Hoarding...not just on TV

sjprmc01

Purchases today : pk of 2 school shirts (I bought youngest pretty blouses for starting school and forgot I actually just needed some proper shirts too for wearing her tie with). Also bought 2 school skirts (were in the sale. In Mr As). One for middle dd (who didn't get much back to school stuff coz she wouldn't come see if any of it was likely to fit when I seen anything) and one for youngest who prob didn't need it but I liked it

Also got a pair of £1 flip flops for me which will replace my current flip flops that live in the garden and are disintegrating, I will keep these ones on the shoe rack! A t shirt for OH. (who announced if he got 3 or 4 more new t shirts he could get rid of all his rubbish ones.....err no!!! He doesn't understand that if they are rubbish/never worn he should just get rid regardless) and a moshi monsters t shirt for middle dd (she loves them ATM, the t shirt was in the sale and she paid half the cost of it herself out of some money she had in her purse). She had seen moshi pjs (which are blooming £10) which OH says if she is good (can be very moody/tantrummy/disruptive) till the end of the month she can get them (last thing she needs is pjs grr!)

I guess it's not all that simple when you are not the only hoarder/impulse buyer in the house!

I did bin (was bin day here today) another bag of clothing. One kids jacket stained with bike chain oil and a few other bits) and give a whole bulging debs bag of school bits away

sjprmc01

So, the MIL is taking the kids ut for the day to a children's farm.

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for me to get on with it, wonder if I will make much progress? I'm figuring doing something in the kitchen is still my best bet as although there are literally piles of stuff in the rooms upstairs it isn't visible to visitors, whereas the kitchen is (as those pesky kids never keep the door shut when someone is in, lol)

whitewing

sj, how are you getting on?

Blossomhill, thank you for the pm. Can't reply by pm as my hoarding tendencies seem to be reflected in my inbox and it is full. Your comments were helpful.

Have work to do today but am itching to clear some paperwork and maybe more stuff out of the house.

wannabe_sybil

I have an extremely nasty cold, so feeling v low (acute attack of self pity) I am exhausted as well, as I can't seem to breath while getting off to sleep, and of course little bear wakes me up at the first cough of the sparrows.

Today the gas man came. He was very unimpressed that I hadn't thought that he might need access to gas meter (so was I), and then I had the shame of the kitchen - not so bad yesterday afternoon but apparently exploded since, and the dining room, including moving four tyres, two huge plastic boxes, more blankets than a homeless shelter and a raft of coat hangers so that he could get to the dratted meter.

I just feel so low.

However I know that once this bug gets out of my system I will have a few days before the next one sets in and hopefully things can pick up. I am also putting away an af order in small, small increments. And things are gradually getting slightly better.

I also feel a bit frustrated at the stuff being brought in by well meaning people that means yet more plastic tat for little bear. My heart just sinks sometimes. I need to prune some of his stuff, but he is desperately attached to a lot of it, so I can't really do that when he is around.

Anyway, I feel better for having a moan, hugs to all I am enjoying reading the thread, and all the triumphs. And yes, all the lows and the breakthroughs and the pain. I am so impressed by you all.

elona

WS

Are you sure you should not be on antibiotics or getting health checked. You sound really run down and need to get yourself better.

Once LB is at playgroup maybe you could freecycle stuff so people come and collect it and you do not have to carry things around.

Going to tackle the clean washing and put it all away before dds start burrowing through it and making a mess - er -more of a mess.

Need to check the yeast mixture for rolls as it is nearly overflowing so see you later.

SpikyHedgehog

VJsmum wrote: »

Spiky, we don't call them souvenirs. We call them "tat" - and we don't need anymore tat!

I collect 2 types of souvenirs / tat. I collect carrier / reusable bags from foreign supermarkets and christmas tree decorations. Cheap (tho I have just bought one back from the US for $15!), light, there is a place for them and every year I remember the places in which they were bought. I have never yet found a use for a giant pencil!

Thro a combination of circumstances OH didn't come to the US with us but he has worked wonders on the garden. HOwever the house is pretty much as I left it 3 weeks ago. My task is now to get deRicharding with gusto. Lets hope gusto doesn't want to keep anything.

Oh and we came back with yet ANOTHER souvenir (natch!) refillable cup that saved me a fortune in drinks in a theme park but the kids wouldn't let me chuck.

Lol, despite mum bringing 2 full packs of magic pens, 2 full packs of pencils & 2 full packs of crayons, plus various odd pens, DS2 hadn't done any drawing till he got his monster pencil! I am glad we got it though as it also means we can sharpen & therefore use & get rid of tat pencils the boys get from MIL. I love the idea of xmas ornaments & will start to say we're just getting that.

whitewing wrote: »

That reminded me of another thing that I bet some of you lurkers do.
I always would buy a badge or bug or something to support a charity. But I would not dream of just giving the value of the goods as a donation. "Value for money" philosophy, although I don't actually remember anyone telling me I had to buy it.

So, if this is ringing bells with any of you, you have our permission to give donations without having a material item to show for it!

So... You saw me in the RNLI shop getting the postcard ;-)! My justification for that is that DS2 will need to take something into school about his holidays, so that can go in & stay in.

sjprmc01

Not doing excellently, WHITEWING! I once again ended up tackling 'tidy' stuff and the result is the house is currently a worse mess so imagine OH who doesn't like actual mess in the livingroom won't be best pleased when he gets in from work in about 10 mins but there is method in my madness, it's just more than a days work (this is me only just stopping for 'lunch'. Well a bowl of cereal)

blossomhill_2

sjprmc01 wrote: »

Not doing excellently, WHITEWING! I once again ended up tackling 'tidy' stuff and the result is the house is currently a worse mess

I think there is merit in doing the "not the worst" stuff first.

Like when we moved into a new-to-us house - it was tempting to tackle the worst areas first but we started with the "decorated or modernised not too long ago" bits - the idea being that we could stop them getting worse, whereas an area that hasn't been decorated for 15-20 years doesn't actually look much worse a year later

The worst areas can be the big wins but while you are doing them, the areas that weren't too bad can slip quite badly

So well done with what you are doing, I have visions of MIL bringing the DDs home with lambs, goats, ducks...

WS - (((hugs))) - sounds like your immune system needs a bit of a boost

Byatt - (((hugs)))

Everyone - (((hugs)))

smileyT - you've got me looking at the property marking pen I brought home from neighbourhood watch as a curse now - I thought it was a blessing - will use quickly and then pass it on

mymerrywidow

oldtractor wrote: »

I am also running down my store cupboard of clothes and cleaning stuffs. 2 weeks supply is plenty.
.

i could/would never run my supplys down this low. what happens if you get ill/sick and cant get your supplys? do you not stock up when items are on offer?

each to their own

Byatt

Sybil, I second Elona's suggestion, pop along to your GP. If you have trouble breathing it could be allergies/pollen too. I know I'm wheezy at certain times of the year. It's so hard to rest when you have little ones. But try and do it when you can, rest I mean. :A

and as for your gas man, well I have to have a survey done for the loft insulation and the company keep calling to make an appointment, but there's no way in hell I'm letting anyone in right now...I went back to bed this afternoon in a curl up in a ball mode, just can't face the day, and I have all sorts of physical symptoms because of stress even though I am trying so hard to deal with things a day at a time. I also know if my place was tidy and organised I'd feel better but of course it's getting worse and it can't afford to get any worse.

BH, thanks for the hugs,:A