2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

vulpix

2 scratters, I made your pear dessert last night. Used up some uninspiring pears and apples. Thank you for that idea, although I think I used too much chocolate if that's possible
 I think it is an admirable thing to declutter anything at all when it is just so much easier for whatever reason at the time not to. I take my inspiration from bit by bit who moved mountains when it wasn't in her nature to do so. She was a resolute lady.

 Well, have we had excitement this morning. Our neighbour who is blind banged on our door. The wheelie bin was on fire outside his back door. The wheelie bin is now melted to about 3ft high and it has melted his drainpipe and new back door. It seems his wife had put last nights fires ashes in the bin and gone out. I have no idea how he knew there was a fire. possibly the smell of burning plastic!

Vx

oceanspirit

Spent yesterday in the tlc carriage with a sore throat.  Threw everything I have at it and feeling better today.  Have made a batch of turmeric and ginger lentil soup this morning and put a cauldron of it in the tlc carriage for anyone else needing something to soothe a sore throat.

UU two tins of lentils bbe November 24 in the soup.  Dealt with incoming post yesterday.  My bank have decided to synchronise the statement date of my several current accounts and send them in the same envelope - it’s great to see someone has had a sensible idea for once - giving better efficiency for them and for me.

Will probably potter about this afternoon and hope to feel more energetic tomorrow.  I don’t have time to be ill as am on a mission to get caught up by the end of the year.

Wednesday2000

vulpix said:

 Well, have we had excitement this morning. Our neighbour who is blind banged on our door. The wheelie bin was on fire outside his back door. The wheelie bin is now melted to about 3ft high and it has melted his drainpipe and new back door. It seems his wife had put last nights fires ashes in the bin and gone out. I have no idea how he knew there was a fire. possibly the smell of burning plastic!

OMG, lucky you could help him!

dND

GrannyKate said:

Just a quick post to say I am hanging in there.  I thought I was exchanging contracts yesterday but I discovered by default that my solicitor has agreed to exchange and complete on Friday despite my telling her not to do this as it is risky.  She has then gone on three days annual leave which I only found out from out of office message.  She never thought to tell me this on Friday when I thought we were discussing completion on Monday or Tuesday GRRRR.

Off to minute a committee meeting but need to warm up with some porridge first.

I feel for you @GrannyKate, sounds far too like mine. So 🤞🤞🤞from me. x

Floss

@vulpix I lost a cat to FATE in 2006. Fat Stanley selected my boys as his staff in 2001 from the Cats Protection shelter. He was around 12 when he died, he was found unwell in our back garden one sunny summer evening and the vet was unable to save him.

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, a bit of a rough day yesterday as my cold moved on to the sneezing and drippy nose stage with some fluctuations in temperature but I got 1 LDFPA, 2 loads still drying. A pair of slippers into the bin as the sole of one disintegrated in the washing machine. The bathroom bin emptied and the kitchen bin emptied. I contacted the dentist and found out that they have changed their opening hours,, close at 4pm and they have not moved but they are in a row of shops and when I got there at 4.01 the shutters were down and they are identical to the shutters on the shops either side so there was no signage visible and it looked like a row of empty shops . Anyway I got there earlier and picked up my prescription and dropped it into the chemist where it caused a bit of a stir as it was hand written and mostly illegible . I have to collect it today as I cba waiting for it as I was feeling particularly rough at that point. I picked up some paracetamol as we had run out and as this is the only painkiller OH can take we do need to have some in the house. After tea I did an email declutter so 200 emails deleted. 
Today I have a union meeting and I need to pop into the sm for tissues as I have moved on to using toilet roll and my nose feels sore and some lemons for a hot drink, I have used all the ones in the freezer . Not sure what else I will do but I do need to tackle the ironing pile as we are going on our mini break on Monday and I will start packing for that . OH is out for tea tonight so easy freezer veg stew for me .

