2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

BlueJ94

So, we've come back to our local branch to work and we've had no water all day! So I had to drive to tesco for a wee!! Hopefully everything gets sorted here asap!

Declutter wise i'm going to sort the tv unit later

GrannyKate

Afternoon all.  I've had a very busy weekend with lots of help from lovely DD and SiL.  DD has sorted cleaned and tidied and SIL has put lots of boxes on some existing shelving in loft.  Pottering this morning and a little light shopping after I took children to school.  

88 Bottle of Milton fluid found in house sell by date 2016.  Emptied and recycled.
89-97 Ten electronic gadgets, leads etc went home with DD - for DGCs and SiL
98-107 At least ten more of the above went in my electric recycling bag - no idea what most were but SiL was clear which to keep
108-111 Four more of my extension lead collection left 2 with DD and 2 with DS2
112 Boxes and suitcases in loft.  The picture albums and photo boxes will need to come down again for sorting.  
113 DD decluttered many vacuum loads and swept up dust and grit
114-115 First 2 black bags of stripped wallpaper to rubbish
116 Random items of wood and metal to rubbish/recycling
117 Cable to DS2 for recycling
118 Two more light fittings out
119-122 Four unused plastic boxes home with DD
123 A bundle of specialised Olympic postage stamps found - they seemed to sell for good prices on line so DD to contact auctioneer who sold main stamp collection to see if he could sell them.  No idea where they came from so must have been late DHs
124 Peanut holder home with DD as not being eaten here.
125 Electricians invoice paid 
126 Christmas gifts left here by DS1 for DD went home with her
127 Two pairs of bookends to DGS1
128 Bag dropped off at CS
129 Plastics dropped off at SM

Hugs to all who need one. 

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: a slightly better start to the day than yesterday as I was up & dressed by 11:45. It is a dull overcast day but temperatures are practically tropical with a high of 6°C & a low of 3°C 😂 The laundered, folded clothes finally made it into the wardrobes & drawers 🙊 Still cheerleading posts dated the 10th:

Excellent decluttering redofromstart 👏 Sounds like you are doing a good job of filling the skip 😊

Muddy_Walker, pleased to hear that you are out of the TLC Carriage 😊 Although it did sound like you should have returned after your ‘female procedure’ on Friday 🤞The sleep-pods are brilliant 🙂 I read This “………..was too tired so came home, grumbled at hubby and went to bed for a few hours. Did me the world of good!” as ‘grumbling at hubby as well as the nap’ did you the world of good 😂 Well done for nibbling at the frog 👏 & thanks for the hugs 🙂

A busy day Blue_Doggy, you got a lt done 👏 Hopefully after decluttering & rearranging the contents of the shelf, it will be easier to see & find what is there 🤞 Sorry to hear that you are still reading the insurance document 😔 I just hope that there aren’t too many more pages 🤞

weenancy, I hope roommate Di is on the mend 🤞Your dear Mum sounds like a very feisty lady 😊 & you’re probably correct in thinking that she is even now haunting the doctor 😂

Tjh1412, if the mass kitchen item declutter didn’t yield as much as you hoped for, it is probably because you did such a good job the last time 😉 At your current rate of decluttering you will have reached your target before January is over 🤩 Good luck using up the bathroom products 🍀

Yippee, now cheerleading posts dated the 11th 💃 & the sun has just made an appearance although I don’t think there is any correlation 😂

SuperLooperSaver, This “I was keeping up with the train, running alongside it, but it sped off. About 7 pages behind it now. Will hopefully catch a flight and rejoin it soon!” did make me smile 😊 Although, I should advise you that it is a magical train & you only have to ‘make a wish’ & you will be back on board 😉 + This “Yes my son seems good at decluttering. I rescued a personalised jigsaw he'd received from grandparents for Christmas from the charity shop bag he'd put it in. He saw it, and put it back in the CS bag! It's too small. He's right!” had me wishing for the clarity & certainty of a young person 😉 I am so impressed that I am awarding him a medal 🏅 

Lovely post Moorviews ☺️ Great work decluttering & tidying up your spices 👏 You are so talented 😊 turning a ‘failed’ vest into 2 pairs of knickers 🤩

