2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Brie

Boggled by the new rules for bins. We've got a recycling bin and 2 rubbish bins (legacy from when MiL was living with us and used disposables.)

We should have a brown kitchen bins like most the people do on our street but because the council assume everyone has got one we didn't have one delivered. That's fine by me as I've never been able to figure out where to put the indoor one and the outdoor one.

We also don't have a gardening bin as either our gardener has taken everything away or we can get it to the tip ourselves - not far away and we can go mid week when there's no queue. I also object to the fact that it would cost us £71 a year for this particularly as there is now a rule that you can't put cut flowers in your rubbish bin. Do they actually think that every OAP or whomever who gets a bouquet for mother's day or similar should get a bin just to dispose of these?? Likewise if your only gardening is to sweep up a few leaves in the autumn surely there must be leeway. And like the food bins I don't know where we would put one even if we did have it?

I shall do my best to not break too many rules but if they go for the split between glass, paper and tin (so 2 more bins) I've no idea where I would put them and I don't think others will be able to cope too.

Mild rant over….

Florenceem

J was here for 3 hours. He swept and tidied the back area and moved the storage crate.

He did all the caulk areas and then filled the skirting board.

As it is dry J brushed stabilisher on the wall that is on the left side of the house - he used all of the 5 litre container. I do have paint for the wall.

Daughter picked up the fence paint and brought it here.

I think I will do my meal soon - breaded haddock fillet and chips.

My watch says that I had over 8 hours sleep last night.

Having a day at home - will be a busy time tomorrow.

BlueJ94

Used up a frozen chicken pie thats been sat in the freezer for ages and used left over rice for dinner!

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

daisy_1571, I have sent you a PM

MrsSD xx

BlueJ94

Ive not been very active as we've been busy building a fence in the back garden as the old one has become so rotten it was dangerous! Especially with a 10ft drop.. anyway ive bought 4 items on vinted, sold two items and im going to list a few more later. OH is making cooked dinner (send help) 🤣🤣

weenancyinAmerica

Saturday, took three more bags of mystery books to the library. Starting to see holes on the bookcases. Been reading a book a day, sometimes two. Can't do much of anything else right now. Need the back surgery soon.

Sunday, went to my sister's for Easter Sunday lunch. She lives thirty miles from here (exactly - I have checked). Fortunately, my other sister and her boyfriend were also going and they drove. We had a great time even though the temperature was 32C and everybody was wearing shorts (everyone else) or really light trousers (me). Most of the day was spent inside except for the plastic Easter Egg Hunt (no way there could be chocolate eggs out there) and smashing the eggs with confetti in them. The kids really liked the smashing of the eggs. They got the chocolate stuff when they got back inside.

Today, I have finished my Excel homework for the week, including the quiz. Will be going to the bank to get everything together for paying the property tax. Tomorrow have to pay the city bill for electricity, water, sewage, trash pickup, and paramedic services. This is one of my two worst months, money-wise. December is the other as the rest of the property tax is due then, plus have 5 birthdays and Christmas to deal with. I try to stretch out the buying of presents throughout the year so it's not so bad. So will be decluttering a lot of money this month.

Hope the weather isn't too bad there and that everyone has survived the worst of Storm Dave.

Deb4

Hope everyone is having a lovely bank holiday, it's been really sunny 🌞 here today and it looks like it's going to last another couple of days.

Not done much today, I have changed the bed sheets and I will peg them out tomorrow

I have taken some photos of things to list on vinted over the next couple of days, I'm not sure what i will get done this week with it being half term but hopefully i will get a couple of things done.

suzeesu2000

It’s been a tad on the busy side here today, not moaning, very happy to have got so much done.
2nd darks wash on the line and oh what a lovely day it’s been for drying washing: sunny and nice and breezy, perfect!
Made cheese and bacon thingies, 3 left.
Dealt with paperwork.
Emailed cousin and a friend - I don’t do short notes🤣
Cooked dinner for DH - all freezer stuff.
Dealt with all the parsnips, now have enough to last at least to September.
Got another, the last, dark wash on this afternoon ready for tomorrow.
Got the whites that needed a good soak in a bucket, they can soak overnight and go in with the other whites when I empty the machine tomorrow.
Got 2nd darks in lovely and dry, all folded.
Put all the ironed clothes away and all mine away.
Am now incredibly ouchy but smiling, suspect I will pay for it overnight and tomorrow but things could be worse.

Hope to get the last couple of bags of fresh carrots dealt with tomorrow. Will also be making the quiche then too @Mrs_Salad_Dodger.
Have a great night all, sweet dreams xx

Florenceem

I had a phone call from my youngest daughter. She rolled her ankle - swollen and painful - doing the London marathon at the end of the month.

Three of the medications that I take cause constipation - will have to attempt prunes. Mr F used to eat 5 prunes a day. I did eat some dried apricots this afternoon. I also had an apple.

May pop to Farm Food. on Wednesday and get some of the tinned fruit that is on offer.

Middle daughter is off to The Maldives this week.

I will go to visit family in the midlands when I have finished the house - weather will be warmer then - hopefully. It does tend to be warmer in a city than at the seaside. We get the breeze off the north sea.

florianatwobob

@Brie I understand your bin trauma. We have 4 bins and an indoor and outdoor food caddy. Purple bin = landfill (also smaller than your normal wheelie to encourage recycling), brown = garden waste, blue = cardboard and paper, black = all the other recycling including soft plastic. The recycling and landfill are on a three week cycle. The garden is fortnightly on a different day to recycling, the food waste is weekly with the main bins. It’s….complex.

Front garden tidied today before it goes wild and one of our friendly neighbours starts teasing us about it! I’ve dug a self seeded verbena out if the pot the blueberry bush is in. Blow me that verbena was huge and put up a fight. It’s getting replanted tomorrow. Also reclaimed a foot’s depth of patio…..the worms like to do earth works and had shifted enough earth and grass down to cover the concrete. You’d think we’d have noticed before now but with the last couple of years being so busy they’ve been free to do their business. Oh well I always wanted to be an archaeologist! The grass has been used to patch in some bald spots. Hopefully they’ll take but if not at least we’ve tried.

Compost being delivered tomorrow to pot up the plants, hopefully they’ll drop them round the back of the house if I look like a poor weak woman and ask nicely.

The sheds are being sorted tomorrow and hopefully I’ll find the ericaceous compost I think I have to top up the blueberry bush.