2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

dND

Hello all, it's definitely time for a quick update as I was so many pages behind.

Everyone has been doing so well so congratulations to everyone. 👏👏👏

I'm not quite sure where I am at the moment. I have that very detached from reality feeling that I got when I had depression but I'm not depressed. I think it's likely to be overload with things to do and not being able to progress anything in particular due to aging and lack of funds so going into a sort of switch off mode.

However, I'm hoping a corner has been turned today. I'm through the next round of the application for help on insulating the house: Basically the first bit of the application was whether I qualified and today's visit was to ascertain whether the house qualified. Now I have to wait for the modelling to be done and see what proposal they come up with. 😁 It does mean that I now know that I won't be doing anything on the house until I've a) got the proposal and b) any work they will do, is done. So I can simplify my brain a bit by only having to think about the garden, where to move everything when they want access to every room, where to put the cats to keep them safe and what can I get rid of before anything is done. 🤣🤣
If all goes to plan, all work should be done by August/September so I can concentrate on decorating after then.

But, I did fill the boot the beginning of the week with the first load of items for the CS. I want to get compost this week to start filling the potato bags so if the boot was full I had to go to the CS and drop the stuff off. Giving myself no option is sometimes the only way I can motivate myself. I also got a tip run in. I now need a few more to shift the massive pile of cardboard from the garage to make space for all the flooring from the loft so extra insulation can be fitted although I won't be emptying the loft until I know that the insulation is going to be fitted. So still a lot of uncertainty floating around but much less than before. Our brains are amazing things but sometimes they are a pain in the derriere! 🤣

So as one frog retreats back to tadpole stage, another tadpole turns into a frog. I've started my conversation with Karcher and now have to jump through all the hoops photographing bits of the pressure washer and getting receipts together and getting that sent off to see what they will do for me.
Passport application was approved and new one printed and arriving soon, so that's one frog eaten and gone. 😁😁

The fluffy ginger cat that I may have mentioned was trying to befriend Gino is now causing concern. After posting on the local FB group I'm pretty sure he's a stray and I also realised that he had a problem. He was looking in one of my windows and I noticed that one iris was much larger than the other which is not a good sign. Other's have been trying to catch him in a cage but he's very wary. My current plan of attack is to try and get him to come here by feeding him - that's why I wanted to check that he wasn't someone's pet. I've been successful 1 day but today he came through very late and I missed him and just saw him as he left the garden. But tomorrow is another day. 😁 Watching out for him meant that I spotted the fox trotting past the catio at 9am. 🦊

Tomorrow is a bit of a shopping day and I'm going to call in on my vets and see if they have any information on TNR for the stray cat as well as where treats stray cats. It's very unlikely he will be suitable for rehoming and I wouldn't want him to be euthanised just because he can't be rehomed and I'm happy to have him around here.

Hugs to all who want and love to you all. Dxx

vulpix

dND, I often have that vague feeling, like I have forgotten something. I think it's having so many plates to spin. It would be great to get a grant for insulation.

Florenceem, I had a chocolate lab called Rolo. The most beautiful but intellectually challenged dog you could wish to meet. Had a black lab called Jet, she was a clever girl.

I must have been sending messages by telepathy to my builder. This morning he sent a txt saying he will be starting work on the front garden a week on Monday and will be staying until it's finished. Woohoo.

Made a cushion cover tonight from a 50p remnant.I was given the cushion. Don't need a cushion, don't use cushions but you know… Nothing decluttered but it was a frog eaten.

LCL, lovely cleaning lady is coming tomorrow to make a start on painting the doors on the landing. They are bare pine atm but not in an attractive pine way.

Vx

BlueJ94

Morning!

I finish work at 2.30 today but back in again tomorrow 😴

Not much going on, items sold on vinted so ive sent them out.

Breakfast is..

Other than that im tireeeeed, all washing caught up. Spare room is still clean woohoo!

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 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

Thursday is bright, sunny & breezy at the front of the house but overcast & dull at the back of the house 😞 The forecast high is 17°C (feeling 3° colder due to SW wind) with a low of 11°C. Wrote a shopping list for DH & DSis who set off for MrS at 14:00I put away all the shopping when they got back. DH & I finished the hm soup. DH ordered in - Chinese for me & DSis but nothing for DH as he wasn’t hungry. I have done 3 loads of LDFPA. Wudupa

703 - 707 Kitchen recycling, cardboard box, cardboard packaging, plastic bottle, drinks cans - recycled 

708 Kitchen detritus - binned 

P.S. paid the milkman.

