2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

GrannyKate

Afternoon all. I have made a good start alternating between gardening and household stuff. Two more frogs sorted yesterday but some need to be done by tomorrow. DS2 has said there is roast beef dinner tomorrow so I aim to be all sorted before that as DGCs will be back here to sleep. Thankyou for my medal Mrs SD. My back has almost recovered from my fall but I can only do short garden sessions.

Thoughts from other gardeners requested. Front border was very overgrown and woody lavender - it is out of control but I am not sure whether to cut right down and leave a few to regrow or whether to start again. In the picture the closest end is where I have cut the plants down and the far end is how the plants were at the end of August. Very popular with bees and butterflies . Most other greenery there are weeds except the small shiny dark green leaves which may be worth saving. Thoughts on how to manage the lavender please.

A few bits done

851 DGS3 passport sorted at last so I can finish booking for next month

852-4 Three frogs sorted

855 Front grass mowed

856 Some areas of grass seeded following alterations

857 Lavender bushes cut down - my recycling bin smells nice

858 Lots of stuff around house sorted and put away.

859 History homework done

Right I need to do a few more jobs then I will drop DS2 off at a friends for afternoon do. Will cut the back lawn when I get back. I was planning to empty the pool but children asked me to leave it up a bit longer. I need to empty cupboard in hall before builders come back on 15th so I need to find a home for stuff or better still declutter it.

QueenJess

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82126211#Comment_82126211

I really do need some more clothes. I remember last year only liking 2 of my tops and wore them all the time. When they were in the wash I had to resort to the ones I didn't like wearing. I can't get rid of them though until I can replace them as I genuinely will run out of things to wear! I've so far found 2 jumpers and 1 top, although I've got rid of the same amount.

As I am in clothes mode at the moment and so went through DS's winter wardrobe last night and DD's one today. Loads of stuff they had grown out of gone and I did have to buy them more socks, DD 2 pairs of leggings for school and DD some long sleeved PJs. Otherwise it is all stuff going and isn't being replaced. Both wardrobes are looking a lot better. There will be more to go from DD pretty soon as she is at the top end of her current size and so has a mix of clothing sizes at the moment. I'm trying to be very minimalist with their clothing as I find it overwhelming to keep track of it all otherwise. As long as DD has something pretty to wear and DS can put something on his body they are happy!

I still have too many shoes, but am pondering what to keep/get rid of at the moment. I just counted and I have 14 pairs of shoes, which actually doesn't seem that bad! I do have 5 pairs of trainers though and I only wear three of them (two generally and one for gardening), so I do need to think that through.

Digital:
1 - emails unsubscribed from

Physical:

Books and Paperwork
2 - paper, reused then recycled

Clothes/wardrobe etc
1 - shoes I never wear (charity bag)
1 - long-sleeved top I didn’t wear last year and never reach for (charity bag)
2 - jumpers I don’t wear (charity bag)

Kids stuff
7 - DS socks worn through (binned)
1 - DS clothes grown out of (charity bag)
14 - DD clothes grown out of (charity bag)

Random stuff
1 - puzzle I don’t want to make again (charity bag)

New total 8,438
Use it up total 814

Floss

@florianatwobob and @daisy_1571 thank you! It comes from too many house moves & room rejigs!

@GrannyKate personally I would replace the smaller old lavender this year with some new ones, cut the big one back (but not into woody bits) and see how it looks next year. New ones will take a couple of years to bulk up, but if you cut them back once they've flowered they will flower again before autumn. Hope that helps.

Florenceem

Did the last basket of ironing this morning.

Then I pressed yesterday's sewing.

I started to sew a cushion cover and broke a needle. Took a while to find the needles pack in my machine trolley - only 1 needle so I will order a new pack.

Next I took a while to do a donation for youngest son's Snowdon challenge raising funds for research into childhood cancers. I phoned youngest daughter for help as I was struggling on my new laptop.

My son has gone to football for the first time with my grandson - I hope he manages okay.

Yorkie1

@GrannyKate I agree with @Floss that cutting back lavender into any woody bits won't lead to regrowth - it just doesn't regenerate from old wood. Perhaps see how the pruning goes and how big it gets next year?

