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

[Solo]

Are you are any of the following? Can you be described as a clutterbug? Are you 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 cannot just ask someone in for a cuppa at a moments notice or dread the meter reader asking for access.

Are you nodding whilst reading any of these words? 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. We cheer one another along and drag the drowners from the depths of despair.

Join us; we don't bite :) Welcome to thread number 3.

feeling ill today so I think putting 3 catfood boxes in the bin may be my limit to decluttering/clearing. I did the washing up last night, badly. The leaves are still in the front garden. I did move some camellia pots into the rain that was falling ferociously, they were very dry. cannot seem to get into a watering routine.

will update when there is something more positive! okay I am going to wash some backlog.

oh blimey I just lost a quite long reply. How annoying!

I'll try again.

I have got a bag of things I want to drop off at a charity shop this week, I'll feel good for getting that done. Of course now I'm realising I could probably find some other bits to go to a charity shop but maybe I should not let those thoughts allow me to procrastinate on this. I am sending my Christmas presents from MIL to the charity shop. She sends them out in a parcel from the UK to Australia and it cost her 17 quid this year. I used to feel all sorts of guilt and disappointment with gifts from her, these feelings would malinger and eat me up. So these days I open the presents up early and then give myself some time to decide what to do with them. Last year for example I tried for at least three weeks to convince myself they were lovely presents and I'd try and wear the PJ's, but they were too scratchy and I realised I was being ridiculous. They used to be the sort of thing I'd cringe when I found them in a cupboard a few years later. So this year I opened them up and put them in a bag, and then this week I'll take them to the charity shop. That way I do not have to use up so much mental anguish on them. I'd much prefer for her not to spend any money on me at all. I think she enjoys the shopping, but this year I really feel that seems like a lie I'm telling myself and I simply do not know why she sends me awful gifts every year, especially because of the extortionate postage costs. I really must not give up so much brain space to this issue!

I need to google how to fill up my windscreen washer, it's been empty for about three weeks and it annoys me every day. I need to get that sorted out.

I did not get any Christmas decs up today like I had wanted to.

How are you all doing? Is it really cold where you are now and wintery? We've hit summer now so it will just get more and more hot and stifling! A few months a year you just have to grit your teeth and get on with it even though you melt every time you step outside.

Downudderer I'm allergic to anything except gold [or fabric] jewellery, and my mum and others in the past have given me very nice but immediate scratchey reaction stuff. I plucked up courage this year to just say I cannot wear it. Could you do the same with your MIL, say you only can wear organic clothes [excezma/allergies], and there is a company that you absolutely love, would she mind giving you a voucher towards a special purchase. Alternately say you love books perhaps? It is difficult to go wrong with a book purchase in the sense that you could give her favourite authors or themes? And much cheaper to send too. It does seem a pity not to try and channel her desire to buy you presents!!

I've put the Ikea yellow wardrobe together. Unfortnately tha thas created more mess, lots of cardboard tha tI haven't yet cleared up, but I've managed to clear the hall by putting coats from there in it. And thrown away various bit sof rubbish and paperwork as a result of streamlining the downstairs room in which the wardrobe is going. It doesn't look as if it is in the right place just yet, but I hope I can sort the room out soon, 3m by 4 m with a large sofa, a wardrobe, a large wooden console unit AND two opening doors to other rooms...stuff of nightmares trying to change things round endlessly in there. But my new partition wall will help. as there is a bit of extra wall now.

I looked at the mantlepiece in the front room and feel a bit calmer that I can just move all the ornaments and put them in the loft when the xmas decs go up there. A straight swop.

threw out a lot of cardboard from the cupboard building today.

nothing else done. except some washing. and groceries bought.

hall is still clear

threw some more [household/recycling] rubbish away and still keeping hall clear.

cleaned bathroom
cleaned utitility
hoovered landing

otherwise not really any progress with the decluttering or putting things properly away.

My "study" has silted up again. At least it looks more like a work station now.

