2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

Florenceem

Dizzycap - beautiful garden.
Muddy_Walker - I expected that someone from OT would turn up while I was at the hospital this afternoon but they didn't. OT had been to Mr F - got him up and he did a short walk. He was asleep when I arrived - obviously the exercise tired him out.
Mr F hadn't seen a Dr today.
I have been speaking to Dr daughter tonight - she said to emphasise the safe guarding issue.
I heard from youngest daughter that one of my grandsons had a car accident on Tuesday - wrote his car off - this is the brother of the 21 year old whose birthday I missed.
I took some photos for V and listed.
Popped into Li.. on the way home - stocked up on sweets and chocolate plus got myself a yummy Belgian bun which I have just eaten.
daisy_1571 - I prefer circular knitting needles after years of using straight ones.
I haven't attempted to put a new zip in granddaughter's trousers yet - I dislike doing zips at anytime but right now - I just feel too frazzled.
A chap at lunch club asked me to do a sewing job on Wednesday - why did I agree? It is shortening sleeves on a man's tailored jacket. I have looked on YT - there are 2 methods - from the cuff or at the head of the sleeves. Either way is complicated.

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, the surveyer arrived 3 hours early so I only had time to declutter the cobwebs, wipe down the kitchen and clean the toilet and had just got the hoover onto the landing when he knocked. I thought he was just going to look in the loft but no he wanted to do a full house survey. He remarked on all the mess, starting with the comment that I needed a gardener 😂. If only he knew how much garden I have chopped 😂. When he got to the room of doom he just looked at it and said why don't you just get a skip?. 😂. I gave him a lecture on the evils of landfill. Luckily OH was at work as when I repeated the conversation OH was furious. "How dare he say things like that? It might be true we need to sort things out but he's got no right to say things like that". I did say to him at one point that this was my house, bought and paid for by working hard and I will do what I want in it. Anyway we shall see if I get the loft insulation.  He was here for about an hour and a half.
I also discovered where OH's clothes from the landing went to, the laundry basket 😂 so 2 LDFPA. The kitchen recycling, lr bin, bedroom bin, bedroom recycling and bathroom bin were emptied. 
The wrist is a bit better in that the painkillers are doing their job but I still can't lift the kettle with my right hand.
Phone call to my sister after she had been to the cardiologist, she doesn't have a faulty valve as was feared so no need for an op but she has a thickening of the heart wall. She has been prescribed some medication and has to go for some more tests. She was fed up because she will have to wait about 2 months for it, she is impatient and wants it sorted asap. Welcome to the real world 😁.

@daisy_1571 I love using circular needles as you don't have the weight of the work on the needle but the trick is to use the right length of circular so you don't end up with all the pushing and pulling of stitches.

@Yoshimi2025 I wouldn't use circulars for socks, much too small a circle, I would use dpns 😁.

@Florenceem glad Mr F has been out of bed and seems to be on the mend, big hugs

Tomorrow I am visiting the friend whose DH had a stroke so up early again as she is about an hour drive away so I am off to bed now😁. It is blowing a hooley here so I hope I can get to sleep 😁. Still as the saying goes March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers 😁

Hugs to everyone who would like one

406 & 407 LDFPA
408 kitchen recycling
409 lr bin
410 bedroom bin
411 bedroom recycling
412 bathroom bin
Take care everyone
412/2025

Dizzycap

Good monring all xx

WOW! Lots of decluttering, cleaning, gardening, and cheeky surveyors comments going on  They would have been out on their ear, if it was me!

@ Florenceem - Glad Mr. F is out of bed I'm really not surprised you're so tired and can imagine the rush to get dressed to leave finding it's still only early Try & take it a little easier xx

@ vulpix - had to chuckle at "I don't know how we have ended up with a cupboard full of ugly mugs." - Oh, how they sneak in when you least expect or know about it! 

@ ionafan -  I'm very blessed to have such a divine back garden The swans take a 1/3rd of it which has been separated off from the rest so it can be left as natural as possible, except for the Jan / Feb very basic clean up with a quick rough flip mow to make a path down to the river - Very animal farm here Thank you for the Rosie woof wishes - Not so good tonight on the babyface front all going well until the 4.30pm next day witching hour. After checking babyface for signs of any infection, up it flared within an hour of the last check @ 3.30pm along with a high temperature Unfortunately, what antis & pain & inflamatory supplies I have at home I knew weren't strong enough so straight off to VET we went where she had a strong booster of antis & pain and inflamtion injections. I've now got plenty of stronger booster injections, if needed, so hopefully 3 days of full relaxed resting with no complications. Babyface has been a little dehydrated & agitated with finding a comfortable position to sleep for most of the night, so it's been water syringes & Manuks honey for sugars along with tempertaure & wound checks every hour, so far, so good xxx I've just had a second major swap around of her bedding for clean today and finally, she's sleeping soundly & snoring her head off like a good'un with her usual array of piggy grunt vocals of contentment while I'm doing 3 loads of bedding washing and putting out to dry, yes,at this time of night as it's so warm here and then aired through the day ready to swap over again in the afternoon, and off goes the washing machine again Small price to pay for having beautiful babyface and making her as comfortable as possible

