2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

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 a damp cloudy day. A showery morning but currently (14:00) not raining & although overcast there are a couple of areas of blue sky 😉 A high of 24°C, low of 18°C & a S wind. I received my bank statements so have spent some time checking my accounts & happily everything AOK 😊 The weather has picked up - only white clouds, lots of blue sky visible & the sun is out ☀️ Now I need to knuckle down to the cheerleading before I get further behind

Liverpool_Anne, those sound like very expensive glasses 😱 Like you I have reactor light lenses & I always get ultra thin lenses as well. I never got on with varifocal glasses so I also have reading glasses 😞 Excellent decluttering of foodstuffs that aren’t required/loved 👏 Sounds like you have a busy weekend scheduled although it will be lovely to spend time with your niece ☺️ Loved This “Siebrie lovely to see you. That hubby of yours needs a good talking to, I am available if you need me to, I have experience of dealing with idiot husbands, hugs.” ☺️ Good luck in the garage 🍀

Excellent decluttering to the CS florianatwobob 👏

Brie, that is impressive by Royal Mail 🤩 Shame it only happens once in a blue moon 😞 Now you just need to keep your fingers crossed that your annuity application gets dealt with more quickly than the stated 5-6 weeks 🤞

Excellent decluttering to the CS, Floss 👏 Well done on resisting the temptation to buy anything 🥳

QueenJess, excellent work ‘using things up’ 👏  I love your method of working in “waves” - it definitely works for you 🥳 Very pleased to hear that your DS is still trying to declutter his room ☺️ If anyone can declutter 10,000 items in a year it is you - you are a decluttering genius 🥹

Brilliant work in your craft storage room Florenceem 👏 So much easier to grab a bag or box than try to sort through items all over the floor 🥳 Love the before & after photos which show just how much work you have already done 🤩

Willowtree222, yikes to the chlorine turning the swimwear green 😱 Very relieved to hear that you managed to avoid your hair turning green 😮‍💨 Excellent decluttering & well done on finding suitable places to put things away 👏 Proof of how successfully you are decluttering 🥳

Stopped here as my usually calm & placid DH got so annoyed at having to jiggle the lid on the kettle to close it, that he was rather too forceful & managed to break the lid completely. Not sure what emoji to pick as I am rather shocked 🤨 maybe this one 🤯 Good job he & DSis are going shopping at 19:00 😉 DH has used some of his Nectar points to buy a new kettle - Click & Collect from A**os. Just to put the icing on DH’s cake he opened the kit to make a V8 engine (he had watched the video & ordered it online) ………. you’ve guessed not as advertised - it was a lump of plastic in the shape of an engine 😖 Just shows that even the most careful people can be scammed 😞 I will be back later to continue the cheerleading. Hope everyone is having as good a day as possible 😊

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅⭐️ 🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅

Decluttering Target 2026: 1440/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £373.61

Brie

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger - I was surprised to get a call today about my annuity to say they had rerun the quotes which had gone up slightly but not massively. But they can't add my most recent diagnosis to their computer system so for that to be considered they would need to provide the info to the pension companies and wait for them to get their underwriters to review it all. And that might take 2 - 6 weeks. And then they would need to send the info to me. And then I'd likely need to send the application back again. And then that gets sent to the chosen pension company who may or may not rerun the quote after confirming info with my doctor. And then if there's no questions they would start payments a month or two after that. So I don't expect to see a dime until 2027.

@dND - yes Peugeot is on my short list of manufacturers of pepper mills. I remember one of my brothers requesting a specific one of theirs for a birthday decades back. I assume he still has it.

And who cares about spelling mistakes when handwriting is that lovely!! If I wrote something out no one would be able to read it!!!

suzeesu2000

Thank you @dND I shall have a go at that.

Today I have been extremely lazy. My excuse is, many weeks ago DH bought an iPod. He currently has all his music stored On a Brennan2. He would like the same music on his iPod, just like he used to until his iPod died. So, had to go online for instructions. Brennan2 was not cooperative. After trying many options, it eventually started downloading to a stick. It took over 6 hours. Because I had to wait for it, my neck and back are in agony (arthritis). Anyways. Today, we had an appointment but, as soon as we got back, I started the next step. Had to copy the stick contents to my laptop. All went well. I then connected the iPod to my laptop. Good. I then spent two hours trying everything I could think of to get the music onto this flipping thing. I won’t bore you with more. Tomorrow is a new day and I shall search for help.

No rain, weather forecast was for storms. Supposed to be rainy here for next 7 days.

Think we have a leak in the bathroom as each time we use the shower, the floor is soaking. I made sure to hold the shower head last night and spray away from the curtain but still had a big puddle. Need to get that sorted as bathroom is right over kitchen.

Hope everyone’s day has gone well, almost the weekend again!

