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! :)

The alcove of doom is still... Doom-y. Not sure it'll get done today as DP moved some cupboards in the kitchen and I'll have to tidy up what's left. Still, we're making progress.

we've had a mixed day. On the plus side dh and I managed to put a trellis (6 months to a year wait for that) buy some spring plants, move some existing plants around, involve ds2 in some gardening, unload and load dw, and ds put a wash on too!

But twice ds asked if someone could come round (these are random people not people we know well, so a certain amount of hostessing required) and my reaction was NOOOO! so things must still be pretty bad, at the very least I don't want anyone to interrupt our efforts to sort things out, judge the interim stage etc.

Garden looks messier than ever, although we have done loads. Now another thing to tidy up. And the DRAIN IS BLOCKED boo hoo.

Spent a fair amount of time convincing ds1 to go out for a walk and trying to give ds2 jobs, it all adds to the tension.

Tomorrow I am tackling the garden rubbish and drain and replanting an enormous bamboo and using a large wicker crate which has been hanging around for this purpose for six months, another example of hoarding, but I need to do something with it or just chuck it.

Well I have another four bin bags to go....but not much looks different :(

On the plus side DH has started decorating downstairs, which is great :)

Ds2 sorted out all the revision books for and I've put them neatly in a cardboard box so we can see them, instead of teetering piles
Dd has unusually, decided to completely tidy the utility room for me because she couldn't bear it any longer. And she has sorted out the vegetables/cardboard boxes for me.
RESULT

Woo Hoo!! All going great guns on the thread! Even me! I took Dd to dance this morning and got home at around 1:30. Dd sorted some of her toys out including some to go! I have done 2 wash loads and 1 dw load (still on) and I cleared up and cleaned part of my kitchen work top, the sink and draining board too, plus i wiped the cooker top over ~ all of which doesn't sound like much, but I am quite pleased :) Hoping to do a bit more tomorrow and I have Monday off and am determined to do as much as I can then too including take out a few bags of clothing to the C4C which have not moved but have been added to over a very long period of time . I have bought a new washing machine as mine is playing up, so I have to get it all sorted out. I've delayed delivery until 23rd so that I have some time to do it all before arrival of delivery men. I will also hopefully be able to get the water people in to 'survey' my pipes for a meter.

Oh and I changed the bedding too (and washed the ones that came off) :)

Fantastic everyone is having a good weekend ! Keep going ladies :)

Today I am going to take the kids swimming, buy DD2 some new school shoes, put away two loads of laundry and wash/hang out another two loads. (I do minimum of two loads a day and that keeps us ticking over.)

Then later do homework/bath/school & work clothes out. :( Where does the weekend go !

If I have any spare time, I will try and collect another bin bag. As I will be taking the other four bags to the tip tomorrow abd if I can add more bags to take, that would be great.

Wow well done everyone!

Had an empty hamper on Friday and yesterday did 4 loads! No idea where it comes from.

DSS and DD have switched their clothes storage units around as DD will make more use of wardrobe and DSS prefers drawers.

Today going to take DD out to playcentre, tidy room, give DH time to do attic. Need to start on living room this week.

And finish accounts.

Loads of other faffy errands to do.

I've unblocked the drain in the garden (kitchen sink/shower/dw drain)

I've cleared some things out of the greenhouse

planted up some malingering things from last year (overwintered bedding fushias, scented geranium)

put all the black plastic pots neatly stacked behind the shed

swept the back part of the yard

assembled pile of rubbish

dh made lunch, we are off to friend's at three, but now I've run out of steam and I desperately don't want to get covered in mud again. Children still needing a lot of prodding to do anything...and that always makes me feel frustrated and bleugh..

will try and finish the revision clearing in the playroom, and hoover the floor in there. New sofa covers coming from ikea on the 8th, blue and white ticking YAY! (to replace mud brown)

Well done knitting.

Cleaned out food cupboard and checking what we have/ need to get. Made family spag bol and one spare portion for DH tomorrow as he is doing attic conversion. Really need to sort bills and change batteries in loads of DD musical toys.

Finally did last load of clothes.

Going to tackle rest of kitchen now.

Have just washed up a saucepan that has been sitting in the utility (with burnt stuff on the bottom) for two weeks!

Dh cooked the supper and I've been to Mass, so I think I have the strength to tidy the kitchen a bit better than usual, and wash all the dishcloths, and possibly sweep the floor

Also ordered three plants for the garden to fill a big empty spot on the fence and in the border, so that I stop dithering over that and moving plants around unnecessarily.

