Hoarding...not just on TV

elona

JoJo

We have actually decluttered quite a bit over the last year or so so there are not piles of stuff in plain view. We are now paring down stuff in cupboards etc so we can see what is there and use it up. Having four dds and their things as well as ours does not help.

I am going to use up the home made mix for marinades etc and have put a couple of jars of cinnamon and ginger in with baking ingredients. Good point about getting sick of same flavour but plan on adding chilli flakes etc to the mix to vary it and by the time we have used it up I should have a better idea of what we will really use.

Have decided doing anything even if it is not perfect is better than just being overwhelmed by stuff .


Now DH has potting shed in garden at least I do not have pots of seedlings on every windowsill etc. but dds tend to leave a trail of stuff behind them which does not help.

Our bedroom is about to be blitzed next week as we are having work done and I want it presentable. All books will be put in study or in small bookcase and any spare toiletries will go on shelf in garage.

wannabe_sybil

Spices - I have two large plastic cracker boxes, the sort you get at Christmas. I have an orange one that I keep spices together in, and a green one for herbs. I went through them a while back, but I may have another go at them. Or find creative uses for them - I wish I could find the recipe that needed an ounce of turmeric, I remember it sounding lovely but that is all I remember about it. I also have a stash of really elderly whole cloves, from AF of course, which I simmer on the stove sometimes as an air freshener.

However I am going to rethink those herbs/spices I actually use. The ones I don't use clutter up the cupboards, make it harder for me to find things, make it more likely to buy more of the stuff I need because I can't find it or forget to buy what I need because the boxes are so full. @sda ground cinnamon is 55p for a bottle. Most of the boring stuff I use will be inexpensive if I suddenly need to buy it. I think that is a help - thinking how easy something is to replace if you get rid of it.

I am about to seriously richard some 7up. Darling father really likes it in his whisky (he gets through two to four litres of 7up per week very easily, more if Liverpool are playing, he drinks his whisky 50/50 with lemonade and he has got OH drinking it as well). So I can get through quite a bit of 7up over a month. Atm from @sda, it is £1 per bottle instead of £1.79. When it is that deal, I usually go a bit crazy. I want to hold on to that part of hoarding.

I had a delivery today, but because I was seriously indisposed last night I forgot to top up with some essentials and perhaps could have fine tuned it a bit better. I will see how long the offer on 7up is and plan accordingly.

Otherwise today the only contribution I made to de-richarding was to carry on knitting a project that had been hanging around for some time.

BB - well done on leaving the stuff at the cs! It is so hard. I think 'sorting things into piles to go to places' is sooooo much easier than actually getting them to those places. You have taken a step that is really hard. I haven't yet taken the elderly blankets to the RSPCA shop yet, though I have known about doing it for weeks.

Hugs to all

blossomhill_2

Those of you struggling with spices - have you seen Michael MacIntyre's routine aboutthe spice cupboard?

The thingwith spice racks is that there is either surplus spaces, or too many jars for the rack

I have been struggling with cutlery trays - was given two that I thought were a better shape for my drawer, certainly better made than the one I had - nope, none ofthe 3 is perfect, any one of them wastes space

Ref storage containers generally: I have been finding it useful to find one styleof storage and try to use it for various diverse things - I like the Ikea stainless steelcutlery drainer so have now got 5; two I bought in Ikea, one from CS and 2from freecycle. They now house pens, (in two), torches in one, handtools like screwdrivers in another, will be looking out for some (max of 2) for the shed.I find they help with "a place for everything" and are easy to drop things into

I also find overlong transparent zip up pencil cases handy - they can take paperwork, cash,errr, pens

I went to the shops today, first time in ages, maybe a month (not counting supermarket) -walked round gazing wide eyed at the pretty things - I really wanted some long-line shorts but decided that this late in the summer, I'd managed without them so far, I would be better off buying early next summer and not having to store them over this winter. I actually got as much of a buzz on the way home thinking " I don't have to store them over winter" as I used to get from buying things

sjprmc01

Been away a few days so just trying to get over the aftermath (washing) of that before anything else! Got a fun day today with the kids. Put on by my work (free! Yay! Plus get. Day off. For it!) so again nothing more will get done probably!

