2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, on Sunday we went shopping. I took OH with me as "meat" had appeared on the shopping list 😁. As I am veggie and have been for years I never really take any notice of the meat section in the sm and if OH hasn't been specific about what meat is wanted  I don't know what to pick up 😂. The downside of taking OH shopping is that lots of other non listed things get put in the trolley 🙄. The upshot was a full trolley which was put away as soon as we got home. We then had coffee over the fence with ln before she set off on her holibobs and we are looking after the watering of the pots and baskets, sorting the bins and checking for post 😁. OH then borrowed my car to deliver a letter to the garage stating everything that has happened with the car, transcripts of phone calls etc. lists of costs to get it repaired and monies lost due to being unable to work. OH passed it to the manager with a request for someone to phone so they can work out how to proceed. OH had a short conversation with the garage manager along the lines of I am not going to argue with you here, we will let the solicitors deal with it if necessary. OH has decided that any reasonable offer will be accepted as long as they are polite 😂. Meanwhile I sat and watched some footy on the tv and did absolute sweet fa for the rest of the day except the washing up 😂. Absolutely no energy.I

Yesterday I got going and had a short list of things to do but spent the whole day in the garden. 5 bags of brambles and ivy were put in the green bin, 1 bag of various bits of garden rubbish which was unearthed by the digging was put in the bin. It was quite warm so I made sure to take breaks and keep hydrated but I still felt a bit light headed by tea time so all I did after that was pay the cc bill and empty the lr bin and water ln's pots and baskets 😁.

Today I have an eye test booked but I am going to try to get to the frogs which are starting to croak 😂 and the rest of the list from yesterday 😂.

@Vulpix keep your chin up, not long now to wait for the move. It probably feels like ages because you have been planning it for ages and had to deal with your Mum's house as well but there is light at the end of the tunnel and it will happen soon, hugs.

Right off for another cuppa and hopefully get something done 😂

Hugs to everyone who would like one

1189 - 1193 green waste
1194 garden rubbish
1195 cc paid
1196 lr bin
Take care everyone
1196/2025

vulpix

 Thank you Liverpool Anne. I feel a bit better today. Stupid first world problems. Have you bossed the bamboo yet? It took me all summer to do mine but I suspect I just reinvigorated it. Good on OH to have documented all the debacle with the car. Here's hoping it is sorted soon.

Lovely memorable wedding Mrs SD. I am sure it must have taken a huge amount of planning to pull it off so well.I hate having my photo taken too. When I look back though with a few years between the event I didn't look as bad as I thought in the end!

I am disappointed to have not had the forecast rain overnight. Fingers crossed for some soon. I never water the garden as it stops plants growing deep roots to look for their own water but some things are looking thirsty now. Soon my pretties, soon. Hang on in there.

I have a list of frogs which need eating before the move. I touched up the grout in the bathroom last night at midnight. Some I don't need to do yet like cleaning the oven. I am a planner and a doer. At the moment I can't do either as I need a date.

When the solicitor has got her paperwork in order we have to go to a different solicitor to sign a statement of truth about the access at our house. This is something the buyers solicitor wants. She says it will all move very quickly after this.

Craft club today. That will keep me busy for a while.

Laters 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

Tuesday: overcast & dark apparently a 90% chance of rain - 12:08 it has started raining - a light drizzle but enough to wet the pavements etc. & there is a chilly breeze. The forecast high for today is 25°C, low 17°C, humidity 71%

DH left at 10:00 for ‘fat club’ as he calls it 😅 Keeping everything crossed that he didn’t do too much damage on Saturday 🤞 Ready to start the cheerleading for Saturday’s posts:

YBR, This “Thanks for my ⭐️ + DD1's 🏅, I'll let her know and see how confused she is!” had me in stitches 🤣 Definitely approve of getting DD1 to clear ivy 👏 hopefully she will be want to continue over the next few days & might even earn another medal 😉 Excellent work by DH especially clearing dead trees 👏 His medal 🏅 is on its way 😊 perhaps your DH will be as confused as DD1 😅 Very handy having the Tip so close 🥳 just a shame about the queues to get in ☹️ Good luck dealing with the change of address frogs 🍀

Dizzycap, very pleased to hear that you plan a quieter Saturday after all your exertions on Friday 😊 Hopefully you will gradually have more days where you “finally felt more like myself, rather than just coping & existing - I will have to take it easier over the weekend” 🙏  Good luck with the listings 🍀 - I don’t think there can be too much more now 🤔 Fingers crossed that Gorda will soon be completely well 🤞

vulpix, I do hope you got your way & you & MrV went for a walk in places unknown to tourists 🤞

