The Hoarders Anonymous #5

[CherryMargo]

Thread #1 | Thread #2 | Thread #3 | Thread #4

Is your house/flat in a complete mess? Do you often feel overwhelmed and helpless when it comes to sorting it out? Do you procrastinate a lot? Do you struggle to declutter due to emotional attachment or decision-making fatigue? Are you embarrassed to invite people in?

Then you and us have a lot in common!

Join in for advice, encouragement and support. Here we share our struggles no matter how big, and celebrate our progress no matter how small. Welcome to thread number five! 🤗

P. S. Here are the links to various methods mentioned in previous threads:

The FlyLady Cleaning Method by Marla Cilley
The Organised Mum Method by Gemma Bray
The KonMari Method by Marie Kondo
The Getting Things Done Method by David Allen

And Nordic sorry, there wasn't a post from you when I was writing mine! Great shelving!

Oh my goodness, Nordic, you have a showhome!! Utterly beautiful.

inspirational and really amazing Nordic

The linen cupboard that needs to be redone I’m sure by the time I get upstairs finally ...
Thanks for the encouragement, I need it ! It’s not all like this here but I’m
trying very hard to do it bit by bit and to maintain what I’m achieved . My body is working against me though so very slow going . Also living with 3 others that are not tidy and don’t care and a dog now too . Feels like a loosing battle all the time !

Hah I just realised I’m on the wrong thread 😁, usually post on the decluttering one thing a day one but also read this one ...

Nordic, such lovely organizing! If you've decluttered and got on top of your undersink/cupboards etc it must feel great. I too take photos of area's I'm proud of! I sometimes take before photos and they're always awful!

solo, great work with your charity shop drop offs.

Today I've scrubbed two more steps. I've got ten steps up to my from door, we also having a veranda. We're on a slope, so we have to go up steps at the front, but not at the back! Anyway, I've been doing two steps a day. Scrubbing them and trying to rinse them off, they get dark with sort of algae. I think there are three to go. They look quite good.

I've been gardening all day.

I've been sent a rug that I ordered online, it's the wrong one, so I'll have to figure out returning it.

Wow nordic 😍😍😍 fantastic!

Yesterday I unblocked a drain Downstairs, upstairs loft basin still not unscrewed at the pinch point under skirting, but Downstairs drain really was a serious problem suddenly, and ive found the gulley from dw, shower and kitchen wss blocked with a duster and a lot of sediment, so having remived that with my bare hands it is flowing normally again. Thank goodness.

Hoovered downstairs and stairs and wiped worktops, lots of laundry and recycling but tbh the backlog of "other" things still to tackle is depressing me today.
Greenhouse
Utility
Hedge
Paperwork
Lazy teens
Travel arraangements

Just aargh. And dentist tmw to top it all.

Have to go to loft to dig out some tax related info frim several years ago. Wish me luck...

Put my bad humour to work by declaring war on the excess plastic pots in the greenhouse and the sludge on one part of patio so have made two bags of rubbish to go. Also dealt with leaves in gutter and round it, in front porch and doorstep. Washed pet bowls too. Put another wash on. Unloaded and reloaded dw. Son one has gone back to another town for a bit so a bit less of bottleneck too regarding laundry and bathroom use!
Dh has bought new plants so he can now deal with the empty flowerbed; one less decision for me.

A few more areas I’ve done ( plenty more left !)

A better linen cupboard picture

Nordic you have a stunning home! Just beautiful. Welcome to our thread!

Thank you all , I will now just have to try to keep on going . Feeling particularly morose right now and still awake as well. My bad health depresses me so . I’m very used to having DH home doing everything for the past year . I wonder how on earth I’ll manage without all the help again and with our new dog too . Somehow can’t see myself ever improving I’m so restricted and just feel awful all the time pretty much . Sorry to complain but not in a good way

Nordic, getting outside with your new dog will be helpful I promise. Just seeing them sniffing around in the May greenery lifts the spirits. May I venture a large dog "blanket" or throw for sofa as snuggly dog sitting next to you (possibly muddy) also is wonderful pickmeup

Dog is currently sitting/standing on best chair staring out window as today is his dog walker day

Waiting

Yes doggie hugs really help me as do ones from DH and the kids . In our new house I can hopefully walk him short distances better in the lovely development that’s flat ground where as here we are on a hill and there a busy street outside . And yes I do have dog blanket for hugs on my bed and on the sofa he’s now allowed on since he’s housetrained generally . He’s lovely company such a sweet little doggie.

