2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

London_1

Good morning all, Oh dear I hope you feel better soon vulpix or at least get to see a Dr. I agree thos photos of Japan are gorgeous  it seems such a colourful country. I love bright colours and hate the greys, browns and beiges of winter clothes in the UK.  Even my car is red  

Today I am decluttering stuff with avengence as I need to make room for my Christmas shopping bits. I have 6 birthdays before I even get to Christmas.

DD and I are driving up to Kent just before Christmas with presents for my eldest DD and family, and my eldest granddaughter and family, so lots of stuff has to be bought ,wrapped and boxed up ready to go into the boot of my car along with youngest DDs stuff as she too has stuff for her eldest DD and family Once the boot is empitied in Kent we are picking up two of my grandsons and bring them back with us for Christmas.
Mikey (youngest DGS) will make his way to the Medway to his brother Henry's place from Uni in Essex, and we will bring them both back with us.

I think our house will be full as we will have four young men plus Bens girlfriend (seems to be getting serious ) all scattered around the house over the holidays. So today is about finding extra room where we can.DD is crafting this morning so it will just be me and the two dogs,I may declutter them to the garden if it doesn't rain.The little westie is OK but the greyhound follows me around hoping for a biscuit or two and being such a big lad he does get under my feet at times.. Luckily the garden interests him as well so he and the little lad can have an hour so I can get on with things . Its worse than having a couple of toddlers at times They just like company, and are rarely left to their own devices.

Right the kettle is calling so its got to be cuppa time 

JackieO xx

GrannyKate

Morning all - quiet few days at home but going down to DS2's for tea tonight. Seven years yesterday since DH passed away - time goes so fast and on Saturday I will have been in this house a year.  Lovely pictures of Japan - it was one place DH wanted to go and we never made it.  DS1 has just spent 5 days in Tokyo for business and said it was amazing.  As I have not been out, other than a walk round corner to post box, Sox feels I need his company so keeps walking up and down on keyboard, sitting on printer or jigsaw puzzle board.  He hates the rain and stares gloomily out of the window. He pops out every now and then and comes in and walks on things with wet paws. I abandoned the jigsaw puzzle I was trying to do - it is awful with a shiny surface where the pictures seem to move (like those 70s pictures) - decided it was not giving me any pleasure and it has gone in the cardboard recycling.  Doing another one now although I have some must do frogs for this morning.  After that I may tackle the loft as I need to see what is in the Christmas box and find a couple of things.  

I have decided not to start bedroom 3 until after Christmas. I have moved some 'dumped' stuff out of the living room which looks a lot better.  Some stuff in garage but after the 17th I can have a free council collection of large piece of furniture and old mattress. Bookcase culled a bit more and list of 24 sent to DGS1.  He told me which ones he already had and suggested I pick 3-6 which I think he would like to have - thinks his mum, DD, would have a fit if he asked for all of them.  I'll check the rest to see if they have resale value and send rest to hospice book store.  I put stuff away where it belonged, found spaces for some things and took the step to finally throw away some damaged china of my mothers.  It has no real value even when perfect but had been kept for sentimental reasons as I remember it from my childhood home.  A few plates were still in good condition so I put them in with my china and will use them.  That sentiment will mean nothing to those I eventually leave behind. In my old village for my hair tomorrow and there is a recycling centre there so can drop a few bits off. 

December cards all written ready to post so I will start on Christmas ones now.  I plan to write and post all the overseas ones (about 8) before I go away with DD on 3 December.  Both my sons and two nephews have January birthdays and I picked up a card I thought one would like the other day.  

1073 Calendars for children updated
1074 Three boxes of cleaning stuff sorted through, tidied and checked stuff to add to shopping list
1075 Screenshots sitting on PC renamed, saved and/or deleted
1076-1079 China items (broken) binned
1080-1103 Books selected to go
1104 New children's book to CS bag
1105 Various pots and containers returned to DS2

Right I'll get dressed, get some breakfast and tackle those frogs. 

oceanspirit

Vulpix, hope you are able to see a doctor soon and make a fast and full recovery recovery.

Granny Kate, you have done so much in your first year at your new home.  I have been in my place for nearly 20 years and only one room has been repainted.  The rest are still in the previous owners colours, the kitchen is falling apart plus the living room carpet is a health hazard as it sheds specks of plastic fibres all the time.

Pottered at the weekend just doing day to day things.

A frustrating day again today, trying to deal with officialdom - I have given up on that one for now as I need to get other things done.

