2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Floss

@GrannyKate we have a similar sounding woman in one of our family trees! My mum's tree was all done by one of her distant cousins. Their shared ancestors had emigrated from Lincolnshire to America several boats after the Mayflower and he spent his retirement collating their family tree, finally having it published and bound.

florianatwobob

@Yorkie1 I have Wilsons in Cumbria (that also stray over the border into Yorkshire) it is a similar problem to Jones in Wales. Mine also see to have an aversion to middle names……..

GrannyKate

Sox has decided he is a 'friendly' cat tonight - following me around miaowing and sitting on the keyboard. He has added to the hole he dug in the back lawn and likes to sit or roll in it. The sort of thing my dogs used to do. I too have the N Wales 'Jones' in my tree but I have done little serious research beyond the parents and siblings of Harriet Jones who left Anglesey as a servant when her mistress married into a Northampton family. At about the same time, her husband to be moved to the same house as an indoor male servant who previously worked with relatives of the same family in Gloucestershire. Serendipity brought them together.

suzeesu2000

Yorkie1 I started out using Genes Reunited many many years ago but the info was quite limited. I now use Ancestry to host the tree but I also go to Family Search and Free BDM for info. I have been very lucky that there does seem to be quite a bit of information on some of my ancestors. The important thing is to never ever go on just once piece of “evidence”. I always prove my evidence with other pieces of evidence if that makes sense. I’m currently working on my dad’s maternal line. One great great uncle in particular has a ton of evidence which all proves each other and the same for his children. I’ve been terrifically lucky to get photographs of him and his wife, I guesstimate they were taken around 1865. It’s the putting meat on the bones that keeps me coming back for me.

I’m very sorry to everyone, I could bore you all rigid talking about ancestry - I promise to keep it to a minimum🫢😁

Have a good night all, sweet dreams xx

Dizzycap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81985128#Comment_81985128

LOVING the robe Florenceem - Very peaceful & relaxing 🤩😍🤗. I could snuggle up in that now 😋🤗.

Just decluttered a piece of chocolate cake and a mug of coffee after a little very light decluttering and dead heading clean up in the back garden - complete with my trusted helper and organiser 😂. It seems very dark tonight but will no doubt be lighter at 4am tomorrow morning - Don't ask me how I know that! 😁🤣, although I'm hoping that I won't be awake to see it 😋. We've had another lovely resting day and I'm tempted to make it a 3rd tomorrow as my body could sure use it at the moment. It usually rains on Bank Holidy Monday's, but no rain today and nothing forecast for tomorrow, yet xxxx All done and dusted with any decluttering jobs for today 😝🙃. Babyface has already taken herself off to bed after having a lovely day and I'll be joining her very soon. Have a great evening eveyone. Take care & ta-ta for now xxxx

TC77

@Vulpix, hope you sleep better tonight and @Dizzycap you get a bit of a lie in.

I was up abit early today and hoped for an early night but chased up someone who was collecting curtains and they said yes would collect tonight (over a week waiting) but would be late. 2 very large and heavy curtains gone - not the right size for my windows and would have take 1 at a time to CS.

This morning someone collected around 60 suspension files, plus labels and complicated 2 part plastic system to attach them to the file. Too complicated for me and I have old ones. Then general tidying, some work papers out, and some more packaging. Had a day with friend in town at the British Museum and 2 coffee/snack stops and came home wanting to do nothing, but set my timer for 10 minutes and did 1 hour, mopping, putting away clothes - clearly if i had less would be shorter time commitment 🤣

@Moorfields - that's great to hear about cosy Pjs, I'm less confident about my needlework skills but we will see..

Loved the idea of searching for candy striped sheets but will try and use the ones I have although tempted to dye them. I know many here have had success dyeing in washing machines but don't trust my luck… if it can go wrong it often does.

@Yorkie1 I'm within you on the challenge of making it look better after… think that will be 2027!

@soontobesoap agree anything out must help and it can feel like no difference and then sometimes you get taken by surprise by more space in a cupboard. Hope you notice the difference soon.

Rounding again to 450. I'd love to get to 1000 by the end of the month and would get me back on track.

Writing a list for tomorrow which will be cleaning, frogs and tidying.

Florenceem

I didn't get on the computer before I went out for the day with my bestie and her family.