I managed to use up something from the freezer and lots of veggies from fridge instead of buying food I didn't need.

a long way to go, but taking regular little bites of the elephant. Oh yes I emptied the bathroom bin and dd's bin, and brought all the clothes down from our bedroom to be washed (although I haven't washed them yet)

washed the door mat x 2.

dd and I decluttered her bedroom. we didn't manage to throw any clothes away but we removed a lot of "paper" clutter and rationalised a lot of her makeup and odd possessions. A whole laundry basket of paper!

It was interesting how upset she became half way through, about unrelated stuff (not to do with tidying) and how quickly she became really interested in sorting out her room, but still needed support and help and a feeling of no "pressure".

I hoovered it after that, and took a lot of the unsorted clutter out to deal with later.

It looks so much better, and there is a calm feeling now. She is a child who treats her room like a "nest" , likes stuff all around, but then gets overwhelmed by the mess and cannot find anything.

Nettle I'm your DD!

Except my whole house is now a nest. And a nightmare.

You're doing brilliantly, helping her deal with these habits while she's young

that's kind Buffy. Today I am feeling a bit like I cannot be bothered again...all the house needs is a bit of tlc and tidying and I just have lost interest again...seems I can only do big declutters.. I think I need to go out for some fresh air and come back refreshed.

I've been driving around with my bag for the charity shop for a week or so. I need to actually get it to the charity shop!

I filled my windscreen fluid, I only used water because I don't know where the wash-liquid is.

My whole house is a mess and unorganized and there are probably ten empty cupboards. I've invited a friend over in ten days time, so that will be my deadline! I don't need a perfect house, but a pretty tidy one is going to be what I will aim for.

I put up some xmas decorations, they look sort of not how I thought they'd look, so I'm hoping I can improve them with some fairy lights.

My garden needs some attention too.

I hope you're all managing to tick along x

down you are ahead of me with the christmas decs.
I have one big advent calendar up though on the cleared hall table.

put sheets back in airing cupboard
and I emptied the big big pile of recycling into recycling bin

milkman left me an angry note because I hadn't brought his christmas card indoors and it was still in the crate when he came back after the weekend... gosh it doesn't take much to make one feel a failure about being disorganised..if only he knew how hard I had worked to even get to the point of taking the wretched milk bottles in!! and putting clean ones out!!! ridiculous I know

someone is coming to supper this evening, and I've m ade a fruit crumble so I am pleased about that, and several paperworky tasks done today, not actual tidying but online thingies..in my new study that is v positive for me.

I bought some window cleaner and some extra water for emergency cleaning,and keep in the car with a cloth now, in case the screen needs cleaning. I don't think I've ever put detergent in the windscreen wipes for last 15 years!! maybe they do it when they service the car... actually I admit I don't even know how to spray the car or where the button is (don't really drive much)

Hi everybody! You all sound great :). I've done nothing much except keep up with the laundry and yesterday, Dd and I changed the bedding and I got it all washed.

I have not sent out a single Christmas card and I don't even know where they are! And I refuse to buy any more of the blasted things!

I'm off to bed in a mo - early start again :)

Keep up the excellent work :)

I think two years ago I just didn't send any Christmas cards. Gosh it was such a relief, and the world didn't end. No-one minded, they still sent me Christmas cards... and the next year I felt a bit more keen on doing it again. This year, I will only send about 10 and mostly they are hand deliveries, I quite like walking around and posting them through people's letterboxes in the evening when the windows are twinkling.

I'm still driving around with a bag of things for the charity shop! I wonder how long it will hang out in the car!!

I sometimes send out Christmas cards, I didn't send any this year. I like sending them, but can never find the time.

I've put up a few more decorations, and there are more to go up but I'm not sure it they'll go up or not. Maybe if we have a rainy day.

I've done heaps of cutting back in the garden, it is just like a jungle so really needed to doing, and I enjoy it so that's good. I hate house work and tidying and so that's probably why it doesn't get done.

DH cut back some hedges and has halfheartedly tidied up after himself, I will try and clear up some more cuttings at some point, but not while it's scorching hot.

I have tidied up so much in the master bedroom, it was a disaster zone for the last 3 months or so that we've lived here. And Now it's about 80% done and looks lovely. I've got a friend visiting this week and that is the reason I've done it. I still need to clear the hall way of all the awful stuff piled up there and then sort out the dinning area. And the clean washing is just pilled up in a huge mountain. I wish everyone just had three t shirts and 2 pairs of shorts and could cope with that, but instead wee have ten million outfits per person!