Lovely post Liverpool_Anne 😊 We had considered taking the car but we would have struggled to find parking near the B&B & the church 😉 Very pleased to hear that your planned ”Mission Spare Part Collection” was successful & that you also managed to find something to eat 😊 Not surprised that you had a nap when you got home - sitting in a car for so many hours is surprisingly tiring & stressful 😞 

GrannyKate, great decluttering by both you & DS2 especially the 2 Tip Runs 👏 Fingers crossed that the old bed will fit in DS2’s car 🤞 as you can do without having an old bed hanging around for months ☹️

Dizzycap, another busy morning 👏 I see that both Babyface & Gorda are keeping you on your toes 😅 Good luck with your listings 🍀 

Perfect time to stop for a while as I have caught up on one more day’s cheerleading plus DH has just got home. He lost the 0.2kg he gained last week so didn’t do any real damage over the weekend 😮‍💨 This week’s instructions are to do a 5:2 diet i.e. 2 days of 800 calories. The drizzle lasted for about an hour & now the sun is out. I hope everyone is having as good a day as possible 😊

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’ ⭐️ 🏅 

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 1548/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £379.00

suzeesu2000

Thank you Mrs_Salad_Dodger for my medal.

DH came & sorted his long sleeved shirts this morning, 8 gone. Good lad.

Decluttered sausages from the freezer for dinner.

Read the meters & decluttered payment to Octopus.

Checked the Temu basket, I put things in the basket and then wait a few days - usually chopping and changing my mind before I eventually buy. This time, thanks to yesterdays work in the wardrobe, I emptied the basket as I already have very similar skirts already. Yay me!

Job for now is to dismantle an old whirlygig washing line thing - used to stand (oh ha ha!! I mean "fall over") on the concrete in yard but was useless so, now I have proper lines, is no longer needed and can go, its all bent where it kept falling over so no use to pass on.

We have some very light drizzle early hours but the sun is blazing again. Glad it stayed dry for the bank holiday, always think of poor souls who look forward to it and then the weather ruins it for them.

have a great day all xx

Willowtree222

Hope everyone is getting along ok. 

Today was small. Three plastic hangers returned to store for recycling. 

My parents have gon back home now, so I can start to do some more. 
X

suzeesu2000

Got a notification, do you think they’ve evicted the Gremlins? 

Dismantled the whirligig, much easier than expected. 

Started, yes actually started, decluttering the landing/airing cupboard. If tomorrow goes as planned, should be able to crack on in the afternoon. 

Enjoy your evening xx

QueenJess

Just a quick check in as it's late, but I have found time for some more digital decluttering as well as finding some more bits and pieces whilst tidying.

Digital:
53 - filed emails deleted
2 - online accounts deleted
2 - notes deleted
3 - bookmarks deleted

Physical:
1 - photo frame I don’t use (charity bag)
1 - packaging reused 
4 - pens used up
1 - trousers I don’t like (charity bag)
3 - DD/DS tat binned

New total 4,462
Use it up total 350
Mini freezer challenge +1/-20
Big kitchen declutter challenge 115/150

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, quick post as an early start tomorrow chauffeuring OH for a blood test. Not far to go but in a tricky one way system in rush hour 🙄.
Decluttered a load of money at the opticians as I have had a slight change in my prescription so new glasses needed 🙄. We continued from there to h 0me bargains for some cleaning supplies and washing powder. Back home and I finally made a start on sorting out the back room. I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed but started at the door and decided to work clockwise around the room. Nothing actually left the house but 13 things were removed from the room and homes found for them in other sensible places. I can now see some floor 😂. A dead pen was binned 😂. 
News on the car is that the steering part has successfully been fitted 😁. However when they took it for a test drive they noticed that the clutch was slipping slightly and they asked if OH wanted it sorting while it was in the garage. OH admitted it had been noticed but was hoping to "get away with it" for a bit. They said it wasn't urgent but OH asked how long to get the parts, when it would be ready and how much would it cost. Turns out these parts are easy to get, it will be ready tomorrow and as we got the other part so cheaply it would be less than the original quote for just the steering so OH has authorised that rather than have to take more time off work later when it would have to go back into the garage. So we will be driving over to collect that tomorrow afternoon 👃.  While I am over there I think I will pop into the boat museum cafe for a coffee if we have time. I have only been once before and that was just a quick visit but I know someone who works there so I can say hello to them and have a proper look around 😁. 
Right off to bed
Hugs to everyone who would like one

1197 - 1209 items put away
1210 pen
Take care everyone
1210/2025

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

It must be the week of a Bank Holiday as the first three Indiana Jones films are on the telly 😅 I have watched the 1st & 3rd films only as not a fan of the 2nd one 😉 Continuing with the cheerleading & can start on Sunday’s posts:

