Hoarding - Springing Ahead

Saver-upper

Hmmmm,well,as predicted,have not done anything very special decluttering-wise since starting back at work this week.
We have had a crazy weekend with 12yo having a sleepover for her birthday,followed by taking them all (plus my other kids= 13 people in all) for a swim! Then when all her friends left (early afternoon),had to take her to shops to buy birthday present for a sleepover she was going to last night (after we went for a family meal for her birthday).Today she is still out (til about 5pm),5yo has gone out for lunch with friends (!),and partner has taken other 2 children to his parent's house for lunch.Now I am just sitting back going "Phew!"
House isn't too bad considering how many people we have had through it.It does need a good dust and vacuum,but everything lying around is birthday-related:wrapping paper,cards,presents etc.

But I am not feeling very motivated at the moment.Fortunately I have the next 2 days off,and only working a couple of hours on Wednesday,so will have lots of time to do abit around the house while kids at school.I might even load up the car with stuff I have put up in the loft to keep out of the way,and take to charity.

My "clutter corner" in the kitchen is driving me crazy again.You wouldn't believe it....
As you all know,a few weeks ago I cleared my "carp corner" of papers:all beautifully filed away,filing system works well from kitchen drawer.
However..... now sitting on my corner is :
-a rock tumbler (makes lots of noise 24 hours a day for nearly 3 weeks :eek: as it polishes rocks to make into shiny jewels for a 7yo to turn into jewellery and ornaments :cool:).We have covered it with jumpers and towels to try muffling the sound,and that makes it sound abit better but look worse!
-a butterfly hatching house thingy....same 7yo has watched for afew weeks as caterpillars (that were sent on the post) made their cacoons,then we transferred them to a net-house thingy(all very technical for me,you see :rotfl:) where they hang for a few weeks,then hatch,we look after them for a few days(give food,nectar water,etc),then let them go in the wild.
So those 2 projects take up more space than my papers ever used to :eek:

Don't feel like doing too much at the moment.Still in dressing gown.5yo will be home soon,got no energy.Arghhh.
Off to make another cuppa and catch up on more threads.

IrishRose12

On the book front, my dad had a load of books that I kept and are under the attic. Never been looked at. I just don't want to get rid of them as it means getting rid of something else belonging to him
But there are 2 boxes of hard backed books that are going somehow. I just have to figure out how I'm getting them out as they're really heavy.

Regarding keeping books and re-reading them, I also do that. I have a few series of books that I have loved and love the author. I re-read them about once a year Other books I have I to get rid of, but the series I don't.

Today I'm off up to the attic and see what I can get rid of from there. There shouldn't be much as I done that in February but it really needs a tidy up, and as I'm in a frame of mind of getting rid of things I really don't need or look at, more may go lol. Loads of football on today so Hubby will be downstairs, and it's a lovely day here so older children are away out with the neighbour for the day while we look after their young twins, and our own LO. They're out for the count ATM but they'll no doubt want out to the garden again after feeding time lol.

roundtuit

lobbyludd wrote: »

19 items from my "to do" list done, the list itself keeps getting longer than I am ticking things off , but it is helping me chill out as once I have put something on the list i don't have to keep noticing it and worrying about it.

