2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

vulpix

Blue doggy, I hope your dog is better soon,It's no time to be out at 3am in this current weather.Take care,

Madam mim, thank you. What a shame with your Mum's stuff. Saved for justin and never got to be used. My MIL had hundreds of toilet rolls and kitchen rolls in her loft. We gave so many away and we have just used up the started rolls we brought home, it's taken 2 years! Thank goodness you had someone who could sort the leak.

Love the photo daisy. I have so many Photos of Fluffy sleeping in daft places. I made a calendar of daft places she sleeps one year. 

LiverpoolAnne, my son should be visiting next week so I can manage with instant coffee. I have bought one I saw recommended. It is the nicest instant coffee I have ever had. Have to confess to not being a new baby person either.

ruby eskimo, I am sorry to hear about work. You are right, it is just a means to an end. I do hope it gets better for you though. Exciting developments at your house.

Florianna, imagining your cats getting a wheelbarrow entertains me no end.

Florenceem,It sounds like Mr F is rallying. Hurrah.

 Thank you chums for being here. I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed of late with RL news. I have cut down reading the papers and enjoyed the sanity here instead.

 Vx

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks
2. Concerted effort to sort out sleep patterns - Realistic targets: bed by 2:00 a.m. & up by 10:00 a.m 
3. Continue dealing 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

I have my 3rd cuppa but still haven’t got dressed 🙊

GrannyKate, Sox is a cutie 😻 It does sound like you are doing everything right by leaving him to his own devices & letting him settle in at his own pace 😊 How delightful that Sox is already settled enough to expect food every time you go into the kitchen 🥹 

MadamMim2013, shame you couldn’t get back to sleep 😞 but hopefully you will be able to have a short nap later 🤞even 30 minutes will help 😉 Excellent decluttering  & well done to your Ma for letting ‘stuff’ go 👏 Now that is what I call dedication to having a ‘stash of wool’ 😂 500/600+ balls of wool 🤩 It must have taken your Ma years to get that many balls  😉 As to the toilet rolls 🤔 to my mind you can never have enough 🤣 Congratulations on the Vinty sales 🥳 This “oh and I’m late to the party but @vulpix please stay, it wouldn’t be the same without you.. your insights and humour is most valuable & I love to read about all the things you upcycle! 💐” will have vulpix blushing like mad ☺️

Dizzycap, aren’t you supposed to be on bed rest 🤨 I do apologise if you have been excused 🙂 and if so good luck with the decluttering behind mega wardrobe door number 4 🍀

daisy_1571, hope you are managing to stay safe in the high winds & that there is no damage 🤞 Lovely cheerleading 😊 & I love the photo 😻 

GrannyKate, sounds like Sox is definitely settling in 🥹 Hopefully the more settled he becomes, the longer & more often you will be allowed to stroke him 😉

daisy_1571, loving the conversation about the quirkiness of cats ☺️

Lovely cheerleading Moorviews 😊 Hope the wind dies down soon 🤞

Liverpool_Anne, an excellent day’s work yesterday 👏🤩 A medal 🏅 is on its way 🙂 Hopefully you will have more luck dealing with the frog today 🤞 More lovely cheerleading 💐 but I especially loved This “MadamMim2013 ……………….. nearly 70 toilet rolls 😂😂, she's determined not to be caught short 😁” good job I wasn’t drinking my coffee when I read this 🤣

Well said Floss 😊

Another page caught up 🙂 Will post this but won’t be back for a while as my iPad needs charging 😬 See you all later 👋 

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Decluttering Target 2025: 154/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

daisy_1571

Florianatwotbob 😆 my cats sometimes got a wee wheelbarrow when the gsd wanted a sniff 😆  v funny pictures in my mind now of pets long gone thank you

