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

Sunday: cooler than it has been overcast with a couple of light, short showers. A completely lazy day - watched all 4 MIB films & knitted some baby mittens (4” long). DH sowed some flower seeds then went for his walk.  Dinner was honey glazed duck breast with garlic mash & honey glazed carrots 😋 Wudupa.

545 - 546 kitchen recycling & detritus- out

I will catch up with the cheerleading tomorrow. Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 546/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £41.00

charlies_tribe

Good morning. Thanks for all the messages, its been a quieter weekend. Friday i managed to do another half hour in our bedroom. I sorted through a box of Christmas paper/cards that hadn't made the bag. Most are now in the bag and I probably won't need paper this year. Some had gone brown from sunlight and others were just left over bits that had got crumpled so they went in to the recycling. 
DD1 took DH for a plug. So that's now fixed but all the stuff from the cupboard is still in a box as I want to sort it before it goes back. Car is still broken. 

Saturday I took DD3F to see siblings. We did an escape room. We only escaped because the staff helped 🤣
DD3 had been poorly since Friday (full of cold) so I told her to get a shower to help her chest. She came down after to get a drink, said she felt dizzy and as i turned to look at her the bottle of pop exploded on the floor and I just managed to catch her before she landed in the pool of lemonade. Once she came round I got her to shuffle round and sat her against the wall. In 40 odd years its the first time I've seen anyone faint. We spent a while on the phone to 111 but she's okay, just still full of cold.

Yesterday seemed to turn into film day and lots were decluttered. Unfortunately, nothing physically decluttered -actually there was as DGD took a teddy that you microwave home with her.

278-279  2x Large boxes
280  Gift bag
281  Cake topper
282  Coat hangers
283  Pile of christmas wrap pieces
284  Heated teddy

QueenJess

@charlies_tribe I do love an escape room.  I'm just waiting for DS to be old enough to do them with me

Backwards progress to report today as I brought in 5 books (really nice colouring/craft books for DD I've saved in the gift drawer for xmas from Buy Nothing) and 1 puzzle (Buy Nothing again).  Now DD's desk has been re-homed in her room for her birthday, I can actually see the mess I'm working in in the library.... really need to just tidy up and then finish the reorganisation of the shelves I started months ago.  For some reason I find this room really hard - I think it's partly because it's the room where things get dumped in when they don't go anywhere else, so they take longer to sort out.

Definitely need to do some tidying and see if I can offload anything as feeling slightly overwhelmed today.  It's probably not that bad, I do need to get back on the case.

Digital:
3 - online accounts/email aliases deleted
4 - text conversations deleted

Physical:
3 - paper reused then recycled
1 - candle used up
1 - bathroom supplies used up

New total 948
Use it up total 63
Net physical things in/(out) +175

Wednesday2000

I have been trying medical cannabis the past couple of weeks and have been feeling very unmotivated, to say the least! I woke up today feeling almost normal, not out of it from the THC and not in pain. I think the Thai massage I had on Saturday helped with my costochondritis too.

I woke up and tackled the kitchen as it has been annoying me. I took everything out of the big shelf and cleaned the sheves. I threw away all the tea as I just don't drink it anymore. I was getting migraines from coffee so I cut that out and managed to cut out tea at the same time. I cleaned out some canisters and filled them up with flour, rice, spaghetti, biscuits etc... and recycled all the packaging and put that outside in the garden. I looked at the tea and sugar canisters and decided to bin them rather than donate them. The kitchen looks so much better now.

I am going to finish a book today as I am supposed to be reading 100 books this year and that will only be my 5th!

_Dolly_Rocker_

Hi all, 

Been AWOL the past few days and managed to have a read through. 

Hugs to all who need it. 

@Florenceem - That is awful they are trying to discharge him when he's clearly not ready to go home. Glad he's feeling a bit better and he's so lucky to have you in his corner fighting for him. 

GrannyKate

Morning all.  Hugs all round as needed.  I've been heavily involved in getting bedroom ready for bed (this afternoon) and in doing finishing touches.  Just been out and bought a new quilt and pillows, a few storage boxes for new wardrobes and a second clothes drier (The one I have is on its last legs) Also busy weekend with DGS4's 10th birthday - all my DGCs now in double figures and the oldest will be 20 in the summer.  We did breakfast out with friends and children Saturday and lunch out yesterday.

Waiting in for deliveries now but apparently need new tyres on my car so I will sort that later in week.  Kitchen fitters want to take my existing cupboards out on 11 April ready for building work on 14th.  Once I can move into new bedroom I will make space in bedroom 2 for temporary kitchen area.  Walked round town whilst car was in garage last week and managed to sort a dormant account out (6p) and have now opened a new savings account with them and moved the 6p to somewhere sensible and closed that account.  Ordered bedside tables and a replacement door as small chip on one. 