I started to make a 'to do' list while I had a quiet half-hour at work before Easter - I got to Number 57 :eek: and started to feel quite sick with anxiety about it, so I stopped!
I'm now sat at home after 11 days away from work, and due back at the office tomorrow: I was going to do sooooo much (which has not got done) ; DS has gone back to Uni today ; PJ usually comes for a coffee on Sunday evenings, but he's away on a coach to visit Adam's Farm ; and I've got 'I need to post this/ I need to tax the car/I need to remember to pay Council Tax/ I need to/ I need to/ I need to' agitating my brain like an old fashioned thingy in a washing machine - used to stick up in the middle and swish from side to side - anyone old enough to know what I mean?
I've no idea where the original offending list is - but I'm deciding to take a leaf out of your book lobbyludd and I'm going to re-write it, and start ticking things off, and adding things to the bottom - and then I won't have too keep remembering and having the 'oh bother' moments when I remember that I've forgotten to do something.
As 'starting' is also proving difficult at the moment too, perhaps a list will re-ignite my mojo too.
It's helped to read the comments on decluttering being 'tidal' too. And I haven't backslid (much) while the tide's been out, but I haven't made progress either. I need to go back to the 'take a bite every day even if it's only a nibble' to get this elephant eaten.
Feeling a bit blue - doing something will help to lift my mood too. So I'm going to: nip upstairs and (1) bring down any laundry that DS has left in his room and put the WM on; (2) empty his bin and (3) bring down any pots he has up there (if any).
Hope everyone else is enjoying their Sunday
Rxx

anirtak191

:j result :j

ive done 1 out of the 2 jobs i had planned for today,
but i got sidetracked and managed to do enough work to remove the draws from under the bed, they dont go with the bed but i kept them for storage from a previouse bed so they are waiting in the hall to go out, another black bag or randoms, moved the table and closed it down, its a drop leaf table that had both sides up and was covered with stuff. now its just at its minimal 1 ft width, but i have put my wicker baskets on top out the way for now. got baby quilts i have made in the one, and gramps clothes i was going to make into a memory quilt for my nan. when i can get round to cutting them up. :undecided

i have an empty plastic storage box, witch yes i am going to hide in the attic because they always do come in handy for one thing or another. well for me they seem to. when i dont have a spare one im looking for one

and tot op it all off, i actually had room to run the hoover over the rug. its probably been 2 years since i actually had room to even take the hoover in there, let along actually turn it on and run it over the runner.

feeling spurred today no idea why especilly when i got some horrible weather. rains been that bad if it carries on instead of having a shower later will just take the shampoo outside :rotfl:

im going to have a cuppa and see if i got any energy left to go do some more stuff.

roundtuit

Well now at least I've done something today!!! :j
DS's room is now devoid of laundry, rubbish and pots. I've also opened the curtains in there, and made his bed - I ought to strip the bed really but I've brought down enough laundry to be going on with.
WM is now on with first load; rubbish is in bin or recycling as appropriate; I've put a new bin bag in his bin and taken it back up to his room.
First job on 'to do' list must be 'ring housing repairs'. Plumber came to fix loo on Friday - seemed to have done so, but hasn't.. it is still overflowing into the bowl. :mad: Think Pollyanna RT - at least it is not flooding the floor!!
Rxx

GreyQueen

Sounds like good progress has been made today.

I woke early ( 6 am) to a bright and sunny day and my Mojo had found me and I had brekkie and checked some stuff online inc the opening hours of the tip (9am start). Was going to be there soon after opening time, but a phone call came in which held me up, so it was nearly 10 before I was there.

Upshot it, a bike-basket full of Stuff is outta here, although the iron and the computer mouse came from the parental home on Easter Monday. The knackered power unit came out of my computer on Thursday afternoon. The two small bits of hardboard also went. Feeling good.

Then off to the lottie for 5 hours and have re-established order in a big section of it. Lottie had been left to its own devices for 12 days, which is potentially very bad in late Spring, but showing the weeds a ferocious amount of cold steel (hoeing) 12 days ago had paid some dividends.

Lots of stuff to do at home, and I'm slow-roasting a beef joint in the oven which will enable me to freeze some when it's cooked and have it over several days, so that will be easier. Have also done some food shopping on the YS bargains, made a phone call to Mum and will call Nan about 6 pm.

roundtuit, when I feel a sense of overwhelm, which is often enough, this is what I've learned to do; piece it.

First off, I tell myself no more than three chores or three errands per day. This is over and above work stuff and basic housekeeping, by the way. So, my tasks for Monday after work is; return library book, go buy a mobile phone (chosen already), come home, snack and then allotmenteering for 1-2 hours.