@2Scratters that pear desert sounds amazing . Pears don't usually last that long here as I love them but they are one of the fruits OH can only eat cooked so I will give it a try at some point . I hadn't noticed your signature but it is a very good ethos

@Vulpix, yes I do think house overwhelm is something teachers are prone to. Every teacher I know suffers from it . My sister has been retired for 22 years and has had 2 house moves, to Spain and back and although her house looks tidy the cupboards are rammed . I think it's partly due to being time poor, as you say it is all consuming, even during time off I used to be thinking about it and would be out somewhere and see something and think how could I use this with the kids . Holiday time would be spent either planning and prepping for the next term or I would be thinking no I am not spending my time sorting out that cupboard, I am on holiday and I want to do something nice . Plus with the constant need to do things as cheaply as possible as schools have no money for resources I could always find a use for stuff. I am only now just getting out of the habit of looking at everything and saying how could I use this . I once went to a house where the husband was a geography teacher and the wife a primary teacher and you could hardly get in the porch as it was full of boxes with labels like " the tudors". It made me laugh as I thought even if you didn't know they were teachers you could guess from the labels . Because of the lack of money for resources in school teachers keep everything for Justin, it becomes a way of life . I am only now, 3 years after retirement, changing that but I have at least realised it and am making some headway  but I still hate to waste things, hence the big bag of plastic pots I have saved for the friend who wants them for seed growing I do also think this applies to lots of other people as well though in this hurly burly world we live in now where everyone seems to have to work so hard to keep their heads above water.. So sorry to hear about your son's cat. Pets are a part of the family and it is traumatic when they die, hugs for your ds and dil. Well done on being fire fighters, your poor neighbour must have been very frightened. Burning plastic is a particularly horrible smell

@Florenceem another amazing amount of fundraising

@oceanspirit thanks for the soup, sounds just the ticket

Right I better move myself or nothing will be done
Hugs to everyone who would like one

1716 slippers binned
1717 bathroom bin
1718 prescription sorted
1719 LDFPA
1720 kitchen bin
1721 - 1722 200 emails permanently deleted
Take care everyone
1722/2024

Florenceem

I am sitting at the computer feeling tired - done 10,400+ steps today - so far.
I went to SA at 10 - the foyer was heaving with donations so I got stuck in. As I sorted - more sacks of donations arrived. I got help putting two tables outside and was in and out, up and down the steps taking toys, books and various items out for people to take. 
One of our elderly - over 90 years old ladies came in traumatised - she had talked someone down from jumping - committing suicide and needed to talk about it. I spoke to C and he calmed her.
 We recently lost one of the local rough sleepers and a relative called in today.
 A couple of local addicts arrived wanting a sleeping bag and food parcels.
One of our rough sleepers G came in after the meal had been served - I sat him down and managed to find him a dinner and pudding. G was given an £80 shelter bag yesterday. G was told to keep it with him at all times - it folds into a carry pack. G arrived without it - when I asked where it was - G said he had left it in the doorway where he sleeps - doubt it would be there when he got back.
We have just bought 12 new shelter bags - nearly £1000.
I was asked to do a food parcel so that took me away from sorting.
 It was just full on all morning.
The meal was fish, chips, mushy peas or baked beans followed by apple pie & custard. I delivered a meal to a nearby lady. I took my meal home as too busy to eat at lunch time.
Mr F made 2 trips home with a trolley of finds to list on V.
I stayed later to carry on sorting and got home after 3.30.
I will be going to singing group practice at 7.

QueenJess

Finally got a bag of charity stuff to the charity that’s been hanging around for months. Should be a long time before we have anything else to send now. Slowly using up gift bags/gift wrap, packaging, bathroom and baking supplies, but trying to make most things last as long as possible given my job ends next week. Also resisting bringing in anything new for the same reason.

My freezer is slowly descending into chaos, mostly helped by DH who tosses things in randomly. I need to have a proper reorganisation and remind myself of what is lurking at the bottom so it can all be used up. I keep putting it off as standing in a cold garage arms deep in a chest freezer for 20-30 mins isn’t my idea of fun! I really need to do it soon though as I’ll likely stock up a bit before Xmas (kids will be home and eating everything in sight).

Digital:

8 - wish list items deleted

1 - apps deleted

1 - notes deleted

Physical:

2 - baking supplies used up

1 - packaging reused

1 - note book used up (recycled)

New total = 17,416

Use up challenge 33/24

I did bake a Victoria sponge for the TLC carriage, although you might have to fight DH and the kids for a piece!

basketcase

I suddenly feel a dreadful need to spend time in the TLC.  It's very sudden and totally overhelming.  I can't think what could be causing it...

