2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

Yoshimi2025

Hello all, hope everyone and their fur babies are ok. 

I’m still in a CFS crash, sleeping so much but did manage a day out with friends on Saturday and have slept pretty much solidly since but it was worth it to feel so alive for a day, it will take me being gentle with myself for the next few weeks to reset but you need days like that to feel good about everything. Ate the freshest sushi and went to a drag show in the evening, just fab, even danced a little! 

Decluttering slowly and I’m over 1/2 way on my target 

Brie

WickedLady4 said:

Gosh @Brie. We stayed at a b'n'b in Welland when we visited Niagara a few years ago. Halfway between family in London and Kingston. A very special document.

We moved to Kingston soon after our marriage!!  

Heading back to Fonthill next month for a few weeks for mom's memorial and to clear out the farmhouse!!  

vulpix

Forgot to say, Mr V threw some wrecked Doc Martens in the bin. 

Deleted latest emails. Zero unread. Oh, that reminds me, will pm you Mrs SD. 

Still not caught up with the thread. 

Vx

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

Tuesday: A very damp & overcast start - the rain was obviously quite heavy overnight as ground is still damp at 12:30. I was up & dressed by 10:00 today but then promptly fell asleep on the sofa after drinking my first cuppa 😔 Now have my second cuppa & am just about to start the cheerleading……. got sidetracked - knitting whilst watching The King’s Speech  🙊 

Lovely to see you BlueJ94 👋 At least it will be a far quicker job this time around 😉 & you have the advantage of knowing you can & will succeed 😊

Deni_debt-free_dreamer, lovely to see you 👋 Excellent decluttering 👏 Sorry to hear about your bad back 😔 hopefully you are on the mend 🙏

_Dolly_Rocker_  welcome back 👋 Sorry to hear that you are still suffering from the lurgy 😔  This “Dr said it's a viral infection which just has to run it's course” is really not what you want to hear ☹️ 

Dizzycap, that is a very interesting article 😊 nothing particularly new but rather well written 😊

GrannyKate, how exciting that the work on your new kitchen has started 🥳 This “…..I have decluttered a kitchen, a boiler, gas hob, a section of wall, old airing cupboard etc ………….” now that is what I call excellent decluttering  👏 Hopefully the work will be completed quickly & efficiently with not too much disruption for you & Sox 🤞

Brambling, hopefully you managed to get the cupboard door on without having to completely dismantle the cupboard 🤞 This “My sister …..also returned a bag of a dozen books I thought I had off loaded on her 🤨” did make me smile & wonder if your sister is also decluttering 😉 Sorry to hear about your hip keeping you awake Sunday night ☹️ I hope you got a better night’s sleep last night 🙏

Pennypincin, sorry to hear that you have succumbed to the lurgy that currently seems to be making the rounds 😔 Some excellent decluttering 👏 especially as you are feeling under the weather. 

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 Not sure that DH’s family (as there is an 80+ year old, a 90+ year old with the others ranging from 50 to 65) will be travelling by train as they will have lots of luggage & usually hire a minibus to get to the airport. Good luck releasing more crockery to new homes 🍀

Excellent decluttering oceanspirit 👏 This “ some recipes into recipe book so more loose paper can go - I like to try a recipe to be sure we like it before it is given precious space in my book.” is a great idea  & very organised 😊

Dizzycap, a very busy Monday 🤩 Excellent work going through the last 8 boxes  👏 that is definitely worth a Gold Star ⭐️ Hopefully your listings will result in quick sales 🤞You are probably looking forward to an almost permanently clear hallway 😉 Loving the continuing tales of babyface 😊 Really looking forward to the book as I love the anatomy of a dachshund ☺️ Good job I wasn’t drinking my coffee when I saw/read This 

🤣🤣🤣🤣

DH finally left for his walk about 18:00 as the rain had finally stopped. I will come back after dinner to catch up with the rest of the cheerleading. 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 689/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £41.00

Florenceem

I went to SA and printed the label for Granddaughter - C was doing a food parcel so I welcomed in a Minister who was bringing donated food for our food bank. They also brought along some toys - I put them in a crate outside for children to take.
I carried home a bag of stuff to list on V.
Granddaughter came to collect the label.
The Paris marathon was daughter's 14th!
I was downstairs and heard a crash - dashed upstairs - Mr F had fallen in the office - again - unhurt - he must be made of rubber.
I took photos for V and listed the items this morning. I am not doing lots - just a few items.
Raining here over night and this morning but cleared up after lunch. Took Mr F out - we walked to Al.. and caught a bus home. Mr F said how he enjoyed his time out - he is so used to fresh air and exercise each day.
I can't see Mr F getting back to walking with just a stick but that is what he wants/hopes.
We have been watching The Chosen - I have only seen bits of it before but we are working from season 1. 

