps.

2 Scratters xx