2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, quick post as I have to be up early for the trip to the dentist. Good day today. Started the day with a trip to the kitchen place to sort a kitchen planner. They are coming to measure up on Friday and we go from there. They gave me a massive catalogue to look at, far too many choices for my poor little brain to cope with so when I go in to see the computer generated thing I hope I can narrow it down 😂. Called to the sm on the way home for bread and milk again. OH has taken to having cereal and toast for brekkie😁. Cleaned out the defrosted freezer and got the draws in and turned on. The only thing put straight back was the bag of flour. The rest can wait in the other freezer for another day. 
Little aside while at the kitchen place I met a lady with a Harris hawk who was on the trading estate being pest control flying the hawk. He was called Beau and was indeed beautiful 😁. I was at college with a lad who was bird mad and started his own business advising airports on how to use hawks to keep the birds away from the aircraft. 
Anyway back to today 😁. It was porch and hallway but the mop etc was still in the bathroom so I cleaned the bathroom and toilet. Couple of cleaning rags binned, the walls, floor and porcelain are sparkly, bath mats washed and on the maiden. 2 LDFPA, one non fitting sheet into the bag for A and her church project. Went absolutely mad and dived in to the room of non requirement and dragged a bag out. Found another non fitting sheet which I put in the wash basket and a duvet set from OH's house which I have given to OH to decide what to do with. It could be used here but not my decision 😁. Brain is on decision overload atm 😂. The bag fell to pieces so was binned so just as well it wasn't going back in there 😁. The bathroom bin was emptied. Then back down stairs and the picture rail was damp dusted and the door mouldings so another rag in the bin 😁. Now only have 3 rags left in my rag bag 😂. The lr bin, lr recycling and kitchen recycling were emptied. 
I was going to do some email sorting after tea but it didn't happen 😂.

I have caught up with all the posts but brain slow tonight 😂

@Mrs SD thank you for my medal 😁

@Willowtree222 I am so angry for your dd, having worked with young people on the spectrum I know how important routines are for them and changing them causes so many problems. Your ex is obviously a total t**t and deserves all the bad karma possible, (can I come and let his tyres down 😂). Hugs for you and your dd and feel free to rant here whenever you need to.

@ruby_eskimo such a great job at your parent's house, well done and hoping that they continue until your next visit. It does sound like your Dad has taken it on-board, your Mum might be a bit overwhelmed but I am sure she will see the merit in what you are doing. Goodish news about the container, well done on everything there as well. 

I am sure I wanted to say something else but it has gone from my head 😂

Time for bed, hugs to anybody who would like one

117 - 119 cleaning rags binned
120 & 121 LDFPA
122 lr bin
123 lr recycling
124 kitchen recycling
125 bag from room of non requirement sorted and binned
Take care everyone
125/2026

weenancyinAmerica

Florenceem - I am still wearing my father's sweater (he died in 2006) and my mother's sweater (she died in 2008). It helps with remembering. 

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 oil 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

Monday continued: DH & I finished the hm soup 😋 I have finished knitting another hat (see pic)

Now that I am caught up with the cheerleading, I can start some proper decluttering 🙂 I have started by packing a bag ready for the CS & have dealt with 80% of last weeks post - 0.5” paper recycled (114). Dinner was cold pork, oven chips & baked beans + a small pieces of crackling which I put in the oven for a few minutes & they came out like pork scratchings 😋 Wudupa.

115 - 117 Kitchen recycling, cardboard packaging, drinks cans - recycled 

118 Kitchen detritus - binned 

Great idea Floss 👏

Willowtree222, I have the perfect & polite word for him “cad” 😉 Enjoy your lavender bath ☺️

_Dolly_Rocker_ sorry to hear that your sister has similar issues to willowtree222 ☹️

Good luck Brie 🍀

ruby_eskimo, sounds like you had a very busy & somewhat successful weekend starting on the “dealing with my parent’s hoarding” task 👏 I remember the mini tasks you gave each of them so I could understand if you were a bit disappointed to find no progress on your Dad’s task & only minimal progress on your Mum’s task 😔 However  I see your Dad surprised you by picking his own task 🥹 Great work by him decluttering clothes & also doing a Tip run 👏 You & your DH worked hard & got a lot done so I am awarding you each a Gold Star ⭐️ ⭐️ Meanwhile your Dad is being awarded a medal🏅 for showing willing & getting on board with the need to declutter 🥹 Now just need your Mum to join in although it sounds like she needs more persuasion 😉 Extra specially well done with This “Oh and managed to convince them that they don't need the 8 windbreaks and 3 tents they have because being realistic, they aren't going to be going camping anytime soon.  So took them on the pretense that my bestie might need them for her own camping adeventures but if not we know lots of other people who could make use of them, including the library of things.” quite devious of you …… but it worked 🥳 Good luck selling the sylvanian families and polly pockets items 🍀 This “Dad's parting words were "so when do I need to have a shed organised by?" was wonderful 🥹 As to your house being in complete disarray, no sweat as you now have a fully thought out plan of action 😊 & when the work is done you will have two beautifully decorated & completed rooms ☺️

