Hoarding - A New Start

lostinrates

Jo_anne wrote: »

I've not posted for a while but have enjoyed everyone's posts. Two bags have gone to the CS today and some books to the book farm, so that's all good. I need some help though. Please tell me that I can throw out the lipstick that was a free gift with something, that I have never used and would be an awful colour on me. I keep looking at it and thinking ...but I've never used it, it's a good make....arrrghhh!!! :rotfl:

Get rid of it if it doesn't suit you. If you DO NOT have something that does get rid of it and buy ONE nice new one that does!

JayneC

Jo_anne - I have Freegled make-up so you could try that if you don't want to just chuck it?

Jojo - thanks for the comment about the Art stuff - you're right he probably wouldn't use most of it anyway. Just recalled that DD2 did Art and never used anything. I still have a box of unused watercolours, some oil pastels and watercolour pencils - currently on ebay but if they don't sell I'll keep hold for him, he's too not bothered about having new stuff, he knows money is tight being one of 5 siblings and is ok about hand downs and secondhand.

I keep opening my kitchen cupboard doors to look at the gaps!! It's quite exciting. Though my DD3's bed looks like a jumble sale table with stuff waiting to leave...

Will be decluttering DS1's snake on Sunday:p. He's moved away with work, but not allowed to take his snake and I'm afraid I'm not confident enough to look after him. Feel a bit guilty but I'm sure the snake is not bothered! He's going to a rescue centre so I'm sure he'll be looked after.

Keep going everyone...

ejbg2001

I have finally caught up with the thread, 4 days on and off lol and finally decided to de-lurk and confess.

I am a hoarder and have been for many years. I have a mum who is a lot worse for hoarding than I am (a 4-bed house where only 1 bedroom and a small part of the living room and kitchen were navigable and no-one dared enter the loft, even up to the date she was evicted) and I swore never to become that bad. However after a few health and emotional issues I was unable to do as much housework and things built up. It got to a point where I was desperately unhappy with the state of the house (both contents and infrastructure) but couldn't find a way of starting again.

Then last summer my In-Laws next-door neighbour was saying how he would have to sell the house as he couldn't find someone else to rent it and I had a LBM. My partner was having severe health problems living where we were, so we offered to rent the house. OH would rent in his name and I would sell my house as is, with all the issues that came with it, declutter and then move everything up there.

Boy was that process hard and came with lots of tears and tantrums. Cassette tapes were discussed (and kept), boxes of papers were compacted and re-boxed unsorted but I did manage to reduce my kitchen equipment by several plastics and a steamer, a mixer (used 3-4 times in total), a hand blender and lots of crockery.

When I got all our stuff moved up here in October I unpacked some of what was needed and left the rest. I churned some to clear space for Xmas decs over December and was ill in the new year, so only saw this thread a few days ago. I read from 1-now and it triggered a new LBM, so during my reads I de-cluttered some old bras, cut up the useful bits (the hooks and the strap attachments) and binned the rest. I went thru the soft toys that had been placed in a bag and gave myself permission to throw some of the gifts away (tho crossing my fingers that OH doesn't see me chucking the little teddy he gave me this Xmas, don't need it, don't esp like it, I know he loves me, don't need the bear to tell me).

I now need to start thinking about unpacking the rest of the boxes and reviewing them with new eyes. I realised from the thread that there was really no point keeping my old deteriorating tapes (which is what OH had tried to tell me but I had flicked on the Little Miss Stubborn switch and refused to let them go) so tomorrow I am going to locate them in one of the boxes and throw them and the storage cases in the bin.

Big hugs to all who were unable to shift anything and hugs and cheers for those who got some stuff cleared.

procrastinator

Hello
Yesterday nothing doing as didn't get in until 11.30pm.
Today - got in 9ish, turned lappy on and played a few hands of solitaire. Then.....put pasta on for tomorrows lunch, put w mc on, cleaned 2 sills in bathroom and threw out several bottles of stuff including 2 factor 30 sun creams. Have huge problems throwing these but it's done now, they are old and wont work and will probably make my skin sore if I try and use them anyway I still have last years stash to use up. Also cleaned another shelf in bathroom cabinet and chucked half used bottle of spot stuff bought for teens, they are not based at home now so will get their own and one is a teen no longer the other soon to be ex teen, where did the time go? Various other bathroom bits in bin as too old to be used. Bin now full.

What to do with the 6 tubs of talc?? Have chucked some little ones but these are pretty perfumed and I don't want to chuck? Do people still use talc nowadays?

When I got in I found one of those collection bags in the letterbox, says will collect Thursday, I intend to fill it and put it out. If it isn't collected I will ask OH to take it to the collection thing in SM car park so at least some stuff will have left my room.

Have skim read the thread so apologies for not commenting but right now I'm on a mission.

