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! :)

How's the new house 'feel' ?

Congrats on the house move.

Plus big congrats to all the successful sorting and cleaning that is going on, especially children's rooms (a special type of hell)

I have been clearing all my kitchen cupboards and chucked/charity a big bag of my clothes.

Tomorrow I need to sort out dining room children craft cubes and label them, so the kids know how to find what they are looking for. Plus sort through the heap of similar things which has developed just next to the craft boxes. Wish me luck :)

Productive :) Babies

Thanks for the kind wishes.

Oh, we definitely took our clutter with us as everything was done in a hurry so no time to actually sort through stuff.

We're actually filtering through things crap as we're unpacking and trying to find a place for everything.

Oh, and I have the room for a dressing table/ makeup space which will hopefully keep it from getting everywhere.

I love the new house, flat, actually. It's actually bigger than my old house and near a park and everything. Also, the old place was an absolute money pit, whereas this LL is on the ball.

Kitchen counter is at a premium and I love and genuinely use a lot of kitchen gadgets so we'll see. For now, my hands and arms are covered in cuts and burns because there's no room to cook comfortably and my legs in bruises as I'm clumsy.

How's everyone doing? I have been too down to do anything lately although I know part of the reason I'm struggling with life is the state of the house. Still new month today and I have promised myself I will spend 15 minutes a day decluttering in March and hope to see some difference by the end of the month. If not I shall run away to a remote island and leave them all to it!

Hi Grey I've been the same; I feel down and exhausted and spend my time for 'doing' asleep. I was hoping to do at least 2 hours per morning before work sorting my pig sty out. Nothing doing yet.

I went through memory box and got old toys out to pass to DD and have done bathroom. Old baby clothes and equipment gone to friends.

sorry you are feeling so tired Solo and Grey. I am gobbling up Vit D tablets in a vain attempt to reduce my inertia, and done a few runs too, that is helping.

Today I have managed to decide on colours for new sofa and a chair which is being recovered, it has taken me forever, the dithering has to be seen to be believed, but I THINK I have made a decision and can finally throw away odd bits of cloth mostly greige in colour. I've choosen colours that are light and airy as well as hide the dirt colours, I hope that this is a mood boosting improvement to my habitat!!!

Unfortunately time spent on this dither fest has meant even less meaningful housework

I managed to take the sheets off our bed and take all the laundry downstairs today, and clean half a bathroom. And empty the compost into the garden compost, big bucket of it waiting outsdie in the yard.

And threw away a lot of bathroom detritus, empty bottles, cardboard, an old moth eaten jumper that I keep keeping for gardening (why why?) and some seed catalogues (they are still there online aren't they?)

Otherwise, all shockingly sluggish and house a mess. Ds said he liked it this way, I think that is because his room is relatively tidy

Vit C is very good if you're tired, also get checked for anaemia.

We've made no real progress in the last couple of days as we're shattered and it's hard to get the motivation to clear/ tidy all hours.

How do you guys get motivated?

My motivation is sadly lacking, however today I did a bit of sorting! Got a days leave tomorrow and intend to do more!

I've done a bit of sorting the last couple of days-4 drawers in total but it just makes me realise what a mountain I gave to climb. When I start I can't understand why I've kept so much rubbish for so long and why I find it so hard to throw it away. Sorry i feel I'm always Miami going when others are making so much more progress.

Hope everyone feels better soon and has a good weekend. Weather is horrible.

Hope everyone feels better soon and has a good weekend. Weather is horrible.

I managed to put 4 plastic sacks in the loft. phew
the cleaning lady came and has hoovered which was an incentive
I moved some revision books downstairs
I cleaned the bath yesterday
I have just cleaned the loo
I have stripped sheets off various beds
I have cleared surfaces in the hall and thrown out a lot of paper as a result
I have put the vegetables in one place and combined two half empty veg boxes [sigh] and thrown away cardboard
I have arranged a blood test for ds1 (important, he may be more motivated and less tired if there is something I can supplement, like Vit D)
I have found a new battery for the wall clock
I have washed some laundry and put away some other laundry

otherwise there is still a lot of mess/hoard around but onwards and upwards

Got a week off next week and DD has started nursery so DH to blitz through attic conversion and Friday will be used to do big declutter.

