2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

TC77

Another pen used up1636!

Floss

@vulpix I love your bangle! The IWM North is quite interesting, they have a permanent display of poppies outside:

Visit IWM North - Plan Your Visit | Imperial War Museums https://share.google/2gFN763fOxwYX51Po

weenancyinAmerica

@vulpix - I always used to schedule a day at the Imperial War Museum on each of my trips. Always something new to see.

@dND - I have the same problem with my three cats (actually two belong to roommates but I am the one taking care of them). I use the large metal clippers for humans to trim the cat claws. Had to tackle the big cat on the bed and practically sit on him to get the last three nails done. He weighs twenty pounds. Yes, I know the roommates should help hold the cats. They are worse to get penned down to do something then the cats are. It is just easier on my nerves to do it myself. I try to do it every couple of weeks.

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: Forecast high 19°C, low 12°C no rain or wind forecast some sunshine but mainly cloudy. DSis left at 09:15 to meet her so T & his gf S at Clapham Junction to say goodbye to S. DSis phoned 12:55 to advise waiting for T to get back from Gatwick after accompanying S to airport as she had to get back to France (she has 2 children & shares custody with her ex) When T got back to CJ they did some shopping then DSis messaged 17:15 - no dinner required as she is eating with T - pub meal so will be back later. She finally got home 19:05 after having sausage & mash which she thoroughly enjoyed.  DH left at 10:00 for fat club & got back 12:55. Just the 6 of them now. He had lost 0.4kg, so still on a downward trajectory 👏 DH had a stir fry for lunch as he was starving.                                                                                                                    I was up at 12:30 and as all today’s mail was mine - I dealt with it immediately including filing & shredding 😉 After that I caught up on some news & was sad to see that Robert Redford has died 😞 I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the athletics (which I had recorded) whilst writing birthday cards - I am about halfway through 🙂 Took some bolognaise sauce out of freezer ( starting to have a little wiggle room) which DH & I had with spaghetti. Wudupa

1728 - 1” shredding added to sack of shredding for worm bedding/food

1729 - 1735 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, booklet, magazine, plastic bottle, newspaper, cardboard packaging - recycled 

1736 - 1740 Kitchen, office, DSis bedroom & lr detritus, plastic packaging - binned

BlueJ94, just wondering how long you have to do the early morning shifts? as they sound brutal 😞 You would think that as your bins don’t get emptied for 3 weeks, that they would at least be emptied on time 😖 

Liverpool_Anne,great work getting a Tip run done 👏 Shame about getting caught in the rain ☹️ but at least it was the perfect reason to light the fire 😉 Despite the weather & getting caught in traffic, Monday sounds like a lovely day with both family & friends 🥹 Not sure I would want to have just a 4 day trip to Canada on my own let alone with 2 young children 😬 OH’s dniece is a very brave young woman 😊 Lunch sounds delicious 😋 & even better that it meant you didn’t need to cook in the evening 😊 With such a busy week ahead, I wouldn’t be too concerned about decluttering just as long as the day to day stuff is getting done 😉 Thanks for This “Mrs SD re the meal planning, could you start with a list of the meals that you all like and then look at what you and Mr SD like but can have an easy substitute for dsis, for example if she doesn't like pork when you do pork medallions could she have sausages so there is only one thing different but could be put in the oven so you are not juggling several things in different plans 😁 I know things are also complicated by Mr SD's 800 days atm but I notice he does stir fry on those days sometimes. With a little fiddling you could all have this. I remember when I had to be on a fat free diet due to gall bladder problems I used to have stir fry quite often cooked in soy sauce rather than oil so it was completely fat free but very filling. I will have a check through your posts to get a better idea and a ponder. If I come up with any other ideas I will let you know 😂” a great idea 😊

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 Re This “Trying to remind myself that the decluttering is to help create the life you want (ie not trip hazards, and not taking all day to mind your belongings).” is a great observation 🥹 Good luck with This “Realise I have to tackle the next layer of things which are more involved in history/emotion/justin etc” 🍀 Perhaps tackle the ‘Justin’s’ first as hopefully they will be easier to deal with 🤞

