2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

Floss

@Wednesday2000 I've just been booked a deep clean, and then a fortnightly clean from January. I'm struggling to keep on top of things like windows, floors etc.

I am also having my bath removed & a walk-in shower fitted early January followed by new windows & decorating in the bathroom and hall / stairs  / landing at the end of Jan. Lounge & kitchen will be done early March when I'm back from Malta.

GrannyKate

Quick post to say I have returned to UK.  Lovely break in Helsinki with DD - I would recommend a visit.  A bit wet but not too cold.  Extra festivities for their National day on Saturday.  Very clean country and friendly people.  Two new small tree ornaments bought for my multicultural tree and one gift purchased.  I will post some pics.  Nothing much to eat here so will probably need to go out.  Greeted by Sox with tummy displays and miaowing.  DIL's daughter couldn't find him Saturday night when she came round so just left fresh food.  He was cosy in his bed when DS2 came Sunday morning.  First lot of washing on.  I need to unpack case and put bits away.  DD barely had time to pack another caseload and she was off to London on the train.  

Will post more later.

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

Rained overnight into Monday morning but now only overcast & quite dark. Forecast high of 14°C (feeling 4° colder) & low of 11°C with showers due about 13:00 & more rain about 19:00. You might remember I mentioned my cousin R was moving but hadn’t exchanged contracts, well it is all happening very quickly & she is moving Friday on 12th so will be in her new home before Christmas 🤩 Starting the cheerleading from posts dated the 6th:

Liverpool_Anne, with all that decluttering & sorting I would call Friday more than a “so so day” 🙂 especially as you managed to do so much even with your OH distracting you 🤭 As to This “I have had a sort out of my lotions and potions and have the items to be used first coralled in a small bag, hoping for some quick wins as I empty the last dregs from these 😂. I can't seen to bring myself to just dump these, anyone else do that?” I have the same issue & then find that “dregs” seem to last forever 😞 Good luck with the clothing sort out/decluttering 🍀 I have bookmarked ‘space saver’ for future reading 🙂

London_1, pleased to hear that the antibiotics are finally starting to work & that you are feeling slightly better 😊 Please, please try to relax & try to enjoy the enforced rest 🙏  Well done on sorting out the issue with your laptop 👏 & it sounds like you had a very nice young lady helping you 😊   Is it really only 18 months since you moved 😮 it seems like you, DD & her DH have slotted into life on the IoW so well that you have been there longer 😊 I did have to smile & giggle 🤭 at This “I did make a tip run booking and she did get rid of the old broken microwave that we had replaced as I said you have to do it as its booked in, and she actually found some rubbish in the spare room that got tipped as well, no good getting old if you don't get artful 🙂”

vulpix, great work attending to “little attention to detail jobs” 👏 They probably take longer than anticipated because you make sure that each job is done properly & will Not have to be revisited ☺️ I hope you enjoyed your experimental aubergine dish 🤞

TC77, your trip to Taiwan sounds marvellous 🤩 Very Zen and the ideal antidote to daily life pressures 🥹 Very brave going solo & with minimal mandarin or any other Chinese language ☺️ Some excellent decluttering since you have been back 👏 Fingers crossed the coffee table will be picked up 🤞 as I remember how ‘sneaky’ the neighbour was in decluttering it to you 🙊 I did have a rueful grin at This “……spent ages looking for the wreath for the front door then remembered it was decluttered” 😀 I hope DD2 is enjoying her time in Australia 🙏 it will be a very different Christmas for her - sunshine & barbecues 😊

Sound advice daisy_1571 😊

Great decluttering Happy_Kitties 👏 & well done on the 52 dun*lm bags 🥳

London_1, I love reading about your family & in-law history 🥹 and am always very grateful to you for sharing it with us 😊 Remarkable ladies & the tradition has continued with you & your daughters 🥹

suzeesu2000, sorry to hear that you weren’t feeling so good on Saturday 😔 

Good decluttering TC77 👏 every bit helps.