Brought home from hols (that we didn't take). 3 light up wands, 3 burger k1ng toys, 2 keying teddies and a bookmark, a 7pack of white. Socks, 2 vest tops, a pair of chinos, a jumpsuit, a pair of 3/4 joggies, trousers and top set (they ran out. Of socks, middle dd wasted her joggies which went in the bin the other bits of clothes were for her and all from primark sale. As she didn't have enough stuff with her minus her joggies) oh and colouring books and pens! I bought a wax jacket for myself! I did neede jacket though and it's difficult for me to get. One that fits me easily (size 22) so I'm pleased with that it should do me a while and has a drawstring bit inside the waist so if I ever do manage to lose some weight it should still fit for a while! Oh and a stila foundation from poundland as they had a lighter shade than the one here.

blossomhill_2

sjprmc01 wrote: »

Been away a few days so just trying to get over the aftermath (washing) of that before anything else! Got a fun day today with the kids. Put on by my work (free! Yay! Plus get. Day off. For it!) so again nothing more will get done probably!

Brought home from hols (that we didn't take)...

sjp - do you see your list as good or bad - it's hard for us to tell, as it sounds a lot but is maybe just a fraction of what you would have acquired previously - and maybe shopping is an essential part of a holiday if it turns out to be a wet one!

Some of the things sound ephemeral, such as the colouring book and pens, maybe pack them into the suitcase handy for when you next go away rather than let them become part of the general stock? This would mean that there would be no need to buy again next time you have a long car journey or a holiday and demonstrate to the dds that it doesn't always mean new things if they are going somewhere

I used to always buy "luxury" sweets when I filled up with petrol on a trip - things like boxes of fruit pastilles - and eat them in the space of a couple of hours - then I realised I was just being influenced by marketing and now plan snacks for journeys or go without - we could go two hours at home without reaching for snacks so why feel we had to on a 2 hour journey?

It's all about changing your thinking ...

I am tidying up the spare room today and have a pleasant surprise to find that ... nothing I come across is a surprise - I am not rediscovering anything I haven't seen for years, as it has all been sorted recently.

Like the washing basket; it only has the most recent wash in it, it used to have things I'd last worn and washed weeks ... no months ...possibly years ago. So my "relationship" if you could call it that, with the washing is now very basic {needs washing, gets washed, gets dried, gets put away} whereas it used to be an emotional journney of guilt, memories good and bad, and realisation that I was so short of time

blossomhill_2

Where's Byatt? Are you ok Byatt? Please reassure us you are not a pair of legs waving from under an avalanche of washing :embarasse

whitewing

All this talk of spice racks and cookery books and so on has made me realise that my kitchen is the main place that I have accumulated 'middle class' items from the 'middle class' environment that I never had growing up. My longings for a normal family actually got worse after I had my (accidental) son. So the stuff I accumulated for my kitchen was the nicer versions of things that I felt should be in my dream kitchen. But actually, I don't really use the egg cupboard, nor the ceramic chicken dish, the spices we use are on the shelf not in the two spice racks (one jar is broken so it's incomplete). Some of it is in good enough condition that I can repurpose it for presents at appropriate times (for very close family, we buy up to a certain value and supplement with repurposed stuff in excellent condition that we know they will use).

The cookery books are on a shelf in the cupboard, taking up an appropriate amount of space but others will get so much more enjoyment out of them and some I have never liked (party cakes but really tacky and dated).

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Afternoon, everybody. Started today by having a lovely long bath (and a quick wipe round the bathroom afterwards).

Then I attacked the clean washing pile this morning.

That turned into a redo the chest of drawers session.

And a odd sock mountain assault whilst listening to I'm Sorry I Don't Have A Clue on the radio.

I then sorted out the gloves & scarves ready for dodgy weather/medicine side effects :cool: and all I have to do now is;

1. Remember how to ninja fold the T shirts.
2. Put the clean bedlinen away.


I might even clean the inside of the front windows in a minute. And it apparently will only cost £3 for the local windowcleaner to do the outsides of the front ones. I am very tempted.

Mind you, I'm also very tempted to book a cleaner for a 'spring' clean - if I get The Job I Am Not Thinking About Anymore. Pure indulgence and laziness, I think. But soooo tempting!

Byatt

blossomhill wrote: »

Where's Byatt? Are you ok Byatt? Please reassure us you are not a pair of legs waving from under an avalanche of washing :embarasse

Hi BH, thanks for asking, but have had some dificult news regarding a family member so lots of things to take on board. Decisions etc. So taking time out for a while.

Onwards and outwards everyone, you are all doing so well, and the very best wishes to Jo-Jo for the job. :T

blossomhill_2

Thanks for letting us know, Byatt, I knew it wasn't like you. I hope things work out well for you and your family