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.

Last few days I haven't done that much as DH on doing work on attic so I'm looking after DD so he can do work. Great as I get quality time with DD whilst work is done so it's my contribution!

Did however do small jobs, the ones that build up over days or weeks. So I've cleared living room again, tidied DD toys again and played catch up with dishes, washing and bills.

Opposite on decluttering but me and DH bought loads of art stuff for the kids to do together. DD loves it already.

Nothing done here either.

I'm not a hoarder. I live with one though. Would quite happily bin everything if it was up to me but I know it's not that easy! Going to be following this thread for tips and advice on how to live with one.

Hi all. Nearly 30 weeks pregnant. House still cluttered and messy. I know it's improved a lot but it's still bad. I even postponed my new pupil for this week.

I've been in a bit of pain with ligaments stretching etc so I'm feeling a bit nervous about doing too much. But it needs doing. DH off again tomorrow and we are having family round in the evening so that's a good incentive to get the living room done, but it needs to include properly sorting stuff rather than just moving it around!

Today I am exhausted after DS' birthday and party yesterday. I've written a list of other tasks though - I am a terrible procrastinator (you don't say! ) and get really anxious about replying to people, and thus have loads of phone calls, emails etc that need ploughing through. Hopefully if I can do that it will make me feel better and 'lighter' IYSWIM. I have also included catching up on this thread as part of the list! :)

Hi again. Feeling quite pleased as yesterday I managed about 20 items on my 25 item to do list. Lots of admin crap that I'd been anxiously procrastinating over.

Today I do indeed feel 'lighter' having cleared so many little tasks from my head. So had renewed energy (not so much physically!) to do some actual decluttering today. Caglets have helped fetching/carrying/putting away and DH and I have sorted through lots of little boxes filled with random crap - all those tiny things that don't really belong anywhere. Filled a massive bin bag so not that great an amount really but the living room looks pretty good as we have put a lot of stuff in the right place and the huge piles of crap under the table are now sorted.

Both DH and I getting a bit stressy and snappy now though so taking a break!

Hope everyone is ok.

Dh doing attic today, I'm in work all weekend (12 hours tomorrow, 12 hours Sunday night) and he has said attic storage will be finished today! So after my night shift plan to organise storage eaves so we can find things. I'm quite excited.

Then I will throughly start.bsthroom. I suggested seaside theme which dss loves so dh has agreed. Only done storage so far now need to do the actual stripping walls/ painting etc. Really happy it's coming together.

Sounds great flying!

I'm definitely flagging now so doing the little and often thing.

This thread has spurred me on to stop bloody procrastinating and get rid of the clothes I no longer wear!! My hoard of outdated stuff is now in a big bag ready to go to a clothes bank!

Next step, if I dare, shoes!

Cag I don't blame you. It's stressful enough and you have a baby to prep for too.

Welcome Fun I know the feeling only it's DH with all the clothes. He has most the wardrobe and all the under the bed storage for shirts and for the last two years only wears the same 3-4 shirts anyway . Trying to get him to sort through them.

I won't be doing loads as if I'm off with DH priority is him doing the attic conversion so I'll be mostly with DD. A month ago I got an academic diary for 50p so I use that to plan daily jobs. I figured if I can do one bigger job a day eg sorting receipts, organising set of drawers around DD sleep and day to day running that will be good and having a diary really helps with that.

Sounding good!
I'm not.

Today I bagged up all DD old clothes shes grown out of and filed last month's receipts.

DH has promised attic done by end of week (storage anyway). He procrastinates so much.

The clutter, I've read so many of the "150 things to throw away" " 100 items to remove to reduce clutter" I've not got mountains of old cosmetics or takeaway menus. I had a professional state that my home is cluttered. I don't see the clutter. I see the dvd shelf that is full and regularly purged of old/unwatched films, the bookshelves which are nearly ordered and also sorted regularly. The wall unit which has my treasured and much loved series books/films. The floor is clear, there isn't piles of stuff on the floor or surfaces. Paperwork is filed in relevant folders and put in cupboard.

So what do you people define as clutter?

