2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Yorkie1

Found about 4 blocks of cheese, use by late 2024 / 25, in the fridge. Even though they were unopened, I decided they didn't need to be retained!!

suzeesu2000

Not doing too badly thanks @vulpix its lovely when you get to the next stone down, well done you xx

Decluttered plenty of money today as its bill paying day. I am very grateful that I have a little unspent in the budget so that will be squirrelled away ready for the gas and electric on 20th of the month. I pay on receipt of bill as I am afraid we’ve had bad experiences of DDs. I’m happy that I will be able to cover the bill from this money and not have to touch the next income.

My DFs daughter, who is just a very lovely girl, got on her hands and knees this afternoon to unclutter what was behind a drawer in the sideboard and stopping it closing = 3 rolls of sellotape, pile of envelopes, council info booklet, charity bag, a notebook, my accounts book and an unopened set of dies. So, I really do have to declutter the sideboard!

Friend came to collect the newspapers we save for her and bought some decent boxes for us to use while emptying the kitchen bless her and, as we stood chatting at the front door, a beautiful red squirrel came bouncing along! To say I am thrilled is an understatement. We’ve lived on the island for 27 years and never seen a real one. This was one of this years babies and absolutely adorable, how lucky am I.

Sold a biggish item today, pleased to get it out of the house tomorrow. Just have one biggish item left to sell, everything else is in a tote and clothes are upstairs in 2 big totes

I have emptied the pantry shelves. All I have left is enough to cover us for a few weeks which will easily fit in one tote I think. I also measured DHs scooter shed and the dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer & chest freezer will fit in there for sure. That’s a relief.

Hope you get a better nights sleep @Florenceem its horrid when your sleep goes all to pot.

Have a good night all, sweet dreams xx

TC77

Updating my numbers 1778

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

I completely forgot to post yesterday ☹️ 

Thursday was crisp, bright & sunny with clear blue skies - high of 16°C, low of 8°C & a NW wind with no rain until late evening & early Friday morning. A good start to the day as the recycling wheelie bin was emptied on time 😊 I wrote a shopping list for DH, then got a lift to DLR station as the bags for CS had started ‘shouting’ at me 🙊 He also took a bag of textiles (old bed linen, 8 items, to drop off at MrS recycling point (supposed to have been a roadside pick up - never happened) I got the DLR to Lewisham & dropped off the following at the Hospice CS - 4 carrier bags of bubble wrap, 6 small cardboard boxes, 2 x single oven glove, 2 tea towels, small supply of carrier bags, animal photo calendar, X-Large M&S sweater (50% merino wool), ultrasonic cleaner, sparkly top, white t-shirt, paperback & magnetic butterfly decorations (mine); plastic sewing box & foldable trolley bag (M); pin badge, 2 key ring decorations & a cardigan (DSis) - 28 items

1683 to 1718 - Donations

Then popped into card shop to buy November & December birthday cards + a couple more shops before going home - found 10p 😊. DH & DSis were already back. Updated my finances. I made omelettes for dinner - mushroom, bacon, cheese & cooked peppers. Wudupa

1719 - 1720 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans - recycled 

1721 - 1722 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

Friday has been an overcast & windy day with a high of 19°C feeling 4°colder due to a brisk WSW wind & a low of 11°C. Light rain was forecast - a couple of showers between 14:00 & 15:30 DH has swapped over the Goldwing seat as the cover is damaged & today is the day he is dropping off the damaged bike seat to get it recovered. DSis has accompanied him & on the way home they are popping into the big yellow shop to pick up a floor standing unit to tidy up the corner of the dining room that has the routers, signal boosters etc. As they are out I am taking the opportunity to descale the kettle & change the filter. I am also doing my laundry. 

