2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks 

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

Oops, I forgot to post yesterday & not because I was too busy 🙊 Saturday was a grey overcast day but didn’t rain until Sunday 02:15 & then we had a twenty minute thunder and lightning storm ⚡️ Very loud & quite spectacular 😉 Dinner was sausages, mash, tinned tomatoes & baked beans. Wudupa.

1493 - 1494 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans - recycled 

1495 Kitchen detritus binned 

Sunday is still overcast but a lot brighter with the sun managing to peep through the clouds. DH is watching the MotoGP races & DSis is in her room. I have my first cuppa & have settled down to catch up on the cheerleading 🤞

weenancy, Friday was dangerously & uncomfortably hot 🥵 although I am pleased that you managed to find a few air-conditioned places to spend time in 👏 before having to go home to ‘melt’ 🥵 Like others I am enjoying the six degrees of separation stories 😊 I am keeping my fingers crossed that Saturday was not too exhausting & that Sunday’s BBQ goes off without a hitch 🤞 & that the chef is sharing cooking duties & getting plenty of opportunities to retire inside with the air-conditioning 🙏 Very, very considerate of you to delay the furniture removal until it is cooler 😇

vulpix, your six degrees of separation story reminds me of ours: we were in a café at Wellington Harbour waiting for our ferry to Picton when a work colleague of DH’s spotted him having just got off the ferry 🤩 Halfway round the world & DH couldn’t avoid work colleagues 🤣 Sorry to hear that the housing market is so flat 😔 especially as you have your heart set on moving 😉 I am just wondering if people are now waiting until after the new government’s first budget 🤨 Shame about the ‘ugly house’ but it would appear the owners haven’t investigated the property market properly 😔 I just hope that for their sake they don’t spend too much on any renovations. I did smile at your comment about decluttering something to Liverpool_Anne 😁

daisy_1571, lovely six degrees of separation story 🙂

Brie, I quite often get asked the same thing when I mention living in London 😂 Although having said that it is more likely with a population of 9.7 million than 39.3 million 😂

regnbue, lovely story 😊 Did you become friends? 

Wednesday2000 another lovely story 😊 I am sure the airing cupboard won’t mind not being sorted for a while 😂

Great work oceanspirit 👏 & it does count as decluttering 😉 “…Started writing a master list of everything that needs doing.  Frightened myself witless!” I try to resist the temptation to write a master list as I would probably do even less than I already do 🤣

Floss, thanks for the example 👏 Very useful 🙂

GrannyKate, sorry to hear that the house chain is still stalled at your vendor’s solicitors 😔 You would think that they would get on with it - especially if they want to get paid 🤔 Meanwhile, excellent decluttering 👏 Fingers crossed for some dry & warm weather for your holiday in France 🤞

retiredinfrance, you have made me blush ☺️ So very pleased that your Annus Horribilis has been interspersed with some ‘great times’ with visits from both your DD & DS 😊 More excellent decluttering 👏 you are definitely on a roll 🙂 No comfort at all - balmy sunny September weather in France is de rigueur 😉 the world has gone mad 🤪 

Wow you have been busy Liverpool_Anne 🤩 No wonder you have been too tired to post 😉 Excellent decluttering 👏 & so pleased to hear that you managed to fit in a couple of pleasurable meet-ups 😊 vulpix is a true shining star in our Declutterati family 🥹 & I did have a wry grin at your helping her to declutter 😀 Good luck with the conservatory decluttering 🍀 although I do hope the weather perks up enough for you to finish working on your rose 🤞 By the way that is an excellent reason to not do the ironing 🙂 

All caught up & even the weather has perked up 🙂 there is actually some sunshine 🌞 Hope everyone is having as good a day as possible & I am sending Cwtches to everyone who would like one 🤗 

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

DH Awards: IS A 💎🏅 🌟 🥰 🏅🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅 💐 💐 🤗 ⭐️ ⭐️

Decluttering Target 2024: 1495/2024

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £381.70

Brie

Have decided to try and move any food stored in the garage into the kitchen so we don't have to trek out in the weather to see if there's a tin of beans or similar.  No need to bulk buy and there's ample space in the cupboards.  It's a thing started when MiL was living with us and regularly asked for Heinz tomato soup so I was buying it 8 tins at a time.  

