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Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD
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No venture into the loft today, but been just trying to reduce the general mess lying around including a number of items that have been on the "to deal with" list for so long I've now concluded I no longer need them - so they are being decluttered. Slightly improved the place and got another huge box for charity that is pretty much full and I will put into DH's room to take to the charity for me. I still feel like there are hundreds more items that need decluttering, but I guess we shall see... Maybe I'll get a bit more done this afternoon/evening. Still have to package and send back a few items that are cluttering up my bedroom.2 - clothes that aren’t my style anymore (charity box)
2 - storage containers not needed (charity box)
1 - cardboard box (recycled)
2 - packaging reused
1 - trinket pot that’s not used (charity box)
1 - puzzle (Buy Nothing)
1 - photo frame (Buy Nothing)
1 - bag (recycled)
2 - paper, reused then recycled
1 - lamp (Buy Nothing)
1 - toys (charity box)New total = 9,476May mini kitchen decluttering challenge = 25/25May/June mini clothes decluttering challenge = 137/200The decluttering today was tiny 1-2 min breaks from working. Surprising how much you can get done in tiny amounts of time!Edit: Just in case it helps anyone, my to do list items lying around for years included a lava lamp that I got when I was a teenager and absolutely loved it for the longest time. It's been relegated to a box as I don't really have a place to put it now. Concluded that I may as well get rid of it as there is no point having it in the box (although it was a bit sad), but once I opened it up to take photos, it was the memory I liked and actually not that bothered about the lamp now I've seen what it looks like again.Also decluttering a photo frame (one of those with multiple photos you hang on the wall). DH bought it as a present for me with photos of me and DS in it. The trouble is I didn't really like it that much and the photos in it I also didn't like that much - I have photos I like much more. It's been sat for years as a guilt item for me, but I am going to go ahead and declutter it as I'm never going to put it up and the photos are quite outdated now. Instead I have a photo I love so much of DS and DD taken recently and I am going to find somewhere I want to put it up.2025 decluttering: 3,235🌟🥉🌟💐🏅🏅🌟🥈🏅🌟🏅💐💎🌟🏅🏆🌟🏅
2025 use up challenge: 271🥉🥈🥇💎🏆
Mini kitchen challenge 44/50
Big kitchen declutter challenge 66/150
2025 decluttering goals I Use up Challenge: 🥉365 🥈750 🥇1,000 💎2,000 🏆 3,000 I 🥉12 🥈26 🥇52 💎100 🏆25015 -
Mrs_Salad_Dodger said:
Wednesday2000, I seem to remember reading that Jack Russell terriers are particularly good at despatching rats 😉
2025 GOALS
15/25 classes
17/100 books14 -
20/52 - a rusting pair of BBQ tongs, a teddy and some boot shapers to the bin.15
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Is that perhaps a camellia Mrs sd?
Thanks for all the rat stories- it appears a little mousey-mousey has decided I should be involved too, so he/she was dancing around the kitchen floor last night. Much shifting and cleaning suggests only 1 and probably only arrived yesterday. Holes found and blocked, will be keeping close yet for any return visits. Cat has been no help whatsoever btw
Dxx22: 3🏅 4⭐ 23: 5🏅 6 ⭐ 24 1🏅 2⭐ 25 🏅 🥈 Never save something for a special occasion. Every day is a special occasion. The diff between what you were yesterday and what you will be tomorrow is what you do today Well organised clutter is still clutter - Joshua Becker If you aren't already using something you won't start using it more by shoving it in a cupboard- AJMoney The barrier standing between you & what youre truly capable of isnt lack of info, ideas or techniques. The secret is 'do it'14 -
I was sitting relaxing yesterday afternoon when a friend phoned - a local Church bbq had leftover food for SA. So I raced round and took it into the building. Came home and got ready to go out to the afternoon service. We were late leaving so had to creep into the building during the service.
We had yummy cakes and biscuits afterwards - poor Mr F couldn't eat them so I had his share.
I had another look at SA for my glasses but no sign.
This morning Mr F had his ultrasound - there is some fluid around a lung. Apparently they found some fluid around a lung when he had tests in hospital last year - we weren't informed. There is more fluid now.
After leaving the surgery we popped to Ald. and Home B before walking into town. I had a package to collect from the post office.
I have bought another chain for glasses - my walking about specs are already on a lovely beaded chain. I am now going to have my reading glasses on the new chain so I will be walking around with 2 chains around my neck. I just don't want to lose another pair of glasses. I bought a spare pair in case I lost my specs but don't want to pay out for a third lot.
I have a basket of makes ready for Father's day that I hope my DD is going to collect.