DH & DSis eventually got home nearly 4 hours after leaving due to a combination of driving down narrow country roads & then rush hour traffic ☹️ I have also dealt with 2 days mail + sorted out another corner of the dining room. DSis had a tin of soup for dinner whilst DH & I had tuna steaks, boiled new potatoes & roasted tomatoes. Wudupa

1723 - 1728 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, 3 newspapers, cardboard box - recycled 

1729 Kitchen detritus binned 

ionafan, I usually go downstairs sideways when I am carrying anything 😉

vulpix, never mind about the photo of the quilt, I would love to see a piccie of the dolphin stamp 🙊 Sounds like you thoroughly enjoyed your time at ‘nastics ☺️ Hope you didn’t overdo it in the garden 🤞

suzeesu2000, what a wonderful donation to the Foodbank 👏 A medal 🏅 is on its way. I will keep my fingers crossed that Frankie is caught quickly so the claw trimming can happen without too much stress for the vet, you or Frankie 🤞

GrannyKate, a real shame about having to declutter so much money 😔 but better safe than sorry so money well spent 👏 Sounds like you had a lovely time with your DD 🥹 Good luck dealing with frogs this weekend 🍀

Lovely cheerleading Florenceem ☺️ I do hope your son’s dental work wasn’t too painful 🙏 That local “scrapstore” sounds wonderful 🤩 I would probably spend a fortune 😉 That’s not like you to forget to put things in your diary 😅  Sounds like you & your granddaughters had a really good time 🥹 A rather expensive time for you - new glasses & a boiler service 😣 Very kind of you to do so many sewing jobs for your DIL 🥹  Your Tree of Life painting is stunning  😍 a very talented painter ☺️

Brambling, fingers crossed that you can get the ornaments placed to your liking 🤞 Perhaps you can get someone to help you put up the curtains 🙏

Florenceem, hopefully now that you have the silicone air fryer liners, you have everything you need to start practicing cooking with the air fryer 🤞 Gentle cwtches coming your way 🤗 

Siebrie, sounds like your attic is very well organised 👏 & now even emptier ☺️ That  does sound very tedious & time consuming having to organise paperwork for every €5 claim 😞 

vulpix, must be lovely having DD1 at your house even if she is working ☺️ Pleased to hear that Misty is supervising the building works 🙊 Excellent work dealing with frogs 👏 Great news about your weight 🥳 & fingers crossed for Tuesday’s weigh in 🤞

Yorkie1, how fortunate to see rainbows ☺️ So far minimal rain & not a single rainbow here ☹️ Yikes to the broken toilet handle 😧  I am sending positive vibes/energy your way to make a start on getting all your niggling plumbing jobs sorted out 🙂 Good luck with your other frogs too 🍀

Willowtree222, remember any decluttering is a win 👏

Great work clearing out the fridge & making soup GrannyKate 👏 + clearing some frogs 👏

TC77, pleased to hear that they turned up 😊 Excellent & eclectic decluttering 👏 especially items earmarked for DD2 ☺️

Yorkie1, well done on being brave & binning the cheese 👏

Despite almost catching up, brain fog has descended so I will wish everyone a good night. Sleep tight 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅⭐️ 🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅

Decluttering Target 2026: 1729/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £463.61

TC77

Mrs SD unsure if you're up early or still making your way to bed! Great donations to the hospice shop.

Woke 4.30 and didn't go back to sleep.but didn't get my act together to get early train to Brum with trying to sleep, watching TV and then having to sort the cats out so not hungry all day :( then trains dodgy so on the slow train waiting to leave. Gives me time to make list, update diary and read my book club book ( from the library). List will include focus for tomorrow declutter and clean.

MadamMim2013

Having made a second trip to the tip yesterday, I am happy that more has been removed from the garage.
it looks much better but will have further reorganisation going forward until we’re happy with it.. I’d like a home for everything making it more functional.

We’ve also decluttered ourselves of 4kg each! ☺️🥳

A weekend away to Bude is our reward.. ☺️ Aaaand relax.. 😴

Florenceem

Yesterday I spent time sorting out some bags from the ROD. I have a large bag full of donations in the hall ready for tomorrow.

Bestie popped in to see me - bought jam doughnuts with her.

I cut out squares of fabric to make bunting in SA colours.

I had the heating on for an hour again yesterday evening. When I turned it off - put my fleece blanket over my knees.