BlueJ94, well done on resisting the temptation to buy another candle 👏

Florenceem, sorry to hear that you went to bed in pain 😣 but relieved that you managed to sleep through 😮‍💨 Sounds like you had a busy day planned at home for both you & J 😊

florianatwobob, beautiful iris & impressive rosemary bush 🤩 Very impressive work by your chap - building the bin store & sorting all the paperwork so quickly 👏

BlueJ94, what a lovely surprise 😊

Florenceem, fingers crossed that your bestie remembers to pick up the pile of donations 🤞How lovely to have both A & J visit & help with a couple of tasks ☺️ More excellent decluttering 👏

My cheerleading mojo has deserted me so I will finish it tomorrow 😉 Sleep tight 😴 

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🙏💐💐🌟⭐️❤️💐💐⭐️💐❤️ ⭐️🎖️🥇 

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2026: 708/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £165.11

oceanspirit

4 saucepans for CS and more off the reading pile into recycling.

Florenceem

vulpix - my lab was called Buttons. Lovely dog and I agree about the intellectually challenged. We rescued her at 10 months old from a family member.

I had a bad night pain wise.

Bestie collected the donations that I had placed in the porch.

Washing is out on the airer. I bought some jumbo pegs as fed up with clothes being blown off the airer.

I hope J arrives soon.

I am going to carry on with emptying the small ROD.

Hope everyone has a good productive day.

Yorkie1

Sorry to hear you're still in pain overnight @Florenceem

@dND I think you're right about our brains protecting us from too much overload by dialling down what we can focus on. Be kind to yourself and everything will get done in time, even if it's not today.

I had ordered a replacement kettle lid, which was delivered today - to my neighbour! Luckily she brought it round so I will be able to start using it after giving it a clean.

Off to the fracture clinic this afternoon for my hand. I'm sure it'll all be fine. A church friend is taking me to the hospital and I will get a bus back.

Have a good day everyone.

daisy_1571

My bil who used to have 2 says chocolate labs all share 1 brain cell between them all 😆 🤣 😂

Dxx

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 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

Friday is a dull overcast day with a forecast high of 17°C (feeling 4° cooler due a SW wind) & a low of 11°C. I am washing & reproofing DH’s motorcycle trousers. As there is no rain forecast I will be putting them out on the whirligig to dry. 

dND, sorry to hear This “I’m not quite sure where I am at the moment. I have that very detached from reality feeling that I got when I had depression but I’m not depressed. I  think it’s likely to be overload with things to do and not being able to progress anything in particular due to aging and lack of funds so going into a sort of switch off mode.” 🥺 It might be an odd thing for me to say but I am relieved to hear that it is overload rather than depression 🥲 Please be kind to yourself & remember the TLC Carriage is always open 🥹 I am keeping everything crossed that you will get the grant for insulation & that the work will be done quickly & efficiently 🤞🙏  Very annoying that Karcher are making you jump through so many hoops 😖 I have a vague recollection that a few years ago they had far better customer service 😞 A quick turnaround on your passport 😊 Hoping for a favourable outcome for the “fluffy ginger cat” 🙏

Dizzycap, great work in the garden & dealing with HH chores 👏 Sounds like Babyface has been a bit too energetic over the last couple of days 😞 Hopefully a day or two of restricted activity will mean that she is back to her usual self 🙏 Hope both you & Babyface had a good rest last night 🤞

vulpix, good news that your builder is starting work soon & will be concentrating on completing the work on your front garden 🥳 Good luck to your LCL painting the doors 🍀

BlueJ94 your breakfast looks rather yummy 😋 Well done on the sales 👏 

Great decluttering oceanspirit 👏

Florenceem, sorry to hear that you had a bad night 😔  Really hoping that your doctor can sort something out on Monday 🙏 Yippee to your bestie collecting the donations for her CS 🥳 Good luck emptying the small ROD 🍀

Yorkie1, hopefully you have a good outcome from your visit to the fracture clinic 🙏

daisy_1571, that is hilarious 🤣 

I have almost finished knitting the scarf, so another two balls of yarn used up 😊 Hope everyone has as good a day as possible 😊 See you later 👋 

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🙏💐💐🌟⭐️❤️💐💐⭐️💐❤️ ⭐️🎖️🥇 

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2026: 708/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £165.11

Green_hopeful

So we have decided to clear some space in the garage of doom. It’s definitely the most cluttered bit of our house. Its a double double garage so technically you could get four cars inside but actually you struggle to pick your way through on a little path. I am aiming to clear half of it.

We have quite a bit of Next oak furniture from my old house that various children have borrowed when moving into new houses. Most of it has come back to the garage and i can’t see anyone else using it, so time to go. I think we bought it in 1999 so its done ok. I have dragged it out the garage, cleaned it up and listed it on eBay. Along with a basin we didn’t use in our bathroom, a 6 metre polytunnel, dog crate and various other things. None of them owe me anything so I will see if they go. It felt a bit better just putting them back a bit tidier.

I tried to kondo our bags for life. I probably chucked about 10 sad ones and put five aside for changing the cat litter. We probably still have 30. Some can be used when we next have to help one of the kids move.

I decluttered two bottles of udo oil to the compost heap. It belonged to my husbands aunt and was in our freezer for years. We are never going to use it so out it went.

Sadly I decluttered a large kilner jar by dropping it on the floor. Very disappointing but I have more. I made a very big mess. I vacuumed with two different vacuum cleaners to get it all up.