2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

weenancyinAmerica

@QueenJess - Apple and blackberry crumble with custard is absolutely my favorite dessert.May make me spend more time in the TLC carriage.

Went out with my sisters yesterday for lunch and then went shopping - and I didn't buy anything. It went very well as my youngest sister paid for the lunch, so I didn't even pay for that. My other sister gave me a new notebook - one of my favorite gifts as it has family pictures on the cover! Only problem that day was my sister, who is two years younger than me, telling us she is having kidney problems. Very concerning. Already getting her on prayer chains. Today went out to free breakfast at a very nice Mexican restaurant with the Friends of the Library group. Officially it was our book sale meeting, but the treasurer bought me a new gavel for my birthday. Now I can open meeting by banging rather than raising my voice. Now having grapes and chicken salad for my birthday dinner followed by ice cream.

It was 30C here today. Supposed to go down a couple of degrees this next week. Roommates recycled 8 bags of cans and we have twelve more bags to take in on Tuesday. Our classes begin this week at the community college.

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

Saturday continued: I dealt with today’s mail, read my magazine plus completed puzzles & entry form. Cleared a few more recorded programmes. After watching the MotoGP qualifying DH zizzed up some food for the worms & then trimmed the front hedge. He is gradually reducing the height as it is still too tall. Dinner was mushroom risotto 😋 Wudupa.

1328 - 1334 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, 2 glass bottles, booklet, cardboard packaging, paperwork - recycled 

1335 - 1337 Kitchen & lr detritus, uu pen - binned 

QueenJess, I am with you on finding kitchen decluttering difficult ☹️ Compounded by the fact that quite a few of the items are my DSis’s & I would like to get rid but whenever I broach the subject with her she gets defensive  😞 You made a good start  in the kitchen 👏 very impressed at how inventive you are 😊 I am going to try & take a leaf out of your book 🤞 Good luck with your planned book decluttering 🍀

EnergyShifter, that tool shed looks wonderful 🤩 No wonder you smile every time you look at it 😁 it is making me smile just looking at the photo 😊

Willowtree222, more great work in the kitchen 👏

Excellent decluttering of paperwork oceanspirit 👏 Good luck sorting th rest of the paperwork 🍀

TC77, glass get everywhere 😟 but it sounds like you are being vigilant in finding it all 👏

Brie, thanks for the tip about finding broken glass 😊 Excellent decluttering of another kitchen cupboard & well done on using the decluttered cereals to feed the wildlife 👏 

QueenJess, that is an impressive number of books being decluttered 🤩 a medal 🏅is on its way. Well done on all the over decluttering as well 👏

Willowtree222, I am very impressed that your DD decluttered so much 👏- especially as she surprised you 😉 I am awarding your DD a medal 🏅 in the hopes that she will declutter even more in the future 🤞

suzeesu2000, so pleased to hear that your DH insisted you had a rest day ☺️ & also cooked dinner 👏 What a sweetie ♥️ 

Lovely post Yorkie1 😊

TC7, pleased to hear that you are considering using the money raised from sales for a treat ☺️ Numbers are ticking over nicely 👏

weenancy, sounds like you had a lovely birthday 🎁 🎂 Sorry to hear that your younger sister has kidney problems 😔 Hopefully it is an early diagnosis & the doctors can come up with a treatment plan 🙏 Well done to your roommates - about time they started helping 😉 I will keep my fingers crossed that the temperatures go down more than a couple of degrees 🤞

All caught up 😊 Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅⭐️ 🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅

Decluttering Target 2026: 1337/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £297.61

oceanspirit

Ex OH dropped by and took item for friend’s son along with things for the recycling centre. It’s lovely to have a bit more space although he brought my big suitcase with him that he’d borrowed when he moved out so that’s filled some of the space back up.

Made a start on packing kitchen items starting with the baking cupboard and am pleased with how little there is compared with how much there used to be. It has made it so much easier. The ‘bits and pieces’ drawer is going to be more difficult as there is plenty in there belonging to Justin however if it’s not been needed in 20 years, it doesn’t need to be kept, right? 😂

Chimney sweep coming this week so need to clear the hallway and living room so he can get his kit in.

EnergyShifter

Thanks for all the appreciation of my cute toolbox - willowtree, TC77, Mrs SD & Yorkie (the small compartment is for gardening gloves and pruners etc). ☀️

DS has got a vomiting bug so I have cancelled my arrangements for today to keep and eye on him and to avoid passing it on. Really hoping I don't catch it but realise that the odds aren't good. Have been strimming the garden this morning - The piles of grass cuttings look a little like mini-haystacks at the moment!

I have put an electric heater with fake "real fire" affect outside to see whether it will be taken - I'm not holding my breath given the weather but its worth a try 🤞

QueenJess

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82096681#Comment_82096681

Thanks :) It took me all afternoon going backwards and forwards in my mind until I realised that I was mainly keeping them for me/nostalgia rather than the kids (which was the reason I said I was keeping them). My kids have different interests and likes to me and some of the books don't translate well to the modern day. Plus I had too many anyway and it was difficult to remember what was there. I'm not actually going to read them myself and I have loads of my own books I like reading.

