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

Tuesday has been a bright, cold day with a high of 7°C, low 1°C  DH unpacked the new landline phones which need to be charged for 16 hours before being set up. I will then need to start reloading my ‘phone book’ numbers. I have spent the afternoon dealing with a bit more paperwork & knitting. I prepped ingredients for dinner - creamy bacon & pea sauce with linguine then phoned my cousin R. Her daughter whose wedding we attended in August is 30 this week & I wanted to send a cheque but didn’t know if she had updated her account name. R confirmed that still old details & then we had a long catchup. Big news is that R & her husband N are moving out of London to Hertfordshire 🤩 Her two sons are staying in London with her older son moving into a house share & her younger son staying with his sister & her husband. R has had a very emotionally exhausting time over the last 2.5 years 😢 First her DDad died unexpectedly, then she had to deal with his estate single handedly & once that was done she was busy helping to arrange her DD’s wedding. I am so, so happy & excited for her  🥹 

2145 - 2148 Kitchen recycling, newspaper, magazine, drinks cans - recycled 

2149 - 2150 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned 

Dinner was delicious 🤤 Wudupa.

surprisinglynice, sorry to hear that you have been so unwell 😔 Hopefully you are now on the mend 🙏 Excellent decluttering of clothes 👏 worthy of a medal 🏅 which is on its way. I hope the blood test results are favourable 🙏

Green_hopeful, excellent work helping your stepson to move especially sorting out the donations to CS 👏 a Gold Star ⭐️ is on its way. Also well done on successfully decluttering house plants 👏

weenancy re This “My sister loved to iron too. She went with her husband to a quilting group - he quilted, she did the ironing for everyone.” now that is what I call a real love of ironing 🙊

suzeesu2000, sorry to hear that your DH is unwell 😔 I hope he recovers quickly 🙏 Good news about the sale & what a lovely friend ☺️

_Dolly_Rocker_ hopefully you have a lovely time tomorrow 😊 Pleased to hear This “The motivation to change my life is still there but defo at a lower level, I am going to continue with the deep clean of the house on Thursday then aim to finish it Saturday.” & if deep cleaning your house is anything to go by your motivation is still running high ☺️👏 Good luck with the cupboards 🍀 & hopefully you find plenty of gifts & your list for Santa will be quite short 😉 

diminua, well done on donating blood 😊 Nothing wrong with a couple of useful items making their way into your house 😊 Your knitted/crocheted beis rather appealing 😁

Excellent decluttering GrannyKate 👏 Well done on doing so well with the 1p Savings Challenge 🥳 What great & unexpected news for DS2 😊

Excellent work getting almost everything delivered Brambling 👏 & well done on resisting the temptation to buy anything whilst you were out & about 😊

Sleep tight 😴 

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2150/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

oceanspirit

More filing done and a few more papers out, plus a couple from the reading pile.

Two clothing drawers tidied - no clothing out but a couple of plastic bags put into use elsewhere and one piece of rubbish binned.

Old TD should be collected on Friday so will be able to do a bit more shed clearing once it has gone.  Bedroom is so very nearly finished - a bit more filing to sort out, sun hats to be put away in top of wardrobe once jumpers have been brought down ready for winter and a bag of audio cassettes to go through.

The effort will then be focussed on the box of papers in the living room, followed by the little bedroom.  Kitchen is ongoing as food stocks continue to be used up - very nearly there with it and looking forward to actually being able to use my worktops.

Moorviews

I like Hertfordshire Mrs SD. Very pretty! I hope your cousin will be very happy in her move and enjoy a bit of a fresh start. 

It is very chilly so I have sorted out and washed hats, gloves and scarves. Allocated to clothing bank and charity shop bag. CS bag dropped off already. Sorted out some spare curtains to put up in our bedroom. I washed and donated the previous ones during the summer. Had a bit of a clear out of clothes in one of the DC’s cupboards. They have taken things to sell on vinted and left me to dispose of the remainder appropriately. It’s progress so I am not complaining 😂
Old paint and empty paint cans have gone to the RC along with a disintegrated mdf cupboard. 

Hope everyone is keeping warm enough!

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

Wednesday is overcast & cold: Rained between 03:00 and 06:00. The forecast is for a high of 6°C (feeling 3° colder), low 0°C DH has taken DSis to an hospital appointment by public transport as the motorbike is still at the garage. I have sorted out the birthday flowers, now reduced from 3 vases to one vase of still OK flowers & greenery 🙂 I had an email from the passport office confirming that my old passport has arrived & my application is being processed 😊

One bit of decluttering - a plastic bottle 2151 Now that I have caught up with the cheerleading I will try very hard to keep up 😉

London_1, hope you enjoy your knit & natter today 😊 Great decluttering 👏 Good luck with mission Christmas present buying & wrapping 🍀 you are so organised 🤩

Excellent work both tidying & decluttering oceanspirit 👏 Fingers crossed that the old td gets picked up on Friday & that the weather is kind enough for you to continue sorting out the shed 🤞 You are definitely on a roll 😊

Moorviews, thank you for the lovely wishes for my cousin 🥹 She is so looking forward to a new start 😊 although it will be a huge change as she has lived her entire life in London (55 years) 🙂 Excellent decluttering & pleased to see that at least one of your DCs is joining in 👏🥳

I do hope everyone is managing to stay warm 🙏 See you later 👋 

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2151/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

suzeesu2000

DH has been tucked up in bed all day bless him.
Took meter readings this morning - the wind felt like shards of ice, makes me feel so bad for our homeless folks living on the streets and the animals. 😢
Dinner was a slow cooker stew using meat from freezer and veggies from fridge with 2 servings left over and frozen.
A very quiet day but a lot of “other” stuff achieved. 

