Hoarding - Springing Ahead

catshark88

Well, of all the strangest things. My decluttering of duvets has led to my buying 2 more....

We went through them all and recycled a couple of duvets, plus a load of bedding in a bed size that we no longer even have. I cleared an entire (though small),chest of drawers!

But I didn't have any spare singles, though I could have sworn that I did. With 2 small kids, spares are always sensible, so I ordered 2 spares from J0hn L£wis.

How do old duvets get so grotty though? I don't remember accidents happening to the ones I threw out, but they didn't look very enticing.....:eek:

Anyway, they've all gone and I have an empty blanket box and hopefully some space in the airing cupboard. Even better, we brought the electric blanket down too and that will go on the bed tonight. Toasty, toasty!

GreyQueen

Well, have read a book bought yesterday, on the same day that I got it, so that can go to the chazzer with the next bagful. I don't usually get into an area and haul out 2-3 bagfuls at a time, because if you did that with most of my belongings, you'd take everything of that category all at once. And I'd be left nekkid, and that's something you really don't want to see, trust me. But it is amazing how determining that finished-with stuff can exit caused a donation bag to grow progressively.

Have bought two new-to-me garments, which have been laundered and the one which needed work has been mended, so all ready for use. I find that I either do things immediately or they linger for ages.

I was thinking about poppies, as part of those things which cannot be disposed of BECAUSE (see my earlier post about the order-of-service). My folks keep their poppies, not because they're intending to re-use them, but because it somehow seems wrong to dispose of them. Disrespectful. Our family are very involved with the RBL and we buy our poppies from family members who sell them, but the getting rid seems to be a problem, which causes little drifts of red paper and plastic flowers to accrue in odd places around the home.

Perhaps we need a poppy-recycling-bank.

Knit_Witch

I have taken to wearing a wrist band (you know they type that makes you think the person left their clothes at the swimming pool :eek:), so I make a donation but don't take the poppy any more

thriftwizard

I'm sorting DS1's room; he's due a visit home next week. But he'll be able to sleep in DS3's room, which is very civilised, so I'm not going to bust a gut & panic over it, but I do want his room clean, decorated, tidy & organised before Christmas, when all the family will be home. Today I have sorted out a box of second-string vintage clothes to give away; it goes against the grain for a trader to do this, but I lost my opportunity to dispose of them gainfully at the car boot sales this summer and they're just plain in the way now; I don't want to store them any longer. I have enough good stuff; I don't need to hang onto the "B" grade bits. They can go into someone's dressing-up box, or to help a new trader.

There's also a bag of fabric scraps & damaged table linen being released for someone else to play with. And potentially a box of books too. Then that's all my stuff out of there - but the room is still half-full. So I shall give due warning, then just shove everything around & clean & decorate around it. And if things end up with paint splashes - tough. And it will all have to find somewhere else to go before Christmas...

Half of me is just wondering what disaster is going to strike next, and prevent me getting it sorted... but I'll never get anything done if I fall into that trap again.

mtbbuxton

GreyQueen wrote: »

I was thinking about poppies, as part of those things which cannot be disposed of BECAUSE (see my earlier post about the order-of-service). My folks keep their poppies, not because they're intending to re-use them, but because it somehow seems wrong to dispose of them. Disrespectful. Our family are very involved with the RBL and we buy our poppies from family members who sell them, but the getting rid seems to be a problem, which causes little drifts of red paper and plastic flowers to accrue in odd places around the home.

Perhaps we need a poppy-recycling-bank.

Sainsbury supermarkets will be having poppy recycling banks in their stores so we can all now recycle them with a clear conscience

http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/media/latest-stories/2014/1031-sainsburys-support-for-the-royal-british-legion-reaches-an-all-time-high/

It seems they started the scheme last year

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/about-us/news/remembrance/recycle-your-poppy-at-sainsburys

I'd just like to say thank you GreyQueen for the insight given in your posts - it's helped me to liberate some of the emotionally tricky items I've accumulated over the years.

M x

GreyQueen

Oh bless your heart for that sentiment. Lovely start to my week.

And great news about the poppies. I shall take mine to Sainsbugs next week and shall be sure to tell the family so we can round up some more. Non-recyclables frustrate the heck out of me.

Picklepot

Hi all

Its that time of year when i start to become overwhelmed again. I am a 'closet hoarder' in more ways than one. On the surface all looks fairly controlled but under the surface every cupboard, drawer, loft , garage and spare bit of space is stuffed so that the things i do use regularly have no home. Often i deliberatly leave stuff on the surface so it does not get lost .I have phases when i get in a routine and things go well. This time of year gets to me when i realise how little progress i have made since i felt like this last year.
Because i am a 'churning queen' and have great trouble getting things out of the door, car boot and eee baying is a no go, i cant trust myself to keep the process moving.

So what i'm asking you lovely people is how i can kick start the process? what works for you when you feel like this?. I feel like i am literally drowning? . I opened my wardrobe this morning and had a minor avalanche of stuff tumble down.

How do you make progress when you just want to sit and mope and moodle, make lists and drink tea??

littlegreenparrot

Sorry to hear that Picklepot, awful feeling.

I'd try and break it down into small bits so it's not so overwhelming. Try and arrange things so it isn't such a chore. I find radio shows on the iplayer good for this, something interesting is going on, but I can also potter about, I also use it as a timer. So pick something good, (try radio 4 or 4 extra), make the tea, have something nice available to scoff after (I'm basically a small child who responds best to immediate rewards ).

Then pick something. The other day I chose the sport kit drawer (had only been overflowing for about 3 months, can't rush these things). Turf everything out, it only stays if it fits, is fit for purpose, is in a colour/style you like. Everything else goes to charity shop/rags.
You can see the clothes you actually like and want to wear.
Final stage is leaving the charity shop bag somewhere in the way, I find if I'm tripping over it its more likely to go!

Most important bit - have well earned cake

Repeat next week. Eventually you'll start to see the difference.

Picklepot

littlegreenparrot wrote: »

Sorry to hear that Picklepot, awful feeling.

I'd try and break it down into small bits so it's not so overwhelming. Try and arrange things so it isn't such a chore. I find radio shows on the iplayer good for this, something interesting is going on, but I can also potter about, I also use it as a timer. So pick something good, (try radio 4 or 4 extra), make the tea, have something nice available to scoff after (I'm basically a small child who responds best to immediate rewards ).

Thank you so much little green parrot. Partial success in the pickplepot house!

Took your advice ..chose a book on i player 'constable in love' (LOL)thought ahhhh it will be a nice little romantic bobby in the dales type story ..maybe bit 'heartbeat - ish' . Decided i had to stick it out for the cause when i realised it was historical about the painter ..but it was OK and only 15 minutes long... Long enough for me to weed 158 bank/credit card statements out of the file to be shredded. Then i went to tidy up avalanching wardrobe.

The not so good thing is i have not completed the process by shredding the weeded out docs and getting them out of the house neither did i chuck anything out of the avalanching wardrobe ..just tidied. I nearly binned a fluffy collar off a jacket i had always hated. The cat spotted it and thinks it is a great toy. I now see why he likes it and i dont...it looks like roadkill:rotfl:

littlegreenparrot

Well done! :beer:

Now - if you hate the jacket, ditch it (unless its the only one, but I'm guessing that's not the case?!) Cat can have the other bit until its suitably killed
You are also challenged to have dug out the shredder by this time tomorrow....