2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

oceanspirit

OH says thank you for his medal.  There is a big pile of kindling for him to cut up and a couple of cleaning jobs, then the garden will be back to just maintenance.  I would like to make a new seating area at the front which will need some new planting to screen it from neighbours.  May have a look at doing that in a couple of weeks.

Thank you for my medal too, Mrs SD.

Cleared over 100 unread emails and some read ones too.  Went through some more papers from the box file, some have gone into recycling, some on scrap paper pile and others for shredding.

YBR

Florenceem said:

I started on daughter's voile curtains today - now I know why I have been reluctant to do them - slip all over the place. 

My sympathy, I loathe sewing anything slippery.

Today I  decluttered: 

* one old pair of shoes and recluttered a pair of my site boots (DD2 wants them, illogically)

* one apple corer, but ordered a new one

* one bucket of shredded paper into the compost

* a few barely used colouring books into the Yard sale

* 12 out of 15 books in a series donated to me into the yard sale

and did the festival induction frog, collected a few more boxes (from a local bookshop)

AND submitted my last assignment.

Feeling chuffed!

TC77

Feels a long day of doing bits and pieces.
This evening made myself sweep and mop floors and do some tidying.
Earlier dropped bag at CS with extra clothes, trousers, top, dress etc.
Shredder picked up
Dropped back unused medicines and ink cartridge
Small electronic decluttering and unsubscribing 
Hoovered sofas to declutter cat hair
4 old cloths/sponges out
some old veg
small bit of debris
Old bank card (the other day but don't think I counted.
New cs bag started with bedlinen and keyboard

Ironed some clothes to post for pennies but then noticed marks so sponged on and will wash again, and tried on no of clothes which I think will go, may need cousin to confirm.
Sorted more buttons in to colours and some to go, still don't have one to match dress - has 2 buttons on each cuff, down the front and on pockets. Think will swap the bottom one as one on cuff needs replacing and put one that is darker on the bottom of the dress which will be less obvious.
916 new total.
@YRB it's so good when you notice progress.... still to get there this time but have seen it now and again

Had hoped to get early night but loud music is playing. 

Brambling

Florenceem said:

I started on daughter's voile curtains today - now I know why I have been reluctant to do them - slip all over the place. .

Many years ago i was persuaded by my sister that I 'wanted' to make some for her conservatory and swore never again, they are no more but I still remember the pain of making them.

A volunteering day for me and only one book brought back and that's for my sister 🙂 

I decided to try and work on a sewing work in progress tonight, that counts as decluttering right Mrs SD? I'm not sure whether it's called slow stitching or mindfulness stitching? but when they say it's relaxing they don't allow for a cat and a container of very small beads  I was holding the opened pot in my hand when he decided it was lap time I think I will be finding them for weeks, at least they brushed off of him easy enough 🙄 he's the reason why I have so many WIP ! 🐈‍⬛ 

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

Saturday: rained from 04:00 to 07:00 then very windy & overcast all day with a high of 21°C & a low of 13°C Rained again at 23:40 for about an hour. I spent the afternoon dealing with my post, filling in competition entry & clearing down more programmes from planner. DH spent time trying to get the bike started as the battery wasn’t charging ☹️ No joy & when he checked the service history he discovered that the battery was 7 years old 😞 & at the end of its life 😞 He has ordered a new battery but this won’t arrive until Wednesday so he has had to cancel his planned trip for Monday & Tuesday.  DH went for his walk & posted my cards & letters. Dinner was home cooked ribs in a barbecue sauce with mash. Wudupa.

900 - 902 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, booklet - recycled 

903 Kitchen detritus - binned 

TC77, so sorry to hear about the burglary at DD2’s house 😞 but relieved to hear that no-one was hurt 😮‍💨 Keep up the good work with the decluttering 😊

Florenceem, sounds like a busy time ahead of you if C is going on holiday 😥 Shame about the lost bus passes ☹️ although I was rather pleased to hear about the bus drivers & their sensible attitude 🥹 Hopefully the new bus passes will be despatched quickly 🤞

QueenJess, sorry to hear that you are having “a horrible time at work” ☹️ I do hope that you can rest over the long weekend 🤞Really enjoyed my slice of cranberry cake 🤤