Pandora you are most welcome to our thread but will that make you a "you people" too?

I don't have mountains of old cosmetics or takeaway menus either, my clutter is stuff that ends up notput away. A lot of it.

Yesterday the bed was stripped and today the bedding washed. I have sorted more of Dd's clothes and therefore added more to the C4C bags...I have put a big bag of rag bank clothes and shoe bank shoes in the porch and ready to go tomorrow and I will also aim to take the bags of clothing and bedding to C4C. Dishwasher loaded and on. Quite pleased I guess but loads more to do.

Oh and I sorted some of my Chinese Laundry dining room out by going through clothes. I put lots away of Dd's into a chest of drawers today too :)

Well done Solo that sounds great.

Well, yesterday I got lots done. Still a mess and I've had to move stuff from one place to another but I can see more floor. Oh and finally, finally I got rid of the C4C clothes and the bags of rag and a bag of shoes!
Big problem here today. My stop cock is seized as are the 2 inlet taps to the washing machine and dishwasher and guess who's new washing maching is coming this afternoon and old one supposed to be being taken away? Yeah!

Well, I called on the services of British Gas home Cover thingy this morning but, unfortunately he didn't arrive until after the new washing machine did so I some how have to get rid of it myself. What a lovely plumber though! So lovely; non judgemental attitude and if he thought anything he did not show it! So dufferent from the last time I had to call them out. Really young guy, so so pleasant! What an asset to his company :)
It's really nice to see a bit of progress at home and I think it's spurred me on a bit :) Fingers crossed!

DH has finished the storage eaves! He just needs to give eaves a quick hoover and paint the beam but on Friday DD in nursery, me in work and DH off so it will be all finished ready for me to do storage and organising this weekend.

Will make life easier. Still need him to renovate the whole thing but it means all the things we are keeping will have a home so our living room will look more like a home.

That's fab news Attic :)

I spent 3 hours this morning plumbing my new washing machine in; it's huge! but, no leaks and first wash done!

Well done Solo, sounds like a hard job but good it's done with now.

DH will lay carpet in attic tomorrow morning. Gutted I can't start tonight but gives me an excuse to chill out after doing accounts and quick tidy.

But tomorrow around DD naptimes will be sorting my eaves .

Storage eaves and washing machine! Yay!

Managed a little over the last couple of days. Spent some time in our room - the worst in the house by far, literally couldn't see much floor! Drop in the ocean kinda thing but we filled a bin bag plus some recycling, and got lots of random stuff put away in the right places.

It's so tiring though. We have done so much big decluttering this year (which is great of course, and I am pleased) that we are down to those tiny, uncategorisable things that don't really belong anywhere. It is extra exhausting sorting this stuff because it is hundreds of items and therefore hundreds of decisions. I'd had enough pretty quickly and you don't get the huge, satisfying instant hit of chucking big stuff out. This room is going to take a hell of a lot more work.

Other achievement was that I went through all the Caglets' clothes with them. Went in categories and they did really well helping make decisions. Loads of stuff gone and their drawers and wardrobe are now much more manageable - it's been awful for a while!

Cag decluttering really sucks it takes over your whole life. Hope you get your room sorted.

DH has laid the carpet. I've moved over and reorganised some of the boxes. When I originally filled them it was with stuff to keep but now splitting into long term storage and what we need access to in the next few months. Tired now so will do more tomorrow. Have told DH I hope to finish by Thursday which shouldn't delay attic as he is working anyway.

It really does doesn't it?! But I figure so does the clutter itself, I certainly feel like that is in control sometimes.

Great news about the carpet!

I'm at mum's for the weekend so can't do anything today but will have to give the living room another spruce up tomorrow - meeting our health visitor for the first time. Relieved we did quite a lot over the last couple of weeks in that room (no piles of random crap under the table etc).

Hope you enjoyed seeing your mum Cag and good luck with HV.

DD things are done in eaves. Need to organise randon bric a brac.

All you lovely people who have DPs who build storage and lay carpets and such, take a moment to give thanks to whatever you believe in.
Said someone who is currently trying to move house on her own while doing 2 jobs and looking after disabled DP.