The Hoarders Anonymous Thread Part Two...Still Sorting It Out ~ Together!

[Solo]

Sorting out the home when you're a hoarder (big or small) is never going to be easy and we should know! but having someone else to support you, talk about it with you and make you feel much less of a freak of mother nature makes a huge difference!

If you are any of the following:
A hoarder. In a mess. Untidy. Disorganised. Lazy with housework that has lead to something that you now feel unable to deal with. If you are ill and not coping with the housework. If you are emotionally attached to items for whatever reason. If you have a combination of any or all of these things or something completely different, please join us. No one here will judge you. We have something in common and we have a common goal. We share our ideas and we share our disappointments no matter how big and our celebrations no matter how small.

Welcome to thread number 2! :)

Welcome beg :)

Ah Solo I know the feeling my dear (((hug))) one day at a time - even one bit of rubbish at a time, we'll get there in the end.

Hello bed (I'm guessing it was meant to be bedhoggingboys :))

Cag

See, going slightly mad.
Bed You are so right. It is very hard going at times, but so glad you have your OH on board now :)

Thank you Cag and Solo. Yes meant to be bedhoggingboys I will amend it at some point. OH is very practical so has some brilliant ideas for storage.

How's everyone doing today? Yesterday we managed a little as DH went to start his new job but they didn't have him on the system, so they sent him home! He's there today as it's all sorted. But I was so glad we got an extra day together to chill and get a few jobs done. Especially because on Saturday he is doing a 12 hour run!

Today I've done sod all practically speaking. I have completely cleared one of my email inboxes now though, and have made great progress on the other. Unfortunately some of that has just meant (re)downloading lots of attachments, so in a way it's just moving the problem. Although much less cluttered overall as most of the thousands (yes thousands!) of emails were just marketing and didn't need any attention. I really underestimated how good it would make me feel, seeing an empty inbox! My Hotmail now only has 4 emails in, which are all order confirmations so can't get rid until the items arrive (don't worry, all but one are presents, and the other is from the Hotel Chocolat sale. Chocolate isn't clutter! :o). Gmail has less than 200 now but I've kind of stalled on that as it's all more important stuff like work-related things.

I seriously need to shift my arse now though. Got new pupils coming tomorrow and the living room looks awful. I know realistically that it's way better than how it was, but still. Will put a wash on - I've finally got around to washing all the things that were living in various floordrobes - DH's sports flags, lots of blankets etc, so they can be put away. Not sure what to do next though, have that annoying 'where the Jeff do I start' feeling.

Cag it sounds like you are doing well! :) and why don't you have separate folders on your Hotmail account? You can have an 'Orders' folder, a 'Work Stuff' folder etc; I do but don't always put them into the folders and it's great when you put them into them!

I have been busy again today! I have chucked out lots of paper and plastic rubbish. Still got lots and lots to do and it doesn't look like I've done that much, but it feels a bit more productive than it has for a while :)

Well done Solo! Any progress is progress!

I am going to avoid having folders for a while - before all I did was move them into the correct folders and then ignore them! So for now, I'm just going to try and deal with everything as it comes in. I still have a way to go on my Gmail so I will try and do that today. In the future I might set up folders again, but I'll see how I go without first. :)

Extremely tired and achy today so not sure what I'll get done. But will try and keep the same method of doing a tiny bit and then resting. We can do this! [fistbump]

Agree with bed. Even if you do a stint once a week it will eventually go down in the end. Had a few people say I'm doing really well even though I can't see much change.

Sold £60 worth on eBay so very happy even if it was only 14 things. The next time the boys need new shoes I can buy them guilt free knowing I have made that money and there is free space ( somewhere ) made too!

I am still finding the six little jobs a day Alps keeping on track. I don't do all of them or every day but I see them and it reminds me to do something - anything it all helps!

Also storing clutter out of sight is helping. Yes it's still there but it's neat and out of eyeshot.

I will not be a hoarder by summer. I absolutely will not and never will I let it build it again.

I will always be cluttered and have far too much but never again to judgy pants level. Unless they look under beds and in cupboards but they will not be allowed so there ;0)

Dh is painting while I'm at my mums. More bits on eBay this week. Can't do much with the kids around.

Keep going everyone!

It's tricky having a clear out with kids present, definitely! I wish I'd done more of this before we started home ed, but then I had zero energy for it between school runs anyway so swings and roundabouts etc.

DD barely gets rid of anything (wonder where she got that from :o) - I was astounded the other day when she got rid of an old dolls house, although I think it may be partly because the friend/neighbour who passed it on to her was a bit of a toxic friend IYSWIM, and she's moved away.

Anyway I've done a couple of hours of gentle decluttering today :) we ventured into the cupboard under the stairs. Not that you can actually go into it of course, because of all the clutter in it! DD had to stand on stuff to pass me things . Plenty of recycling has been put out, and a few things sorted into vaguely decent order. :)

It sounds good getting the clutter out of sight I reckon - if it makes the house look better I bet you'll feel more able to deal with it gradually :)

I did a huge post but I wasn't log in so I lost it. I'm trying to paraphrase what I wrote so sorry if it doesn't make sense.

I didn't think I had achieved much with children off however the front room which was tidied before holidays has remained reasonable tidy (think 30 mins to tidy and not an hour like before!).

