2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

suzeesu2000

I have a doll as well. Her name is Dolly. She sits on the ottoman in my bay window. She has a scar from a burn on her face, I left her on the hearth in front of the coal fire and mum mended her with a hot butter knife! She is very loved, I’ve had her since I was 4. My eldest sister stood on her leg and broke it so she has a proper plaster cast bandage on it forever now. She has a carrier bag of hand knitted clothes which I change as well. One day I MIGHT grow up……but I seriously doubt it!
DH gave me another 4 bags of books this morning. All sorted and 2 boxes now sold and packed ready for collection on Monday. 1 and a half bags will go out tomorrow. He is a good husband.
Decluttered a china mug that DH bought me years ago for Valentines. The shelf it was on decided to throw itself off the wall shedding books and breaking mug as it went. Blimming thing has been up for 10 years, why fall now? 

Dinner was all freezer.
Bought a T-shirt on Vinted which, when unpacked, had a nasty mark over a big bit of the back. Looked like smeared glue. Used Vanish bar soap on it and left it to do its magic overnight, did washing today and it looks like it’s come out. 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend, get ready for the chilly week that’s forecast from Monday. Sweet dreams xx

Brambling

MadamMim2013 said:

Loving everyones various “teds” ☺️ makes me all nostalgic.. 
Mine are Pink Ted, Panda Pops & Tigger.. (handmade by my mum and nan) all very well loved and now stored in a sealed box. Pink Ted still has his hospital bracelet on from when I was very little and he came into surgery with me 😉

I also had a panda also called panda pops I'm not sure what happened to him 🤨 

Hope you have a good break vulpix and not too much blood is spilt getting the cats in their carriers 🤞 

No decluttering done today other than finishing my book and catching up with Shetland.  Whilst decluttering the spare bedroom this week I came across a small bottle of Prosecco i think it came with chocolates or flowers last Christmas, it was chilled and drank whilst watching strictly 💃  so that can add to my numbers 😁

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

Saturday has been a dark overcast day with a high of 14°C, low 11°C & a slight breeze but no rain. DH made a pan of soup & watched the MotoGP sprint race. Followed by his weekly call to his DSis. I have done basically nothing all day apart from finishing off one scarf & starting another whilst either watching TV or nodding off 😉  Dinner tonight was chicken pieces fried in a little oil, boiled new potatoes & peas 😋. Time to catch up with the cheerleading starting from Thursday evening……. didn’t get very far ☹️ Wudupa.

2127 - 2129 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, glass jar - recycled 

2130 - 2131 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

vulpix, I do hope you were sitting down when a real life qualified Medical Doctor called you 😅 As I was reading This “I think I possibly don't exaggerate enough to be believed. I suppose just keep saying, I’ve 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.” my head was bobbing up & down in full agreement. I take it the ECG will be once you get back from your holiday 🤔 I see you have been keeping  busy before your holiday 😉 so I hope you find time to pack 😅 Interesting observations about the article Brie directed us to 🤔 

Brambling, sorry to hear about your poor experience with your local medics 😞 Avoiding your bedroom & tackling the second bedroom is working well for you 👏 - some excellent decluttering worthy of a medal 🏅 which is on its way 🙂 Thank you for sharing such lovely photos 😊 & how generous of your brother to give you such a lovely present ☺️ Blue Ted might no longer be coloured blue but he does look a little sad/blue 😞

daisy_1571, I hope you have started planning a 60th birthday party for Big Ted 😉🙊

Sleep tight 😴 

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2131/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

oceanspirit

More papers into recycling off the reading pile and one book to go to CS.  Emails have crept back up again to 140 so will have a go at getting those back down today.

Wednesday2000

I went out to a local handmade Christmas fayre and bought a Christmas wreath yesterday. It was drizzling, but I found a nice one so I switched the fireplace surround from Autumnal to Christmas when I got home. I watched the film Sinners in the room with the projector last night and really enjoyed it! While I was in there I decluttered the chest of drawers and ended up throwing away a few things and recycled some packaging.

It looks like a cloudy day here. I have a grocery order from Asda later and I ordered some plastic containers and I am going to tackle the big kitchen cupboard and tidy and reorganise everything in there.

