2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Wednesday2000

I ordered a new loo seat which is arriving tomorrow. I do have a few things now to go to bulky waste which is annoying as I only paid the council to pick up bulky waste earlier this month. I realised the other day that I have no idea where my new local tip even is. As we don't have a car it would have to be very near for me to drop it off. I am going to have some empty paint cans when the kitchen is painted too which will have to be disposed of. properly.

I unfortunately had to throw away some salad bits that had gone off. I was just saying on here that I noticed the quality of veg has decreased. I am using more frozen veg as it seems like the fresh veggies go off really quickly. Fresh fruit seems fine to me, though.

I'm off to google where the tip is.

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

Oops, forgot to come back on Saturday 🙊 The weather couldn’t quite make up its mind alternating between being bright & sunny and dreary & damp but always chilly. I did get a few small tasks done:- put cover on duvet, dusted furniture & vacuumed bedroom floor; peeled & cooked apples (finally); swished & swiped cloakroom (Flylady terminology); shredded DH’s mail & dealt with mine; swept kitchen floor & also sorted out the storage space above & under the kitchen fridge freezer - trays, cake tins, cooling rack & lightweight serving plates are now in the larger storage space above the ff & nothing in the smaller space; washed my sofa throw & 2 cushion covers; also read the first two chapters of Book 11 of The Shipyard Girls & cleared down several programmes from my TV planner (The 1st two episodes of The Piano were great 👏) DSis feels slightly better in the mornings but any sudden movement & she is back to coughing for England. DH went for his first walk at about 13:00 & didn’t get back until 16:45 😬 with a small bag of shopping 🙂His 2nd much shorter walk was at 21:30 after dinner & he was out for about 10 minutes 🙂 Dinner was shop bought lasagne & garlic bread. Wudupa. 

667 - 669 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, cardboard packaging - recycled 

670 Kitchen detritus binned

Sunday I was up & dressed by 11:00 (DH already up) It has already clouded over & there is a chilly breeze 😔 DH is about to set off on his 1st walk (11:45) & I am settling down to catch up on the cheerleading 😉 Just cleared the table - DSis’s Oodie is dry & just as soft & cuddly as it originally was 😮‍💨 The towel is back in the airing cupboard & the cardboard sheets are back in packaging corner for use when I need to dry another item of clothing on a flat surface 🙂

Oh dear Wednesday2000, Saturday was not your day 😔 Toilet seats really are not built to last - managed to break mine earlier this year & it wasn’t particularly old 😠 Shame about the boots ☹️ Hope the day perked up for you 🤞

Dfw38, sounds like the ‘Great Soft Toys Sort Out’ will need to be planned like a military campaign 😉 I do hope it was your idea not to have a wallpapered wall 🤞🙂 I think just the tea & a stern look to get him to do the wallpapering in DS’s room with a reward of homemade cake when DH has finished 😊Sounds like you had a very good Saturday 👏 the correct mixture of tasks done & time spent with your children 😊

I am really loving the conversation about cuddly/soft toys 🧸, seems to be a bit of a minefield 😉 That is a salutary tale TC77 😔 Does your daughter still have the 12 or has she now decluttered them whilst still giving you a hard time about Pooh bear 😉 I am now wondering what the children on the Nick Knowles & Stacy Solomon decluttering programmes really think when they realise how many of their soft toys have moved on to new homes 🤔 I am like you when it comes to watching Vera - for some reason I can never remember the start of an episode, get halfway through & start remembering but by then I am fully engrossed & continue watching to the end even if I do remember whodunnit 😔 

Florenceem, What an excellent result from the SA table top sale 👏 & well done you for providing the food safe paper bags 😊 Fingers crossed that once washed your haircut will go from OKish to fabulous🤞 

vulpix, I hope your children have forgiven you for letting Fozzie bear go on a permanent holiday to Romania 😉 Thank you for sharing the results of your research into ‘tree planting as a gift’ 😊 I keep telling my DH that if we ever move I want to take my olive tree - a touch impractical I think 🤣

