2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

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

Lots more rain & it still hasn’t brightened up ☹️ Straight back into cheerleading as all the walking yesterday has left me physically tired 🙁 but not mentally 😮‍💨 

CRANKY40, great work on Wednesday building up your step count but keeping your purse/wallet firmly closed 👏 Such useful information for sqwiffy but also for the rest of us (should it ever be needed) about dressings 😊

Great decluttering on Wednesday Liverpool_Anne 👏 & hope you managed to get the ‘union thing’ sorted on Thursday 🤞

Excellent use of lists Wednesday2000 👏 Like you I find it more productive to work from a list 😊 now I just need to retrain myself to actually use the lists I write 🤣 Sorry to hear that the ‘cranio-sacral therapy’ left you feeling so exhausted 🥱 Such a shame that preparations for the afternoon tea are proving to be such a hassle 😔 Re balloon rides - I was gifted a balloon ride by my colleagues when I retired & had a double problem - DH injured his leg badly so I had to postpone for a while & then when he was well enough the weather caused further delays ☹️ Sadly I never did get my balloon ride 😞

MadamMim2013, I think I saw your ‘mojo’ heading off to warmer climes 😉 Ouch to both OH’s broken tooth & the financial hit 😣 Just wondering if something else can be prescribed other than an HRT patch as it is upsetting your B12 levels 🤔 

redofromstart, good luck with the indoor workroom tidying & decluttering 🍀

Florenceem, no wonder you were so exhausted as it sounds like you were even busier on Wednesday than you usually are 😩 Please, please try to slow down .. at least a little 🙏 It is all very well MrF improving but none of us want to see you becoming ill. Apologies if I have come across a bit strong 😔

Excellent decluttering Wednesday2000 👏 & well done on getting so many steps without leaving the house 😊 especially as I don’t think you live in a mansion 😉

Excellent decluttering on Thursday Muddy_Walker 👏 & yes I think trying to get compression socks on definitely counts as exercise 😅

Broke off to make another hot drink. DH is finally up & about as he is even more physically tired than I am ☹️

Florenceem, good job rescuing meals from SA 😊 especially as it means you don’t have to cook 🙂 I suppose it was better late than never that Social Services phoned 🤨 but please, please do ask for help if you need some respite 🙏

Talk about a busy Thursday Dizzycap 🤩 Very kind of you to exercise your friend’s dog 🥹 I was about to get out the ‘wagging finger emoji’ before I read on & saw that you managed to get the prescribed rest whilst leaving the dog to its own devices 😊 I do hope you took a picture of your decluttered hallway before it is cluttered up again 😉

Muddy_Walker, ouch to the rainbow tummy 😣 Might I be nosy & ask how long you need to continue with the injections? 

charlies_tribe, sorry to hear that your hubby shared his lurgy ☹️ This “I did make DS1 (21) throw away his waterbottle after watching him make his bottle the other day and it was black inside.” did make me go a bit green 🤢 Excellent decluttering of the bookcase 👏

Dizzycap, yippee to a clear hallway 🥳

Brambling, now that you have a tentative timescale for the operation for a replacement hip, hopefully you will find it a little easier to plan & execute your decluttering 🤞Shame about the lost sleep but well done on dealing with the ‘converted’ tadpole 👏

basketcase, I read This “I’m a bit on-again, off-again at present - but I’m beginning to think that may be my style, so I’m going with the flow.” & thought what a great attitude 😊 Although you classed Wednesday as an ‘off day’ I would disagree as you got a lot done 👏 As to Thursday that was definitely an ‘On day’ with bells on 👏🥳 An impressive amount of work done on your stationery supplies 👏 so a medal 🏅 is on its way 😊 Also good work with your NSDs 👏

DundeeDoll, great work with your February challenge 👏 Are sure you wouldn’t like to count the ‘S’ as part of Friday’s decluttering 😉

TC77, sounds like work is extra busy again 😞 Did your employers ever fill the vacancies from last year? You do know that throwing out a duvet counts as at least 2 especially as you were tempted to keep it for Justin 😉

Two pages caught up, so will celebrate by posting & then having a bowl of hm soup 😉 I hope everyone is having as good a day as possible & that you are all managing some ‘you time’ 😊 See you later 👋 

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🌟 ❤️ ❤️ 🏅 💐 💐 💐 🏅🥉🏅 🎂 🌟

DH Awards: 🏅 

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 295/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £41.00

suzeesu2000

3 Iceland bags and two crates full of craft things were collected today, donated to a guy who works with elderly mentally infirm people and organises craft activities for them. Pleased it’s gone somewhere worthwhile. Got a craft trolley being collected tomorrow and a carrier bag full of resin going to a friend as well. I can almost see carpet in the bedroom!! 