Decluttering another mug of coffee while catching up a little on MSE, listing some decluttered items hopefully to leave the house at some point along with Mr. Sains free recycled packaging soon, and waiting for the last load of washing to finish to peg out before I join babyface in bed, dead on my legs and another day starts at around 6am.

EDIT: Up at 5am to 3 washing lines full of babyfaces bedding gently blowing in the warm breeze and a beautiful pink red sky, so there's hope it's going to be sunny and warm today   

Wheelie bins out ready for a decluttering collection today and I've just got to put out a recyling bag which is now full. Hh bins all emptied and cleaned along with the usual kitchen surface, dish rack and sink spray and wipe. 

Will be giving the front & side windows and porch a clean inside & out this morning, so babyface will be able to potter about with me while I do that, if she feels like it  

I've also got a sort out packaging tapes, mailers & recycling packaging tasks as it's got into a bit of a mess I've still got a dolly trolly to declutter off to the CS but wll leave until next week.

Listed more decluttered items before I went back to bed at 3am, so hoping they'll be rehomed soon, although it's that 'week' of the month but for many now, it's always that 'week' of the month I did declutter a parcel off to the RM Locker at 3pm yesterday. I haven't got any for today so far, but that could change, so will arrange an RM Saturday & Monday Collection, if needed, with my mother doing the honors at the door

Off to declutter a mug of coffee & take some meds before seeing to babyface with breakfast & hers meds, but as she's peacefully snoring & grunting away under a fleece blanket, I really don't want to distirb her until I really have to so I'll try & have a nice hot shower, get some clean clothes out and on along with clean PJ's out for later before filling the washing machine again! I'm also going to strip my bed and get fresh clean bedding on along with an array of clean fleeces so that babyface is as comfortable and clean as possible while resting and hopefully sleeping

Time to get my rear end in gear! Take care all & I hope everyone has a positive day xxxx

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 catching up the cheerleading or anything else for that matter 😞 I have done nothing but puzzles & watching TV - including a Star Trek film - the one with the humpback whales. Dinner is going to be spaghetti bolognaise. Back to cheerleading Tuesday’s posts:

Florenceem, 11:30 p.m. is very late to be moving poor MrF to another ward 😠 Seems they jumped the gun by removing MrF’s catheter - you must wonder which medical school the doctors attended 😞 Sorry to hear that MrF has even more health issues 😢 You wonder what planet OT live on if they think you will be able to safely care for MrF when it takes two of them to help him stand up 😟 I am looking forward to catching up with your next posts & hearing about how you dealt with them 😉

Lovely post TC77 😊 & a great start to resuming your decluttering journey 👏

Florenceem, seeing how busy you have been with MrF, you have still managed a great amount of decluttering 👏

Great decluttering Brambling 👏 Please listen to your nephew & resist any temptation to go into the loft 🙏 Very MSE re the small cupboard 👏

Excellent decluttering Dizzycap 👏 Very pleased to hear that that the new wardrobe is in situ & has been filled 👏 Now that the remaining items for sale or charity are neatly boxed & labelled you can take a bit more time with your listings 😊 Sorry to hear that babyface was a ‘little off’ on Tuesday 😞 but she was probably picking up on your feelings especially as she is such an intelligent dog 😊 This “Ending on a lighter note with dearest gorgeous Gorda, which is Spanish for 'Chubby' 😆 Gorda's new mummy was jokingly saying to me on Monday morning that if Gorda keeps expanding her vocal singing range, someone will end up reporting her as it sounds as though Gorda is in agony or being mistreated from outside the house 😮 Well, that same day, at 1pm, along come 2 fully clothed policemen who knocked on her front door and when Gorda's owner answered she was met with "Good afternoon XXX. We've heard you've got a new rescue dog and we've come to have a look" She initially froze before saying, "Oh, do come along in and meet Gorda", which they did. One of the policemen took off his new hat and Gorda's owner recognised him as a local officer who had helped with an incident a number of months ago, so boy was she relieved 😆 Gorda then proceeded to plonk herself on the policemans lap and once he began tickling her tummy then started, 'Gorda's Opera Volume 2', much to the amusement and relief for all! 😆😆 - Gorda's mummy phoned me that night to tell me what had happened. Honestly, the suspence & build up from the potential seriousness of the situation and the outcome as she was telling me, was like flipping from a Alfred Hitchcock thriller to a scene from Only Fools & Horses. Needless to say, I have never in my lifetime laughed so much to the point of yes, wetting myself and it was made worse by Gorda suddenly starting to sing along to the TV in the background - She does love her music! 😆😆😆 I wonder what Gorda will do when my neighbour puts Classic FM on and there's an opera singer or choir on? 😆😆😆” had me laughing my socks off 🤣