Catriona_P

Hoping you'll be proud of me tonight ladies - I've been doing an hour a night declutter in my bedroom. OH doesn't think much has changed but I can see a difference. Tonight found a box of old wedding magazine I didn't want to chuck (wedding was nearly 4 years ago), so was a bit ruthless and cut the pile by 3 quarters. I have a box of wedding 'mementoes' and decided to put the remaining magazines in there, but this would have meant the lid wouldn't go down on the box. Determined to keep all my wedding stuff to one box - I got everything out of the box and curbed various things a bit more. So now have a lot of old stuff to go to recycling, and small space on the floor in the bedroom and still just the one box of wedding bits. It might seem like nothing but I feel pleased.

Did a big office move today and I'm worn out, so impressed I got anything done tonight.

Keep it up everyone! Jo_anne - you could see if a friend or relative would have a use for the lippy? I hate chucking makeup too even if it doesn't suit me, but giving it to someone else makes me feel it isn't being wasted

EDIT: Hi to ejbg! And Procrastinator - I read something that said talc is carcinogenic and shouldn't be used. I got loads when DD was born but after reading some stuff online admit I chucked it all.

sjprmc01

So, so tired! Managed to get some ironing done, the new drawers in place, moved some of the toiletries to the shelves, added some of my toiletries purchases (boots 75% and TBS sales) to my toiletries inventory oh and filled the washing machine (but didn't run the wash today as I didn't have time to wait for it to finish) before heading out for work

I have a really sore right leg I think I've pulled a ligament or similar but I don't have time to stop and think about it I'm just a working machine at the moment . I know it will be short lived, all this working so I will hang on in there! Also my knees re hurting with all the walking I'm having to do (travel to and from work). It's making me realise how unfit I have become and made me realise I should really be taking losing weight seriously too I don't handle not being 'able' very well

sjprmc01

A last thought. This thread has become a bit like a diary for me but a diary with support from everyone else on the thread

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

sjprmc01 wrote: »

A last thought. This thread has become a bit like a diary for me but a diary with support from everyone else on the thread

Well, that's fine. It's also a diary with support which isn't lost under a pile of last year's diaries

If someone describes what they've done, then it's a reminder to them of how they dealt with some Stuff - or the feelings around something - and that can help.

After all, if somebody types 'and I tipped the mouldy bits out, took the box out of the wheelie bin, straightened the packaging out a bit and then put it in my bedside cabinet in case I find some more with a damaged packet' they can read it before hitting 'submit reply', think 'have I really just done that?' and realise that there are better things to do, delete the lot, pick up the packaging and quietly put it back in the bin.

Or if somebody has dealt with an area with less difficulty than anticipated, they can share it.




I kept to the principle of something in <= something out, thanks to the rather nice, sparkly gold guitar. And my fingertips were sore after an hour, so I had to stop and do something else

I attacked a kitchen cupboard, chucked out chocolate powder, milkshake powder, all the things that are probably stale because I never use them. When I had finished, the cupboard was about 1/3 full.

So, as it is right above the kettle, I shifted over the cups and glasses, which gave me more room in the other cupboard for crockery and suchlike, and reduces the moving around when making drinks.


And then I put the last of the clean washing away.

Tomorrow, there will be more, but I'm going to worry about that in the morning



ETA: Don't bother asking for validation about the bedroom cleaning. Just get on and do it; eventually, it will be noticeable - and the reward is the having a nice home, not the praise from somebody else, anyhow. Would have thought that the important wedding stuff would be the bit actually about your own wedding, not magazines about any old one, but maybe that'll come in time. And the habits you develop from doing one bit in your bedroom will carry themselves over to other areas without really noticing it.

procrastinator

Catriona_P wrote: »

Hoping you'll be proud of me tonight ladies - I've been doing an hour a night declutter in my bedroom. Well done that's a significant amount of time.


EDIT: Hi to ejbg! And Procrastinator - I read something that said talc is carcinogenic and shouldn't be used. I got loads when DD was born but after reading some stuff online admit I chucked it all.

Oh no to this! Really? Was thinking of just dusting my feet before bed, a little light pampering. Not sure now, I thought the thing with babies and talc was to do with it getting in their lungs.

Have filled the charity bag and put it by the front door, OH said he will put it out Thursday and if not collected will take it Thurs eve to supermarket recycling. Have made tomorrows lunch and cleaned up after, sink left all nice and shiny.

Nothing much to be done tomorrow as won't be home until near midnight. Best get some shut eye Goodnight all.

franticflyerSue56

Good Morning all, hugs and greetings. I am feeling more motivated today, up at 5am, put the w/m on, that cycle has finished so another load is ready, might get a few cheapy minutes on the electric! d/w loaded and ready to roll, dh taken to the station, breakfast eaten (horrible, as I didnt sweeten the porridge!). I am hoping that the rain will stop, then I can hang some washing out! Have a good day everyone!!