Stay safe and warm all, sweet dreams xx

Soontobeoap

Today another made up hamper basket has left the house. Not counting as all of the contents have been slowly filtering into the house over the last 4 weeks as and when they have been donated. 14 hampers now at the club and 2 here left to do. The house will feel a lot clearer once the Christmas fair is over and everything has left the house though. I am beginning to feel in control again which helps. Our spare bedrooml is a bit of a mess with the irong pile and craft bags but I am ahead of where I usually am at this time of year. An advent calender of little gifts for 2 Grandsons has been packaged up and taken to DDs. Third one is having the money instead this year. He is 13 going on 23! 

Looking forward to our fair on Sunday in Cowes. Have sold quite a bit of stuff already which helps to pay for the materials that we used. From now on it all goes to the club towards the new inclusive play park that we have just started raising money for.

On another note entirely my heart goes out to all of the homeless people out there tonight ! It is so cold. 

oceanspirit

Mrs_Salad_Dodger said:

Excellent work both tidying & decluttering oceanspirit 👏 Fingers crossed that the old td gets picked up on Friday & that the weather is kind enough for you to continue sorting out the shed 🤞 You are definitely on a roll 😊

Thank you.

More off the reading pile today, plus more added to the reading pile as items were found amongst other things.  General housework and other pottering achieved so all in all another productive day.

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

Back again 🙂 I have emailed my cousin (now that I have her address 😉) DH phoned - a slight problem with DSis’s appointment 😞 Arrived on time but the consultant needed to see the results of a lung function test which was unavailable as DSis had NOT been given an appointment 🤨 However as there was no-one waiting DSis has been fitted in so not too much of an issue 😮‍💨 I am now settling down with my knitting & will watch today’s episode of Countdown. DH phoned again - all done & dusted by 16:45 (appointment was 15:30) so they are on their way home but of course that means they will be on tube during rush hour 😞 Dental receptionist has just phoned - my dentures are available so booked in for next Thursday. DH & DSis arrived home about 18:00 having popped into a cafe for a hot drink & sharing a panino. DH went out to catch the bus to pick up fish & chips but came back 20 minutes later, frozen 🥶, as the buses weren’t running ☹️ He took the car instead. Enormous pieces of fish, sausages for DSis & one large portion of chips was enough for the three of us. Wudupa.

2152 - 2154 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, newspaper - recycled 

2155 Kitchen detritus - binned 

suzeesu2000, your poor DH 😞 Well done on turning a quiet day into a successful day of dealing with “other stuff” 👏

Soontobeoap, excellent work clearing your house of ‘hamper baskets’ 👏 Good luck with the Christmas Fayre 🍀 & I hope you raise lots of money towards the new all inclusive play park 🤞

Excellent work oceanspirit 👏 & congratulations on having another successful day 🥳

Sleep tight 😴

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2155/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

GrannyKate

Morning all its cold here - no snow but DS2 encountered it working just North of here yesterday.  DSil had it down South as well.  GCs disappointed but I wasn't.  School runs all this week but the good news is we can walk from here if we needed to which we certainly couldn't at my previous home.  A few more stocking gifts purchased.  Just pottering around house really but I must get down to some more frogs and start looking at papers bundled in bottom of bookcase. I suspect 90% can go.  

1150 Banking done
1151 Calendars updated for various meetings with next year's dates which have been sent out
1152 Emails cleared again - I must do some unsubscribing as it seems to have built up again
1153 Plastics to SM (had to chase bag of plastic round car park as it blew out of car when I opened boot - managed to catch it in strong cold wind)
1154 Bag of jigsaws to CS shop

@Soontobeoap - I laughed at your DGS being 13 going on 23.  My oldest is one of those - currently 20 going on 40.  My GCs (8) mostly have money and a stocking of small bits - toiletries socks etc.  The youngest ones may get larger present if there is something they want usually shared with their dad.  I have two bags of joy ready to be dropped off at MrD.  May do that today as I only have hair appointment and school runs.  I need to get some euros as well.  

Right I've woken them up so I'll see who wants breakfast.  Sox has popped out but I doubt he'll stay out long.  Most of this week he has spent curled up on an armchair, under a radiator or on a bed when he managed to slip in when the door is open.  I got a fluffy bedspread for bedroom 2 yesterday which I had promised DGD4 who sleeps in there.  Sox was very impressed and quite cross when he got tipped off.  

Have a good day everyone.

florianatwobob

Box of books sent off to Ziffit today so that’s no longer cluttering up the landing. The box and contents have been languishing there waiting to reach their minimum number of items / cash limit. £4.30 soon to be winging its way to the loft account. 

Decluttered my tax self assessment this week too. That’s been at half mast while I built up the courage to tackle the foreign income pages.