Hoarding...not just on TV

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Well it mightn't be impressive to you, but it is to me!:D I couldn't face pulling out the wm and fridge freezer just to clean. Pulling out the WM is really difficult - it's heavy and awkward and in a confined space under the counter,so hard to get a good handhold.
If however the WM or fridge freezer has to be pulled out for other reasons, I do take the opportunity to clean the floor.

I've been trying to psych myself up to wash the kitchen and bathroom floors for the last 5 weeks (They do get swept regularly). Just can't find the spare energy. My idea of luxury would be to have someone sweep and wash all the floors in our home every fortnight...

I have been told that steam mops are good for this. I'm not convinced (worry of yet another gadget), but that's £100 which could be diverted to paying for a cleaner to visit a couple of times.........

Brighton_belle

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I have been told that steam mops are good for this. I'm not convinced (worry of yet another gadget), but that's £100 which could be diverted to paying for a cleaner to visit a couple of times.........

When I first read this I thought - totally not interested, don't want another gadget and it's still something that 'requires doing'. 2 minutes later I thought..mmm, but what makes the effort seem to much is can never find a mop that I think really cleans the floor and the whole bucket thing is a fag. 2 minutes later I think, I'll just have a browse of the lakeland catelogue...as I've never actually heard of a steam mop to see what they are.
5 minutes later I'm now coveting a steam mop more than *insert vice of choice*:rotfl:Got a decent looking one for £59.99 and have a £15 voucher... Looks like the sort of thing I could just whizz round with while waiting for dinner to cook, nice and light and easy to store....

blossomhill_2

I did some cleaning today (!) with a wallpaper stripper, I had been using it anyway and found it is great on tiles too, so its a dual purpose steamer - and quick

moneysavingmum, glad you are still reading, not surprised to learn you find it hard, it is hard, someone sent me a little truism the other day via Facebook "life begins where your comfort zone ends" - I found I had to shake up everything to get results - for instance rather than focus on my hoarding I thought of it as greed and decided to use a little less of everything - eg my morning coffee, instead of strong coffee, reduced it to a half teaspoon of coffee and half teaspoon of sugar, and coincidentally found that I am far better at decluttering if I start the day with tea than coffee.

We can't say what would work for you but by posting some of what works for us maybe you will get a LBM.

I got out of my comfort zone by no longer keeping the curtains closed all day, started leaving them open with the lights on and knowing that passersby could see in, eeek!

Patchwork_Quilt

Well done on making yourself open the curtains Blossomhill. I can see how vulnerable this would make you feel.

Stuff seems to be coming into our house at the moment. Kind friends are saving jam jars for me, unaware that this is my weak point. I had to console myself today by opening an empty cupboard and gazing into it.

However, I am still enjoying everyone else's posts. Keep it up chaps!

GreyQueen

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Well it mightn't be impressive to you, but it is to me!:D I couldn't face pulling out the wm and fridge freezer just to clean. Pulling out the WM is really difficult - it's heavy and awkward and in a confined space under the counter,so hard to get a good handhold.
If however the WM or fridge freezer has to be pulled out for other reasons, I do take the opportunity to clean the floor.

I've been trying to psych myself up to wash the kitchen and bathroom floors for the last 5 weeks (They do get swept regularly). Just can't find the spare energy. My idea of luxury would be to have someone sweep and wash all the floors in our home every fortnight...However, I don't let it make me unhappy that the bathfloor hasn't been washed. There are better ways to use my sparse energy resources... preferably having some fun:D

I think almost everyone has "mental blocks" about something in their domestic life. Perhaps yours is floors at the mo.

The amount of times I've skirted around some chore because I was telling myself it'd be a big job and very hard/tedious and then finally did it and found that it only took a couple of minutes and very little effort and I'd been avoiding it for days/ weeks/ years.........! It's nearly always the case, so as soon as I feel myself mentally digging my heels in over a chore, I should just do it, because I'm blowing it up to a big thing in my head and it's not a big thing.

F'instance, I had a washing machine repair booked for Monday this week. The w.m. is under my biggest stretch of kitchen counter (all of 4 feet by 18 inches LOL) which I'd allowed to become cluttered with all sorts and a bit grungy. I'd been skirting around the issue and using the tiny bit of worktop alongside the cooker instead but with the wm man coming, my pride wouldn't let me leave the kitchen like that.

So I cleared if offand wiped it down and it took about 3 blinking minutes.......aarrrrggghhhhhh, how long had I been niggled by this HUGE insurmountable chore? Weeks, I tell you, weeks.:o

Of course, some things genuinely are big jobs, such as the allotment shed which was tackled over a period of several weeks this summer. I'm sure we've all got/ had somewhere in our life where we've opened a door or a lid, taken a horrified look inside and not known where to start as there'd be no end in sight and it's just too much to contemplate.