Did nothing today.

I did the things I planned yesterday and I also collect a few more bin bags for the skip. I am going to the tip tomorrow :)

I also categorised the pile in our room. It has took most of the last three days but it is finally getting there.

I managed to divide it into sections
sentimental (to be done next to last as it takes ages to decide what to keep)
crafts (about 1/3 of the pile !)
electronics leads
swimming
christmas (as I wanted to organise this set before putting in the attic)
halloween
bedding
camping
summer (hats & sun cream)
winter (spare hats & gloves)
Plus one bag of small stuff which I found whilst sorting out the above. I will leave this bag to the end.

So hopefully now everything is gathered together, I can get sorting properly and get rid of this pile once and for all :)

It will take weeks though, as I promised myself no more moving stuff around. It either finds a home or goes. Slow and steady I go.

Another load of clothes has accumulated now it never ends.

Loads of clutter piled in dining room waiting to be tackled.

Right now nice cup of tea and shopping list though. DH is going to take DD out at some point today which is my opportunity to finish upstairs and kitchen (Upstairs done really but trying to keep on top of it each week).

Solo I bet you did something...dd, cooking, talking to someone. It is all important

today I feel a bit more empowered after reading Babies list. that's what my piles are like! I need a camping pile I have so many odd things that never find a home, like compasses and walking boots and trail handbags!

but today I have to get ds1's violin restrung grrr, why does he suddenly throw these things at me. And take him for a blood test. I am putting off prodding him out of bed. Ds2 seems to be getting ready and dd has already gone to school. I've been up since 6.30 pottering rather ineffectively but i feel positive.

And I brought 2 plates down from ds1's room (keeping it tidy) and took some washing up and sorted it out.

new blue and white Ikea sofa cover has arrived, looks light and airy, in the messy playroom.
Beginning to sort that room out. Next steps to degrime the paintwork

We did some more gardening today, it is looking worse and worse out there, like the Somme patio strewn with rubbish from our efforts, we gave up when it started pouring with rain. Some plants planted though.

Put some washing on. Threw away some old shampoo bottles.

Used up some vegetables!

Not much but a little progress...Cats are loving the new sofa, so I've ended up putting a sheet over it for nighttime

Violin still not restrung though.

I am stripping beds to put a load on, before my shower, before the school run at 8.30 am !

Plus I woke up to a still clean bathroom & kitchen. Still have 'the pile' and the camping pile and loads of other rooms to sort but having bathroom and kitchen tidy really helps :)

Ps. I found a charity shop, I can park outside in the way back from the tip, I have took two half car loads there with the other half to the tip...This is why the kitchen/bathroom are good today.

Managed to do the living and dining room (well 2/3 of it) and lots of things packed for storage or charity.

DD really ill yesterday so did nothing except ash bedding she was poorly on. She is perking up today.

Today plan is to do bills, organise stuff to bag to charity and chill out with DD so DH can do attic.

oh dear, today we are back to ground zero again.

Loads of washing up
dirt on all the floors
laundry backlog

I need to get going. Will report back. And son has messaged me asking for his violin to be restrung!!!Aargh. He should do it himself [grrrr]

We all fall back at times but that doesn't follow that we are not making progress overall.

I seem to be getting some where with the living room. Just going to spend the afternoon sorting through the kids art boxes, before the school run.

Will report back later :)

put a wash on
moved some more rubbish towards the back gate of garden
compost in bin

and I've found the reason for ds1's incredible sloth and inactivity -never putting laundry in the basket---, blood test has revealed he is Vit D deficient (he looks v pale/fatigued atm), and dr prescribing a big big supplement. So pleased there is a solution, which is not about parenting or sn management or indeed decluttering Fresh air and exercise outside is after all the best possible medicine, once the supplement has kicked in.

DD was in nursery today so DH and I had a productive morning: He has almost finished floorboards in attic and I tidied bedroom and living room, hung clothes outside, sorted DD toys, cleaned sofa bed and plastic tubs in attic.

DD back home early as nursery said she is poorly. She is sleeping upstairs so I'm doing smaller things downstairs. DH taking DSS out.

Washed up all the outlying saucepans and frying pans (all 7 of them)
wiped and cleaned the kitchen surfaces
hung out some washing
threw away some recycling

haven't really tackled any hoarded stuff today though, apart from a few things in the garden (like the 3rd Cat litter tray I was keeping for emergencies, which is GOING)

still, if the rest of the house is tidyish I may be more tempted to declutter/feel positive about change