2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

dND

Hello all,

I really don't know where the time is going - when I last took note it was heading towards the end of July and now it's almost the end of the first week in August!!

General detritus is leaving the house with the relevant doorstep collections. I'm going through packets of food and writing use-by dates in large letters so that even if I can't reduce my stocks at least I can make sure I use them in order before they spoil.

A lot of time is being taken with processing the produce from the garden - it takes a surprisingly long time to wipe raspberries, blackberries and alpine strawberries before freezing even if topping and tailing french beans is relatively quick. 😁 While the produce has slowed there's more than enough for me and the Gardener's delight tomatoes have done well so lots of roasted balsamic tomatoes have headed to the freezer to perk up winter.

The first of the month was my cats' birthday.

My little Jewel is now 17.

And the daft ha'p'orth that is Gino has made it to 4.

I'll be decluttering rather a lot of money on them this month. Next week is their 6 month check along with Jewel's next blood test which should result in a prescription and another 6 month's worth of medication to buy. 😱 But they are worth every penny.

Still no news on a start date for any of the works at my house 😞 I get embarrassed having to keep chasing; I know I shouldn't but I find it very hard.

I also decluttered a fair amount of skin off my left knee last night along with a little off my right elbow and tiny bits off what I now know are called the hypothenar eminences on the palms of both hands. It was my own fault; I went out at 11pm to get Gino in and because I wanted to see if there was any wildlife I only had a dim torch. I tripped - enough said! It could have been a lot worse but the knee is already healing and I've slept off the shock this afternoon. Lesson has been learnt.

So much good work is being done by everyone; I however feel that I'm still only scratching the surface but I keep reminding myself that even when I seem to go backwards it's actually easier and quicker to clear some space so there has to have been improvement.

Take care everyone, hugs to those who want them and love to you all. Dxx

GrannyKate

@yorkie1 - the idea of buying a months' cards in advance was picked up from this site - I was always forgetting to buy them in time before I started doing it. It has worked well for me. I write them and address envelopes (usually leave them unstuck in case I want to add anything) and keep them in a small letter box in kitchen where they can't be forgotten. One of several useful things I have picked up from other posters here.

Florenceem

Had a day of sewing today. Shortened 2 pairs of trousers for grandad R. One pair by machine and the other was cords so hand sewn. Then I started to work on nanna T's dress. This dress had a lining - I didn't have a cover stitch machine so did two turns on the hem. Then I started to shorten the sleeves from long to elbow length. I need new elastic as I don't want to reuse the existing stuff. Next I shortened the dress by stitching on the machine. I took my Juki semi industrial machine with me and my walking foot.

Yorkie1

@dND lovely feline photos. Sorry to hear about your trip and hope you heal soon!

regnbue

@dND Jewel is looking very good for a 17 year old cat 😻

Spendywendywoo

I’ve posted a few times on her with titbits that I’ve decluttered but over the last few weeks I’ve really picked up momentum. Today I’ve cleared out an old cupboard, which I’ve then advertised for sale, and tidied through the items that were in the drawer that haven’t been touched or looked at for years. I am donating 5 games and 11 books! I also threw away an old iPad case, a ripped dominoes board, an old tv box thing that DH said we didn’t need, and put a large number of tools and screws back in their rightful place in the shed.

My decluttering has been ad-hoc though with no real rhyme or rhythm so I’ve asked AI to pull together a plan of action…

Tomorrow we are tackling the under stairs cupboard… I shall report back 😀

oceanspirit

Thank you for my medal Mrs SD. Fatigue put paid to anything much today. One item off the reading pile into recycling and 1 pair undies binned.

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

Wednesday is another warm sunny day with a high of 25°C, low of 17°C and a W wind making it feel 1° cooler. HH waste wheelie bin emptied so I added a new bin liner. DH decided to email our telephone provider about the problem with the phone …… 18 minutes later I could make outgoing calls 🥳 Apparently the company that provides the router had done an VoIP update which had blocked all outgoing calls from all the tp’s customers 😰 DH dealt with the same young lady who had set us up when we transferred from BT ☺️ Another lazy day for the 3 of us. Dinner was sausages, mash, baked beans & plum tomatoes. Wudupa.

1315 - 1318 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, glass bottle, plastic bottle - recycled 

1319 Kitchen detritus binned 

Lovely to see you weenancy ☺️ What a great Monday - car washed at a reasonable price, loads of emails cleared, a bag of books ready for the library, a neighbour chopping down weeds & you making inroads in the living room 👏 for the neighbour💐 & for you a medal 🏅 + a 2nd 🏅for reading a book a day 🤩 It sounds like you have a great birthday planned & I am sending early birthday wishes 🎂 & gentle cwtches 🤗 I will be keeping everything crossed that you have rain a lot earlier than November 🤞🙏

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 Fingers crossed that the missing item turns up quickly so you can post it 🤞 I think 29 is definitely doable & I wish you luck 🍀

Excellent work EnergyShifter 👏 What a lovely surprise to find a path in your back garden ☺️ but please take it easy clearing the path - it doesn’t have to be done in a day 😉 Pleased to hear that the kitchen man has measured up for your “new” kitchen 😊 hopefully it won’t be too long before the doors etc are made & fitted 🤞

surprisinglynice, yippee to the new windows 🥳 but a pity about the damage to the plaster & wallpaper 😞 Good work re the books & oddments ready to drop off at the CS 👏 We are still waiting for our rain but hopefully not for as long as weenancy 😧 

florianatwobob, happy birthday/s to your “birthday week friends” 🎂 Good luck with your planned streamlining 🍀

My cheerleading mojo is currently hiding so I will post now & try again tomorrow. Sleep tight 😴 

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🙏💐💐🌟⭐️❤️💐💐⭐️💐❤️⭐️🎖️🥇⭐️⭐️⭐️😇🏅💐🌻💐💐🌻🥇 

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅⭐️ 🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅

Decluttering Target 2026: 1319/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £297.61

BlueJ94

Good morning!

I seemed to have dissappeared again oops! Im back, no decluttering has happened minus a shampoo bottle, deodorant and toothpaste! 😀 ive been going swimming alone and ive been enjoying it, the only downside is that being half term its very full! Also been trying to eat healthier breakfasts! This morning I've had sourdough bread, smoked salmon with avocado and scrambled eggs. It keeps me nice and full until dinner time.

Willowtree222

Any decluttering is still decluttering BlueJ94!