I let go of many an Enid Blyton. However, I did keep all the Secret Seven and Famous Five and have one in my little pile of absolute classics to read to the kids (along with Roald Dahl, Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and many other fantastic books). I was reading to DD each night, but DS always creeps in at reading time, so I read to both of them together now :)

I do still have two of those famous five games I haven't quite been able to part with. Does anyone remember those? You got a book and then a number of helpful things like a map etc and a dice. You then worked through the book starting with one of the items and ended up with a different adventure each time (a bit like the choose your own adventure books that were once popular).

daisy_1571

@QueenJess I've got a collection of hardback Enid Blyton books published by Dean & son Ltd. Some were mine, some ive bought when they pop up on the Bay of e. If you have any of those you want to sell, pop me a message if you like 😁

Dxxx

Yorkie1

I was definitely a Famous Five and Malory Towers reader. Never really got into the Secret Seven, don't know why!

I also have a signed Roald Dahl 'Danny Champion of the World' although my brother did filch it for my niece

Brie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097117#Comment_82097117

Never heard of Famous Five until my late 20s when I came to the UK, have never read them. Or the others you mention. Also not Wind in the Willows.

I did read a lot of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys mysteries. Farley Mowat and Burnford's The Incredible Journey (Canadian content!!) though oddly not LM Montgomery Anne stories. I suspect as I was the youngest and all my siblings are male so female based fiction wasn't as readily available at home.

I first read Narnia & Swallows and Amazons in my 20s but only because I was taking a course on children's literature. Wasn't much impressed with S&A as I found it rather tame compared to the rougher outdoor adventure fiction to which I was more accustomed.

Miss_BaLu

Hello all,

Sunday already! Went out with friends yesterday. The plan was to go charity shopping, lunch at 3pm then maybe some cocktails.

I was up and out with the dogs early then showered and ready for around 10am. Text them to ask when we were meeting and they said 1pm!

We managed a couple of charity shops then had to go for the lunch, they had a bit of a domestic then we were home for 6pm. Bit of a disaster really.

@Yorkie1 - Love a good card, I've got a lovely wee shop local to me who stocks some really nice cards. I'm terrible for putting stuff in the car and leaving it there. I also need to clear out my Google but it's so time consuming.

@suprisinglynice - Go you! I picked up some lovely dog book marks in the PDSA the other day for a couple of friends for Christmas. Treated myself to a lovely frame to put a nice picture of my own dogs in there. The blackberries aren't quite ready here yet. My Mum is desperate to go picking.

@TC77 - Yay to finding the sold item. Well done on the sales. I need to get my finger out and list some stuff. Bet the bubbly decluttering was fun.

@dND - I love that you're getting so much from your garden. We have a local community garden and I ate my first apple from the tree the other day. The plums aren't ready yet but hopefully soon. Happy birthday kitty cat! My dogs cost me SO much money but also worth it. Ouchie to the skin decluttering, maybe don't take it that far again ;-)

@Florenceem - Lovely to 'see' you. I can see you're still keeping very busy. What a bargain on those trousers. I haven't been up to date on the thread so I am sorry to hear of your loss.

@Spendywendywoo - Wow well done you! I've got 4 cupboards in this house and every single one is jam packed with STUFF.

@BlueJ94 - I'm thinking about going gluten free, the thought is already stressing me. That breakfast sounds delish.

@Liverpool_Anne - That is a lot of decluttering. What a nightmare about the debit card. Your list of things to do sounds a bit like mine. We will get there.

@Willowtree222 - That's a lot you've managed to sort out and it's good that the craft supplies will be going to work to be used up.

@florianatwobob - It always feels better when you give stuff away to be used by someone else doesn't it. Lots done in the garden.

@Green_hopeful - A messy child is a happy child in my opinion! Sounds like you all had fun.

@suzeesu2000 - The kitchen drawers are a nightmare for accumulating stuff that really doesn't belong there! I want to clear out my whole kitchen, there is a lot in there that I don't use so could get rid off. Bills day is the WORST!

@GrannyKate - Sox sounds like such a charachter. Also there is nothing better than your Granny's house. Well done on the 4 bags to the CS.

@Siebrie - Yay to the recycling centre being free and well done on getting rid of all that stuff! Can you get a replacement key or do you think it will turn up?

@QueenJess - Well done DS on offloading that much lego! 95 books! That made me shudder a bit not gonna lie. My book shelves are crammed and do need a declutter but I can't bring myself to yet.

@oceanspirit - Every little helps. You've just reminded me about the suitcases I still have in my Mums. I only moved out 5 & 1/2 years ago so really should grab them at some point.

@EnergyShifter - The tool cabinet is fab!

@weenancyinAmerica - Sounds like a lovely day. Sorry to hear of your Sisters health issues.

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger - Mushroom risotto sounds delish!

Florenceem

Two wash loads ironed this morning. My dil asked me to repair 2 pairs of trousers. I couldn't find the leftover cotton sateen from doing pockets. I cut up a pouch that was in my handbag - I was given it containing a crucifix by a homeless chap. I needed to darn using patches.