2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks

2. Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ I have an acronym - I.R.I.S. being Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off

3. Implement a new sleep/wake up regime - start going to bed earlier (target before 2:00 a.m.) get up earlier (target by 9:00 a.m.)

4. Deal with daily mail immediately 

5. Don’t put it down, put it away

6. If I spot a mini task deal with it immediately e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc

7. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Friday 3:20 p.m. - after all the issues last time I phoned my bank, I had built up a rather large molehill 😔 However, equanimity restored - it was a breeze & normal service has been restored 🥳 CC bill paid, accounts checked & paperwork updated - I still keep a paper record 😉 DSis has gone out & DH is back (3:30 p.m.) having done all 8,000 steps 👏 

Sounds like you had a lovely time “swanning around London” Keiths_Mum 😊 17,000 steps should help quite a lot on your weight loss journey 👏 Excellent paperwork decluttering 👏 6 boxes to three quarters of a box is worthy of a Gold Star ⭐️ which is on its way 🙂 Btw, even shredding just a few bits of paper is therapeutic & is the final part of sorting out any ongoing paperwork task - I shredded 3 bits of paper & now I know my accounts are finished until the next cc bill is paid 😉 I don’t think I will tell my DH that shingles can continue to cause difficulties even after 10 years 😣 he might get depressed 😔

Florenceem, the only way I can get rid of yarn is by knitting 😉 so I agree that anyone who donates yarn is very brave 👏

You are very welcome diminua 🙂 Excellent & eclectic decluttering 👏

Excellent work Liverpool_Anne, you have been busy 👏 Decluttering tasks e.g. batch cooking & cleaning, rather than physical items brings its own reward 😊 You have tidier areas, you avoid wastage of food & you have food in the freezer for when you really don’t want the hassle of preparing meals from scratch. Wins all around 😊👏 Thanks for the hugs - Friday is a far better day - getting tasks done & catching up with cheerleading - definitely feeling less fuzzy headed 😊

Dfw38  thank you for the information about the drain thing in the fridge 👏which will hopefully help Liverpool_Anne 🤞 Thanks for the good wishes - still no idea why I was feeling so bleugh but thankfully even todays lack of sunshine hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm 😉 Excellent decluttering 👏 Really, really hope you don’t have to declutter DH 😂 & that he gets the wallpapering done this weekend 🤞Also wishing you luck in finding a minimal work but maximum impact decluttering task 🍀

GrannyKate, sounds like you had a lovely day in Cleethorpes with the small people 😊 even though so many other people had the same idea 😉 One medal 🏅 is coming your way for taking the small people to an indoor play centre 😬 I went once or twice when my nephew was young & it is my idea of the seventh circle of hell 😱 Great decluttering 👏 and good luck with your new enthusiasm for losing weight 🍀

Well done on clearing the shed Crazycatlady2 👏 Any chance of making the vinyl cutting & roofing the rabbit run into a half term activity 😉 Sorry to hear that eldest failed his driving test ☹️ but I am sure that all the best drivers fail first time out 😊 Fingers crossed that hubby’s job is safe 🤞

What a lovely post wort 😊 Your decluttering success gives us all hope that once done we will be able to whizz through the cleaning/housework & not feel guilty about doing the things we enjoy 🥳 Very pleased that your mum didn’t come back to haunt you 😉 Yes, I was still in bed at 9:00 a.m. 😂

Dfw38, never rains but it pours 😔 Very pleased to hear that 2nd DD is on the mend but sad to hear that eldest DD & DS are both poorly now ☹️ Hopefully with your gentle ministrations they will both recover over the weekend 🤞Well done on getting so much done even with the inevitable interruptions 👏 Keeping absolutely everything crossed that the car can last a while longer 🤞As to the mattress - I really hope you are plotting & planning how to get a new one or failing that perhaps a ‘mattress topper’ might resolve the current problem 🤞

MadamMim2013, glad that the milking stool is to be used as a bedside table & not to accompany a cow that you have in the garden 🤣 sorry I couldn’t resist 🙊 Fingers crossed that the windows are replaced quickly & efficiently with minimal disruption 🤞 Great decluttering 👏 

Bri, I am giving OH a medal 🏅 for deciding to release 5 pairs of shoes & a big bag of clothing BUT I will take it back if he doesn’t deal with their final onward journey by the end of the month 😉 Great work with the broken clothing rail 👏

Oh Siebrie - I just want to envelop you in a huge hug 🤗 & get a ‘fixer’ in to sort out your husband 😖 I really wish I could offer you some practical assistance during this very rough time 😔 Is it at all possible for DD1 to give you a little help even if it just giving you a hug & making you a cup of tea 🤞Please, please do try & have at least a little time in the TLC Carriage 🙏 Everybody is old enough to look after themselves, so perhaps leave them to it & go for a walk & sit in a cafe for a while 😉 I know it won’t sort anything out but you really do need time to & for yourself 😊 

Excellent decluttering in the porch Madbat60 👏 and enjoy the lovely day in the garden 😊

Gradually catching up but need another break 😉 Will probably peel some spuds for dinner tonight to accompany the pork steaks 😉 Hope to be back later 🤞

MrsSD (a superwoman) 😇 🎖💐🤩🏅🦸🏅💐🏆 💐🍰🍾🌟⭐️🌟

DH Awards: 🥇 🏅

Decluttering Target 2023: 619/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £43.00

Dfw38

@2Scratters I could get away with this for ds, 2nd dd doesn't really mind about handing bits down I think she was just copying her sister and throwing her weight about. But I know if I try that technique of passing hmd from eldest to 2nd dd it would cause a whole load of problems from the eldest.... makes no sense to me but I fancy the quiet life for a change!

