Hoarding...not just on TV

blossomhill_2

whitewing wrote: »

And another unexpected bonus - our plants are all thriving indoors because we don't knock them with stuff, trip over stuff onto them, and we can get close to water them, and we don;t have to underwater them because we're worried about spilling water over anything next to them.

Welcome to the recently delurked. Getting rid of the craft stuff is difficult but so liberating to only have the stuff left that you are interested in doing going forward. Better quality of project going forwards too. My friend was an unexpected potential saboteur though; I think she was quite upset as we talked about craft together and in a strange way I think she felt it was almost a rejection of her. It wasn't. It was about freeing up potential.

Great to hear about your plants whitewing, I will never have the aspirational 3 matching plants in same pots but do love to see a range of them in mismatched pots and with clean non-dusty compost. I used to hoard massive plants (as well as everything else) but now take cuttings and root them to pass on to a charity, just keeping a neat little stock plant of each type, it has been liberating.

Do you ever pass houses with dusty windows and brown curtains with neglected plants climbing up the inside; I want to break in and rescue them!

I can see where your friend was coming from, she must see you shedding layers and worry that she or her interests will be in one of those layers. I am sure she will actually enjoy seeing the newer happier you though and who knows, whatever you move on to may suit her potential too

cyclingyorkie

Jo-jo - thank you for the additions to your original post!

I dream of having a choice where to sit in the living room, instead of taking the only seat without gibble on.... but given that I put the completed ironing away now it is easier to go to bed at night!

And the stairs have been clear for 3 weeks.... and they are staying that way!

lostinrates

I am going to post a picture of the bronze handbag later for more discussion of its future. Things like this are my sticking points. I have no trouble with what i see clearly as rubbiosh, or even stuff i don't like but is easy to be rehoming it, its this sort of stuff.

I packed everything i am not going to wear for the next few months into a bug suitcase thismorning, with a lavender sachet and a bar of soup for freshness.

Only problme is, the suitcase doesn't fit under the bed (d'oh). We have to tackle dhs pile that reappeared under hanging rail number two as a priority, that would be the perfect place fore not in current use but still use clothes.

I don't want to put in the box room because we have to empty the nox room and the spare room which are becoming a bathroom over christmas. That might also leave us some left to form a dressing room. Lots of 'editing' opportunities for the clothing stash.

Contessa

LIR,
Could you use the bronze bag as a peg bag?
Although the real solution is to get rid of it-if you have the photo then you'll still be able to look at the bag-and be pleased with yourself that it's no longer taking up space in your home.

valk_scot

Took DD and her vast outgrown fairy kingdom into the school first thing. The nursery staff were cooing over it with excitement, it was most gratifying and made me think about what else I could take in for the littlies. I know the Playmobil is a big sticking point for me but I thought that our big zoo set and maybe the pirate island sets would be good for nursery too? So I shall hold that thought next time I'm looking at the Playmobil mountain and getting depressed. It was doubly gratifying because I popped into the Base on my way out (this is the unit for the kids who need extra learning support) to say hi to one of the teachers I know well. She was setting up some of the seven huge storage boxes of Duplo that I passed on to the school some years ago and remarked on how useful it's been for the kids there. I know it's not the be-all-and-end-all to maximise the usefulness of every last item I'm deRicharding but it's still very motivating when you can find a really good home for things, isn't it? More things will be found for the school....

It also meant I was back home and ready to face the day well ahead of the time I'd normally just be having my shower, which was great. So I got all the usual domestic drudge stuff done and started on the last two dresser drawers. I didn't actually get rid of much from these, just a carrier bag of bits for the CS and the same again for the bin but I did unearth a few genuinely useful things that will save me cash over the next weeks. Two more packs of nappy sacks (I use these for disposing of bits after scooping the cat litter), two new wooden spoons, two new rolls of tinfoil and another roll of bin liners. Also half a dozen of the CS bags that get dropped through your letterbox. Very providential! I'm less sure about keeping all the packs of kitchen spongy clothes and such, I think they came from my SILs house clearance. If I've not found a use for them in eight years......

I'm off up the attic now for an hour, which is about as long as I can cope with most days. There is a section where I keep the Christmas stuff, I think I'll go and tidy that up, also look in the boxes where I keep gift things I've picked up in the sales. Two birthdays coming up, DD's and another girl's. Would be nice if I had some bits and bobs for them, would save me some cash And get the items out the attic!

