KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

GreyQueen

It's a shame that the curtains are proving so contentious, it's not like building work, easy enough to switch them around later. And if your Dad is the one looking at them the whole time, it seems only fair he gets to have his way. Ah well, these things are sent to try us.

I have several random things going up to the city on the bus and they won't all fit into my wally-trolley (it's 50% full of the large towelling bathrobe which has been repurposed from the unused here to be mine, my dressing-gown at home is already washed and waiting in a chazzer bag).

There are a couple of probably-too-knackered-to-be-donatable bags which were hiffed out of a decluttering session a few months ago but which didn't make it off the premises due to having too much else to transport (not having a car is a PITA in these circs) so they will make a one-way trip with me strapped to the luggage trolley.

greenbee

Enjoy your new bathrobe GQ Congrats on the progress. How long do your parents have to recover before your next visit

GreyQueen

greenbee wrote: »

Enjoy your new bathrobe GQ Congrats on the progress. How long do your parents have to recover before your next visit

May Day Bank Holiday. I normally come over about every 6 weeks, or on a Bank Holiday, whichever comes first.

maddiemay

greenbee- shame that your Ma is so fixed about the curtains, even if you are kind and don't say that she can change them again when he has gone, might you try, in your best kind, but firm voice to suggest that if she were in his position and having to rest a lot whilst feeling far from well and chipper that it is only right that he has curtains that make him feel more cheerful and less gloomy, after all he doesn't need things around him that drag him down. In fact who does?

I think that this is a bit of a muddle grammatically, but I am sure you will get my drift. Virtual hugs to you for having to arbitrate over such an annoying dispute.

I am sure that you and GQ are doing a great job. After my lovely MIL died FIL kept all her things in the house, he was not the most approachable man and OH and I assumed that this was how he wanted it to be, fast forward 2 or 3 years, by which time he was terminally ill too, he remarked that he had hoped that we had offered to clear things away for him. My lesson for the future was that I should risk a rebuff or a few off words and speak up:(

OH helped me bring a large pile of summer clothes down from the room of doom, a mega trying on session is about to commence, I estimate that 90% of them will be bagged for the CS, having lost 1 or 1.1/2 - 2 dress sizes due to illness, most were too big last year but I kept them JIC, and am still struggling to keep any weight on. Looks great from the point of view of having a trim and very slim figure, but less so in the face, as my BMI was only 22 anyway.

The upside is that the CS will have some great new stock and I am free to look in them for a few new things:D

GreyQueen

Igamogam wrote: »

Found thistoday whilst searching for info about my local council green waste collection - well where to get the free bags of compost from- waddya know cant find a thing on their website:mad: will have to ring tomorrow ! But I ended up looking at other websites and I thought others on this thread, those of use who are demon recycles, might find it useful!:D

I answer the phone for a council (not yours) and we'll be trying to do Friday's, Monday's and Tuesday's work all on Tuesday. Waits will be long. Why not send 'em an email?

ETA; Dad is being motivated to get some stuff out of the shed and garden and up to the relevent section of the HWRC, so he's getting that ready now, plans to go up there mid-morning tomorrow. As a pensioner, he thinks it's better to leave the weekends to the working people, plus it can get rather busy up there at the weekend and it's faster and easier to drop off on weekdays.

Mum's decided to release a beautiful handmade wool rug which sits at the foot of their bed. I'm a bit concerned about her tripping on this (a feature of Parkinson's is not being able to lift your feet up so well) and she's thought about this and decided better to get rid of it now rather than after a fall.

huston_kw

oceanspirit wrote: »

Hello to all newbies.

If anyone is thinking shall I go for it or not, just jump in and do your undies drawer and see how it makes you feel.

Thanks, I'm just finishing a coffee and going for it...

pavlovs_dog

on p37 of the thread - almost all caught up

Attic bedroom now tidy. Various collections corralled and put into attic storage to be kondo'd at a later date (there are more pressing matters to attend to in the interim). OH s-l-o-w-l-y coming round to the idea of kondoing some of his bits.

Treasures to leave the house include:

a laundry hamper ( I will remove the mummified arachnid within before donation)
badminton set (last used 8+ years ago)
Lots of packaging for recycling.

I've also resolved to let go of a suitcase that was used once and got damaged in transit. I missed the window of opportunity to complain to airline and claim compensation. It still has life in it, but isn't joyful. I will offer it up for free on gumtree in the hope of saving it from landfill. We'll need new suitcases for our elopement/honeymoon and have agreed that we will invest in better quality ones for that.

Found a fleecy blanket I had forgotten all about which can go in the basket of throws in the living room.

Next on the hitlist is the RoD, which has become something of a dumping ground. There is lots there waiting to be CS'd or sold on. I'm filling up bags ready to drop them off tomorrow. OH has the day off so he can help gopher them.

Off to a friend's house this evening. Wine and various naughty bits from stash will be kondo'd.

MMF007

OK so the decluttering at parental home (mine, not GQ's!) has been abandoned in favour of a Spring clean. It seems that Mum's eye sight was worse than she let on...... She's at the hospital all day today so I have taken the opportunity to get stuck in and have blitzed a couple of rooms. Due to their ill health they have a cleaner who comes 2 hours a week but it is a big house, with the aforementioned clutter and, hard working as she is, the poor cleaner can only do so much in the time allowed!
I recall a retired GP telling me that years ago, when they used to do more house calls, doctors made a point of asking for a glass of water at the homes of elderly folk. This was in order to check out the standard of washing up because grubby pots were a sure sign of failing sight, often un-noticed by the patient, or certainly not brought to the attention of any health professional.
I have spoken to said cleaner now, to see if she could do any more hours and she said she could. I will discuss with mum, who has lots more hospital appointments to attend in the next few months, and see if she will accept a bit more help.

It sound like you have reached capacity at your parents, GQ.
I can empathise entirely with you, Greenbee, my folks had a row about the heating and closing doors behind you that lasted at least 4 years until I heard it during a visit and advised them to just put the radiator on in the hall and then it would not matter if one of them left the LR door open for a fraction of a second.
Honestly, they get so stuck in their ways and stuck in the argument, they cannot see the wood for the trees. My brother and I sometimes have hysterics laughing about the absolutely barmy arguments the folks have, we even thought about writing a blog, they are so hilarious. My mum would also dictate what curtains dad had in his room!

Hope everyone who needs storm damage repairing gets it sorted asap.

M

GreyQueen

We've just been hanging out downstairs knitting and drinking tea - wouldn't want you lot to think I've spent the whole past 4 days decluttering, because I have done other things.

Mum remarked that this weekend hasn't been much of a break for me, because of wrangling Stuff. I dismissed that, because it's a break from my usual routine, I get three square meals a day and haven't had to cook a thing nor have I washed a dish, so it's a break of sorts.

Will be back home by 10 pm tonight then up bright and early to go to work (the joy of a holiday is tempered by the work not going away whilst we were eating chocolate).

Shame the weather has been a bit carp, would have liked to go walking in the woods with my Dad, but too dangerous in all the wind and it was raining heavily all morning.

Ne'mind. Let this be a deep lesson to us all - if you buy stuff and hoard stuff, you will eventually have to declutter stuff when you could be doing other things.

huston_kw

Okay this is harder than I first thought, I'm having a hard time with my undies draw.. I keep thinking of reasons (excuses) of why I should keep said item... I'm taking a breather and going to be ruthless, I think I may have to cut them up...