In between dealing with above, tackled a 3.5 year old frog which is now one third completed.  May have another go at it later as it would be good to get it off the frog list - numbers there are still at overwhelmingly high levels.

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

Oops, forgot to post yesterday 🙊 probably psychological as I didn’t do any cheerleading although I did do some paperwork & a lot of knitting 😉

What a difference a day makes - the showery on & off rain of the early hours of Monday has change to a steady & heavy downpour ☹️ high of 14°C,low 9°C but feeling 4° colder. The good news though is that when I woke for a bathroom visit at 09:50, I looked out of the bedroom window & the mattress was gone 🥳 

2092 Mattress collected 

DH has cancelled the MOT & arranged for the motorbike to be collected by the garage on Friday 14th. Update - bike being collected Wednesday tea time by mechanic on his way home so saving a separate journey 😊 very MSE 😉 I have spent the afternoon knitting with a brief break to re-box the basic kettle. One guess as to what I found when returning it to the under-stairs cupboard ……… yes you are correct ……. a brand new boxed filter kettle 😬 I think we are now probably SABLE with kettles 😅  DH had a little flurry of activity - filled the bird feeders, put the bike battery on charge & moved some compost out of the raised bed & added it to the newly planted hedge plants. Dinner was sausages, mash, baked beans & tinned tomatoes. I fried DSis’s sausages as they never colour up when I oven cook them. Wudupa

2093 - 2097 Kitchen recycling, 2 magazines, 0.5” paperwork, drinks cans - recycled 

2098 - 2099 Kitchen detritus - binned 

So Monday was a damp, miserable day but still rather warm for the time of year. 

Sleep tight 😴 

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2099/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

Matty246

Mrs SD  I was hoping it was Vulpix's dressing gown that had somehow materialised in your understairs cupboard!

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 is a dull dark day. DH heard the window cleaner so I was up & dressed quickly in order to pay him 🙂 His wife who had an op last month is chomping at the bit to get back to work but he is insisting she takes the full 8 weeks recommended for her recovery 🥹 No doubt as the windows have been cleaned  it will rain later 😉 although the forecast is for a dry day with a high of 15°C, low of 9°C & a chilly wind making it feel 5° colder. I will go straight into cheerleading before I get distracted by anything else 😉

charlies_tribe, definitely sounds like a couple of very busy weeks 🙂 Great work getting DD2’s room sorted 👏 a medal 🏅 is on its way 🙂 Hopefully now she is settled in she ‘might’ decide to surprise you & declutter a bit 🙏  Very kind of you to agree to having 2 kittens rather than one 🥹 but well done on putting your foot down on getting another dog 😉 I keep forgetting what an axolotl is, so had to google ………. again 🙊 Good luck with the kittens 🍀

Lovely to see you 2Scratters 👋 Sorry to hear about your DDad 🥺 condolences to you & your family. Excellent work decluttering your parents home 👏 a medal🏅 is on its way. A shame about the kitchen extension not happening 😔 but hopefully once the kitchen designer lady is well, she will be able to come up with some good ideas 🤞Definitely sounds like you need a holiday 🥹 & a week in Tenerife with your girl friends sounds perfect 😍 

Great decluttering Wednesday2000 👏

charlies_tribe, oh my goodness - they are so, so cute 😻 😻 So pleased to hear that the dogs just want to play with the new additions to the household 🥹

Excellent work suzeesu2000 👏 What a great result in MrT with both the coffee & the joint of beef 🥳Congratulations on the sales 👏

tibawo, hope you managed to do the car boot on Sunday & that it was very successful 🙏 This “Well, the plan for operation declutter is coming together. I’m busy sorting out zones. The idea is by tomorrow night everything (apart from the bin bags of washing) will be in the dining room. This means i can get the christmas decorations out, put up and get rid of any not needed. Then both the living room and kitchen can remain stress free as we’re not having to look at everything.” sounds like a great idea ☺️  As to This “Best one today is that I’ve located lots of small cello bags. In excess of 500 so far. I’d buy some, use about 10, put them away in a random place and then have to buy more as couldn’t find them!” I think you might just be SABLE 😂

Brambling, loved This “I have been known to tell mine that I'm going to swap him for a younger less grumpy model but not sure if I'm brave enough to cope with two kittens again 🙀” ☺️

