2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

weenancyinAmerica

Last night toilet nearest downstairs bedrooms decided to stop working properly. Fortunately we have another one downstairs by the kitchen to use and there is one upstairs. After doing a lot of plunging last night, I finally went and got some strong drain cleaner today and it worked. I also got some more aspirin, because after dealing with uptight, complaining roommates, I really needed it.

Dog got to come in again this week and pool person finally made it. Not like we are going in the pool however, as it isn't heated. Only the husky goes in right now and she stays on the top step. Just don't want the pool to turn green. Originally the pool was heated as my brother had muscular dystrophy and he and his friends could go in and move around in the water. After that, a new church in town asked to use the pool as a temporary baptismal font. Since then, the heater hasn't been repaired. Nice during summer and the occasional heat wave. Spend most of my time now fishing dog toys out of it. 

It's a new month - so time to start paying bills again. Need to finish transferring information to new calendar - the back information with the phone numbers added this year and the budget information. Already have a lot of entries in it - especially doctors' appointments. And all of our book sales and the family and friends' birthdays to remember. Trying to keep on top of things, but with at least five, and sometimes six of us, there is a lot going on.

We appear to have two extra cats coming for dinner most nights. We only have one of our original feral cats left. Don't know if these are friends of his or not as they do get into fights out there. We try to feed him earlier while the other two aren't there. I also put food out for him in the morning when I feed the two indoor cats. One of our friends gave us two huge bags of dry food as well for the cats. I put out a bowlful each morning and they finish it off every day. Our neighbor across the street also feeds some of the feral cats. At one point we had 23 feral cats in the local colony, but when you get them fixed, after awhile you run out of cats. Current cat is still doing his job as mouser though.

We are do for a minor heat wave this week - Tuesday and Wednesday up to 28C. But a big storm is crossing the rest of the country. Hope it doesn't hit too hard over there. Stay warm and dry.

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

Friday was another day of me doing sweet f…. adams apart from more knitting & watching 2 new to me series - “In The Dark” & “Clean Sweep” - both excellent 👍 DH bought me a new frying pan to replace the one with peeling non-stick coating 😊 Old one binned.

Dinner was omelettes for DH & me (filled with ham, cheese, mushrooms & cooked sweet peppers) DSis had baked beans on toast. Wudupa. 

2391 - 2394 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, cardboard box, paper packaging- recycled 

2395 - 2396 Kitchen detritus, damaged frying pan - binned

Timer is on for 1 session of cheerleading 🙂

Excellent decluttering, cleaning & tidying charlies_tribe 👏 Well done on making such great use of the unexpected energy 🥳

I love your “really useful drawer” aka “junk drawer” diminua 😊 Not sure it needs tidying as you can see everything in there 😉

How exciting mehefin 🥳 Great work starting on the community library clear out 👏 & well done on arranging re-use of old shelving etc 😊

bit_by_bit, you have had a busy week 👏 Well done on starting the process of sorting out your BiL’s energy bill 😊 Fingers crossed that it can all be sorted out promptly & efficiently🤞Good luck with the bags of books 🍀 - 12 bags out will create a lot of space 😉 DSis does make a really tasty cake & she is always very inventive with the decorating 😊

TC77, great decluttering 👏 By the way you were on 1934 on page 795 so new number is 1940 😉

weenancy, I think DH enjoyed his birthday - a quiet one indoors 😊 How generous that Di’s minister is delivering food boxes but even more generous that you are passing on anything you know would otherwise be wasted 😊 I am keeping everything crossed that the husky continues to impress her potential new owner 🤞 Hopefully all the blood tests will come back it’s no new issues 🤞Let us all hope that December is a better month all round 😊

TheMillions, a second day of 9 of 9 😊 Great work 👏 What a superb amount of O/P on your mortgage 🤩 I am so impressed that I am awarding you a medal 🥇 for decluttering i.e. reducing either your interest amount or mortgage term 👏 

London_1, is the opticians an independent or part of a chain as I have several pairs of glasses that I would like to recycle rather than send to landfill? Please stay both safe & warm on your trip to the shopping precinct 🙏 I am with you - sooner Nanook of the North than being cold & potentially ill 🤧 

Well done on almost completing your winter cleaning ruby_eskimo 👏 A great idea to take a ‘before the Christmas tree is put up’ photo 😊 

