2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

florianatwobob

@Brie I’ve just googled Turkey vultures…… yes I’d be leaving them to their business too. Think I’ll stick with the swifts who’ve moved in behind the eaves. 

The sparrow chicks have fledged for this year and are no longer lodging with us so they've given way to the swifts. They have a very amicable timeshare arrangement and are excellent neighbours. 

Brambling

I don't envy the job Brie, my mums three bedroom bungalow was bad enough after nearly 50 years in the bungalow, so much stuff no one wanted!  and we had cleared the loft before she died.  

My tidying and decluttering paid off today, I tackled my bathroom cupboard a couple of weeks ago and realised there was no plasters so brought a box just in case last week.  They came in handy when I sliced my finger cutting bread, not a bad cut but I'm a bleeder, we all are thanks to dad.  

TC77

@Brie, I love your idea about your mother's paintings.
Had 2 cs bags on the go, one for local CS and one for the posh blackheath one, decided to drop the posh one off before I try and sell things, (couple of new things put in it) and then went to see friend whose clearing her loft. She's much more ruthless than me, and I rescued some lovely cuddly toys - immaculate from being buried somewhere and added to my local bag.
4 cloths out,
expired make up, expired hair cream claiming to stop frizz but just made it sticky, and old gift soap which smelled well dodgy, old washing  gloves  bag that came with a jacket I no longer have , jigsaw and book to CS  bag, 

Watching a series so sorting out 2 sewing boxes, have my mum's which is nicer so putting everyday needles and thread etc in it and elastic and things I don't use from year to year but may need (justin) in mine. Need to finish sorting buttons tomorrow.
Few bits and bobs from sewing box out, some like with like,Some digital declutter too
932

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

Sunday started off cloudy & dull with some sunshine - high 20°C low 13°C Slightly breezy but considerably brighter by 15:00. I spent 1.5 hours tackling a frog - wrote out 2 more months of birthday cards. Now just have 4 months worth left to write 😉 We had a wonderfully unexpected visitor to our garden - a jay 🤩 - managed to get some photos & this is the best one 

Dinner was a full roast: beef, roast potatoes, parsnips & carrots; green beans, cauliflower, Yorkshire pudding & hm gravy 🤤 Wudupa.

904 - 906 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, glass jar - recycled 

907 - 908 Kitchen & garage detritus - binned 

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏 Good luck with the frogs 🍀 Brilliant weight loss 🤩 Sorry to hear about DGS2’s broken leg 😔 Belated happy birthday to DGD1 🥳 

Brie pleased to hear that you arrived safely 😊 What a wonderful idea for your Mum’s paintings 🥹 That is the best reason I have ever heard for not decluttering 😄 What wonderful looking creatures - turkey vultures 🤩 So ugly they are almost beautiful 🤔 

QueenJess, pleased to hear that you are making use of the TLC Carriage 😊 Some good decluttering especially as your net out is still well over 500 🥳

florianatwobob, This “Think I’ll stick with the swifts who’ve moved in behind the eaves.  The sparrow chicks have fledged for this year and are no longer lodging with us so they've given way to the swifts. They have a very amicable timeshare arrangement and are excellent neighbours.” how wonderful 🥹

Brambling, This “My tidying and decluttering paid off today, I tackled my bathroom cupboard a couple of weeks ago and realised there was no plasters so brought a box just in case last week.  They came in handy when I sliced my finger cutting bread, not a bad cut but I'm a bleeder, we all are thanks to dad.” talk about serendipitous 🥹

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 especially sorting out the 2 sewing boxes ☺️

Off to bed now. Sleep tight everyone 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’

DSis Awards: ⭐️ 

Decluttering Target 2025: 908/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £116.00

charlies_tribe

Good morning. I just wanted to pop on and say thank you all so much. It means a lot.
The only thing that has left the house last week is my slippers. I wear them all day every day. They came out of the washer with a hole between the slipper and sole that was slowly getting bigger and then I accidentally stood on it and pulled it half off. Switched to my older pair but they're not as comfy.
I have really struggled this hast week, but I need to pull myself together. 

