Hoarding...not just on TV

Byatt

whitewing wrote: »

That is great. Is anyone decluttering small stuff. I need some lil richard stories to keep me focused on mine. I have no big spaces to reclaim!

Yes, I'm doing the small stuff too. Lots of note pads, post it pads (loads!), and other small misc stuff like thousands of paper clips and butterfly clips.

Oh and tins, and cardboard.

alec_eiffel

Funny you should mention post it notes, I found a big pile of them in my stationery box and I'm getting using them for shopping lists and stuff. The pad I'm using at the minute I have had since 1998, I know this because it has the date and time of my student loan interview written on the back!

I don't need post it notes and will never buy any ever again but it feels good to be using them up.

valk_scot

Small stuff? half used notebooks. I like A5 notebooks with pretty covers for writing my To Do and Shopping lists in. Trouble is, I never finish one so I must have about twenty 3/4 used ones on the bookshelf next to my desk.

Or rather, had. I came across a conveniently sized chocolate box base during last week's dericharding and have now torn all the blank pages out the notebooks, stacked the pages in the box and dumped the covers. So now I have a not very pretty but compact box of scrap paper for my lists and I'll toss the box when the paper runs out.

I've also got shopping bag half full of packs of scrapbooking paper and the like. I've never done scrapbooking but DD liked making paper things when she was younger and the paper is a relic of back then. I'm going to a craft Bring & Buy coffee morning next week to raise funds for MacMillan so I'll take the paper to that and afterwards if there's anything left it can get dropped in the Scrap store.

As can the unwanted knitting books, cross stitch kits from the front of magazines, embroidery thread, craft magazines etc etc etc......

Byatt

alec_eiffel wrote: »

Funny you should mention post it notes, I found a big pile of them in my stationery box and I'm getting using them for shopping lists and stuff. The pad I'm using at the minute I have had since 1998, I know this because it has the date and time of my student loan interview written on the back!

I don't need post it notes and will never buy any ever again but it feels good to be using them up.

I still have a few I've kept. I buy stationery when I'm stressed and during my uni years, not that long ago, I bought a lot of post it notes and those page markers. I also have pads and pads ...of well, pads...:eek:

I'm CS the rest...:cool:

along with slinkies...

a notice board (I've never used)

a canvas picture which has been lying on its side for months

that fruit bowl

and numerous items for recycling and the bin.

Oh and a chocolate muffin into my tum!

alec_eiffel

Stationery sucks us in imo because when we see it in the shop it looks so cute (alongside the endless opportunities for us to be this amazing person who keeps a journal or makes their own heirloom recipe books or writes splendid poetry or whatever). There's just so many pens all lines up and I think the quantity and repetition is appealing.

I had that realisation when we were looking around Muji last month. I love Muji and I love all the little bits and bobs, they're all so sensible and perfect and adorable. DH asked if I wanted something and I did, but I wanted all of it. There was kind of no point to it if I only had one thing because it's all designed to go together. So I didn't buy anything because it just wouldn't be the same at home as it is when it's all lined up at the shop.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Nice to hear so much progress is being made

I have a tin of paint for the hallway, so the next job on the list is filling, sanding, masking and generally getting ready for painting. Hoping that one tin will be enough.

I've also watered a load of sweet Williams, dianthus and purple basil I stuck in the window boxes on Sunday, hosed out the food recycling bins _pale_ and got the kitchen back to sparkly niceness, despite the assistance of the cat.

loopychriss

Hi everyone, I've been reading this thread for a few weeks and can so identify with such a lot of it!

valk_scot wrote: »

Small stuff? half used notebooks. I like A5 notebooks with pretty covers for writing my To Do and Shopping lists in. Trouble is, I never finish one so I must have about twenty 3/4 used ones on the bookshelf next to my desk.

Are you my twin sister?!! I seem to have an obsession with buying/acquiring notebooks too.... I cleared out the sideboard drawers this morning, and found 6 half used notebooks just in one drawer!

Byatt wrote: »

I buy stationery when I'm stressed

I also buy stationery because it's pretty, has a nice design, when I'm happy, when I'm sad, if it's a bargain or just because..... I might need it some day!

alec_eiffel wrote: »

Stationery sucks us in imo because when we see it in the shop it looks so cute (alongside the endless opportunities for us to be this amazing person who keeps a journal or makes their own heirloom recipe books or writes splendid poetry or whatever).

This too, is exactly me. I have 3 or 4 journals, really nice, expensive, good quality journals: none of them have ever been written in because I might make a mistake on a page and then it would be ruined.

Think this must all be linked to my aspiration to be a perfectionist, my obsessive compulsive hoarding, and yearning for a perfect world, where nothing is put in landfill! I also used to collect pretty boxes and tins too - couldn't bear to throw them away - but also hate all the clutter. I'm a Libran, maybe that might explain things!

Have been decluttering these past 3 months in readiness for a house move, and it's amazing what gets hoarded, but it's so liberating once things have gone.

Sorry for rambling.....

Jettycat

Packed up 10 of the ebay items to post today and they are in the car to take to the post office tomorrow - would have gone this afternoon but half day closing at our PO today.

Took a child's toy out for a friend's little boy today BUT came home with four pairs of shoes for DD from her.

Did get rid of a bag of MILs medicines to the surgery though.

Hopefully I will get more done tomorrow.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Well, I've just been very lazy and /microwaved a haggis (reduced to clear in M&S), frozen mashed potato and frozen mixed veg for tea. Freezer to tummy in under ten minutes.

Cats fed, one's had a mucky eye bathed, washing out of tumble drier, folded and ready to go upstairs.

So I'm done for the evening.

KAT44_2

Bad day today, ventured into the attic of doom, got completley overwelmed by it all and came back down without doing anything.
Then decided I had to do something so sorted dd and ds wardrobes out, bagged up the outgrown clothes and then threw the bag into the attic!!!!!! Honestly feel like crying today, don't think I'll ever get it clear. Why can I let perfectly good items go to the charity shop or for next to nothing on ebay, but waste half my life dithering over utter carp . Sorry for the rant.