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Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering
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Finally got the fan set up in the living room for our summer - which is just beginning - officially and in reality. September is often our hottest month.
You can call the Orange-faced clod running our country any names you want- my family has used quite a number of them. I won't mind at all - he is a dangerous idiot.
I have been putting away cat food, it seems all morning as we get it from about 4 different places. Now I have empty boxes all over to compact for the trash pick-up tomorrow. I also did the agenda for the Friends of the Library meeting tomorrow, fed the cats twice including two outside that aren't our cats, now trying to decide what to fix for dinner. Probably hamburgers or chicken. Have both ready to use.
Made a list of what I need to sell this summer. It is quite an extensive list. My goal is to pay off as much as I can of the credit cards and stock up on what we need for the rest of the year at the same time.
Just starting to get hot this week. Hope you all are cooling down. I don't know if the heat is like the rain and crosses over to your side of the Atlantic or not. If it is, your heat wave may continue awhile. New York City has been having rain - and temperatures between 29 and 33C. It is the humidity that is really bad.14 -
Hi all, much cooler here today with a stiff breeze 😁. So 3 lots of ironing and all packing done except the stuff in the freezer, we have 4 bags of food and drink 😂. I have 2 bags already in the car and I filled up with petrol yesterday so today after we have had breakfast all I need to do is finish packing the car and empty all the bins as they are all full 😁 and we will be heading off. Spent quite a bit of time yesterday helping OH hunt for a pair of trousers. OH has clothes all over the house 🙄. Eventually I suggested try your wardrobe and they were there 😂 so I will use that experience to work on OH when we get back 😁.
This morning I have had a union thing land but I have sent it back for someone else to deal with 😁.
@CRANKY40 sorry about your cat, I cried buckets when I lost mine, big hugs
@Muddy_Walker glad to hear you are on the mend take care of yourself, big hugs
Right time to get weaving
Hugs to everyone who would like one
913 - 915 ironing
Take care everyone
915/202513 -
@CRANKY40 I always think when u lose a beloved pet they take a little piece of ur heart with them. Really sorry to hear about ur cat, it is really hard.Neutral items
another 14 items sent out today and 4 items being given out to a friend tomorrow
441+458 total of neutral items out.
General decluttering
255) another mug🙈 tbf it was me this time, not the cats!
256) car air freshener that was used in the house, finally finished-into recycling
257) panettone eaten. Was being saved to make a bread and butter pudding but I have no oven and the new kitchen, there is a delay with being a made to measure disabled kitchen. I can’t cope with a full low disabled height, I would face plant the floor, but can’t deal with able bodied height either, so has to be made for a height I can cope with. #awkward! Didn’t want to waste the panettone so had it with custard!258)-259) items sold on V x 2
260) more packaging out of the house- cardboard and plastics
261)-262) two lots of medication back to pharmacy for disposalDecluttering challenge 2023🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Decluttering challenge 2024 🏅🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️12 -
Thank you for all of the cat mentions - I still find myself looking at the stairs waiting to see the two big pointy ears coming into view. The house is also very quiet as she yelled for her breakfast until it arrived despite hers being the first breakfast out of the kitchen and me consistently feeding her first every morning. She yelled for a lot of other things too - she was a very bossy old lady.
Ds and I continued with the massive clearup/change round in the living room yesterday. The declutter total for yesterday was 60. There may have been a few more things but I stopped counting at 60 so that I didn't upset myself 😄 I just need to hoover and mop the floor again this morning (the floor needs mopping a lot as ds hypermobility means he's not that steady with his tea mug and bits get spilt here and there).
I have an ironing mountain to declutter but we've already done the food shopping as ds came to help.
@Muddy_Walker I hope that you continue to improve
@Dizzycap - tell Babyface thank you for the kiss
@Liverpool_Anne yes, we have cried a lot too. I bought Grumpy (not her real name) for my son when his dad died so he's had her as a friend ever since. He's really feeling the loss.10 -
@Pennypincin
Nice to see you back!
