2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

2Scratters

@daisy_1571 could you get a fitment that fits onto the door itself. A bit like the old fashioned way when it was a brass pole and it goes over the opening of the door too. I love the photo of the tin lids and am a big fan of art deco.

I need to report some decluttering as the bathroom is no longer existent at this time of writing. The flooring had to come up and a joist replaced and extra added for the heavy shower tray that is to go in. I have tried to make it as "future proof" as I can and that includes a wall fixed fold down shower seat. I'm having to use the porta loo in the workshop shed at the bottom of a long garden. I'll need to bring that up to the house as I am not making trips out in the middle of the night. I had moved 3 pieces of metal from the workshop shed ( I told DH after the event) and placed them on the front garden. They went the following morning. I told the lads the cast bath was coming out this week if they wanted that too. Bathroom fitter Big D got it out of the house all by himself. DS and GD and myself moved it to the garden along with some other metal and it went this morning. The lads knocked at the door and asked about some other metal goods at the side of the house if they could have that too including the glass shower screen and the ceramic sink 🤷. Less for us to move at the weekend. There is a lot considering it came from a small bathroom e.g less than 2 metre square and had been doubled tiled and plaster boarded and cemented.

DH is still temporarily decluttered at the hospital, now been moved to respiratory ward. I am lining up some jobs at home for him which he can do that won't affect his breathing when he gets home. I intend to keep his mind busy at least. This also means I need to pace and take care of myself too.

Loving the sliding numbers of the weight loss group.

2 Scratters xx

Siebrie

DD2 (15) had all her belongings spread out over her bedroom floor; she suddenly decided to clear it all up, binned most of her handmade tchotchkes, and found some old schoolwork and books that we need to store in the attic for 3 years (Belgian secondary school requirement 🙄). It's much better now. We are looking for wardrobe/cupboards and a small sofa to put in her room to make a reading/tablet nook. Husband wants to buy from IKEA, I'm looking proper furniture stores and secondhand websites.

She also started a second instrument (first is 'voice'): flute. We need to buy a stander, both for at home as well as for travel. I'm currently checking secondhand websites, and prices seem affordable.

I've gone through my wardrobe and removed all summer clothes, I've put three items in the donation bag.

A friend has persuaded me to take up a sport again. I've now done 3 weeks of Fitdance (or some similar name) and am a bit annoyed by it, the steps are to complicated and I'm 54, I just can't be bothered. Together with her I've tried out a HIIT&Core course, and I have switched to that class. We're lucky to have a rather large dance school / fitness centre in our little village. They don't have many machines, it's mainly dance and exercise.

I have done some admin that had a narrow deadline, which has taken a huge weight off my back.

I'm back on hormones; I'd been on them for a year, and when the prescription ran out I wanted to try living without. It was awful!! I missed 6 deadlines in a row at work, my moods were all over the place, I couldn't sleep, the hot flushes were back, I couldn't think straight, …. I'm back on hormones now and after 4 weeks I started feeling better.

daisy_1571

we have three 6' bookcases and seven 4' ones plus I use the travelling library for a couple of books every 4 weeks. We are both readers and like a proper physical book. I often pick up free ones too, our doctors has a bookcase of bring one take one books. As has the church hall where I do my recorder group. (It has the same principle with jigsaws so I often have a new jigsaw ready to do)

Loving the photos of kitties enjoying snuggles

Thank you for that idea 2scratters

Florenceem

@weenancyinAmerica - back pain is rotten - hope a pain relief solution is found soon.

2Scratters - hope hubby is soon well enough to be discharged from hospital.

Re books - I think I have 15 - 20 cookery books. I do have a lot of craft books which I am finding hard to part with.

I have used all 15 hanks of yarn so 15 scarves are ready. Bestie wants 2 so that is a start. I will take a basket of scarves to Church on Sunday. I am a list/record keeper so looked up when I knitted with this type of yarn before - it was 2011/2012 when I made 17 scarves.

Boiler man has cancelled again - good job I have heating that is working. He is now coming here on Monday.

Granddaughter M is coming here this afternoon during a break from school. The school has open evenings for year 6 parents & children. Granddaughter and Grandson S have been asked to do something in the PE department.

I forgot to take my tablets last night until 11.30 so was late to bed - I was engrossed in the GBSB. I stayed up for the penultimate and final of series 9. So I was late up this morning.

I had 4 messages from bestie before 6.45 am.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Brie

@Floss , @weenancyinAmerica , @TC77

All this talk of books reminds me of a well read friend who, when young, was asked by a family member what he wanted as a present and he said a book. The response was one of surprise "A book? But you already have one!!"

As for us we have 2 book shelves in our house and they both have a double layer of books. And then there's the garage which has 6 floor to ceiling book shelves and again most have a double layer. We do need to clear some of these out and need to do so sooner rather than later as the garage is not ideal for book storage being unheated and damp. I suspect when we get round to it we'll find any number of mouse nests and goodness knows what else.

