2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

Dizzycap

Good Easter afternoon to all declutteri

I see loads of decluttering & lamb cooking going on It's a beautiful day here and I've been on the go since 5am with 3 loads of washing all on the line until 10 minutes ago, watering the garden and filling up water features, birdbaths & feeders with my trusted 'lets go fruit-loops rocket baby helper who decided to spring board fly from the top of one of her ramps to the bottom, fortunately going downhill but she seemed very impressed by her stunts, but I certainly wasn't considering she's suppose to be easing back into her daily routine not flying about like superbaby on a sugar high . She was absolutely shattered when she came back indoor shalf an hour later but still managed to demand a lamb brunch before legs up snoring and waggy tail time while I listed more decluttered items. Don't get me started on pre-packing and packing decluttering sales as byTuesday, not even babyface will be able to get though the hallway to the door for the postie. Will have to call the RM delivery office and ask for a postal van to come and collect as postie will have a coronory when his PA starts loading up with all my parcel collections - 5 boxes of decluttered items left to sell and then it's crack open a fresh  batch of coffee to celebrate 🍾

We've been to see gorgeous Gorda this afternoon who is absolutely gorgeous in so many ways. Babyface was a little put out by Gordas singing at first, until she told Gorda to shut it who promtly kissed babyface all over her face before continuing in stubborn defiance Oh, the face with the look of total disgust - If ever I wanted a babyface photo, it was that moment

I hope everyone is having a lovely peaceful & happy Easter - Ta-de-ta for now xxxxxx

Florenceem

Mrs SD - yes I satisfied the urge to make pastry - 2 quiches made - we had some yesterday and today - 2 meals worth put in the freezer.
I am going to make pizza dough tomorrow.

QueenJess

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger thanks - the kitchen is definitely something I've been putting off for a while as it's quite overwhelming and it really is all me as I am in charge in there (DH can only cook a few things which I did teach him, but I love to cook anyway).  Looks like Mr SD is the new Dr Dolittle for squirrels

I decided the kitchen needs careful consideration and time to use things up, so anything with a set list of things to do per day/week won't necessarily work.  I did clean out two cupboards this morning which reminded me what needed to be used up in those and spent a while thinking about swapping around two cupboards to give myself much needed baking cupboard space.  I've vowed to do that only when I've used up a bunch of things first, so I will be doing that.  I'm going to give myself a mini challenge to get rid of/use up* 50 items in the kitchen (excluding fridge and freezer) and when I've achieved that I may treat myself to a rearrangement of the two cupboards and a few jar labels.  I'm living the high life    I had already got rid of 4 items in the kitchen on Friday, and lots more today, so I am getting there already.  As always, I've no idea whether 50 is feasible, but I definitely need to get through a fair bit to make a difference....

I did have a look through the spice drawer with the aim of using up stuff that's been sat around for too long.  Thankfully the zero waste shop I frequent has most herbs and spices and so I only ever need to buy the amount I think I will use rather than a whole jar going forward.  But I do have stuff that I did buy in the sm that has been sat around and I thought it would be an interesting challenge to see if I can use up some herbs and spices.  Worst case is I don't buy them again and best case is I find a new love of using lots of different herbs and spices which is better for your health anyway!  Clearly that is a long challenge, but I would be happy to use up some of these this year.

The kids absolutely loved their hm Easter eggs filled with hm chocolate treats.  Definitely will do that again next year .  Time to stop rabbiting and add up progress:

2 - packaging used up
1 - candle used up
1 - plastic container (Buy Nothing)
1 - frying pan very scratched (tip)
1 - elderly wine drank

New total 1,201
Use it up total 95
Net physical things in/(out) +48
Mini Challenge: kitchen stuff used up/decluttered 7/50

*Just stuff that I don't use often or has been sat there for far too long and needs to go.  Much of this won't come back again.

I also have quite a lot on my long wish list of things I look out for at the moment (I make a list of things we will need in the next 6 months+ so I have lots of time to look out for things in charity shops and car boot sales etc).  So definitely on a mission to reduce my net physical things in as I can guarantee things will start coming through over the summer car boot sale season.

Brambling

Roast lamb lunch with my sister and her family 😋 she cooks a great roast dinner.  Her granddaughter is recovering from a tonsil operation 10 days ago and full of beans and chocolate.

I'm volunteering at Petworth again tomorrow so this evening I sorted out more CDs there are now 32 CDs and 6 books to take in.  It's been unexpectedly quiet in the shop over Easter so I'm hoping it will be a little more lively tomorrow, if not I'll have to sit and read and try not to bring anymore books home 😁 

TC77

Hope everyone is managing to have some relaxing time over the long weekend.
@Vulpix .. 3 pairs of sandals for £2 , definitely a bargain.

I've been wearing my new to me CS jumpers, if I don't enjoy then they will be re-donated. Most of my clothes are blue/grey, black etc. So have a lovely bright green jumper with my new to me CS jeans and then today my orangey/rust jumper with another CS pair of jeans (jeans may have been bought last year but jumpers last week so v pleased that put to immediate use.) No keeping for best these days!

Spent time on my bedroom, I have my mum's dressing table and had a triple mirror (I think my grandmother's) but I don't use it but like is so moving it to somewhere not as prominent as also took light from the window. Now have a bowl and a decorative letter holder thing so I can sit at it and write (any  rare make up is put on in the mirror in the hall or bathroom). I smile when I look at it as also cleaned the glass top which had something very waxy/sticky although I thought I had cleaned it before. Also contentment and smile when I open my sock and underwear drawers (small things but makes a difference).
Took the suitcase and contents to donation hub.
New CS bag with a book added
Sorted more paper, previous year's banking and pension stuff and scribbled notes (3)
Food past being edible binned.