Lovely post Duchess2 😊 & excellent decluttering of the hats & gloves box 👏 Well done on “cajoling” (such a lovely, gentle word 🙂) your DH into releasing items 😊 Good luck with your next decluttering task 🍀

What an excellent start to your 2025 Decluttering campaign jacwins 👏 & well done to your DD 👏 Good luck clearing the dining room table 🍀 This “Why does it look worse, before it looks better?” is one of the great mysteries 😉

WickedLady4, good luck sorting the baby clothes 🍀 If you can’t find a bag, perhaps you can find a box 🤔 

charlies_tribe, I do hope the snow has all disappeared & that the temperatures have warmed up enough so that there is no more frost 🤞 Excellent decluttering of the children’s bedroom 👏 just a pity that they didn’t find their missing homework 😔 I am just wondering if he/she forgot to bring it home 😉 Great work decluttering the freezer 👏 & phew to not ‘poisoning’ the boys 😮‍💨 

CRANKY40, I can imagine that everyone was in a state of shock on Saturday 😂 What appalling service by the council 😠 General waste not being emptied for 4 weeks is a disgrace ☹️ good job the weather is so cold 😮‍💨 It doesn’t bear thinking about if this happened in the summer 🤢 Excellent decluttering on Friday & good luck with the bedside table drawer/s 🍀

Breaking off from the specific cheerleading, I would again like to thank all our lovely Declutterati family for their continued support of  Florenceem & her beloved MrF 🥺. 

MadamMim2013, sounds like both the ‘under the stairs’ & garage ‘sorting out’ went very well 👏 with some excellent decluttering 👏 Shame about the shelving unit not fitting under the stairs 😔 but do remember that if it doesn’t work in the garage either, you should consider decluttering it at the earliest opportunity 😉 As to the blackberry & raspberry jelly, one of our waiting staff hid some for me & I had it for dessert yesterday 😋 

The end of another page of cheerleading 🥳 so time to post 😉 I hope everyone is having as good a day as possible & that the weather has perked up 😊 DSis emerged from her room long enough to make me a coffee & herself a tea + sort her meds out for the week 😊 So a small bag of recycling & a small bag waste are now in their respective wheelie bins (72 & 73) See you later 👋

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🌟 ❤️ ❤️ 🏅 

DH Awards:

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 73/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

QueenJess

After reporting I haven't done much decluttering, I had some motivation yesterday and decluttered loads of digital files on my laptop.  Definitely more to go and I really want to go through some photos as I picked up some free frames from Buy Nothing a few weeks ago and want to print off some of my favourites so I can see them everyday on the side.  Buy Nothing is a bit quieter at the moment now everyone is back to work and not seen anything I fancied on there for a while.  There is someone that posts with pristine and sometimes brand new unused items that is irritating me at the moment.  Their posts sound like a threat as they are along the lines of "pick up or it's going to the tip on Thursday".  I'm sure they don't mean it like that, but it feels like it's a guilt trip for everyone else as it's our fault if they send something to the tip that is in mint condition as they can't be bothered to give it to charity or whatever.  It's also unnecessary... they could just say "need to pick up by X" which lots of people also do.  I keep reminding myself that what other people do with their stuff is not my problem.  If I can and will use something then I will pick up and do so.  What happens to my stuff that others pick up or things other people have that no one wants is not my problem and I will not feel guilty about that.

Sorry - rant over...

Digital:
197 - computer files deleted
1 - digital notes deleted

Physical

2 - craft supplies used up

New total = 218

New use up total = 5

dND

Thank you so much for my gold star @Mrs_Salad_Dodger, added to signature with pride. 😁

3 batches of marmalade made - a day spent chopping and boiling - and then my DS1 and DiL1 say they don't eat marmalade.  Net result, I think I have marmalade for life. 🤣😋

Decluttering is now back to pre-Christmas time; mainly day-to-day detritus which if not done mounts up horrifically quickly and bit's here and there which I completely forget I've done.  One frog is coming up fast.  I've been in the house for nearly a year 😱 so house insurance renewal needs looking at.  @GrannyKate and @London_1, you don't know how envious I am of how quickly your building work progressed. 😁

Work here, which is now me and when he's available DS1, has ground to a halt with the weather and of course Xmas.  I still have more than a bit of a splatter gun approach to it, actually, it's a lot more crisis management than planned work.  The major draughts and cracks through to the outside have been filled in the living areas although I do  need to brave the lofts in the extensions to patch and properly insulate but that can now wait a few months - I don't work well in the cold as everything seizes up and my hands don't work.  Fingers crossed, tomorrow I will be treating more of the pallet collars ready to continue digging in the garden and make the raised beds.