Lovely post _Dolly_Rocker_ ☺️ DH is doing well, but currently finding it a little difficult combining so many different methods 😉 Hopefully he will pick the ones he can work with & then might be able to spare some ‘motivation’ which I will get him to send your way 😂 Good news about the flood & even better news that you have such a good neighbour 😊 Good luck with This “Tidied up my living room and bedroom yesterday in between work and walking dogs so those 2 rooms look lovely. Today I am going to tackle the kitchen and I need to get into the habit of giving the whole place a wee once over every day. Here's to making new habits and having them stick!” 🍀

Oops just seen the time 😬 so off to bed & will try harder tomorrow 🙂 Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’ ⭐️ 🏅 🏅

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 1740/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £379.00

charlies_tribe

Good morning. Can't believe its been almost a month since I last posted.
3 of the teens started college on Monday so I have a bit of time to myself. Im still struggling with energy levels but now having tests at the doctors. Waiting for a blood test but they can't fit it in until mid October!

DH has been amazing. Although he's commented a lot about me just sat watching him, he has continued with the new bedroom building. The wall and door are in, we fetched the floor yesterday, just need to paper the walls. Can't believe I didn't take a single photo though. 

Ive been going through bits as I can and last week started with half hour each day cleaning/decluttering 1 room. I seem to be managing this at the minute.
This Monday was bathroom, where i got rid of some fidget toys that had been washed and been moving around the bathroom/being rewashed for about a year. And a bra that the elastic straps were no longer elasticing.

Yesterday was my bedroom. Bedding washed and floor swept and mopped. I was struggling so came down with the huge metal safe box and decided to sort it sat down. DD2 loved it! Looking at everyone's old passports. She picked one up and was asking why I had a strangers passport and burst into fits of giggles when she read the name and realised it was her dad. She can't believe he used to have hair! It is over 30 years old. Loads of electric bills (£200 for a quarter, we go through more than that a month now) itemised telephone bills, tax credits stuff, tv licenses, water bills, wage slips.... all dating back to 2007-2014. The only things left in it are passports,  birth certificates etc. It was so light taking it back upstairs. Yesterday was also recycle day and I've had a huge bag of batteries on the side, probably been collecting for the last 2 years with at least 100 batteries in it. I heard tge lorry yesterday as I looked at the bag so got DH to run it down, its finally gone.

Today should be the kitchen but I think DD1 is coming to help me sort through all tge stuff crammed into the now dining room so they'll probably be switching days.

So sorry for the long post and huge list but I will hopefully post more often. Right, off to make a fresh tea, hugs to all who need them.

1043-1044  2xpairs holey socks
1045-1053  9xbubble bottles
1054  Pile of instructions
1055  HiFi system
1056-1057  Fire and surround
1058-1059  2 pump bottles
1060  Sponge
1061  Box
1062  Tshirt
1063  Coat hangers
1064  Pool table chalks
1065-1068  4cm paperwork shredded
1069-1073  5x Plastic dolls toys from landing
1074--1075  2 bags
1076  Waterbottle
1077  Frisbee
1078  Notebook
1079  Pen
1080-1099  20 lynx cans
1100 Large box
1101  Slippers
1102  Gift bag
1103-1111  9x fidget toys
1112  Bra
1113-1125  12cm paperwork shredded
1126  Small Jewellery box
1127  Pile of receipts
1128  Huge (ziplock) bag of batteries

CRANKY40

Good morning, 

Best laid plans and all that.....instead of working on my "to do" list on Saturday afternoonI ended up in A&E waiting for ds to have his head sewn up. He dropped something on the floor, bent down to get it and whacked his head on the edge of his desk drawer. Three hours and seven stitches later we were free to leave. It was a 17 hour wait for a doctor but luckily he didn't need to see one, he just needed sewing up.

I've managed to keep up with decluttering. I scanned some books on WOB yesterday. They were all heavy recipe books and for 10 of them they wanted to pay me the princely sum of £5. I took them to the charity shop in a carrier bag rather than mess round finding a box etc. Total items decluttered so far in September 155, yay.  There are a lot more books to go through.

@suzeesu2000 Frankie is lovely, I do like seeing other people's cat photos.

I also do cat claw trimming myself. Our last cat had a single fur coat so didn't venture out much in winter and towards the end of her life not much in summer either. The new kitten hurtles round the garden several times a day under the supervision of ds so I haven't had to do hers yet. She loves a good game of chase or hide and seek. She has a pre-spay vet appointment this morning so hopefully she will be booked in for her op. 

Take care all of you.