We went to Hever Castle - I travelled in the back of the car - have got a lot better - used to suffer terribly with travel sickness. Mr F bought me a bracelet that was supposed to stop travel sickness - didn't work for me.

The castle was so interesting, then we walked in the grounds. Went to the Italian garden and the military display. While in the castle we could see out the window - maypole dancing. My girls did this at junior school.

We saw the doll houses and treated ourselves to a yummy ice cream. Had done 8700 steps when I got home.

My youngest son O was meant to be coming to fix my new tv screen to the wall in my craft room - late afternoon/early evening. He arrived with my Dil and the 3 children at 8.30. It was a bit of a pantomime getting the brackets and tv on the wall. Grandson S had to go out in the dark to the garden storage bin for a hammer and pliers. They left at 10.30 - good job there is no school tomorrow. O is going up to London tomorrow for the football match of Forest against Chelsea. S was great at setting up the tv to the internet. Now I can watch You Tube on the tv instead of my computer screen.

I didn't take my tablets until after they left so will take a while for them to work.

weenancyinAmerica

I use the free part of Ancestral Quest (ancquest.com) for my research. It was recommended as one of three free programs after the Personal Ancestral File went by the wayside. I don't like to just use Family Search as anyone can change their trees. So I keep a separate file so I know what is right and can watch what other people are putting on there. Common sense does not seem very common these days.

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

Sunday, I had a better night - no coughing & spluttering although I did wake up every 2 hours until 08:00  when DH & I got up. Fully dressed in motorcycling gear by 08:20 & 2 bags fully packed & taken down to put in bike. At breakfast by 08:35 - same as yesterday - croissants, bread & apricot jam & coffee. Said our goodbyes to several people & returned to our room. Packed the last bag, had a final sweep to make sure nothing left behind, put our jackets on. Then down to reception to hand in key card.  Loaded the last bag & were on our way by 09:20. Filled up with petrol 09:30 & then headed for the toll road. Stopped at 10:40 for a loo break but I was approached by a French lady who just started talking to me in very good English & telling me how she had been beaten up & showing me her bruises. When she had finished talking to me she went back to her van which appeared to be her home. We set off again & 20 minutes later the heavens opened & it rained for an hour 😞 We had another stop where DH topped up with petrol & we had a coffee & a pain au chocolate & warmed up a bit before the last leg to Calais. No delays - checked in quickly & went through both passport controls in short order & were allowed on an earlier train 🥳 A couple of people from our group were also on the train so the journey passed quickly. We arrived at Dover 14:15 & headed off to Ramsgate for an RBR landmark. Weather was considerably brighter & warmer apart from a couple of miles of fog 😧 DH got his photo & we headed home arriving back at 16:45. DSis made coffees for us whilst we unloaded the bike. We have had a great weekend despite the rain on the way back so have signed up for next year - destination to be decided 😊 DSis had been busy whilst we were away - vacuuming, washing floors & doing the washing. DSis also made dinner - onion pasta 😋 I did the wudupa. I will start catching up with the cheerleading tomorrow starting with last one dated 30th April (only 53 posts behind 😉) Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2026: 789/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £165.11

Happy_Kitties

many thanks for everyone’s good wishes, still sleeping a lot, it’s amazing how many times I have to rewind a murder mystery because of falling asleep.

District nurse still coming in, I have also become a grown up and employed a cleaner as even when I am better I can’t manage the house and I need further major surgery at some point, I suspect this will be moved from this year after it had to be postponed from last year, but the specialist won’t touch me with recent events and some secondaries that were also recently picked up by sheer accident need to be investigated first and I’m still under continuous monitoring with the sepsis as it literally hit everywhere, wrecking havoc. Appetite is back with a revenge, I remember when I first came round, food repulsed me.

No decluttering done, desperate to sort some things out and complete a shoebox aswell. Have a slight problem that cardboard mad cat took chunks out of one shoebox, I need to check that everything is in there aswell. It is so long since I did one.

But DD is making use of the opportunity, new bed ordered, bedroom will be sorted. Also finishing off bits in the kitchen. But will need to wait until DD knows her shifts for council collection as when u book one, the waiting time before collection is a good 6 weeks.

@Mrs SD love reading about ur travels.

@Moorviews highly recommend N.Wales. I love driving home right until I turn off into my street looking at the mountains. Where I live everyone has a horse as in the villages, accessing land is very cheap