Willowtree222, what a brilliant saying “A bee doesn’t bother stopping and explaining to a fly why honey tastes better than sh**.” 🤩 & thank you for the conversion to This “No point stopping and explaining to someone who either won't listen or can't understand.”  Well done on making this your mantra & living by it 👏  

Excellent decluttering Rootle 👏

Excellent decluttering Florenceem 👏

Lovely cheerleading vulpix ☺️ Well done to you & MrV for decluttering several tasks off your To Do list 👏 Especially impressed that you have dealt with the pension frog 👏

Brambling, the interview sounds interesting 🤔 so I do hope you can track it down 🤞 Good luck with your continuing efforts to declutter your clothes 🍀 Pleased to hear that your previous decluttering  & sorting of paperwork & crafting stores meant that you could find what you needed immediately 🥳

Lovely post Yorkie1 😊

Excellent work in the kitchen ladybird1106 👏 A pity about the ood food but now it sounds like you are so organised that it won’t happen again 😊 Good luck with listings 🍀

Another busy day Florenceem 👏 Sounds like you are making headway with the files 😊

Good work jivjules1 👏 Well done on the sale of the coat 😊 Sorry to hear about DS1 🥺 Hopefully with your continuing emotional support he will start his road to recovery 🙏

TC77, sorry to hear about the ex 😔 sounds like another ‘cad’ 😖  Fingers crossed no other items of clothing have been damaged 🤞Shame about the expensive Merino jumper 😞 

StickyTheStickInsect, more excellent decluttering both yours & your dad’s 👏 Well done getting your children involved in decluttering 👏 with varying degrees of success 😉 Very impressed with your DD so I am awarding her a medal🏅 I take it that DS2 is quite young so understandable that he is more interested in dinosaurs 🦖 rather than decluttering but at least he tried 😊 As to DS1, hopefully you can find a way to engage him in decluttering 🤞 maybe a bribe - declutter 10 toys & get one new 🤔😅 Great news about the storage container 🥳 Hopefully you will be able to arrange the boxes in a single layer for the move across the yard 🤞 & getting the container emptied by the end of March sounds much more doable 😊

Liverpool_Anne, another extremely busy day 🤩 Excellent decluttering of cleaning & laundry tasks 👏 Pleased to hear that you have got the ball rolling on getting a new kitchen ☺️ Although I do understand This “They gave me a massive catalogue to look at, far too many choices for my poor little brain to cope with so when I go in to see the computer generated thing I hope I can narrow it down” as I had the exact same overload when we had our kitchen done many moons ago 😉 There were a couple of things I really wanted - a warming drawer & a double oven  but the rest of the fixtures & fittings were decided on when we met up with the kitchen planner 😉 Loved This “Little aside while at the kitchen place I met a lady with a Harris hawk who was on the trading estate being pest control flying the hawk. He was called Beau and was indeed beautiful 😁. I was at college with a lad who was bird mad and started his own business advising airports on how to use hawks to keep the birds away from the aircraft.” 🥹 Hope the dentist trip goes well 🙏

weenancy, lovely post 🥹

Managed a little more paperwork whilst watching TV 😊 Sleep tight 😴 

P.S. we had some light rain about 19:00 & it has rained early Tuesday morning. 

MrsSD Awards: 💐🙏💐💐🌟⭐️❤️

DH Awards:

DSis Awards: 

Decluttering Target 2026: 118/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

Willowtree222

Thank you all for your kind words. 

I won't post too much as he has been known to find me on here and read my diary. I don't post too much in there now. 

Yesterday became more productive. I cleaned out the animals and that means the general waste is full to the brim so at least I know as much has gone as possible. 

I will try harder today to get more done. 

TC77

Mrs SD i love all your knitting, gorgeous hat.
@Willowtree222 hugs and excellent mantra
@StickyTheStickInsect you sounds like a whirlwind of decluttering , wonderful some of your family are on board. About kids rooms if the stuff is in their room try not to think about it ( easier said than done) !

TC77

Been wandering round the house wondering how quickly it had gone from some sort of order ( rose tinted glasses) to having to climb over things in most rooms - dd2 being home and pulling out storage clothes for dd1 but RL. Abit overwhelmed I think with stuff at work and impeding job decluttering ( trying to get a few more months there ) so will have more time for the house:(     abit of both sad and happy.
Focusing on putting things in the right room and putting away things that are too much to sort at this time. I'm in the office 3 days this week so I won't be distracted.
Reminding myself anything put away/ out etc is a win. And hope other remember this and that sometimes we need to take ourselves off to the tlc carriage!

GrannyKate

Morning all.  Nice afternoon at meeting followed by tea at DIL's daughters. She lives in the village I just moved out of after 26 years.  Need to go and change my cattery booking for Easter as going a day earlier and I need to take lamps back that I got for bedroom 2.  They came as pair but DS2 noticed, when he was assembling furniture in there, that one is making crackling noise - he is an electrician and told me to take them back. I have a receipt but not the boxes.  Another meeting this afternoon, walk tomorrow along nearby beck,eye test on Thursday, hair and meeting Friday.  School runs from Thursday pm. 

