Hoarding - Springing Ahead

whitewing

I am getting a head start on 2014 with birthday cards and presents, and some Christmas stuff too.

My sister's bday present, bought in the sales at her suggestion, has arrived today. That will be wrapped when I get some new bday wrapping paper.

My family are going a bit of a tough financial time at the moment - a bit of a recurring theme as they are chaotic in their lifestyle, but gradually are getting better. For her birthday this year, I got my mother a 'Christmas preparation hamper' - family cards, general xmas cards, gift tags, stamps, address labels. It was a bit of a selfish present too because earlier in the year, they'd been a bit fed up about their situation and it had stopped them making an effort over the bits of their lives they could control. So I'd decided on this present to jolt them into making more of an effort with xmas. It worked, they even went to an extended family do, and I think part of that was because they could go with cards and nicely wrapped presents and their new contact details.


My mother has asked for the same again for her 2014 birthday. So I have got some stuff in the sales at very good prices. I've also had some beautiful cards of mine that were left over, so those have been allocated to mother's hamper for specific people (who didn't have it from me). I spend the same cash amount on each member of the family but it is fun to make the presents stretch with extra.


2014 is going to be hectic with work and it is causing me some bad dreams at the moment so getting organised is a way of hoarding but not hoarding. I have also been stocking up on some goods we use like deodorant and hair conditioner that are on offer. Not loads of stuff that we will never use, but enough to fit in the allocated spaces that means we will have enough if times are a bit hard through the year.

Byatt

I just heard this song, by the Kinks (remember them???) on the radio, I've never heard it before:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kinks/dontforgettodance.html

parsniphead

Afternoon fellow de-hoarders.

In October I had a new pair of PJ's for my birthday and also a new pair for Christmas. I only need one pair to wear and one to wash so I have decided to throw away all my shabby, mismatched pj's. Hurray it's starting to sink in. Previously I would have had to squash them into the draw with all the others.

I will one day be neat and tidy........Mmm I think clear of clutter needs to be achieved first.:rotfl:

Anyway ironing to do and bedroom to sort later, it's a right state.

whitewing

I decided today that I am definitely charity shopping the 4 xmas mugs that I dislike. The mug is not my preferred size and, wile I don't mind cute tacky, I don't like badly drawn tacky. I have avoided using them this year because I don't enjoy them. I am glad I made the decision and I put them by the back door ready to go. I was even more surprised to find 2 more in the cupboard that must have been hidden at the back because they are even worse. So all 6 are going.


I am keeping one of a different design that is cute and I found a Christmas pudding one at the very back of the cupboard that I didn't remember so that's a bonus.


Life's too short to have things hanging around.

caitybabes

Hi all, just de-lurking to say thank you to everyone who posts, your words all help to improve my mindset when it comes to 'things'. Since Christmas last year I have come such a long way and, today, my DH started to get involved with sorting out the third bedroom which was a massive help. It's the first time he's really got stuck in and it made a big difference.
I surprised myself today because, although I found it dead easy getting rid of board games, rain coats and keyrings, I started crying when it came to sorting through my paints, pastels and pencils from my art A-level days. I haven't used them in years so I knew I had to get rid of them but it made me so sad to admit that I am no longer the artistic young lady I once was. They will all go to better homes, freecycle, charity shop or my school's art department, so that makes me feel better.

Just thought I'd share. Thank you, you lot, I love reading this thread x

ginnyknit

I think a round of applause is needed here :T:T:T:T:T:T everyone is doing well and altering their perception of what we need to get through the day. Some may be lurking who havent reached there yet but its a slow process so just keep following and comment when you feel you need support or have made a move.

My Ds bought me new kitchen scales for Chrimbo and have binned the old ones, swiflty followed by 2 tatty frying pans as Mum bought me a really good one in the sales. I dont need the old ones as backup as I can live without them if they need replacing.

Sorted out some embroidery patterns and condensed 2 folders into one and threw the other away...goodness Im on a roll.....Going to sort one shelf of the bookcase at a time this week until I see a difference. all the recycling bins are full now but will be emptied tomorrow ready to start again. I have a long road ahead but feel as if I am getting somewhere!

Byatt

Yes, I agree, Ginny, doing something, no matter how small does make a difference.