Muddy_Walker

Hellooooooooo
very busy work week with PDRs coming up but all prepped ready for that. Blood tests Friday and shopping and allllll the ironing.
Yesterday we were meant to go to Monmouth to see “murder on the Nile” adapted from Agatha Christie but due to all the flooding we didn’t make it. I actually slept all day so must have needed it. It is bad in Monmouth so we feel very sorry for the people there….its a bit further north than I expected so it’s had a lot of run off from the mountains. Hope it doesn’t take too long for people to dry out etc.
Today up in-laws to pick secrets Santa…..very competitive each year so I will be racking my brains!
the Christmas cake…..very enthusiasticly cooked so has been “grated” and refed alcohol and is not round any more. A couple more feeds then the icing starts!!!!!
Rogan has been given Dollys toys as she doesn’t play with them. He lovingly decapitated giraffes head and the rest is now very soggy but he had fun 😋

Muddy_Walker

Decluttering - as we have new bedroom furniture coming I have planned the stages and made a start. Under the bed today and most of it was very old cadet paperwork and a lot of dust…..I have updated my totals and items as follows:
347 shoes - they were a bit loose and I got tangled up in a very solid gate and hurt myself.
348-350 emails
351 uu bleach
352 uu condioner
353 photo
354 many polypockets
355 dry wet wipws 

356 ood hand warners
357 purple thing no idea what
358 uu cadet notebook
359 metal thing no idea what
360 box
361 pen
362 broken suitcase
363-370 cards
371-380 defunct cadet paperwork which will be shredded
381-383 more poly pockets
384 uu toothpaste 
385 uu kitchen roll

Much has been recycled it’s not all going to landfill😋

am very tired now but happy I’ve made a good start 

Have a wonderful holiday MrsV

xx

Happy_Kitties

Half way through the new kitchen and already my nerves are frazzled. I’m so fed up and tired. It should be finished on Friday and it is looking fab midway, but really want it completed !
Have already allocated a Christmas cupboard as i have a lot of storage, I think at least two cupboards will be left empty bec I had the massive decluttering before it all started.

I have been managing to get birthday and Christmas presents wrapped and sent out (pleased because I have been able to use up bits of spare paper floating about) and I’ve lost track of the items sold on V so will be conservative with my figures again. 

617)-620) parcel sent with two Christmas presents and two birthday presents in it. 

621) packaging used for the above
622)-624) items x 3 sold on V.

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 another dull, dark day & noticeably cooler with a high of 11°C (feeling 4° colder due to a chilly wind) & a low of 6°C. The hm soup is delicious 🤤 I am really enjoying the pictures & reminiscences about first/favourite teddies 🥹 but nothing like that for me as sad to say I was never really a teddy bear sort of child 😞 Back to the cheerleading starting with posts dated Friday: 

GrannyKate, yikes to your medical tale of woe 😧 Relieved to hear that your persistence paid off 😥 Great work on Thursday 👏 Very impressed that you drive 25 miles to your NHS dentist but then again that is more MSE than finding a local dentist who isn’t NHS 😉 Our NHS dentist who we have hung onto since we moved 26 years ago, is only across London - 12 miles as the crow flies - so we use public transport. You have already done so much work on your house & in only a year 🤩 so you definitely deserve a couple of months off before you carry on ☺️ You are a marvel 🤩

vulpix, I like the sound of your baby teddy 🥹 This “I have had to repair teddy as his tummy seam gave way. Hmm a bit like my good self!” combined with This “I will be restricted in my glad rag choice due to tummy seam problems!” did make me smile 😊 

Floss, wonderful photo 🤩 I trust that Winston survived his early post mortem & that you have forgiven your brothers🤞 

Lovely post daisy_1571 ☺️ This “I've ended up writing index cards, one for each year with where we worked, what vehicles we had, pets, houses, holidays that year etc to try to work out some of our photos.   Its making things simple” is a brilliant idea 🤩

florianatwobob, Red Ted is wonderful & I have fallen in love with him ☺️ At least you have 3 years to plan Red Ted’s 50th birthday party 🙊