Tuesday is work then archery. Not home much before 8 pm and very tired so that's enough to eat and wash dishes.

Wednesday is stay-at-home-after-work. I will dedicate this time to two phonecalls; to new mobile provider to port my existing number over, and chase the old utility company if they haven't refunded my credit.

I find if I try to load more than three to-dos on any day I get harrassed and stressed and end up running to keep in place, IYKWIM. Anyway, that's the way I do things, in case this may be of assistance to someone else.

I am now going to eat some more leftovers (the original meal has never been found, lol) and will have a beef sarnie later. The beef needs to be done slow and I was out too late to make it a sensible meal time, and will be too busy tomorrow, and Tues and Weds.........:D

whitewing

Long day at work yesterday so I was tired.

I am fretting a bit about money at the moment - the budget is being neglected by me (who does most of the planning) and DH (who does most of our shopping) is not being too co-operative, not out of nastiness; we are both a bit stressed on different things.

He wanted to flop in a chair all day and I wanted to just do one thing that would mark the day out as not being a normal work day. So it had the potential to escalate into a really rubbish day. We caught ourselves, and we have set up a folder of our priorities for the year (painting DS' room, some make-do furniture we want to empty and chuck) and so on. We also have a list of birthday, xmas and other occasion cards, and people we buy presents for. It's surprising how much the list changes over the long term, as people settle down, have families, pass away and so on. Anyway, I find I can save a considerable amount of money/get much better value for money by getting organised with card and present giving. I've also made a list of stockupables - brands/goods that we prefer that if I am organised can stock up on special offer. Both of thes help with the decluttering in two ways - firstly I get to have a stash (but one that is limited, regularly reviewed and useful) and secondly as I am decluttering other stuff, I know what our family plans are and can assess whether it fits in with that.

I feel better now, and DH and I are still talking. We've done some household chores so the place is tidy. I washed DD's rucksack by itself on a quick wash and it has come up a treat.

lobbyludd

RT - there's 53 things on my list now with 21 ticked off - but not all of them are "do now" things, I can prioritise them on the list (and actually just number the most important 5), the rest I know are safely on the list and will be prioritised when they become important. I was getting overwhelmed by trying to keep the list in my head.

I do have to confess to doing a newly spotted task, THEN putting it on the list and immediately crossing it off - this is not cheating:o this is a motivational strategy.

bags-o-shoes plus three more pairs, and the shoe cupboard and the already collected flotsam in the car taken to recycling centre.

I have popped up to the loft a couple of times and got things down and either used or got rid, so that is continuing to clear slowly.

I've also finished my year 7 homework (would have taken much less of my time if I had done it rather than cajoling, helping, encouraging, calming down etc).

I've had 11 days off too and also back to work tomorrow - so there will be nothing more than chipping away for a while.

whitewing

lobbyludd wrote: »

I do have to confess to doing a newly spotted task, THEN putting it on the list and immediately crossing it off - this is not cheating:o this is a motivational strategy.

.

Me too! I get loads done that way.

GreyQueen

Me three, amazing how good it feels, isn't it?!

I've had my bath, with a facepack on, and was admiring the thinning herd of pesky little containers of toiletries on the windowsill. Am down to three shampoos/ conditioners and three mini deodorants. Have plenty of shampoo and conditioner when the minis are consumed, will have to buy deo when the last mini is nearly done.

I have a bit of an anxiety issue with some toiletry items. Such as, what if I run out and there isn't any more in the shop? I know this is irrational and that there are several shops selling these products within 5-10 mins walk, and I pass them 7 days a week, so realistically not likely to suffer if I did run out.

Think I shall try running out of the last deo and then going to the shop for a replacement. One replacement. Not three, not two, just one.

Oh, I feel wibbly at the very prospect. Is this normal?!