Hoarding - Springing Ahead

We have a glorious spring day, too, the kind of day which makes you glad to be alive and I shall be out in it as soon as I've finished my cuppa. Have made a flask and packed a lunch and will be out until early-mid afternoon.

Fellow travellers on the Clutterbusting Express, I have a small confession to make to you.

Yesterday, whilst on a perfectly legitimate errand to the greengrocer, I was tempted and fell through the doors of my two favourite chazzers, which are mere meters away. I felt bad about doing it, but the allure was too much.

And, you know what? Once I had weakened and entered the charity shops, and browsed, I realised that I had no need of more Stuff. I have books to read and the library has more when I've caught up at home. I have clothes and plenty, and no room for more. My kitchen is well-equipped and wants for nothing. Or nothing which I have room to store, anyway.:rotfl:

So I walked out empty-handed. And was unintersted in browsing the other eight charity shops nearby. Whatever's the matter with me?

Today, on my way out of the block, a rubbish bag hits the communal bins. A rubbish bag which contains the little yellow teapot with the broken lid. A small triumph in a cluttered world.

((((sweetpea))) that was a lovely vote of confidence and I hope you continue to enjoy our collective journey towards an uncluttered existance.

Sent DS to the recycling centre. He is not back yet and it closed at 1pm so he may have flattened himself and snuck in at the top of the cardboard box to avoid the afternoon chores.

Yesterday found that DH has been driving around with the decluttered in the car rather than dropping it off. So I made him take it to the clothes bin.

Have washing on the line. That feels so good, I will say it again: I have washing on the line. And some more to go out in a few minutes.

Have nearly finished the paperwork and that can go out, and the fold up table can go in the cupboard. Have half a bin of confidential waste for burning.

We have a beautiful pink cyclamen on the new table and chair set. It is such a cheerful little plant.

Cool, thanks everyone, I'll start off a 'rag bag' as well as the normal CS bag.

Well, I finished my book last night and put it straight in the purple CS bag (I'd made sure I was sitting next to it when I came towards the end of the book).

Today's been really productive.

I put away a load of washing, but ran out of coat hangers halfway through.

First thought: I need to go buy more (bad).
Second thought: I can double up some of the hangers, ie a shirt and a skirt on one. (better).
Third thought: While I'm at it I can purple bag some stuff (good).

Then the clothes rail collapsed. Not long ago I'd have flung my hands up in despair and huddled away ignoring it. I just fixed it and put everything back on it.

It's an absolutely gorgeous day, so I'm concentrating on washing. I've got a couple of blankets out drying, a load of washing on an airer outside, and another load in the machine. I'm going to put the washing line back up and get stuff pegged out - I had to take it down the other week so that scaffolding could go up in my garden for them to repair upstairs' windows, which had been smashed by bullets. Have I mentioned I really don't like where I live?

So, this afternoon is to be spent reading for my book club tomorrow, and putting washing out.

After yesterday's push I can see vast swathes (well, compared to normal anyway) of carpet, which is inspiration to push on and do more.



GQ, well done on the charity shop resistance! It's a pretty big milestone I think, being able to go into one and not buy. I suppose it's similar to an alcoholic being able to walk past the booze aisle in the supermarket.

Ames,

You may not realise it, but you have just passed a major dehoarding milestone by continuing with the job after your clothes rail collapsed.

Very well done indeed.

Although my house is no longer a hoarding house, and I think we don't buy much stuff, it is incredibly hard work to keep the incoming stuff to a minimum. So much seems to come because family get it for the children. We accept that it is easier and less hurtful to let some stuff pass through rather than refuse it. They all keep giving DD bags of all shapes and sizes. We are going to have a word with family about that as we are at the stage of giving away bags we love just because even more have arrived.

On that hoarding programme, the lady was drawn to cuddly toys. I have been there! So, aunty gave DD a lovely teddy recently. (She will keep it; it's not too big). But I could see that it was aunty trying to satisfy her inner child.

I have decluttered a bit of severly-overgrown allotment beside The Rough (as was) about 3 m x 1 m and removed quite a few bits of small rubbish like glass, nails and plastic. Enough to cover the bottom of the bucket.

I spread the grass and roots out to dry off somewhat, so that the earth falls out of the roots even better than just from a vigourous shaking. That's my topspoil don'tchaknow? And took an IKEA blue bagful to the tip on the back of the bike on the way home.

Allotment is looking good, especially the bit formerly-known-as-The-Rough. I get such a ridiculous amount of pleasure from seeing that in good order, just wish I had dealt with it years ago instead of last autumn.

Orderliness is fanning out across the allotment and even the bits which need work are tidier than they were and steadily shrinking in size. It's become manageable.

Does anyone else get this feeling with their decluttering? That there's a point where it's too horrendous to even start, your spirit is crushed by the mere prospect. Then you make a start and for ages it seems like you're dragging stuff out and there's still more stuff and it surely comes in when your back is turned because there's seemingly no end to it, and then Tah Rah! you start to see the beginning of the end and it's so exhilarating.

I'm running a washload now but will have to dry it indoors, and will shove a vacuum around quickly before the clothes airer goes up or it will be vitually impossible after. I have stuff on the floor which won't be here much longer, such as the 6 strawberry plants to go to a colleague tomorrow, the bag of books to go out on Tues and the chazzer bag which may go out on Monday late afternoon, depending on a meeting which may over-run.

Ames, well done for soldiering on with the clothes rail. And I smiled at the debate you were having about the clothes hangers. My own clothes rail is a bit less than 3 feet long and crosses an alcove. It's pretty full and I was telling myself I needed more hangers, then told myself no, I need fewer clothes.

I;m not turfing clothes out as I have several well-loved and frequently worn garments which are on their last few months of life, and those which live on hangers will secede their hanger to another garment through natural attrition, so no need to get more of them.

Have you read Don Aslett's books when he goes on about 'junk bunkers' ? By which he means all those containers, racks and misc which enable you to ram more and more stuff into your quarters without addressing the fundamental issue which is that there's too much in the first place and you need to thin the herd not build more corrals for it.

Hokay, time to crack on with that vacuuming and then make the tea.I have already had my post-allotment bath and will have enough bubble bath for one more go then that's the 2012 Xmas pressie bubble bath all gone. And I won't replace it either, and there will be one fewer bottle in the bathroom, which will please me.