Have a good night, sweet dreams xx

Brie

@suzeesu2000 try the techie board….they are like the best group of 12 year olds you could ever want for tech advice. (I do believe they may be over 20yo…..)

dND

Thank you @Brie I went to 3 different primary schools each of which had a different style of writing. As a result, my writing changes day to day depending on how much of each style comes to the fore. 🤣

daisy_1571

dnd I'm so happy to read your handwriting changes - mine too! Not because of school changes but depending on what pen I use. Some pens I have lovely writing- almost legible 😂 - other pens and what I've written is anybody's guess 😂. Including my own 🤣🤣

EnergyShifter

Thankfully head cold didn’t take hold 🙏 . Been taking it easy for the last few days - still doing some gentle gardening . A friend took me to a very nice garden centre today. I’d intended to go mostly for inspiration but ended up spending way more than I’d planned to but I’m pleased with what I got. Hope to get the plants in the ground tomorrow - solar lights already in place and look lovely ✨🌟⭐️

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 continued: When DH & DSis got home I put away the shopping. Dinner was spaghetti bolognaise sauce & bacon and pea linguine from the freezer & spaghetti from the larder. Wudupa

1441 - 1444 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, plastic bottle, booklets - recycled 

1445 - 1446 Kitchen detritus, uu pen - binned

1447 Broken kettle added to Tip pile

Forgot to mention that the recycling wheelie bin was emptied this morning - on time 😊

dND, what a great haul of homegrown produce 🤩 No wonder it took a while to process it all ☺️ I had never heard of a courgette cake but it does sound delicious 😋  Pleased to hear that you are still going to knitting group ☺️ Fingers crossed that the grant people pull their finger out & give you a date for the work to commence 🤞Lovely cheerleading ☺️

Great decluttering vulpix 👏 Typical that most of the storm rainwater would just disappear down drains rather than soaking into the ground  😞 

suzeesu2000, excellent work with the forward planning for how to store items in your kitchen once the work is done 👏 Your freezer is emptying nicely 😊

Brie, love the fact that you have a 20 year old pepper grinder that still works 🤩 Hopefully a new one won’t break the bank 🤞 I looked up WMF online - they certainly know how to charge but there are some beautiful items ☺️

daisy_1571, I was sad to hear about Tim Curry - both Dolly & Tim 80 years old as is a certain other person 😉 Some great ideas for donating toys ☺️

Floss, I looked up Cole & Mason - I have grinder envy 😉

QueenJess, I love the sentiment ☺️ & if anyone can do it, you can 🥹

GrannyKate, how lovely to have a friend visiting ☺️ Thank you for sharing the mice story - Sox is so entertaining 😅

Still behind but gradually catching up with the cheerleading ☺️ Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅⭐️ 🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅

Decluttering Target 2026: 1447/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £373.61

Deb4

@Brie I might feel better when DS goes back to school and in a better routine.

I have remembered that I took some blisters packs to boots

I took some rock to a neighbour who put our bin out when we were on holiday and she give me a bonsai tree to cheer me up, need to look up on how to look after it

I have sold to items yesterday which I will post today.

We had a downpour last night with a thunderstorms didn't stop me from going to sleep.

Think that's everything for now.

ruby_eskimo

Knock knock, creeping back in to the loveliest thread in MSE-land. Don't worry, I have been decluttering over the last few months but haven't been keeping track of it at all. We've almost finished the house renovations - new carpets and internal doors were the last things, just need the parquet floor restored and that's about it.

Things were put a little on the back burner as DH was diagnosed with early stage bowel cancer very randomly - his mum was diagnosed with IBD earlier on in the year due to a genetic condition and it was recommended that the kids had screening for it too. Turns out he didn't have IBD but had the cancer instead. He had his surgery 2 weeks ago and is finally home now (men twice his age were in and out in 3 days!) and starting on the long road to recovery. There might be chemo in his future but more of a preventative than a treatment - even if it wasn't cancer he would still have had to have the same surgery to remove the tumour so we'd still be in this situation regardless. But we're doing well, just things have been and will continue to be a bit slow in the coming weeks.

Although saying that, our lovely builder is coming out next week to quote for replacing most of our fencing, removing some trees and removal of a weird brick wall / bed thing in the garden to make room for DH's new shed that he wants to order. All that time in hospital he spent planning what he wants to do in the garden which was probably a good use of his time!

My plan for the bank holiday weekend is to finally get round to some shredding that's been building up and listing some things for sale. The clutter is slowly going but as always there is still a lot more to deal with!

@dND I will definitely be trying that recipe because we also have a glut of courgettes from the garden and I'm running out of ideas to use them up. Love the handwriting too, mine used to look like that but after I broke my wrist at 11, I can only write half joined up and half block because things don't flow as easily as they did before the break.

Hope everyone else is doing well, hugs to those that need them, apologies but there were over 3000 posts since I was last here and I don't think I'm going to be able to catch up with them all!