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

Sunday continued: we left 11:50 (DH drove) & arrived 13:00 - took a while to get off the Isle of Dogs due to the big Half Marathon, but the rest of the journey was a breeze. We had time to get a drink & say hello to everyone before we were seated for lunch. Attendees: birthday girl (DH’s niece S), her DH, DD, son-in-law, DGS + her mum & dad, her best friend & husband, her future sister-in-law & DB’s 2 sons with one partner (S’s DB had to work) + cousin G, husband; son, wife & 2 children; daughter, husband & 1 child (cousin M on holiday) + the 3 of us - 25 of us. We had pre-ordered starters, followed by carvery roast dinner main course & pre-ordered desserts. Lots of lively conversations round the table, youngsters all very well behaved, food quite good & birthday girl very happy 🥹 We sang Happy Birthday & the ‘cake’ was cupcakes made by S’s DD. Went outside for group photos - still gloriously warm & sunny at 16:30. We said our goodbyes & left 16:50 (DSis drove) arriving home 18:00. A wonderful family day 🥹 One of S’s birthday presents is a 2 day trip to Cologne booked & paid for by her DD. S is looking forward to this as it will be her first ever visit to Germany 😊 Lazy evening with each of us having a sandwich. DH went for a walk. Now to a bit of cheerleading: 

London_1, crikey what a busy Friday 🤩 I was exhausted just reading about everything you got done 😊 This “I went to my coffee morning at Northwood just outside Cowes. Its sound odd but its held in a cemetery .Well there are two chapels there plus the Family History centre so the Friends of Northwood cemetery hold various event there to help raise funds for their work Its a beautiful 17 acre site and the amount of wildlife and squirrels there is amazing. Lots of volunteers help keep it looking absolutely gorgeous, and its not a sad or creepy place at all, every week there is a coffee morning usually on a Saturday, but also there are two day events laid on where, as today it was a jigsaw sale. People donate them for sale, and the proceeds help out with funding. If you google the site you can see how brilliant, with the help of some lottery funding plus lots of local community help its turned the place into a place where folk meet, chat or have a wander around the amazingly beautiful gardens and the flora and fauna is stunning. It's won a Green award for 8 years running.” sounds so wonderful 🥹 I broke off from cheerleading to watch a couple of the Friends of Northwood cemetery videos ☺️ There has been a lot of work done over the years & it looks stunning 🤩 You certainly have a very full calendar 🥹 

BlueJ94, I definitely wouldn’t count the new to you jigsaw puzzles 😉 Enjoy ☺️ 

florianatwobob, a loft conversion sounds exciting 🤩 Hopefully you managed to find the perfect staircase 🤞

GrannyKate, nice to hear that bedroom 2 is ready for plastering 🙂 Fingers crossed the plasterer turns up early on Monday & can get the job finished in a day 🤞Excellent decluttering 👏

Great work suzeesu2000 👏 Good luck with cleaning & sorting the shelf unit 👿

Lovely post StickyTheStickInsect ☺️ Fingers crossed that your DH makes it to Battersea on Monday 🤞Yikes to having to reschedule the new floor, hopefully emptying DS2/DD’s bedroom won’t take up your entire weekend 🙏

suzeesu2000, re This “Forgot to mention, wheelchair man collected this morning, rang at 2pm to say was all fixed and will take back this afternoon. And the cost? £15. Very pleased with the work and the man and will definitely be leaving a nice review for them. xx” what an excellent result 👏

BlueJ94, hope you managed to get all 5 modules sorted 🤞 Well done on resisting temptation in the Sainsbury’s sale 👏

I have fallen further behind with the cheerleading but will make a concerted effort to catch up tomorrow. Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’ ⭐️ 🏅 🏅

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 1662/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £379.00

BlueJ94

Morning all! 

I snoozed my alarm a little later than I was supposed to but I've still got 45 minutes of me time! Also, im going to treat myself, if I can keep my room in tip top shape im going to get myself some bulbs to go onto my mirror so I can do my make up properly in the mornings!

I put the heating on timed this morning as its rather chilly again, still dark and rainy too. As im making my coffee im also decluttering the drawer of doom that lives in my kitchen! 

BlueJ94

I also wanted to share a photo of my cute mug! 




Ive also loaded whatever was in the sink into my dishwasher, wiped down some surfaces.

Not really a busy one today either, work until half 4 and thats all I have planned.

GrannyKate

Morning all.  Not a lot done mostly pottering as DGCs seem to have spent most of the weekend here.  Had nice Sunday lunch at DS2s and then they came back here and decided to go in pool at 7 last night.  They stayed in for half an hour which surprised me as it has turned cold.  Both had hot shower afterwards.  Gardener doesn't seem to be coming back so I think I need to get out there weeding and tidying.  DS1 has landed in Shanghai this morning and is going on to an inland city in China for business.  DD had an unexpected weekend with her children as her business trip was cancelled so they had a day at the seaside. 