Jellybaby

Hi everyone, still declutterring (or what’s being chucked now my sons calls it 😁) and enjoying reading all you get up to. Not just on the declutterring front but you are all inspirational in what you pack into your day - busy little bunnies!

I managed to get DS1 to clear a cupboard and go through boxes of ‘stuff’ he brought back from uni - TEN years ago - and were living in the garage. He lives abroad now and as sad as I was to see him go again, I was delighted to do a few tip runs to get rid of it all!

I seem to be jumping from one area to another with no systematic approach but I guess it’s working for me and I’m slowly storing like with like and beginning to see some semblance of calm and order.

Dizzycap

@ Brie - Wow what a fabulous & very special marriage certificate. I can see why you were concerned with trying to find it.  Personally, I would have ripped the house apart, even if it took all week to find it........

@ Yoshimi2025 - I really hope you start feeling better soon. Fatigue takes time to work through and has to be one of the most frustrating health issues to deal with, especially when you're active and it hits

I managed to pop out to the CS to drop off a dolly trolly load of items with babyface in tow this afternoon when it finnally stopped raining. We both enjoyed getting out for 20 minutes and now I feel decluttered out, so relaxing with a little TV while babyface dashes around with one of my slippers before giving it me back to throw down the hallway. She's presently crashed out with slipper in mouth snoring and grunting away Coffee time for me

Off to make a cup and feed the foxes. Ta-ta for now xxxx

TC77

@Jellybaby.... I have no system but accepted that my approach is random although aim to set aside time at the weekend for electronic declutter and some frogs... we will see I may end up doing something different, I think whatever works for you and anything out will over time produce some space, floor etc
Gift bag in CS, battery lint remove to DD1 with 5 small items, and hair dryer in suitcase for donation hub,
One category I can never face is cables, have so many in about 5 different places but decided I had to find the ones to connect the DVD player to the TV. Brought it back from my dad's over a year ago with many of his DVDs - he has some great older films and european ones that you can't get on streaming services and one of the very few things that DD2 will do with me is watch a film. May seem very minor but very pleased with myself for just doing it.... could easily never happen.
537

sqwiffy

Had a lovely day sewing and chatting with my bestie yesterday, which was revitalising for me. We also talked about decluttering of my stash so that I can actually get to the things I want to use but it will be a big job as you'll see from my photo of the room of doom. I'm very ashamed of this room which is my incentive to show it. My sewing stuff is mostly in a wardrobe, to the right and behind me, so it's even worse than the photo. What you can see is art stuff and computer/ papers. I definately need to get rid of a lot if I'm going to get to things and be able to use the room. I am dreading this room but it was even fuller of stuff as I couldn't actually get into the room at one point and I started by working around the hatch! More of this as I progress with the help and encouragement of all of you in your posts, large and small......

Then dinner with DH, who had resanded and waxed our kitchen table ( I'll take a photo tomorrow when it's dry). Back with DM today, who slept most of the day as she had a terrible night on Monday due to power cuts. This meant car alarms going off outside, the doorbell alarm, alexa alarms, the monitor and the hospital bed deflating, which disturbed her sleep no end.

@oceanspirit, what a shame that your holiday exhausted rather than relaxed you. Hope you can chill more at home.

@BlueJ94, I'm upset to hear that your room is back to how it was as that's one of my worries. Decluttering is one thing but will I maintain it??

@Deni debt freedreamer,  sorry about your back. have you tried Yoga? I've found the stretching helps.

@TC77, nothing to be embarassed of with not knowing how to do something. It's only what people are taught, and you'll have other skills. Actually replacing zips in some things can be more trouble than you think as you can have to almost remake the whole garment, and I would rather make a new one!

To all of those who are poorly, get well soon.

TC77

@Squiffy.... I find posting  photos can motivate me/ hold me to account. 
Sounds like you had a wonderful time with your bestie. It can be that decluttering takes over our lives, or maybe not the decluttering but the clutter, organising it and dreading it and so important we see friends and do things outside of the clutter.