2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

Moorviews

Before I vacuumed through the whole house I had a 15 minute pick up session. It made the job much easier than doing it as I go along. All hard floors were washed, cobwebs decluttered, bins emptied and the sitting room dusted. As I went along I thought about which rooms were really in need of a good turn out. The spare bedrooms (mainly down to DC clutter), the hall, the utility room and the craft/office. It was helpful to get that focus for my future efforts. Stripped our bed and got everything washed, dried and made up again. 

Partially decluttered the fridge by making a very large pot of soup and vegetable lasagne. Had to compost a pakchoi and some coriander. Usually I trim it and store it in a jug of water but I didn’t get around to it last week. We still have fruit which I might juice before it is too past its best. 

Filing and financial frogs ticked off for the moment. I am deleting lots of emails every day but there seems to be a proliferation of spam arriving in my inbox multiple times of day and night. 

@QueenJess - I like that idea of putting away a number of items each day. 

@Liverpool_Anne - they sound like a lovely generous family. You got a very cute expression on that chick 🐥 
@charlies_tribe - I hope you have a quieter and less complicated weekend. Some days just turn out to be unbelievable don’t they?
@vulpix - good luck with the viewings!
@dND - I hope your back and hips improve. When you wrote about decompressing by lying down, it made me realise that I should do the same. I exacerbate my condition by keeping going. I know what you mean about trying to get those garden jobs in place. I am very torn at the moment as there aren’t enough hours in the day, or energy!
@Muddy_Walker - dogs are so helpful in the garden I find 😂 Beautiful photo! Made me realise that I want to get out and buy some flowers. 

@Florenceem - if the hospital knew you like we do, they would listen to you and take notice. Hopefully the new treatment will help. 

@Willowtree222 - I loved the wreath, it is very pretty 🤩
Mrs SD - well done for being organised enough to get your menus and shopping lists done👏 I am somewhat failing on that at the moment. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend 🌷 🌞 

vulpix

Muddy, stunning photo.

Mrs SD, would you like a weekly cryptic crossword? My son writes one every week and emails it out, he has quite a following. Anyone else too, just send me your email and I will pass it on.

I hope you will start to see an improvement in Mr F now he has IV antibiotics Florenceem. Never mind the hospital staff should listen to you, we could have all told them what was needed too! xx

I am sleeping very badly indeed. I am rough as a bears bum, not that I have ever felt a bears bum! I was awake half  the night planning a new garden for chuffs sake! My brain will not stop! 

Gotta go, viewings.

 Vx

Florenceem

I slept okay but feel shattered this morning.
I have a V sale to wrap and post so will go into town - walk there and bus back.
I think I will treat myself to fish & chips - save me cooking. Mr F and I usually have 2 days meals out of the huge portions that our local chippy supplies so I will have enough for 4 days. I need easy at the moment.
I don't usually go to the hospital on a Sunday - Church in the morning - then home for a meal. This Sunday I will look up the bus times - every half hour and visit Mr F.

Soontobeoap

@florenceem I hope Mr F gets better treatment from now on. Can I ask how you reheat your fish and chips. So you make something out of the fish and chips or just reheat? Do they taste as good second time round? Can you freeze and then heat up again?
Thanks in advance
 

sqwiffy

Dizzycap said:

I'm also going to sterilise the washing machine

How do you even do that? I'm exhausted just seeing what you do. I haven't done any decluttering since my last post and just a bit of cleaning, shopping and cooking. Literally enough to get through from my house to my mum's.

There's been a lot going on with family stuff and although it's been resolved, it's left me drained. I am not feeling in a very good place emotionally, very up and down but I'm trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel and get my usual PollyAnna mentality back..........I've not been sleeping well. My escape is in a book when I can forget things so the minute I'm not doing what has to be done in either household, I'm reading.

I haven't been on for a while and am seeing posts mentioning loss but not sure if that's stuff, animals or people. So sorry folks. So I've tried to catch up with missed posts but I'm not retaining the information. I feel a bit of a fraud being low when lots of you have far more serious things on your plates.

@Vulpix - are you thinking of this house because of the garden or location or price as you're not really selling it to me?

Oh no, just had a phone call to say DMIL has had another fall, that's the third in under 2 weeks. I'm worried about why this is happening and the fact that she won't go to get checked out. She lives with her son but it's another pressure I'm feeling, as I heard that my DS1 also had a fall on Friday so is out of the picture for caring for my DM. Well, we're off to see DMIL now.

vulpix

Liverpool Anne, your famous! Your chick just popped up on my Facebook feed!!! 

tiddles

Thinking of you, @sqwiffy. I hope things improve for you soon xx

Crazycatlady2

Not checked in for long time sorry. 