GrannyKate

I had a quick read of all the posts.   Few things done but a negative for every positive.  Problems with heating - new boiler in May - and it looks like a leak but no idea where.  Plumber came out straight away although I was out and I have to ring him later to see what pressure does in next few hours.  It looks horribly like I may have to have central heating piping replaced.  This may mean taking up some newly laid kitchen floor and bedroom carpet.  Not too concerned about rest of the rooms which we haven't done yet.  Bedroom 2 is plastered and skirting replaced but have to wait now to see what's happening with floor before I order a carpet.  I have wooden not solid floors which may be a blessing.  Car is at garage and will hopefully be covered by warranty.  My initial plan was to  spend the morning in town whilst car was in garage but I got soaked through so came home on the bus - my first time on that service which took an interesting route to nearest bus stop.  I do know now that it stops very close to several venues I regularly attend for meetings and right outside my GPs so that will be useful in the future if I can longer drive.  Free bus pass but I have booked a taxi to go back to get the car later as garage is half a mile from town so I don't want to get soaked again.  

885-8 Four bags to tip mostly underlay and gripper rods
889 Cards delivered and/or posted
890 Finally managed to renew English Heritage and set up DD for which they offered good discount.   This was the last thing which kept sending mail to old address (my redirection expires in November) 
891 Plasterer and joiner finished bedroom 2 - decorating now on hold because of central heating issues. 

On positive front DD had good news that recent biopsies are benign.  She may still need some treatment.  I did buy a picture frame for kitchen and I am going to order some prints of recent family pictures.  I also bought a net/voile curtain for porch window.  It looks directly at porch and living room window next door and feels a bit exposed.  I'm not a great fan of nets but thought i'd try it.  

QueenJess

@BlueJ94 I am in love with that yellow chair    Fab work - it's lovely when you can see a difference for your hard work.

I am still feeling rubbish here and basically doing the absolute minimum so I can get better.  On the plus side there's nothing coming in, so the place isn't being cluttered up.  I am also liberating the "emergency" pizzas from the freezer for dinner tonight - they were in there for this exact type of situation.

A few more bits and pieces to declare:

Digital:
2 - account deleted
1 - app deleted

Physical:
3 - paper reused then recycled
1 - paperwork recycled
1 - freezer overstock used up

New total 5,129
Use it up total 364
Mini freezer challenge -2/-120
Big kitchen declutter challenge 122/150

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, reasonable day yesterday. 2 LDFPA on the line 😁, new passport arrived so signed and put away safe 😁. Present and card for ln passed over. The present has been wrapped and sat on the shelf for a month or so so good to get that moved on 😁. The kitchen recycling and kitchen bin were emptied. 
Meal out with ex colleagues was as good as usual, lots of chatting and catching up and as usual the last to leave at the end of the night 😂. 
I have another load of washing in the machine swishing as it is supposed to be dry from now on after the rain this morning. With all the rain we have had lately it is starting to pile up and I am reluctantly thinking I will have to get the maiden out soon 😁.
I have had a phone call from my Dniece this morning, my Dsis slipped yesterday and twisted her knee. Trip to A & E and she has cracked her tibia. They kept her in overnight and she will have it plastered today but should be home this afternoon. I couldn't phone her as she sent her mobile home with my bil so I will call her tomorrow. Luckily my Dniece is going to dsis's today, already planned so will be there until Saturday after which they, dniece and her DH, are going to Cornwall for a house sit, though Dniece could stay with Dsis a bit longer if needed, playing it by ear atm. 

Re OH's Dniece and the trip to Canada her OH was with her as well so not on her own so not quite so bad. They only went for 4 days because they had already booked a family holiday in Cornwall, 12 people including the German cousins, when the wedding invitation arrived. Her OH only had limited holidays left so they got home from Cornwall on the Sunday and flew out to Canada on the Monday 😁. Dniece is still on mat leave until next week so has a bit of time to catch up on her sleep if the baby lets her 😂. 2 year old is straight back into nursery as if they hadn't crossed several time zones in a few days 😂. The energy of youth 😂. 

Right washing has finished so time to get weaving 😁

Hugs to everyone who would like one

1284 & 1285 LDFPA
1286 present and card to ln
1287 kitchen recycling
1288 kitchen bin
1288/2025

BlueJ94

Afternoon on this wet and horrible soggy day! 

Not much decluttering going on today, I may task myself to try and sort the arts and crafts or list items on vinted.