2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

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

I did do  the wudupa before I went to bed & also sorted my finances 😉 DH had paid for the hotel stay & meals so I paid for treats like ice creams & coffees. Back to yesterday - one of our stops was the Lynton & Barnstaple Steam Railway Station. DH took the photo & then we sat down with coffee, a cheese & onion pasty, sausage roll & millionaire’s shortbread which we shared whilst watching the house-martins flitting in & out of the eaves. I forgot to mention Sunday’s entertainment 😉 We had found a place to stop for coffees & sandwiches (& rather nice facilities 😉) & were thoroughly entertained by both a rook & a seagull trying to fish out paper plates & food from the bin 😄 The rook was more successful as it could grip the top of the bin whilst leaning over 👏 The seagull however kept slipping & sliding 😂 Other birds seen were a pied wagtail, sparrows, blackbirds, swifts, ravens, magpies, jackdaws & of course rooks & seagulls & I think buzzards or at least several birds of the raptor family + pheasants. Other ‘wildlife’ cows, sheep, horses, goats, a solitary deer, grey squirrels (dead & alive 😱) & a hedgehog (dead 😢) & butterflies & bees 😊 We had a thoroughly enjoyable time even with the traffic jams & were extremely lucky with the weather + the stunning scenery 👏 

Wednesday & I am already back to my bad habits 😉 I was up about 10:15 & am sat drinking tea dressed only in DH’s dressing gown - it is cooler than mine 😉 Very overcast & only 22C 😉 Thought I would do some cheerleading before unpacking the bags & doing some washing. Here goes - only 7 pages behind 😥 

Nice to see you Pennypincin 👋 You sound like you have been too busy to post 😊 Not only great decluttering of clothes 👏 but also congratulations are due for losing weight consciously 🥳 Keep up the good work 😊

Florenceem, Sorry to hear that you probably won’t get to see MrF as circumstances are conspiring against you 😔 but once all the aids are in place it will be lovely to have MrF home & continuing his journey to wellness 😊 I have noticed the fridge containers 👏 could you let me know where you purchased them as your fridge looks so neat & tidy 🙏 As well as being sparkling clean 👏

Deni_debt-free_dreamer, excellent decluttering on Sunday 👏 & well done on rewarding yourself with a bit of TV watching 😊

More great decluttering roundtuit 👏 

Wednesday2000, so very sorry to hear that your cat is so poorly & I hope that the antibiotics are working & that she is starting to feel better 🤞 I skipped ahead & saw that your DH is taking the cat to the vet today & hopefully the vet will confirm that she is on the mend🤞I see you have been keeping busy on the decluttering front (as a distraction technique) Excellent work cleaning, tidying & decluttering 👏 - one medal 🏅 on its way as thoroughly deserved 🙂 Everything crossed that you can get most of the vet’s costs reimbursed 🤞

roundtuit, getting up early on a non work day, whatever next 😉 Excellent TLC - crosswords & reading magazines - as I agree that Jane Eyre is rather a heavy read 😥 Even a spot of decluttering thrown in 👏 Well done on your continuing decluttering of the CuoD 👏 & I see you have already found treasure - the pair of red gloves 🥳

Siebrie, I am always so impressed at how organised you are 👏 Redcurrants & raspberries- so jealous 😉 Shame you live so far away, as otherwise I would be knocking on your day with a bowl begging for a donation of both 😂 Excellent news that you will be able to save money by doing your daughters’ hair 🥳 Also very well done on not being bullied by the orthodontist’s assistant (aka wife) 👏 I remember how expensive DSis’s medical insurance was when she lived in France - she always claimed back every cent she was entitled to 😊 Just another reminder of how lucky we are to have the NHS in the U.K. 🍀

A natural place to stop for a while - caught up two pages, DH is up so I need to get dressed & start the washing 😉 Wednesday might be overcast but the weather forecast shows no indication of rain 🤞

New bin liner in wheelie bin as it was emptied even though I forgot to put it at the end of the drive 🥳 

1547 - 1548 Kitchen recycling & detritus dealt with appropriately 😉

Back later 👋 

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

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

Decluttering Target 2023: 1548/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £166.90

Wednesday2000

Thanks Mrs SD. She is a bit better  thanks.

Finished my bedroom! This is what is getting decluttered. Not the cleaning stuff, obvs.

QueenJess

@Wednesday2000 Probably a weird comment, but the first thing I thought was "I like your carpet"!  Looks really soft and very clean.  I try to not look too closely at ours

QueenJess

I attempted some of the library, but the progress is glacial compared to the progress I can make anywhere else.  I think I've found my achilles heel I love books and they are a right mix of nostalgia, sentimental stuff, some fantasy self items, ones I truly love and re-read regularly and ones which seem to represent who I am.  This room is definitely going to be a long term project.  To stop it being too depressing, I'm trying to just do a little bit every day and then when it gets too much I have a scout around the house for other things to get rid of so I feel I'm making progress.

