2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

dND

Still here and still waiting for scaffolders! I've been told that the solar panel installers will be here on Friday so I'm hoping that the scaffolders will turn up before then.

Why am I only hoping? Well I was told I should expect someone before 12 today to do what I think she said was a spill test. It's gone 2pm and I'm still waiting. Luckily, it's been drizzling all morning and I have rather a lot to do to try and resurrect my kitchen. 😱

The reason for the chaos is that I'd booked 2 hours of free electricity on Sunday. Saturday was taken up with prepping everything that I could beforehand. Dry ingredients for biscuit mixes weighed out and bagged, bed stripped and bedding in the machine with the laundry liquid , green bleach etc., lined up ready to be added just before the grand switch on at 11am. The penultimate batch of San Marzano tomatoes were softened with onions and pepper and passed twice through a mouli and stored overnight in the fridge and oil heaters/fan heater extracted from their summer hibernation.

Come the magic hour of 11 am on went the washing machine, dishwasher, dehydrator, dehumidifier, both ovens and the hob, 2 oil radiators, the fan heater, the slow cooker and the robot vacuum cleaner! I'm glad I prepared the tomatoes on Saturday - the recipe said reducing them would take 30-40 minutes; it took the whole 2 hours. I could have turned the heat up a bit more but I didn't want my kitchen spattered with tomato. 🤣 But eventually it did reach ketchup consistency. 😁

So it was successful; 2 laundry loads done, 2 batches of oaty biscuits made, ketchup made, last of my baby beetroot roasted, beetroot leaves drying in the dehydrator for greens powder, minced garlic for garlic granules partially dried too and 6 portions of chicken, leek and mushroom casserole made, (one portion eaten for supper).

The biscuits are cranberry / white chocolate chip and my homemade candied citrus peel / dark chocolate chip. There's a tin of them added to the TLC carriage. 😁

So, tomatoes decluttered from my windowsill and today the pile of drying bronze fennel seed heads have been deseeded and the seeds cleaned and stored. Not a lot to show apart from there is space again in the kitchen. 😁😁

I'm loving the red squirrel and cat photos.

Hugs to those who want them and love to you all. Dxx

weenancyinAmerica

@dND - Wow, I am impressed by how much you can accomplish in just two hours. I wish I knew how to do some of what you do even. Great job.

EnergyShifter

I'm back from retreat. I have this week off work. I feel like I have been away much longer than 2 nights. I made a big decision while I was away. The retreat was to prepare to be commissioned for Lay Pastoral Ministry and literally the day before I the service I decided to defer for a year. I know that I want to do Pastoral work but I am so undecided about where and what! The Diocese was very kind and bent over backwards to try to fit me in so I could be commissioned but it all felt entangled so I decided to defer. The retreat leaders were very supportive - they understood that I hadn't been able to fully discern last year when I was on the course because of DS having been ill. Funnily enough just after I made the decision was the "tiffin cake" incident. 😂

It was a bit weird last night just coming home instead of going to the Cathedral with my cohort. I know it's the right decision though. I think I'll give myself until the new year to focus on just living life, attending church and serving, but without feeling I need to decide anything.

Anyhoo - I think all of this made me feel I had a bit of a hole to fill because today I bought some stuff from the CS I didn't need - some place-mats and a wind chime. They came to £8 in total so hardly the end of the world financially but I did notice that I slipped into an old habit that I don't want to take hold. Wind chimes will be given to a friend and I will keep the place-mats - and may dispose of some old ones.

I returned a top to the CS today and before I went to the retreat my old sofa was collected. So there are some things leaving the house at least …

dND

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82166417#Comment_82166417

It took 3 days, one to prep, one do the work and then one to clear up! The rest of the week will be needed to recover. 🤣🤣 Dxx

weenancyinAmerica

Sounds like it was worth it though. Have a well-earned rest.

Yorkie1

Well done @dND - I also had 2 hours but didn't manage to get that much done! Hope the scaffolders do turn up.

@EnergyShifter I think the whole discernment process is designed to enable a pause for reflection at any point. You did the right thing by asking for this, up against what must have been an internal pressure to keep with your cohort. Absolutely take some time just to have a break.

Next to Castle Howard in North Yorkshire is the Yorkshire Arboretum, which has an enclosure for red squirrels. You buy a separate ticket, and there isn't a 100% guarantee you'll see them, but it seems to be a successful reintroduction.

EnergyShifter

@Yorkie1 - thank you for your wise & kind words. I was just having a dip in mood then read your message 🙏

MadamMim2013

😊 Thanks everyone for the weight loss support & Mrs SD for the medals 💐.

Decluttered my old car and gleefully picked up a new one as we came home from our weekend away 🥰

Yorkie1

How exciting @MadamMim2013

Please don't feel down about this @EnergyShifter - what you did takes a lot of courage, please be kind to yourself

Floss

@EnergyShifter I think it's been a successful retreat if you have made that decision. It also gives you time to investigate the pastoral options too.

There's a red squirrel breeding scheme at a nearby petting zoo, when grown they go to one of the areas such as Formby, Northumberland or Anglesey.