2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

GrannyKate

Morning all.  Off to hairdressers soon but finished another small jigsaw.  DD confirmed she doesn't need these back so in CS bag.  I hope to drop jigsaws and books off at hospice bookshop today but it is market day in that area so parking may be tricky.  In the boot to go.  I have sorted through the 24 books I counted the other day and added some more - some set aside for DGS1, some for charity shop, 17 sold so need to box up.  Two empty shelves in bookcase (Sox immediately tried to fit himself in there) and I have more space in bedroom as well.  Tricky meeting was 'well tricky' but resolved now. 

1113 Minutes of yesterday's meeting done and sent off to chair for review
1114 Actions from minutes mostly done
1115 Difficult meeting done - cane toad level of frog
1116 Some documents reviewed for DGD1 before she signs them
1117 Large pile of shredding done and out in recycling
1118 Jigsaw to CS Bag

ruby_eskimo

Sorry to hear you're not feeling tip top @vulpix and the GP surgery wasn't helping the situation.  Hopefully now you've bowed to their wishes re: the blood pressure monitoring, they'll actually listen to you a bit more!  I'm also having woe with my GP but won't bore you all with the details!  Hope you can actually relax on your holiday and enjoy the break.

Good to hear the repairs won't cost in the 4 figures @Mrs_Salad_Dodger but still eeek.  Hope it gets sorted for your DH soon so he can continue on his adventures.

Well done on surviving the tricky meeting @GrannyKate - and a cane toad level of a frog at that!  Hope you reward yourself with a slice of cake for getting through it, I know I would.

Had some friend's randomly pop in last night for us to witness some signatures for them, and was amazed that all our recent decluttering and actually-putting-things-away-now-they-have-dedicated-spaces is paying off to the point where I didn't have to run around and throw things in cupboards or chuck them upstairs.  Just swished round the downstairs toilet to freshen it up and put the kettle on!  First time ever I've been happy to have people over and not stressed myself out about it. 

Still a few kitchen cupboards to sort and the room of doom but that is a job for the weekend, and it's only a room of doom because most of the stuff needs to go back in the loft after our holiday and I can't get up there on my own.

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 is dull & overcast with a high of 16°C & low of 13°C. Very mild for this time of year although long range forecast indicates that temperatures will start to fall to single figures from Monday. Rain is forecast from 19:00 today & lasting all day tomorrow. I forget to mention that I did one other thing yesterday - I sorted out the flowers. DSis’s flowers are now reduced from 3 vases to 2, whilst mine are now missing the roses which rarely seem to last a week. DH was supposed to be going out for a lunchtime retirement do but decided not to go 😞 DH made my first cuppa & despite my face still being swollen I am feeling more upbeat. No I didn’t try to contact a doctor yesterday but I will pop into a pharmacy today & see if they can recommend anything. A quick burst of cheerleading starting from the 11th:

London_1, Good luck with the decluttering & clearing space for Christmas & birthday bits 🍀 I love your plan of you & DD driving to Kent & swapping  Christmas gifts for 2 of your grandsons 🙊 seems like a good deal 🥹 How wonderful that you will have a full house & that Ben is bringing his young lady 🥹 I do hope you managed to get a few things done without the dogs getting under your feet 🤞

Lovely post GrannyKate 🥹 You have done a lot in your first year in your new home so I think that a bit of a rest from decorating is a great idea ☺️ Excellent decluttering of books 👏 Hope the frog wrangling goes well 🤞

oceanspirit, hopefully as you reduce your Frog List, you will find time to make a plan for the most urgent of your decorating/renovation tasks 🙏  I really ‘felt’ for you when I read This “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.” 😔 as it is not only frustrating but also draining 😞 Well done on starting to tackle a 3.5 year old frog 👏 & Good luck getting it completed quickly 🍀

Matty246, that is so funny 🤣

Lovely to see you Mrs_Money_Penny 👋 Pleased to hear that your car has been fixed 😊 & hopefully the insurance will be sorted out before the end of the year 🤞Sorry to hear that you have had Covid for a 4th time 😔 I will keep everything crossed that it is also the LAST time 🤞🙏 Great decluttering 👏 & now that you are in the 15,000’s I am sending two more Gold Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ Happy Birthday to your husband 🥳 🎂 

Lovely cheerleading post Moorviews ☺️ I completely understand This “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.” 😊 I remember that lovely feeling from when we decorated the spare room prior to my DSis moving in  ☺️ & that was 7.5 years ago 😧 

It has taken a while (as I am struggling to concentrate) but I have caught up one page 😉 I hope everyone is having as good a day as possible 🤞 see you all later 👋 🤞

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2114/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

Green_hopeful

Well done @ruby_eskimo it feels so nice to have tidy space. We normally keep our downstairs rooms clear but they get messy when the kids need space for their stuff. One of our boys is moving into temporary accommodation so we have his plants, tvs and soon his computer server in our dining room. I will be pleased to get it back but I suspect it will be six months. 

Brie

interesting article about "cobwebbing" as a decluttering issue.