One of the things that was in the garage was a fancy taco pack - tortillas, spice mix and salsa - which is really nice and OH suggested we have it for dinner last night. But it had been there for some time so when I went to get it I was a bit concerned that the BBD was last November.  That doesn't always fuss me but I was concerned about the tortillas.  They were in fact the only thing inside the box that was BBD 11/23 and I avoided panic realising I'd bought some wraps last week.  I did open the old tortillas and after peeling off the 2 outside ones the rest were in reasonable shape and so got eaten as well.  (the outside ones were just a bit stiff/stale, not green or anything).  Anyways that's disposed of now which makes things a bit tidier - things in the garage do get forgotten so another good reason to bring them in!

vulpix

 I think it's a fab idea to have a big meet up Liverpool Anne. Now we know that we are not too far apart we should definitely meet up again too.

For the chazzer a (new from a shop ) top I have never worn. Put it on yesterday and it’s transparent and too low. 

This prompted me to go through my clothes. Also to go, 3 pairs of trousers. Not worn them this year so doubt I will wear them next year either.

For the charity bra collection 2 padded bras worn once or twice. I don’t “need “ a padded bra. 🤣 note to self, stop buying padded bras even if they are pretty!

I have done a few bits of ironing. The trusty white linen trousers are safely back in the wardrobe for another year. 

I have finally washed and ironed some new handkerchiefs I found at Mum's. They were marked where they had been folded in their presentation box for about 50 years or so. I am going to make them into lavender bags with the lavender that I was given a few weeks ago, which is currently drying on a tray in the shed. 

 Used up a gift, paper and a card from stash for my bin monitors Birthday. Must try harder in this department. Despite giving masses of gift bags and wrapping paper away, I seem to have a lot left. Trouble is we only really buy for family and they give me all the packaging back again!

 My decluttering these days is all about using stuff up and not replacing it, although it will take a hundred years to use up the inherited body wash.

 I am not minimalist and don't want to be but I wonder if the house is too cluttered for modern tastes which makes people think it's too small.  I will perhaps pack some nic-nacs away. Can't wait to get rid of DD1's stuff out of the back bedroom.

 Vx

dND

Well, I thought I was going to be posting that the RSJ was in and that I was about to start unpacking and decorating.  The men turned up on Friday but the RSJ didn’t.  The person who was organising it has left the company and no one realised that he hadn’t actually ordered it! 🤦‍♀️

But, at least I’m back on the radar and hopefully it will be done soon.

Going out the door has been the usual recycling and another 4 bags of garden waste and coming in has been more renovation supplies.

The rear windowsill has now been finished and should we ever get a day without rain when I am free, it will get painted.  I’m still varnishing shelves for my IVAR storage units at the rate of 3 a day when I can.  I’m currently out of shelves and until the RSJ is in I can’t really unload and dismantle any other units.  But I finally feel quite positive about it all at the moment. 😁

Hugs to all who are under stress – never forget that there is a community here who will hold you in their thoughts and give what encouragement we can. ❤️

oceanspirit

Mrs_Salad_Dodger said:

Great work oceanspirit 👏 & it does count as decluttering 😉 “…Started writing a master list of everything that needs doing.  Frightened myself witless!” I try to resist the temptation to write a master list as I would probably do even less than I already do 🤣

Strangely it seems to have spurred OH into action and between us we have done quite well today.  I am pleased as it did feel that I was doing more than my fair share when it comes to domestic chores and whilst I appreciate that both our home and the majority of the contents are actually mine, OH does live here and I can only do so much around him.

So, long may it last so we can both feel more comfortable here and enjoy more of a life rather than using all of our energy on chasing our tails.

Thank you for sharing how you break things up, Floss.  I do that as a matter of course as I have various mobility issues along with chronic fatigue so I can only do things in short bursts.  When it comes to actually being able to get home maintenance done, we will get people in to do that.  We can’t at the moment because we are in such a small space and there’s too much stuff in the way.