I felt that way about my shed. The mess had been brewing for 4 years and I felt I couldn't cope. Then I gave myself a stern talking-to and told myself that if I kept taking things out and not putting more in it would get better, it had to get better, there was no other way around it.

And it worked. So, if a terrible procrastinator like me can get there in the end, I'm sure other people can. More power to our collective elbows. May our gaze be fierce, our decisions incisive, our backs strong, and our boxes and binbags never let us down.

And, if you can afford to buy in some help, why not? Other people need to earn some money and if you can outsource some particularly hateful (to you) chore, I think you should do so.

VJsmum

This is my office - it is a massive chore. But you are right, not insurmountable. We started well last week by saying we'd spend 10 minutes and actually spent an hour. But, because we are sorting out the filing cabinet, it didn't look like we'd done anything. Must get back to it.

Another is the ironing (I know, GQ, I know.. ) which in reality probably takes under an hour a week. I keep saying it is my "DOwnton" chore on a SUnday, but as yet haven't got into that routine

Finally is my writing. I started a writing course and was enjoying it and got good feedback. Then came an assignment I didn't want to do - the type of writing I am not really interested in - so it has languished for years!! THis week I have resolved to do it. I aim to finish the assignment by the weekend and then I can move on.

whitewing

Re ironing. I found that I used to enjoy it a lot more if I added that fragrance (specifically designed for the purpose) to the water. Then it felt more like building a comfortable nest for my family than a chore. Smell can be a really powerful way of overcoming a hurdle.

I love the smell of bleach because it reminds me of swimming pools. I love the light of a swimming pool. My son used to swim with school first thing on a Monday, and the early morning sun swept in the windows and bounced off the water. It was golden.

D&DD

*comes up for air* still doing DS3's room..OH has a long weekend yay so he's took over today so I can bake :j and do other householdy stuff which has been neglected this week.
Will catch up on all your news when I've finished!
Thanks again peeps I couldn't have even started it all without you as it was just too overwhelming XXX

valk_scot

I'm still plugging on with my DS's room too. Put the Ikea Gift Card Bed up last night, looks very nice too. I bought DS some new duvet covers as well...yes, I know, I know, but the old ones are worn out and I WILL put them in the recycling, honestly!

I also consulted with OH and we decided that the five large bags of well out of date wargaming magazines could go straight into the paper recycling. I though the CS but OH says no, they're worthless when they're that old, CS wouldn't thank me for them. So he's taken them off in the car, he's passing a paper bank.

The school has a fair coming up so I'll put all the books he's outgrown in there, there's always a shortage of books for 11/12 year old boys. So that's another box in the hall. Currently we have boxes, the CS box(es), Scouts Car Boot Fair box, textiles recycling box, School Fair box and Dump box. And the Lego mountain and three pieces of furniture in transit between DS's room and DD's. Good thing it's a big hall.

Today's tasks? To start reassembling Ds's room, all the furniture is in place and I "only" have to put all his stuff into the new places. he won't be able to find anything for weeks, lol.

The other thing I need to do is bring some empty stacking boxes down from the attic, DD is most envious of her brother's room transformation and has offered to box up all her possessions in preparation for her room swap round, which will be happening when she goes to school camp in November. Hopefully a few more things will make it into the Out boxes in the hall during this process though we did a massive dejunk of her room a month or so ago.

So while the house looks even more chaotic than normal atm, at least it's in progress chaos. Things are happening. And at least the cats are having a good time!

whitewing

It is actually sunny and bowy here so I stripped the beds and have washing flapping in the breeze.

DD is having tantrums every so often so it is wrecking the day. DH has to work tonight so he doesn't feel rested. I have dispatched the pair of them to the shop for more washing liquitabs so I hope the fresh air will put them both in a slightly better mood.

I have thrown a pair of falling down tights out and some socks with holes in. And DS' oldest trainers as the soles are coming away at the toes and he would wear them until he actually breaks his legs. He needs some new slippers too.

My friend gave me some jogging suits which I kept but she is a different shape to me and I don't really like the material so they can go to my mum. DS has to take his schoolbag to my aunt's for some industrial mending; it was new this Sept and good quality but he seems to carry around the entire contents of the school in it. Drives DH mad.

DS' room is still tidyish after last week's efforts, so I have pulled out all the dirty washing and stripped his bed too. And closed all the drawers and doors he left open - why does he do that?

Have a pile of work stuff for scanning that will free up a box's worth of space.

Re: empty spaces. It is taking me around seven days to stop seeing a space gained as 'empty' and to enjoy it as space.

I am desperate for new light furniture for the bedroom now. I blame you, Jojo, for talking about letting the light in. I keep thinking that it would really brighten the room and therefore my life, and I guess like a lot of parents our own bedroom is probably the most neglected room in the house. It would be great to have it as extra relaxing space for reading without feeling that we're banished there.

Gosh they are back already - that was quick.