2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Wednesday2000

I bought some supplements for perimenopause that I didn't notice any difference taking so I am giving them to my friend tonight. I don't really have many symptoms at all, but my hairdresser raved about these golden pills and I ended up buying some. At least they might work for my friend.

I saw that my local dog charity needs towels so I have a bag of them to donate. 

I decided to cancel my membership to my book group and so I have a stack of books to bring back to the library that I'm not that interested in reading now I don't have to.

Decluttering didn't go that well yesterday as I got completely side tracked and didn't do the room I meant to declutter!

GrannyKate

@London_1 - your thoughts for Florenceem can be echoed by many of us who have lost someone dear.  You don't 'get over it' you learn to live differently around the 'space'. I think being irrationally cross about their absence is common too - its just a moment in time then you move on.  Downloaded an upgrade for one of my family history programmes yesterday. DH would have had it all up and running for me by now but I'll have to work up the courage to do it.  

Decluttered small people until tomorrow pm and took myself to find larger Dunelm store (Doncaster) - store was in total chaos as they seemed to be doing stocktake.  They did not have (or I could not find) a plain cream or beige duvet but they did have some pillowcases from my bedroom set which I wanted two more of.  Found one marked at £2.50 and another at £4 (original price £8).  At checkout the lad helping said it looked more like £2 to him - scanner rang both up at £2.50.  He charged me £4 for both of them so that was 75% reduction.  I went to nearby Next and got a beige set for bedroom 2 - a bit expensive but hopefully it will wear well.  

Posted some more competitions off and will try to keep up on line. I have won some nice things in the past.  

86 Purchased and downloaded updated programme. 

From project 1 - complete bedroom 2 and kitchen. 5 points completed (Lamps and bed linen) from one of 10 big projects for the year. 

SpikyHedgehog

@oceandreamer my house is so full of stuff...  but I'm very aware that 2 inherited traits contribute massively to this.   We all have hobbies and interests that need lots of space taking up, and none of us are good at getting rid of stuff that might be useful or we might want in the future. 

Well,  I can't make my sons get rid of the dusty boxes of unused warhammer,  and I don't want Elder Son to get rid of his motorbike protective clothing. But I can deal with my stuff,  and set them a better example in the future. 

@grandmanerd hope your eyes are behaving themselves today! Weather here is grey and damp and miserable too.  And I need to keep running the dehumidifier to dry the laundry,  which dries out the kitchen as well,  which isn't brilliant for my voice.  One thing I do when I'm feeling very fed up with the weather, is put YouTube on the television in the living room,  and play a more cheerful ambience video.   A cosy library with a roaring fire and a cat purring,  or a sunshiny autumn lakeside are good. 

I had to have a blood test on Wednesday, and v Elder Son gave me a lift (in his car 😉 not the motorbike! ) so we went to Dun3lm M1ll on the way home and got rid of 3 big bags of textiles.   We did look at charity shops near the doctors,  and I bought 1 book,  and we went to L1dl but only got needed veg and tofu. 

Mum's coming round for coffee tomorrow,  so I'm hoping to give her more than the chocolate tub for a GK pub.

I've done the easy knitting lurking projects - finish a pair of socks, now in use;  knit 1 toddler mitten and make it up,  make up 2 young child mittens, washed and in the bag for preschool; finish a pair of baby booties,  now in the wash with the baby hat and mittens that go with them. 

My plan for the church baby knitting which isn't for a specific baby is to wrap it and store at church,  ready to give to parents/grandparents as the babies happen.   Don't think I've got much baby wrapping paper or tissue paper left,  so that may mean using small freezer bags from the box on the kitchen table...  which will repurpose the bags as they're too small for really being using for food.   If it's for a specific baby,  I'll get it passed onto the family as soon as I can. 

Still in the box of works in progress: lacy fingerless gloves for me,  and lacy cabled summer socks for me.  Both require more attention than the others did! Cabled jumper for me, which has twisted rib either side of the cable.   And the stripy cardigan that I was making as a test knit so now need to buy the pattern. The cardigan has the most done,  so is probably the best to make the next project. And either that or the jumper will be needed sooner than the summer socks! 