Well said Muddy_Walker ☺️

regnbue, thank you for sharing your family reminiscences ☺️ I am so touched that you are living in your grandparents cottage 🥹 Your memory of when the bathroom was installed & how proud your grandparents were, brings to mind how proud my Italian relatives were when they had their bathroom installed 🥹 & more to the point how happy my DM was that she no longer had to traipse down the field to the outside looking with the potential for snakes 😥 This “When the plumber (Dad's friend) came round to do some plumbing work I confirmed I also wanted the outside loo capping off as I wouldn't be using it.  He and my Dad were astonished and tried very hard to persuade me to keep it.😂” made me laugh out loud 😹 

Perfect place to stop as I have reached the bottom of a page & the,adt of the posts dated the 6th 😮‍💨 I hope everyone is having as good a day as possible & that our poorlies are all starting to get better 🙏 Cwtches are available 🤗 

P.S. photo of last hat knitted

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2254/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

Green_hopeful

Liverpool_anne its great to be able to help people. We give to a local homeless charity for recently homed people. They are careful what they take but its often items that would not be suitable for a charity shop. Recently they were very pleased to get a pizza tray and some baking tins. 

We have been decluttering leaves off the net on top of our duck enclosure. It has to be netted because of bird flu but it’s difficult to maintain. We didn’t do it last year because we both had that nasty chest infection so we had two years worth of wet and decomposing leaves to try to bat off the net roof. We managed with a couple of brooms but we were comedy dirty at the end. I also picked up the last of the leaves on the driveway.  I was just about to sweep the pavement for a fourth time this autumn when I heard someone blowing leaves. Helpfully the council were blowing them off the path onto my verge. I had to get them back off my primroses to sweep them up. Hey ho. We also prune a couple of hedges and chipped the prunings. Hopefully that is the worst of it for this year. We have 9 builders bags of leaves and chippings. 

Tried to write my Christmas cards today. Well they are all written. I thought I would do a round robin but it turns out i need several round robins because different people need different news. I couldn’t make the computer play ball so they can wait until tomorrow. 

suzeesu2000

Green_hopeful, I love the lamp but not enough to spend that amoun
Washed and dried the white towels today. Been trying to find something along the lines of Reckits Blue but having no luck. I found a liquid one that’s popular in USA where they use top loaders that can fill and have the laundry sitting for a while, but nothing suitable for a UK front loader. I shall keep looking.
Decluttered a ton of junk mail.
Decluttered 2 big cardboard boxes to the nice dustybinmen.
Dinner from freezer.
Hope to get a bit more achieved tomorrow.
Have a good night all, sweet dreams xx

canvascamper

Sold 3 bits on Vinted today - will post them out tomorrow. One is a Christmas jumper so I expect they will need it quickly! 

vulpix

Very good contact for excess household stuff Liverpool Anne. Charity shops don’t always want it so good to know it can help someone out. 

 Excellent result for you too Willowtree. So good to save things being wasted.

 Went to see my Mum and she had a visitor,her Auntie. Yes my  91 year old Mum's Auntie. She is I think about 6 years older. My Nana was one of the oldest of 14 and Mum's Auntie is one of the youngest.

Sent a Grinch jumper to the charity shop.

 This afternoon we have put up pictures a mirror and a wall clock, also fished some plaster chunks out of the light fitting shades. I would like to go through each room and put pictures up. They are all stacked up in the dining room atm. All part of my plan to clear the decks in there. Not much spare time to do this until Friday.

I have written Christmas cards. I have also started to undo the grey and cream blanket I made. I am not happy with it so will have another go at it.

 Vx

London_1

Good evening chums,
                                    I picked up DDs 'Bee' themed place mats from Dunelm, and they are really nice, then went to the U3A afternoon games session in Newport and had several great games of Cribbage with a nice lady  from East Cowes
We had a great natter as well, I drove home and I really don't enjoy driving in the dark anymore, so parked across the road rather reversing on to our drive as the camera on my car isn't great when its raining.
But DD is fine as she will be using my car tomorrow to go to Craft club at Wooton, and I shall be at home wrapping the last two presents, and dog sitting .

  A bit of paper work shredding to be done, and probably one of the drawers in my bedroom to be sorted, as winter is on its way and I know I have a nice woolen hat in one of the drawers but for the life of me I can't remember which one.Its preety breezy at the moment

I also found today a nice pattern to make some small Christmas stocking to hang from the mantlepiece, so I think I shall make three for my great granddaughters, as two weeks today we are having a long day going up to Kent to deliver presents.
We are booked on the 7.00.a.m. ferry and the 10.15.p.m. one coming home DD and I will share the driving ,me going up, and her coming back.We will pick up Henry, one of my grandsons and bring him back with us the other three lads are not returning until the Tuesday.

