2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

CRANKY40

@Green_hopeful I hope your cat is ok, poor little thing. 

I looked for one of those flower things when our kitten was spayed but she hated anything round her neck. Luckily she is harness trained so we put her jumper on with her harness on top so when she tried to turn round and lick her wound her jumper covered it up. She answered the door to the trick or treaters in her ghost jumper on Friday. 

@vulpix I would love that window seat. The late MrC was supposed to build me a window seat but we hadn't reached that point in the renovations when he became "the late" and there's no bay window in this house sadly. 

QueenJess

Just popping in (still catching up on posts, so hugs to anyone that needs them).  Reporting some progress this week with using things up.  I'm starting to feel like I'm starting to lose control of the kitchen and kids bedrooms, so I think I need to concentrate on chipping away at a few things.  I think I'll get the kids to do a pre Xmas declutter.  I also need to look at rearranging the furniture in DD's room as it doesn't quite work - need DH to help me with that though as it requires moving a heavy desk, bed and wardrobe to see if we can find a better configuration.  Probably need even more storage in DS's room... I'm going to give in and get him an underbed storage box seeing as he shoves loads of stuff under there anyway.

Basically I must try harder as things are creeping back in whilst I've been busy working full time!
1 - book (charity box)
3 - sticker sheets used up
11 - paper, reused then recycled
2 - baking oversupplies used up
2 - kids clothes too small (charity bag)
2 - packaging reused
1 - candle used up

1 - DS stuff (Buy Nothing)
1 - hand cream (donated to parents)

New total 5,307
Use it up total 435
Big kitchen declutter challenge 139/150

I've popped some hm cinder toffee (dipped in 85% dark chocolate) into the tlc carriage.  Please have some as I can't seem to walk past it without dipping my hand in at the moment!

oceanspirit

Another busy day doing just day to day things rather than moving things forward, but I suppose it stops those things from getting behind.

Nothing out as such, however feel slightly more organised for the week ahead than usual.

TC77

@vulpix that corner looks lovely, looks as if the house has good bones as you describe and you'll make it a lovely home.

The donut collar looks so much comfier that the plastic cones, hope the poorly pet is on the mend soon.

@Floss I don't really have things for the tip as comfortable with furniture, and DB is doing tip runs at my dad's. It's small things, and not suitable for CS but don't like to put in landfill if I can help it.

Having said that a neighbour posted photo of what looked like a small coffee table and thought DD1 may like and sent her a photo (She has one from my nest of tables). Said I'd go round tomorrow but they said they'd bring round tonight. Yikes bigger than thought and v heavy- If I'd gone round I'd have said no having seen it.
DD1 can check it out when she picks up cats for their holiday while I'm away and if not will go on free site.
Top in CS bag, broken banker's box out and phone case - think wrong one ordered.

Had to look for document for dd2 from 9 years ago and can't find it. Disappointed that my paperwork is far more chaotic than I thought so will be a big 2026 task. More electronic decluttering and unsubscribing. 

1795

florianatwobob

Happy Birthday Salad Sister

Today was the turn of the storage shed aka ‘the far/top shed’  (oh how I long to one day have an empty shed instead of two filled ones).

Put the garden furniture away! (This was the bargain wrought iron style ones we bought in the CS for £40 earlier this year). Had a rummage through and reordered some of the storage. Not quite order from chaos but one step closer. Found a few bits to go and they are now in a bag ready to leave next weekend. 

Decluttered my poor, defeated courgette into the garden bin along with half a bin full of leaves. There’s another half bin full to take up but the garden bin is now full until Friday. 

My toms are still fruiting and ripening. Not sure how much longer they’ll be doing that but they are a welcome treat from the garden. The variety, if anyone is interested, is ‘Honeycomb’. An orange cherry tomato. The red one is a tumbling tom.  

 

Decluttered 3 chicken breasts which should have been in date but were decidedly ‘off’. Have cranked the fridge knob so it’s colder in there but it did mean the chick casserole that I’d been looking forward to was off the menu today. 

Decluttered 2 leeks, some smoked haddock fillets and the tail end of various bits of grated cheese from the freezer and made a haddock and leek macaroni cheese instead. It was delicious (the recipe has been stuck to the fridge door for….a while). 

DSis and I made some pumpkin pie scones (recipe 4/50) which are also delicious. 

The twin decluttering aims this week are to drop some not working fairy lights off at Waitrose for recycling and the bag of candle wax off for repurposing in Ukraine. 

