2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

TC77

@QueenJess love the notebook so much prettier than my haphazard papers with a  bulldog clip!
@vulpix and @Floss thank you. I will try the soaking as only added to the wash and amazed how general areas of orange came out and if not may use some (the best) nd debate the others. I think you may have both advised a year or so ago but I have finally got around to it!


More oxygen is top of my shopping list which is on card so not lost among the paper!

Dizzycap

Good evening all

Some great decluttering & gardening efforts going on, so keep up all the great work folks!

@ QueenJess - Loving the notebook idea. Very resourceful & nifty

@ Soontobeoap - Well done with all your hard work in the garden. I had a couple of years when I wasn't able to do much in the garden, so last year was a hack down the jungle all year with 2 garden bins full every 2 weeks and a load to the tip too! Thankfully, it's under control & feels much better to be able to cope with

Obviously, I been exceedingly busy over the past 2 days, so I haven't been able to post. Babyface is coming along fine and improves gut & intestine health wise each day, which is great to see. Her new ramps are finished a day early so they will harden off all tomorrow. Lulu is a little put out because I had to remove her old ramps on Thursday & off load to the tip as unfortunately, they crumbled when I was checking them for safety and not while Super Daxie Woman was doing fruit-loops on them! The garden is out of bounds totally at the bottom for babyface and she's really put out by her ramps not being there, but she's been a fantastic helper building the new ones, espceially when I've asked her to prance along them royally whilst totally flat on the ground so that I can check the levelling & spring etc and all is good!

Other highlights include keeping the garden pots all watered & all the water features & birdbaths clean and refilled twice through the day as the birds use them to bathe in and drink out of. Deheading the last of the finished tulips & daffs to let them die down. Painting all my white outdoor large stones & black large steps while the weather is so hot and perfect for drying  Disposing of a large dead rat, safely, which fotunately I found before Sherlock Daxie did Obviously I'm continuting with the decluttering listing, sales, packing, and having daily postie collections Will be poppping off to Mr. Sains for yet more free flatpack boxes in the morning as I'm hoping that the Bank Holiday will be busy sale wise . The local elections have been a farce here with many people not receiving polling cards and then being told when they arrive to vote that the system recognises them but they can't apparently have any ballot papers and then being handed a telephone number to ring for help    My mouth is zipped  I wasn't one of those effected, but was absolutely delighted to see that both my name and HRH Daxie were candidates on the ballot papers after I'd finished Naturally, Daxie Queen was allowed into the polling station & voting booth as she's now an assistance dog strangely doing everything I asked her to do, including taking me to the ballot box to cast our votes and the nearest exit before returning to being her usual stubborn self! She knows how to play all parts Daxie Moorhouse is enjoying her new doggie pool and has been splashing in and out of it for the past 2 days followed by chasing birty bully pigeon off who pooped in her clean pool water She was by no means impressed and told him so while I cleaned out the pool again! Popping off to put the HH wheelie bin out for decluttering collection tomorrow & doing all the usual hh chores before decluttering at least 2 mugs of coffee before we pop off to bed.

Wishing everyone a lovely peaceful eveing & restful sleep - Ta-ta for now all & sorry if I've missed any posts but I promise I'll sit and catch up when I can xxxxx

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, another hot day here 😁. Today I have sorted 2 frogs which involved a trip to the library to get something printed and a trip to the bank. While parking near the bank I spotted a young couple pushing a car. I stopped to see if they needed any help and it transpired their battery was flat. After a bit of manoeuvring in a very narrow one way street I got my car next to theirs and we tried to jump start but their jump leads weren't long enough and I decluttered mind ages ago 😑 so I reparked but a nice man with a van who was doing a delivery came and asked what was going on and produced some long heavy duty jump leads so back I went and it worked 😁. The young girl who was driving then said it was second time today it had happened but they had push started it before. The van man and I both said get a new battery as it will happen again, she seemed surprised and said the battery was only 10 years old 😂😂😂.
After the bank I went to the sm to get the things I forgot the other day which included silver polish which OH had asked for, no idea why 😂.
When I got home I got 2 loads of washing on the line and did a bit in the garden, 1 bag full into the green waste but it was really too hot to do more. Watered all my plants in pots and did ln's pots as she is away atm. 
After tea I fell asleep and have only just remembered that the washing is still out 😂 , good job there is no rain forecast as I am not getting it in now 😁.

@QueenJess love the notebook. I will pinch that idea when I have worked my way through the stack of notebooks I have 😁

@Muddy_Walker big hugs

@Vulpix, what a bother about the buyers, fingers crossed that the mortgage advisor can pull a rabbit out of the hat.