Today I have cleared and cleaned another kitchen shelf - a cookery book to go to CS - and only one more shelf in that unit to go.

Also cleared and cleaned the shelf under the coffee table - a box of coloured pencils to CS, some papers recycled and lots of shredding done.  A couple of things put onto the ‘still to do’ pile.

London_1

Good evening chums 
                                    well yesterday and today the weather has been seriously odd to say the least very humid and warm, and at times the sky has been blue, and the sun shining, but also teeming with rain ! ! ! 

DD and I were going to do a tip run with odd stuff from the front garage, (its a long wide garage thats had a stud wall about two thirds down towards the up and over door ) this will be removed and the garage turned into a second sitting room for me and a shower and downstairs loo as well.

Fingers crossed when our builder returns from his holiday on 16th of this month he will give us a starting date.

Anyway because the weather was so wet we cancelled our booking at the local tip, just as well as apparently it was completely flooded, and they had to close it so saved us a trip. But we did nip to the BHF shop in Newport as I wanted to have a look at some stuff.
They had a couple of black leather electric recliner  armchairs at a very reasonable price and if they are still available when the building work is done I shall definitely have one of them 
We managed to get back home before the rain really came down with vengeance .My daughters two large water butts in the garden are full to the brim. 

On Thursday I caught my bad arm on a sharp bit sticking out in the back garage and its my lymphodemic arm and it bled slightly, but didn't hurt ,but its been leaking fluid ever since Its a darned nuisance, and being on my forearm every time I use my arm it just keeps leaking this fluid.
I've gone through god knows how many plasters and bandages and fingers crossed it seems to be slowly drying up.The problem is my skin is like tissue paper and I have to be so careful of knocking it as being on blood thinners as well I tend to cut or bruise very easily and quite badly.

DD stripped and changed my bed for me today bless her, and the washing, because of the bad weather is piling up a bit , but tomorrow its forecast dry so fingers crossed the machine will be doing several loads  to empty the washing basket.

I finally got my new renewed blue badge on Friday it has to go to the mainland to be printed so it takes a bit longer than usual.

But I am going to use the bus tomorrow to go into Ryde as I have a few odds and ends I want to pick up. Bus stop is only a few minutes walk away and they are every half hour so its not a problem.

I was looking at the Ryde library site, and there are lots of things to do and join if I fancy them, one did make me look twice its called the 'Shady Lady's group. But its quite respectable, apparently its a painting and colouring group I rather fancy being a 'Shady Lady '

On Wednesday I get my new hearing aids, and i'm looking forward to that as the ones I have are on their last legs and I get a lot of feedback noise with them .The young audiology chap I saw last week said the new ones out now are so much better ,newer technology and better fitting as well. The ones I have are 7 years old so well past their best apparently, he said no wonder your having problems with them 

I also have a bag of paperbacks to drop off at the CS that I've read so tomorrow is a good day to double up on some things.

I hope everyone has managed to stay dry and have avoided the flooding. DGS Jack lives in Goudhurst where he works and he said the weather was really bad and the roads were all flooded there

He's going to Rye on Tuesday after school has finished to look at a car he fancies, he can't wait to get wheels now he's passed his test. His headmaster and colleagues gave him a nice well done card and some chocolates as a small gift now he's got a full license. The boarding school he teaches at it right out in the depths of the Kent countryside so getting around without a car is difficult. I know he misses going to the gym in Maidstone as the taxi fare is a fortune

Right well thats my week more or less planned out I'm just hoping for some warm weather as the rain ,although good for the garden doesn't help my achy creaky old bones

Night night God bless all here


JackieO xx
 

P.S. Have you seen the price of a first class stamp ! ! !   £1.13s 00d for a blooming stamp !