I went to tackle 1 compartment of the kallax style unit in my bedroom,  and noticed a moth in the moth trap.  And then I looked carefully at the balls of wool that had been lying in the open on the shelf... and then carefully carried them downstairs and into the bin along with the moth grubs on them 😕.  I put the darning basket in the freezer where it's still waiting for me to retrieve it.  And looked at the wool mix coat that Younger Son was planning to lose weight to be able to wear,  and that went in the bin too as it had webbing on it.   The carpets aren't wool,  so will be all right,  and the other yarn is both sealed up and not animal fibre,  so will also be all right.  Ah well,  unintended decluttering is still decluttering! 

Rootle

1/52 - I've decided to start my 2026 list with a pair of jeans going to the bin! This took quite a bit of personal convincing as they were my trusted favourites but they were absolutely done. Now that I've got rid I'm actually quite embarrassed at how long I hung on to them!

2/52 - a number of table mats and a table runner to the bin. 

Deb4

I've not done much decluttering this weekend, I took my 2 parcels yesterday, the meal plan is going very well and I've 5 nsd in a roll which helps with me being on sick pay at the moment, I have been looking for a new job but I just don't know what I want to do, I am 50 this year and I had hoped by now I know what I want to do by now 😢

purplevamp

@London_1 - "Grief takes folks in different ways at different times .You think you are coping then something daft will catch you off guard, and you just howl at things.
 I won't say it will get easier, because it doesn't , but you just have to learn to live differently.

A bit like a broken leg , sometimes its OK, and sometimes you will limp at the pain, but you will walk again, with an ache every now and again that will catch you off guard. The sun will come out and life will carry on ,never the same, but differently."

This is a great way of looking at grief.  You hit the nail on the head x

@Wednesday2000 - I bought some Wellwoman mutli vitamins and I haven't noticed any change.  I'll finish the pack but won't buy any more.  Everyone raves about vitamins but I find they never work for me, yet I see a couple of glowing reviews and think I'll try them. 😔

Still waiting for the postie to collect a parcel.  He was due between 10.30am and 2.30pm.  I feel like I'm in limbo and can't get on with anything in case I miss the doorbell.

I'm back to work tomorrow after what seems like forever (23rd Dec was my last working day).  I'm working from home, which means an extra half hour in bed but I've been going to bed late and getting up late so not sure how I'm going to manage getting back into a routine!

No decluttering done today.

Foofoopuppy

There have been a few bits out through ol!o, and I'm sure as I start getting into the weeds of packing there will be more out.

I do have a dozen items on v!nted, but have decided if these haven't sold by the time we move i will simply donate them, I'm not moving them with me.

Have done some deep cleaning this weekend in preparation, and booked estate agents to come and value the house next week. Also sorted an agreement in principle, we are ready to get moving!

I had thought the gas issue was sorted last month but it rumbles on still. I will hopefully have it sorted for whoever moves in after us.

YorksLass

A long time lurker/non-poster here - just dropping in to offer my condolences to @Florenceem.  Deal with your grief however you see fit, there's no right or wrong way.

How right @London_1 is too.  My DH of 55 years passed away at the end of October 2024 after being diagnosed with non-treatable lung cancer.  Those early dark days are now letting in sunshine and I'm learning to live a different life.  Yes, there are the occasional meltdowns and times when I get angry that he's no longer here; it's all part and parcel of the process and I can't turn back the clock but I can keep moving forward.

florianatwobob

I think the first year after losing someone is when you get ambushed by your emotions and situations regularly. 

Once that first year is over you know you’ll not have to face those first ever again and you also know that you survived them. 

The ambushes become less frequent and you’re eventually better able to deal with them when they do occur. That said I’m currently not looking forward to reaching December this year as it will be 24 years since my dad died and every year after this means that he’s been gone longer than I knew him.  

Happy_Kitties

Still on a catch up with reading all of the posts. Have general and neutral decluttering.

Neutral items, another 18 out today= 88 items not taking up residence until Christmas 

General decluttering.
9)-12) another 4 items sold on V
13) Christmas decoration kept by DD
14) some Christmas presents out at the weekend, hopefully the last will go tomorrow

My handbag strap has broken, no chance of repair so have washed my spare bag and have been sorting out and getting rid of bits.
I’m sure there must be more but at least 10 items decluttered so far from old handbag(still sorting). I was so pleased to find a really nice black pen until I found that said pen didn’t work and so into the recycling it went
15)-24) handbag bits and pieces thrown out