@TC77 I agree with Vulpix I would use the quality vintage sheets, I bet they would be much nice to sleep on than some of the sheets you get now. Maybe you could make a quilt cover with a couple and applique something over the top of any large spots that remain, just a thought 😁

Ok time for bed, hugs to anybody who would like one

547 &  548 frogs
549 garden waste
Take care everyone
549/2025

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

Thursday was a very hazy day - sunshine not as bright as the last couple of days but with a high 27°C, low 11°C. I wrote a shopping list for DH & he & DSis left at 13:50 taking me with them & dropping me off at the post office. I posted DSis’s documentation to France by registered delivery & bought some top-up stamps for European postage. I was being served by the lady for whom I knitted the baby bottle cosies - she remembered my name, told me her daughter had loved all the cosies & then gave me a gift & card 🥹 I was so surprised & very touched 🥹 Went home on the bus as it was too hot  to walk 🥵 DH & DSis got back about 15:30 & I put away the shopping. 

Liverpool_Anne, a busy Tuesday with lots of great decluttering 👏 I hope the funeral went as well as it could yesterday 🙏

weenancy, that must have been quite frightening but a good job you were there 😥 I do hope that G is recovering well. Please, please take care of yourself 🙏Good luck with your bedroom decluttering 🍀 If the suitcases are empty perhaps you can use them to store the birthday & Christmas presents 🤔 Meanwhile excellent decluttering of ‘big item stuff’ which merits a Gold Star ⭐️ 

charlies_tribe, I was pleased to hear that ‘the bug’ was finally on its way out 🙂 Although a bit worrying that DH had so many cold sores, sounds like he is very run down 😞 & needs to visit the doctor. When I was reading This “Monday I spent an hour at the doctors as a document hadn't been sent to SS. Finally tracked it down so Monday afternoon we were in court. That was really scary, I've never been in court before, but DD3F is now officially ours!” I was reminded of when my DM went to the High Court in London for the custody hearing re my nephew: like you she had never been to court & none of the family were allowed in to support her 😔 Congratulations on the successful adoption 🥳 it has been a long time coming. Good luck buying a new car 🍀

Excellent work completing the ‘invisible zip’ frog Florenceem 👏 That looks very complicated 😥 Pleased to hear that you & MrF managed to fit in some time for yourselves amidst the decluttering 😊 This “I took a pack of baby wipes with me - my children didn't make as much mess eating an ice cream as Mr F.” did make me smile 😃 I must admit to a soft spot for the film “This Happy Breed” 

Lovely posts from Wednesday2000, vulpix & daisy_1571 🥹

weenancy, relieved to hear that G is doing better 😥 Sending lots of cwtches 🤗 your way & a request that you try to rest & look after yourself whilst you recover from the shock 🙏

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 You are on a roll 😊 Re the linen perhaps keep just one tablecloth & donate the rest 🤔 Good luck with ‘Project Photo Decluttering’ 🍀

weenancy, well done on getting the flea meds on the cats 👏 What a nice surprise that your sisters turned up & helped with the decluttering 🥹 Shame about the ood food 😞 although hopefully now that everything is organised it won’t happen again 🤞Agree with Liverpool_Anne’s comment “I am glad to see you got some help from your sisters rather than just the shouty bil 😁”Fingers crossed that you got the printer working 🤞

Liverpool_Anne, the funeral sounds like it went well & was a celebration of life 🥹

Lovely cheerleading post Moorviews ☺️

CRANKY40, yippee to both DS finishing exam season & your car passing it’s MOT 🥳 Love the ‘hug bucket 🪣’☺️ & I have availed myself of a couple but also added in a few more 😉 I do hope both appointments went well for DS & that you were successful in purchasing holiday t-shirts 🤞

TC77, Excellent work deep cleaning kitchen & dining room & well done on laundering & repairing the sheets & apron 👏

Great decluttering Happy_Kitties 👏 Ouch to the infected toe 😣 

charlies_tribe, sounds like a lovely Wednesday with your DD & the grandchildren - making the best of the lovely weather ☺️ Decluttering can be done any time 😉 Good luck working in half hour chunks - you will get a lot done 👏

Thanks Florenceem 😊 Sounds like a very busy Wednesday, no wonder you slept through the night 👏 I hope MrF’s appointment at the falls clinic went well & that the doctors can shed some light on why MrF keeps falling 🙏

