2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

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 is another bright sunny day & thankfully a few degrees cooler than yesterday with a high of 24°C & low of 16°C Plan for today is to sort out some clothes & pack my bag for our Trip but first the cheerleading 😉

Florenceem, so pleased to hear that MrF went out with you on Thursday 🥹 Excellent work completing the alterations on 5 dresses 👏 there can’t be many left to alter 🤞 Sorry to hear about the volunteer who is ill & I hope that he/she is now recovering 🙏 Also pleased to hear that This “Asked Mr F if he wanted to go out this afternoon - he was on the toilet - as usual - so I said - I am ready to go - it's now or never today. That got him out of the cloakroom!” worked 😉 Hopefully a sign that MrF is getting better 🙏  Fingers crossed that Saturday is not so hot 🤞

🦋TC77, fingers crossed that the auction house is interested in the table linen & crockery & that you can earn a bit of money to help with paying off the credit card once the 0% offer ends 🤞Good luck with your weekend decluttering 🍀

Brambling, of course I am now wondering how long she was there before being rescued 😉🙊

YBR hope you have a great time at the music festival 🤞 You might not find time to declutter any physical items but it sounds like you will be decluttering 10’s of thousands of steps 😦😊

vulpix, the mittens are absolutely wonderful ☺️ no wonder you were so taken with them 😊 Excellent decluttering 👏 - a medal 🏅 is on its way & will be waiting for you when you get back from DD1’s house 😊 Please, please do not overdo the gardening work 🙏 I am still concerned that you haven’t yet fully recovered from the injured knee 😞 

Florenceem, what a superb picture 🤩 

daisy_1571, hopefully the heavy rain hasn’t wreaked havoc in your garden 🤞

Liverpool_Anne, so relieved to hear that you managed to sort out the bank issue ☺️ must have been a huge weight off your mind 😮‍💨 This “I then went to get my hair cut based on the fact that I will need a new passport photo and didn't want to look like a burst couch for the next 10 years 😂.” did make me laugh out loud 🤣 As to This “It was quite warm and OH arrived home and made a pot of coffee so a long sit in the sun and a chat 😁” what a lovely way to while away some time ☺️ Excellent work on the bamboo 👏 It does sound like you are seeing a difference so good luck with clearing the rest of it 🍀

CRANKY40, good news that the hospital are happy with the outcome of last year’s operation 😊 Sounds like you are making a big dent in your yarn stash what with making dinosaurs & lap blankets 👏 I am of course hoping that you will post a photo or 2 of said dinosaurs 🤞

All caught up, so no excuses not to do my packing 😅 I hope everyone is having a lovely Saturday whatever you are doing & that the weather is being kind 😊

See you later 👋 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’

DSis Awards: ⭐️ 

Decluttering Target 2025: 1038/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £228.00

GrannyKate

Had a quiet but busy day at home mostly on my own.  Children walked up for an hour - it is nice that they are close enough to do this when they are with their dad DS2.  They decluttered a range of drinks and snacks in the hour they were here.  I have continued with paperwork frogs and have started making some bookings for my second trip to Scotland meeting up with my sister from US in October.  She is sorting Edinburgh and I'll do bookings for our circular trip to Skye and back.  I think I should probably start to think about what I am taking for next Sunday's trip with my DGS1.  Going by train so need to pack carefully.  

550-2 Three frogs sorted
553 Computer files tidied and lots deleted
554 Itinerary done for October trip and one B & B booked
555 Letter to Charity re correct address for gift aid (second time I've emailed them)
556 Hanging baskets filled with new soil and plants
557 Blue Plastic bin found in garden bushes to tip
558 Old chair cushion to tip
559 Tablecloth covered in paint to tip
560 Plastic to SM
561 Two bags to CS
562 Filing reviewed and thinned out
563 Loads of paper shredded 
564 Toilet room thoroughly cleaned out - gorilla tape over join in Lino, hole around pipe filled in.  Hope the cluster flies have stopped - clear at the moment.  I have a lemon candle burning and small pot of fresh lemon with cloves which someone suggested.  
565 Two toilet brushes binned (not sure why I had three as I only had two toilets at the old place)

It's muggy now rather than nice and sunny.  

