2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Brie

Big birthday hugs Florenceem!! Hope the meal being planned is to your liking.

Meanwhile here I've been decluttering money. Like me things are beginning to fall apart. My smart watch which I really like has a fading light which will eventually make it impossible to use properly as I won't be able to adjust the time, see the messages or all the other features that make it smart. I've had one of these since 2018 when I was given a large 10 year anniversary gift by my employer and I chose to use that to buy what otherwise would be an unaffordable watch. After 3 years it developed a fault and, for a smallish fee, the manufacturer replaced it with a brand new one. So this one has lasted 4 years - not great but I'm ok with that. Contacted the manufacturer and as they no longer make this model the best they can do is offer me 25% a new one. So that's a big expenditure.

The other thing that has gone kaput is the weber bbq. Now this was purchased about 15 years back, should have cost about £1500 but because it was the very end of the bbq season (nonsense in my mind) it was reduced and reduced and then because it was the display model we got it for about £200. It's had some minor repairs but finally is not working properly as the burners are completely shot. I shall miss it as I've got some great memories of using it - particularly late one Sunday afternoon late in the autumn when the power went just as I was about to put a leg of lamb in the electric oven. Instead I bunged it on the bbq, used the side burner to do the veg and we dined by candlelight while listening to the battery operated radio.

Anyhoo - the bbq stopped working a few months back and I've been annoyed at it ever since. OH bought a Lidl smoker which is lovely but it's not an easy quick dinner thing whereas a gas bbq is. So cruised the websites earlier today and the prices for Webers have not been discounted much yet. Ended up phoning one of the garden centres near me and was told they had 4 floor models left but they weren't Webers but rather Broiler King. BK is a Canadian company based about 30 miles from where I lived for a number of years so I was happy to look at those rather than insisting on a yankee Weber. Had a nice chat with the bbq expert at the shop who very soundly talked me out of the £1200 model (don't need a rotisserie or a side burner and don't like stainless steel grills) and instead convinced me that the one on sale for £500ish would be a better option - in part because of the cast iron grill. My final question to him was how easy it would be to fit it into a VW up and he said it wouldn't fit at all. But they could deliver it as was, fully assembled, for free. Just need to wait about 10 days for that to happen but that gives us time to shift the old one towards the tip.

I'm well pleased that I will have a new bbq as previously I'd say I used it a minimum of once a week year round. And it saves a huge amount on washing up!!!

ionafan

Popping up to say "Happy Birthday, and enjoy your meal" to @Florenceem - you share your birthday with my German godson, who is 23 today.

I am entranced by all the garden photos, have fallen in love with all the kittens (although we are dog people), and look forward to seeing the results of decluttering and redistributing, extension building, sewing, gardening and landscaping, and all the other projects that you brilliant people seem to have permanently on the go.

My daughter came to stay last night so this house got tidied and cleaned in her honour. I am gradually decluttering paperwork, but I have also been spending a lot of time recently making jam which is being sold in aid of church funds, so several frogs have set up home around my desk - fortunately my daughter didn't hear any croaking in the night!

Matty246

Happy Birthday Florenceem

Wishing you much better times in the coming year

Floss

@Florenceem I hope you've had an enjoyable birthday despite the sadness. May your next 12 months be less sorrowful.

weenancyinAmerica

@Florenceem - Hope your birthday was a good one. I hope you have a better year this year.

GrannyKate

Happy birthday @Florenceem - hope you had a great day. @Moorviews my swimming pool is only one of those soft plastic ones on a circular metal frame - about 10 feet across. We only filled it once this year as we use chlorine and a pump (we bought a bigger one than that supplied with the pool) - it was a problem once hose pipe ban came in as I couldn't top it up as it evaporated and got splashed out. Anyway it is almost empty now and will be going. I will keep accessories as there is a large rectangular area where I might fit that shape in next year. Job of the day for tomorrow is put seats down in car and go to the tip.

896-7 Two bags to CS

898 Redundant instruction booklets recycled

899 Batteries out

900 Old door bell removed and in box of electricals for tip

Sox was fascinated by the little rivulets of water running down from the pool and he kept trying to keep in front of them. In the ends his paws were getting wet so he got up on the fence to supervise from a safe distance. (I couldnt use water for plants as it had chlorine in it)

suzeesu2000

@Florenceem hope you’ve had a lovely birthday, I’m glad you’ve spent it with family.

7 parcels left the house today.😺 Have 2 more to go tomorrow plus another 2 I’ve got to wrap.

Friend rang today, she’s coming Monday to collect her papers for the rabbits and now hamsters and guineas.

Sold another item on local selling site, that was collected this morning.

Have another crate full to list tomorrow, slowly but surely working through it.

Rang our lovely Ability Dogs charity and booked a collection for Thursday, I need to make space in the kitchen. Also have to contact my Foodbank lady as there are several bags for her too.

DHs scooter came back today, the new wheels cost more than the tyres on my last car - and that was a Mercedes! Don’t become disabled, it’s jolly expensive.

Hope everyone’s had a lovely day. Have a good night, sweet dreams xx

Brambling

Happy birthday Florenceem.

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

Friday has been a mainly cloudy day with a couple of spells of sunshine. High of 22°C, low of 16°C & a WNW wind. DH has been watching the MotoGP practice sessions being held in San Marino. I have been reading newspapers & magazines etc & clearing down programmes from the TV planner. DH & I are being boring by having our usual Friday dinner - salmon fillets, boiled potatoes & tomato salad whilst DSis is having a change - shop bought lasagne. Wudupa

1540 - 1544 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, newspaper, booklets, glass bottle - recycled 

1545 Kitchen detritus binned 

Lovely cheerleading Moorviews ☺️ Our overnight stops are in Dulverton & Saltash so I will wave as we travel 😉 On behalf of our feathered friends I thank you for the shelter & food/water 👏☺️ Good luck with the pruning & tidying 🍀

Great work chopping down the buddleia Siebrie 👏 All that hard work merits a medal 🏅which is on its way. I was exhausted just reading about your new class 😉 Good luck with the office move 🍀

vulpix, sorry to hear that you have been unwell 😔 & pleased to hear that you are getting better 😊 Congratulations on the weight loss 👏 Great use of leftover bricks 👏 Will you be getting a ride on DSS’s new motorbike 😉

GrannyKate, crikey you have been busy 🤩 Excellent decluttering & tidying in the garage & great work on the cupboard of doom 👏 A medal 🏅 is on its way 😊

More excellent decluttering QueenJess 👏

Florenceem, I love that F wants to be there when you open your card/s 🥹 How wonderful to have a birthday message from Thailand & your mayor ☺️

Brie, large expenses but the kaput BBQ has given sterling service ☺️ A real shame about the smartwatch but hopefully the new one will be as easy use & will last longer 🙏

ionafan, well done on tidying up in honour of your daughter ☺️ Well done on decluttering paperwork 👏 I am sure that it breeds if we take our eyes off it for even a second ☹️ Ooh, homemade jam 🤤 A medal 🏅 is on its way Good luck dealing with the frogs 🍀

GrannyKate, sounds like pool has given sterling service 😊 Fingers crossed that you can get it in the car to take to the Tip 🤞Gorgeous photo of Sox ready to pounce 🤩

Great news about so many successful sales suzeesu2000 🥳 Also great decluttering 👏 Good grief, that is expensive 😧 

Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅⭐️ 🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅

Decluttering Target 2026: 1545/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £373.61

daisy_1571

hating what they've done to the bookmarks, there is a thread about it if anyone wants to keep an eye on it