brilliant Grey don't give up, but vent away if you feel like it, I find it helps to admit how bad it feels when I start sorting/cleaning. Really have been very depressed at thought of how to tackle the mess, but as always just a few small steps, like climbing a rock face crevice by crevice helps me. As long as no -one judges me or complains about how messy everything in the meantime. I had a really stern talk with dh the other day. I said to him, you MUST encourage me to sort things, just small goals, rather than the dissing the things that aren't sorted. As a result I managed to tidy my bedroom on Wednesday was it? It looks amazing now. It is heaven to sleep there as a result, instead of an incredibly lowering swamplike experience. I threw all the clothes in the cupboard and haven't properly sorted them yet (they are clean at least) but at least I hung up some and put some in the right drawers and shut the door, so was able to hoover the floor and clear the surfaces. Big black bin bag.

Now I'm torn, there are various bits of clutter needing to go places, out of the house...a book to one friend, some other books to charity shop, clothes to charity shop, mental clutter..pick up prescription..and go on an errand I have been promising myself for ages..AND need to sort out all the revision books/resources I have scattered around for GSCE (two gsce children here and one ex-gsce child) this is why nothing gets done...let alone exercise.

Must must go out of the house, I think that is my priority to get rid of the outdoor errands.

I get motivated by doing one thing Cheshire and trying not to think ahead too far, and once I start it gets easier. but time always seem to run out just when I am getting started, kids come home, other demands and duties, that's when one loses heart.

I'm pretty proud of the volume of stuff I've been getting rid of. It's pretty shocking how much stuff I have! I still have some areas in the house to clear out but I have two rooms pretty much done. As a bit of a perpetual hoarder it's become overwhelming over the last few years but I'm starting to feel "lighter" for want of a better word. Have decided the next couple of cupboards to tackle. I've found that setting a small goal and being tough with myself helps. And it's become easier the more I do

taken a bag of clothes, a jumper and 3 cushion covers to the charity shop. Very proud of myself as it was stuff I couldn't just give to any old clothing bunker; I wanted someone to appreciate it, so gave it to local charity shop which was quite a walk away. Reminder that someone out there wants my stuff, and it is not going to waste.

Now the dreaded pile of books I keep resorting. Will set out with those now.

books delivered to charity shop
and prescription picked up
exercise taken

Actually tidied a bit up today, cleared some of the kitchen, put a wash on and folded another.

I'm hoping I'll manage to clear the alcove of doom next as I could start putting some decorations there. Also heavily hinting to DP that I want a potted orchid for Mother's Day so I need the room for it!

I find it interesting what helps each poster can be very different ! I have made myself a daily/weekly/monthly checklist of household jobs which I want to do in priority order and laminated.

This motivates me as if I am not sure where to start I work my way down the list ticking (with a white board marker) anything that I do or that doesn't need doing.

I wipe clean the does nail sheet daily, the weekly sheet weekly and the monthly sheet monthly. I seldom get everything done but I like my lists.

I currently have kitchen and bathroom perfectly tidy and clean, at the same time. But stuff is migrating in upstairs and downstairs hall as we are starting to decorate.

I have decluttered 12 out of 16 cubes in the downstairs storage unit. Today I aim to sort out the remaining 4 cubes. Work on clearing the overflow bags of art stuff which should be in the cubes and help the children tidy their room. Wish me luck :)

Landing is clear
Bathroom is clean
Kitchen decluttered (but untidy and needs wiping over)
Bedroom clean
ds1 bedroom cleanish and ds2 bedroom grimy but clear/tidy

so that just leaves the dreaded playroom...and the living room is not too bad, bit of surface debris but essentially decluttered from ages ago

off to the Park run with ds2 now, I will do IKm instead of 5km

Babies lists of to do make me very very tense. whereas lists of Done cheer me up

Gone through old receipts and shredded ones not required.
All clothes either in washing machine, on clothes horse or put away.
Have to run errands but DD having a nap. Will go for lunch with her and run errands after.