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

Thursday: high 17°C, low 13°C rained early morning now brightening up. DH had a bath as he & I were popping down to Kent to drop off the rainbow hat I knitted for great great nephew R - just hope he likes it as much as the adults do 🤞 We left at 12:15, stopped off at Dobbies to buy some hedging plants & arrived at DH’s sister’s house about 14:00. Just her & her DH. Lots of catching up & laughter + saw the holiday pictures from Barbados. We had intended leaving after a couple of hours to avoid the traffic but ended up staying until R turned up after his dancing lesson. He was absolutely thrilled with his rainbow hat & apparently didn’t take it off until after he got home 😮‍💨 We left at 17:15 & were extremely lucky with the traffic. Stopped at KFC & picked up some dinner. Arrived home about 19:10. 

2059 - 2060 Kitchen recycling, completed Sudoku puzzle book - recycled

2061 Kitchen detritus - binned 

😬 Just the 6 pages behind 😧 Sleep tight 😴 

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2061/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, I am so far behind with posting I will try to keep it short 😂. Not caught up with reading posts either so apologies if I have missed something but I will try to catch up today 😁.
Yesterday I decluttered the builders and a chunk of money 😂. This last week has been a bit frustrating as there was only small things left to do, a piece of trim, a couple of screws in the light switch, door knobs etc but they have taken all week with me waiting around for someone to turn up to do them. We actually went out on Monday for afternoon tea at a very posh place on the 34th floor overlooking the city and river. I will post a photo later. We had not heard from the builder but he turned up while we were out and climbed over the gate and finished the outside work 😂. What it has meant though is that I feel I have been hanging around waiting all week for someone to turn up to sort out the last bits and not wanting to go out in case I missed them again. I have been exhausted with it all even though they have been very nice and quite tidy a bit better communication would have been useful 😂. I have however asked this builder to quote for redoing the kitchen. It will be a big job as the outside wall got damp so everthing needs taking back to the brick, the wall will have to dry and then be replastered and then the new kitchen fitted. To the builder this is a small job, he's currently replacing a roof and building a massive extension 😂, but it feels like a big job to me 😂. I thought about leaving it for a while but then thought well most of the kitchen is in cardboard boxes in my living room so we might as well just get it sorted 😂. He can't do it until after Christmas which is fine as it will give me time to find the kitchen I want 😂. It is a very small space so in some ways that makes it easier as there are very few options with the layout but at the same time I will need to maximise the space I do have. I will take advantage of the free planning service being offered by a kitchen place and see what they come up with 😂. I should have recovered from this round of building by January and be able to face it by then 😂.
As far as decluttering goes I don't feel I have done much apart from the almost constant removal of dust. It is everywhere and I feel the whole house needs a deep clean and I am thinking after the kitchen has been done I might actually find a cleaner to come and help with that. If I do it will give me some time to do other things like sort out the clutter instead of just moving it around so I can dust 😂.
Since I last posted we have had a couple of social things, a friend had a halloween gathering which was nice and the cream tea which we had a voucher for which covered most of the cost 😁. I have been to the footy twice, welcome relief to shout at the ref and destress 😂 and we have 2 more social things booked in. Tomorrow and next Thursday out for tea for birthdays and also on Thursday I am out for lunch with ex colleagues to a cafe that has been set up by the Mum's of ex pupils who have sadly passed away. They employ special needs young adults to work there so we are meeting there to give them some support plus both of the pupils were proper characters, I have many happy memories of them.
Right I have been awake for ages as I was woken by the moon, so bright I could read without the light on but I suppose it's time to get another cuppa and get on with something 😂
Hugs to everyone who would like one

1510 more leaves from the front garden though still more to remove
1511 ironing but more to do
1512 - 1517 LDFPA
1518 large bar of soap from stash uu, OH has resisted the use of this as it was a handmade thing with bits of lavender in but I eventually overruled 😁
1519 - 1521 lr bin
1522 kitchen bin
1523 kitchen recycling, needs doing again but the recycling bin is full of cardboard boxes 😂
1524 bathroom bin
1525 lots of dust 😂
1526 - 1529 400 emails permanently deleted
1530 - 1533 cardboard boxes
Take care everyone
1533/2025

vulpix

 Hahahaha, I will Floss.

 Brambling, I know specific to here but someone collects stationary and stuff to take to a school in Africa. If you have FB there may be something similar near you.

 Mr V has hung a mirror in the bathroom, and all before 8am. I don't recall hearing any swearing either.

 I was talking to Mr V's mate yesterday about moving. He said the best advice he ever had was from his removal man. Make 3 piles. Needed, possibly needed and rubbish. Throw the rubbish out then throw the possibly needed out too!

 I honestly thought we were not keeping any excess stuff at the last house. I think I had done my Mothers trick and stored it very well. There are still boxes of stuff not yet unpacked.I have no idea what it is. Obviously it isn't important. There are plenty empty cupboards in the kitchen. I will see if I can fill them and get rid of the boxes next week.

