2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Florafauna

I've read the above comments with interests. Having worked in a Pastoral capacity for years, I'd like to refute the belief that schools push young people to assume particular gender identities and are quick to label them. 
Instead we listen and support young people, we never push them in any direction but support them during difficult times of their lives 

weenancyinAmerica

Picture frames can be used a mini-quilt frames. My father put one together for me when I was traveling and wanted to work on something in the hotel rooms. Also make good weaving frames. If you put a piece of wood inside you can make a tray. I did one with tiles on top for my teapot. 

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks + a weekly Jettison Junk in January

2. Sort out sleep patterns - target bed by 2:00 a.m. & up by 9:00 a.m 

3. Deal with mail & email on a daily basis

4. Don’t put it down, put it away + deal with mini tasks as soon as they are noticed e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc

5. Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ using the acronym - I.R.I.S. (Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off) - One per quarter

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

I spent the rest of Friday clearing down programmes from the TV planner & knitting. I have one more mitten to knit. I also shredding some newspapers & have half a bag of shredding for the worms. Dinner was fish in breadcrumbs, oven chips & peas. Wudupa.

578 - 580 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, magazine - recycled 

581 Kitchen detritus binned 

Absolutely love it Floss 😹

Excellent decluttering mhagster 👏 & well done on just nipping in & out of the CS 🙂

~FlowerPot~ very pleased to hear that you are gradually getting rid of the moths 😮‍💨 Hopefully a couple more goes & they will be banished forever 🤞Very sorry to hear about the email 😔 Is there anyone you can complain to as it sounds like the college are being ‘obstructive’? As to your eldest, thank you for sharing 👏 I hope that everything goes well 🙏 

Floss, thank you too 👏 

Excellent work in the garden Crazycatlady2 👏 Any chance of a couple of pictures 😉 Fingers crossed that the deterrent that Floss has shared, works quickly 🤞

Great decluttering ilovetea 👏 Shame your hairdresser can’t cut out the gray rather than the dark 😉

Well said daisy_1571 😊

vulpix, tomboys of the world unite 😊 I was more a long haired tomboy 😂 Good luck with sorting out the gravel garden tomorrow 🍀 I hope the weather stays fine BUT please, please pace yourself 🙏🙏 Very jealous of MrV - 10lbs in two weeks is phenomenal 🥳🤩 

Thank you for sharing your experience Florafauna 👏 A different perspective on a complex issue. 

weenancy, Thank you for the great ideas re glass free picture frames 👏

Hope everyone has a good night’s sleep 😴 

MrsSD: I AM A ⭐️ - 🥇 🎖️ 💐 🌟 🏅 💐 🎖️ 💐 ⭐️ 💐 💐 🥇 ⭐️ 

DH Awards: IS A 💎🏅 🌟 🥰 🏅 

DSis Awards: 🏅 💐 💐 🤗 ⭐️ 

Decluttering Target 2023: 581/2024

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £116.85

daisy_1571

Florafauna said:

I've read the above comments with interests. Having worked in a Pastoral capacity for years, I'd like to refute the belief that schools push young people to assume particular gender identities and are quick to label them. 
Instead we listen and support young people, we never push them in any direction but support them during difficult times of their lives 

Thats really good to hear florafauna 

Daisy xx

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, a bit of a sorting out day yesterday as things had started to pile up when I was in the tlc carriage. The plastic food boxes needed organising again as we have mostly been eating out of the freezer and OH seems incapable of being able to put them away in any sort of order or even in the cupboard . I c!eaned the bathroom, uu a bottle of cleaning product so a bottle from the stash can be put in there to replace it. Bedroom recycling emptied, 1 LDFPA as I had them on the line and although it was a bit chilly the sun was out and there was a brisk breeze. 100 emails were deleted. I feel I am getting back on track although it was a bit annoying to have to be clearing and sorting again because I wasn't up to doing things daily
I was woken early coughing and the weather is cold but sunny so I have stripped the bed and got the bedding swishing in the machine  . I am now having another cuppa and a sit down as the exertion set off another coughing fit before I hoover the matress and put the clean bedding on. Later today I am going to a spring fare that is raising money for an area in bloom. They promise cakes and crafts as well as plants and as I am on the hunt for a couple of birthday presents I thought I might find something different there

@Vulpix I wouldn't dream of visiting while I am not completely sure I am over this sinus / cough thing especially as Mr V is waiting for his op and no chances should be taken . Also I know you are up to your eyes finishing the clearing of your Mum's house and have quite enough to do without giving guided tours of your garden . I had a quick check of the bluebells in the garden and using the rhs identification system I seem to have a clump of English bluebells and a clump of Spanish bluebells so you are right I couldn't be sure to only pass on the English bluebells but I am thinking I will maybe put the English ones in the front garden when they have finished flowering