Some books made it to the pile to leave the house today and I now have 32 books logged in the app.  When I got overwhelmed I scanned all the shelves for some easy wins, did the button sorting (from the website of mini decluttering challenges... tomorrow's challenge is a bookshelf *eek!*) and then walked around the house looking for stuff on display that I don't want.  Just made me feel like I was then making progress as I haven't finished a single shelf completely yet. 

All the buttons were from things I got rid of in the big wardrobe declutter, so that was very easy.  My cookbooks are slowly declining - the ultimate aim is to have them in one place (they are currently in two as my little wooden crate on the side isn't big enough to hold all of them).  Feels like I made a fair bit of progress today, but there is quite a lot more to do than I thought, which is a bit scary.  Will see if I can squeeze any more decluttering in later...

17,956-18,015 - book set (online sale)
18,016-18,029 - buttons (Charity bag)
18,030-18,031 - packaging (reused)
18,032-18,038 - books (charity bag)
18,039-18,040 - cuddly toys (charity bag)
18,041 - stair gate (Buy Nothing)
18,042 - kids art creation (bin)
18,043-18,044 - books (Buy Nothing)

Wednesday2000

QueenJess said:

@Wednesday2000 Probably a weird comment, but the first thing I thought was "I like your carpet"!  Looks really soft and very clean.  I try to not look too closely at ours

Thanks, that is the carpet in the other room, our bedroom carpet is pretty scuzzy! It looked like the woman living here before threw her makeup all over the floor. My husband refuses to replace it until we don't have our pets.

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

13:21 I am now dressed, both bags have been emptied & everything that isn’t being washed has been returned to its rightful place e.g. shoes, wash bag etc

Laundry basket has been carried downstairs & I am about to sort into wash loads (lots to do as I didn’t do any before our break 😉 I have 5 loads to do + washing & re-waterproofing DH’s motorcycle trousers. First load is in. Someone mentioned the coat hanger trick re shirts so I have sourced some & when I hang out the shirts they will be on hangers & hopefully any creases will drop out 🤞I have also stain treated various items & they are now in soak prior to going in the wm. Now settling down to have another session of cheerleading 😉

Brie, well done on getting all your laundry done 👏 Perhaps you can persuade your DH to pack as if you were going on a motorcycling holiday 😉 It does concentrate the mind wonderfully - DH & I are still refining the packing even after 30 years 😂 Also well done on creating enough space in your drawers to accommodate a couple of new t-shirts 👏

short_bird, not derailing the thread at all 😊 Thanks for investigating further 👏So much for Brexit giving us back autonomy 😔 More paperwork & more red tape 😖 

Brie, in response to short-bird’s extra information - well said 👏 

Florenceem, you had a busy Monday & got lots done - as usual 👏 Pleased to hear that OT are providing the correct number of aids - which will hopefully be delivered & set up soon 🤞 You & MrF must be champing at the bit waiting for him to be discharged & safely back home 😊

Liverpool_Anne, sounds like you had a busy Sunday & Monday 😊 Oh, to have a porch -  even if it does need keeping under control 😉 Somewhere to hang wet coats & keep boots & shoes as well as getting CS bags out of the house proper & ready to be delivered 😅 Definitely in agreement about ants - they belong outside 😉 & are to be dealt with ruthlessly if they dare to come inside 😆 Sounds like Sunday was a lovely day - chatting to ln & also visiting mum & baby 😊 Always so much nicer when baby is awake & can appreciate lots of cuddles & snuggles 😉😊 Hope you had a lovely time with your ex-colleagues on Monday - I am all in favour of not having to cook especially when it is so hot 🥵 

-taff, beating doormats always struck me as a wonderful way to prevent ‘bingo wings’ & conjures up the vision of ladies with carpet beaters releasing any tension & frustration very efficiently 🤣 Hope you managed lots of Monday ‘flingage’ when OH went to work 🤞 I agree with SuffolkSue - you have nothing to be sorry for 🙂

Excellent decluttering Rootle 👏

Great decluttering roundtuit 👏

SuffolkSue, good luck with the CS delivery/ies 🍀 Hopefully you can get someone to assist in getting the 2nd bag to the CS before it takes up permanent residence in your car 😂🙃 Not sure how long it takes to notice a difference BUT if you take before, during & after photos you will see how far you have come 😊 Remember, the clutter will have taken a long time to accumulate so it will take a bit of time to declutter - a marathon not a sprint 😉

GrannyKate, I think I need to add a new carriage - one with those fine mist sprayers that you can walk through to cool off 🤔I will have to ponder the logistics 😅 especially how to recycle the water 🤔Excellent decluttering 👏 Hopefully you can visit the venue soon as a treat 🤞

nannywindow, lovely to hear that DH has beaten his sell by date by ‘three years’ 😊 & here’s to many more multiples of three 😊 Excellent decluttering 👏 And oh the joy of being young & so excited about a trip away 🥹 

Broke off here 15:00 to hang out the 1st wash load - on hangers 😉 2nd load in including the pre-soaked items. 