Florenceem

Not a good decluttering day today here but onwards and upwards.

Day 17 -

Sauce Jar & Lid
56 Emails   

At 171 against aim of 153   

Brie

vulpix said:

 hello,

  Mrs SD you are so kind, you always say just the right thing.That is a superpower without doubt. Thank you everyone for understanding my predicament. I know I am slightly over reacting. Whatever the opposite of superpowers are I am world champion at over thinking, saying slightly the wrong thing without intention and thus being guilt ridden. I berate myself for years over the most minor faux pas. 

 On a much,much brighter note, we will become Grandparents later this year. Dil and DS are so happy after a very difficult and tortuous journey. I am so happy for them.

I won't try to press my cast offs on the family.My treasures are not necessarily theirs. I will keep and use useful things and decorative things that I like. I don't have the space for everything that I like so some hard decisions will be made, particularly with pictures that I don't have wall space for.

Vx - I think we share superpowers!!  I have decided that if there is a hell and I end up there it will be one where I hear all the things I have said over the years that have hurt people - very often without meaning it, trying to make a joke.  Let's hope I don't go south and never find out what it's like!!!

Glad to hear the happy family news.

Re cast offs - and this is something we all could think about....  My brothers had recommended a book called "They Left us Everything" about a family dealing with the aftermath of their parents' deaths and trying to deal with the family home and everything in it.  (dreadful book in a lot of ways and I don't recommend anyone read it).  The interesting part of the book was the siblings were all allotted an equal sum of imaginary money.  They then used this to have an auction of all of the things in the house.  So whomever most wanted the piano could bid for that and whoever wanted the old rocking chair could bid for that.  The purpose being that no one could simply claim an item but had to put a value on it.  Obviously something that no one values can simply be disposed of in a suitable fashion. 

We're considering something similar for contested things in my parent's home.  Granted we have all already removed some things - one of my brother's really wanted some of the old kitchen stuff because it means that much to him in some way.  A lot of things I might want I have to consider carefully as it's a case of space in my home and also getting things from across the pond which is very expensive.  

Dfw38

@Siebrie so sorry to hear you are having everything thrown at you all at once. Just bone of those things would be stressful enough let alone the combination you are going through. I echo what @Mrs_Salad_Dodger has said and wish there was some practical assistance we could offer. Please make sure you prioritise taking care of yourself.
@Mrs_Salad_Dodger glad your enthusiasm remained! I told dh that he isn't sparking joy at the minute.... he scarpered to his shed 😆 probably thinks I cannot find him amongst his shed junk. I am hopeful about the car but trying to see the silver lining if it is beyond financially viable to be fixed (could be tappets sp?! On the engine) think of all the exercise i will get, will soon shift that 2 and a half stone when i walk everywhere! 6 mile round trip to our local sainsbobs! 

Crazycatlady2

Ok so hubby didn’t get the job so finishes in 2 weeks…..I’ll be in the corner decluttering wine and lasagne then 🥲🥲

short_bird

So sorry that so many of you are getting "the fuzzy end of the lollipop" to be polite about it...
Currently in major stuff shifting mode so will post and run.
828-849: items to recycling (no, I don't need that many coffee jars to repurpose as storage)
850-870: items to binbag
871-872: 100 emails deleted
873-875: cardboard and a rubbish bag taken down to the bins.

charlies_tribe

Good evening. Sorry I haven't caught up yet, 13 pages behind from my last post last week. Hugs to all who need them.

Dds passport finally sorted and birth certificate posted (gave up with the teacher and a mum from dance did it for us) a bigger frog than I expected.

We haven't done much else this week while DH has been off, the time seems to have disappeared. I did put my foot down today though and we spent a couple of hours lining papering the boys room, hopefully finish papering it tomorrow.

So not much has left the house this week

349 XXl dog bed
350-353 4 open bags sweets
354 Pringles tube
355 100 emails (11000 emails deleted since 1st jan, now up to date)
356 Covid test box
357-360 4 bottles OOD squash
361-432 72 nail polishes
433-442 10 cups
443 cracked Plastic box from nail polishes
444 Bin liner of rubbish from girls room

Dfw38

@crazycatlady2 so sorry to hear your dhs news. Was really hopeful it would have gone the other way. Huge hugs to you all.

QueenJess

Ended up going to the doctors and have "glue ear", which I thought was a child thing Anyway... need to treat it and will take 4-5 weeks to shift..

Decluttering is coming to a natural lull now.  It is now things being used up and the odd thing I come across as the tidying is ongoing.  I did some digital decluttering this morning though.  I think it's a case of "living with" the latest decluttering until I identify where the next round needs to be done.  I have also worn a few more tops from the wardrobe and they are all definitely staying.

2150-2161 - digital files deleted

2162-2302 - podcasts deleted from phone

2303 - bathroom supplies (used up)

2304 - bowl (Buy Nothing)