Stopped here for a while to prep vegetables & put beef joint in the oven.

suzeesu2000, This “No photo but my baby teddy is a little brown and black one. Earliest memory is skipping up the ward at St. Thomas Hospital in London to visit my DDaddy. I was singing “Over the wall we go, all Coppers are nanas” by David Bowie. I was about 3 maybe 3&1/2. The man in the bed beside daddy was a policeman,  so much merriment caused. He offered to buy my teddy for sixpence. Of course I said no and ran to daddy for safety!” is such a lovely memory 🥹 thank you for sharing it with us 👏 Pleased to hear that your DH is wearing his medal 😊 Hopefully he will continue decluttering books & may even earn another one 😉

Green_hopeful, lovely memories 🥹 I love that you still have the bear & owl ☺️ & that you have resisted your husband’s ‘idea’ that you should let them go 👏

Brambling charming memories 🥹 Such a pity about the doll’s house 😢 A lot of love & care went into it, so I do hope that the new house owners treasured it when they found it 🙏 Excellent decluttering & what a great use for an old pillowcase 👏

florianatwobob, This “…….But Blue Ted can sit up, Red spends most of his time laying down now, He found his early years, where he was loved vigorously, quite exhausting and hasn’t yet recovered.” made me smile 😊 hopefully Red Ted will be recovered enough to sit up for his next big birthday 😉

oceanspirit, you might have to make some clothes for orange teddy just to spare his blushes 😊 Excellent work reducing the reading pile 👏 although I do hope that you are now re-energised & can tackle whatever little jobs need doing 🙏

Soontobeoap, well done on your successful decluttering on Thursday 👏 As to This “wouldn't it be lovely to have one big empty cupboard which could house presents and extra craft stuff for Christmas?” maybe you can incorporate that as a 2026 Decluttering project ready for Christmas 2026 🤔 

vulpix, more lovely memories 🥹 I especially loved This “My absolute best thing was playing libraries. My Dad and Grandad made me book cases and I spent hours being a librarian, for years!” 🥹 Hopefully your builder will be able to sort out the leaking window quickly once you return from your holiday 🤞 I hope you & MrV have a marvellous time ☺️

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏 Enjoyed reading This “DGD4 (13) has just been round and hoovered through, washed kitchen floor and helped change beds for which I give her some extra pocket money.” a win/win 😊  As to This “Sox was a great help - sat on each bed as we stripped them off and clung with his claws when we tried to tip him off.  I opened the new ottoman bed to get bedding out and he immediately made himself at home refusing to get out until I rattled the treats box in kitchen.” I did giggle 🙊 Sox is a great character ☺️

MadamMim2013, lovely memories 🥹 Not a great start to your weekend break 😔 but pleased to hear that you managed to get the car fixed 😮‍💨 & also that you had a successful charity shop haul 😊 Hopefully you can enjoy the rest of your weekend break 🤞

Brie, thanks for sharing both the photo & the lovely tales 🥹 I love MrBunBun ☺️ & Bear sounds like he is very well travelled 😊

A perfect place to stop as I am only a page behind & will now concentrate on making dinner 🙂 I hope everyone has had as good a day as possible & that vulpix & MrV are enjoying their holiday 😊 See you later 👋 

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2131/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

suzeesu2000

Been a tad on the cooler side today which is lovely. Feel so very sorry for the folks in Welsh Wales who have been flooded. 

DH cooked shoulder of lamb for a roast dinner today and it was amazing, best piece of meat we’ve had for a long time and tasted all the better for the fact it was half price. Lots of cooked veggies left over for Monday as well. Was so good, we both totally cleared our plates which is very unusual. 

The two boxes of books should be collected tomorrow. Sadly nothing sold on Vinted this week even though I’m getting favourited a lot. Hoping to get another few bits listed tomorrow but think that will be eBay.
Got all the dark washing dry today. Lights W should be finished drying by tomorrow then I can get the ironing done and everything put away. That’s the plan anyway.
oh and last night did another family tree session. Found 10 children belonging to a great aunt. Knew about the aunt, didn’t know about the children. 
Wrap up warm from tomorrow, supposed to get very cold. Night night, sweet dreams xx