370 New accounts opened, standing order set up and old account closed.  
371 Huge pile of cardboard squeezed into my car and dropped off at recycling
372 Bag of rubbish to tip
373 Two ink cartridges recycled - new ones arrived plus some spares 
374 Some decorating kit binned and reusable stuff and spare paint in garage 
375 Money decluttered to buy new bedding and other stuff.
376 DS2 dropped children off to take to school and put up curtains for me before he went to work

The frogs are still croaking at me.   

Muddy_Walker

Helloooooooo
Parental visit for early Mothers Day yesterday. Usually I find that very stressful but using the breathing techniques I have been learning it went surprisingly well! Very tired afterwards though.
Today will just be a general tidy up as gently as possible…my 2 furry nursemaids are as close as they can get ❤️
I am also thinking about replacing my duvets and old bedding with cover less duvets which would tidy up the airing cupboard and get rid of stuff……

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

Monday: a very dull start to the day - overcast & cooler than last week with a forecast high of 14°C & low of 7°C. I will be popping out later to drop off the knitted baby bottle cosies. Straight into cheerleading: 

Moorviews, good luck with the weight loss 🍀 Hopefully you will be able to fit into the jeans or failing that keep an eye out in charity shops for the same brand & style in the next size up 🤞 Lovely cheerleading 😊

CRANKY40, This “I see that some of you have had what I usually describe as an "interesting week" when it happens to me.”  - talk about an understatement 😥 This is very well said “To everyone who thinks that they shouldn't complain because other people have worse things happen - I once had this pointed out to me as being "toxic positivity". If what you are going through is hurting/harming/upsetting you then you are right to engage with others (especially the people on this lovely thread) to receive some comfort, good advice or at the very least recognition of what you are going through” Thank you & lovely cheerleading 🥹 Excellent decluttering 👏

Great decluttering Willowtree222 & well done on remembering to drop off the batteries 👏 Fortunately for me it is my DH who is responsible for dropping off used batteries as for reasons unbeknownst to me I always forget 😉 I will keep my fingers crossed that your listing will be successful over the next couple of days 🤞

What a lovely way to spend a Friday florianatwobob 🥹 That is one very, very large fig leaf 😂

Lovely post Yoshimi2025 ☺️

daisy_1571, I totally agree with This “Muddy I really hope you got the 11.7million last night, if you hire a jet I bet there'd be a fair crowd coming to help weenancyinAmerica” 

The sun has come out so the day feels brighter already 🙂

Dizzycap, re babyface “……although I'm assured that she's excessively healthy” this is such a wonderful thing to hear ☺️ a testament to how much love care & attention you have given to  Babyface over the years 🥹 Sounds like you both had a chilled Saturday 😊

Florenceem, sorry to hear that MrF was not too good yesterday 😔 Hope you enjoyed your fish’n’chips & the film 😊 So pleased to hear that your computer tech chap not only sorted out the computer but also gave you a hug 🤗 

Muddy_Walker, shame about the lottery ☹️ but well done with the knitting 👏 

I really should take advantage of the sunshine 😉 so I will post this & head out to the P.O. I hope everyone is having as good a day as possible & that the weather is being kind 🤞

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

DH Awards: 🏅 

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 546/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £41.00

sqwiffy

@muddywalker - They are rather gorgeous looking spaniels. I don't think I'd want one though as they are so manic and often neurotic or is that just the ones I know . I like most dogs. We had a boxer, and German Shepherds when I was growing up. Then we had a cross between a Jack Russell and Yorkshire Terrier when our kids were growing up that lasted for 18 years, he was a character. We decided not to have any more after this so that we could holiday at the drop of a hat but we do take care of our kids pets when they go away instead!

@Dolly Rocker - ooh, never heard of red merle collies but such clever dogs. That one with the blue eyes has a cheeky look ! Seeing your next post, do you think it's safe to get a saw and an axe??

@jellybaby - well done, thats quite a task and understandably emotional. Your memories may be better served by photos and your own thoughts?

@Florenceem- You have a lot to contend with again, bless you. The SA is your relief I think.

@Dizzycap - Someone's always got to upset the applecart! I hope it is resolved soon.

@Brambling - i cannot imagine finding a deer at the doorway but then I do live in a city! The nearerst to wildlife I've had here have been foxes and hedgehogs. I always like the idea of the country but don't think I'd cope without the comforts of a corner shop and cinema just up the road! I'll just have to get in the car for my tree hugging and forest bathing every month or so instead.

I went out from my DM's after the nurses came to change her dressing, leaving my DSs with her. Off to collect DH and meet his DM, and his DB1, DB2, DBs'sW, for lunch out. Then back to my DM after. My DS2 has now gone out for a break. My DM is sitting in her own little world but singing with the Alexa Echo that shows her the lyrics to songs.

Duchess2

@Dizzycap I’m sorry if my comments touched a nerve. I certainly didn’t mean it as a criticism. You obviously love and care so much for Babyface. I was unaware of her poor start in life. Thank goodness she found you. I truly didn’t mean to “upset the apple cart” as per Squiffy. I’m so sorry if I have caused offence. It was certainly not my intention.  I’ve not long started posting on here, having been a reader for a while. Rest assured I will choose my words with more care in future. Sorry again xx