2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, I have suddenly found myself with an hour free. Today I am meeting a couple of friends for coffee and then had a union meeting at 3.30 so I was prepping for that but it has been cancelled so I thought I'd catch up
Yesterday I put my plan into action. I have discovered that I have grossly overestimated what I can fit in to the alloted time, but that doesn't surprise me . So the bathroom bin was emptied, the kitchen bin was emptied and the kitchen recycling. I cleaned the log burner, not just the usual empty out and it has had the glass cleaned and finished off with the hoover to get it clean as new. I do this a couple of times a year. The ash bucket has been distributed onto the roses and the excess given to ln for her roses. This led to coffee over the fence . In between I got a load of washing done and line dried and folded and put away. I also had a long conversation with bt. When I switched to fibre they sent me a bag to recycle old kit and said they would charge me if I didn't. I only got a new cable and I did send that back, however they have continued to send me reminder text messages and yesterday it said they were going to charge me £30. I thought that a tad excessive for a small cable that had obviously got lost in the system so phoned them. It transpires there is all sorts of kit I no longer need that they were expecting back but nobody had told me I didn't now need it so it hasn't been dismantled. After a confused conversation with the lady I was transferred to a supervisor who explained it much more clearly, apologised for the lack of information, raised a complaint about it and organised for a new hub to be sent as well as another post bag to send the old kit back. I then dismantled all the stuff I don't need and hunted out a few bits I had never used, including some from the wires bag , and put them in a pile to be put in the bag when it arrives. The conversation lasted 45 minutes I am claiming for the phone call but will not count the items until they are gone

@Dfw38, so glad your Dad's funeral was a celebration and your sis behaved. Good luck for Sunday, I hope the weather is kind for you. My ex used to run marathons and I remember the constant weather checks in the days before the event.

@Florenceem, thank you for the updates on Mr F. I read a thing about delirium, it said it can be caused by emotional distress which surprised me but might apply to Mr F, hugs

@TC77, lovely flower arrangement.

@Brie, thank you for the tip. I will be near a health food shop today so I will check it out

@Soontobeoap at least you can change your lightbulb. When I was rewired the electricians fitted some sort of sealed unit thing in my bathroom. When I asked how you change the bulb apparently you can't. 6 years on I am still mystified why they thought this was a good idea. I forsee a Mr. Brie solution in my future

@Mrs SD thank you for my medal and congratulations on getting to the half way mark . 

@QueenJess, hope dd fully recovers soon and you can catch up with your sleep at the weekend 

@Floss, beautiful cat

@florianatwobob, love the post card. Something to aspire to, especially the bit that refers to accumulations in passageways. OH is very guilty of this and it drives me nuts .

Hugs to everyone who would like one, better get weaving as I am going on the train rather than car
611 bathroom bin emptied
612 kitchen bin emptied
613 kitchen recycling emptied
614 log burner cleaned
615 ash bucket emptied
616 phone call to bt
617 load of washing sorted
Take care everyone
617/2023

Florenceem

Been into town with stuff for charity shops. Popped into Mr F's bank - as I thought - they can do nothing to help me but gave me a phone number.
When I opened Mr F's post yesterday - there is a water rates bill that is due to be paid tomorrow! So I phoned them first - they have put a hold on the account for a month - woman was very sympathetic.
I phoned the Gas and Electric - won't even tell me how the accounts stand.
A cheque arrived for Mr F in the post yesterday - I phoned the chap who sent it - he doesn't know if it was for work done or an advance payment.
Everything is so difficult to sort out.
My neighbour is taking me to the hospital.

regnbue

Liverpool_Anne  I have just suffered similar trauma with BT.

I left them on 9 Feb to go with another provider and BT sent me a bag to return their kit but gave me until 10 April to do so.

I bagged it up, took photos of the parcel (never done this before - maybe I had a sixth sense), and posted it off on 2 March ensuring I got a Proof of Posting as advised by BT.

I received weekly emails reminding me to send it back but always with the message "it can take 3 weeks to process returns so if you've already returned it you can safely ignore this email".  So I ignored it and kept ignoring them until a final email which stated if I didn't return it I would be charged £140 for the hub and router.

I then checked the Proof of Posting online and it had been delivered two days after I sent it, so 4 March.

Putting on my stroppy hat I spoke to a lovely lady at BT who also checked the P.O online and confirmed it had indeed been delivered.

I pointedly remarked not only had I returned the hub and router but also two plugs, 2 cables, the remote control and its batteries!

So Liverpool_Anne make sure you get Proof of Posting.

regnbue 

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks to include MMiM - do this before I go to bed

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 ‘Urgent’ daily mail immediately & the rest at the weekend

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

Thursday is a lovely sunny day but still rather chilly. I made the mistake of going back to bed when I woke up at 08:00 for a bathroom visit 😔 Slept until 12:00 & have woken up with a headache ☹️although my mug of tea is sorting that out. Latest update on G is that she is awake & aware but still quite sleepy & the doctors are hoping to remove the breathing tube today 🤞 DH will be doing a tip run & then heading to MrS for the shopping - I have written a shopping list & a vague menu plan 😅 Now I will get to it & try to catch up with cheerleading 

13:49 DH has loaded the bike & set off for the Tip - everything gone (exercise bike frame, shredder bins, large bag full of electricals & heavy bike bits + the motorbike exhaust pipe) apart from a small amount of metal bits as there was not enough room 😉 The bouquet of flowers I brought back from Kent have lasted well but the lilies have been composted although the daisy type flowers & the gypsophila are back in the vase with clean water & should last another couple of days 🤞

