Week 29 2025 – Please be aware some links contained within this blog are affiliate links, and I will earn a few pennies for every click, you do not need to purchase the product. Thank you for clicking!
Welcome Back
Hello again, and welcome back after our little break!
Life’s been so hectic that I really enjoyed a few weeks off posting. My husbands been around for the last few weeks so instead of documenting things, we’ve spent a lot of time being present as a family and making memories… cos thats exactly what decluttering and being organised is all about for me.
I fully intended to do another round of A-Z decluttering in the second half of the year but I actually was starting to feel really overwhelmed by waiting to do different letters that I’ve decided to go room by room instead – I’m aiming to do 1 room a month and if I get a bit more done then I’ll be super happy. Some rooms have more to do than others, and some need more funding to finish, so my plan is to pick a room at a time (aiming for 1 per month) and get everything back to a managable state.
While I’ve been away from the website, I’ve been gathering my thoughts on tips and tricks I could share to help other ADHDers and Mam’s on their journey to living a more organised life, and I’m planning to share a printable with you all by the end of the summer which will be free for a limited time – make sure to sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear
I’ve been using my new monthly planner sheet (which will be included in the pack) for the last 3 months and I am FINALLY starting to feel on top of the house. I’ve even went to bed with an empty, disinfected sink for the last week which might sound so small to some people but for me this has now become a huge achievement.
I’ve also set up some Stylink lists of things I found really useful, which I hope will help you with inspiration to get organised in life.
As well as working on the printable, we’ve been enjoying the gorgeous weather in the north east. Newcastle doesn’t typically get such a good streak of sunshine so its been really nice to make the most of dry walks, trips to the beach and being outdoors without a coat.
We planned a little trip away in the van a vouple of weeks ago around my husbands cricket games, and I’m going to be real with you… we didn’t go. Amelia has hit 20 months old and brought with her the terrible twos. I was so overstimulated that the thought of packing up the van and spending 48 hours in a limited space with my family, in bad weather, when I was already sleep deprived… it was just too much.
When Dan saw how on edge I was and decided we weren’t going… I’ll tell you now, I unpacked that van and the bags in the house faster than Usain Bolt doing the 100m sprint 🤣🙈 If this is the “terrible twos” phase already, its not for the faint hearted. I have since discovered she has a couple more teeth coming through so I’m reserving judgement but the escalated emotions are just something else.
Dan took her out for the day to let me cool off, and I was feeling so guilty about us missing the trip that I got SO productive. I cleaned the house top to bottom (in one sitting) for the first time in ages, and pulled out a huge pile of decluttering I’d been wanting to photograph and got a big chunk loaded to Vinted. I’ve made £53.50 in the space of a week (the campsite was £60) so I’m feeling a little less guilty.
Dans currently injured so isnt playing cricket so this weekend we spent some time relaxing and visiting family, which was so nice. AND we managed a little more decluttering too 🥳
Christmas
Over the last couple of weeks I also started planning for Christmas… now, I know what you’re going to say! Its July! But hear me out…
The objective of my decluttering challenge was to try and raise £1000 towards Christmas 2025. With the money building up in the pot, and sales all over I decided what harm could it do to make the kids budgets stretch a little further.
I started by using TopCashback so I’m earning pennies back for the pot while I’m spending. A couple of orders from Argos Toy Sale later, and we had a start on not only Amelia’s Christmas gifts, but one of my nephews too.
Next came Prime day, and again I couldn’t resist. They even had a delayed delivery option where you could get 1% off, which of course I took advantage of because they’re xmas gifts and I’m in absolutely no rush for them. I used vouchers I’d earned at my day job and spent under £5 from the Christmas pot… I’d call that a result!
Now my little nephew’s gifts are almost done, and Amelia’s Christmas gifts are looking pretty good too. I’ve started 2 boxes in the loft. One for gifts for Amelia, and another for gifts for family. I’ve just used some large leftover IKEA Samla boxes from decluttering to keep everything together – I think they’re the 65L ones.
I’ve also been looking for winter gear in the summer sales and found the cutest coat for Amelia at Mountain warehouse and have got her winter kit sorted for just over £50! Thats waterproof, overtrousers, a fleece for chucking on to go in the car and thermals 🥳 buzzing!
Room by Room Decluttering – Amelia’s Room
First room on my list was Amelia’s because I feel like I blink and I need to change it again. Just when you think you’ve childproofed enough, they learn a new skill and its back to the drawing board again.
I was storing a large mirror in there, but she’s started climbing larger furniture now (with a confidence that scares me) so it didn’t feel safe to leave in there any longer so that was moved. I’ve posted it up for sale, so hopefully that will sell quickly.
Next I emptied the storage chest which was full of my “occasion” heels, and a mountain of Converse and Vans Dan probably forgot he owned. I’d already dedicated space for these in Samla boxes under the bed, so I’ll sift those at a later date to see what can go.
The mirror and the chest used to be part of my dressing table set up, and when we found out we were expecting, the dressing table had to go to make way for the home office and I wasn’t quite ready to admit defeat but now theres no chance of creating an office space elsewhere.
Sorting her clothes has become part of some unwritten monthly ritual, if you’re a parent you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Meal Planning
Meal planning went west this week as TWICE this week Teds freezer has played up – it was bought brand new in March 2024 and I’m reluctant to plan in case we need to use up his raw food (luckily he eats frozen human food) and make space in ours. I dont think we’ll be covered by any warrenty so I’m praying to the freezer gods its not on the blink.
Round Up
I’m normally sucha positive person but the last few weeks have been super challenging in different ways. Pray for me to the freezer gods please that Teds freezer fixes itself overnight 🙏🏻
Love, Jo-Anne x
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