2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

retiredinfrance

Sending you hugs,@Florenceem. At least the doctors are giving Mr F lots of attention.x

suzeesu2000

Florenceem, sending you a HUGE hug and some prayers. Doesn’t seem right that, at a time when you should both be enjoying a relaxing somewhat lazy life, there is all this worry. You know we are all rooting for you both so, fingers crossed. xx

im being very bad about decluttering. My motivation is coming in very small fits and starts and I don’t like it. I’m procrastinating. Managed to, finally, get another batch of craft things listed on eBay. Am now up to job lot 20. Sold two this afternoon so pleased about that. Just can’t seem to get my get up and go to work…..maybe I’ve got a blockage🤣

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 but rather later than I intended 😉 I had 2 bits of mail to deal with - one circular which I shredded immediately & one charity raffle. Started to fill in the form & cheque but my pen ran out. Rather than using another pen I decided to find a refill (posh Sensa pen) as per no.4 of my mantras 😂 Guess what, I couldn’t find the refills 😱 so this resulted in a complete sort out of my filing cabinet 😉 First success - I found a refill 🥳 more success followed as I binned 3 non working pens, 2 broken revolving pencils & various bits of toot, condensed my spare pens/pencils + added 5 pens & a pencil to the CS bag (not counting yet) Each drawer is neat & tidy & I still have an empty one 😊

74 - 79 Pens, pencils & toot - binned

Rewarded myself with a bowl of hm vegetable soup which was even tastier today 😋 Finished dealing with my mail 😉

As I had the will to declutter, I decided to thin out & organise the contents of my large footstool. 

80 - 81 Brochure, 0.5” of paper products - recycled

82 More toot binned

Back to the cheerleading:

Lovely chatty post vulpix 😊 Very impressed that you are donating a scarf you love 👏 Just wondering if you did look at the rest of your scarves 😉 I know I shouldn’t have but I did have a chuckle at This “Did I say we no longer have a pop up waterfall, we now have a pop up icicle installation.” 🙊 

Great work finishing the work under the stairs MadamMim2013 👏 I especially liked that you managed to repurpose some shelving from the garage 👏 Sorry to hear about the ‘shunt’ your car got on Saturday 😔 Although very relieved to hear that both you & the other ‘innocent’ driver weren’t injured 😮‍💨 Although 😡 to the driver who caused the accident 😡 

Florenceem, so sorry to hear that Saturday’s visit to the hospital to see MrF gave you more cause for concern 😔 Hopefully now that MrF has been moved, he will get suitable treatment & will start to get better 🙏 

Great decluttering redofromstart 👏 Hopefully, the ‘slight remorse’ was very short lived 🤞 Excellent decluttering in both the garage & the indoor workshop room 👏 topped off by how ruthless you have been decluttering books 🤩 I am so impressed that I am awarding you a Gold Star ⭐️ Well done on getting the 8 yard skip two thirds full with 5 days to go (as of the 11th) 🥳

Breaking off here to ‘cook’ dinner - DH & DSis are having cold pork, chips & baked beans & I am having lo cottage pie (thereby creating a space in the fridge 🙂) 

I am now settling down to watch Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom with my DSis which has been on the Planner for almost 4 months 😉

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🌟 ❤️ ❤️ 🏅 

DH Awards:

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 82/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

Florenceem

I did some sorting this evening and now have my trolley and a bag packed for the charity shop which opens at 9.
I have a couple of parcels wrapped. 
Going to tidy in kitchen and put my new hot water bottle into action. I haven't had a hot water bottle for years. The shop only had the long sort or feet ones. 

redofromstart

Thank you for my Gold Star MrsSD - the driver behind the major declutter was the unexpected loss of Mr Redo to a heart attack a few months ago, otherwise he would indeed have been in that skip taking things back out. 
Lots of progress today, mostly outside stuff, and we are now at 80% full with a few days to go.  Both green waste bins filled as well.  I also did a few trips round the garden identifying more stuff to go once the green waste bins are empty tomorrow - I will need to prune my way through a lot of roses to get to some of it. Inside I have been washing and sorting bedding into rags, dust sheets or folded and into the new space in the airing cupboard for use going forward.

TC77

@~FlowerPot~ how exciting being back painting... I'm in awe of anyone who can paint, or craft like many here!

