Hoarding...not just on TV

VJsmum

blossomhill wrote: »

One of the recent comments on here (possibly alec, sounds like her) was that everything is deteriorating even if we do nothing - has helped me throw out some older stuff - thanks

If any of you are near London there is a meet up this Sat - see OS Meet Up thread for details - simples!

It was GQ - I remember as it struck a chord with me too. I am not a massive hoarder but I do / did seem to keep some things for no real reason - other than that I had spent good money on them. Admitting I've made mistakes is a big step forward for me.

Byatt

Hobbit, huge hugs, and as others have said, have a good cry. I know when I came across a site that described my mother's personality disorder and the realisation that it was not *my* fault, was a combination of relief, letting go of th guilt and the responsibility and also crying. Reading and talking on the forum of said site was immensely helpful too.

An American friend told me about a relative who did not like banks and stored/stashed money all over the house, it amounted to more than a million dollars...some of which was taken by other relatives, and as there was no written record, there was no accountability.

blossomhill_2

On the subject of not keeping things for best ... my lovely late mum was a great cake baker - it was therapy for her, she didn't eat them much but of she was a bit low she'd always have a new recipe she wanted to try and we'd eat the results. It was a bit of a family joke that we always always ate our cake with a silver pastry fork -
"get the pastry forks" was the signal that we were about to have some lovely cake, (or sometimes just a bit of £1 Iceland cheesecake) even if we'd only had a very basic tea.

After she died I found an empty box in the bottom of her wardrobe, hunter green leather with matching green velvet, with dimples for 8 pastry forks - and a Harrods emblem. She absolutely revered Harrods and had never said that the pastry forks were from there - they were probably a wedding present. And I am so glad that they got used as often as possible! Imagine how sad I'd have felt if I'd found them all pristine and tarnished in their box, no it was a classic example of "because we're worth it" and her cake as a gift to us was worthy of the Harrod's silver.
I may well sell them on now - which may shock some people; yes they are linked to memories but the memories of happy occasions eating home baked cakes are locked into my memorybank and don't need a physical reminder

blossomhill_2

ellie99 wrote: »

I think I need to re-read Don Aslett
I have 2 adult children who still live at home, and when I look at an item to put out (especially kitchenware) I think "oh, that would save them buying it when they move out". I'm keeping it for them!

I've done this - and now DD is moving on and I am poised ... but very wealthy in-laws are equipping the new place so my jumble will be dumped - and I don't care, because after all it is just my hand-me-downs which weren't new to start with, and DD doesn't care cause it is just "stuff" and she doesn't give it sentimental attributes it doesn't really have (however she knows she is very lucky, and appreciates her luck)
I think most young adults would orefer a basic set of whiteware from Ikea

whitewing

My family are terrors for 'just in case' stuff and picking up bargains. I said before that we never really had the pleasure of buying new stuff from shops. I definitely won't be keeping much for when/if son goes to uni. We may upgrade then and let him have our old stuff or we may buy cheap/basic, but we definitely aren't putting stuff aside for a few years. (It would be a different case if we had very decent but old stuff so would be better quality second hand than new).

aeb, how are all your children? I don't really frequent other threads that you go on so I am missing out on how they are growing up.

sjprmc01

I've tried to start a week of decluttering today. It's a tough job when every room in the house is also a real mess because of all the 'stuff' so I have made a start on the shared kids room (as opposed to the younger one who has a room to herself) there are still piles but they are now organised piles and their drawers and wardrobe are tidy not and not all emptied about the floor!

I've a long way to go and it is a daunting task but to be frank I'm getting rather fed up of myself having created this mess and just want the place 'sorted' now and looking like a proper home.

GreyQueen

I had a strange but rather productive day yesterday.

I'm having to hang around at home for workmen all day every day this week so needed to set myself up with some home stuff to do. One of the things is to paint the living room ceiling and Stage 1 of that chore was to take the files off the top of the wall unit so they didn't get damaged.

I piled them on the bed and suddenly decided to go through them and got rid of a LOT of kipple into the shredder and the recycling bank. Including some aspirational recipes ripped from the Observer Weekend supplements over at my parents' place.

I'd had a poor night's sleep beforehand and wasn't feeling up to standing on steps (plus tradesmen were in and out and it's distracting) so it was a good thing to do. I've been pecking away at it for some time but it's now done and I feel good.

I also caught up with my personal accounting and can now reveal that I've spent a whole £60 a month on housekeeping this year...........:rotfl:And the shocking thing is that it would have been less but for the fact that I've laid in storecupboard items. Zombie Apocalypse? Bring it!

Today's cunning plan is to get washed and dressed as could have incoming workmen from 8 am and then get on that step stool, wash the ceiling (or the bit of it I intend to deal with today) and do a few more bits.

Keep your spirits up, and remember that even one thing out by bedtime is one thing less in your home and that has to be a good thing. Laters, GQ xx

blossomhill_2

sjprmc01 wrote: »

I've tried to start a week of decluttering today. It's a tough job when every room in the house is also a real mess because of all the 'stuff' so I have made a start on the shared kids room (as opposed to the younger one who has a room to herself) there are still piles but they are now organised piles and their drawers and wardrobe are tidy not and not all emptied about the floor!

I've a long way to go and it is a daunting task but to be frank I'm getting rather fed up of myself having created this mess and just want the place 'sorted' now and looking like a proper home.

Hi sjp, why not set yourself a series of small targets within that week and you will achieve more
It's quite a good time to be doing it with Christmas coming up, I always had a clear out of things before Christmas and shed some things early, based on what I knew would be coming in - eg tatty socks went in the bin not the washing basket and MIL always bought DD new socks as part of her present (and DD was polite enough to look pleased!)

So if you know your girls will get new felt tips/gel pens don't waste time looking for lids etc, bin them and see the difference

Your organised piles sounds like a big improvement, well done

I have a phrase that is in my head "maximum impact" so some days I go for maximum impact (ie clearing/tidying that others would notice) and other days go for background work (ie papers out of files/cancelling junk mail etc that doesn't notice so much)

GQ - workmen, hmmm don't you just love them! I hope you are having work that actually brings a difference rather than restores you to where you were before! I misread

Stage 1 of that chore was to take the files off the top of the wall unit so they didn't get damaged. I piled them on the bed

as FLIES - eek! Probably thinking about my cupboards not yours! A good job jobbed, anyways!

I am taking two boxes of bric a brac out this weekend - one to a fair where I won't have to watch my things being sold ( ) and other things that I can bear to see sold for a good cause, to one where I am manning the stall :T and a load of fancy carrier bags to the stall too, so we can give them out to buyers

Ches

I read that as flies too and just thought it was GQ humour until I read they were piled onto the bed.

GreyQueen

Ches wrote: »

I read that as flies too and just thought it was GQ humour until I read they were piled onto the bed.

And people think I'm weird?!

I do that misreading thing all the time, especially when walking along the street and seeing headlines on boards outside newsagents. They're not nearly so interesting after I've done a double-take.:rotfl:

I've had my flies (sic) off the wall unit again and have washed and painted the ceiling. Slightly under halfway across a small room and I'm knackered. Decorating and ME don't really go together very well.

I was rootling in the depths of the freezer where I thought I had to plastic tubs of h.m. chilli but I actually have 2 tubs of stewed pears, all ready for pie filling and a brick of Jus-Rol so a fruit pie will be on the cards but not today as I am soooo tired that I think I shall be going offline in a minute...........

Have a good evening and if anyone finds a floor which has been MIA for a while, remember to say Hi and Fancy Seeing You Here...............