Hoarder's Anonymous, Part 6

[Solo]

Well, here we are embarking upon part 6 of our epic journey of sorting out our homes.

We are a varied group of likeminded householders that are leading somewhat challenging lives; be that living with too much 'stuff' that we find difficult to deal with, houses that are falling apart (mine included), health issues within the family unit, wider family, or ourselves that makes sorting out our households challenging, to say the least. So...

Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us for support, adding their own ideas to help others out, storage ideas, even tips on actually getting those items out of the house which sounds so simple when you say it. Encouragement abounds here, and we do not criticise. EVER! We even try not to criticise ourselves as it's not helpful to anyone.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, don't know where to start, can't be bothered but really do want to be bothered...think you are lazy, just need to see it in print here...we'll help. We'll virtually fist bump your achievements - small or large, and virtually hug you when the need arises, and if you want a hug, just ask because we are here for you. Here for one another because we get it - the highs and the lows, the art of washing up is sometimes our great achievement of the day, but it's still an achievement.

Welcome to thread #6 of Hoarders Anonymous - Carrying On Sorting It Out

HERE

I agree @FiniteSagacity kids really can let go of things easier than we can, we can learn from them :)

Sticks head over parapet to wave to all old and new, and try and restart. Sorry it's a bit me, me, but basic update:

Physical health went completely over summer and totally hospitalized by autumn. In and out for weeks on end since. Finally properly out but have lost a lot of mobility and muscle and mental energy.

It's a disaster here and I could weep. All the progress I made is not only gone but totally buried, and there's so much water damage from above us that's just been ignored. Everyone's depressed, and lots of blame games.

A few days ago (adult) dc finally realized I really had, had enough and was deliberately ignoring Christmas, (I've repeatedly warned that I eventually would even though I used to love it) and made lots of promises that if I agreed to try and create some sort of Christmas, they would help sort out the situation.

So yesterday started trying to make some order out of what is now horribly out of control and hard to know where to start.
TBH I've no energy and can't see how a Christmas in the middle of it all is going to be ok, or achievable, but I'm trying to to rally myself to do things and make the promise of concerted effort from others, real. Afraid I don't really hold out much hope, but know if I do nothing, then nothing will change and things will just get worse.

Much love to everyone who is struggling. It’s so overwhelming, isn’t it.

I’ve made huge progress today. I’ve cleared out a huge amount from a room which I use as a dumping ground. It needs to be more useable over the holidays, which is why I absolutely had to make inroads in there. I’ve donated two crates of books, my DSIL is hopefully taking two large bags of toys, and I’ve thrown out two bin bags drill of rubbish/recycling.

Thanks for posting WellTidy, i thought I'd be own my own here.
Yes it is overwhelming. Unfortunately everywhere here is now a dumping ground!

Well done with your progress, hope your Sil comes good, and if you're still at it tonight, may the cleaning de cluttering fairies be with you!

I have another one/ to two hours before more people are back and need the floor space I'm using to sort out in, so back later...

own my own? On my own!

Hoping for progress for you all. I’ve managed to engineer a Christmas of just us (assuming no lockdown/positive tests all other family are together), which is actually a load lightened as our living space isn’t great with piles on our spare armchair!
Hoping to get some help to chip away at it while I have a bit of time off work.

I’ve had another burst tonight and I’ve sorted out all the duplicates. My youngest has severe SEN and we will be in the diplomatic stage for a while I think. Hoping that he will engage more with it now that it is sorted.

Many people would keep going with all the sorting and throwing and everything now that they’ve started. I know myself well enough to know that my bursts are few and far between. I wont do anything more tomorrow even though I have plenty still to attack.

How did you get on @Elleherd?

Good luck Finite.

It's definitely only us whatever happens. This is beyond anything that could be seen by any who haven't been party to causing it.

Five carrier bags of additional recycling, one bag of rubbish, and two kitchen drawers (was going to repair) ready to go.
It's a start and I've managed to throw away several things that needed to go but I was holding onto, which is good in terms of mental progress, but they're small so not much difference in terms of creating immediate space needed.
Have had to stop for returnee's and really unsure if it's even possible to do this in the time. It's my own fault but I'm beyond fed up with myself.

-duplicates = duplo

Any progress is good progress.

That's really strange WellTidy, I could swear blind your posts weren't there last night and there was just Finite's!