 Vx

vulpix

PS, Just realised I didn't save this, whats not to like about a rainbow hat Mrs SD. Glad you had a lovely day.x

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

Forgot to mention that I paid the milkman - it seems to come around very quickly 😉 Friday - a dull overcast day with a forecast high of 15°C, low 13°C but feeling 3° cooler. Whispering…. it is my birthday today. I had just boiled the kettle for my first cuppa & then noticed that the fridge light didn’t come on 😧 - no electric - major panic 😱 but it turned out that the kettle (it was on its last legs) had tripped the circuit breaker ☹️ DH got the electric back on & added the kettle to the Tip pile after I removed the filter which I only changed a few days ago, then I found the spare ‘basic’ kettle which is now in use & DH ordered a new kettle. No expensive electrician visit required  😮‍💨 After that minor kerfuffle, I opened  my cards & presents (Easter Egg, very pretty vase & a pretty hair clip all from my DSis), received flowers & chocolates from DH + my DB phoned 🥹 

I have already put my flowers in a vase + changed the water & trimmed/dead headed DSis’s 3 vases of flowers 😊 Dining room table looks like a florist’s shop 🙊 

I hope everyone is having as good a day as possible & will be back later to do some cheerleading before I fall even further behind 😉

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2061/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

daisy_1571

Happiest of happy birthdays Mrs sd xxxxxxxxxx

Dxxx

Wednesday2000

Happy Birthday!🥳 

oceanspirit

Happy birthday Mrs SD 🎂🍰

Frog completed yesterday and started the process with a tadpole this morning which will hopefully be completed by third party next Friday.

More went off the reading pile yesterday and emails are holding steady at around 120.

Finished reading a book which I have decided to keep for now as it was a lovely read and will probably read it again.

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

Friday continued: I have a 2nd cuppa & have just written a shopping list for DH & DSis who have set off 20 minutes earlier than their usual 14:00. Postman has delivered another 2 birthday cards 🙂 

2062 - 2065 Plastic bottle, 2 newspapers, paper packaging - recycled 

2066 Plastic packaging binned

Now settling down to do a bit of cheerleading (starting with posts dated the 2nd November) wish me luck 🍀 

Brie, excellent work tidying up & decluttering your art desk 👏 Perhaps you could use a very slightly damp cloth & an old toothbrush to clean the recorders 🤔 

ionafan, a useful suggestion re vulpix’s off centre vent 👏

Soontobeoap, another useful suggestion 👏

vulpix, well done on finding at least a temporary solution to the off centre vent 👏 Wow, you & MrV have been busy 😊 Very impressed at how much you have already done, so am sending you each a medal 🏅 🏅 Gorgeous picture 😻

Brie lovely post 😊

Excellent decluttering suzeesu2000 👏 A very productive day & worthy of a medal 🏅 which is on its way 🙂

Lovely post CRANKY40 ☺️ I especially loved This “….  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” 🥹

QueenJess, sounds like you are very busy at work 😧 so please be gentle on yourself with the decluttering 🙏 Great work continuing with the up 👏 Meanwhile you have done some excellent decluttering 👏 Good luck with both the reconfiguration of DS’s bedroom & getting your “kids to do a pre Xmas declutter” 🍀 Sadly I missed out on the “hm cinder toffee (dipped in 85% dark chocolate)” 😞 that will teach me to keep up with the cheerleading 😉

oceanspirit, well done on keeping up with the day to day things 👏 Pleased to hear This “feel slightly more organised for the week ahead than usual.” 😊

Lovely post TC77 😊 I have to say I was not impressed by your neighbour when I read This “….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.” 😠 Sorry to hear This “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…..” 😔 as I remember how much hard work you put into organising paperwork 😞 I am keeping my fingers crossed that you might have saved the document digitally & will discover it as you continue your digital decluttering 🤞

Excellent decluttering & tidying of the “storage shed aka ‘the far/top shed’” florianatwobob 👏 Sounds like you have made a great start & hopefully the weather will stay dry enough for you to complete the tidy up/declutter of said shed 🙏 Oh my those hg tomatoes look delicious 🤤 as do the pumpkin scones 😋 Sadly I missed out on the scones 😞 

Brambling, now that is what I call a very successful “pottering day” aka decluttering day 👏 especially finding the recipe book 🥳 

Yippee, now starting on posts dated 3rd November - only 4 and a bit days behind 😉

GrannyKate, sorry to hear about your sleepless night 😞 Hopefully the DGCs will enjoy their extended visit with you & DS2 😊 Excellent decluttering of bed linen 👏 Brilliant photos 🤩 Mr Sox looks so comfortable & your tomato plants can definitely be described as “triffids” 😊 I will pop round later & ‘help you out’ by relieving you of some of your tomatoes 🙊😉

I have reached the bottom of a page so will post, put the timer on do some knitting & come back a bit later 👋 

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2066/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

ionafan

Happy Birthday, @Mrs_Salad_Dodger