The cobwebbing declutter method helped me let go of all my kitchen clutter in an hour

and having read this I can't help that think that anyone could have dealt with her kitchen clutter in an hour, unless it didn't include cleaning before returning things to the cupboards.

suzeesu2000

Beautiful day again, was quite warm too. Overcast at about 1500hrs and then rained, DH got soaked coming home.
Managed to get rid of another 2 bags of compost but I think I was being optimistic - going to be another 2 bags plus the liners so not quite there yet but I gave myself til Christmas to deal with it and will make it I’m sure, nothing to moan about.
The nice DPD man collected the 2 boxes of books I packed last night, can’t believe they were so quick.
Had an absolutely delicious sausage casserole made in the slow cooker yesterday, and another serving went in the freezer. 

Was reading on FB today all the complaints re the changes Vinted have made to the sizing, also made the daily paper! Listed another top on there this morning. 

DH was running through all the things he wants to declutter - oh my. I’m not complaining, I’m very happy that he wants to get rid. 

Have a good night all, sweet dreams xx

QueenJess

Still on the using up train over here at the castle  .  Still not feeling great - this cold thing is taking an absolute age to go away.  On the plus side, I could work from home all week, which at least means less money decluttered without commuting.

DD has been doing colouring every night this week and managed to get through quite a few pens!  I have a big pile of work papers; some of which I hope to work through tomorrow.  Some of them should be exiting the house.  No candle burning this week as my cold has gone to my chest... burning something with a tight chest is not a good idea!  I did get myself a cheap wax warmer thing though, so I can burn every last tiny bit of my candles when there is wax leftover and the wick is done.

1 - packaging reused
7 - paper, reused then recycled
14 - pens used up (DD)
1 - bathroom supplies used up
1 - jumper that’s too big (charity box)

New total 5,378
Use it up total 473
Big kitchen declutter challenge 139/150

vulpix

Well,well, well. I had a phone call this afternoon from a real qualified medical Doctor! It's only taken me 4 years of being fobbed off by a nurse to get to  speak to a Doctor. I think I possibly don't exaggerate enough to be believed. I suppose just keep saying, Iv'e got headache and I'm dizzy  and breathless isn't dramatic enough. I have issues, well you all know that! My blood pressure is wizzing up and down and the machine showed 11 instances of arterial fribrillation in the 22 hours I had it on. Quelle surprise, I was then promptly phoned by other staff and booked in for a 24 hour ECG. At last I feel listened to. Thank you  everyone for your support. I will shut up about it now.

I spent the afternoon giving the trunk/ toy box 3 coats of varnish and knitting the blanket in between coats. Not too much more to go on the blanket now.

 A couple of frogs eaten. Contacted the bathroom man and the shed people. Just to get in the queue really. It will be ages before anything happens. The bathroom guy in particular has a very long waiting list.

 Mrs SD, I do hope you have been to see someone. We are all just dreadful at getting  help we need. It would be done in a shot if we were doing it on behalf of someone else! As the advert says. We are worth it.

Absolutely well done ruby eskimo. Your hard work is paying dividends.

 Interesting article Brie. I didn't think I was sentimental but I do keep some things that no one else would want because I feel an obligation to them. I just can't send them to landfill. Old key rings and such. I need to toughen up and get rid. Sometimes I take a photo on my phone before I get rid of something. Childhood stuff.

 Vx

Brambling

Glad to hear you are finally getting some results from the surgery Vulpix, I think with some doctor surgeries you have to be the squeaky wheel to get action, if you don't complain they don't think you are that ill! I regret being fobbed off with my hip, if I had ignored them and self referred to the MSK team earlier I would have a year less pain.

Im still avoiding my bedroom so I tackled the second bedroom again today and I'm happy with the results for now (bookshelves are the exception 🫣) I was on a roll 🙂 chest of drawers, wardrobe, bedside cabinet and a three boxes were tackled.  Any idea why my 3 meat platters were on top of my wardrobe!! I accused my sister of rehoming them when she sorted my kitchen, (I have apologised.) I have no memory of putting them there.  I have kept two and one joined the CS pile.  I was temporarily side tracked with a box of photos and threw away a large handful, it was fun to play 'guess which baby is on mums lap' I will revisit them.  My wheelie bin is half full and a dozen items have been added to the CS pile, a pair of old full length curtains and a couple of old towels will need to go to the tip so I've started a tip pile. 

I found this old photo of me, not very clear, if you asked my mum which baby she would usually check the pram for us three younger children as she swore never again and got rid of the pram after each! It seems I also never sucked my thumb just my fingers.  Blue Ted is as old as me a present from my brother who is 15 years older than me. He is no longer blue and his growler is showing.  Both are back in the keepsake box.  I have some Pelham puppets and a couple of dolls which have been returned to their box. Anyone old enough to remember a cartoon called Joe I had to look him up! 13 episodes broadcast in 1966 and repeated 1971 originally from watch with mother, I have a Joe doll, in orange dungarees and wellies and a bowl haircut I don't remember watching him on TV but I remember Father Christmas bringing the doll, my mum kept the doll and gave it to me about 20 years ago when her loft was cleared, not sure why he's gone back in the box? 

Sorry can't make my photos smaller on my tablet 

  

daisy_1571

Blue bear is well loved brambling.  My Big Ted is 57 years old now 🧸 

Lovely toddler photo

Glad you are getting some progress vulpix 

Hugs  d xxxx