@weenancyinAmerica it was good to read that you aren't in the evacuation area and I hope the air quality isn't too bad where you are.  DS2 and Dil2 are in Ventura County but safe although the first place they lived, back in 2016 in Sierra Madre is under evacuation warning albeit the furthest from the fire and still under warning it could be.  When I check the Cal Fire map I think of you too,  

As always, hugs and love to those who are under stress of whatever nature. Dx

Siebrie

I'm drinking the assorted teas I brought home from Mum's, and think of my deceased Dad every time I do; trying out teas was more his hobby than hers. It's a good memory, and in a week or 3 the teas will be gone, and the tin will be recycled.

I'm not posting very often, as there's lots going on in daily life: Mum's home had 2 leaks in September 2023 from upstairs neighbours, and it's still not sorted. Husband is pursuing a business opportunity, and we've been invited to China to meet with the manufacturer (!!!). Church will have it's annual meeting in March and we have to hand in our annual 'reports'. Work insanely busy because our most important deadline is nearing (31 January, if people want to claim their 40% subsidy!).

~FlowerPot~

afternoon lovelies {{{big hugs}}} all round for those who need a little boost.

I have finally been in the sudio painting!! woohoo! its been ages and I now have 7 paitnings on the go all at different stages. The studio was 3.5 degees when I went in with the little haolgen heater it got up to 11 at one point, but Ive been in and out through the day so as not to get to cold, although My feet are now quite chilly. Whilst inbetween layers I had a tidy and sort through 43 paintings to go (plus a wodge on paper,  not counted!), some on board, canvases or in frames have been bagged up for the charity shop or deposited in the bin. A number have got mold on the backs which is so annoying. Mosty though they are rubbish !!!!! My style has changed. I still have at least another 30 odd which I need to move on / sell if possible. I am working on a larger scale now too, So I need more space!!!

Decluttering is now: 179 / 2025

The abstract one is more what I'm currently into, but probably not too many people's taste! 

QueenJess

Had a burst of activity and after I put away all the clean, dry clothes I put together a box of stuff for charity.  It was mostly from the donate box I leave in the upstairs cupboard for everyone to use, but I also finally sorted out a box of things I picked up from Buy Nothing ages ago where I wanted to keep some and donate some.

Physical:
13 - books, toys etc (charity box)
1 - packaging reused

New total = 232

New use up total = 6

I also picked up a massive pile of pencils, crayons, pens etc a while ago on Buy Nothing.  I've decided to filter through the pile at some point to keep the ones I know we'll use and send the rest on.  A job for another day.

Florenceem

I went into town again before lunch and posted parcels.
I bought myself a fur covered hot water bottle - cold in bed on my own.
I popped into SA to do some printing.
After lunch I got a bus to the hospital - Mr F had moved again - now in an acute medical ward.
He is worse today - eyes half open and non responsive to pain tests. Having to have suction as he can't seem to swallow.
While I was there a Consultant saw him - thinks it could be an epileptic episode.
They are concerned about aspiration pneumonia. 
While I was there a Doctor put a tube up Mr F's nose  and down into his stomach so they can feed him. He only slightly twitched during what is an unpleasant procedure.
The abdomen scan was clear.
Next is a head scan.

oceanspirit

Had one of those frustrating days - broke a plate inside the crockery cupboard so everything in the vicinity had to come out and be cleaned.  DW is running with the final load.  Cooked the soup for the next couple of days but managed to make a mess all over the floor and the cooker. On the positive side, cleared and cleaned the living room sideboard as that was a quick job and that at least has gone to plan!

OH has done some more laundry so my clothing is now up to date.  Just bedding and towels to catch up on now.

Am now totally worn out and haven’t cleaned the cooker yet.  Oh well, if it has to wait until tomorrow that’s ok.