2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

weenancyinAmerica

@vulpix - Oh my goodness. Hope you are doing better. Take care of yourself. That is something I worry about as I am being treated for so many things that can cause stroke. The doctor told me to keep the bottle of aspirin handy. I only use one eye when I drive now - as I see double otherwise. So I know what you mean about depth perception. Sometimes my left eye closes itself when I am home especially when I am reading. But I will only be able to drive for another year or so as I have the beginning of macular degeneration. 
@Muddy_Walker - You take care of yourself as well. Follow the doctor's advice and take it easy.
@MadamMim2013 - Hay on Wye used to be my downfall too. I took people on tours there (stayed at the Old Black Lion Inn most times). First trip I sent 40 boxes of books home. Fortunately most were for the library and the British Isles Family History Society. But way too many of them were for me. I was glad I got them though as on one of my later trips I couldn't find any books on the Home Front in World War II which is what I was collecting. The Castle Book Store thought it was really funny that it cost me more for postage from their store than it did for the books. They remembered me from that the next time I came. Took a long time to convince my fellow tour guide (Big Nancy) to go with me to Hay - but after the first trip where she bought 15 boxes of books, she was hooked, and we would sometimes make detours over there. 

We are expecting more rain - next Tuesday. This will be day 2 since July. I am afraid to start my vegetable garden as we are under drought conditions and can only use a limited amount of water on the plants. I am going to have to grow the plants in containers up near the house where I can water them individually (if I can get my tomato plants going this year at all) or grow them in my front yard planter where I have all of 6 plants, and my back will let me water. 

Take care everyone. Don't want anyone to be having problems, especially health ones.
  

I_Love_comps

Morning Everyone,

Make sure you get enough rest @Vulpix

I declutterd to the bin, some old eyeshadow palettes. Yuka information told me they were bad .  So that helped with my decision to let them leave the house.

Hope everyone has a good day 😌

Willowtree222

Thinking of all those who are struggling with health difficulties and also caring for someone.

Sorted bookshelf out. I have 27 books for the person wanting them and 2 for my friend so 29. 

2 will be given tomorrow and 27 picked up on Friday. If he doesn't come, I will put them in the huge collection bin for books and DVDs. 

Soontobeoap

@basketcase we live on the Isle of Wight so not just around the corner unfortunately. If @vulpix is closer that would be an easier delivery. Thank you so much for your kind offer. 

I need to get busy on the spare bedroom today. Only 2 weeks before we have guests and it is covered in craft stuff. Good to have a deadline though .craft group this afternoon so hoping to get some of the stuff that belongs to them out of the house. Need to organize the craft cupboard at club too. It's 2 steps.dorward and one step back at the moment but I am making progress slowly I think! 

ruby_eskimo

Wow the EDT is rattling along at a pace I can't keep up with!  I've briefly skimmed through posts so glad to hear that Mr F is settling in back at home @Florenceem and that the community teams are actually arranging things for you.  Sorry to hear about the medical issues @Muddy_Walker and @vulpix - make sure you're both resting and taking the time you need.

Saw a brief mention of cleaning routines and I like TOMM but also Clean Mama has worked for me in the past and there's always the Fly Lady technique and lovely thread on the forums here to keep you in check (although I only dip in and out there...)

Spent the weekend doing little jobs round the house including going to the laundrette to actually do some washing for the first time in 2 weeks.  Managed to do some decluttering and still so much to go but we got rid of (between the skip, the recycling centre and charity shops):

118. Broken mug
119. Old shelving unit that the old owners left that was propping up some of the kitchen worktop
120. Set of drawers that was doing the same thing
121. pair of trousers
122 - 125. tops
126 - 128. packaging
129. pair of jeans
130 - 134. Tote bags
135 - 165. shredding 
166 - 167. gift bags
168. packaging
169. old purse
170 - 175. packaging
176. old bath mat (again from previous owners)
177. old light fitting
178 - 187. beauty products used up

I've also listed 6 things on vinted to see if I can sell them, and have another pile of things to list to so will try and get through them this week.  Giving them till the end of the month and if they don't sell then they'll just go to the charity shop.

Sending hugs to all that need them.

Wednesday2000

I didn't get a chance to look at the YT videos on cleaning yesterday so I will do that after my shower, TOMM and Clean Mama.

It feels a bit chilly here this morning and I need to wash my hair so the heating is on. I just did a check on our finances at the start of the year, but I'm going to have to do it again as some bills have increased and I am now getting Carer's Allowance for my husband so the numbers have changed already. I might do it monthly from now on.

Today I have to deep clean the bathroom window and the blind. 

We are having more problems with the fitted wardrobes the last people left. We had to replace a wardrobe door last year and now another one has fallen off. My husband bought a new door, but it won't fit properly and he might have to call a handyman. I said that we may as well take the doors off as if this keeps happening it is at almost £100 each time to buy a replacement door and there are 6 doors! I will have to add them to the bulky waste collection. That will be added incentive to keep up with decluttering and keeping it tidy as I won't have any doors to hide clutter behind.

Brie

Trying to decide what to do with our recycling.  I made the mistake of telling the OH to put out the garbage bin a week back instead of the recycling so the recycling is full to the brim and not going to be collected until Friday.  And our small bin outside the kitchen door is full to the brim as well.  I don't like putting recycling in the normal bin but we've rather run out of options.  Of course it would help if OH would flatten things before putting them in the bin.....he will go through a couple of litres of juice and maybe one of milk and a few tins of coke (gold type so no calories...) I keep saying that if things are flattened we could get 3 times as much in the bin but somehow it doesn't sink into his brain.  I suppose I should be thankful he puts things in the bin at all even if it isn't that regular!!!  

vulpix

regbbue, thank you for sharing. It is something that can be adjusted to fortunately. Typing for one! No more sly people watching on my left hand side for me. I will have to turn my head for a full gawp!

Brie, when I had all the family at home, I used to put our bin out late at night for 7am empty and share out our excess into other peoples bins! Only really a thing if all the bins have to congregate in one spot like ours did.

Gordon Bennet I pressed post instead of save!

Brie

vulpix said:

regbbue, thank you for sharing. It is something that can be adjusted to fortunately. Typing for one! No more sly people watching on my left hand side for me. I will have to turn my head for a full gawp!

Brie, when I had all the family at home, I used to put our bin out late at night for 7am empty and share out our excess into other peoples bins! Only really a thing if all the bins have to congregate in one spot like ours did.

Gordon Bennet I pressed post instead of save!

Yes we do the same quite often as we have 3 very elderly neighbours who appear to generate almost no garbage of any sort.  (hope it's not piling up inside!!!) But that won't be an option until Thursday evening.  Don't like to add to others bins toooo early just in case. 

oceanspirit

Vulpix - I am so sorry to read of your trip to hospital and your sight loss.  Bodies and brains are amazingly adaptable given time, so give yourself plenty of that and pop into the tlc carriage for an extended stay.

Decluttered loads more ivy from the jungle yesterday and was exhausted afterwards.  There is loads more to do but we filled the green bin and made it far less tempting to birds looking for nesting sites so it will be ok to wait until next weekend.  Have also deleted 120 more recent emails that had built up.  There’s still over 250 to go before I am caught up plus thousands of old ones that need to be gone through.

Home cooking is not happening as I am too tired so am really grateful to have plenty in the freezer from last month.  Sadly have had to throw away some veg which upsets me, but it isn’t the end of the world.

Found a thermal travel cup that we have used occasionally but not often enough to keep in an over full cupboard so it is in the CS pile.