Nice to see oceanspirit 👋 Sorry to hear about the “horrible rellie” 😞 Excellent decluttering 👏 & good luck decluttering the reading pile & unread emails 🍀

Yippee, I am now starting Wednesday’s posts 🥳

Lovely post Dizzycap 😊 Pleased to hear that your dear mother will be keeping up with the daily HH tasks whilst you are devoting all your time & energy to caring for babyface 🥹

charlies_tribe, had to smile at This “the heated teddy was a big fluffy unicorn with a wheat bag in its tummy. Spoke to DD1 last night and she said it’s coming back as DGD wants it in the 'microcave' every 10 minutes.” 😁 Excellent decluttering 👏

TC77, sounds like you had an absolutely wonderful time in Vietnam 😊 A ‘gap month’ is a good start 😉 Belated Happy Birthday 🥳 🎉 🎂 Hopefully you are fully reenergised & tackling frogs & getting back into a decluttering frame of mind will be a bit easier 🤞 Good luck 🍀

Fizz2015 sorry to hear that you have been feeling ‘bleugh’ & unmotivated 😞 I think your mojo must be sunning itself in Barbuda along with mine & several others of our Declutterati family ☹️ I have PM’d you.

Florenceem, any chance your daughter could visit MrF with you once a week? Hope you enjoyed your roast pork dinner from lunch club 😊

Liverpool_Anne, those cupcakes are very well decorated especially as you were using your left hand 🤩 The top left hand one looks like a rose 😍 

The spaghetti bolognaise was delicious 🤤 Plenty of Bolognaise sauce left over for another day. Wudupa.

571 - 573 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, booklet - recycled 

574 Kitchen detritus - binned

Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 574/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £41.00

Moorviews

Good morning 😊 I keep catching up then running out of time to post!

@Dizzycap - beautiful garden and lucky swans! I hope babyface is continuing to convalesce well. It’s a shame she suffered an infection but good that you spotted it quickly and got the treatment she needed. 

@Florenceem - I am glad to hear that Mr F is improving now. I can relate to the mistake with the clock as I can’t see until I put my glasses on either. 

@Crazycatlady2 - I hope all went well with your last trip to your old home. I find it a wrench even if I wanted to move. 

@Muddy_Walker - I used to have to write references for a friend who went for lots of jobs and then changed their mind. It was very frustrating!
@daisy_1571 - that was incredibly generous of you regarding the blanket. Knitting or crocheting the squares is the easy bit! Well done on getting so much decluttered, it sounded exhausting!
@vulpix - I would love to find a place to stash my “builder’s mugs” as they definitely ruin the aesthetic 😂 Very useful for the men to keep their hands off the nice ones though when they are abandoning them in the workshop, garage or garden. It would be fatal to hide them away as they grab whatever is nearest and has a handle 😂
@Liverpool_Anne - what a rude and nosy surveyor! He sounds very unprofessional but hopefully he will allocate the insulation to you to make up for it. 

It has been a bit busy here with lovely family visits but in between I have managed some decluttering. One bag of bedding and clothes into the charity bank, three bags of soft plastic to the SM and all the recycling emptied. I have another bag for the charity shop waiting in the car. Having ordered some new clothes recently in the Sales, I got the Returns sorted out quickly and took them to the post office. I used to be terribly disorganised about this which put me off buying new things. It’s very satisfying now to do the quick turnaround. I now have a thick long cardigan, a couple of bargain summer dresses, a cardigan and two thin jumpers. I know which two old dresses will leave my wardrobe. I only kept them there to provide the illusion that I have things to wear 😂

I emptied and sorted one drawer and one large shelf in the kitchen, reorganised, decluttered some very old teas and their caddies into the food waste and the recycling and organised storage for my food processor attachments. With a bit of shuffling of my cake decorating items into a cupboard I have decluttered the counter of the growing collection of vitamins and supplements that us oldies seem to find necessary. They are all nicely arranged in a drawer and all the empty bottles have been recycled. 