It was a bit chilly here this morning walking to the doctors. Lovely warm day yesterday.Decluttering Achieved - 2023 - 10,364 Decluttering - 2024 - 8,365 August - 0/45
GC NSD 2023 - 242/365
2023 Craft Makes - 245 Craft Spends 2023 - £676.03/£400
Books read - 2023 - 37
GC - 2024 4 Week Period £57.82/£100 NSD - 138
2024 Craft Makes - 240 Craft Spends 2024 £426.80/£50012 -
Thank you for Mr V's medal Mrs SD. Your plant is a Peony,Sarah Bernhardt or Shirley Temple I think and what a stunner she is. They are a very long lived plant and don't enjoy being moved. I brought one from my last house and she hates it here. She wants to go home.
Mr V helps me in the garden by brewing up and going to the builders merchant for more cement and sand, that is the extent of his interest.
I am keeping out of ratgate, I have enough to keep me occupied.They have a massive tom cat, not earning his keep obviously.
House done,bins out for tomorrow. We have to go Wednesday night to put the sofa and chair out for collection as it should be out from 6am Thursday. Err, i'm not that dedicated. Went to see Mum. Told her and Nephew who helps her a bit all I have learned here. I will leave it with them.Nephew has a law degree so I will leave it with him. My work there is done. Wooden chest of brothers rock collection will be on the Estate Agents photos. Brought a few garden tools and a little garden bench home. Took a box of ornaments to the chazzer and bought myself a book for my holidays. Groan, I have been given a bag of photo's. Not my thing, I have very few photos .CBA. Who will ever want to look at my baby photos? Mum did show me one that she said my Dad always kept in his wallet,awww.
Now I will get my painting clothes on and paint a bird box and folding table I have brought home. They can go to the sale for the Spanish dogs, Then I need to get a shimmy on and finish some tote bags so I can pass all this stuff for the sale on tomorrow at craft club.
Vx:15 -
MrsSD is it perhaps a peony ?
nanFailure is simply the opportunity to begin again, but this time more intelligently13 -
1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks + a weekly Mini Mission in May
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
Still sunny & warm 22C so the breeze when it comes is rather welcome 😊 DH has finished strimming the back garden - looks a lot neater 👏 I have ticked off a couple of tasks - transferred some cash to DSis & repaired DH’s summer motorcycle trousers. I am rather pleased with myself as it was a tricky repair 😉 Thick outer material (breathable) & a non-detachable mesh inner with a tear in the outer material in the crotch area. Fortunately I had some breathable black cotton fabric & a suitable needle (tapestry). Now patched & I managed to avoid catching the mesh lining 😮💨 Just watched today’s Countdown - the poor challenger was 0 - 118 with 2 rounds to go 😥 Fortunately he managed to get the last numbers challenge 🥳 Ended 10 - 138 & to rub salt into the wound the current champion is only 16 years old 🙊 I had a ‘use up’ salad for lunch - sad looking salad leaves & rocket with the last third of a tin of kidney beans & the last of some chilli salmon & a tomato drizzled with olive & balsamic glaze 😋 Very pleased as I avoided throwing anything away 😊
Excellent decluttering QueenJess 👏 especially as it has all been done in teeny tiny sessions 🤩 Also thank you for sharing the lava lamp story - it does help 😊
Wednesday2000, thanks for that - I hadn’t realised that JRTs were bred for catching rats.
Good decluttering Rootle 👏 still on target 😊
Thanks daisy_1571 - I thought it was either a camellia or peony 😊 Good luck with evicting your mouse 🍀 definitely preferable to rat 😮💨 but still not a welcome guest 😉
Another busy Sunday Florenceem 👏 Sorry to hear about MrF’s new health issue 😔 A great shame that it wasn’t mentioned when MrF was in hospital as he could have been treated at the time. Hopefully now that it has been identified it can be treated quickly & efficiently. Shame that you haven’t found your glasses but a good idea to get a glasses chain 😊 Good luck to your DD selling your makes 🍀
vulpix, thanks for that - a peony Shirley Temple sounds wonderful 😊 Mine has been around for about 20 years & seems to thrive on almost neglectful care - I put a cage around it, deadhead it & then cut it right down to the ground in October/November. Now that she has been identified I googled & noticed that by a complete fluke I planted in exactly the right place - south facing garden in full sunshine from about 09:30 to 20:00 during the summer 😊 Fingers crossed that Ratgate will be resolved shortly 🤞 More excellent decluttering 👏 Hopefully your nephew will be more useful than his dad 😉 That is one photo I would definitely keep 😊 Good luck with the painting & making tote bags 🍀
Thanks nannywindow 😊 Consensus is that it is a peony 😊
Time to make dinner & I really should pack a bag for tomorrow 😉
MrsSD: I AM A ⭐️ - 🥇 🎖️ 💐 🌟 🏅 💐 🎖️ 💐 ⭐️ 💐 💐 🥇 ⭐️
DH Awards: IS A 💎🏅 🌟 🥰 🏅
DSis Awards: 🏅 💐 💐 🤗 ⭐️
Decluttering Target 2023: 808/2024
1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £166.85
Be Kind. Stay Safe. Break the Chain. Save Lives. ⭐️2025 Savings Pot Challenge: As a monthly amount, running total = £299.00
Jan £5.00 Feb £12.74 Mch £23.26 Apr £32 May £43 Jun £50 July £62 Aug £71 Sep Oct Nov Dec Grand Total £17 -
Hi chums wide awake at silly o'clock this morning ( 4.50) trouble is as it starts to get light I seem to wake up
I sleep longer on dark nights
But extra time was put to good use as I lay there thinking about things to do today.
