2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

charlies_tribe

Good morning. Wow you've all been busy. 22 pages to catch up on, I'll manage it slowly. I really should go sort out some glasses as I can't reat the thread without enlarging it massively now. And have to scroll backwards and forwards. 
Not much done this week at all. Im really struggling with everything. But ive restarted my meds and pulling my socks up! 
Only 2 things decluttered so far this week, DD2s pjs as had a hole and DGDs magnetic drawing board as she used it to play 'the floor is lava' it didn't save her.
Going to tackle a bit of the kids rooms as soon as ive finished this tea.

regnbue

Reading @Liverpool_Anne's hand cream experience reminded me of when me and Mum went on holiday and she had deliberately taken an almost used tube of hand cream to be used up.  She had carefully cut the bottom off the tube with nail scissors and left it neatly out with all her other toiletries.  She was most annoyed when we returned from a day out to find that it had been "decluttered" by the cleaner.  Clearly their idea of "used up" was somewhat different to my Mum's.

Which reminds me of when I used to work in a 4 star hotel in London when I was a youngster.

I was very shy and sensitive at that age, used to blush a lot at the slightest thing.  I used to clean the rooms and I quite liked it because I didn't really have to talk to anyone and you could get the radio stations on the tv set so I listened to pop music whilst I worked.

On what was my last day I was cleaning a couple's room whilst they were present.  I had quickly done the beds and sitting area and went to finish off in the bathroom while they were in the bedroom area.  I pushed the bathroom door close to so they had privacy.

As I was cleaning the washbasin I noticed a very large plastic yellow comb.  I mean it was enormous - a comedy comb like a clown would use.  Neither of the guests had long hair so it amused me as I had never seen a comb that big.  I was rushing to get done and out of their way and the last thing I did was clean the loo then flush it.  Unfortunately as I flushed it my elbow knocked the gigantic clown comb into the swirling loo water.

If it had been a normal sized comb obviously I would have been panicked and offered to buy a replacement but because it was so big I just thought well at least it will be nice and clean as I've just cleaned the loo.  Imagine my astonishment when the supersized comb disappeared down the loo without a trace!

I was so shocked but instead of dissolving into tears as I would normally have done I just thanked the guests, quickly left the room and finished a couple of hours later.  I think I just couldn't believe it had happened.  The hotel never got in touch with me after I had left.

I remember walking down the hotel corridor at the end of the day to use the staff lift and a guest was standing outside his room door, clearly his key was not working.  Obviously in normal circumstances I would never open a door to a stranger but although I had never met this guest I knew who he was so I opened it and he was very nice about it.  That was the end of my strangest last work day so far - a disappearing giant comb and letting Ronnie Corbett into his room.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Hi everyone
I've finally managed to drop off a big bin bag at the CS, having left it by the front door to remind myself
I also returned something to the Swedish shop and returned a book I borrowed from the 'help yourself' shelf in the community centre. 
I've finally decluttered my decorator  now I can put stuff back where it belongs, I've been moving my stuff round different rooms as I've had a few rooms decorated plus the landing and stairs. 
I also cut off the ends of toothpaste, turn bottles upside down to get out every last dreg, try not to waste water and turn the shower off when shampooing/conditioning my hair etc!
Love to all
Dx

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Daily To Do list - written the night before
2. Sort out sleep patterns - initial targets: bed by 03:00, up by 10:30
3. 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
4. Commence ‘Operation Financial Frog Tickling’ using the acronym - I.R.I.S. (Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off) - One per quarter
5. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed
6. Plan & execute ONE Major Project - 2026 New Bathroom
7. Target 2026 items out

Apologies for not posting yesterday 😞

Friday continued: we set off at 11:03 & went the long way round to Reading - double the distance but avoided driving through the centre of London & saved £18. We had a fairly good run & arrived at the enormous cemetery (two chapels) by 13:05 (funeral 13:45) As all the car parks were full we ended up parking on one of the roads running through the cemetery. It was bitterly cold 🥶 with a biting wind. We found a waiting room which had a noticeboard showing the scheduled funerals & fortunately we had walked to the correct one. Spent 10 minutes trying to get warm before the family started arriving. Having not seen this branch of our family for 25+ years DSis & I were lucky to recognise our step uncle D. After a quick hello it was time to go into the chapel. The service was conducted by D’s son-in-law C who is a minister. A true celebration of life with some wonderful anecdotes & memories from M’s fiancé of 40 years (D), her sister & both her daughters. A testament to how well loved M was, is that there were more tears of laughter than sorrow 🥹 A beautiful service. We had a short chat with D & C before heading off to the Leander Rowing Club. The three of us caught up with D’s son who was over from America with his partner of 20 years (he has lived there for 30 years) & D’s daughter S. Also met S’s children for the first time (although I have been sending them all birthday cards since they were born!) Apparently the younger daughter, born on Christmas Day, looks forward to receiving her birthday card & always opens it on Christmas Day. Sadly I didn’t get to meet her as she was taken home after the service as being autistic there were too many people & too much noise for her to be comfortable 🥺 Delicious buffet, plenty of wine & also tea & coffee on tap. Also spoke to several other people & eventually left just gone 5pm. A reasonable trip back & we got home 19:50 after stopping off at the chippie. 

