2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

To use Guineapigsqueaks/Sa1sysoo words “A new thread for declutterbugs in (2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024) 2025 !" 

My 2024 was another washout on the decluttering & decorating fronts. That is what happens when I don’t plan ahead 😔 Neither DH nor I have managed to summon up any enthusiasm for anything other than Round Britain Rally trips & visiting family. The year started worryingly with DSis’s week long hospital stay in February & she has ended the year feeling unwell.

The poor weather of 2024 meant that for the 2nd year running home grown produce was a write off 🙁 although we again managed a couple of kilos of potatoes, some radishes & few tomatoes. A couple of bright spots of 2024 were DH taking me to the Royal Albert Hall to see Cirque du Soleil (a Valentine Day treat from my DH) & a Hawk Walk Experience (for the 3 of us) in November 😊 2024 was also the year of the disastrous canal boat trip that DSis & DH went on with DH’s niece G & her husband E (+ 2 dogs) - although the first three days were dry & bright this was followed by 7 days of rain & was very cold + practically everywhere was shut (it was February after all) - the planned 16 days was curtailed to 10 days. The good news was that G & E decided against buying a canal boat & instead moved into a bungalow later in the year 😮‍💨

A good year for knitting & reducing my yarn stash - a few baby blankets, many scarves, hats & wrist warmers + I managed an embroidery project. 

2024 has been a sad year for many of our Declutterati Family with the loss of family members, friends (we miss you bit_by_bit) or pets & rather a lot of illness so I believe many of us will be glad to see the back of 2024 & are ready to welcome in a shiny new year. Although there have been bright spots - several people have successfully moved house, welcomed new family members & some have even become members of the Maintenance Decluttering Club 😊

I do need to create a 2025 list of Good Intentions so I must sit down & concentrate  🤔 especially as I never quite got around to doing one for 2023 or 2024 🙊 

Now to cheer you all up (a little at least 🤞)  a shiny new Decluttering Thread which I am calling “2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - The Joy of Decluttering” (Thanks to plumduff55 for the sub title) I am again keeping “THE ELECTRIC POWERED DECLUTTERING TRAIN” aka EDT in service because we have worked so hard to make it a home away from home with separate Buffet & Dining Carriages; a Sleep Carriage with Japanese sleep pods; a Baggage Car & an Open Wagon Carriage (with netting to stop people falling off). The TLC Carriage is now many carriages (most with a constant supply of tea, coffee, alcoholic & soft drinks & snacks with the emphasis on cake & biscuits) as follows: the original TLC Carriage has Massage Chairs, sofas, tables & chairs with 24/7 waiter/waitress service; Hairdressing Salon including Manicures, Pedicures & Reflexology; a Spa with Massage Beds with on call masseurs/masseuses + a jacuzzi; a library with attached computer room; a cinema; a well stocked crafting room; The Padded Carriage incl. punch bags (for when RL is just too fraught 😉) & finally ‘The Quiet Carriage’ - NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES ONLY BOOKS + Butler Service for Drinks & Nibbles (mostly cake). 

Plus we upgraded the EDT to include a “Teleportation Device” & a new glass-domed 2 storey carriage (new restaurant on lower deck kitted out to look like the Orient Express) was coupled up between the last two carriages being the Baggage Car & the Open Carriage (with netting to stop people falling off). We only managed the one trip to Canada but there are trips planned for 2025.

P.S. I have been reminded that I forgot to mention the ‘Fluffies Carriage’ where all manner of pets are available for cuddles but especially kittens/cats/puppies/dogs & rabbits 😊

SO 2025 HERE WE COME  🙂

As has become my habit, I will start with a very concise explanation of the intentions & ethos of this thread gratefully ‘borrowed’ from oceanspirit 👏

“……..this thread isn’t just about getting rid of things, it’s about changing houses into homes, it’s about understanding ourselves and how we got into a mess in the first place and learning where we need to make new habits to prevent a rematch.