Will you look at that, I can start the cheerleading on posts dated the 9th 🥳 However I will post these, make myself a hot drink & be back in a little while. Hope everyone is having as good a day as possible 🙂 Plenty of cwtches to go around & don’t forget that the TLC Carriage is always open 😊

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2099/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

Mrs_Money_Penny

Hi Everyone It’s been a while since I was last here.My car has now been fixed after the foreign driver overtook me whilst I was turning. Not heard anything from the insurance company. I’m just getting over covid the fourth time. So mainly digital decluttering.
Paper, worn out clothes and a few things took back to my daughter’s 75
Emails 1663
Photos 354
total 2092 = 15113
Busy making a Birthday cake for my husband.
x

Moorviews

Covid 4 times! That’s really unfortunate @Mrs_Money_Penny. I hope you feel and can stay well soon 🤞

@vulpix - I can understand your reluctance to enter the process for consulting a GP but hopefully it won’t be too protracted🤞 It is important that we all seek the advice we need and not be put off by the way things are these days. My recommendation to patients was to make brief notes in advance; there is nothing like a GP in a rush to make one’s mind go blank. I can imagine that you are pretty focused and organised though 😊
@regnbue - thank you for those wonderful photographs😊 It looked to be an amazing trip!
@GrannyKate  - 💐 and hugs for yesterday; you have achieved an incredible amount in that time.

We finally have the new carpet! Now, I don’t want to put anything back  😂 😂 I am loving fresh paint, new carpet and an empty room! I keep going and gazing at it before reminding myself of all the clutter now sitting in the spare room that I need to go through. 

Brie

first world problems here......how does one hoover a carpet without using the rotary brush when there's no way to turn off the rotary?  We've a new carpet and were told that one should never use anything other than just suction to hoover it.  Our Shark hoover has a tiddly upholstery attachment that can be used instead of the big floor bit and that will work but it's slow going.  And there are no suitable alternative attachments available to fit it as far as I can see online.  Will need to take another good look at it and see if I can get a product number off it to see if there's a guide online to let me know what else I can do.  

But for now the crumbs and dust were decluttered and the laundry done (which reminds me I must put it on the drying rack!!!)

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 continued: DH has gone for a walk as he has been rather remiss the last week 🙁 He has discovered that his battery charger is kaput (it was 12 years old so has given sterling service 🙂) so one more item for the Tip (2100) Fortunately he has another one so the bike battery is now charging. I have been knitting whilst catching up on GoT but thought I should have another session of cheerleading starting with posts dated the 9th:

Lovely post Moorviews 😊 It was definitely a relief that my DH didn’t have to wait until midnight 😮‍💨 This “…..due to decorating. I always think it will take me a week to do a room (true of my 20yr old self) but a month is more realistic now 😂” sounds very familiar 😉 Excellent work with both the decluttering & the decorating 👏 so a medal 🏅 is on its way. 

Lovely post vulpix & thanks for sharing such an interesting memory 😊 Also thanks for passing on the oven cleaning tip from your LCL 👏 This “I think just wiping round the electric elements is all that can be done after mastering the yoga positions of an Indian mystic to be able to  get at the bloomin things!” had me in stitches 🤣 Sorry to hear that your knee is still giving you gyp 😞 Very pleased to hear that you & MrV are getting ready for your holiday ☺️ You must be so looking forward to some rest & relaxation 🥹 with the added bonus of returning to a fully rewired house 🥳 I did think that This “ I know I said we had more stuff than I realised when it's all in boxes in front of you but honestly it isn't excessive really. I exaggerate for comedic effect. The volume of boxes containing Mr V's sheds is a lot.” was an exaggeration especially bearing in mind how much you have decluttered over the previous years 🙊 As to This “The massive, no exaggeration toolbox is in the hall.” at least you cannot accident trip over it 😉 I would have to agree that 40 years to move a box of rocks might very well be a record 😂

What a lovely post London_1 🥹 Your love of the IoW shines through 🥹 Thank you for the birthday wishes & yes I was spoiled ☺️

I broke off here to join DH in his office. My application for an Oyster Freedom Pass to replace my 60+ Oyster Pass has been submitted. It took a while as DH has a new computer & despite thinking everything was set up the scanner wasn’t working 😞 We will tackle my passport renewal tomorrow. Just thinking that it has been an expensive few weeks for my DH - new computer, new mobile, repair required on motorbike, dental bridgework & just to cap it off we need new landline handsets 😔 Mind you they are 9 years old so have given good service 😉 

Will be back shortly 👋

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2100/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00