2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Soontobeoap

@ suzeesu2000 we did the Chale one. ( Have only done 3 in 14yrs) Bit we believe it is the best one on Island. You definitely couldn't get a busier one anyway. Didn't walk around because I was determined not to bring anything else back with me! 🤣

StickyTheStickInsect

It’s been over six weeks since I last posted, I don’t know where the time is going!

DD had her first orientation event at her new school and seemed to like it, even if she was a bit reticent as she only knew one other person.

DS1 celebrated the imminent long weekend by tearing the ligaments in his shoulder and damaging his collarbone again, throwing a shot put at school. He’s in a sling again and I’ve asked for a referral as this is his 7th dislocation or break in less than 2 years.

I’m trying to do somethings for me and went to my first WI meeting at the beginning of the month, having been on the waiting list for 18 months. Everyone was really friendly and I’ve joined their weekly Thursday coffee group. My M.E. isn’t great and I’m finding the balance of ND children, looking after my Dad and the rollercoaster of grief quite challenging at the moment, so whilst I found the thought of going somewhere new difficult, I’m pleased I did!!

I also went to a book event for an author I love, Ben Aaronovitch. I love a series and a character I can get invested in! He was really interesting and I sat next to a lady who goes to a WI closer to my house than the one I joined and she invited me along next month, so a very productive evening!

The decluttering is still focused at my Dad’s but I’ve been trying to do as much as I can at home. 2 bags to fabric recycling, 2 bags to the hospice shop, 4 bags to shoe recycling (all three children needed new shoes at the same time!!) and 7 bags on the local freebies site.

My new total is 74.5/208

We’ve been sorting out my Dad’s garage, so we can start bringing stuff from the container to it, to give us a bit more sorting time. We’ve also carried on sorting out the last bits of the kitchen.

21 bags to the local freebies site including a tumble dryer, 3 bags to the hospice shop, 35 bags to the tip and we’ve filled a skip, which is the equivalent of 55 bags.

My Dad’s new total is 209.5/208

Mrs SD, could I change my Dad’s total again please, I think I’ll go for 416 bags, as I have clearly underestimated how much there is to get through!

Love to everyone xxx

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

Monday continued: I have unpacked our bags, everything has been put away in its designated place or added to my washing basket. Forgot to mention that I sorted my accounts out yesterday afternoon & checked the PB site - I won £25 & DH won £50. The washing is sorted into loads & I will do the laundry tomorrow. Dinner was bacon, egg, oven chips & baked beans. Wudupa.

790 - 793 Kitchen recycling, newspaper, plastic bottle, drinks cans - recycled 

794 - 795 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

Now I will do some more cheerleading & at least finish posts dated 2nd May:

TC77, great work finding someone to take the “complex suspension files” 👏 

Florenceem, yippee to having a 2nd pain free night 🥳 What a lovely thing for your bestie’s son to do 🥹 Just wondering if you could offer The Penny Pincher papers to your local library 🤔 

TC77, great work tackling the boxes you brought back from your dad’s 👏 Excellent decluttering despite being at the “make more mess stage of decluttering” 👏 especially as you are rediscovering previously hidden furniture 😊  A Gold Star ⭐️ is on its way. Looking forward to seeing the photo of the newly upholstered stool 😊

Oh Dizzycap 🥺 I have no words, just great admiration for how well you are handling your situation 🥹 gentle cwtches coming your way 🤗

retiredinfrance, absolutely no need to be ashamed about not posting for a while ‘wagging finger emoji’ RL has a habit of getting in the way especially if you are feeling tired 😔 Excellent work reducing stocks & resisting temptation on your visits to CS 👏 Also well done on taking up the slack with the gardening ☺️ A medal 🏅 is on its way for the very MSE way you are tackling the huge hike in fuel prices 🥳

GrannyKate, hope your DD & her hubby enjoy the cruise 😊 & that you manage to get your packing done 🤞Great work selling the truckle bed 👏

Florenceem, excellent work by young J 👏 Your robe looks wonderful very exotic 😊

TC77, This “Missing having my work phone to call my mobile when it’s gone awol.” did make me laugh 😂 Good luck with your 2nd round of clothes culling 🍀 

Dizzycap, pleased to hear that you are happy about the rain 😉 Also very happy to hear that Babyface is doing so well ☺️

SuffolkSue, nice to see you out of lurkdom 😊

vulpix, very pleased to hear that you had such a wonderful day with DD1 ☺️ Fingers crossed that you managed to get some sleep & that you will soon get back into a better sleep pattern 🤞

Willowtree222, sounds like both you & DD had a wonderful time in the Lake District 😊 The falconry experience sounds marvellous 🤩 

Moorviews, lovely cheerleading ☺️ Good luck with your decluttering of baby equipment 🍀

Soontobeoap, keep up the good work 👏

2Scratters, good luck with your FB MP listings & your search for vintage bed linen 🍀

retiredinfrance, pleased to hear that you are being so successful in reducing your petrol consumption 👏 Well done on reducing your toiletries & make-up stashes 👏 I appear to have been remiss in making your 2026 awards - one Gold Star ⭐️ on its way for going past a quarter of your 2026 target 😊