Daisy xx

Florenceem

Mrs SD - no I won't have a nap - just an early night again.
I used to have cats years ago - they went outside for toilet. I really don't like the thought of a litter tray in the house and it would be a tie if a holiday happened. I also have to think about cost - vet and insurance plus food/toys - if I only have one income - wouldn't be able to manage it. So I am going to remain pet free.
I went out again - took shopping bags to the community shop and parcels to post plus dropped stuff off at the charity shop.
My morning went downhill when I went onto £lan to get some chocolate bars - ticket said £1 each but cashier said 2 were £2.50. So I said - I don't want them.
I went back to check the ticket price and told someone on the shop floor my complaint. Apparently the price had gone up but the ticket hadn't been changed. Shop assistant said that I could have them for £1 each but that I was short with her. I said - sorry if you think that but I was not abusive just firm.
Going up the street I was holding back tears - I am not a crier!
I went in SA to see my friend and get a hug - as I seemed so upset - someone asked if Mr F had died!.
My emotions are on a knife edge.
C said that Mr F remembers nothing about his hospital admission or what happened before it.
I know that Mr F would try to look after me if the situation was reversed but I wouldn't want him to have to put me on the toilet, get me off and wipe my bottom - I am sure Mr F would be horrified if he knew that's what I had to do for him.

dND

Hi all, - crawls up to house window and waves at the EDT as it races past!

I've been poleaxed by some cold or other since last Friday.  It started with a couple of days of incredible fatigue.  Then a few days of sinus infection and slight chestiness.  Yesterday, the coughing started and my ribcage feels like it's been used as a punchbag for a couple of days.  So I will be going nowhere near the TLC carriage until I'm 100% better.

I'm currently over 400 posts behind across my various threads, but hoping to catch up on the 30+ pages on this thread first. 

To everyone that needs it, hugs and commiserations.  We just have to believe that there is a light shining at the end of the tunnel.  I'm not going to mention anyone specifically as I know I will miss people but I've skimmed through the best that I can, and send love to you all. 💕💕

Hello to all newbies.  There's a wealth of ideas here and as we are all different, hopefully some will resonate and work for you.  Decluttering is not a one size fits all job.  For instance, the "don't make piles, do it now" is what I tried to do for years with zero success, in fact I went backwards.  Turns out I need a doom box otherwise I can pick something up and because I can't decide what to do with it I stall - and nothing else gets done.  Now, it hits the doom box and I get on with what I can deal with.  Does mean I have a rather large doom box hanging over me 🤣 but the plus side is that once the things I can do are done it is easier to look at the stuff in the doom box and make at least some decisions.

Right, I'm heading back to bed - my eyes feel like poached eggs although my thermometer keeps telling my I'm in the low 36C, (normal for me), and this morning it was 35.6!  I have a feeling I need a new thermometer. 🤣
Dxx

daisy_1571

I was on yootoob watching a music thing and when it finished couldn't resist clicking on 5 harsh truths about decluttering .  Some of it interesting but one quote stood out.  It appears to be from The 12 week year (get more things done in 12 weeks than others do in 12 months) by Brian P Moran and Micheal Lennington.

                "The barrier standing between you and what you are truly capable of is not a lack of information, ideas or techniques. 

                         The secret sauce is execution. "

Made me think of a book I've recently been reading about someone who couldn't get over a death and it led to a form of agoraphobia, she got advice from somewhere - something about what could you do if you get out your own way and it popped up a few times in the book and she did manage to get out her own way over time.

Both these are resonating just now.  I'll leave them pondering around in my head a while.


Hugs to all

Daisy xxx 

Brie

@GrannyKate
Bicarb may be the answer.  The problem I found was that it was difficult to properly clean a litter tray.  The plastic would retain "that" smell.  Sprinkling in a good amount of bicarb before you put the litter in. 

The other thing that helped and made life much easier was I found one brand that sold the litter in a 3 pack where the litter was in a plastic bag and you put the whole thing in and then when you needed to change the litter the whole thing would lift out like the bags you put in your garbage bins.  Tried to google the name of the brand and found it Catsan but with a video in French - shows exactly what I mean.

This was a bit expensive when I was buying it for my ancient Ariadne but I see that you can also get liners for the tray which may work just as well.  