A lesson I'm learning, is not to procrastinate, pick up those clothes and pop them in the machine, move those 2 books to the shelf or ready for the CS, wash those few dishes instead of waiting for a pile to accumulate.

Hiya Caity and Bigmumma,

GreyQueen

Well, last few hours away from home then being taken back to my flat in the car, a rare treat. I have gifts, plus to two jars of pickled onions Mum did for me in September, so she's happy to have the shelf space.

We shared a recovering-hoarder moment on Xmas day. She'd asked for a new purse-wallet for Crimble as hers was worn out. She was transferring the stuff from old to new, holding the worn out wallet above the bin and saying aloud how the wallet itself was worn out but the zip was still good.

I exchanged a stern look, pointed out she already had a lot of salvaged zips and she let it fall. Went without an enormous debate, either, which would once have been engendered by such a quandry.

Epic fail on the Crimble tree decs. We only have the top half of what was once a 7 foot artificial tree, so don't need nearly as many decs and there were too many anyway. But they can't go - sigh- well, it's her stuff not mine.

Most of the pressies exchanged in the family have been stuff which isn't going to cause clutter; edibles, consumables or cash (choose yer own clutter). I'm pleased I don't have some OMG thing to rush off to the charity shop with after Crimble.

Keep on pecking away at the piles. lovely people. GQ xx

lobbyludd

I got to the recycling centre (twice!) had to go to three different cs's to off-load the clothes and toys (oxfam shut, BHF would take clothes but not toys, and finally save the children took the toys - including a really lovely portable wooden dolls house that DD was adamant she didn't want anymore, but bad mummy had been having serious problems letting go of).

Collected wardrobe, got rid of drawers of doom. Started painting wardrobe and going through ds's room between coats (I'd found a patch of condensation mold, so room needs re-arranging to improve air flow), when the call came to pick the children up so unfortunately house is a disaster as their arrival has brought an avalanche of stuff to land on the top of half done sorting out.

deep breath: it is retreivable, just have to not get overwhelmed and chip away at it. Kids have agreed to go through their old toys this afternoon for broken/unwanted things so once that's done their stuff can go back up.

whitewing

Very well done lobbyludd and daughter - think how much pleasure others will get from your kind gift.


Today, I have grabbed a pile of cards from my scrapbooking cupboard. I have cut the backs off and will use the fronts to make gift tags or notelets at a later date. I have been looking forward to getting started on this. I am not rushing, it is just a task to do over the course of the next year, in small chunks with any small achievement celebrated.


It is teaching me that I like to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and Christmas. I like the cards, the wrapping papers and the sense of occasion. I like the gifts too, of course, but am equally happy regardless of value; it really is the thoughtfulness that counts. So in 2014, we will book our birthday days off work so that we can celebrate together.


I think of myself as a positive person, so I am enormously surprised at some of the string negative emotion that has appeared while I have been sat in my lovely, sunny lounge with a pile of inanimate objects and a pair of scissors.


Anger - at my mother for her lack of effort in life, picking any old card from a pile of church jumble sale notelets that she's had for years and writing Happy Birthday in it. This is not a criticism of anyone who is experiencing financial difficulty. As I said yesterday, I think, it is about not having the motivation to make the best of the life that she does have, which being in Britain, means a lot is taken for granted.


Anger - at a friend who sent me a card that was mostly black. It is so daft to be angry but I was at the time. It was an arty photographic card and my friend assumed that I would like it. But it was at a time that I felt black inside and my anxiety was projected by me onto these cards.


Resentment - where some of the cards weren't the nicest design or quality. Again, I had projected onto the cards the thoughts that my friends or family didn't like me enough. Now I recognise that I felt so empty inside that there was no way my family and friends could ever fill me up.


Disbelief - I realise now that as a survival tactic I make sweeping, instant decisions. And so it has been with something as simple as birthday or Christmas cards. 99% of the cards have beautiful pictures on them, but I don't think I've even taken the time to look at the pictures for more than about 2 seconds.


Anxiety - some of the cards were from customers who eventually stopped using us for their goods. Their names are provoking those feelings of loss that have dogged me through my life. Yet I know logically that they will mostly still be thinking kindly about us.


This coming year is definitely going to be more about 'trust' and 'being in the moment'.