Mine is shockingly not-pruned and is huge, but is starting to look bare in the middle. Eventually I'll get organised enough to take cuttings at the right time of year and replace it entirely.

dND

@GrannyKate I'm with @Floss and @Yorkie1 Shape the large ones without cutting into bare wood. Replace the others - you may want a change of size or intensity of colour or you could take cuttings from the bits you've pruned off if you want to keep the same. Dxx

suzeesu2000

Been a good day.
Had a lay in, washed a load of cotton hankies and other whites.

Photographed everything on the table in kitchen, will hopefully get them listed this evening.
Sorted everything listed so far into a big plastic tote to keep organised.

Hoping to get out and sort the storage things in the yard tomorrow, the small box thing is still sitting in the sitting room and I need the space. It’s one of those jobs that you keep putting off but actually take a few minutes to get done.

Made another sale on eBay, grateful.

Weather for next couple of days is no rain so, fingers crossed, will get all the rest of the laundry done and dry. Hope everyone has had a good day.

Have a good night, sleep tight & don’t let the bedbugs bite! xx

GrannyKate

Thanks for all the comments re lavender. It is not clear in picture but there is at least 18 inches of brittle bare wood at centre of the large bush. I did cut them back last year which did not help. Out of sight there are a couple of smaller and neater bushes so i think I will dig up the roots of the large ones and see if I can move a couple of the small ones and add a couple of new ones. A gardener who used to come here told me that the previous owner would not let him trim bushes back and I have already had to dig up many bushes that were beyond help. At least I can get a fork into the ground now. I will get some crocuses and tulips to put between the smaller lavender plants. I like spring bulbs. I had some winter pansies and chrysanths to put in some pots beside front path. I had bulbs dried out last year to put in with those flowers.

I managed to cut the back lawn and sort pool out (children asked me to leave it up a bit longer). I have a plan to sort hall cupboard and somewhere to put things for builders. Things will go.

860 Back lawn cut

861 Shrubs cut back and some weeds culled

862 Pool filter changed and cleaned out

vulpix

Willowtree, that's a big frog eaten. That must feel great.

Thank you Mrs SD. You have made me realise I put a lot of effort into making or renovating an object but bodge me. I wish you had told me this 50 years ago! You are right, I can lose weight well but also put it back on well. I need to give the maintenance much more effort. I shall have to eat more frogs as they are calorie free.

Granny Kate, You have had loads of advice already but I will add my ten penneth. I would cut down and dig out that magnificent lavender I think he will get to the point soon of being so woody that he doesn't keep his shape anymore.Strike lots of cuttings from the bits you cut off. That reminds me DD1 was looking after my lavender cuttings from when I moved house. I bet they died from neglect and she has conveniently never mentioned it .That's what happened to my hydrangea cuttings that I remembered to ask about.😂

Florenceem I am so glad your son and Grandson have been to the football today. We stopped at services on our way home and there were loads of coaches on the way to the match.

Baby sitting done. HOW did I ever do this 365 days a year with my own kids?

A couple of tops I took away with me will be washed and go to the chazzer. One creases badly and the other reminds me of a building society uniform. Whilst I can ,I will press on with clearing the back garden. When the weather turns I will go through my clothes.Most of my outer wear comes from charity shops so I feel ok about ringing the changes often. I do have a lot of clothes. Work clothes and cruise clothes, Not much in between. I also have clothes in all sizes as I yoyo. I have got rid of all my fat clothes a couple of times before. I think I will hang on to them for a while this time. Seeing them might help me not put weight back on.

My friend is coming to help clear the garden tomorrow. DD1 is coming to cook tofu. I never used to like the texture but it has grown on me.

Vx

florianatwobob

DSis and I were out in the garden by 8.30am this morning after a breakfast of champions (banana porridge with chopped nuts and fresh strawberries). It’s guaranteed to keep hunger locked up until lunch.

The ‘top bed’ has been dug over, the yellow rambling rose that was planted for my grandma back in the early 80s did not like the summer but is still hanging on and has flowered so that’s been tidied up and is currently in a new obelisk.

The bag of bark chippings has been scattered over part of the bed and we’ve worked out how many more bags we need. Some of the ‘potment’ has been relocated to the top of the garden and the strawberries are throwing out yet more runners. At this rate I’ll be giving plants away.

We also tackled one of the sheds where things have been bunged. I can now walk in there without losing a shoe to the detritus. It’s felt like playing a game of ‘stick in the mud’ at times.

We found some bits to go so will stick them by the gate on Monday and hopefully catch the parents on the school run.