Bing Videos

Soontobeoap

Just looked at list of jobs for January. New idea this year. Tidy shoe cupboard was on there. Seemed like an easy win. Took 20 mins to sort and sweep out. I bin bag full of broken tatty shoes ready to go. Should I take them to a clothing bank do you think? They are very ropey.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks
2. Concerted effort to sort out sleep patterns - Realistic targets: bed by 2:00 a.m. & up by 10:00 a.m 
3. Continue dealing 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 filled the bird feeders & water bowls. 2nd load washed & now in td. We each had a bowl of hm soup which was very tasty 🤤 I fell asleep watching Countdown 😞

mehefin, no wonder you were shattered yesterday & then didn’t sleep well - three  meetings in a row 😥 Shame about the scones but it is an easy mistake to make 😉 Love that you named your cats according to their character traits 😻

Florenceem, fingers crossed that the Freegler turned up 🤞Nice to hear that C visited MrF last night & that MrF was more communicative than of late 🙂

ruby_eskimo, regardless of the weather I think we all know of at least one person who consistently states that climate change isn’t real 😔 Sorry to hear about the work woes 😔 you should definitely be spending time in the TLC Carriage 😊 Sounds like it is all systems go re the renovations & decorating 👏

Hopefully the ensuing chaos will be over relatively quickly & calm will reign once more 🙏This “……….."Follow the plan, not the feelings" which while on the face of it seems to go against a lot of things I believe (like following your gut / intuition), it does seem to help in those moments when you're trying to find some non-existent motivation and maybe some big feelings are getting in the way…………” sounds really interesting 🤔 I will have to investigate further 🔬 

Still loving the conversation about cat behaviour 😻 & especially your reminiscences florianatwobob ☺️

vulpix, lovely post 😊 I really enjoy reading about your furniture renovation projects - past or present ☺️ even though I do seem to recall that not so long ago you weren’t going to be doing any more 🤣 

Another lovely post vulpix 🥹 Sorry to hear that RL news has been making you feel overwhelmed 😞 but pleased to hear that you are enjoying our quirky family life 🥹

Nearly caught up but need to think about tonight’s dinner, so will post & run 👋 

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Decluttering Target 2025: 154/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

Florenceem

Mrs SD - Freegler sent her son and he took all the available bags so I have an empty porch!
My meltdown this morning was meant to happen - so I was prepared for the awful visit this afternoon.
Mr F was out of bed - only 2nd time in 2 weeks. He told me a Dr came and said he is not ready to be discharged yet.
Then a therapist arrived to discuss how Mr F would manage at home. I said - he is not fit - therapist said the Dr told him that Mr F was medically fit to be discharged.
This therapist asked me all the usual questions about rails, toilet aids etc. Therapist suggested Mr F having a bed downstairs - we have a very small downstairs cloakroom. If Mr F wanted the toilet in the night - I would have to get up and come down risking a fall as I would have been woken suddenly. How would I get restful sleep worrying about Mr F downstairs.
Therapist went on about having help in - he would not able to have a shower as that is upstairs so would be strip washes. What about when Mr F sits on the toilet at midnight and won't get off - won't be any carers here then except me. Therapist asked if we own our own home!
Therapist went off to chat with Dr and get a colleague to help him get Mr F on his feet.
Dr came - same one who Mr F said - told him - he wasn't fit yet to leave - she said - he is medically fit.
Dr said only way to get an appointment at the memory clinic to diagnose Dementia is a referral by the GP - the hospital can't do it.
Dr thought Mr F had some kind of seizure and an infection which was what caused his problems..I say he has some form of Dementia.
Mr F didn't have the blood transfusion we were told was happening - he had instead an iron infusion.
Therapist x 2 returned - struggled to get Mr F standing and he was dreadful at walking with a zimmer frame - one had to hold it to keep it on the floor as Mr F was toppling it. They agreed that I couldn't manage that by myself. 
They said Mr F can't try to go up the stairs with me behind him in case he falls on me.
Mr F was asking about rehab - therapist said that is available for a patient who they think will benefit from it.
Mr F swears that he didn't fall the day I found blood in the hall and him bleeding.
He doesn't remember refusing to get off the toilet.
He didn't know that I had to wipe his bottom.
He didn't know he had wet the bed,
No one is listening to me. They just want the bed and Mr F out of their care.