Hugs and 💐 to anyone in need 

Florenceem

Liverpool_Anne - what a rude man! He had no right to make a comment at all.
Dizzycap - sorry to hear that babyface had a set back in her recovery.
Mrs SD - Dr daughter lives in Cheshire - I am in Kent.
Slept okay - I was really tired last night.
Having a 2nd cup of tea then into the shower. Housework and bins to do then a V sale to wrap - I sold a bra for £10 - not to be sniffed at!
Off to SA later to print a label then hospital this afternoon.

sqwiffy

TC77- that sounds fun, especially as heavy suitcases are NOT! I've always wanted to be more adventurous and I'd like to do more overland travelling to avoid flying. Where did you go? We went on a fantastic holiday last year to Ecuador, Peru and the Galapogos Islands. I was looking forward to our holiday this year which is few days in US and then a cruise in Alaska but I'm starting to dread the US bit. Hearing stories about Trump and how they are treating people at airports has put me off. Sadly might be my last one there until he's out of office.

sqwiffy

@Dizzycap - i see what you're saying My OH did say that a nurse at the walk in clinic that over half the people waiting there were only there because they cannot get a GP appointment! We just don't have enough GP's and that's not going to change anytime soon. God help us when there's another pandemic and they say there will be because we are already completely overstretched. Sorry I sound so doom and gloom. And another thing. Why do they always go on about us needing growth? Can't we just be satisfied with what we've got? I've always been the same, asking or thinking about questions. Maybe I should have done philosophy? Or been a detective? Maybe I'm just nosy??

@Grannykate - your puss looks very similar to my DD1's puss Reggie! He lives with the lab Ronnie. Reggie is very timid. I love to see everyones pet photos and stories. You all paint such vivid pictures.

It's all going on for you @Vulpix. It doesn't matter how old your kids are, you still worry or feel for them. We can only sit on the sidelines and be there if needed. We only have one life so we should make the most of it and hopefully your D will be happier. And it helps if it was a mutual decision so no nastiness.

And I laughed when Mrs SD said I saw lots on family in a few hours as that's what a normal Friday is like for me. We've always had an open house at my DM's on Friday's. Extended relatives would call in when popping up to or back from town. And my DM's sis would call along with my Dsis's ( all 3) and myself plus assorted children and grandchildren. We'd then eat, drink, chat and play games, especially cards for the evening. On a bad night, we might lose a pound! Less of us now as my D aunt passed away and less visitors but it's a tradition my Dsis's and I want to keep up. All of our children and grandchildren are close, which seems quite rare these days. On Boxing Day when we all get together, there are over 45 of us now!

TC77

@Squiffy what an amazing trip you had laat year! I was in vietnam.
Shock having to sort out food shopping / cooking/ clearing up, looking after cats ( think vet may be needed) and work. After waking up just after 5 each day i went back to sleep today when i was really.on an early start for work..on way to office to focus and abandoning plans to do anything tonight.
@Liverpool_Anne , how rude of the surveryor . I keep putting off estate agent.... i took up carpet in one room.and not had  replaced and for last 5 years been meaning to replace the stair carpet which us falling to bits!
340 and aiming to get to 400 by end of weekend--  if i do half I'll be pleased!

GrannyKate

Morning all.  It can't decide whether to rain or not here.  Nice day yesterday with DD between meetings in Nottingham.  She left again at 6.30 this morning.  We had a nice lunch out and pottered around. I probably won't see her now until Early May as she has a special birthday holiday over Easter.  Took DS2's car for new tyres this morning early.  Off to first meeting of a pre diabetic course I have been offered - I'll report back.  A bit of  drive away but at least I won't know the other people there. Managed to clear away some more stuff to tip in DD's large car. 

Sox just got his new collar stuck in his mouth and was in a panic.  I got scratched trying to help.  He got it off in the end so I have left it off for the moment.  He's having treats to recover.  Some before and after pics from bedroom1.  I went for slightly unusual terracotta and brown/beige theme but think it looks nice.  Very light room so it can take the darker shades.  I may add a small console table as a dressing table but not sure yet.  I have one in the hall which would work as same wood colour.  DS2 put the replacement wardrobe door on last night.  

I replaced some withered plants in a hanging basket with some cheery yellow pansies.  

386 Cardboard to recycling
387 Plastic and other rubbish to tip
388 Unused bathroom stool (it was here when I came) to tip
389 Toilet blind binned 
390 Two car tyres and money decluttered
391 Appointment rescheduled from April to May
392 Sox booked in for second jab
393 DD took a porch shoe tray home which I got for her at the Swedish shop

Before picture - most of plaster came off with wallpaper - new pics in next post