Today I went out to get cash ready for the heating engineer. I took a bag of old medication to the pharmacy where I was asked - any sharps and any controlled drugs.

I took a bag of donations to the charity shop and a bag of soft plastics to Ald. Did some shopping in there, was asked if girl could look in my shopping trolley.

Before lunch I finished making bunting. It is a long strand of bunting.

I had a visit from my daughter and granddaughter. I had asked them to get a chicken from Sainsbur.. for me

It was lovely at the harbour waiting for a bus in the sunshine.

Chilly now - I am going to cook myself a roast chicken dinner.

suzeesu2000

Thank you for the medal @Mrs_Salad_Dodger , how is your sister after her 2nd injection?

Love the bunting @Florenceem

Flipping heck @MadamMim2013 that an amazing loss! well done to you both.

Day started with postage problems, couldn’t send one as too big for Royal Mail, Blimming Vinted leaves no user discretion on postage. So had to cancel sale. Then had notification that a return had arrived at the drop off point. I don’t use the drop off facility as it usually selects somewhere in Lymington. Fortunately, this one came back to my local but now closed so got to go again on Monday grrr. To make that bitter pill a little less bitter, sold 2 items on Vinted.

Decluttered every bit of laundry. All washed, dried and folded. Will do the relatively small amount of ironing tomorrow.

Sorted through a carrier bag of wires. I really do enjoy untangling things. So I spent about half an hour sorting and wrapping wires then securing with an elastic band. Much happier now. Also checked some condiments in the fridge, 4 Decluttered. 3 were to be used within 4 weeks of opening and the other was a red sauce but had badly discoloured.

Photographed all of DHs clothing ready for listing. Found another 4 pieces that can go to CS instead.

Dinner for both was totally freezer. No idea why but I was absolutely starving today, maybe as it’s got a degree or 2 cooler. DH is in a T-shirts and jumper, I’m still in a summer T shirt and glowing!

Have a good night all, sweet dreams xx

Yorkie1

Well done on the 4kg @MadamMim2013 💪

Turned the bed over, put new bedding on (plus the electric blanket).

Put all the clothes away and threw out some things I no longer needed.

Will need to go through clothes and get rid of those I no longer need, or have room for, or that are past their best. But will leave most of that until after Christmas, I think, when I have a better idea of how I might progress with losing weight.

Looked through a couple of bags of presents I'd previously received, which were waiting sorting out, putting away etc. Even though nothing decluttered, it's progress.

Had a massive (6-7 minute) coughing fit after disturbing some dust. I always said dusting was a hazardous activity 😂

Got rid of the CO monitor and opened the new one. The old one was more than 10 years old - it still self-tested and responded to the test button, but I'd read something that said you shouldn't keep them longer than the indicated battery life, so it's going.

I have a beef casserole in the slow cooker. After I'd prepared most of the ingredients, I realised it said a red wine stock pot / cube. I have white wine but not red. So I started it off anyway, had a wander down to the local shops in more hope than anticipation of finding one. But no. Can't add red wine itself as a) I'd have to drink the rest and I don't really drink much wine at the moment, so it would be a waste, and b) there's the right amount of liquid in the slow cooker already. So it will be beef casserole rather than beef bourguignon. Yummy nevertheless 😍

Have done the third workout on the JW app. It wasn't as hard as the first beginner's one! I'm not sure I'll get on with the eating plan though. I'm really not up for cooking 3 times a day. Not willing to do that much washing up, for a start! And it has quite a few ingredients that I just don't usually have in the store cupboard. Will just pick and choose recipes as I go, in the spirit even if not in the rules of it, which I'm happy with. It was the workouts I was more interested in anyway.

Now have Strictly on 💃, and will watch the recorded highlights of the Formula 1 afterwards 🚗

MadamMim2013

😊 Thanks @suzeesu2000 & @Yorkie1

It wasn’t wholly intentional, happened due to the kitchen refit, we lived off chicken for most of the 10 days and didn’t have time to snack/sit down.. So it proves we can cut out the snacks! 😉

Need to keep it off and loose another 20kg.. 😬