Good luck with the curtain making vulpix 🍀

Excellent decluttering Florenceem 👏 You have reached February’s target with 3 days to spare 🥳 

Florianatwobob, what a great idea to get your slippers re-soled 👏 A great investment & very MSE 😊

EnergyShifter, hope your friend recovers quickly 🤞 Someone will take the coat rack & hopefully before you bring it back into your house 🤞

weenancy, the weather is definitely messed up at the moment 😔 - hope the rain decides to bypass you 🤞 Sorry to hear that your cold is still hanging around, makes summoning up the energy to do anything rather difficult ☹️ Sending get well soon wishes for your roommate but not too soon 😉 to give you time to rearrange the rooms to suit the new circumstances 😊 Hopefully your remaining roommates will pitch in properly to help you as I imagine the last thing you need is the county stepping in ‘to help’ 😥 😬 Good luck 🍀 I hope the husky put the packet in the bin after feasting on the couscous 😉

DH got back about 13:40 having done over 8,000 steps. Apparently there was an enormous queue to get into Cutty Sark DLR station so he had to extend his walk to Greenwich station to get DLR home - poor DH 😔 I am taking a break & will try to find something to do for half an hour or so 😉 Hopefully I will come back & catch up with the cheerleading slightly quicker than I have managed so far 🤞

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

DH Awards: 🥇 🏅

Decluttering Target 2023: 670/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £43.00

QueenJess

Had a migraine today so not doing much.  Still wading through the never ending password/online account frog.

2448-2450 - online accounts deleted

2451 - single sock (recycled)

2452-2456 - tops I don't need (charity bag)

Fayolle

I’ve been studiously keeping up with you all this week, then it gets to the weekend and I totally forget who said what, and what I wanted to comment on. So lots of hugs and gws wishes to all who would like them. The only bit that has stuck in my head is the teddy conversation! Did the teddy get rescued from the bear / dolls hospital? We have bags of soft toys in our loft, as DD was (still is) very much a soft toy girl and never liked dolls. I would hate to suggest that she got that from me, but I have a feeling that I might have a bag of my own teddies in the loft too….😳. And there are still more in her room…both here and at uni…
DD has come home today on a flying visit (aka stock up from mum’s store cupboard!). She bought me a new nail varnish as she thought I would like the colour. As I can’t resist a new pot of varnish, I need to now go and instigate the one in, one out rule!
Decluttering achieved this week:
- paperback on veg growing. I still have a few more…
- children’s party food and dress up book. That brought back some memories.
- cake decorating magazine. 1988, say no more.
- 2022 seed catalogue, on the shelf next to the 2023 version!
- meat mallet. The top flew off, DH declared it unmendable!
- harden record book. This was my mum’s and I have resisted getting rid of it. Its time came this weekend.
- slow cooker. Died a death with yesterday’s casserole in it.
 - 17 cds. Decluttered from the house, but intended to go to the allotment in a futile attempt to scare the pigeons.
Love your challenges for March, @Dfw38. I may tag along 😊.
@Soontobeoap, I sometimes manage to follow along the craft stash busting thread if I get a lunchbreak. It inspires me, but then I am often tempted to buy more wool!
Mrs SD, I love your olive tree. Good luck with moving that! Mine is in a pot, but it started life as a twig so it has done well.