Anyway - good evening, fellow travellers.  Congratulations on the amazing amounts of decluttering.  I just wish the TLC carriage wasn’t needed as often as it seems to have been recently.

It’s been a few days since I posted, although I have been lurking, but I haven’t been idle.  I’m going to try for little and often posting of my little and often decluttering in future.  Meantime, a brief(ish) update:

Saturday – basically a shopping and domestic catch-up day.  Only managed a 5-minute tidy session.

Sunday – A really good day (by my standards, anyway!)

• Got to the allotment (at last!) did some general weeding and stopped the sweet peas and California poppies from taking over the world.  They needed to go, but I left the herbs and sweet alyssum for any passing insects. 5-minute tidy yielded 1 small bag of clutter.
• I conquered the ironing mountain, while watching Nye on YouTube. WOW!  (The play not the ironing), but especially Michael Sheen as Aneurin Bevan…
• And it was an NSD

Monday – Getting over Sunday! 

• Washed my ‘darks’ then ironed them straight from the machine.  (Easier to iron when damp and they dry faster).
• Decluttered handbag – and managed to avoid being dragged in, never to be seen again.
• Decluttered some fridge & freezer odds and ends into a meal.

Tuesday – Another fairly good day

• Went to the allotment again and sorted the strawberry bed.  (Whoever said that if strawberries didn’t taste so good they’d be a weed wasn’t joking!)  5-minute tidy yielded 1 small bag of rubbish and more weeds to the compost heap.
• Changed and washed bedding
• Converted L/O sausage, ham and potatoes (plus eggs & cheese) into some sort of crustless quiche-y thing, and L/O apples & pastry into apple pie to have with L/O custard
• And it was another NSD 

Physical Decluttering:

As above

Alligator Wrangling:

• My GHIC arrived
• Spending categories allocation- ONGOING

NSDs

6/15

My DD rang tonight and she was telling me that her father had been talking about Inheritance Tax - as was one of her friend's dads.  And they both wished they'd stop "going on about it all the time" as it was "becoming morbid, rather than helpful".

I said that I really ought to start contemplating my own demise, joking that I'd better get back to decluttering 'Swedish Death' style or she'd be doing it - I probably only had another 20 years.  Her response?  "Good point.  You'd better get on with it then, because it'll take you all of that! "

Cheek!  See what I have to put up with...

That's about it for now.  
Take care and happy decluttering.

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, awake sneezing so I thought I'd post now as I will probably sleep late when I eventually drop off
Slow decluttering day here. The lr bin emptied and a tiny bit of ironing done before I headed out to the union meeting. I called at the pharmacy on my way and picked up my prescription stuff. After the meeting I went to the sm, got a small shop and treated myself to a craft magazine. I used to get them quite regularly but they have become quite expensivr so rarely get one now. I had a couple of slices of left over pizza from the union meeting for tea and some bread and brie that had been lurking in the fridge for a while . OH said it was a bit sharp but it tasted fine to me . After tea I just slobbed on the couch. OH was out with the driving instructors, they went to my favourite Greek so I was a bit jealous but I couldn't have done it justice

@Florenceem I am not surprised you are feeling tired, you probably do more in a day than I do in a week . Also dealing with other people's traumas and grief can be very hard, hugs

@QueenJess that cake looks lovely, I'm right behind @basketcase in the tlc carriage with my plate in hand . Is there anything on the horizon job wise? I imagine there might be a few things popping up with Christmas on the way but maybe not suitable for you. It might be nice for you to have some time off work coming up to Christmas with all the school events you may not usually be able to attend. Hope something presents itself at the right time for you.

@basketcase I love California poppies and sweet pass . I would gladly have them anywhere in my garden . When my sister lived in Spain their property had a big slope in front of their house created by creating a flat bit to build the house on. The first year they were there it erupted with poppies and we added California poppies to the site. It was glorious when in flower and could be seen from miles away on the other side of the valley . Thanks for the recommendations about Nye, I might try to catch that tomorrow while I do some more ironing, might motivate me to get it done

Right I have glugged some meds so hopefully I can get to sleep soon. Hugs to everyone who would like one

1723 lr bin
1724 meds collected
Take care everyone
1724/2024