Still have tax return to-do , some other major frogs, and have to empty DD2's room as decorator doing her room in 2 weeks and need to empty. About 5 boxes of books and one bookshelf not empty, over 20 odd socks so debating whether to wait for their partners to turn up.
GrannyKate I think you mentioned you had about 120 boxes and I thought that sounded alot  when you moved butnow I think it was quite modest, although still an impressive number of extension leads. I think it would be around 30 + boxes for DD2 room so realise how much needs to go. 
Counting 20 from the weekend, mainly smallish things, dried up glue stick, hair stuff, toiletries, uni stuff from open days, 
Also some packaging, trousers, jacket and jumper in CS bag and some xmas things.
Have phoned for some advice which means more frogs are lined up.
Also added some shoulder fabric bags and bra 
Just added 34 cake decorating items in to CS bag  have counted these individually which is abit cheeky. going to round up or down to 155. 

Floss

~FlowerPot~ said:

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

I love that!

charlies_tribe

Just a quick post.
I hope you get better news tomorrow Florenceem.
Sorry about the cat CrazyCatLady. It's an emotional thing to have to do x

MrsSD.  He says HD had done the homework. He thinks HD may have actually thrown it in the bin. I did fetch the last bag from their room out of the bin, but there's still no sign of it. Luckily his teacher said it didn't matter.

Yesterday we caught the train to Liverpool to see DD3F family and didn't get back till late so nothing done yesterday. First time I've ever caught a train, proud of myself that we didn't end up in London! 

Haven't managed much today as DGS has been unwell and got up with a temperature this morning. DD rang 111, then the gp and had an appointment and was sent to hospital as he's only 5 weeks. He's had bloods and has signs of infection so he's going for a lumbar Puncture and they're keeping them in. So we have DGD, who hasn't stayed for a couple of weeks and was extremely excited. She's now asleep so I'm having a hot chocolate and off to bed.

55 deteriorated sweatshirt
56  dream catcher
57  Bathroom rubbish
58  Bathroom recycling 

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

Wudupa.

83 - 84 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans - recycled 

85 - 86 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

Nice to see you 2Scratters 👋 The EDT is rather like a ‘runaway train’ at the moment, so not surprised you have only just caught up 😅 I rather like This “…… I just know things move slowly and that space does start to appear and I can "feel the difference" like pressure has been released a bit.” is a great description of how it feels after a successful bout of decluttering 😊 Good luck with your “tebay” sales 🍀 I am looking forward to following your ‘Twenty Twenty Thrive’ journey 😊

Excellent work with the shredding Tjh1412 👏 and your huge number of 1169 has earned you a second Gold Star ⭐️ Very impressed that you have reached this number on the 11th January 🤩 Definitely very obliging of your DD to have such a long nap 😅 I especially liked that you decluttered the two elderly lemons into a lemon drizzle cake 😊 I will pop round later for a wee slice 😂

More great decluttering TC77 👏 That sounds like a very energetic holiday, so well done on the forward planning of attending gym sessions 👏  I hope you had a successful shopping trip on Saturday & managed to find a suitable rucksack & whatever other equipment you require 🤞 Shame that DD2 is worrying about going to Australia for her year out 😔 hopefully she will start to get excited the nearer the trip gets 🙏 Sorry to hear that DD1 is so unwell that she has to delay her placement 😔 Fingers crossed that she recovers soon & her placement can be rescheduled 🤞

oceanspirit, Good luck with your re-jig of freezer shelves to fit in a couple more portions of soup 🍀 Congratulations on dispensing with a big frog 🥳 that is great work 👏 This “…….. I feel so much happier if I feel progress is being made.” & the happier you feel the more progress you can make 😊 I believe it is called a ‘Virtuous Circle’ 🥹

Brambling, what a naughty cat 🐈‍⬛ I do hope you have managed to get back to a normal sleep pattern 🙏

Yippee now starting the cheerleading for posts dated the 12th 💃 

Dizzycap, so sorry to hear that you have been so unwell all over the Christmas period & into the New Year 😢 Bronchitis and Shingles 😟  no wonder you are exhausted 😩 Hopefully the combination of the medications & bed rest + sleep will continue to work 🙏 Not a great start to your 2025 so here’s hoping that the rest of 2025 turns into Twenty Twenty Thrive 🙏

weenancy, nice idea but do remember our tradition of a stiff upper lip & not making a fuss 😕

Florenceem, I understand that you don’t like to “let anyone down” but I am relieved that you are putting your needs first for a change 😮‍💨 

Excellent decluttering Happy_Kitties 👏 & well done on sorting 2 frogs before lunchtime 🥳