I think summer is a great time for a change of eating habits - it's too hot to cook hefty meals, you are too hot so you drink loads of water and something like a nice light salad just makes sense for a change. Well at least that's what I'm telling myself!!!I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Debt Free Wannabe, Old Style Money Saving and Pensions boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
Click on this link for a Statement of Accounts that can be posted on the DebtFree Wannabe board: https://lemonfool.co.uk/financecalculators/soa.php
Check your state pension on: Check your State Pension forecast - GOV.UK
"Never retract, never explain, never apologise; get things done and let them howl.” Nellie McClung
⭐️🏅😇9 -
Tiny progress today - I am still firmly on operation use up things, but I am now dealing with things that take a lot longer to use up, so progress looks a lot slower. I'm still determined to get to 50 food cupboard items used up before I am allowed to rearrange the two cupboards that are annoying me and order my jar labels. 7 more to go, but it might take a while.Physical:
1 - seed packet too old to germinate (recycled/composted)
1 - seed packet used up
New total 2,335
Use it up total 203
Mini kitchen challenge 43/50
June - Use Up Challenge:
1. Screen cleaner
2. Packaging
3. Whole almonds
4. Frozen candied orange juice
5. Frozen mango
6. Almond milk
7. Floss pick
8. Cotton pads
9. Seed packet
10. Floss pick
11. Packaging
12. Packaging
13. Packaging
14. Stationery
15. Kitchen cleaner
16. Packaging
17. Packaging
18. Packaging
19. Chia seeds
20. Seed packet
21. Seed packet
22. Seed packet
23. Seed packet
24. Stationery
25. Moisturiser
26. Packaging
27. Stationery
28. Stationery
29. Stationery
30. Seed packet
31. Stationery
32. Stationery
33. Stationery
34. Alternative flour
35. Stationery
36. Stationery
37. Stationery
38. Packaging
39. Stationery
40. Seed packet
41. Seed packet
42. Whole almonds
43. Frozen blackberries
44. Moisturiser
45. Stationery
46. Stationery
47. Packaging
48. Packaging
49. Packaging
50. Seed packetDH asked me to look out for some vaseline lip balm as he had finished the tin. DS then chips in with saying that loads of the girls at school have all the different types, but they don't even use them. "What's the point of having them if they don't get used?". That's my boy!2025 decluttering: 3,550🌟🥉🌟💐🏅🏅🌟🥈🏅🌟🏅💐💎🌟🏅🏆🌟🏅
2025 use up challenge: 309🥉🥈🥇💎🏆
Big kitchen declutter challenge 92/150
2025 decluttering goals Use up Challenge: 🥉365 🥈750 🥇1,000 💎2,000 🏆 3,000 👑 8,000 I 🥉12 🥈26 🥇52 💎 100 🏆 250 👑 50010 -
I had a lazy afternoon and evening yesterday.
The only task I did apart from preparing meals was loading my shopping trolley for the charity shop.
I sorted stuff for my daughter's school this morning - I am starting to see some space in my craft room.
After our midday meal - we walked into town with the stuff for the charity shop.
The buses were nice to us today - hardly any waiting around.
We popped to Lid. - been shopping there after downloading the app.
Daughter and grandson have been to collect the stuff for school.
Now I just need to prepare tea and load the shopping trolley ready for tomorrow.
Cooler here with a breeze - much nicer than the heat recently.
Decluttering Achieved - 2023 - 10,364 Decluttering - 2024 - 8,365 August - 0/45
GC NSD 2023 - 242/365
2023 Craft Makes - 245 Craft Spends 2023 - £676.03/£400
Books read - 2023 - 37
GC - 2024 4 Week Period £57.82/£100 NSD - 138
2024 Craft Makes - 240 Craft Spends 2024 £426.80/£50012 -
I had Leaving Season kick off this weekend, so a few cards, flowers and small gifts received in, and it gave me the opportunity to send a couple of unusual hymn books back to the churches they have been borrowed from.DH has also taken an old video projector and the last box of tools off for church to use - the Video projector is only VGA but providing you've the right connector it's fine for Safeguarding training slides.So back to some packing after work today, and I've filled the last book-sized boxes - I'll have to hunt for some more from the bookshop and supermarket tomorrow as people round here don't seem to offer them on freecycle/trash nothing/Fb! Some stuff which lives in boxes anyway, I've just wrapped the boxes in paper so they can't spring open.I think for tomorrow I will target some pressure washing and decluttering the Pantry as there are some dark corners that need investigating.Decluttering awards 2025: 🏅🏅🏅⭐️ ⭐️, DH: 🏅⭐️ and one for Mum: 🏅12
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Good evening. Ive been following along but its been a really busy week here.
Cranky, im sorry yo hear about your cat. Our pets become like our children.