Skimmed most and read latest pages

Sorry to hear Mr F in hospital again hope he improves asap x

Other than that not much sunk in I'm afraid as I'm very low and struggling with life, lost our cat, hubby not well, still no probate, still no completion date for house, pulled my back 😢

Sorry for being a moaning minne I'm sure things pick up soon though

Hugs to all x 

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

So much for remembering to post yesterday 🙊 Yesterday was another dry, warmish day but overcast with only an hour of sunshine High 16°C, Low 9°C. I have done nothing all day but clear down programmes from the planner & knit baby bottle cosies 😉 The two multi coloured ones are my practice pieces & the third one I modified the pattern from ‘trinity’ stitch to ‘Basketweave’. 

DSis did her laundry. Requested I do a couple of minor repairs - done. DH went out for his walk & used the elliptical trainer in the outdoor gym in the park. Dinner was battered fish, oven chips & peas. Wudupa

536 - 537 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans - recycled 

538 Kitchen detritus binned 

I was so engrossed in the knitting that it completely slipped my mind to post. Hope everyone had a good day yesterday & a good night’s sleep 😴 

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🌟 ❤️ ❤️ 🏅 💐 💐 💐 🏅🥉🏅 🎂 🌟⭐️⭐️❤️ 🍫🐾 😍

DH Awards: 🏅 

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 538/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £41.00

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

Saturday is much like yesterday - overcast & slightly lower temperatures forecast - high of 15°C & low of 10°C & might have some rain this afternoon. Of course getting engrossed in the knitting yesterday meant I neglected the cheerleading so have fallen behind again 😉 

Liverpool_Anne, a busy & productive Thursday 👏 & well done persevering with the call to HMRC 👏 Loved This “Yesterday I also spoke to ln about an old sewing machine she has been trying to move on. Her daughter had tried the usual places with no luck and they were reluctant to just send it to the tip. I had found a charity that takes tools etc but when I was chatting with my friend E about her trying to sort out her DH's tools I explained about the charity. Her eyes lit up when I mentioned the sewing machine and I said ln would probably be happy for her to have it. Ln said yes so I will be taking that with me next week 😁. I am very happy about the serendipity of this, 2 friends who don't know each other are made happy, gives me some faith in the universe 😁” serendipitous indeed 😊 Lovely cheerleading & I especially enjoyed the story about OH’s mum 🥹

Muddy_Walker, sorry to hear the ‘medical thing’ is a full time job at the moment 😔 Hopefully it will slow down now that you have additional tablets to take 🤞 Pleased to hear that you spent time in the garden 😊 but please take it easy 🙏 Wonderful picture - so well focused 🥳 Hopefully you can get your hubby to rest & relax this weekend & fingers crossed that he has a quieter week ahead 🤞

dND, pleased to hear that you now have working radiators & that the boiler has not only been removed from the house but also from your garden 🥳 Good luck in the garden 🍀 but please remember to take frequent rests especially as your back & hips are causing you issues 🙏 Remember that the TLC Carriage is always available 😉

Florenceem, it sounds like the service went very well yesterday 🥹 So sorry to hear that MrF is worse but hopefully he finally has a doctor who will treat MrF with compassion 🙏 It does sound like he has made a good start by talking & listening to you & appreciating that you know more about MrF’s health issues than anyone else. Cwtches 🤗 

Beautifully expressed retiredinfrance 🥹 Thank you for sharing your experience with Mr Rif 🥹

A thank you to all our Declutterati family for such caring posts & keeping Florenceem & MrF in your thoughts & prayers 🥹

Blue_Doggy, This “Mrs_Salad_Dodger I hope the naughty step (completely unnecessary! 😀) was comfy, with good plump cushions and a selection of goodies 🍰🍫🍷☕️ from the TLC carriage!” did make me smile 😊 With the naughty step being that comfy no wonder I keep falling behind with the cheerleading 😂 Pleased to hear that both the pain in your hip & the sciatica have eased ☺️ but please take it easy 🙏 Excellent & eclectic decluttering 👏 I am awarding you a Gold Star ⭐️ for not only the decluttering you have already done but as an encouragement to continue 🥹 I know it will be difficult but please try not to feel overwhelmed 😊 Remember decluttering is a marathon not a sprint & that one day soon you will start to notice a difference 😊 As to This “In proof of the saying that “no good deed goes unpunished” when I got back from the CS I found that someone had scraped the whole of one side of my car. 🤨😢😡” I am spitting feathers 😖 

A very busy Friday Liverpool_Anne & an excellent amount of decluttering 👏 Good job I wasn’t drinking my coffee when I read This “A pile of OH's clothes appeared at the top of the stairs. Is this washing? No for the cs 😁. I bagged them up before there was a change of mind.” I have the feeling that you were even more surprised & happy than I was 🥳 In honour of your OH sorting his clothes (or at least some of them 😉) I am awarding him a medal 🏅 + 💐 for you for your success in ‘convincing/persuading’ your OH to declutter 😊 Lovely cheerleading 😊

One page caught up, so will celebrate by posting & knitting the first half a dozen rows of the final baby bottle cosy 😉

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🌟 ❤️ ❤️ 🏅 💐 💐 💐 🏅🥉🏅 🎂 🌟⭐️⭐️❤️ 🍫🐾 😍

DH Awards: 🏅 

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 538/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £41.00