Few tadpoles tackled included, meter readings, couple of emails
I need a year of bank holidays to declutter.
I have a bag to put things to go through with my cousin when she comes to help. Only 3 items  so far as more confident about what I want to keep. 
Put box of winter clothes in eaves so more room, and tidied up my piles of packaging. Thinking I should get rid of some as giving more to CS than selling  so don't need it all.

Dizzycap

I just love this

Raising what was thought to be a stray abandond dog until............

Video

TC77

Forgot frecyler didn't pick up the mirror so left outside my  house when I went out and had gone before.i was back
638.

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

Easter Sunday cont’d: We left about 12:15 & were back home by 18:45. We used the new Silvertown Tunnel - no traffic both times 🙂 We arrived at S’s house 13:00 just as buffet lunch was being laid out 😉 Present were: DH’s - niece S & her DH C;(+ their friends D&S), nephew P; DSis & BiL; great niece S & her husband D & their son R (age 6) + the 3 of us. Lots of delicious food 🤤 including a pasta salad, salmon, sausage rolls, hot potatoes & green salad. After lunch there was an Easter egg hunt in the garden (chocolates in plastic eggs which were numbered) Removed the chocolates from the plastic eggs & then used the eggs to play bingo 😊 Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves although the 6 year old got into a bit of a tizz as he didn’t get the first line 😉 Prizes were the small boxed chocolate Easter eggs. A lovely afternoon ☺️ although the weather was an bit of a downer - chilly & a couple of showers 😕 After we had been home for an hour or so DSis had some toast whilst I heated up the lo dauphinois potatoes & rump steak which DH & I shared. Wudupa.

719 - 720 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans - recycled 

721 - 723 Kitchen & lr detritus, pair of Sunday socks - binned

Back to the cheerleading:

Congratulations on decluttering the house Crazycatlady2 👏 One Gold Star ⭐️ is on its way 😊 Good luck with the garden decluttering 🍀 Sorry to hear about your husband’s ill health 😥 Hopefully the results of the tests will mean that an effective treatment plan can be put into place sooner rather than later 🙏

Dizzycap, apparently it is a lady squirrel & not yet named 😉 Lovely cheerleading 😊 Excellent decluttering of laundry 👏 Hopefully you can have a couple of days off 🤞 So pleased to hear that Gorgeous Gorda is so happy in her new home & has taken lessons from babyface in being ‘QueenJess of her Domain’ 😂

Brie, lovely memories of fox cubs in the garden 😊 The brave one was probably wondering why you weren’t feeding it 😅

Florenceem, a busy Saturday morning 👏 I hope you & MrF wrapped up warm when you went for your afternoon walk 🙏 The last thing either of you need is to catch a chill 😥 

BlueJ94, who said orchids need lots of care 😉 Good luck finding a new ottoman 🍀

Brilliant work filling the skip charlies_tribe 👏 As both you & DH have done so much decluttering I am awarding you each a Gold Star ⭐️ ⭐️ 

TC77 excellent decluttering by both you & DD2 👏 Lovely picture of your cats 😻 I do love seeing cats curled up in the sun 😊 Don’t forget to update your numbers 😉

Great decluttering vulpix 👏 I see you have a couple of upcycling projects to keep you busy & there was me thinking you weren’t doing any more 😂Fingers crossed that you can get back into MSE on your laptop 🤞 I will let MrSD know that he is now known as ‘squirrel whisperer’ 😉

CRANKY40, your DS might not build the storage solutions but keeping you supplied with hot drinks is a very important function 😊 Loved This “Yesterday a Mrs Blackbird spent a good 15 minutes taking a bath in our small solar fountain. Ds was absolutely entranced and says that now we're running a wildlife spa we need to remember to feed the birds every day 😊 He doesn't usually remember to feed the cat and we've had that for 16 years 🙄”  - I would have been entranced as well 😊 After all, DH & I once spent 30 minutes watching ants move their eggs instead of continuing to move bricks 🤣 Sorry to hear about your gallbladder issues 😔 Hopefully you are feeling a lot better now 🙏

Lovely to see you Blue_Doggy 👋 Sorry to hear that you have “been very tired” 😔 Excellent decluttering 👏 & a special mention to your frog/s for decluttering snails 👏

Lovely cheerleading Dizzycap 🥹 Gorgeous pictures of babyface 😊 I see she likes to hog the bed 😂

Brambling, I love This “….. I hoping reincarnation is real as I plan to come back as a pampered pet hopefully to a retired person 😁” I have always wanted to come back as a cat 😉 Excellent decluttering 👏

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 I have made a note of your updated numbers 🙂 DD2 is doing so well with her decluttering that I am awarding her a medal 🏅 

Lovely cheerleading Moorviews 😊

Love the soap dispenser regnbue 🐰 Very unusual 😊

Nodding off so will post & head to bed. Hope everyone had a lovely Easter Sunday 😊 Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 723/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £116.00

TC77

Awake too early again ( for the time I go to bed).
Mrs SD sound a lovely Easter Sunday with so many family and friends and games.
Thank you for DDs medal ..She's back tonight. I realise that in less than a week she's been responsible for 10% of my total and I didn't count all her things as she gave away ajd three away things when I wasn't here! 

Hoping to get up soon, have some.coffee and do some like with like and then declutter! Out this pm and then hopefully watching a film with dd2 and her friend. 

Florenceem

Mrs SD - yes it was back to coats for our walk.
On Bank Holidays I always think of a friend D - passed away now. D didn't like Bank Holidays - he was a bachelor who found them a lonely day - everywhere closed and it was a family time.
Washing is out but no breeze here and rather chilly. 
I haven't had a day indoors for 40 days so plan one today.