Everyone else having a good day then? I am reading every word of everyone's posts, trust me, I need them to keep me on track. I am beginning to feel a slight lightning of the clutter burden around here but I need to keep my motivation up. So don't stop posting!!

lostinrates

Valk scot, do they allow toy donations where your son was treated? I know some places don't accept toys because of germs etc, but is it worth asking?

whitewing

val, maybe you'll just the kitchen spongy things for cleaning and chucking after you've decluttered?

I hardly do anything compared to the amount you get done each day; however, I guess I have less to start with. Anyway it's not a competition, I must remind myself.

I have 16 sheets to scan in, and half a dustbin of confidential waste to go. Result! The scanning has dragged out as I get bored of it once I scanned about 20 sheets.

I have about 12 archive boxes of business records that I am considering scanning in to a new hard drive. I need to keep most of it for a certain number of years, and I don't think there will be any legal issues with scanning and confidentially disposing of the originals. Again, it will make retrieving the info a lot easier. I could do a bit a day as it is in discrete folders. Hmmm.

Val I am getting more pleasure out of the thought of someone using my decluttered goods than having it here 'just in case'. I like your stories of nursery etc using your stuff. Times are a little tight here at the moment so I cannot spare much cash for charity but decent no-longer-used goods makes me feel that we are doing our bit to help out others.

lostinrates

Um, act ually cannot fond bag to photo now, oh dear, oh dear.

valk_scot

lostinrates wrote: »

Valk scot, do they allow toy donations where your son was treated? I know some places don't accept toys because of germs etc, but is it worth asking?

They used to, but I have to say I've not been back to the hospital since my son died except for one visit to say goodbye to the staff. My two younger children have always been exceptionally healthy thank goodness! So though I'm happy to support the various charity fetes etc and donate to the recycling hoppers I don't actually want to set foot in that place ever again. And given than DD will be 12 soon, I may get my wish. (It's the local Childrens' Hospital but once they're 12 they go to the main hospital for any treatment.)

Good idea though. :A

Anyway, here I am after my foray up to the attic. There wasn't as much in the Presents Bag as I hoped, I'll have to go shopping tomorrow for the friend's present.

I had a good polke through the Christmas boxes though and came out with a pile of little craft kits and making type books that DD is far too old for now. So they can go to the community Scrap Store. Lots of loose crafty materials, they can go to the school. Good to get them there well before Christmas. I've also taken a mental note of what I might need to buy for Christmas myself re paper, tags etc, the answer being a resounding NOTHING, lol.

Next stop was the bit under the eaves where I keep the suitcases and holdalls. DS has two trips coming up, a Duke of Edinburgh one and then his trip with his school to New York. And DD has a school Outward Bound week. So I thought I'd look out the appropriate bags...and found myself actually sorting them out, which was long overdue. We have a lot of old holdalls dating back to the days before wheelie suitcases and bags were invented and a lot of duplicates...as usual I've hung onto the old ones when the better new ones arrived, goodness knows why! So a good dozen of these got flung down the attic hatch, some ends of rolls of material that matched the curtains when my kids were smaller, some Halloween stuff, an unwanted beanbag and a couple of bags of miscellaneous tat. Good haul, another carload in fact and the holdalls will be excellent to actually hold all the other things going to the charity shops, no? I don't know about anyone else but I do struyggle to find good strong, easily carried containers for CS donations.

WhiteWing, I probably do have more junk here than many folk, it's a big house and it has lots of storage. The rooms don't look too bad for junk but I've got three walk in cupboards, a forty-five foot long attic, a big utility room and an understairs area that's as big as another room. Not to mention all the actual cupboards, shelves, book cases etc etc. I wish it was smaller tbh, it would have got full sooner and I would have had to stop buying things before now!

alec_eiffel

whitewing wrote: »

val, maybe you'll just the kitchen spongy things for cleaning and chucking after you've decluttered?

I hardly do anything compared to the amount you get done each day; however, I guess I have less to start with. Anyway it's not a competition, I must remind myself.

I have 16 sheets to scan in, and half a dustbin of confidential waste to go. Result! The scanning has dragged out as I get bored of it once I scanned about 20 sheets.

I have about 12 archive boxes of business records that I am considering scanning in to a new hard drive. I need to keep most of it for a certain number of years, and I don't think there will be any legal issues with scanning and confidentially disposing of the originals. Again, it will make retrieving the info a lot easier. I could do a bit a day as it is in discrete folders. Hmmm.

Are you just creating work for yourself there though? If you need to keep these things then that's not the same as the other stuff - that was personal stuff that you felt you wanted to keep, not something you need to keep for legal/financial purposes. Then when the certain number of years is up it can all be shredded in one go it won't be a matter of it being an emotional process to do it (hopefully).