2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

Siebrie

Hello everyone! I'm still alive, still decluttering, although not at the speed I was going at.

DDs are doing really well at school; DD1 gearing up for 6 periods of work experience with babies and elderly people; DD2 getting 100% on maths (through a deal with her teacher! She nailed all the extra credit questions on her first exam and was given 5 bonus points that she could use whenever she wanted to; she's using them half a point at a time to get to perfect exam scores! Smart kid!). Their social life is slowing expanding, with good solid friends; that makes me happy.

I've been busy with church: I'm head of the Sunday school team (a whole 4 people ) and thus, in charge of organising Christmas. We've started writing down ideas for the 'Family Singing Service', which is much easier on the organisers than a Christmas musical. I've also helped out at the 'Spaghetti Bar' weekend, to raise funds for maintenance of our part of the listed building (it's the former prison where William Tyndale was executed. It's owned by the city of Vilvoorde and we rent part of the ground floor). I lead the Teenager Meeting once a month during the church service, and Sunday school at least once a month. I'm hardly ever in church

My Mum (88) needs more admin help. She manages just fine, but the ongoing battle with the upstairs owners is draining. They had 2 leaks in September 2023 (!) and even though the leaks have been stopped, they refuse to do any maintenance or contribute to any maintenance my Mum organises, which they are obliged to do by the Act that covers the 2 houses. They have told her they will not pick up their phones anymore if Mum calls them to discuss things. The lawyer Mum hired through the Union she is still a member of has sent 1 letter and never followed-up. The insurance company expert is very unclear and taking back promises; the parquet company is wishy-washy and Mum doesn't trust the representative, especially after he showed up with a piece of laminate he claimed was the colour she picked, which was a colour she never ever would have picked. Short explanation: the floor is proper parquet, but it's in 2 rooms. Officially, only the front room would get new parquet; Mum (on my advice) asked for both rooms to have new flooring, and that she would accept laminate. They agreed and then came back on their promise! They also agreed to help move all the furniture into storage for the duration, and then came back on their promise! They agreed to remove the old parquet, investigate the wooden underfloor and treat/replace, and then came back on their promise! They were going to lay the new laminate on top of the old parquet without any investigation for mould!

Mum has new neighbours, a doctor and a lawyer, and the lawyer very kindly has offered to look into this and write some letters. So far, he has written 3 emails telling everyone to 'do better'. It seems to have helped; things are stirring and both the insurance expert and the insurance contact person have called to apologise.

The upstairs Owners are trying to sell the house, and Mum has rung the estate agent to make them aware of the ongoing issues.

My Sister has offered to help Mum, but Mum has kept it off, as Sis will just bulldoze her way over Mum and everyone else, and the final solution will leave bad feelings all around and a floor Mum is not happy with. Sis is not happy.

I'm 4 hours away, Mum is not on email, so whatever I hear and can do is limited.

DD2 has braces now.

I'd planned to go to the Chelsea Flower Show with a friend, but the prices are way more than we estimated, so we need to rethink that.

Floss

Siebrie said:

I'd planned to go to the Chelsea Flower Show with a friend, but the prices are way more than we estimated, so we need to rethink that.

Have you looked at the other Shows? Malvern, Hampton Court & Wentworth Woodhouse near Sheffield? https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events

daisy_1571

Wow siebrie, lovely to see you, you have been busy!  

Dxx

vulpix

 Flowerpot, hugs.xx

👋 Hi Siebrie, nice to hear from you. Southport show is nice and not too big. My friend prefers it to Tatton show as it is smaller and less expensive. 

 My kitchen window requires you to have the nimbleness of Olga Korbut to get at it. I do the sitting room window most often due to  cats pressing their noses on it!

 Upstairs windows, pictures and mirrors cleaned.  That will be it for a good while.

 To go to craft club, whiskey for a fund raiser and a magazine for my friend. Fabric recycling, old joggers.

 We have booked a little trip to Amsterdam in December. We also always go to Chester for the winter watch parade in December. Highly recommend if you are close enough. There is a Christmas market and the cathedral has a Christmas tree festival too.