854 Tidied and cleaned my bedroom, moved bits round, cleaned window and mirrors - there are just a few more things in there to sort and hopefully most of the extra bedding will move under the new bed in bedroom 2 when I get it.  

I'd best get dressed before plasterer arrives and get children up. 

CRANKY40

Good morning good people, 

Happy belated birthday @suzeesu2000.  Ds had an ancestry test from my sister for his 18th birthday and the results were fascinating (including an email from a cousin of late dh who now lives in Australia).

@BlueJ94 Fabulous decluttering and I'm glad that you kept the chair - it's really pretty. 

@Soontobeoap maintenance is fine when you don't gave time to declutter. Grandchildren are there to be enjoyed, the clutter will keep for a quiet day. 

Decluttering is catching - my sister has started too. She is also finding a lot of things that she had forgotten about and is listing handbags on Vin**d so making money. She sent me a photo of her jeans collection and the bed was covered 😮

I rearranged some of my craft room yesterday as the box that the kitten has her cushion on top of was a bit small now that she has grown - bits of her were hanging over the edge. I decluttered 10 items in the process and actually some things are now in more sensible (accessible) places. The kitten had fun "helping" so ds helped by taking the kitten out to play in the garden for 20 minutes. The little box has now been replaced by a large rectangular tub which is a much better fit for a "long teen" which is apparently the cat stage after "potat" which is a small kitten 😄 Total of September decluttering up to bed time last night is 90 items.

I also managed to do 15 minutes of pruning and deadheading before rain stopped play so that's the roses in the back garden made winter ready. Just three in the front to do and as there is blue sky outside I am hoping that I'll get those done today (after grocery shopping). 

Take care all of you 😊

Moorviews

Mrs SD, I love the sound of your big family get togethers! 

@BlueJ94 - that was an amazing transformation, well done! Your yellow chair is lovely 🥰 

I am on laundry catch up after a wet couple of weeks. Saturday weather was good but I was out so couldn’t make the most of drying. I am not psychologically ready for indoor drying routines quite yet! Most of the house is pretty tidy now. The problem areas are the DCs vacated rooms (still!) and the craft room/study. The latter would be improved if I could clear the former. Mr MV, despite my efforts, has spread his stuff significantly into the other rooms. It happens by stealth 😂 He is naturally geared to living like a student unfortunately. Where he can find a space he will dump things down and visible mess does not perturb him. For example, he will leave a pile of clean clothes on top of the chest of drawers, even though there is plenty of room for them in the drawers. It is apparently much easier to grab what he needs! I mean, just how difficult is it to get something out of a drawer?

Soontobeoap

@moorviews I know exactly what you mean. DH is very good at putting washing out and bringing it back in again but will leave a pile of very dry tea towels and dish clothes on a chair in the dining area rather than put into the kitchen drawer a metre away. Still he is a good soul so I forgive him! 🤣

vulpix

 Happy Birthday, Suzeesu.xx

 Loving your new cabinet Granny kate, and the pom pom flowers.

You are on fire blue J.

Another lovely family gathering Mrs SD. It does a body good to spend happy times with family.

DD1 came yesterday just as the heavens opened and it continued to rain heavily until she left at 7pm. So the planned out door stuff will have to happen today. I am very surprised that all our clothes fit in 2 large suitcases and a couple of banana boxes of jumpers. In my mind we had so much more clothing than we actually have. All the bedroom furniture is now empty and hoovered out. We have an open box with a couple of changes of clothes each which will have to be wash and wear.

Before the rain Mr V had a mooch in his little shed. Several bits of electricals, bits of wood and metal for the tip. DD1 took a power drill, 2 batteries and the case away with her. She also took 5 fents of fabric which was to hand, packed in my yarn stash. I am pleased that they have found a good home. She wants to recover some kitchen chair seats. The fabric is bright turquoise and lime green mid century which is DD1's style. The fabric was originally my Mothers kitchen curtains in the 1970's. I have been using the fabric to line tote bags. Very pleased that my fabric stash is now very small, just a few oddments of velvet left from when I covered my dining chairs. With a bit of effort I could make something and use all the stash up! Now that would be a novelty.

 Big bag of soft plastics to Tesco and a pile of socks in textile recycle.

 Gave DD1 my only houseplant. I am hit and miss with houseplants. I seem to give them away after a couple of months. DD1 has hundreds. I go to hers, admire one and she says ,you gave me that 2 years ago.   

 A full black sack of knitted goods finally posted off on Saturday, amazed that it was under £8 .