Mental clutter (frogs and long “to do” lists included) and electronic clutter as well as physical items contribute to holding us back from doing other things in life so keep posting for as long as you wish to continue.  I for one love reading about … projects … as it helps inspire me to continue to look forward to having both physical and mental space to get on with pursuing my dreams rather than moving things around all the time”

So with the above in mind who will join our lovely new thread?  ALL are welcome 👏 Whether you are doing a major declutter or a maintaining declutter. This will continue to be a supportive & encouraging thread - our aim being to declutter our lives of physical & electronic items & maybe even the stress of having too much ‘stuff’ plus keeping each other’s spirits up in these difficult times. A laugh & a joke, a shoulder to lean on & a place to vent (within Forum Rules) - is hopefully provided here. I will quote Floss “We're here to support, cheer on & celebrate those changes - from the small (drawer / shelf / table top) to the big (bags / wardrobe/ room) and we have your back.”Photos are also gratefully received & they don’t necessarily have to be about clutter 😉 2024 saw us celebrating our pets, our crafting & our countryside 😊 A real bonus is that decluttering makes our homes safer &  cleaning easier 😉

Gold Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ will continue making an appearance, as well as medals🏅🏅

Plenty of options are available on numbering the clutter out …….

2024 in 2024 or 52 in 52 weeks even 365 in 365 days or maybe by room. If you are feeling really adventurous á la basketcase (2018) - you can weigh the clutter out 😉 There is also the option of splitting out the counting - Tasks Completed + Ins & Outs. Basically, there are no rules, no deadlines and no must-do's (Floss 👏)

Whichever numbering option you choose or you may choose not to number, we would love to hear both your success stories & your ways/methods of decluttering - they may not have worked for you but they may work for someone else. All ideas are gratefully received.

I am hoping that everyone who posted on the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 threads will also post on the 2025 thread 🙂 + we all love to welcome new people 🙏 

I know I am a bit late in setting up this thread but it can help to plan your decluttering - ‘To Do Lists’ can be your friends 😉 (Perhaps I should take my own advice & write a Good Intentions list for 2025 🤣)

So after another year of decluttering & sharing our journeys, please join me in my continuing quest to have a clutter free, tidy & decorated home with no hidden horrors 😆 I am hoping to see many of my old friends & hopefully make some new friends as well - my version of recharging my batteries is by reading all your posts, ‘borrowing’ decluttering ideas & cheerleading 😊

MrsSD aka Mrs Salad Dodger

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.

Marpau

Hello happy to be onboard

thriftwizard

Please may I join in? I really, really need to declutter just about all of my house, garden, allotment(s) and life! Since we emptied Mum's bungalow in 2 days flat, a lot of her belongings have stayed firmly on the floor of my "sewing room" aka the spare bedroom. They, and rather a lot of surplus fabric (some of it abandoned into my care by DD1, now living elsewhere) are actually stopping me being able to use the space I'm so lucky to have. My porch is full of unsold stock from my vintage-&-handmade market stall & my storage shed is full of unsold stuff I should have taken to the auctioneers by now; it'll work for someone else but it's "stale" at my regular venues now. Disasters & triumphs amongst my extensive family, and far too much damp weather, have prevented me from dealing with things up to now, so I really need the accountability of this thread to keep me up to the mark!

Muddy_Walker

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I want 2025 to be heaps better than 2024 - no new illnesses - no family or friends deaths - no dogs deciding the vets need a world cruise and we can pay for it 🤯🤣 and lots of time outside.

I haven’t come up with targets yet as they were mostly shockingly bad  or brutal to do but the musts are:
Succesful remortgage
Successful PIP tribunal (yep still waiting and started this a year ago)
Make a will
Uodate life insurance

A huge huge thank you to Mrs SD for keeping us all going and the awesomely brilliant declutterati for your kindness, wise words and sharing.

you guys rock ❤️❤️❤️

diminua

I'm in again please. I could lose some more stuff but will aim for maintenance (one in one out) + 7 as I have 7 Christmas presents to carry over (I was also gifted some alcohol and chocs, but I don't count those as I know they'll be used up).