DundeeDoll

ok @Mrs_Salad_Dodger since you write the rules I will clearly count the chocolate - turned out when I opened it it wasn't an S, it was a Christmas tree, was being the operative word. Lish. So the 7 for yesterday were..
6 books for the CS and one chocolate Christmas tree
and the 8 for today were..
7 books for the cs
1 book for the recycle (it was the 2022 almanac for star-gazing)
which takes me up to 110 - should be on 212 to be on target but if I carry on with the Feb date challenge I will be caught up by 22nd February, according to my spreadsheet

oceanspirit

More papers gone off the reading pile.

Dejungalising went well too and more will take place in the next few days.

TC77

@Vulpix and @Florenceem hope you're both on the mend soon, there are so many things going round laying people low for a long time. and others please take care of yourself.
@Floss my house (or the furniture) is increasingly MCM. I already had G plan side tables and drawers but now have the large ladderax and matching bookcases,  a sofa (to be upholstered, and my parents dining room table, sideboard etc and a lamp (which leans abit and has the new to me lampshade) and some things which need repair. Abit wary of living in my childhood home, but had chairs upholstered. DB was keen to sell ladderax and we did sell  a huge corner desk unit I have my remploy record unit- and basically too much furniture! But getting my home more how I like (but still wanting to move somewhere for a new start and smaller).

Posted 3 items with lots of packaging (sales)
Sheets, cushions and lampshade to CS
Items returned (1 pair of v comfy jogging type trews kept - could have kept more but kept the best ones).

Old pens and debris from DD2 room counting as 5. Sent her photos of her room and she's pleased (she doesn't cope with change very well) but the radiators look like new and she's really chuffed. I've put furniture back but leaving bags and boxes for her to go through as I am sure there are things she will happily let go. She has messaged me stressed about the mess her flatmates make - DD1 told me (not her sister) how this is karma given how messy DD1 was at home (as was DD2 before her - yes, a family trait which I spend hours trying to overcome 
Some paper out.
Last night sent paperwork to court (today was the deadline) - all stuff with ex and monies so we will see if can resolve this year! 
My car insurer thinks I still have the car they wrote off in June so I will have to write to them yet again!

Making risotto and soup with bottom of fridge items, and as I cook realise how precarious things are as a spill on the floor and then things knocked other things down like dominoes.
Does anyone know of a useful list of kitchen essentials for an average cook? 
Will add nos later.

Constantly gratefully to Mrs SD and the declutterai family for all the motivation and support x

EcoIntent

I have been off the forums for a week and can't believe how many posts there have been! I'll have to go read back to get caught up!! Might take awhile.

I've not done a whole lot of decluttering due to being really busy at work.

However, if we can count (and MrsSD I think you do allow this), I have decluttered all dirty clothes, towels and bedding through the wash and am now at zero dirty laundry status again! 

Also given the kitchen a really good clean including the fridge and pleased to say very little food waste to declutter this week. The grocery spending challenge and meal planning is paying off! 

I have also cleared the deep bottom corner cupboard of the kitchen and gone through all my cake tins etc, and listed some more items on ebay I have also a lovely white porcelain dinner service, that I'm not going to use, so it took me awhile but also got that listed by piece as hopefully will get more that way. You may remember I had done a big listing spree on games and puzzles and pleased to report three board games sold and posted totalling £40 after postage so that was welcome. Also sold three teacup trios, as am also trying to downsize my china obsession ........ I find it really hard to part with it to be honest. 

Once things are listed on ebay they go in plastic tubs in the garage so at least out the way. 

TC77

@EcoIntent, you have been busy and I know tough to find time and energy with work.

Found the Red Cross in lewisham take old pillows and duvets for their rag man. Feel so bad about the duvet that went to landfill last week. they stopped taking for a few weeks as had too much but I rang first before dropping off things.
Have a pillow to give them, and 2 pillows and cushion in good condition for the donation hub, and 3 pillowcases/protectors to recycle. Given up on pillow protectors and back to using an old pillow case as an under pillow case.. Avocadoes which refuse to ripen out. 
316

Dizzycap

Evening all

Wow, you've all been busy xxx

Very busy today, or should I say, yesterday at 1am on Sunday morning!  