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 Just remember out of chaos comes calm ☺️ I hope you had a lovely Saturday evening & also enjoyed your Sunday when you went out ☺️

Excellent decluttering CRANKY40 👏 You might miss the occasional day but it looks like you have more than balanced that out with days you do more than 5 things 🥳

Liverpool_Anne, your “lazy day” 👏 is more like my active day 😉 Perhaps you can treat OH to a new bath sheet which can become a favourite 🤔 

Gers, that is beautiful 😍 & so kind of you to pass this to your niece 🥹 Your grandmother was an exceedingly skilled needle woman 🥹

Dizzycap, a busy Sunday morning 🤩 I do hope you had all the trimmings with your roast beef 😉 So pleased to hear that both Babyface & Gorda are both fully fit & healthy 🥹 especially after all the worry over the last couple of months 😢

Broke off from the cheerleading to cook & eat dinner - slices of beef in lo hm gravy with mash & peas 😋 An earlier meal than yesterday as today we sat down to eat at 19:00 🙂

QueenJess, you might just be ‘plodding along’ but all your previous hard work has paid off 👏 It was such a pleasure to read This “The place is getting tidier and tidier and when DS had a friend round last week, I didn't even consider tidying before they came.  There has been a number of occasions when I've sat down when the kids are playing and realised it feels weird because I would normally be trying to tidy or declutter and I don't need to do either.” ☺️ I wish you continued success in your ‘kitchen decluttering project’ 😊 You must have been so pleased when your parents & sister only brought items that had been requested 😌 It might have taken a while but hopefully this means that there is no longer any trepidation at their visits 🤞I was thinking that re the shoes you might want to pick your favourite/most comfortable pair & alternate wearing them with the boots so that the boots last a bit longer 🤔 

suzeesu2000, great work decluttering the ironing pile 👏 no wonder you are happy 😊 

Thanks for the information Brie 👏

short_bird, that is a very sad state of affairs 😞 I wonder if it is a recent phenomenon or if it has always been thus 🧐 

TC77, the tai chi summer camp sounds very interesting 🧐 & hopefully a few more sessions with a bit more repetition will help you remember the moves 🤞Great work with both the decluttering & cleaning 👏

Floss, great idea for TC77 ☺️

Yippee about to start cheerleading Monday’s posts 🥳 I have done the wudupa.

1549 - 1552 Kitchen recycling, glass bottle, newspaper, drinks cans - recycled 

1553 - 1555 Kitchen, lr & office detritus - binned

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏 & great work dealing with a frog 😊 especially as you got an apology. 

Excellent work on the digital decluttering QueenJess 👏

Excellent work stacking wood in the shed oceanspirit 👏 Good luck prioritising your To Do lists 🍀 Fingers crossed that nothing else breaks down 🤞

vulpix, hope DD1 has a great time in Shetland & that she has plenty of time to see her friends 🤞 Sorry to hear you are feeling a bit flat about the move 😞 I take it you still don’t have a confirmed moving date so have been unable to book a moving van ☹️ Good luck reducing your wool stash 🍀

suzeesu2000, what a busy & brilliant Monday morning 👏🤩 So much done & even more planned for the afternoon 😊 Good luck with the listings 🍀

Lovely post CRANKY40 😊 It really was a perfect day & as the happy couple got married 12 years to the day of their first date, I do think that they will have a long & happy life together 🥹

suzeesu2000, great work getting all your clothing catalogued 👏 Fingers crossed for a couple of quick eBay sales 🤞

Excellent work TC77 👏 and congratulations on passing the 3 quarter mark to your target 🥳 A Gold Star ⭐️ is on its way.

Dizzycap, pleased to hear that you had a fairly quiet Bank Holiday & managed to get some much needed rest 😊 I will keep my fingers crossed that you get some proper rain 🤞& no I don’t think you are a misery guts for wanting rain 😉

I am now only one page behind on the cheerleading so will finish catching up tomorrow i.e. later today. I hope everyone had as good a Tuesday as possible 😊 Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’ ⭐️ 🏅 

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 1555/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £379.00

YBR

I did a post yesterday which seems to have disappeared, if I can remember the gist:

DD1 on told of her medal gave me a look and a grunt; teenager!

Monday seemed to be low progress, but I spent time at my desk with things for the role I start on Monday, and with sewing nametapes on uniform.

Yesterday we did a little outing by bus, the main aim of which is to get DDs confident with buses for commuting to school, went well and got some more uniform shopping done. Then I did 2 tip runs with cardboard & packing paper as it was stacked outside and the forecast is for plenty of rain this week, and packed the remaining pruned shrubbery into trugs.