Just learned I lost another relative in my home country today , did not help my mood to be honest ... Today’s a day off and am cracking open an old Bellini kit I’ve gotten as a present ages ago . I don’t drink normally but tonight I will raise a glass with my DH in this persons memory .

kids have gone until Monday evening. I plan lots of eating , sleeping and washing.

Tuesday, I did nothing except be alone. in silence.
Wednesday. not a lot got done either., tried to get a new tyre but did not work out. will go to Halfords instead. (they are a bit more friendly)
Thursday, cross country trip to see mum in care home. nothing done. found the PE kit that had gone mising. I'd washed it.

Friday:
boys breakfast, school run
appointment: loaded chrome onto computer so I could access it.
snacks drinks and emotional regulation for dc
washed ds's t shirt (he very sensibly rinsed it and it was dripping)
started on the washing up catch up
cooked kids tea
cleaned out the bath plug hole and cleaned the bath.
cleaned basin.

Saturday:
made breakfast for boy
pack swimming kits, and pack for weekend away
lots of cuddling kids before they left. til Monday.
lay around and drink coffee and orange juice. I am deciding what to have for breakfast...

Yesterday I hoovered the loft/our bedroom
I'm on top of emptying food compost and recycling
I cleaned kitchen (just ordinary cleaning)
Scrubbed coving over cooker thick with grease
Scrubbed clock ditto
Washed dish cloths

Ds2 has bought us some yellow bedding plants, unfortunately my seedlings died when I was away for four weeks and slugs ate them. So we are back to Morrisons begonias strip bedding; very nice they are too!

We were meant to be tackling loft drain today but DH and sons are only concerned now with the football match. So it will wait a bit longer, I don't mind (the hoovering has cheered me up a bit)

Solo congratulations on the charity bags!
Chillied Layers of psychology to undo. I can really relate to this. It is very difficult when you’ve been brought up to be part of someone else’s hoarding beliefs. Somewhere down the line we have to re-educate ourselves.
Sing it sounds like you’ve made some important mental shifts there.
Miaowse I like the idea of reading your way out of keeping books.
Nordicmum, Hi, I thought I was on the wrong thread at first when I saw your amazing photos! As Solo said an absolute show home! It’s always hard when your body refuses to match up to your brain.
Sorry for your loss, expected or otherwise, it never gets easier.
Down Yay to the new curtains! I love the two steps per day. Actual and metaphorical!
Susan Good luck eating, sleeping and washing. Sounds reasonably peaceful. Am in slight envy of orange juice and coffee…
Nettleskeins Well done with the horrible drain and sludge. These things are depressing, but there’s something to be said for coming out the other side. I hope you found the tax papers.
Lovely photo, you can just feel the pent-up enthusiasm.

I decided not to inflict the day by day of what’s been going on here on everyone and am just going to sum it up with its ongoing contractor hell from which I have three days off. So far have cleared up the worst and ground to a bit of a halt. Think next step is getting everyone fed and working out which way up is.

Solo, I've looked at the Mr men books and they aren't actually complete or in a box and decidedly manky paperbacks...probably not worth passing on except to longsuffering relatives

Swept up some dust bunnies; used some very old bottled water to water the plants then recycled the bottles; sorted some of the post mountain; recycled junk mail and envelopes. I have a stack of papers to move upstairs for eventual filing but it’s still on the stairs at present. It’s quite sunny where I am, so might do some gardening later. Weeds grow so damn quickly...

Removed from loft (to go) 8 school shirts for a 8 - 10 year old, and anunused loo seat in packaging.
Didn't find tax info though, at least I now know it isn't in THAT bit of the loft. It is surprisingly clear of everything except a few boxes of letters and some train track/Sylvanians which i will keep. My hit and miss clearouts over a few years now are bearing fruit!!

I also found a dustsheet. Handy for painting the back window sill if I get round to it...

Sorry for your loss Nordic

Enjoy your break from workmen Elleherd

You've been busy miaowse

Glad you're starting to see results nettle skeins

BlackeyedSusan "nothing except be alone, in silence" I felt that! If you needed it then you needed it.

I've been scrubbing something clean ready to photograph and sell. Took ages.