Yorkie1, great cheerleading ☺️ Pleased to hear that your injured hand is almost recovered 😊

Dizzycap, relieved to hear that you are managing to get some extra rest & being successful in getting Babyface to rest as well ☺️

Excellent decluttering Rootle 👏

suzeesu2000, warm rain is always a bonus as it seems to soak into the ground better 😉 Good luck renovating the lizards 🍀 Excellent work tidying up your notes for your family tree 👏 A medal 🏅 is on its way. Pleased to hear that you had a lovely restful weekend ☺️

Yorkie1, interesting observations about family trees 🧐 

I have caught up a little more, now only 30 posts behind 😊 Hope everyone has had a good day 😊 Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2026: 795/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £165.11

GrannyKate

Morning all. Nothing much to do this week except last minute holiday sorting. Family History meeting this morning and quiz Thursday but prep already done. I have set Wednesday aside for some frogs which are sitting on kitchen island croaking at me. Hair appointment Friday. DS2 back at work but not full time yet. Children going home a day early but they came a day early last week. I ended up doing the 50 mile drive to their mum's and back yesterday. I popped in a different branch of Mr M on the way back and got a couple of holiday t-shirts.

A bit of gardening done and I hoovered through house and washed kitchen floor which was sticky. I am going to try and do some tidying today. Suitcase weighs less than 13kg (allowance 22) but I don't want to take a bigger one so may swap a few things out. I did buy a larger size case for Portugal but prefer to use the smaller one. Just remembered by folding walking stick and got up and put it with the hand luggage. I am going to see if TKM have a better daysack than the one I have for hand luggage. I may use some of the cash from bed sale to get car valeted whilst I am at Thursday's quiz - the place is opposite church hall where I go. The children want mince and veg with pasta for tea which is quite easy. I usually feed them Tuesdays if they are here as DS2 has college after work. DD arrived in Norway and sent picture of herself swimming in deck pool totally alone - not surprising as there was sleet.

Sox is very needy but doesn't want to be cuddled or picked up - suitcase is theatening him. He continues to excavate the back lawn and has made himself a hole to roll in the dust and get dirty. He gets dry food all the time with half a container of wet food twice a day. We have come down to about four types which he likes, if he is in the mood, all pate, mousse and terrine ones which are not easy to find. I put it down and if he doesn't eat it I take it away. He always eats tinned tuna when it is coming his way. The only food stuff he takes an interest in around the house is licking out vanilla protein pudding containers and the milk remnants at bottom of weetabix bowls. He won't drink milk if I give it to him but he seems to like cereal flavour leftovers. It is only 8.30 but he has been in and out at least 5 times since 6am.

445 Calenders and diaries all updated

446 All May cards posted as birthdays are whilst I am away.

447 Papers and quiz questions done for this week's meetings

448 Suitcase packed

449-455 Seven clothes items to DiL for CS bag - her work are collecting for women's refuge either to sell or use I guess.

I have cardboard packaging and wood which I will try to take to the tip before I get the car valeted.

Floss

@GrannyKate my tortie Whisky loves Special K milk, but will also stick her face into my bedtime mug of milk once the chill has gone off it!

Got rid of 3 large pots with herbs in to DDiL yesterday, they've been waiting until their renovations were at a stage that the plants wouldn't get damaged. A green waste bag went to the tip, and a bag of unwanted clothes is destined for the chazzer this week.

vulpix

Sticky, you are doing so well.xx I agree, it is time for your son to see someone about his shoulder.

Floss, just the advice I would give. A case of do as I say not as I do!

Nice to have you back Mrs SD.

My cats eat everything. They have biscuits and a bit of wet food. I think food must have been very scarce before they were rescued by the RSPCA. They have never shown any interest in human food, again I don't think they were in an environment where that could happen. Fomo is getting a bit chunky again after he ran away when we moved house and he went all Bear Grills in the woods for 4 days. Fluffy just maintains her weight but she is more active than fatty. Fluffy, like Sox is enjoying rolling in the dust in the front garden. We have not had any meaningful rain for weeks.

The builder has found the drain he wants to connect our new garden drain to. What has happened in the past is,someone has diligently led the downspout from the 2 semis just into our garden with nowhere for the water to go. New French drains will sort it.

Builder has taken some pieces of metal found in the back garden away for his scrap collection. A concrete parasol weight has been broken up and gone into the fill at the back of the retaining wall in the front.

DD1 left with a massive terracotta pot containing a lilac tree. I had bought this in the past but I am over run with lilacs in this garden. Apparently there are still some of my plants in pots at DD1's from when we moved. Although I keep chipping away at the side and back garden, it doesn't look much clearer. The previous people left so much behind. Rotten bird boxes, broken planters etc. Mind you the whole house was the same. If she had just tidied up she would have been able to ask significantly more fro the house price, so our gain.