Its will be a long day but my eldest grandson and wife and little girl are flying over next Sunday from New York then going to her Mums for a week, then down to my eldest DDs for a week. I've not seen our Danny for well over three years, and the little girl Daisy is almost two and a half and my youngest great granddaughter, and apart from videos or skype I've not seen her at all in the flesh, so I'm looking forward to meeting her when here.
So well worth a long day I think
She will be meeting both her Great-Grannies when she is over.
Best Christmas present of all

Right time to toddle off to bed, I'm feeling a lot more like my old self again, and managed some more knitting tonight Great way to declutter wool is by using it up as much as possible
 Eldest DD wants a single throw for her spare room single bed in their holiday caravan, and I've started on that already

Onwards and upwards,

Cheers chums 

JackieO xxx

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

Monday continued: I know I should be writing Christmas cards but instead I have been knitting 😞 Dinner was cold pork, mash & baked beans. Wudupa. The forecast rain happened on & off from 19:00 & is raining at 03:00 Tuesday

2255 - 2256 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans - recycled

2257 - 2258 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

vulpix, more excellent decluttering & unpacking 👏 You have certainly been very busy so I was rather happy to hear This “I am just clearing the decks for Christmas. There are things that can go but they can wait till next year when I organise the cupboards properly.” ☺️ as I had visions of you still unpacking on Christmas Eve 😉 Good luck with the batch cooking & the start of clearing the dining room 🍀 but please remember to rest - the TLC Carriage is open 🙂

MadamMim2013, good decluttering of magazines 👏 Hopefully the decluttering of £££ means that your freezer is now fully stocked 🤞 I also hope you enjoyed This “afternoon may well be spent on the sofa hiding under a giant fleece snoozing and grumpity-grumping at the rubbishy weather and TV.. 🤣” sometimes when your Mojo disappears it is the only thing to do 😉 Thank you for these 🎄🥀🎄🕊️ & the lovely compliment 🥹 Good luck with your 2026 decorating 🍀

Excellent work on the ‘cleaning frog’ oceanspirit 👏 I really need to get started on writing Christmas cards - usually done by this time of the year but my Mojo for doing anything at all has been sadly lacking for almost the entirety of 2025 😮‍💨 

Excellent decluttering Fizz2015 👏 worthy of a medal 🏅 which is on its way. Not quite sure what to say about This “Feel a bit down with my decluttering attempts at the moment, not helped by a visit from my mum who declared the house the worse she had ever seen it. There seemed to be a lot of low level criticism and comments the whole weekend, even my OH noticed. Anyway I'm proud of me, I work full time, juggle family life whilst doing a project management qualification. We are all fed and clothed appropriately! The house could always be tidier and less stuff but I cherish making memories and my wellbeing first.” 🤔 🧐 ………..Your mum was obviously having a bad day & should be completely ignored. I agree with TC77’s final comment “…..Glad you're proud of yourself and I think criticisms are often more about the person giving them....” you are doing a great job 👏 Many cwtches coming your way 🤗🤗 

Green_hopeful, I love the blinds & what a very attractive lamp 🥹 That bedroom is very calm & tidy 😊

Great decluttering TC77 👏 You are definitely doing really well & I am so pleased to hear that you are more confident in your successes by inviting people in to celebrate the New Year 🥳 This would have been unimaginable at the beginning of the year 🤩

Great decluttering suzeesu2000 👏 What a great result with the raincoat 🥳 what a brilliant bargain 🤩 Good luck with the clothing decluttering 🍀

florianatwobob, a good start putting the tree up 🙂 Hopefully the rain will stop long enough for you to retrieve the crate of decorations from the shed 🤞

London_1, so pleased to hear that you are feeling so much better that you are managing to do some knitting 🥹 A flood in your DD’s house sounds terrible 😣  but how lovely that you have found such a pretty replacement set 🥹 I was curious & looked them up 😉 Fingers crossed that the rain stops 🤞

Willowtree222, great news that handing out presents means you can see some floor in the spare room 🥳 How lovely that you are having the crafting shed insulated 😊 

Lovely post vulpix ☺️ Well done to both you & MrV for getting the kitchen boxes unpacked & put away 👏 Good luck getting the dining room sorted enough to have Christmas dinner at the table 🍀

I have caught up a little more & am hoping to be all caught up tomorrow. Still raining 🙁  Sleep tight 😴 

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

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

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 2258/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

oceanspirit

Found a ring binder full of papers that could go.  Some went into recycling and others on the scrap paper pile.

No cards were written and I didn’t finish the cleaning frog.  I did however light a scented candle which is quite big and it would be good to use it and get rid of the container.