QueenJess, sorry to hear that DD was so unwell Sunday night 😔 Hopefully she is now fully recovered 🤞even if you are still knackered 😉 Great work not only having everything collected by your Buy Nothing people but also deleting all the photos 👏 Also well done DH for getting the CS bag straight out - maybe he is finally getting on board with the decluttering 🤞 I am ever hopeful on your behalf 😉Next task is for your DH to declutter at least one drawer in his office 😂 Good luck with decluttering the garage 🍀 Hopefully you can power through even with the ‘sentimental stuff’ 🤞 Excellent decluttering & tidying 👏 Do you think your reluctance to deal with DD’s room is purely due to being tired? You have mentioned previously that sorting DD’s clothes can be mentally taxing 🤔

Floss, excellent work decluttering all the desktop pc bits (apart from the h/d) 👏 Another one of the declutterati who had a busy Monday 👏 Things in boxes do have a habit of ‘winking’ at us until we have sorted them out 😂 So good luck getting the garden bench built & the packaging disposed of 🍀 Also well done on going straight to HR Director - HR have had long enough to sort out the information needed to deal with your income protection claim 😔

EnergyShifter, your weekend sounds like just what the doctor ordered 😊 Plenty of TLC 👏 Excellent completion of tasks & decluttering 👏 I am awarding you a medal 🏅 for your decision & action in decluttering not just one but two forms of social media 😊 After all not that you are back at the gym you won’t have time 😂🙃

Florenceem, sounds like events are moving along nicely now with regards to MrF returning home 🥳 Hope everything turns up on time including the technician fitting the handrails 🤞

Excellent & eclectic decluttering short_bird 👏

Fizz2015, very impressed at how much you got done in an hour 👏The timer system really does concentrate the mind 😊 After 3.5 23 minute sessions I am only 3.5 pages behind on the cheerleading & found time to have some lunch 😉

I will post now before this gets too long & before I start the timer off again for another session 🙂

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

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

Decluttering Target 2023: 1548/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £166.90

~FlowerPot~

digital deletes 2700 ~ trying to make the most of watching the dogo!!

QueenJess

Mrs_Salad_Dodger said:

QueenJess, sorry to hear that DD was so unwell Sunday night 😔 Hopefully she is now fully recovered 🤞even if you are still knackered 😉 Great work not only having everything collected by your Buy Nothing people but also deleting all the photos 👏 Also well done DH for getting the CS bag straight out - maybe he is finally getting on board with the decluttering 🤞 I am ever hopeful on your behalf 😉Next task is for your DH to declutter at least one drawer in his office 😂 Good luck with decluttering the garage 🍀 Hopefully you can power through even with the ‘sentimental stuff’ 🤞 Excellent decluttering & tidying 👏 Do you think your reluctance to deal with DD’s room is purely due to being tired? You have mentioned previously that sorting DD’s clothes can be mentally taxing 

My brain just refuses to deal with DD's room right now.  It's not that bad, but I feel as though I am continually sorting out the clothes and I don't enjoy it.  It's balancing numbers with a hand me down boy to girl situation, too many clothes but a very, very messy 2 year old who needs fresh clothes at least once a day and figuring out what she does/doesn't like to wear when she's just started to form opinions.  Way too tiring   I know it gets easier when they are older, but for right now it stresses me out a bit.

I'll wait until I'm mentally ready to tackle that one and I expect I'll do it in bits and pieces.  I should at least make sure the summer clothes are sorted out since we are already in summer and then tackle winter in a few months time.

daisy_1571

Wednesday2000 said:

QueenJess said:

@Wednesday2000 Probably a weird comment, but the first thing I thought was "I like your carpet"!  Looks really soft and very clean.  I try to not look too closely at ours

Thanks, that is the carpet in the other room, our bedroom carpet is pretty scuzzy! It looked like the woman living here before threw her makeup all over the floor. My husband refuses to replace it until we don't have our pets.

That clean it fix it programme had a make-uppy carpet and she got it cleaned up perfect.   I can check whatseries/episode if you like ax it should be in my deleted progs?  (I've been watching them gradually as my go to programme as I make the tea)

Daisy xx

Florenceem

Been to friendship and lunch club - did lots of steps.
Popped into town and got a bus to Ald.
Mrs SD - I got my fridge organisers from Home Bargain.
Took the 20 cards that I made into SA - my friend bought them all so £20 in pre sales for the September table top sale. I enjoyed making them so will do some more while my card making stuff is out.
I will add a photo of my favourite card.