Massive washing-up session including recycling has resulted in me being able to keep on top of washing-up but even better clear work surfaces has meant they have been cleaned. I do still have washing-up waiting but probably 5 to 10 mins worth not 30 like before!

Couple of loads has meant friend has bag of clothes for her boys, bin has some holey tops and some clothes have been put away (some piles left to put away).

Cag hiding clutter away is a good idea. I've only got one room and part of a room (kitchen) clear but it is inspiring me to continue with rest of house.

2boys that's brilliant! Well done. I can't trusted myself to do eBay would end up with stuff piling up so really impressed with people who do it.

Solo you sound a lot happier. I started my post thinking not achieved much then realised my habits are changing and for me that's probably the biggest thing, since they will be (and you lot of course! } what get me out of this mess and keep me out forever.

Cag, must spent some time looking for gifts from people I don't like anymore

Oh dear I bought some clothes for the boys yesterday ( 8 year old had two pairs of jeans that fit him and older boy needed joggers for his theartre club. They was all needed but I'm wracked with guilt so bought a change bag on eBay!!! Arrgghhh!!! I did say to myself "do I need this bag or do I want it?" Then I said "shut up! Of course you don't need it but hey life's short" and bought it anyway.

I feel bad. It's been a bad day here. More people around talking about my asd boy. I need to be firmer with his potty training and let him wet himself out and about hence thinking I need a cheerful little girly change bag for my dd and a holiday wheeled travel holder when out with him. I have around 20 change bags. Sigh. Might take the eight year olds jeans back to the shop.

I don't spend much on clothes any more but buying anything feels wrong now. I said nothing but shoes this year, now look at me :0(

What's the answer?

Ok I have had a stern word with myself. I can't buy things while I'm still clearing out. I'm putting .50p each day into a pot for the boys new shoes. If I can get through a month without buying anything ( other than food) I will up that to £1 a day. By July that will be the money for new school shoes. Then past that point I can spend it on uniform.

I shouldn't buy things while trying to reduce and declutter. I don't the CBT I did made a massive impact on me. But at the same beating myself up isn't helping. Five things in and around 20 things out this week.

Just wish it was 100 things out and zero in. This is my last few days of eBay listing so I'm staying off eBay in April too. Will build up another mini stash to sell ( my change bag collection maybe?!)

2boys Sounds like you have a plan. Here's to the money adding up quickly.

I am reading the Maria Kondo book and started collecting my stuff together.

I am sorting through clothes first, books second and everything else third (which is my biggest pile by far)

Clothes should be easy to sort but as I am losing 2lbs a week at the week, I want to hold onto a couple of the nicer small things, with the hope I will fit into them again by Christmas. (Else they will be thrown) But I reckon I won't have much left to wear !

On the bright side, I have cleared DS room, moved DS and DD1 into that room.
Plus I have reboxed all toys in DD2 and DD3 room. So they need thinning but they all have a home for the time being.

Randomly sorted our coat hangers out, two boxes to charity and the rest sorted by size and type.

So in one way, doing really well, in another we have so far to go.

Avoiding sorting clothes but did sort through loads of random piles of paper...leaving me a small pile too add to memory boxes and a massive binbag to throw.

So now I just have to keep on top of any incoming paper work.

Tomorrow jobs, food shop, change beds and clean kitchen floor.

I've stalled a bit! Had a decent couple of days at my mum's but now feeling a bit grotty thanks to dodgy throat.

Mum said we could keep some things at her flat now - she's cleared some space for us to keep some jammies/underwear for the DCs, and a few little toys and activity books. We stay there quite a lot now so it'll be useful, and it's been a good excuse to sort out a few things. We don't have another visit planned but I thought I should get the stuff organised now anyway.

Well so much for me getting it all sorted on my 11 days off pffft! It doesn't look much like I've done a thing!

With you there Solo - I've totally stalled and the living room is a pit.

I cleaned my car, kept on top of incoming paperwork but have yet to sort my clothes and dvd collection sat on the sofa !

Will aim to do dvds today.

How did it go Babies? I've not done anything really...

Sounds like my job will come to an end soon and if it does, I'm going to try to sign on and make the most of the time off by GETTING SORTED!!! I've had enough!!

Solo You sound very determined :)

I did the dvds. Threw a big bag. Small number we are keeping in a drawer. Some bagged for charity.

Still too nervous to start clothes.

To do it the proper konmari way. I have to pull everything out of the wardrobes and drawers and I am terrified, I will never put then back again !

But I will try Wednesday and see how I get on.
Trying to get the energy to finish kitchen and start sorting out the tall chest of drawers.

Oh Babies :) I've been determined for a lot of years, but it's just got worse and worse! It used to be one step forward, two steps back, but now it's maybe one forward, but 6 back :( it's soul destroying.

You on the other hand have been great since we started out on thread 1. so well done you!!

I have loads of backwards steps too. Times when I rebuild up mess again or buy new things to add to the general pile.

I tend to post when I am feeling positive and actively decluttering and don't post when I am feeling sad and doing nothing.

Solo You sound so down at the moment...(((hugs))) Tomorrow is another day, any step in the right direction, however small is valuable. You will get there one day, as you keep standing back up and starting again.

I believe in you and you believe in all of us and keep us all going forward in this thread.

Thank you

I fell off the fred, sorry.

I spent the Easter break gutting my kitchen. I have work surfaces, I even have cupboards that make sense!

I have also have a dining table in my living room that is on gumtree and not selling though. Whoops!