Last night I finally shaved the dog (poodle) and bathed him. I just need to get any stray clumps this morning and neaten him up.
All bedding needs washing and i need to tackle the younger kids room, it looks like there has been an explosion in there.
Need to try my dresses today to see if any fit after losing weight (some are new with tags, we never really go anywhere to wear them) and if not I need to find one, and also need shoes, for family members wedding next weekend. 

Again,  thank you all so much. I will be back with some decluttered items later (I probably wont but wishful thinking and all that...) xx

oceanspirit

Finished another book to go.  40 more unread emails deleted - 260 more to go.  Emails are slower to do now that the easy ones have gone.

OH built a bookcase yesterday and has taken packaging plus garden waste and scrap metal to recycling centre this morning.  He has also continued going through his boxes from the store.

Muddy_Walker

Happy wet BH!
had my jab Friday which wiped me out more than usual so have more or less slept since then with intermittent eating and dog cuddles. Pepper was very excited to see me this morning and scrammed my eye (ouch) and Rogan is trying to cwtch right up in a tiny spot…..and failing. Just thinking of the look on his face if we had turkey vultures nesting here ……🤣

Took SD to a garden centre last week as she wanted a couple of pots and some flowers and is a complete novice…..so she picked what she thought she wanted and then I demonstrated what would go and what wouldn’t by arranging them on the path. It worked quite well and I could see a couple of people watching so I think a few people will be trying that! I also explained why I do certain things and why I don’t but that it’s all a learning experience and she will make mistakes and to just enjoy it. I also bought some pale geums for myself and Mexican fleabane…..and paid for all the compost…..🧐

Bit more of a snooze then a shower. Hugs to all xx

florianatwobob

I have tidied the book case and reviewed both the TBR pile and the contents of the bookcase. I found some more books for WoB on the bookcase (naturally we had just sent a box off on Sunday…..). 

DSis had her genetic testing results back on Friday. She has a faulty DNA repair gene which made her more prone to the endometrial cancer she had last year and still makes her more prone to bowel cancer. 

The good news is, if you had to choose a faulty gene to have she has the ‘best’ one (who knew that there was a better gene option in this situation!). 

The other good news is that aspirin has proven bowel cancer preventative benefits in this situation as do slightly green bananas and cold rice and pasta (for their resistant starch) so she’s been advised to include these along with standard lifestyle factors. We will be eating a lot of cold rice and pasta salads going forward!! On top of that she’s getting a referral for bowel cancer screening (which she’s not looking forward to) and a ‘whom it may concern letter’ so that all our relatives can be tested for the faulty gene. 

Overall whilst it’s not news anyone wants it does give positive steps that she can take to mitigate the risks and that is a very good thing. 

QueenJess

Ran round and did a bit of tidying up.  I decided to concentrate on a single room (the bedroom) and decided that logically if a room is messy then it must also need decluttering (as I only put things away if they are easy to put away and things aren't too rammed).  So I decided to both tidy up and consider any bits to declutter in there at the same time.  Only a few bits left to deal with in the bedroom now, but they may take a bit longer to sort out.

A few more bits in to declare as well as I've refreshed some of my wardrobe that was lacking some bits for summer.. +2 packaging, +1 jeans, +1 jacket.

1 - kitchen cupboard overstock used up
2 - packaging not fit for reuse (recycling)
3 - jewellery I don’t wear (charity)
1 - packaging reused
1 - broken toy bit (binned)
1 - duplicate book (charity box)

New total 2,014
Use it up total 138
Net physical things in/(out) -553
Mini kitchen challenge 34/50

Still kitchen stuff to use up, bathroom stuff to use up, stationery to use up...

I've also started my xmas/birthday gift list.  If I don't I can never remember what I want come Dec and Feb and this way I can review the list many months later and check I still want what is on there!

Floss

@florianatwobob it's a difficult one, but my personal view is better to know & mitigate and prepare than be unknowing.