I listened to audio books whilst I was cleaning and tidying for hours on end over the weekend and it was really nice.

audio books is such a good way to tidy and sort I must try that, just got out of the habit
Dh is ill and our master bedroom is looking so dismal, entirely my fault not his tbh, as it is all my stuff, just spending more time up there has shown the full dismalness!

I've faced up to the horror of Christmas Shopping and successfully stowed some things in the new wardrobe, so that is good progress from last years all over the place feeling. Really hate shopping now for some reason, I think I associate it with clutter and it seems pointless and like feeding a bad habit. there is clearly a balance!! I just need to find it.
Also ordered a box of christmas food so won't be getting bogged down with hoarding christmas groceries in next few days.

downstairs, the christmas room, front room, looks lovely, but everywhere else is a mess, piled high with clutter and I haven't done what I wanted which is to do christmas crafts and baking, because I feel there is no point adding to mess. the clutter is very demotivating on a creative level I find.

Udderer summer sounds heavenly, and so does scorching hot. I hate the dark days of winter here. But I need to find my cold days, hot chocolate and carols mojo, I know it is there somewhere

I still haven't posted the one christmas card I stamped and addressed
but I did manage to find an emergency present and wrap it to give to someone whose party I attended recently, that is an achievement.

today is going to be a good day, I am feeling positive, if a little tired; when dh is ill things seem to be calm but a little pearshaped

:) Just checking in...no progress here.

I'm relieved to see I'm not the only one who hasn't got around to Christmas cards yet! I didn't send any last year because DF died in November and I couldn't face it. I had bought some so I need to get them out. I'm hoping to get pressies sorted on Thursday.

tidied and hoovered my bedroom.
and the freezer is completely defrosted now
the bin men took some recycling and some food compost...otherwise that is it!
cleaned a loo and a basin too.

we had a "hoarding incident" here. dd's desk was so messy that a cat mistook it for a litter tray, and we had to rinse out and photocopy some worksheets. NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE. Her room is perpetually messy, but I hope she realises now that for the cats it is very confusing.

managed to have 10 people for a meal today (including my own children) and fit everyone into the house, and generally clear the main rooms to look respectable. Without cleaning bathrooms or hoovering corridors or really doing any deep cleaning. Quite pleased with myself for getting through it with honour, and the table looked beautiful! Blue and silver. And tree too.
christmas dinner still to come. More tidying required as older people coming, but luckily their eyesight won't be good enough to spot things stuffed in cupboards or grimey skirtings - all they like is clear surfaces.
sons helped a bit today, not much and there was a lot of aggro but things got done. in the end. ds2 even tidied his room a bit. eldest refused to do much.

presents of course, although delightful, bring new challenges on the clutter front. My sister bought me a beautiful item from a charity shop, a reminder that when you declutter you can bring pleasure to someone else. It looks lovely in my bedroom. She wisely suggested I give her something she actually needed, so that was great too. both of us were happy.

Merry Christmas to you all.

I'm lucky I suppose, that I don't get too much in the way of gifts. I don't need anything really but, I do want a new sewing machine and to tell the truth, I'd much rather anybody intent on buying me a gift would just give me a fiver or whatever towards it. It makes so much more sense to me.

My house still bombsite like. No tree, no cards up (didn't post any either) and nor will there be. Bloody freezing here, I am.

I hope you all enjoy your day.xx

oh no, Solo! You must put the cards up for your dd. On a string with clothes pegs? That's sometimes what I do if there isn't any worktop or surfaces..I find it cheers me to look at the pictures. Trees are overrated! A sprig does fine for me. I am so sorry you are still freezing. There WILL Be a solution next year, I am sure of it.

my parents have said their car is broken and they cannot make christmas dinner, unless I pick them up. this has sent me into a tizzy. it may mean I transport the dinner there, ready meal style..it could mean no tidying is necessary which is something. I feel really quite ill after the last event, too much trifle perhaps...so could do without any tidying..

btw our house is very much bombsite like. I put most everything in a wardrobe and pushed the door shut. I think I will get my comeuppance though when we start trying to find important things.]blush]