Well done with sorting out the Duplo, hope it helps Ds access it better. Life can be so very tough.
As to bursts vs continuous, I think we all have to do things in the way that works for us and ours, especially in more extreme circumstances.

I'll be trying to keep going because there isn't an option if there's to be any chance of making space for a tree here, not tbh because I want to, but I've been stupid trying to force the issue of it all being made my problem, this year of all years.

As well as trying to clear space, I have to find where that 'wanting to' got buried...

Made the space which included another couple of bags of recycling/rubbish out.

Sorry to be a bit glum, but am hoping writing it down might get some of it out of me and prevent me minimizing it to myself later as I need to stop drifting.
We all went out to get a tree earlier, which unfortunately included a miserable row and we came very close to no Christmas at all. (Sadly we all want very different things from life, and I'm not in anyone's plans but am expected to be self sufficiently around in the background at the same time.)
We did end up deciding to get a tree anyway, and the other's have now gone off to do shopping and see a film while I try and reset myself and find some Christmas spirit and energy and do something worthwhile with the tree.

hoping you found the Spirit of Christmas Elleherd.

I need to find the spirit of tidying up.

Children back soon. I have caught up on a lot of sleep today. got home ridiculously late last night. chucking down with rain and we hit a pothole or several very hard in the dark/rain and have got a puncture in a tyre. Noticed a slight noise when on the motorway. Nowhere to stop in the rain/dark/middle of the night. We are home safe but I will need to buy a new tyre. Got to sort out how to manage getting the car to the garage as the tyre will be completely flat by now.

Starting on sorting out the flat:

Hi. I've not been on here for a while. I've not achieved much recently.

DownUdderer nice to see you. There's time yet.

BlackeyedSusan Not found it tbh, but still looking.
Well done for getting everyone safely home on a deflating tyre! Hope you can get it to garage without too much faff.
Good luck on flat sorting, let us know how it goes?

Took Christmas day and boxing day off completely. Did manage to throw away all the Christmas wrapping and ribbon, pathetic to some but mental advancement here, and made paper bands round remaining wrap to try and keep it tidy.)
Currently staying at relatives, going back in a couple of hours with Ds, with the intention of clearing stupid amounts from two rooms in order to allow contractors in. I can't believe we're back to this, but we are.

Main focus of today will be making access and noting damage and repairs that need doing, (and not allowing Ds to implode or explode) but am hopeful of some disposing too. Anything landfill and some recyclable can be achieved easily enough, but other stuff's more difficult currently.

Hello all. We’ve had a massive influx of stuff. A few perfect choices, along with so much we don’t need/won’t use. I wish there was a way to opt out without causing offence.

I have done very little bar get rid of most of the packaging, wrapping and empty boxes. I have also bought myself some new clothes in the online sales, but if I keep new items I will be putting holey old stuff in the rag bag so it should balance out.

Good luck with the tyre BlackeyedSusan - I drive past adverts for places that come to you to fit new tyres but I don’t know how much extra they charge. Rubbish time of year to have this unexpected expense.

ElleHerd it sounds exhausting and stressful. Good luck with getting the rooms cleared with minimal pushback and maximum help from Ds.

DownUdderer I feel exactly the same. Several times I’ve started posts then deleted as I don’t have anything positive to contribute. But I like reading updates even if they just say “no progress”. We’re all doing our best

WellTidy a SEN house here too and we have ridiculous amounts of Lego (and still have all the Duplo )

FiniteSagacity wonderful you’ve been able to make that mental shift and are finding it easier to let go of things that are not needed for “the season you’re in” as the minimal mom puts it.

Good luck and well done to everyone.

Miaowse The annual influx without upsetting everyone is so difficult. Well done with the one in, one out, policy.

We didn't get anywhere far enough yesterday, but did make a good start, and managed to be civil but can't get Ds to do anything without supervision and I'm in a lot of pain.

Two large carrier bags of recycling and a picture frame gone. small number of items for the rag bank, (currently in vehicle as forgot to put them in!)
One carrier bag ready for charity shop, and a mattress currently in corridor that's going to have to go to storage for a couple of days until the dump will let us take it there.
Have realized I also need to pick up stuff from storage ready to try and fix up vehicle as the MOT is hot on the heels of contractors.

We're finishing brunch then going and getting on with it.

Hi everyone; I hope you are all well and have had a decent enough time for Christmas. Mine was okay Christmas day - unusually.