Florenceem, good luck finishing the voile curtains 🍀 Perhaps your daughter should take some sewing lessons 😉😉

oceanspirit, you & OH are very welcome 😊 Great digital & paper decluttering 👏

YBR, no wonder you are feeling chuffed after such an excellent day of decluttering both physical items & tasks 👏

TC77, an excellent & eclectic day of decluttering 👏 You are zooming towards your next gold star 😊

Brambling, well done on only bringing back one book & not for you 👏 This “I decided to try and work on a sewing work in progress tonight, that counts as decluttering right Mrs SD?” absolutely counts as decluttering 😊 A beautiful piece of work 😍 despite your cat ‘helping’ 🐈‍⬛ 

Hope everyone had as good a day as possible 🤞Sleep tight everyone 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’

DSis Awards: ⭐️ 

Decluttering Target 2025: 903/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £116.00

GrannyKate

Morning all.  Weather is bonkers here - raining one minute then sunny but quite breezy.  I have been cleaning and tidying up - hopefully rest of kitchen and next job (bedroom 2) won't produce so much mess.  Two more biggish frogs to tackle today.  Lost an hour of my life retrieving a stone which was stuck in part of vacuum that you can't easily take apart.  (U-tube had instructions but outside my pay grade as about 20 screws to remove and basically dismantle the entire thing). Done eventually and now working again.  

Thanks for my star and medal MrsSD.  Pleased to report I have lost 12 lbs - week 9 starts today so I think that is on track.  I had to miss my pre-diabetic meeting on Friday.  My ENT appointment at hospital in June was cancelled and I just have to wait again for another one.  DGS2 (19) broke his leg the other day but recovering. DGD1 is 18 today - it only seems like yesterday DD and I sat in the park with her when she was a few days old.  

502 meeting papers all done and sent out
503 Email box cleared out - saved, answered, deleted etc - hundreds as usual
504 Cleaning, dust and grit removal from all areas following kitchen work
505 Last coat of paint on kitchen walls - it took 4 coats on top of new plaster.  Small area I can't reach so DS2 will do along with a couple of patches on ceiling.  Some skirting to top coat but I can cope with that sitting on a low stool.  It's the high parts I struggle with.  
506 -A load of birthday cards bought for June but realise I need more. 
507-508 Two pairs of dinosaur PJs to CS
509 Dinosaur sheet and pillowcase to CS

Right on to tackle the first of the frogs.

Brie

At the family farm and discovered I've only got one shelf in a cupboard that I'm responsible for.  That should take 10 minutes as it includes high school year books - none of which I want to keep.  Devised a plan too to get rid of some of my mom's paintings.  There are a lot that aren't framed so I've suggested that when we have her memorial party that we have them stacked somewhere and tell people to help themselves.  Saves us the cost of framing them plus will clear some space. 

That just leaves about 15 more rooms and a huge barn to declutter.  (fyi - going into the barn is a bit tricky currently due to about 10 very large turkey vultures nesting there - even the pre fledgling chicks are a good 12 - 15 inches tall)

Floss

@Brie sounds like you have a plan for the artworks. Is there any way to evict the turkeys? 🤔

QueenJess

Just quickly popping in before going back to the tlc carriage.  Somehow I've picked up a lot of free things and a bunch of stuff second hand that needs declaring (possibly slightly more than that, but not everything has been re-homed yet)... I have a distinct feeling I should be getting rid of some more stuff to compensate...  I have been encouraging the kids to use various things they own, which did make me feel a bit better!

Stuff in: +3 packaging, +2 clothes for me, +1 teapot for DH (Buy Nothing), +16 plant pots (Buy Nothing), +4 free seed packets, +1 leaflet, +1 book, +1 desk lamp for DD (Buy Nothing)

Stuff out:

1 - seed packet used up (kept envelope for my own seeds)
3 - kitchen cupboard overstock used up
1 - wrapping paper used up
1 - packaging used up

New total 2,005
Use it up total 136
Net physical things in/(out) -548
Mini kitchen challenge 33/50

ionafan

Brie said:

That just leaves about 15 more rooms and a huge barn to declutter.  (fyi - going into the barn is a bit tricky currently due to about 10 very large turkey vultures nesting there - even the pre fledgling chicks are a good 12 - 15 inches tall)

@Brie , that's the best excuse for not being able to declutter that I've ever come across   I don't think I'd be brave enough to try to evict them!