Vx

Pennypincin

Hi siebre, good to hear from you.
Sorry to hear things have been tough for people, I hope things improve soon.
I'm still trying to sort through everything and declutter.
A couple of things are proving difficult, but have been sat gathering dust and I just can't mentally place them in my home.
Especially the pictures I've bought of Scottish wildcats. 
My tabby cat passed not long after I got the pictures, but I've some postcards I can see me having out on show instead.
I've a few other bits I'm trying to convince myself to get of, but am taking my time with.
They're nothing special, other than some run of the mill lord of the rings bits I've collected.
A couple of bits I'm tempted to see if I can sell them.

D123456789

Cleaned the kitchen and Just taken 2 big bags of excess kitchen “stuff” to charity shop. Couldn’t stay to buy anything as LO needed a wee so worked out well! 

I did some cleaning today, hoovered and mopped all of downstairs, put the washing away. Took a lot of motivation but it’s done now. 

DH is at the football tonight, I should get an hour or 2 to myself before I go to bed so will try and do a mini declutter somewhere and report back. 

The peanut butter chocolate chip cookies didn’t make it to the TLC carriage sorry, they disappeared very quickly!,

Floss

Vulpix, just for info there is no Tatton show until 2027. Next year is Wentworth Woodhouse near Sheffield 😉

oceanspirit

Lots more gone off the reading pile and some progress made on sorting out the list for the electrician.  

Other papers sorted and in the bag for shredding.

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 10:00 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

What a gloriously sunny Tuesday, at least it has been since I got up at 12:45 as I slept straight through 🙂 I woke up to the sound of the answer machine beeping - a message from DH saying he was on his way back from his walk 😅 Then I went into the kitchen & found a note on the kettle 😉 DH phoned again to  check I was up & that the soup was on 😉 as he was expecting to be home by 13:30……... which he was 😊 We had a bowl of hm soup which was slightly less spicy as I had added some lo mash & chopped tomatoes. DSis popped out to pick up 8 weeks worth of meds but still missing one 😔 I have spent the afternoon & evening knitting as I am determined to finish the scarf so I have a full set of hat, scarf & wrist warmers 🙂 Dinner was pork steaks, mash, cabbage & carrots. Wudupa. P.S. it was dry & bright all day with a high of 16°C

1859 - 1865 Kitchen recycling, newspaper, magazine, tin, cardboard box, paper packaging, drinks cans - recycled 

1866 Kitchen detritus - binned 

Well said vulpix 😉 Ouch to last weeks expenditure 😫 A very sensible idea to let the supermarkets use their electricity 😊 Might I ask what you are knitting (as I have forgotten 😔)

Very droll Brie 😅

~FlowerPot~ great advice for all of us 😊 So sorry to hear that you have ended up in hospital 😥 I hope you got home & that there is someone to look after you 🙏 

Great work Pennypincin 👏 Remember it is a marathon & not a sprint 😊 Although I do sometimes wish I could wave a wand 🤣

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 I trust the cats are still doing their duty & flattening the rug 😅

Just noticed the time so I will post this & head to bed. Sleep tight 😴

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

DH Awards: IS A 💎🏅 🌟 🥰 🏅🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅 💐 💐 🤗 ⭐️ ⭐️

Decluttering Target 2024: 1866/2024

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £471.70

vulpix

 Thank you Floss, I didn't know about Tatton show. I have visited Wentworth with my daughter a few Christmases ago, Thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't think I will be going to any big shows unfortunately as I just can't walk as far these days because of arthritis in my feet and spine. I did notice that you could hire a mobility scooter at Southport show but I don't feel quite ready for that yet. I know it's silly, I need to have a good talk with myself.

 Mrs SD, I am knitting a baby blanket at the moment. We are off to Bury market again today as a stallholder is bringing a baby size hiviz vest for us. I am expecting to have to alter it to make it even smaller to fit baby V. I have totally enjoyed knitting after a big break, even though my hands hurt because of arthritis. There is an amazing wool stall on the market, I will be buying some wool. I thought I would make baby V a pumpkin hat and a new jumper. I will also be looking for some nice fabric to make a Moravian star.

 A few more leaves picked up yesterday, a drop in the ocean. I will do more today to try to keep on top of it whilst it's dry.

 Vx