QueenJess, it will probably be a little while before you catch up on your sleep but meanwhile you seem to be going about it just the right way 👏 Getting DH to make dinner & get the children to bed + resting, even if not actually sleeping, is a good start 😊 Please make sure that your forays out of the TLC Carriage are short ones 🙏 Good luck with DD’s clothing sort out 🍀 & thanks for the box of biscuits - I just fancy a custard cream 😅  

Excellent work in the garden GrannyKate 👏 Sounds like you are enjoying time with the DGCs - even though the swimming is tiring you out, hopefully it means you are sleeping well 🤞 

Beautiful cat, Floss 😻 

Soontobeoap, hope you manage to complete your jumper defluffing sooner rather than later 😉 I did have a wry smile at your tale of DH & his Del Boy moment 😉 but why is it never the ugly item that gets broken 😔

florianatwobob, sounds like you had a lovely time in York & are fully rested with a new determination to declutter 😊 Great work getting all your washing done 👏 Hmm not too sure whether the sign is inspiring me or making me feel ashamed 🤔 I will settle for inspirational 😂

Excellent decluttering of shoes kboss2010 👏

Florenceem, good news that there is no sign of malignancy 🙂 Hopefully the lumbar punch will be the last of the tests & the doctors will have all the information necessary to make a definitive diagnosis & set MrF on the road to recovery 🤞 Well done on all the decluttering & sending good wishes that all the companies you need to contact will be helpful 🙂 Hugs for you & MrF 🤗

vulpix, I quite agree that in my dreams I would be that person in the sign 😅 You might be bringing in more stuff than you realise but I think it is more likely that ‘stuff hides’ 😂 Remember when you started decluttering you were in training - building up your decluttering muscles & getting yourself attuned to spotting clutter 😊 Now that you are trained you can see that Justin, Ron & May B Handy are very sneaky & have convinced you that they are NOT clutter but now their days are numbered 🥳 Maybe Geoff Capes will turn up with his mate Mike Winch 😉 Excellent work in the garden 👏 

florianatwobob, you & me both 🙂

I am being a bit slow today & easily distracted *😔 so will sign off & wait for DH to get back from the sm 😉 *I remembered that neighbour J’s birthday is at the end of the month & DH reminded me that J loves Bakewell Tart so I have taken one round to him. He was delighted that DH & I remembered his love of Bakewell Tart 😊

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

DH Awards: 🥇🏅⭐️💐🏅 perseverance medal 🎖️ 🥇 🏅🏅 

Decluttering Target 2023: 1035/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £74.70

QueenJess

Decided to tackle DD's room today and managed to take out her slightly small jumpers and tops to swap them for a bigger size.  The rest stays for now as they still fit.  I will sort out the messy boxes of clothes in the wardrobe once she's completely into the new size as I will be able to drag the next size up out of the attic, wash, go through them and file (or charity some).

I also dusted the room, completely cleaned out her cot and changed the bedding and then did two days worth of tidying just in her room (I've been doing two days everyday because I'm so far behind, so hopefully I catch up eventually).  Her room is now pristine and I even taped one of her books back together for her.  Shame about the rest of the house!  Tired now, so back to the TLC carriage for a rest.

Physical:
12,572 - paper (reused, then recycled)
12,573-12,590 - kids clothes/shoes too small (charity bag)
12,591 - packaging (reused)
12,592 - book (charity bag)
12,593 - feeding pillow (buy nothing)
12,594 - sponge (bin)

Soontobeoap

Gardening this afternoon. 3 bags of grass and weeds (mainly dandelions!) ready for tip. Still more to do so the number will grow. Back is aching so have dropped into tlc carriage for a cup of tea, biscuit and chat. 🙂

Brie

Annoyed with myself for buying a big pad of A3 watercolour paper only to get home and realise I already had plenty in that size.  Oh well I guess I'll just have to paint something.

@Florenceem
Which bank is it?  NatWest has a vulnerable/over 60 specialist line.  Barclays has a team that does similar as I suspect all the other banks and most companies dealing with the public too.  Sometimes it's just a matter of finding someone who can point you in the right direction.  

Dfw38

Afternoon all, had a busy day here. My car decided to pack up this morning 😔 Mad dash to school, eldest dd wasn't well so had to walk back and pick her up. Spoken to hmrc re the additional threshold as the house passes to direct descendents (us 3 kids) and we qualify for it. So dad's estate can be up to £500,000 before any inheritance tax is payable, thankfully it is nowhere near that but it would likely have been over the £325,000 threshold due to where the house is (East London). When the lady said that we could use the threshold I burst into tears, such a relief! Especially as they want paying 6 months after death. I had a food delivery today, as couldn't get to shops and my new phone was delivered just after we arrived home from the afternoon school run phew! Needed a new one because I dropped mine Monday and it has completely destroyed the screen and speaker, had the phone 5 years and no damage 🤦🏼‍♀️.
I love the flower arrangement! Very nice indeed!
Thanks @liverpool_anne, the way my week is going it will probably snow! Thanks @MrsSD, I am looking forward to the marathon but also have nervous anticipation - it is a blooming long way! I am hoping to run the whole thing next year if I can get this anaemia sorted, onwards and upwards. Thanks for the thoughts and hugs, hope you all have a lovely evening 😊 

Rootle

15/52 - the second of the 3 bathroom areas cleared. Items binned, recycled or removed.

QueenJess

Now DH is working part time, he has the day off tomorrow.  I asked him what he was doing and he didn't even have a plan..  so I've sent him a list of things to do.  If he gets any of them done it'll be more off my list!