2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, quick post before I head out to meet my niece and her hubby. I didn't see them yesterday as niece's hubby had had an injection in his knee the day before and then driven up from Hampshire so they wanted a rest day 😁.

Got the car to the garage and they think the honeycomb in the catalytic converter is breaking down and said to leave it a few months and get it tested before the mot as it might be too expensive to be worth it but I am dreading the thought of trying to get a new car. It's such a faff so I am not even thinking about it atm. Apart from that I removed a bag of carp from the conservatory and deleted 100 emails.

Yesterday I had one of those scam bank phone calls so obviously I put the phone down and then called the bank just to check it was a scam 😂. Very nice man told me I had done the right thing 😁. I also had to sort out something with my footy ticket and got another bag of dust and carp from the conservatory binned. It was raining quite hard by then and I noticed the gutter was dripping so in a dry spell got the ladders out and cleared the leaves out of the gutter but I have noticed the gutter seems to be not connected quite right so another job for the builder I think 😁. Then OH arrived in a bit of a flap as a letter from a pension thing had arrived and was not understood. OH wanted to know which pension advisor I had used. Well I was lucky enough to get free advice through the union but I said to bring the letter and I would have a look and suggested the bank might be able to help or the accountants but to be careful as some advisors cost a lot for not much help. OH had calmed down by then but it took a while. Managed to get OH to take away a big bag of paperwork and a jar of curry sauce so not a complete waste of time 😂.

@ruby_eskimo nice to see you back but sorry to hear about your DH, hope things go well and remember to look after yourself, hugs

Right time to moving, I have to empty the carp from the car before heading out, it's not been cleaned for a while 😂.

Hugs to everyone who would like one

Take care everyone

2061/2026

Siebrie

More frogs dealt with:

• trying to assemble our family week calendar with school hours, hobbies, etc. Some of the times are not yet available for 1 September! I've tried calling; will try again today at 16.00, when I'm off work. (There, I made a public statement of an action; that'll make me do it, right?);
• found a store nearby that sells parts for the fridge; I need 2 plastic bits to go over the hinges where they hold the door. They are on annual leave until 31 August, so I've put it on my calendar to visit them 1 September;
• worked on the alimony calculation sheet;
• had a serious conversation with dd1, who is suffering with the strain of knowing about the divorce, but having to keep quiet about it. I told her (kindly) it was a consequence of her going through my phone when I had asked her several times not to; and that it was adamant she keep quiet a bit longer if she wanted to be able to do nice things in future, for instance doing dance courses, and buying more clothes than the bare minimum, and going on vacation, and visiting grandma with a car that we have to pay gas for….;
• read and understood the church budget. I'm on the Board as an advisory member. It's a funny story: the church members voted on the Board members, and suddenly we had 6 members, and then the city council (which oversees the business part of the church) told us the Board had to consist of exactly 5 members. So now I am an advisory member, on track to become a full member in 2 years when there are new elections;
• chased the psychologist for dd2's report. DD2 is just very smart, but not hyperintelligent (what's the correct English term?), and she has many signs of autism but none of them score high enough on the scale to be labelled so. We'll just label them 'typically dd2' and accommodate accordingly, and give a word of warning to the teachers. They don't legally have to accommodate, because there is no official decision by a psychiatrist, but I like to inform them nonetheless.

vulpix

Siebrie, Nice to see you back. How are the girls? How is your Mum?

Nice to see you ruby_eskimo. So pleased that your husband was diagnosed early and is on the mend.

Today is a chipping away at frogs day.

Already made an appointment for flu and covid jabs.

Things that came out of the loft. Big Christmas tree already delivered to lovely cleaners daughters house. A nice scandi look bench listed on Thrift. I was going to recover the bench but it is just too long for anywhere it might live at this house.

Apart from emergency we will never need to venture in the loft ever again. It is a calm oasis of insulation.

I have touched up the dark blue walls in the little bedroom from when we wrangled the trundle bed out. I have taken down the shelves and pictures as they are in the way of the bunkbeds, yet to be built. Some filler and more touch ups needed.I will look out that bedrooms spare bedding and put it in the little chest of drawers. I would also like to put a couple of hooks on the back of the door.

Also today, paint touch ups in the big spare room. I have already stored some Christmas things in the wardrobe that came from the loft. There are some drawers I want to go through. Some ornaments stored in there can go down stairs in the kitchen cupboards. I would like only that rooms spare bedding in the drawers. I also keep my completed charity knitting and crochet in there.

We have had a lot of rain. If it's fine this afternoon I would like to transfer some of the back garden plants to the front.

Lovely cleaner gave me a pack of crochet hooks. So kind. I could actually open a crochet hook shop but they don't take up much room.

We have date from the bathroom guy. 2nd of November. For some reason I am a bit anxious about it. At least I don't have to worry about Fomo. He was so scared of everyone and everything bless him. Fluffy couldn't care less. She will probably be getting in on the refurb. She always helps me in the garden by laying on her back just where I want to work.

Hope you have all had some rain.

Take care Vx

Soontobeoap

Been missing for a while glad to say I have managed to maintain the house whilst Grand children have been staying for 3 weeks. Changed 2 blown lightbulbs last night one has been broken for months but when the 2nd one went I decided to that it couldn't wait. Also dug up a border last week and sowed grass seed there to make more room for playing football in the future.

Have decided to that I need a new house to accommodate the rapidly growing family!🤣

Siebrie

Siebrie, Nice to see you back. How are the girls? How is your Mum?

@vulpix They are thriving! DD1 passed her secondary school and will do a 7th year, to be followed by kindergarten teacher training at a polytech. DD2 was in the final of a national robot-building contest through school. Mum is 90 now; we had a large celebration :) She still has 3 forms of cancer, but they all seem to be under control, and she doesn't let it bother her. Her social life is more active than mine! She has 2 suitors :)

suprisinglynice

Still lurking and reading along. Clearing out was put on hold for a while but I'm at it again now, albeit slowly.

We had the most amazing thunderstorms rolling around us last night, with biblical rain, for over two hours. I got some really good videos of it whilst sitting in the garden watching it (until the rain got too heavy)

Fresh Quiche in the TLC carriage.

Kind wishes to all

Florenceem

Brie - when we had work done on the house - the electrician said the pull cord light fittings in a bathroom were not satisfying building regs now. He put a light switch outside the bathroom. He got rid of the pull light in the cloakroom and fitted a normal switch.

dND - I have no regrets about anything that has been decluttered.

florianatwobob - I have thought about a loft conversion - would like a second bathroom/shower room.

@ruby_eskimo - thank goodness your hubby had a check up.

I think I only posted in the morning yesterday. I had a day at home and carried on with house upkeep and cleaning.

I had really bad pain last night - I was in and out of bed - getting a fresh freezer pack and tablets. I only had just over 6 hours sleep which is low for me.

Miss_BaLu

@ruby_eskimo - So glad your husband is home and recovering well.

florianatwobob

@Florenceem we’ve been quoted £55k inc VAT with bathroom fixtures and building regs extra. Seeing as the house was originally valued at about £130k when we took the mortgage out 22ish years ago part of me winces at the cost however it’s cheaper than buying/moving. For a similar house locally I’d be looking at £350K for the extra space I’d need to move to the ‘posh’ side of town and that would easily be £500k.

I need to sit down once they send us the plans and plot out full costs.

Willowtree222

Cases are ready to return to the loft. All washing has been done and most put away.

A few extra things put in the loft!