Off to get my suitcase down for next week and I'll water greenhouse.  I have a home made fish pie in the oven - DS2 shared two portions with me the other day. Sox does not like this very hot weather and has spent most of the day in his basket on top of bookcase.  I let him out late last night when it was cooler but had to sponge him off when he came in as he had rolled in the ant powder I had put along the front of the house.  I thought it best to wash it off before he started cleaning himself.  

Keep safe everyone in these difficult times.  

suzeesu2000

sadly, this end of the IOW gets very little by way of rain or thunder storms - weather tends to split at the Needles going round us and then joining up nearer to Newport. Warm and sunny again today though not as hot as Thursday.

Sorted some underwear and outted five bras. Happy.

Have a great weekend all xx

Florenceem

GrannyKate - good idea to clean off Sox.
Mrs SD - I don't feel there is much improvement with Mr F. I started him on the new medication yesterday afternoon - he usually goes through the night without getting up to use the toilet or will go once. Last night - he got up twice - the Dr said that he wasn't to get out of the bed the first night but Mr F used his zimmer and was okay. He takes long enough to pee in a toilet - who knows how long he would take using a bottle.
I had a lazy morning in pjs until nearly noon.
After our midday meal - I sorted stuff for the charity shops so off we went. 
Lots of stones and gravel in the High Street where it was washed down by the water last night.
I offered to take in the food delivery tonight.

Brie

Mrs_Salad_Dodger said:

Brie, those mitts sound wonderful 😊 Any chance of a photo 🙏

Small declutter getting winter gear out of the car as I assume it won't be needed for about 5 months at least.  So photo as requested of my mitts that might be the same as @vulpix got in the goodie bag.  15 years of use and they keep ones hands nice and toasty.

As stated earlier - the maple leaf is on the palm on both and the logo on the back of the hand.  So if you hold your hands up (like you're being arrested) you're showing the leafs*.  If you ever see any of the skiing events (in my oldest brother's town, Whistler, he designed some of the venues and slopes) you'll see lots of Canadians waving their hands in the air to show off their support for the "home team". 

fyi - first (possibly only?) produced by HBC aka The Hudson Bay Company, aka "The Bay" which operated in Canada first as a fur trading business in the 1700s and has just this month gone out of business.  

*I can't help but say "leafs" instead of "leaves" as my hockey team was always Toronto Maple Leafs.  

And please excuse the stack of clothing that needs to be decluttered to wherever it all belongs following our recent return from over there.

TC77

Loving the gloves @Brie and @vulpix.
Been out to a gallery and took back some items and wore trousers I haven't worn for 7 years which are an ok length as lost weight in recent months and bracelets I don't often wear  , going to test clothes if not feeling good out in them then out ( except pjs and gardening clothes and ....) today's outfit passed the test.

Silk blouse and posh trousers (never worn and taken up space for years taken off selling site and in cs bag. Can't recall who said about our homes can be waiting rooms for landfill as we try and avoid throwing things out ( it was worded better).
Going to try and find some other things...and report back 

Florenceem

TC77 - I took stuff to a CS today that had been listed on Vint..
I am stepping back from selling stuff - it is spent money so the CS can have it.
Tonight I had a big delivery of food to sort at SA. I was on my own - left Mr F at home in his usual place!.
I had to tidy the freezers and was almost finished when C arrived with more food.
Our local Waitro.. had been closed today because of the flooding so donated stuff to SA. I can say - there is no space in the 2 commercial size freezers at SA now.
When I was doing food bank on Friday morning - I was told to give away lots of stuff from the freezers in case we got a lot of food in on Friday/Saturday evening.
8,800 steps done today.

vulpix

Thank you for my medal Mrs SD, I am trying hard to keep stuff going out of the door. My numbers will never be as good as when we moved last time and I gave most of my furniture and house contents away.
My knee is getting as better as it ever will be. It doesn't feel like there is an inflated balloon inside any more, it just feels unstable now. I was pondering earlier where I could get an exoskeleton from!