Loved following your journey Mrs SD. Some fantastic pictures. I know it was a while ago but I started handmaid's tale from the beginning and just about to finish season 2, she's just given birth on her own. Enjoyed it so far.
Youngest 2 have finished school. DS2 has a week left at college. DD3 had her leavers assembly and took in a lot of her uniform.
Last weekend we went out with family. The first time id been in a pub for over 15 years (others than family parties) we went to an activity in Sheffield and then a pub locally. I was terrified and quite a few panic attacks leading up to it but it really was quiet to when we used to go out.
Sunday we saw the weather temperature for the week so DH started putting the pool up. DGD is absolutely loving it this year and all the adult kids were in it Saturdaywhile DH did a bbq for his birthday. DD1, DS2 AND DH, who turned 50, have all had birthdays this week and weve done lots of shopping for the holiday as noticed shops starting to get rid of the summer clothes. So not much decluttering has happened this week.
906-918 13 DVDs
919-927 9x school clothes
928-929 2x pool inflatablesLBM in April 17 - Starting card debt £33554
Mortgage@1 June 18 - £76350
Total debt @june 18 £102311
Debt Jan 25 £8282
Mortgage £51215. Total debt now £5949713 -
- Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks
- Concerted effort to sort out sleep patterns - Realistic targets: bed by 2:00 a.m. & up by 10:00 a.m
- Continue dealing with mail & email on a daily basis
- 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
- Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ using the acronym - I.R.I.S. (Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off) - One per quarter
- Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed
Monday: I had a restless night - up 4 times before finally getting out of bed at 08:00, washed, dressed & packed. It isn’t to be overcast all day with a high 16°C, slight chance of rain but the dreaded strong gusty winds are due to put in an appearance. Down to buffet breakfast 08:50 (DH - sausages, bacon, baked beans & toast, juice & coffee; I had a single rasher of bacon, 2 slices of toast & marmalade, juice & coffee) & back in room by 09:24. Finished the packing, dropped the key at reception desk (room prepaid by DH), packed the bike & were on the road by 09:45. Was bright & sunny when we set off with a temperature of 14°C but gradually got cloudier & windier as the day continued with occasional bouts of drizzle lasting on average 3 minutes ☹️ After several stops to take pictures of landmarks old & new, we stopped at the Brig O’Turk Tearoom just before 13:00. The lady serving was on her own & the outside tables were packed (despite the drizzly weather) & no sooner was a table inside vacated than more people arrived. Poor lady was frazzled beyond belief & we had to wait 20/25 minutes for our order to be taken 😉 We didn’t mind as it was warmer indoors than out 😉 Once ordered, food & drinks arrived quickly. The hm carrot & lentil soup with hm sourdough bread was delicious (I did let DH have a taste 😂), he had an hm fruit scone with hm raspberry jam. We both had cappuccinos. I paid our very reasonable bill (+ a generous tip 🙂) & chatted to the lady for a few minutes just to give her a breather 😉 Went outside to find that we had been fortunate again & missed the heavy drizzle 🥳 It continued to drizzle on & off whilst we got the last 2 old landmarks. Arrived at our hotel, checked in & were in our room by 15:50. DH finished watching the MotoGP races whilst I wrote up today’s journey then I washed & changed & went out for a cigarette before coming back to do some cheerleading
Monday’s animal report: cows, sheep, pigs, seagulls, wagtails, swifts
1049 - Broken cheapo reading glasses - binned
London_1, reading Saturday’s post I can see why you are fit - what with lugging full watering cans through the house 5 times each watering session 🤩 I will keep my fingers crossed that you get some heavyish showers during the night so that the water butts fill up 🤞Very sensible planning by the Isle of Wight government to go fully metered for water 🙂 Thank you for all the tips & ideas for keeping cool in an heatwave 👏
Florenceem, it sounds like you found some wonderful bits on the chap’s stall 😊 Sorry to hear about MrF’s fall 😞 Hopefully he is OK & the doctor will be able to discover the cause 🙏 More excellent decluttering 👏
No idea what is up with MSE ☹️ Not only does it need to verify that I am human every time I turn the page but now the quote & thanks buttons do NOT work ☹️