 Solicitor update. Our solicitor has had 2 more attempts at the access document refused. She says she can do no more!!!!!!!! yikes! She says what happens is the online company use a bank of self employed solicitors who charge every time they do anything plus she has never dealt with the same person twice! Fingers crossed we sign the statement of truth on Thursday, then it will be a case of everyone agreeing a move date.

  better crack on  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

Monday is another bright sunny day with a forecast high of 21°C, low 14°C, humidity 52% but a chilly breeze. We had a very short light shower. DH has zizzed up some worm food & DSis loaned me her phone to play a match-up game as she is over a month behind 😉 I am now settling down to catch up with the cheerleading starting with posts dated the 6th. Timer is on & I am raring to go:

Dizzycap, so pleased to hear about the added benefits (for Babyface) of the pine trees being removed 😊 Re the wood chipper, I get the same nauseous feeling when I listen to heavy bass music 🤢 More excellent work in the garden, worthy of a medal  🏅 which is on its way 🙂 I love the idea that you only go to MrS to pick up boxes 🙊 saves an awful lot of money by not doing any shopping 😉 You have been so busy that I am hoping you are fitting in plenty of rest & relaxation & spending time in the TLC Carriage 🙏

Good luck with your budgets BlueJ94 🍀

Excellent decluttering mehefin 👏 worthy of a Gold Star ⭐️ which is on its way 🙂 This “There is a print/picture left by a previous owner - I can not see for the life of me how they got it up into the loft. Its much too big for the loft hatch regardless how much you twist it.. Think it will be a smash up job - not a particularly nice picture anyway so no loss to the artworld” is so funny 🤣 hopefully it is not a lost masterpiece 😉😉

Brie, what a spectacular revelation 🤩 If that towel should ever disappear, I doubt it will be gremlins - probably one of the Declutterati Family will have whipped it off your washing line 🤣 Not the wrong ‘drawer’ at all - more a chance for a speedy declutter 😉 Good luck on your shopping trip 🍀 Hopefully at this time of year summer products will be on sale & you can save some extra spending money for your holiday in Crete ☺️

DH has just headed out for his walk (15:15) He has earned himself a medal 🏅 (updated already whilst I remember) for repairing some kitchen tongs so quickly - I only asked on Saturday 😊

Lovely post Liverpool_Anne 😊 This “good luck with sorting out your sleep pattern. One thing I do notice is when you are on your trips you do have a good routine, maybe you need to try to trick yourself by pretending you are on holiday 😂. I must admit I am not really a morning person either so I do understand, hugs” is a great idea 👏 now I just have to persuade DH to make me breakfast every morning to get the full holiday experience 🤣 A very busy & successful Friday 👏 definitely worthy of a Gold Star ⭐️ which is on its way. I understand that you are having to ask OH if he has any rubbish but as he is being so amenable I am awarding him a medal🏅 with the hope that he will soon automatically put things in the lr bin 🤞Good luck making the crochet basket 🍀

BlueJ94, very kind & brave of you to play in traffic 🥹 Thank goodness you were successful 😮‍💨 

Crazycatlady2, I found 2 cats 😉 

YBR so cute 🥰 

suzeesu2000, I love the affirmation you provided to Dizzycap re This “I've decided that I’m going to write down everything I do every day and enjoy reading through my achievements no matter how small they may seem to me" 🥹 The fact that you have been doing this all year & that it is working so well is brilliant 🤩 & a real encouragement to not only Dizzycap but also to the rest of our Declutterati family ☺️ - worthy of a medal 🏅 which is on its way 🙂 Sorry to hear about the gastric issues & that you have “an ever growing list of foods I can't tolerate.” 😢 That is a lot of washing up liquid 😉 however now that you are aware, I don’t think you will be buying any more 🤞

Loving the conversation & observations about cat characteristics & antics 😆 Now flagging so will post & run 🙂 

I will watch Countdown & be back later 👋 Hope everyone is having a good day 🤞DH is back - too warm for walking so he is going to do some gardening 😉

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’ ⭐️ 🏅 🏅

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 1662/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £379.00

suzeesu2000

CRANKY40Mrs_Salad_Dodger and @vulpix Thank you. 
Been warm and sunny all day over here.
Last evening I sorted all DHs track pants, now neat and tidy.
This afternoon I went through all his socks, only a few singletons so they’ve gone.
Also went through his undies and found 9 pairs for the bin, perished elastic and holes.
This evening I took all my T-shirts out of the drawers and sorted into 3 piles: keep, sell, charity.
Photographed all the keepers, refolded and now fit in one drawer. Do have rather a large pile to sell, most have the tag on still 😊 I’m embarrassed. Rest all bagged up to go to charity shop. Hoping to get nightwear and winter tops done tomorrow. 

Had a curry from freezer for dinner. 

Wrote new menu for this week, every meal is from the freezer and pantry shelves this week (veg from fridge) hoping I don’t have to shop for at least 10 days, preferably a fortnight.
Wrote new “To do” list and already have a couple of jobs done. This could turn out to be a good week! 

Have a good night all xx