Thank you for all the good wishes this past week. I’ve left pumpkin scones and some butter in the TLC Carriage for you all!

Brambling

I love the bench vulpix and the bay window it looks like just the place to sit and read, if the cat lets you! 

Florian do you add spices to your pumpkin scones? 

A pottering day for me, I added a empty box in the small bedroom and a large bag for charity and every time I've gone upstairs I've either added something to the box or bag or put it in its rightful home. I can see so much more of the floor in the small bedroom. I found a book of recipes my nephews school made about 25years ago, made up from family recipes including some of mine which has now found its way to the book shelves, it has some nice recipes in it 😋

I sorted a small bag of crafting stuff and pasted to my sister last night for one of the children she sees as a play therapist. 

florianatwobob

@Brambling nutmeg and cinnamon. The recipe also includes vanilla extract, soft brown sugar and condensed milk. It’s a very sticky dough!

Brambling

Thanks Florian I've made them using the pumpkin/squash instead of the butter but not with condense milk,  I've made lemonade scones which used cream (not whipped) and that's very sticky and needs to be worked quickly 

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: having rained & been very windy overnight & early a.m. it is currently a crisp sunny day with a high of 12°C, low of 8°C & quite breezy. After yesterday’s early start DH is still in bed, DSis has woken up with a headache so came down to make tea & has gone back to bed & I am up & getting ready to make my 2nd cuppa & start the cheerleading…………….Never quite got around to cheerleading 😞 Instead I spent the afternoon completing sudoku puzzles. Although I did descale the kettle 😉 I had decided on a full roast dinner - pork with crackling, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, green beans, Yorkshire puddings, lo potato dauphinois & DH made gravy. It was delicious 😋 Wudupa.

2039 - 2042 Kitchen recycling, 2 cardboard boxes, drinks cans - recycled 

2043 - 2044 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

Apologies for falling behind with the cheerleading, partially due to finding a new favourite programme “The Wool Game”  I was completely fascinated 🤩 

Thank you for all the birthday wishes for my DSis 🥹 Sleep tight 😴

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

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’ ⭐️🏅🏅⭐️😇🏅🥇 

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2043/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £469.00

GrannyKate

Morning all.  I finally gave up on sleeping after waking up every hour from about 2.  No idea why. DGS4 decided to get in my bed about 10 last night which is fine.  It is king size so I don't even notice he is there.  DGD4 decided to sleep here as well as new bed was made up and ready.  They won't have to have so early a start today.  I think I need to go hunting school shirts - tried 4 places so far but none in right style and size for DGD4.  I guess I could try on line.  I had quite a productive day yesterday doing jobs and went down to DS2 for delicious Sunday lunch - pork shoulder from a special offer I found last week done in slow cooker.  DGCs with me/DS2 all week as change of plans at the 'other end'. 

Sorted and culled bedding.  It all fits neatly under the new bed and top of my wardrobe and several shelves are now empty.  I will put some Christmas stuff in there as I have it spread in random places.  Full car load taken to tip.  I decided that two spare kingsize quilts and covers (these will do for my bed, double bed and bed settee) and two spare single quilts are all I need.  I also have a sleeping bag.  I have a folding bed, futon and truckle bed but have only ever used all three once years ago.  There are 4 decent spare pillows and one bag with some odd curtain material in. 

I was looking at dressing table for bedroom 2 but think it will be too deep.  I don't want to clutter the room.  The bedside tables from Mr D have a matching console table so I may get that. 

1024 Three pillowcases to CS bag
1025 Two pillows to tip
1026 Old single quilt to tip. 
1027 Children's quilt set to CS bag 
1028 Double sheet to CS bag
1029 Underbed storage filled - I have some spare bedding bags but will keep those for the moment. DGD1 may want them for stable.
1030-1033 Four very large cardboard boxes to recycling
1034 Bag of random packaging to tip
1035 Several large plastic sheets to tip
1036 Large bag of carpet offcuts and waste to tip
1037 Picked Chillis for DS2 to freeze
1038 Bag of cherry tomatoes to DS2 - they have been amazing this year and still ripening in greenhouse.
1039 Four large bags of leaves raked up and almost filled recycle bin
1040 Pruned hedge alongside drive - needs a proper cut but my shears are useless.  The tendrils make warning sensor on car go off whenever I try to reverse into drive

Mr Sox rested up and supervised all day.  You can see my tomato triffids in the garden in bedroom pictures below