I thought I'd start the sitting room bits and pieces packing ,and 6 boxes later by 10 30 a.m. I had decided enough was enough for today.
Then after my forth cuppa I thought I\'ll plough on a bit more. I decided that as I had a lot of lock'n'lock boxes they would be ideal for all my packed herbs and spices, so they too are packed away and every lock'n'lock and tuppaware container I found I put small things into
I figured as I was taking them anyway putting bits in them will be easier to stack square boxes into my cardboard packing boxes, and nothing is loose or will break.
I managed to even get some small china ornaments wrapped in a tea towels wedged into the lidded plastic boxes then fitted various boxes like a jig saw into the packing boxes and sealed them with tape ready to be stacked in the moving van
Even my footstool which had space under the lid has got some full tuppaware boxes in there.
I've been using the multitude of tea towels to wrap things in and on the top of each cardboard packing box I have a cushion lying over everything before taping the lid down so nothing can move around once taped tight.I would say around three quarters of my goods and chattels are packed into boxes ready to go in the van.
My food mixer and blender is packed securely, and other electrical bits I've black taped the leads to the item so no leads or plus are shifting
Then I was talking to my little neighbour and she said if you like I will put odds and ends on my Facebook free local page and instead of you answering the door to strangers if you give them to me I will get them sorted so this afternoon.
We managed between us to get a white formica table that was going to the tip next Sunday from my conservatory onto the site, and someone collected it this afternoon, then my slow cooker which I didn't need to take with me she put that on, and it went in half an hour.
So two things have found a home instead of landfill, and I don't have to cart my slow cooker (which is a bit heavy ) to the CS. I'm really pleased as its been such a productive day.
My lovely gardener Mick came this afternoon and weeded and mowed my lawn and garden, and it looks really nice and bless him he said he wouldn't take anything for doing it as I was his first customer when he started up about 10 years ago and it was his gesture as a thank you for being so happy and cheerful if he had difficulty it coming because of the weather or whatever.
He's a lovely chap, and we always got on well as I always remembered to give him his cuppa of black tea when he finished the garden off for me.:) Also if I needed any small jobs doing indoors he would do them for me I have 8'6" high ceilings and as I'm only 5'3 and a bit and definitely well past climbing step ladders he would even change a light bulb for me. My late OH was over 6 foot so it wasn't a problem back then when we first moved here
The mower that he used, he used to keep in my shed as it was his spare one, and I said did he want to take it with him and he said no he already had two at home, so I said could I pass it on to my little neighbour as hers was starting to play up a bit, and he said yes of course, and even put it over the fence for her along with the grass box and she was so pleased.
As with another little one on the way a new mower came a bit down the list of things she really needed.so a little bit of good luck for her, and Mick was more than happy for it to go to a new home.
He became a granddad last year and he said he too is going to cut back on the work, but he had promised last year he would keep coming to me until just before I moved.
I'm now sat with my trotters up relaxingand tomorrow is 'Dobbie coffee morning' with my friends so the morning off from decluttering but a bit more shredding to be done when i get home after lunch I think .
I hope every ones day has been as productive as mine has
Cheers chums
JackieO xx19 -
MRS SD it’s a peony and very lovely it is too! One of my very favourite flowers !Well I didn’t get much done at the weekend but did do nice things.Today I sealed two boxes. I’ve three empty ones left. One will be for work stuff from my office but just had another service booked in for next week so will wait till that’s done before I pack it away. It won’t take long to do.Folded up the bedding on spare bed ( was just all washed ) so that shall go in a big bag. Got big sturdy zipped bags from Home bargains for £1.69 that I’ve put all my airing cupboard things in.Emptied the storage chest in garden that houses the cushions for garden furniture…and spiders and snails. So that’s cleaned out and will put excess garden ornamental stuff in it ( like shepherds hooks for lights and my lanterns and things. So that shall just be added to over next week or so. When I say next week or so that’s all the time I have left! I have to be all packed by next weekend ( not this but the following).
My bedroom drawers are all emptied and I hoovered them this afternoon. And fixed the bit that was a bit dodgy. Dodgy no more.And friend is moving the month after me so she’ll use my boxes which is good as I’d hate to just put them out for recycling. Gives me incentive to unpack quickly! ( and what a thought unpacking is after packing it all up 😆)14
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