Excellent work GrannyKate with both the cleaning & the rearranging 👏 Good luck dealing with the emails 🍀 hopefully none of the work needed will be too taxing or intricate 🤞

nannywindow, sorry to hear that you have had to spend so much time in the TLC Carriage 😔 Excellent decluttering 👏 I am putting in my request for a photo of your ‘elegant look’ re the Christmas decorations 🙏 I have a DH who likes gadgets & believes that I should too 😂 I keep trying to thin out kitchen utensils etc & keep the few work surfaces clear but DH keeps ‘treating me’, so I am fighting a losing battle 😞 It doesn’t help that currently I have a severe case of ‘lazyitis’ & that my ‘Decluttering Mojo’ has taken an extended vacation in the Caribbean 🤣 

That was actually 2 timed sessions of cheerleading 🙊 so I will post & go to bed 🙂

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

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

Decluttering Target 2023: 2396/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £679.00

weenancyinAmerica

Here the Lion's Club and several places have collection boxes for eye glasses. Some stay here in the United States and others are sent overseas. The lenses can be checked to see what their prescriptions are so they can be sorted and reused with no problem.  

London_1

I recycled them in my local opticians who have several branches in Kent I think John Hinds. But I was told that the larger Boots opticians also recycle them for reuse overseas.It seems such a waste if there is someone that can reuse them mine used to get changed every two years but now due to the years creeping up its every year now. The cost is a bit high at times but one needs to see properly to drive, apart from anything else. Eye and vision are important as unlike teeth you can't replace them

Yesterday I had a small declutter of my herbs and spices, I do use a good few and devote one shelf in one of my cupboards to them, but the less used ones really had lost their oomph so sadly had to go.

A good big  batch cooking will be going on today in my house to use up excess stock which I will then freeze for meals next month when I never feel much like doing for some reason
 I hate January and try to keep the cooking down to a minimal so I can do other things.

 But this January I will be looking forward to our move in the spring so emptying the cupboards and running tinned stuff down means less to pack once we go. DD ,son-in-law and I are off to the IoW after Christmas for a few days so will be signing up to several estate agent and viewing some properties hopefully.Then when we come home our houses go on the market we hope to be moved by early summer fingers crossed. hence lots of decluttering of lots of stuff. 

I did a lot of shredding yesterday which filled my recycling bag, thank goodness most stuff can be done online now and the days of having files of statement and paper rubbish is slowly going.

Eldest DD is popping in this morning as its her birthday and she will pick up her presents, I can't believe she's 56 Makes me feel ancient

Keep warm chums its very nippy this morning -4c last night

JackieO xx

Moorviews

Belated Happy Birthday wishes to Mr SD 🥳

We had a big push to get certain items gone from the house by the end of November. The big desk was finally emptied and has gone. It was a marathon, rather than a sprint and I at times wondered if we would manage it but finally we did it! All the recent talk of junk drawers made me realise that this was one giant set of junk drawers masquerading as potentially useful stuff. The TV storage unit has also gone, along with some defunct technology and remote controllers and cables for things we no longer even have. We have more space and could rearrange the room a bit. It won’t be quite such a squish for the Christmas tree this year. The office chair went to the recycling centre, as it was damaged and clapped out, along with a large old computer bag. 

Also, a bag for life of books, some ornaments, CDs and DVDs went to the charity shop. Four years worth of my professional journals went out with the recycling and a batch of old papers and magazines from my children’s school. They are now adults! 

Mr MV complained that he was running out of drawer space for his socks and couldn’t put them away after laundering. When I looked, I could see loads of socks that he wore with his suits for work (he is retired) and some old tatty trainer socks. Once he has dealt with that lot there will be plenty of room. He does still struggle with the concept of going through stuff to keep condensing it down to the available space, although he is in agreement that it has to be done. To be honest, I would prefer to be doing other things too but I am enjoying the benefits of reducing our belongings. There is still a very long way to go but being part of this thread has helped me to make more progress this year than I otherwise would have. Thank you so much @Mrs_Salad_Dodger and fellow declutterati for motivating and inspiring me this year. 

~FlowerPot~

Hello {Flowers waves} peeking out from the TLC carriage where ive been so long Ive grown roots! But I think I'm slowly finding myself again. Three weeks agaon I had a wisdom tooth extracted (well partially extracted, it broke off and after 40 minutes of tugging dentist gave up!!) however the wonderful news was that it stopped the horrific face pain I had been in since the end of August.Somehow the tooth had been affecting that tricky trigeminal nerve. And the on Thursday the dentist had another go!!! He got the final bit of root out, but blooming heck Im swollen and bruised and stitched up, but still not ecletric shock pains, So now I am slowly weaning myself off the meds and beginning to find myself again. Sucha huge relief I cant begin to say how thankful I am to this dentist for sorting out my problem. I had spoken to my NHS dentist and he looked 4 times and saw no cause for any pain. Finally went for a private second opinion and voila! Looks like to need to stay with the private guy, as Ive really lost all confidence with Dr   Hook (what a name for a dentist!