I will post this now & come back later 👋 Hope everyone has as good a day as possible & manages to stay warm as if our temperatures are anything to go by it is rather cold (high 9°C feeling 6° colder due to strong SSE wind & a low of 6°C)

MrsSD Awards: 💐🙏💐💐🌟⭐️❤️💐

DH Awards:

DSis Awards: 

Decluttering Target 2026: 145/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

Brie

Mrs_Salad_Dodger said:

Brie, sorry to hear about the bad tum 😔 Although pleased to hear that OH looked after you by making drinks & dinner 😊 it is a shame that his care didn’t extend to tidying the kitchen & doing the washing up (even if he left the dishes to air dry) 😒 I am now curious as to what decision you reached  - evening reminder or 05:30 wake up call 🙊

Dishes are always left to airdry unless it's a fragile martini glass or similar.  (OH likes an ocaisional martini and has some nice 1960 style glasses for them).  But he did good and about the time I was considering doing something he asked which bin needed to go out and did a good tidy before dinner.  He does have his moments....

@London_1
I press the small piece of soap into the new bar - makes fun coloured patterns sometimes.  And the OH has always questioned why I put water in the nearly empty dish soap bottle.  Not sure how many time I've explained this to him.  He's decided he likes the very expensive Fairy dispenser and has dictated that I must only buy that in the future.  Well puff that!  The top comes off so can be refilled with less expensive stuff so that's what I'm going to do.  I'll see if he notices. 

Now got to get decluttering a number of toads - all financial - including doing my tax assessment.  And I've got to book my MOT - the Halford website won't let me pick the garage I want for some reason!  So I need to ring them and give them my account details which will get me an MOT for free.  

Florenceem

I emptied the bottom shelf of the food cupboard today - sorted the contents and deep cleaned the area.
Then I went out to visit my SA bestie - another SA friend was there so I got 2 hugs. My friend has Prim. so had ordered bits for me - I bought another set of cheese knives for the COL.
I got a bus home.
After a cuppa - ventured into the garage - cleaned and tidied one side at the door end. Found 6 large zipper bags for my friend to store stuff at the charity shop 
It was cold and my back started to complain so I went back in the warm.

florianatwobob

Decluttered various dead bits of perennial plants. We normally leave them to provide some winter cover but they were sodden after all the recent rain. 

Two kitchen cupboards tidied  and some of my jam jar collection put to good use storing open packets 

I’ve been running down the freezer during January which has led to ‘creative cooking’ but have now recluttered it with a food shop. DBro1 is most pleased as creative cooking does not come naturally to him and he has been asking hopefully when there will be a supermarket shop. 

charlies_tribe

Watching lots of declutter posts on Fbook and decided to move my bottom. 45 minutes done in the older boys room. Floor swept, christmas sacks emptied and put away, cardboard from the socks/pjs etc put in recycle bin. I hot some shelves free a couple of weeks ago and they've just been stood in the room so ive started putting DS2s things on there from his plastic boxes. DS1 didn't know what to do so gave him the massive box of video games he has and told him to bring down any he didn't want. He brought 15 down i think, added to my pole to trade in.

Caught up on here. Hugs to all who need them and MrsSD, yes im aiming for 2026 to start off please.

Then ive done 45 minutes in the younger boys room. They had a huge garage shelf unit that was used in there temporarily and became a permanent fixture. There is no need for them now so I put each child's belongings in a box for them to store under beds for now, putting anything i knew wasn't needed/wanted on to the landing and then DH dismantled the shelfs. I swept the gap and moved the piano to the gap from the middle of the floor. It's starting to look less cluttered in there. Just going to help DH with dinner and I need to sort through everything on the landing that came out.
DH is waiting so I'll post list and update later.

Wednesday2000

I went to my class this morning and then my husband came to meet me afterwards. I saw him go past on the bus so he got to the cafe before me so he dropped off the donation bag first. I added two more books and a few more things to the bag this morning.

I decluttered a huge breakfast at the cafe.

QueenJess

Green_hopeful said:

@London_1 I can’t believe how much water people waste. We are careful with our water and reuse bath and shower water in the garden and washing machine water in the summer. We are in a very dry part of the country so we are always struggling. When people come round they run the taps at max and don’t even think about it unless it’s my kids and they see my face. Our water consumption triples if anyone comes to stay. Even if they don’t care about the money they are literally flushing down the drain what about the environment. 

I do a similar thing to London_1 where I usually have a glass of water next to bed at night, but never seem to get the amount I want to drink correct. No problem though as I pour it in the watering can and water the indoor plants with it.

I am intrigued how you reuse washing machine water though? Please indoctrinate me into your wise ways!