Decluttered all the usual HH rubbish, took babyface for a lovely walk whilst decluttering, cluttering up the dolly trolly and decluttering it at the house of the neighbour who is ill but on the mend.

Took babyface 2 for her usual 1 hour outing but it was drizzling a little and daxie's so hate rain and wind, so she wasn't as excited about her walk until it stopped drizzling then she disliked the wet grass, so not many minutes of fruit-loops today but she still enjoyed sniffing, rumaging and chasing a squirrel

Came back to declutter a large cup of coffee and a sandwich before 4 hours of bed rest and sleep

Woke up decluttered another large cup of coffee, sprayed & wiped all the kitchen surfaces, draining board and sink before going out to declutter stuff in the recycling wheelie bin while the kettle was boiling.

Gave babyface her dinner and biscuits before having a game of hunt the huge baby. Or should I say the drag the huge soft toy along the hallway into the lounge daxie challenge

I've managed to list more items and packed up items ready to declutter 4 parcels, if not more, out of the house on Monday - The postman won't be laughing this week! I've not put the parcels in the hallway yet, as I needed a sane night and I dare not look in the spare bedroom where the parcels are stacked 

I've still not managed to pick up flattened boxes from the supermarket yet, so I'll have to do that tomorrow as I'm getting short of boxes to send things in I never thought I'd be saying that anytime soon and it's surprising just how much packaging I've used and decluttered 

I can just see the hallway on Sunday night: 2 piles of packages in black bin liners along with a full dolly trolly ready for the charity shop, a stack of flattened boxes, and a mad daxie playing hunt the baby and what's in the bin liners? game

Righty, it's late and I need another cup of coffee before I go back to bed - wishing everyone a super decluttering Sunday & hugs to all who want and need them xxxxx

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

Forgot to post again 😔 Saturday: DH & DSis went out at 16:00 for a top-up shop - did manage to get some of her specific milk which had not been in stock earlier in the week. Traffic was awful so they were out longer than expected - didn’t get back until 17:45. DSis phoned  her son as it is his birthday today. Unfortunately he has the flu so has been in bed for the last few days 😔 Dinner was pie, chips & beans for DH; chicken, chips & beans for DSis; lo creamy bacon & pea linguine for me. Wudupa.

296 - 301 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, plastic bottle, 3 newspapers - recycled 

302 - 303 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned 

It did rain on & off for most of the day 🙁 

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🌟 ❤️ ❤️ 🏅 💐 💐 💐 🏅🥉🏅 🎂 🌟

DH Awards: 🏅 

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 303/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £41.00

GrannyKate

Morning all.  Hugs to all who need them.  Difficult situation involves ex in law and health issues.  Not a lot I can do but support GCs here.  Parked it somewhere in my brain for the moment.

I may attempt to do some gardening depending on weather.  Only a couple of heavy items left in big bedroom - plasterer comes on Tuesday.  More mess but I should be some way towards decorating a bedroom for me.  Then new bed and carpet to order.  I shall do a before picture to post with after pictures eventually.  Some frogs to do so I suppose I could start with those.  

@TC77 asked about a list of kitchen essentials - I am below average cook probably but everything went when I moved - mostly to DS2 - late DH cooked all the time and had every ingredient known to man most of which just went off after he passed away unless DS2 could use them.  I have restocked carefully and tried to only have what I will use.  All dated November 2024 so if it's there unused next November I know I don't need it.  Here is a list of what I have in cupboards.

Breakfast cereals for me and DGCs
Tea, coffee, cocoa and drinking chocolate plus decaf tea for DD when she comes
Sugar - granulated, caster and icing
8 basic herbs and spices
Salt, pepper, vinegar, oils, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad cream 
Soup - a few tins and packets
Preserves etc - jam, honey, syrup, nutella, biscoff (mostly for DGCs)
Tinned fruit (2) and some jellies
Flour - Plain and SR and Cornflour  plus some pasta flour which I will probably give to DS2
Dried fruit and lentils, Baking Powder and bicarbonate 
Pasta and rice
Stock cubes and gravy mix
Tins - Baked beans, sardines, tuna, tomatoes
Goodie box of biscuits and cakes and crisps for DGCs. 

That's pretty much it - I try to buy things like pasta sauces when I know I am going to use them rather than keep them unused in the cupboard.  DGCs mostly eat at their dads even when they may be sleeping here so I don't need to keep a lot in.  I have butter and cooking margarine in fridge along with fresh food. I also have a cake decorating box with sprinkles etc much reduced from 2 boxes I had before moving. Also cat food and treat for my new resident.  

Hope this may help.