Children have also been a sorce of stress and worry, eldest is giving up uni after mental health plummeted. and to top it off DH has had a hemorhage  in his eye and has no vision there at the moment, so cant do much while its so unstable, including work and driving. It really has been 1 thing after another.

However, It is now december and I declare that we have all turned a corner and I intend to positivley blast through the month with alot more joy and fun. I got my DD the M&S beauty advent calender, something I would never usualy 'waste' money on, but actually it is perfect for my 15 year old to try out a whole load of new products and see what she likes. And she was so surprised as it was so unlike my usual barhumbug Christmas approach! I am also nearlt there with the xmas shopping and feeling more organsied on that front. Now need to take a look at the house! It is a complete diaster, Under the stairs is an absolute disaster and there is no door so it is spilling out all across the hall. I tried 3 weeks ago to take 5 bags to the charity shop but all 3 in the nearest town were full and turned me away. !! I need to try again , I need it all sorted before xmas visitors come!!

Happy weekend guys, I hope you all find a way to smile today and make a moment for yourself. I am having a lie in and listening to music. I might even make a 'do to list' ~ havent even dared to make one recently, I much be feeling brighter!

TheMillions

Day 6 (01.12.23) Yesterday
DC1 - Mind and Body
Exercise bike, Body brushing, Day 6 face mask and light therapy - done (I am doing a 7 day face mask routine at the moment)
DC2 - Personal Admin
Finances done
DC3 - Business Admin
30 mins done
DC4 - Emails 
100 today -  500/5000 done -
DC5 - Images
20 today - 120/5000 done
DC6 - Beauty
Another small bottle finished, and recycled
DC7 - Cleaning Tasks
Washed covers on one settee, along with the cushions
DC8 - Items for Sale
Target 5 daily - Decluttered and for sale 5 items - Done (Total so far 30)
DC9 - Other
Scrubbed and cleaned the outside milk storage container (that the milkman uses to put things in) 
Household recycling done

Thank you!! Very excited to receive a medal from @Mrs_Salad_Dodger - could someone tell me how you find the emoji for this so I can add it to my footer?
Checked mort and will save £20 a month on interest so far, so all heading in the right direction, hopefully will be able to make good O/P this month by doing my daily payments again.

Happy Weekend everyone!
Milly

QueenJess

TheMillions said:

Thank you!! Very excited to receive a medal from @Mrs_Salad_Dodger - could someone tell me how you find the emoji for this so I can add it to my footer?
Checked mort and will save £20 a month on interest so far, so all heading in the right direction, hopefully will be able to make good O/P this month by doing my daily payments again.

Happy Weekend everyone!
Milly

Unless you’re on a phone and can use usual phone emojis, you need to copy and paste it from the post to add it to your signature as it isn’t an official one on MSE.

dND

Not on purpose - was out to lunch with my art class and on getting in the car to come home I felt a tug on my earlobe and discovered that I'd lost the back off an earring.  Unfortunately these are the extra lovely, very expensive hand made solid silver ones I bought when we were in Dresden in the spring.  So a replacement back will be difficult to find and expensive as well.  I'm glad I noticed at the time as it meant I could put the actual earring in my pocket and go home to try and find it in my clothes, footwell of the car.  No luck finding it so I'll have to track down a proper jeweler to get a new back.  

@Brie Have a look at https://www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?channel=uk&query=findings  they may have something suitable 😁

London_1

Flower Pot I feel your pain I too have a mouthful of stitches from last Mondays dental appointment I too went private as although in dreadful pain I was told three weeks before I could see my NHS dentist. I phoned my DDs dentist at 08.30 on Monday morning saw the emergency dentist at the practice at 10.00 Xray done and returned at 3.30 to see the dental surgeon who removed the back tooth that had crumbled in the gum at the root not a pleasant hour but pain free now just a bit swollen and lots of soft food and painkillers so getting better by the day. Toothache is the worse pain in the world I think so although expensive it was worth every penny and the darned thing will never hurt again as it did last Sunday. Onwards and upwards honey. Soup and ice cream seems to be working well at the moment 🤣🤣🤣🤣 JackieO xx