 I think itthink it will cut down the Christmas cards this year for a lot of people, mind you I tend to donate to a charity what I used to spend on card sending. I'd rather the Sally Army had extra to help those out who don't have much at Christmas. 

weenancyinAmerica

It went up to 105F (40.55C) today here - even hotter at my sister's house. We didn't go up there until 2:15. My other sister drove so we had air conditioning (my car doesn't have any). Had a great party. My other nephew who we haven't seen in 5 years was there also ("see" him a lot on FaceBook, just not in person as his wife and my sister aren't speaking - his wife's problem). Cooled off to 91F (32.77C) at 8 pm - going to be a warm night tonight.If the humidity wasn't so high we would be okay. Those of you who are having rain - we would love some. Having forest fires about 40 miles from here instead. Tomorrow have class, followed by bank, car repair, taking roommate G to doctor. The heat wave is supposed to break after tomorrow so just have to get through one more day - then the high will be 91F (32.77C) on Tuesday before going down further the next day. I really feel for those who visited Disneyland this last weekend. Record breaking temperatures.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks 

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

DH has loaded the boot of the car ready for a Tip trip tomorrow - apparently it is full - cabling, broken electrical items & lots of scrap metal which I am counting as 20. He is now doing a bit of tidying & has returned all the garden tools back to the shed. DH also filled the bird feeders. I have done nothing apart from knit & watch episodes of Foyle’s War & The Walking Dead. Although I did make a full roast dinner - beef, roast potatoes, carrots & tomatoes, Yorkshire puddings, broccoli & cabbage. DH made the gravy. DSis did the washing up & I dried up & put away.

1496 - 1515 Items to the Tip

1516 - 1519 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, glass bottles, cardboard packaging - recycled 

1520 - 1522 Kitchen detritus, plastic packaging, small bag of garage detritus - binned 

As I am now 3/4ths of the way to target I am awarding myself a Gold Star ⭐️ Will do the cheerleading tomorrow. Cwtches to all 🤗 Sleep tight 😴 It rained in the afternoon - a few short showers.

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

DH Awards: IS A 💎🏅 🌟 🥰 🏅🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅 💐 💐 🤗 ⭐️ ⭐️

Decluttering Target 2024: 1522/2024

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £381.70

Moorviews

@weenancyinAmerica - it would be wonderful if the weather could be organised to give everywhere what is needed, rather than the extremes. A little more warmth and sunshine for us and some welcome rain for you!
@dND - what a nuisance about that RSJ! I read the article that you linked to and found it interesting. I am in agreement with you in finding our own ways that work for us personally. That is what I love about the declutterati; we are all working towards our own goals in our own homes, taking into account our personalities and preferences. There are no ideals being set that we must all aspire to reach. 

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger - as above you have maintained a lovely tone to this thread, whilst sharing your own thoughts and experiences of decluttering. Thank you for this and also my latest medal. 

@retiredinfrance - it’s great to see you back and I am sorry that you have been having such a difficult time. I agree with you about the value of the virtual hugs and we mustn’t forget about the TLC carriage either! 

@vulpix and @Liverpool_Anne it was fab to read of your meet up. I can just imagine how well you two got on 😊

I have been diligently working my way through the skincare samples that came with my order of skincare in the New Year. I still haven’t even opened up the pot of moisturiser that I bought. At this rate I might be managing a free year! 

Although I haven’t been able to tackle the major jobs on my list there has been a steady flow out rather than in. The DC’s rooms are still an issue that I would like to resolve as they seem to have moved out and left their childhoods in there! They are too busy to sort this it seems. 

One thing that has worked very well is the maintenance of cleared areas. Also, not buying new storage. I am quite often condensing down which is exactly the direction I need to go in. The confidential shredding bag saves so much time too. Friday was a trip to the recycling centre with garden waste and stuff from the garage. I have another bag ready for the clothing bank and I was also able to find someone who was happy to take some craft stuff. It’s lovely to think that will bring pleasure rather than gathering dust. 

Hugs to anyone in need and 👏 for all the progress you are all making 😊

daisy_1571

Moorviews watch the death cleaners episode 8, deals with that problem for a couple with 8 children who were home schooled, whole house was rammed and the kids very stubborn about moving their stuff out.

Dxx