Hoarding...not just on TV

valk_scot

My big sister is coming round this afternoon. She's really red hot on decluttering so is great as a cheerleader but so far I've managed to avoid all hints that she could "help". I'm not into her degree of minimalism, I want to find my own level!

Today I'm doing a bit of consolidation. I have my neat rows of CS bags ready for the males in this house to carry to the car. I am washing several sheep fleeces...you may not think this is decluttering but it is! There's many the time I've not started a spinning project because the fleece isn't washed yet and thus not ready for me to spin so I go and buy some washed fibre instead, oops. So I will get this summer's clip washed ready for spinning over winter.

I am shredding the newspaper pile for use in the compost bin.

I am sorting out the usual half full/empty shampoo bottles in the bathroom. And I've been very daring and put out a bar of soap from the gift pile rather than the utilitarian Palmolive stock. Why? Because I have a ton of soap that isn't getting used atm. I personally always use the hand made really nice stuff yes, and also we use everyday soap but it's the accumulation of nice but not terribly special things out of gift sets etc that I'm talking about. So I'm going to stop buying Palmolive for a while and use up the fancier stuff.

And while I'm at it I'm going to put all the bath bombs into my newly sorted linen cupboard to make the towels smell like a Body Shop franchise.....

Gingernutty

I've just had the E.On people round to do yet another survey.

They've taken off the external lights and had a look at the boiler flue in preparation for the external wall cladding and (get this) expressed surprise at meeting someone who can walk upright and string whole sentences together without slang, patois or swearing.

I don't have Sky and I don't have a Staffie straining at a studded harness.

Every now and again I get a reality check - this isn't some up and coming area close to city amenities and transport links - it's a dustbin.

For every

Gingernutty wrote: »

Ta Daaaaaah!

I'm ridiculously pleased!

There's some sight or comment to pull me down, from my fence which someone has deliberately broken, to the house opposite which still has no external door after the police raided it......:(

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Brilliant, Ginge!


You must live near me, by that description.......

whitewing

Gingernutty - that looks fantastically clear.

We're not in the best area either. Saw the most enormous, modern house this morning. Modern but with character. Saw it as we drove past. I forget that I don't live in something like that.

I went to check out the storage place near me. It is very basic (which was pretty much expected) with a range of sizes. You are right that it would be a bit chilly in cold weather. But it is definitely a very good option that I will do at some point to do the sorting out. I think prices may go up slightly. I didn't ask but I read on another thread that VAT will become chargeable from Oct and this particular one doesn't currently charge VAT.

I also got £21 for something I sold elsewhere so am pleased with that.

Byatt

Awwwee Ginger, sorry about the downsides of where you live. I must say though, that even in "better" areas, I have had bad neighbours...one behind us was a drug user and he used to buy his drugs right outside our house...he then stole a bike from our shed...:eek:

the next door neighbour tried to kill our cats, he was an apparently respectable retired gent!

Strangely this is the house I always dream about...:cool:

Make the inside the way you want it...and enjoy that. Get your fence fixed when you can and plant prickly plants!

and poor staffies, they get such a bad rap because of their owners. upsets me no end to see these loving dogs treated so badly.

Byatt

whitewing wrote: »

Gingernutty - that looks fantastically clear.

We're not in the best area either. Saw the most enormous, modern house this morning. Modern but with character. Saw it as we drove past. I forget that I don't live in something like that.

I went to check out the storage place near me. It is very basic (which was pretty much expected) with a range of sizes. You are right that it would be a bit chilly in cold weather. But it is definitely a very good option that I will do at some point to do the sorting out. I think prices may go up slightly. I didn't ask but I read on another thread that VAT will become chargeable from Oct and this particular one doesn't currently charge VAT.

I also got £21 for something I sold elsewhere so am pleased with that.

Well done WW on checking out the storage facilities. It sounds like a very good option. And £21 is good too! :T

I'm pet sitting at the mo' so no decluttering getting done right now.

valk_scot

Re candlemaking kits...yes, I've got one too! A very big one with a couple of kilos of wax and lots of moulds etc. Which after a moment or two of deliberation was put into the CS pile a few days ago, on my last trip up into the attic. No problem there...