QueenJess, what a very busy start to the new month 🤩 What a beautiful notebook 😍 you are very talented ☺️

Great decluttering in the bathroom BlueJ94 👏

Muddy_Walker, nothing wrong with having a couple of hours kip until you get back into the swing of work 😊 Hope your husbands tests go well & aren’t too onerous 🙏

Thanks for the laundry tip, Floss 👏

vulpix, sorry to hear the news about the potential buyer 😞

Excellent work in the garden, Soontobeoap 👏 Please don’t try to do too much at once as it took a while for the garden to get overgrown so will take time to get it looking how you would wish 🙏

TC77, This “……so much prettier than my haphazard papers with a  bulldog clip!” sounds very familiar 😉

Excellent work building the new daxie ramps Dizzycap 👏 Pleased to hear that your sales are continuing apace & are going so well that you require even more boxes from MrS 🤩 Still loving the ongoing tales of babyface & all her pseudonyms especially daxie Moorhouse 😍

Liverpool_Anne, what a busy day you had 😊 Great work dealing with frogs, doing laundry & working in the garden 👏 Also how wonderful of you to offer assistance 🤩 This “……The van man and I both said get a new battery as it will happen again, she seemed surprised and said the battery was only 10 years old 😂😂😂.” had me in absolute stitches 🤣🤣🤣 Of course I was curious & investigated the standard life of a car battery (3 to 6 years) so have to say that the young lady has either been extremely lucky or has taken good care of the battery by judicious & careful driving 😉 Lovely cheerleading 😊

All caught up 🥳 We had salad for dinner with shop bought trifle for afters. Wudupa. ERNIE has been exceedingly generous to my DH this month, he won £600 & he was kind to me as well as I won £100 ☺️ 

778 - 779 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans - recycled 

780 - 781 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

Sleep tight everyone 😴 Fingers crossed for another warm, sunny day 🤞

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 781/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £116.00

Dizzycap

Good morning all

@ Liverpool_Anne - Great going with trying to help the couple with their car and fortunate with the heavey duty leads from the van driver. I've been laughing my head off at the girl saying the car battery was only 10 years old! It deserves a Gold medal if it's lasted that long

Another busy day already here starting at 4 am with the 3rd load of washing on and the rest already being pegged out. Garden fully watered at 5am this morning and I've got 6 Peace Lillies which have taken off over night with 1 male at the bottom of the garden having an enormous single lily, at the moment. I just had to stand and look at it for a while because it's so very peaceful & stunning! Helper Daxie has been on hand since 5am in the garden loving the hose, telling everyone what she thinks, eyeing up her pool; obviusly planning her swimming sessions for later, and pointing out where she's gone to the toilet, so I could clean up a couple of piles She's still put out by the ramps not being up but trotted around the side of the house to check that the new ramps are still there and that she's not being thrown out of the house - Everything must always be in its place as it was left at the end of the day! Decluttering a lovely mug of coffee at the moment before I go and water the front garden before the neighbours wake up! Then it's a shower and getting the car out ready for 2 early morning trips to pick up shopping for a couple of elderly neighbours & decluttering it all off before I come home and wait to declutter 10 parcels off to postie or book a collection van and get the leaf blower out and clean up the leaves in the front garden before the weekend.

Wishing everyone a peaceful decluttering Friday. Take care & love to all. ta-ta for now xxxxxxx

TC77

@Liverpool_Anne love the idea of a quilt cover. I was in JL looking at diver covers as don't have one I like and tending towards something plain but not totally plain. My sewing skills are basic. 
The sheets seem to be enormous so need to measure.. I will try soaking and one will def be OK as a sheet- had thought if spots don't come off in the wash not going to come off on me and love the idea of making something.
Awake again far too early and go to bed far too late.
My cousin is coming over one day this month possibly this weekend so getting things out where I need a 2nd opinion. Some jewellery so far. 
Adding 6 for yesterday. 
Hope ervyone has a lovely Friday. 
Going to collect 2 plant pots from cs - their new stock but lovely man who does deliveries to other shops has arranged for some.blue/ green ones from other stores to come to lewisham.one for me which is so kind. Some or mine have succumbed to the frost and the contents to a lack of.care.:(

daisy_1571

Tc77 you could always dye them ?  The Dylan dyes are very good, either the cold water ones or the ones that go in the machine. 

Weigh the sheets as you might need two packs. 

I've dyed loads of things (including redyeing black jeans black) and following the instructions (which includes doing an empty cycle at the end) I have NEVER had an issue with the machine still having dye in it for your next load.  I've dyed sheets gorgeous colours and now use them as tablecloths,  I've dyed clothes, sometimes deliberately buying something white if I like it for the top itself knowing that I can dye it a better (for me) colour. 