Doveling

Always read along but don't post.

Daisy_1571 would a portiere rod work for you?

Sadly, I de-cluttered one to the charity shop a couple of months ago which I could have posted to you.

Every time I get rid of something, someone needs it! This is why our bungalow is full of stuff- all Justin.

daisy_1571

Aw doveling thank you, I will look them up. My family has a saying whenever someone is thinking about getting something - "if only you'd asked last week, I just gave it away". It seems to always be the case doesn't it however that's still no reason to turn our houses into warehouses 😀

dND

Now I'm really running to catch up with the train again: the charging socket on my laptop broke last Friday rendering it useless. I could have used my phone but I really don't like staring at a tiny screen. So some money has been decluttered to a PC repair man who happily only lives about 600yds away and I have a fully charging laptop again. 😁 Now to try and catch up on everyone's posts.

Well done on the mortgage @Yorkie1 👏👏 and also on the free energy session.

@Florenceem I love the gnomes for your bestie, what a lovely way to show your love.

@vulpix Wonderful news that Mr V has been discharged from the complex wound clinic. 😁

@suzeesu2000 Oh my gosh, what an upheaval. I'm contemplating something similar for next year so I'm watching with interest.

Fantastic @diminua one day I hope to be like you - but without the water leak. 🤣 So glad it's been fixed.

Cuteness overload @daisy_1571 😁

@Green_hopeful Cats have a way of making you stay as their heated support cushion. 🤣

@2Scratters I do hope DH is well and home soon. I fear I will need similar work in my bathroom one day. It was obviously converted (grant scheme), to a walk in shower suitable for restricted movement for the previous owner. Sadly corners were cut; the ply under the nonslip flooring is so thin it dips between the joists and the centre of the drain is proud of the shower tray floor so it floods far too easily etc.. I'm dreading the probable upheaval.

Well, I'm now the proud owner of half a dozen solar panels so not only is the rain arriving but I'm decluttering far too much time examining the app that shows what they are - or aren't - producing. 🤣
Garden waste is due to be decluttered tomorrow. I managed to get about 4 hours done cutting back into the laurel and the bramble and chopping it all up to fit in the bags. There's still a lot more to be done but I'm further forward than I was this time last year.

While working on the hedge I realised that I need to shift the proposed pond by 6 inches or so further away from the hedge if I don't want an unexpected bath! When I marked it out it looked far enough from the hedge line but I forgot to take into consideration that the bank the hedge is on, slopes into the garden, IFSWIM.

So sometime in the future I need to re-dig the edge; I'm so glad I used the 'try before you buy' approach before digging it out.
Having been so worried about when the scaffolders were coming to put the scaffolding up, I'm now eager for them to return and take it all away again. 🤣 I'm still waiting for an electrician to come and sort out the wiring in the loft so that the insulation can be finished but I've had no information as to when it will happen.

Well done everyone on your achievement over the last week. I'm really hoping that I can keep up with the train now.

Hugs to those who would like one and love to you all. Dxx

Florenceem

I have 2 bags of knitting wips by my chair in the craft room.One bag is tree ornaments and the other is hanging ornaments for door handles or where ever in a room.

I have just been upstairs to the craft storage room and found a lot more ufos. I have brought downstairs 2 bits of baby cardigan knitting - who knows when I started those!

I have one tiny baby cardigan that just needs ends sewn in and buttons sewn on so that will be a quick finish. I have found a bag of finished knitted baby cardigans - they can go to my bestie for either the Christmas fair or the charity shop.

I was getting worried when my granddaughter M didn't arrive - I tried her mum - answerphone. M eventually arrived - school was closing normal time today instead of an hour early like Tuesday. M's mum was unaware of this as well as me. Anyway M has been and eaten plus left with a bottle of tango. M asked me to tidy her blazer - there were thread ends and a pull on the sleeve so I fixed those while M ate. I showed M the voile I bought and she said it is fine for her costume.

EnergyShifter

Home from family therapy and it went well - I told them what I was finding difficult and they changed things. Consequently I don't feel so wiped out as usual which is a nice surprise.

Dead rotary airer left outside for scrap has been taken! According to the weather forecast we are due to have gale force winds tomorrow afternoon so I took the gazebo down and generally battened down the hatches!

Books - I used to have hundreds of books in my old house. During a particularly rough time financially I started picking up books from charity shops and selling them on Amazon - this was 20+ years ago when there was more profit in second hand - particularly out-of-print books. This changed my relationship with books and I was more able to part with my own books - especially when I realised I barely ever re-read them - this was probably the beginning of my decluttering journey. We now have about 6 shelves full - 4 of mine - 2 of DS'. To be honest I'm more of a Audiobook person although I do still love bookshops and I still buy some physical books.

Day off tomorrow with only a tiny bit of admin to catch up on.