This thread really helps me think about what I'm wasting money on and the finite space I have to keep it all. Thank you.

Betharooni

I’m jumping aboard for 2025.

2024 has been quite a crazy year, with lots of trips away and my darling Mum passing away in August. I also had an allotment which took up a lot of my weekends, which I’ve given back as I don’t really have the time or inclination to do anything with it at the moment. However we have recently got a new cat (who is already helping with decluttering 😂😂😜😜).

Plans for 2025 decluttering are as follows:

• Go through my books and sort out any to get rid of.
• We have boxes of old photos which need to be scanned and a lot of them need to be distributed to others.
• I need to go through my clothes again-I did that earlier this year and got rid of quite a lot of too small and too big stuff, there’s still some bits that haven’t been used in ages so think they will be going out. I will need to replace a couple of bits that are getting quite tatty as well though.
• I have a few boxes and bags of my stuff that need going through and probably can clear quite a bit from them-a couple of the boxes probably have stuff that mostly can go.
• Mum’s old bedroom is stuffed full of stuff at the moment, this needs going through, checking whether any of my brothers want the bits and then taking to charity shop.
• My DSIL1 wants to make memory bears for my nieces and nephew from some of Mum’s clothes so need to find out when she wants the clothes over, bag up some more and get them over to her. A lot of the remaining stuff might need to go in rag bag but a few items might be able to go to charity shop.

There is probably loads more but that’s what I can think of at the moment. 

WickedLady4

I will come on board for 2025 if I may please?

I'm actually quite a minimalist but am hanging on to clothes that I haven't worn for years and probably no longer suit me. I also struggle with DH's things in the garage but try not to nag about that!

Tjh1412

Please can I join for 2025? Packing to move has made me realise we are drowning in stuff, am currently living in what feels like an argos warehouse and I don't want to take half of it and the stress it brings to our forever home once we find it. Going to set an ambitious target for 2025 items in 2025, but am starting today so less makes it on to the moving van, hope that's OK? 

Inspired by this thread and taking advantage of that and a rare child-free afternoon, today I have binned/ donated 47 items of silicone bakeware, a curtain pole, 3 rolls of wallpaper, a broken paint roller and tray, 16 mystery cables from the 'drawer of doom', 3 books and 27 odd socks which makes for 99 items out for good, if my maths is correct (not my strong point). 

Anyone who would like to cheer my on to tackle the understairs cupboard tomorrow would be greatly appreciated; I have the best of intentions every year but get derailed when nobody else even seems to notice 

Yankee24

I’m in.  We are downsizing this year after several false starts in 2024.  We have cleared the loft and the extensive seasonal decorations and several rooms are empty.  However, going from a 4 bed family home to a 2 bed London flat will be a challenge…   Several more rounds to go once we know the property we are buying.   

Today I
free cycled a small tv 
got a resale bag together. 

~FlowerPot~

Hellloooooo! 
I've landed and hope to be a bit more active in 2025!
Made a good start today I sorted out the understsirs area! 
My hand was forced as the blasted carpet moths travelled from the lounge to the chest of drawer under the stairs and were happily munching my pachamama hat and gloves 😭 amongst others things. So it's all come out, washed, hoovered, sorted. Loads of odd and ends sorted out and binned, recycled or for the Cs. So much stuff!
Glasses, keys, cotton bags, candles, all that carp we keep! 
Anyhow it's now SO much better. 4 bags are in the car, plus a small bag of glasses. Next to the drawers had become a dumping area for the Cs bags! They are now in the car.✅
I still need to pass on the sea scout hat and jumper which has not been used since lockdown!😳 - ridiculous
DH has listed a couple of items to sell too. So all good. 

The other thing I did a couple of days ago was recycle a bag of blister packs, it's amazing how many we go through when actually only one of us has a regular med in a blister pack. Some boots stores have a collection point. Worth checking out! 

machasraven

I'm in for this year. I'm back and on it hopefully once the tiredness from being back to the physical job abates. 
2025 is going to be a completely different year from last.