Crazycatlady2, you have a very busy year ahead 🙂 I will keep my fingers crossed for a quick sale of your old house 🤞as well as keeping them crossed that your DD passes her driving test 2nd time around 🤞 So very sorry that you are having to say goodbye to your cat this week 😢

BlueJ94, sorry to hear that work was flooded out due to a burst pipe & you had to work at another location 😕 Shame the bosses didn’t think to give you a couple of days off - paid of course 😉

Liverpool_Anne, relieved to hear that your skid on icy roads was minor 😥 Remember the day to day decluttering is just as important as other decluttering 😊 Pleased to hear that your lava lamp is now working 🙂 That pale green yarn sounds lovely 😻 Hope the dentist appointment went well 🤞

Lovely cheerleading post vulpix 😊 Well done on the weight loss 👏 a very good start 🙂 Great decluttering of scarves 👏 - hopefully not your favourites this time 🤞Good luck with emptying the freezer 🍀 Hopefully with the weather warming up I might be brave enough to defrost the garage freezer as only one drawer has anything in it & I should be able to squeeze the contents into the kitchen freezer 🤞

Excellent decluttering CRANKY40 👏

Concentration is waning so I will post this. Sleep tight everyone 😴 

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🌟 ❤️ ❤️ 🏅 

DH Awards:

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2025: 86/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, quite a busy day here. Went to the dentist but noticed a strange noise when driving the car so pulled over before I got out of the road. Sounded like a bit of tree or something stuck under the car or in the wheel arch. Checked it out but couldn't see anything. Couldn't really hang about so drove to the dentist. Noticed the noise is only on the near side and happens when I go over a bit of a bump in the road so I suspect it is something to do with the suspension. No issues with the steering or brakes. All ok at the dentist, prescription for toothpaste picked up while I was there and appointment for 6 months made😁.
Then I drove to OH's house to check it over and collect the post. There was loads as neither of us have been for a while. While I was there a man knocked on the door to talk about some work that was happening at over the back neighbours, apologising for the noise etc. Then he started talking about tree roots going into their garden from OH"s trees. I took him out to the garden and said no trees at the bottom of the garden, they probably came from the big conifer that was in next doors garden. To be honest I couldn't really grasp what he was wanting to do. He said they were going to chop off any roots that had gone under the fence and trim the overgrown shrubs over the fence but was asking if we wanted them to spray something to stop the roots coming back on our side of the fence, but it wouldn't kill the shrubs. This made no sense to me. I asked how much it would cost and he said well how long is a piece of string, I said as long as the fence. I was totally baffled as to what he wanted to do so I said well actually this isn't my house and I have no authority to say yea or nay but send the paperwork with some sort of quote and I will ask the owner to contact you.  Checked the rest of the house, all ok. Then I drove to the Drs to collect the blood test form. Long wait to see receptionist as only 1 working and there seemed to be lots of people with complicated requests. Then off to my local chemist to put my prescription in but they were closed for lunch by then so carried on to the garage to try to sort out the knocking noise. It is booked in for Wednesday. I explained what was happening and he did offer to look at it tomorrow but I am meeting my friend who lost her DH just before Christmas tomorrow. I had arranged this at the funeral on Friday and don't want to let her down. I told the guy in the garage if something drops off I'll get the aa to tow me to the garage 😂. I told him the tale of when I had a very old mini, held together with gaffer tape and blue tac, 😂  and I heard a knocking noise coming from the boot which I just ignored for months thinking it was a plastic water container bouncing around. Eventually I looked and the shock absorber had come through the floor of the boot 😂. He thought it was hilarious. I am not known for keeping on top of my cars but I thought I'd get it checked out this time 😂. Back to the chemist but it was still shut for lunch so I picked up some coffee and headed home. I had got a coffee for ln and passed it in with a portion of shepherds pie OH had cooked yesterday, so she was very happy with that 😁. I had some lunch then did a whizz around, emptied the bathroom bin, kitchen bin, lr bin and kitchen recycling after filling them 😂. Then I had fell asleep on the couch, so missed the chemist, until I cookef tea. After tea I did a bit of crochet. I will drop off the prescription in the morning.

@Florenceem, hugs seem hardly enough but know we are all thinking of you and Mr F

Lovely to see how well everyone is doing and I am keeping up with the posts, just 😂 but off to bed now
Hugs to everyone who would like one

74 dentist
75 blood form
76 car booked in to garage
77 bathroom bin
78 kitchen bin
79 lr bin
80 kitchen recycling
Take care everyone
80/2025