Mr V has let the side down. He went to collect some free Indian stone to use in the back garden. He also came back with some porcelain pavers and 3 different sets of storage drawers that the guy was throwing out. The storage drawers can go to man shed but the pavers though lovely are much too modern for my garden vision.

I have knitted 3 kids jumpers recently, one given to a friend for her Grand daughter the others in the bag for Ukraine.

Vx

Willowtree222

Must have motivated myself being away. Two full to the brim bin bags of clothes have been donated. I was ruthless going through my things.

One bin bag of items put in the bin. They could not be saved, unfortunately. The wardrobes look so much better.

Washing following the holiday has been done but now the task of drying without the hot weather. At least I have space that I can put it away in.

Florenceem

Last night I was telling myself - this yarn is not going to make 2 adult fingerless gloves. I carried on and there wouldn't be enough. Now I am struggling to undo the finished item. Lots of lengths of yarn! When I finally get it undone - I will knit the smallest size on the pattern - 4 - 7 years old.

I had a horrendous night - I was rolling in pain, took painkillers and went downstairs for a fresh freezer pad twice. I feel tired after such a disturbed night's sleep.

I got a bus to the shopping centre this morning - went to Dunhel. for a lampshade destined for small ROD. I got a white one as the only pink was a washed out colour and I thought it wouldn't look right with the vibrant shade on the feature wall. I needed some shopping so got a bus back to Lid.

I am going to go upstairs and clean the lightbulb before fitting the lampshade. I will also clean the window and frame. I will check to see if I need to scrape any paint off the pvc.

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
   

Tuesday is a bright sunny day with a forecast high of 16°C (feeling 2° cooler due to a brisk NE wind) & a low of 10°C. First load of washing in………… now out on whirligig (13:00) with 2nd & final load in wm……. finished & as it is mostly undies I am using the td (14:15)

Interesting conversation about family trees which I am thoroughly enjoying 😊 although I will not be commenting on all the individual posts 😉 My DH always bemoans the fact that in generations past first names were always in a set order e.g. John, William, James etc or Mary, Elizabeth, Jane. 🙁 

GrannyKate, despite being a bit out of sorts last week you still managed to keep going 😊 Very disappointing about the bed, sounds like poor quality control 😞 Pleased to hear that bedroom 3 is completed apart from “shaving” the bottom of the door 👏 Working on your family tree does sound a bit frustrating 😉 Hope you have a lovely holiday with your friend ☺️ 

Dizzycap, pleased to hear that you & Babyface are having a relaxing weekend ☺️ Hopefully you will have a third relaxing day as you deserve it 🥹

TC77, yippee to the heavy curtains finally being collected even though the person messed you about 😞 Excellent work decluttering the complicated suspension files - a medal 🏅 is on its way for keeping them out of landfill 👏 Sounds like you had a good time with your friend at The British Museum ☺️ Very impressed that you set your timer for 10 minutes & then got so involved that you decluttered & tidied for an hour 👏🤩 Lovely cheerleading ☺️

Florenceem, sounds like you had a marvellous time with your bestie at Hever Castle 🥹 You certainly packed a lot into your day 🤩 I was exhausted just reading about how much you did 😉 What a lovely family visit & yippee to having the TV put up on the wall 🥳 So much easier to watch the TV than a computer screen & not only can you do that in comfort but will also be able to knit/crochet as well 🥹 Fingers crossed that O enjoys the football match & his team get the desired result 🤞 Hope that the tablets kicked in quickly & you had a pain free night’s sleep 🙏

Happy_Kitties, sounds like your body knows exactly what is needed - plenty of sleep & food to start you on the road to regaining your strength whilst the doctors sort out the newly discovered health issues 🥹 Pleased to hear that your DD is sorting out the bedroom 😊 Fingers crossed that your cat didn’t damage the contents of the shoe box 🤞 Where you live sounds idyllic 😍

I have caught up a couple of pages but am now flagging so will wish everyone a good day 😊 The sun is now hidden behind clouds but no rain is forecast 🤞 DH is out in the front garden - apparently he will be trimming the hedge and/or giving the bike & the car a quick clean. See you all later 👋 

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2026: 795/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £165.11

Florenceem

Progress on small ROD - new lampshade is up after I cleaned the bulb. Windows have been cleaned. Storage boxes have been emptied, dusted and gone over with a wipe.

Then I made the mistake of venturing into the large ROD. Who knows what is in there. I dread to think how long it will take to clear that room.

Decluttered - labels, twine, tubes of glitter, chenille stems, bag of shoe laces, scissors, feathers, Christmas stickers, blu tack, teddy decorations, skewers, serviettes, pom pom maker, belt, receipt, trousers, stencils, polymer stamps, necklace, gift bag, embossing folders, wipes, fabrics, tissue, plastic bag, paper, card, envelopes, wig, party invitations, plant supports, letters, crochet cottons, bead kit, invoices, shells, pom poms, sequins, tub of cotton buds, knitting patterns, plant wire, knitting set, 2 cocktail stick packs, tiny pegs, no hole beads, paper bag, alphabet beads.