Be aware- The thread doesn't always take the dye.   I love it if you end up with white or paler coloured thread, especially if there is any sort of embroidery on the article.   White embroidery on a white item is nice but white embroidery on a dyed article can be gorgeous.

Making them into downie covers would be a great idea, the sheet is likely to be wider and longer than the equivalent bed size of downie cover so you should have plenty material.  If you dye them for that purpose, tie dye can be a lot of fun and you'll get something more interesting than completely plain.

At the end of the day, material is just material so a good big amount like that is very useful.   Its dear to buy these days.  Good quality sheets are great - downie covers, throws for a couch or old chair, make clothes or use it to make a trial item so you aren't using expensive materials on your test pieces, use it for the under upholstery if you are recovering a chair or seat pads, cushion covers, internal door curtains to stop draughts, sausage dogs (sorry babyface) for the bottoms of doors to stop draughts (I've used the gritty type of cat litter in mine as it moulds against the door much better than foam which I find sits proud and doesn'tstop a draught.  (I sewed the basic length a but longer than the width of the door, but then compartmentalised them along the length leaving one side open - meaning the tops of each compartment is open.   I put the litter into plastic sandwich bags, 1 in each compartment then sewed one big line along the open tops.  That keeps the shape, stopping all the litter moving gradually up to one end and also protects against the litter dust seeping out the material. ))  

Don't get derailed into all that at the moment, just fold them neatly somewhere just jow and carry on your decluttering which you seem to be really getting on top of now    

Daisy xx

ruby_eskimo

Woah there's been over 150 pages since I last checked the thread, which is a lot to try and read so I'll just send hugs to those that need them, congratulations to those who have positive things going on in their lives and a massive thanks to Mrs_SD who continues to steer the EDT further into 2025.

I've been a bit absent because life just got a little too much with lots of stressful things that I won't bore you with.  I've been doing little bits of decluttering here and there, but don't have my numbers with me to update you all (currently in the office at work and have my notebook at home).  We've also been doing the odd bit to the house, mainly stripping wallpaper off in the hallway and landing ready for it to be plastered in June.  

I'm planning that this weekend is going to be focused on cleaning out the wardrobe and unpacking the final suitcases of clothes that I still haven't tackled.  I also can't believe it will be exactly a year tomorrow since we went to view our house (and flew to South Africa).  Time really does go so quickly.

Anyway I was further prompted to jump back aboard the EDT because I saw someone post this online the other day and it really resonated with me, and I thought it might resonate with some of you too.

"You don't need it.  You want it.  You're bored.  You're anxious.  You can't find what you have.  You forgot what you have.  Take the time, instead of shopping and go thought your stuff to see what you have an know what you need.  Appreciate and use the thinks you spent so much time and energy to buy and keep"

And with that, I hope you all have a good bank holiday weekend in the lovely weather we appear to be having recently.

Wednesday2000

I am going to go for a walk and listen to the Woman's Hour decluttering episode. I forget who provided the link on here, but thanks.😀 It is a lovely day here. 

Florenceem

Mr F got a message on his phone yesterday morning - his Falls Clinic appointment was rescheduled. I tried to phone the appts line but the woman was away from her desk. Then the hospital tried to phone Mr F but his phone didn't seem to want to connect. I rang them on my mobile - to be told - the appt is still on but with a different Doctor. So we had to get over to the hospital as soon as possible after thinking the appt was not happening.
Mr F was given an ECG - seemed a bit daft as he is having one tomorrow morning. They weighed him and did the usual obvs.
Doctor was very nice - Mr F is going to be seen by an exercise team to try and improve muscle tone in his legs. The Dr thinks lack of muscle and Mr F leaning forward causes his falls. He has been discharged from the falls clinic.
Dr prescribed Vitamin D and Calcium tablets.
On our way home we stopped at the shopping centre - I left Mr F to collect the tablets while I popped to farm Foo.. - there was a good offer on dishwasher tablets.
I got a pack of 100 - Mr F said - why didn't you get 2 packs as they are a good price - a pack of 100 will last us 2 years!
I treated us to a pack of my favourite Blackcurrant Sundaes from M & . before we got the bus home.
I decided to stop off at SA on our way home - collected 2 dinners that were loitering in the fridge. I won't have to cook today or tomorrow.
It was very hot here - too hot for me.
We watched a film - Cover Up in the evening.