On the subject of tomboys another one here . When I was young and had absolutely no control over my appearance my Mum put me in dresses but I had very short curly hair. I think my Mum had a Shirley Temple thing going on but I spent my time climbing trees and splashing through puddles so I was always the one with dirty socks, scabby knees and scuffed shoes when I could be bothered to keep them on, often I was so fed up with being told off for generally coming home like pigpen I would just take them off and go barefoot . When I was old enough to make my own choices I went into jeans and trousers and that is where I have stayed though I did grow my hair. I don't think I ever thought I was anything except me but I do agree that I think life was simpler and there was no pressure to look a certain way even when I became a teenager. I think I was lucky enough to be blessed with self confidence that stemmed mainly from my Dad who always said I could do anything even though at that time, 60s, working class women and girls were really limited in their choices. Women were nurses not doctors, air stewardesses not pilots etc etc and although I sometimes envied boys due to their greater choices I never wanted to be one.  I was never really interested in make-up or things like that but it didn't seem to matter. I think also I had no idea about sexual identify. I think right now young people have more knowledge about these things as they have, rightly, been educated to try to prevent prejudices but the flip side of that is that they question their own sexuality, especially during those tricky teenage years when so much changes. I have a friend whose niece thought she was trans for all sorts of reasons, she wasn't pretty enough, feminine enough, not interested in girly things etc. she is also on the spectrum, very intelligent, and said she just didn't feel like everybody else. Her parents persuaded her to wait until she was 18 before she had any medical treatment but were happy to support her with changing names and appearance etc. When she started on the hormone treatment she realised she really didn't like the way it made her feel and she didn't want to change sex and came to terms with feeling different was due to being on the spectrum. Her school had been very supportive throughout the whole time but I think it does show that young people today feel under more pressure to fit into a box than I ever experienced. I am afraid I didn't know what the boxes were never mind feeling that I had to fit into one . I also think the prevalence of influencers / social media etc can be massive on young people and it takes a lot of confidence to buck the trend and just be who they are which I think is quite sad. I also think women are girls are particularly susceptible to feeling they have to fit in, be someone else etc which is also very sad.

Right off to get the washing on the line and get on to doing something . Hugs to everyone who would like one.

590 general sorting after being out of action for a few days - it took ages
591 bathroom cleaner uu
592 LDFPA
593 bedroom recycling
594 100 emails permanently deleted
Take care everyone
594/2024 

Crazycatlady2

That's a work in progress pic..ran out of membrane and couldn't manage anymore so another session next week to do

Will try the suggestion and report in progress, thankyou

charlies_tribe

I just wanted to pop on and say thank you all so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences, sorry if I've missed any replies but wanted to thank you all.

@~FlowerPot~ - our dd2 is home Ed and attending an adult education centre for functional skills and has said a few of the teens can't get college places next year as don't have the right qualifications. I think now they stay in education until 18, colleges have made the criteria tougher due to demand.

I really hope everything goes well for your eldest, thank you for sharing. 

Thank you @Floss, that's all we want, for our children to be happy and loved.

@vulpix , well done to mrV. I've been trying to lose weight for 3 weeks and just managed 2lb. He's done fantastic. 

@Florafauna we've had no experience with the school yet as she's only spoken to us and friends. But our experience is just from the other teens, comments along the lines of 'you only wear joggers you must be a boy' 'you only like to do boy things' there's seems to be no thing of 'just being a tomboy' anymore. I hope that makes sense.

@Liverpool_Anne thank you for sharing your experience. That's exactly what we've asked DD3 to do, wait until she's 18 and hormones have settled a little (shes 14 so theyre all over the place) to make any big decisions.

I had short curly hair too, it was bright red! It was just like Annie's from the movie. I sometimes wish it had stayed but its dark and frizzy now.

The wedding dress has come out really clean considering the 22 years of mud on the hem/train and fluff and dust but it's sooo creased up.

I've not got any items to add to my list yet but do have some things waiting to go into the bin.

vulpix

 Apologies to you Flora. No offence meant at all. I worked at school for 20 years and we were nothing but accommodating and supportive to all and any issues a pupil had. I don't think schools are pushing an agenda, but I do think they are frightened of seeming to be un supportive. 

QueenJess

Hey all, been working ridiculously hard still, but trying to cut down slowly to avoid an inevitable slump when you feel very unwell.  It works in theory in my head anyway... So not much time for decluttering, but still managed to get a few bits done.  Will see what happens next week, but I may extend my April challenge to May to give myself a break as I really do want to declutter the kitchen.  Plus it really does take time if it involves eating things up and for some reason I find it hard to identify the actual utensils/pots/pans/trays etc that we need day to day.  So, a very slow declutter it is!

Digital:
2 - notes deleted
29 - documents deleted

Physical:
2 - kitchen food cupboard overstock used up
2 - food not wanted (food bank)
1 - DS tat binned
4 - pens not working (binned)
1 - packaging reused
2 - DS tat recycled
7 - paper, reused then recycled 

New total = 6,915

April mini kitchen declutter challenge = 22/50

Slightly not on topic, but given more information out there, my heart sinks when I walk into a shop and see rows and rows of pink clothes for girls.  I tried very hard to get nothing pink when the kids were babies as I hate that colour, although obviously I just get whatever DD likes now and that actually isn't pink either.  She also loves all DS's old tops as they often have tractors and buses that she loves.  I just follow whatever they like, but the shops make it very hard sometimes and I refuse to be told what to do by a big corporation So no, DD does not want pink tops with unicorns on.  She wants yellow tops with ducks, buses and tractors on.

Pennypincin

Hi, sorry I keep being missing in action.

I've managed to take a bag and a half of assorted bits to a local charity shop.

I've managed to re-home a camping table too, plus a couple of small bits.