Hoarding - Springing Ahead

whitewing

dragonette,

I guess the nerves are because you are doing something you haven't done before and also it is hard letting go. Well done to you.

I used to psych myself up to let something go and then felt devastated if the cs said no thank you (sometimes without the thank you!)

Some charity shops can only take certain types of goods, so don't feel bad if someone turns you down. Some are really delighted and make you feel that your donation has personally made the difference between life and death.

I just take the bag in and ask if they would like it. They may ask if you're a tax payer and if you are you can fill in a gift aid form if you want and they will make extra out of your donation.

If they say they don't want it, then just take it elsewhere and don't take it personally. Some of the volunteers in charity shops are angels, but some need to learn how to provide good customer service.

You also don't have to buy anything while you are there. I always have a bit of an impulse because of the pangs of loss. When you are further along in your hoarding journey, you may find that you have a list of replacement items you need for the house and you may spot a bargain then.

Come and share your experience on here - good or bad, it will motivate others.

Well done.

I have just made some cornflake cakes to use up the last of the box of cornflakes. They'll all be eaten by tonight so it does count as dehoarding!

GreyQueen

dragonette wrote: »

I have a quick question, if anyone could help - why am I terrified of putting a bag of donations into a charity? What do I do, just hand it over? For some reason my mind has frozen at the thought its not great stuff, some books n cheap jewellery but I'm all a twitter about it

It's going to be such a disappointment, y'know. You just wander up to the till with your bag and saysomething like "Hello, I've bought you a few bits and pieces." And hand it over.

They just take it with a smile and a thank you and take it out back and you never see it again. They won't paw thru it in front of you and turn up their noses at some of your donations.

I took my recyclables out on the way to work and then came home and went out to the shops (may have bought 3 books for £1 in the chazzer). In fact, I am sure I probably did.:rotfl:

Home, bathed, clothes in the washer, about to be racked. Supper is on the stove.

Funny that someone here has made a carrier bag tube today as I un-made my unused one last night and have turned it into a strip of cloth which I will iron (had already washed it) and will put it away into the modest box of fabric which I keep for future projects. I did that whilst watching a DVD on the pooter and also used the time to do some hand-sewing.

This had meant that I will iron, either today or tomorrow, and then various things which have been floating about will be able to be worn or even put away.

I have finished one plastic container of dried fruit which I have in my morning porridge, washed it before work, and will add two packs of dried apricots to the container which will mean that they aren't taking up room in the food cupboard. One is 2 years OOD but seems perfectly fine (they were sealed in fancy packs) so I shall eat them anyway.

Righty, time to get the food on the plate and down the hatch.

Florenceem

I just watched the hoarding programme on catch up - no tv. :money:
Wow - makes me feel so much better!

roundtuit

Another bag unpacked: unused heavy duty work gloves given to DS's dad; box of squares of paper put with stationery stash; wire rack holding 4 mugs put in kitchen cupboard.... once all the mugs have been unhoarded I'll have a sift through to see what I'm keeping.
That's a bit more space on the living room floor
Rxx

greenbee

It really does sound as if you've broken the back of it RT. You're doing really well. Keep it up, but slowly and steadily.

whitewing

Good luck for this afternoon, roundtuit. You can only do the best you can IN THE TIME YOU HAVE AVAILABLE, so don't worry if you can't get everything done. You do sound like you have made excellent progress.

roundtuit

greenbee wrote: »

It really does sound as if you've broken the back of it RT. You're doing really well. Keep it up, but slowly and steadily.

Thank you greenbee. xx :lovethoug
I think you are right. There are now pockets of clutter to be sifted through and cleared and then the two rooms of doom will be tackled bag by bag.
Yesterday I dusted the hearth (unused) and placed a large wooden owl (that my mother bought me for Christmas) just to one side of it. It looks really good. It will be nice to sift through things and actually 'display' the best and, dare I say it?, chazzer the rest?????
Rxx


ETA: I can't believe I'm even thinking that, never mind saying it out loud!!!

roundtuit

whitewing wrote: »

Good luck for this afternoon, roundtuit. You can only do the best you can IN THE TIME YOU HAVE AVAILABLE, so don't worry if you can't get everything done. You do sound like you have made excellent progress.

Thank you whitewing xx :lovethoug
I'll let you know how the 'Visit' goes. Thank you for thinking of me - it means a lot. (I don't actually have the words to say how much it does mean to me.)
I'm going to keep pootling and poddling this morning to get a bit more done.
I can actually get in to all my kitchen base cupboards - three are completely empty, not a skerick in them as there was so much stuff in front of them that they couldn't be opened.


Hope everyone has a good day. The sun is shining here again
Rxx

greenbee

So not only do you have a hearth that looks like it's a home with your owl on it, but you also have three empty cupboards to put some of the pending stuff into and make the remaining stuff more manageable. You can get it out again when you have space to deal with it.

We promise to remind you.

Keep dropping and and posting progress, it is so lovely to hear someone reclaiming their home.

GreyQueen

Three empty kitchen base unit cupboards. OMG, is it very wrong to be green with envy? I don't have that many full stop, but to have some standing empty would be a dream

Good luck for this afternoon, we're rooting for you, lass.

Today I have to wait in for a carpenter so can't settle to much as have one ear cocked for the door. Have caught up with the ironing pile, including one blouse which was prevously ironed and then put in the airing cupboard and squashed and needed to be re-ironed.

It's now where it should have been in the first place; on a hanger.

Am just having a teabreak online before moving on to some Tidying Up. What a tedious job that is. Still, I live alone, no one else is culpable if the place is untidy, it's all mine.

Well, the planners and architect are culpable, this place is too blasted small.................:rotfl:

Onwards and outwards, my lovelies!