 Two weeks since I was last at DD1's. weeds had started to come back in the 2 patios already cleared so I did them then moved onto the last much bigger third! I had had enough after 4 hours in the heat so DD said she will finish it one evening this week. A tip run took place and the place is looking very different. The other half of the garden which is veg is another story. She needs to get someone in to prune the pear, apple and plum trees, they are huge and produce more fruit than she can deal with. She gives it away but there is still too much which is a shame. She harvested loads of strawberries and red currants today to make jam.
 Another absolutely amazing curry was enjoyed. No gardening next week she is going to Dublin with her Dad and brother to watch the rugby. I need to get in my own garden. Now we have had a bit of rain everything is like a triffid.

 Liverpool Anne you sound like you are winning with the bamboo. I spent a summer chipping away at the darned stuff at a previous house. We moved so I don't know how it fared. TBH if it wasn't next to a fence I would have set fire to it! I am pleased at the Himlayan balsam no show. It was that nearly finishing me off last year that made me want to move. I thought I wouldn't be able to keep doing all that as I got older. It is much easier to deal with than bamboo though.

Fabulous photo Floreneem.

 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

Finally got around to doing my packing - one bag for evening wear & a carrier bag containing jeans, waterproof trousers, an extra motorcycle top + a warm shirt. Also packed the toiletries bag whilst DH packed the electricals bag. Dinner was linguine in a creamy bacon & pea sauce with 2 portion lo, bagged & put in freezer. Whilst I was having a long relaxing bath DSis did the washing up 😊 

1039 - 1043 Kitchen & office recycling, 2 glass bottles, drinks cans - recycled 

1044 - 1045 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

Crikey you were busy GrannyKate & you managed an excellent & eclectic amount of decluttering, cleaning & dealing with frogs 👏 I especially liked that your DGC helped you declutter drinks & snacks 😉 Hope you have a lovely time with DGS1 ☺️ Your mention of Skye reminded me that we are spending a night there next week. Hopefully the weather cools down a little so that Sir Sox can be more comfortable 🤞

Great decluttering suzeesu2000 👏 This “sadly, this end of the IOW gets very little by way of rain or thunder storms - weather tends to split at the Needles going round us and then joining up nearer to Newport.” was rather interesting as I must admit I would really miss rain/thunderstorms ☹️

Florenceem sorry to hear that MrF isn’t really improving 🥺 Although I was pleased to hear that you got him out of the house again 😊 Very kind of you to offer to take in the food delivery ☺️ 

Brie, thanks for the photo - the gloves are wonderful & obviously superb quality as they have already given sterling service for 15 years 👏 Very, very sad to hear that HBC has gone out of business (a travesty) especially as I fondly remember watching many westerns mentioning the Hudson Bay Company 😢 

TC77, congratulations on both the weight loss & your great decision to ‘test out’ your clothes 🥳 

Florenceem, good for you stepping back from selling on Vinted, as it does take up a lot of time & energy. Good news about the fully stocked freezers & well done on working so hard to get everything in 👏 Sounds like a major feat of engineering 😉

vulpix, pleased to hear that your knee is better than it was 😮‍💨 Great work in DD1’s garden 👏 Hopefully she can find someone to prune the fruit trees 🤞I remember the trouble you had getting rid of the Himalayan Balsam but it sounds like your persistence & hard work paid off 😊

All caught up so off to bed. Cwtches to all 🤗 Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’

DSis Awards: ⭐️ 

Decluttering Target 2025: 1045/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £228.00

Fizz2015

Morning All, wow 111 posts to catch up on. 
Beautiful.sumshine here and hoping to get to the bottom of the laundry basket. Work is busy as an event which takes place next week. 
Walked 13,000 steps yesterday with a friend, was very steep but so worth the views, followed by a cheeky drink in the pub on way back. 
Wishing you all a lovely day, hugs to those who need one x