Someone coming at 11 to hopefully buy the kallax unit. I have paperwork things to do but not sure when I'm fitting them in.  I did clutter another jigsaw at meeting yesterday - cats in an old fashioned sweet shop. A good cause and they only charge 50p or £1.  I do pass them straight on rather than keep them once done.  I allocated a small shelf area in wardrobe for 'jigsaws to do' and it has space.  Sox not happy as things are moving round again here.  He is happy that I have left an upholstered bench with several soft rugs on it along the front of the radiator in my bedroom - he stretches out with his back along the radiator looking very cosy. I do like the bench but no idea where it will end up but don't want to get rid of it unless I have no other option. 

Right I need to get dressed and out so I can be back here before 11. 

ruby_eskimo

Thanks everyone for the kind words - it was exhausting but yes I feel a little sense of pride in getting the ball rolling.  DH is very happy with his gold star @Mrs_Salad_Dodger and I will make sure to pass the medal on to my dad.

@Brambling a lot of my parents clothes are work related, especially my dad, who used to wear a suit to the office everyday but hasn't been in the office since 2020 and while still working part time, I can tell it's difficult for him to cope with that impending transition to full retirement in the next couple of months.  So holding onto all of them is keeping that part of his identity alive.  But a lot of the stuff we donated this weekend included shirts and black socks (some still in the packets) with the words "I don't need these anymore" 🥲

Books are being collected this morning, carpet guys coming to quote this evening and skip coming tomorrow.  With all the things we sell from my parents house, I'm going to put that money into paint and decorating supplies for them as we've offered our free decorating services for them - after the two rooms upstairs here, we have no more decorating to do in our own house, but can't start in my parent's until they have the windows done, but they can't get the window replaced until they can actually get to the windows etc. etc.

Hope everyone has a good day!

oceandreamer

I've come to a bit of a standstill in the kitchen as I have a huge amount of things that I need to get rid of piled up on the table.  I need to go through them again and decide where they can go.  I've made a small start on the clothes and sold a coat that has been in the wardrobe for a couple of years, worn only once because I'd bought it in a hurry and didn't actually like it.  There seem to be quite a few things like that in the wardrobe! Now I've finished work I also don't want to wear any of the clothes I wore for work.  I didn't have a uniform, or work clothes as such, and often wore the same things at weekend, but I know I won't wear them again.  I'd really like to sell them all and put the money towards a capsule wardrobe.  I've hankered after one of these for many years but never managed it.  Has anyone else? I love the idea of only having a few clothes but being able to mix and match everything.  First step - make some room in the wardrobe! I'm trying to sort the house out by the end of the year so maybe next spring!

MadamMim2013

jivjules1 said:

Went for a lovely walk today- Small declutter 15 minutes on the living room surfaces mainly tidying, got rid of some old flowers a dead plant and several bits of rubbish. Sold a coat on vinted I’m getting quite motivated by selling the vinted stuff! @MadamMim2013 good news about your DS my DS1 has been having MH problems for the last yr or 2 and smoking, he ended up sectioned a couple of months ago with mania and psychosis he was supposed to be recovering at home but has gone back to his uni house where they all smoke and is smoking again. I’ve said I’m not paying his rent next year because that house is full of weed and it’s not good for him very difficult to know if that is the right decision and very worried but I just feel like I’m fuelling his habit - parenthood doesn’t really get easier as they grow up! Glad yours is doing well, well done to you and him!

My heart goes out to you.. I’m so sorry your son is suffering and as a consequence you too.
Iit is soul destroying working out the best way to deal with them, the emotions, your emotions and everything & everyone else besides..
Personally, I think you are correct in not paying for his rent next year, responsibility needs to be taken by him for his choices.. Although he will source weed, if wanting to no matter where he is 😔
The break from the others influence may help him though.. I was forever telling my son that those people really don’t give a rats posterior about you or if it fluffs up your life, it’s all sh*ts n giggles, till it’s not, then they vanish!
I’m sure you know exactly what I mean..
I personally feel that a massive amount of the mental health issues and personality changes that tend to occur is from them consuming the unknown chemicals that are used on the plants to force a grow.. Weed today is nothing like it was in the 60’s/70’s.. it’s been corrupted, like everything else, simply to make more money 😡

My son has learnt that we will not enable his habit even if he deems refusal (for whatever) unfair, we do support good choices as much as possible and I’ve learnt that shame/blame just made it worse.
When he stumbles support is given yet boundaries remain firm, it’s what saved me from breaking.
I did source support and counselling from my local drugs and alcohol support services, they were absolutely amazing, I has no idea that they would support me, as a parent who’s suffering with my son’s addiction.
Honestly, look up your local support network.. they can help signpost you to services as a parent/family, as you are all suffering too.
I have hope your son will make those better decisions that’ll help him create a prosperous future. 💗