...except this morning a friend mentioned that she was off to buy wax, stearin, wicks etc for her nephew who wanted to make candles for some school project or other. So I was able to triumphantly present her with this huge kit of freebie stuff for her nephew. I was so chuffed that at the 11th hour (and I've had that kit for four or five years, lol) I had finally found a use for it!

Nil Desperandum, as they say at Hogworts...;)

On the dericharding front I managed to bag up some old teatowels, towels and other cleaning type cloths for the next Scout camp. They're all washed and usable, just a bit faded but I've got a bit of a thing about textiles as you may have noticed and a tendency to move such things from the house shelves to the camping shelves with the result being that the camping shelves are full to overflowing with such things. And we don't camp nearly as much as we used to. So after due consultation with Scout Master (who is female) last night I came away with a list of Useful Things for Camps which I am going to attempt to supply them with off my own camping shelves. I will probably succeed too, I've got a lot of camping gear.

Oh, and the new kitten-cat was looking a bit cold last night so DD suggested we make him a nice warm bed-blanket. We had a look in the Bag Of Useful Craft Textiles #3 and came out with two slightly felted pure cashmere jumpers which I'd got out a jumble sale ages ago...cashmere felt makes awesome Christmas ornaments, did you know? It also makes an awesome cat bed when you make a cushion out of one sweater body, a blanket from the other body and stuff the cushion with the sleeves and trimmings left over, shredded up a bit. Small kitten-cat is now as warm as toast and so he should be...pure cashmere bedding for a common black and white kitchen moggie from the rescue, lol.

whitewing

It impresses me no end when people can make something out of other items. If I made a cushion out of a jumper it would still look like a jumper (and not on purpose). My friend made me a cover for my filing cabinet out of two pillow cases, so I could use it as a bedside table. It matched my room. It was so impressive. I have no practical imagination like that.

lostinrates

Ok. The kitchen drawers.

I have

1 horride cheap set of black plastic handles cutlery.

1 not cheap set of um, plastic cutlery (its sort of chavvy fancy)

1 incomplete set of silVer we use mixed in with other stuff

Assorted otherstuff, including lots of sliver plate forks, and plastic handled steak knifes from tk maxx.

Its not long til temporary kitchen will move from where it is now to the permanant kitchen location ( but still a temporary kitchen iyswim, cannot affford the kitchen atm).

I am thinking that i will stop using and even cs the non dishwasher safe plastic cultery. Then i could use the silver plate and dishwasher safe steak knifes as the ordinary kitchen set.....

Silver plate can through through the dish washer, right?

wannabe_sybil

Elona - thinking of you, hope all is well

Jojo - sorry you are getting grief, you definitely don't deserve it. I am in awe of your musical range!

Hugs to all

Trying to live up to, 'I've started so I'll finish'. I have started pulling stuff from underneath my kitchen table. I have just binned some stuff, even though in the past I would have saved it. I can't face any more for a bit. I have also found all darling father's cutlery from when he moved in. There is a very large quantity. But I know it will be used in the future as I lose or destroy the current crop of cutlery.

I was also v sensitive to father when he moved here, as I didn't want him to feel his stuff that he was getting rid of was worthless.

Realistically, I'm going to have to get rid of the cutlery, aren't I?

Anyway, so far there is a black bin bag now ready to go out, which is something.

Valk-scot - in awe of the cat cushion, but not telling evil cat in case she wants one.

Whitewing - how is the knee today?

Gingernutty - we moved in to a nice(ish) place, which gradually went down hill, (guns in the street) and we now have neighbours who have been raided by the drug squad - but they are actually okay and have always been pleasant to us. Their kids can be a bit of a challenge. But we currently have lovely neighbours for the last few years and it has really helped. Fingers crossed you get new nice neighbours, it can make the difference. I am also desperately envious of your floor and fireplace.