2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

suprisinglynice

Thinking of you @Florenceem

Suffolksue

Florenceem that was a beautiful way of explaining it to your grandson

Hugs xx

EnergyShifter

I had a good bank-holiday - met up with a friend up in Town on Saturday and visited a different friend on Sunday. Managed to get some gardening done in the afternoons and on Monday - I've moved onto clearing the borders and clearing some other ground for gravel eventually. Not a lot to show for the amount of effort put in but I find pulling up roots strangely therapeutic.

Looking back on last month - most of my energy was directed towards the garden - which was my intention for August. Most things going out and coming in were garden related also.

I think next month my efforts needs to be more balanced between garden and house - and it wouldn't hurt to turn my attention to work which I've been doing the bare-minimum for. I feel tired even thinking about it 😂

Moorviews

@Florenceem - I was very moved by your account of yesterday and how you helped your grandson. Thinking of you all xx

@Deb4 - if my office/craft room didn’t have cupboard doors the shelves would look very similar to your photo. I find the wallboard with hooks is great for corralling craft and sewing items. It’s surprising how much can go on there. I too need to go through everything again to work out what I won’t end up using but might be good for someone else.

weenancyinAmerica

@Florenceem - Thank you for sharing with us. Sending lots of hugs and prayers your way.

Willowtree222

I am another who thinks that was a beautiful way of explaining.

ROD are really overwhelming and feel like an impossible task bjt as everyone has said, little and often works. I find if zi look at it as a whole thing. It does become impossible.

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

Monday continued: we set off at exactly 11:15 & had a good journey arriving by 12:30 - we were the 2nd group to arrive after M’s nephew D & his family - wife G, daughter G & son H. Then a flurry of arrivals - DH’s sister W, BiL T, daughter S & her husband C; W’s granddaughter S, husband D & son R; M’s sister G & husband E; W’s son P, fiancée N, son L, son T & fiancée M. Last to arrive due to traffic was M’s niece H & her husband C & son H - 24 of us in total. We had time to get drinks, chat & catch up (youngsters were drawing & well behaved throughout) whilst we were waiting to be seated. Once seated there was lots of lively chatter as the food was served. Almost everyone enjoyed their meals although DSis was disappointed with her steak - well done instead of medium rare & my Caesar salad was almost inedible as the sauce was very sour & tasted vinegary although I enjoyed the anchovies & the plentiful croutons 😉 Good job the butternut squash soup was quite filling & I had ice cream for dessert. I believe I mentioned that DH’s niece M worked in the Houses of Parliament for many years so her sister G & husband E were invited to a sort of wake  for M where they met many of M’s colleagues & friends & G learnt so much more about her sister. I think the eulogy was read by the Speaker of the House of Commons & a copy given to G with a small booklet of photographs & a  book of condolences. These items were passed around the table & read by many of us. We already knew what a remarkable woman M was from a family pov but were overwhelmed with how much she was loved by anyone who was fortunate enough to meet or work with her 🥹 Many of the messages in the book of condolence were full of love & praise for M. Reading all the messages about how much knitting, card making, diamond craft, organising bake sales & being available as a friend & mentor all whilst working made us wonder how she ever found time to sleep 🤩 M has left a huge hole in so many people’s hearts 🥺 After dinner was over we carried on chatting & remembering M before the party starting breaking up with people leaving. We left at 16:45 & were home about 18:05 - a slightly slower journey home due to a broken down car on our side of the road & everyone slowing down to look at a burnt out car on the other side of the road 😞 Not very hungry later in the evening so had either a sandwich or toast. A wonderful day & the weather was kind with only a short shower as we neared home ☺️

Tuesday was a bright sunny day with a high of 22°C, low of 13°C with a WSW wind making it feel just 1° cooler. A lazy day all round & DH ordered our dinner online & took the car to pick up - pie & chips for DH, fish & chips for DSis & chow mein + crispy chilli beef for me. Wudupa.

1464 - 1466 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, glass jar - recycled 

1467 - 1468 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

I have fallen behind with the cheerleading again so am playing catch-up 

Deb4, a busy day with some great work done 👏 Good luck with your listings 🍀

Good luck with the froglet Blue_Doggy 🍀An excellent day of decluttering, sorting & tidying 👏 another medal 🏅 is on its way

Excellent work by both you & your DH suzeesu2000 👏 I am awarding you a medal 🏅🏅each Good luck tackling the huge wardrobe 🍀

Excellent decluttering Happy_Kitties 👏  Well done on all the planning ☺️

Florenceem, how typical that you did all the work on the blazer only to find that it wasn’t required ☹️ 

Brie, hope you & your OH have a great time in Brussels ☺️

Great decluttering to CS Willowtree222 👏

Good luck with your listings ruby_eskimo 🍀 

Florenceem, I think I would pack shoes, trousers & warm jumpers 😉 

I have caught up a little but will try harder tomorrow. Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅⭐️ 🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅

Decluttering Target 2026: 1468/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £373.61

EnergyShifter

@Florenceem - thank you for sharing. Love & prayers to you & your family 🙏💕. @mrssd - what a beautiful way to remember DH’s niece - she sounds like a remarkable woman. 🙏💕

Deb4

@Florenceem a lovely way to explain to your grandson, thinking of you and your family at this time

Thank you everyone for your encouragement over my ROD, I walk in and look at it all and the come back out and say to myself that I will sort it tomorrow but tomorrow never happens.

daisy_1571

Deb, no need for shame, its just a task you haven't done yet.

You don't need to sort it all in a oner, clearly that's too much. But, each time you walk in just pick up one thing. Remove it from the room if it needs to be removed. Otherwise, categorise it. Sewing, beadwork, painting, jigsaw, project already started, raw materials for future project, ribbon. Look around for something else that you would categorise as that and is being kept and place/fling/chuck it beside that thing. Then walk out the room.

If you do this each time you walk in, gradually piles will emerge and be streamlined, gradually things will be removed. Then you might get close enough to some shelves, take everything out, dump it on the floor and start storing one of the piles of stuff you know will be stored on shelves. Or you might reach a box that can be emptied, labelled and stuff from a pile put in. Trick is to do something tiny every time you go in.

You might think, och but that will take ages, no point if I'm only doing one item. Doesnt matter. Slowly, slowly it will get better. If the alternative is walk in/walk out and the room never changes then it will still be quicker 🤣.

In my craft room 'things that stick' is one of my categories so a box labelled that holds double sided tape, glue sticks, sticky dots etc anything whose purpose is to stick something to something else.

I also have 2 plastic boxes of completely random stuff but it's all in the category of 'raw materials' so old cds, empty picture frames, scrabble tiles, plastic webbing that can be used as stiffener, straws, pipe cleaners, tiny pottery plant pots. All very different but to me thats all raw materials that I might use in small projects so to have these boxes mean I have somewhere to chuck things i find elsewhere and also those 2 boxes to go look when I need something.

This room is meant to bring you joy and pleasure, please don't allow the thought that you must tackle it all at once stop you from gradually making it Your Room, designed in a way that makes sense to you and allows you to indulge in your hobbies.

Dxx