Dfw38

Oooh will do @Soontobeoap thanks for the invite. Been looking for my sewing machine lead for the past hour, disappeared somewhere in the room of doom. Given up for now but have cleared the room of the decorating tools etc to go into the loft later in this afternoon. About to start 2nd (and hopefully final) coat of woodwork paint - I find this part incredibly tedious! Dh has decided to have a lazy afternoon so he is downstairs colouring with the dc, he doesn't get a lot of time with them due to working at least 6 days a week (and often prepping for the week ahead on a Sunday) so I thought it would be nice if they had time just with dh, (I can hear them singing the songs from frozen) also means I can move the job along and have the night off for a long soak in the bath.
Yes @Mrs_Salad_Dodger it was my decision re wallpaper.  There wasn't anything that said "I'm perfect for you" 🤣. The cuddly toys are a  delicate topic! I love your olive tree! 
I think I have partly solved the friendship dilemma of eldest dd. I have invited one girl (really friendly) on a playdate to our local nature reserve for a couple of activities over Easter, her mum has said yes and is coming too so i will have another grown up to talk to! 🤞 all goes well. Had to ask way in advance as the activities are ticketed so we have to book them in advance.  Dd is very happy 😊. Right, can put it off no longer. Let battle commence with paint. Hope you all have a lovely evening. 

short_bird

Dfw38 said:

Aaaah! Thank you for the tales of caution @tc77 and @vulpix. Eldest dd is very sentimental and also very emotional at the moment so will be tackled eventually and very carefully.

Wanders in...
@Dfw38 yep, consultation is the way to go, speaking as the 6 year old who got home from school and found it had been decided exactly what she was taking to the new house.  The local kids were really happy as they got all my comics.   
This next bit is advice for anyone with vintage stuffed toys, family heirlooms sorta thing: any toys containing wood shavings or sawdust shouldn't be stored in plastic as the stuffing goes off and smells manky. 

Not much to report this weekend as my get up and go got up and went...
1038-1052: items to bin and recycling
1053-1057: GB of data deleted.
Deferred decisions:
183: The rotary cutter I purchased 14 years ago was finally unpacked - turns out it's faulty so could have been chucked many years ago... 

DundeeDoll

Phew caught up with you all - what amazing work!!!  I am still chomping my way through emails - it's amazing what i can do in a 23 minute blast. Work inbox now down to 1438 and stress levels starting to go down a little. My home office just has the one big bag to sort so is a joy to work in - there is paperwork that needs to be gone through but currently emails are the stressor.
Another frog eaten , again easy once eaten. Have also decided to do a bit of stress decluttering - here's our Maggie Centre yesterday where my colleague had organised a lantern-lit labyrinth walk - it was wonderful. Cold but wonderful.

roundtuit

Dfw38 said:

Aaaaw thanks @roundtuit, in all honesty I could do a frog a day and probably wouldn't run out this year 😳🤣. Want to join me on my new personal challenge? 'Mini Missions in March' I am going to spend 23 minutes sorting, decluttering and cleaning out a cupboard/shelf/drawer and aim for 31 of them to be done by end of March. 

31 x 23 minutes done or 31 x cupboard/ shelf / drawers done? (I have cupboards and drawers that will need a multiple of 23 minutes to sort 😬.) But you've inspired me so I'll aim for 31 x 23 minutes Mini Missions in March. Thank you for the invite 😊 And my partner in crime, Fayolle, is joining the challenge too. What fun 😊 

Rxx

Brie

Mrs_Salad_Dodger said:

I keep telling my DH that if we ever move I want to take my olive tree - a touch impractical I think 🤣

It all depends on how determined you are to take it with you.  In my home town there was the most magnificent magnolia tree - much bigger than your olive - and it was in the tiny front garden of a house directly across from a garden centre.  I was in there one day and notice the tree was gone and expressed my dismay to the person at the till thinking that someone had chopped it down or that it had died or whatever.  Nope - apparently one of their customers decided it was exactly what they needed in their garden and paid the people whose garden it was in a very signficant sum and arranged to have it dug up, transported, planted and the house owner's garden restored.  I do hope it lived in it's new location - never did find out where it went to!   

short_bird

Well, get the right firm in and any tree can be moved...
Mature Tree Relocation Project | City of Austin Large Tree Transplanting | Environmental Design Inc. - YouTube