oceanspirit, I would not be too enamoured by “a seagull alarm clock” or “the daily pigeon serenade” 😥 Excellent work decluttering the contents of the filing cabinet 👏 Good luck with the last of the paperwork sorting & decluttering 🍀
Liverpool_Anne, you have certainly been busy over the last few days despite the heatwave 👏 No idea what is happening with MSE & too frightened to log out in case I can’t get back in 😰 Hope you have a lovely holiday ☺️ What a stunning creature 🤩 thanks for the photo of the elephant hawk-moth 👏
weenancy, it now asks me if I am human every time I move from MSE to Notes & back again 😖
We went down to dinner at 18:45, sat in the lounge with a drink before being seated at our table at 19:30. DH had the honey whipped goats cheese with olives, peppers & tomato & toasted ciabatta followed by ribeye steak with chunky chips, grilled tomato & mushroom + mixed green vegetables (broccoli, beans & courgette). The steak was cooked to perfection (medium rare) & was so tender & tasty 🤤 I had the orange & cognac chicken liver parfait with fig jam, crispy pancetta & onion relish (served in a Kilner jar) with oatie biscuits - oh my goodness, it was sublime & I am still drooling just remembering the taste 🤤 I followed up with lasagne al forno with a crispy pesto topping accompanied by toasted ciabatta. It wasn’t bad but not a parch on my cousin’s lasagne 😉 We are back in our room & neither of us can move as we have eaten so well 🙊 Back to the cheerleading - now on Sunday’s posts:
CRANKY40, I was just thinking that maybe your cat used to wake you at 5.00 a.m. letting you know that she needed attention from her staff 😉 Good luck sorting out & decluttering the “interesting pile of paperwork and other “stuff”” 🍀 I do hope a picture of the Hexi cardigan will be forthcoming when it is completed 🙏 Now let me think 🤔………. yes, I think you can count the large spider being evicted as decluttering but only because you allowed it to stay alive 😅
BridgetTheCat, so sorry to hear that you have had to cancel your holiday to Scotland 😞 I do hope that something can be done about your knee 🙏 as not only does it sound exceedingly painful but it is now making your day to day life very difficult 😣 Pleased to hear that you managed to shower unaided 🥳
GrannyKate, I hope you have a wonderful time in Scotland & that the weather is kind 😊 Good luck with the ‘frog’ paperwork when you get home 🍀
Florenceem, a busy Sunday morning 👏 How lovely to be able to give away bunches of flowers ☺️ Such a shame that MrF can no longer help you 😞 but good news that he is still able to go to church with you 🥹
Liverpool_Anne, great work with the ironing 👏 If you have any free time, I have a pile of ironing that needs doing, although thinking about it I should probably wash everything again first 😞 Thanks for letting us know that vulpix is OK & has bought a house 🥳 I do know she & MrV were getting quite stressed about not having somewhere to move to 😣 Please give her my very best wishes & hopefully we will see her soon whatever name she is posting under 😊
TC77, remember that cleaning & tidying Does count as decluttering especially if you are doing mega sessions of either 😊 A 30 minute session of either counts as 1 for the purpose of numbering 😊 Excellent physical decluttering 👏 Sounds like you had a lovely evening with your friends 🥹 hopefully between you, you managed to put the world to rights 😉 This “Can't remember if I mentioned someone talking about the 'endowment factor, whereby we increase the value of things we have' “ sounded very interesting so I got distracted & found an example of ‘endowment theory’ 🙊
Crikey QueenJess, you were very busy over the weekend 🤩 👏 Although aren’t you supposed to be resting and/or taking it easy 🤨 You have done such an outstanding job with your ‘Use It Up June’ challenge that I am awarding you a medal 🏅
I am breaking off here to add a few photos from yesterday and today:
Pic 1 Bow Fiddle Rock
Pic 2 Portsoy Harbour
Pics 3 & 4 Fraserburgh beach
Pics 5 & 6 steamer on Loch Katrine
As this is now an extremely large post I will attempt to send it.
MrsSD Awards: 💐 🌟 ❤️ ❤️ 🏅 💐 💐 💐 🏅🥉🏅 🎂 🌟⭐️⭐️❤️ 🍫🐾 😍🥇🥇 💐 🏆 ⭐️
DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’
DSis Awards: ⭐️
Decluttering Target 2025: 1049/2025
1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £228.00Be Kind. Stay Safe. Break the Chain. Save Lives. ⭐️2025 Savings Pot Challenge: As a monthly amount, running total = £299.00
Jan £5.00 Feb £12.74 Mch £23.26 Apr £32 May £43 Jun £50 July £62 Aug £71 Sep Oct Nov Dec Grand Total £16
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