It's good to see some of your progress along the way. I've had no progress at all. I'm at work tomorrow ad then have 5 days off. I'm hoping to get a bit done over a few of those days.
I've mostly kept on top of the laundry and washing up.

I'm glad to say that I took it upon myself to suggest to my good friend that we don't buy for one another this year and that we perhaps have lunch together in February instead. She was fine with that.
I don't receive much in the way of gifts usually, and this year was no exception - and I don't need anything. Ds and his lady gave me a mug and a Pandora charm, mum gave me a charm, brother gave me a bluetooth speaker. I'm pleased with all of that as they take up very little space! Dd got a lot of art stuff which will take up some space, but that can't be helped.
Elle my whole place is also a dumping ground, so I feel your pain.

I hope I have something to report back to you all on soon.

Pleased to report that SIL came good on collecting some toys and also a pair of wellies and an ice cream maker (do t ask!) so they’ve all gone out of the door.

I am still patting myself on the back for my work on the storage room last week. Can’t let that go on for too long or I will be back where I was.

I really need to put my summer clothes away into bags for the attic as they’re just staring at me from across the bedroom, draped over the back of a chair. I can’t fit my winter clothes in my wardrobes unless I move the summer stuff out. My problem is that I’ve put on weight so I’ve had to buy so much new stuff or else be naked, and we can’t have that. So I now have even more clothes to sort out. And I really want to lose weight so I don’t want to let go of my smaller stuff. And so the cycle repeats, every season.

Taking one bag for life to the charity shop tomorrow of way too small clothes and some unwanted Christmas gifts.

Hope everyone is being kind to themselves. Treading water is also fine!

I drive past adverts for places that come to you to fit new tyres but I don’t know how much extra they charge twice as much as driving it to a garage.

we have aquired two foot pumps.(one for ex, one for me) will be inflating tyre by leg power tomorrow. just enough to drive to the third closest garage which is clsest by road...(work off the half tube of smarties I ate today after a meltdown when one threatened to throw a tin of beans at my head... )

it was a bit of a faff. ex did quite a bit of the faffing. (booking, and foot pumps aquiring) taking it in tomorrow. he might have been able to do it but we bneed to get the boy exercised as he has been obnoxious today.

A lot of today was on behaviour management. eating smarties
also managed a load of washing, and hanging things to air on every available place as it is damp weather and things taking three days to air.
half a lot of washing up.
sorting some stuff from the fridge.

anything on top of booking in car and behaviour is a positive.

I'm treading water! I actually quite like that terminology!

So I guess I'm keeping my head above the water and things aren't going to pot, but I'm not exactly on top of everything!

If I could do some laundry that would be useful, I've not put the washing machine on for quite a few days. It's sunny tomorrow so that's be a good drying day.

Flying visit - disaster struck yesterday - vehicle now full of stuff for storage, vehicle stuff still in storage, one room still to clear, another to finish off, Ds only partially co-operative, few hours until contractors here.

Just one black sack, full carrier bag, and small box gone.

Back properly later

I had a bit of a break but I’m back .
I hope you managed with the contractors Elleherd! And good work to everyone else how ever much it has been it’s all progress .
I had hoped to go see my family in Finland finally but we had to cancel since I didn’t want to risk my vulnerable mum who hadn’t yet had the booster . I felt like a trip just before Christmas with my MIL coming here too after the house move and everything else going on would have been too much for me . I’ve been struggling just with the new basics of school runs with unpredictable Ubers ( haven’t been able to find a regular driver yet there seems to be a shortage of them here ) now thankfully DH has taken over the morning one . Also having our dog by myself all day 4 d a week is new to me he is still only 1 y old so I can’t fully trust him although generally he’s very good and no trouble but it is kind of like having a little child again and that’s tiring of course . Me and kids have had health issues so I’ve been trying to slot those app in too and get the house sorted of course . It’s getting there but garage is still a mess we’ve got some cupboards but more needed and the shelving arrived but all the bikes and a motorcycle are in the way of that been erected until we’ve got a shed built and that involves us deciding about the landscaping and we haven’t managed to do that yet . We emptied the dining room pre Christmas of all boxes I didn’t want to unpack now so they’re in the attic .not sure I’ll display those porcelains and crystals but want to keep them . DH built the two remaining wardrobes ; one into the guest room in the top floor and one into attic room for my storage for things like wrapping paper , cards , presents etc . I have tonight braved the attic room where we’re trying to go through some of the boxes to declutter more and unpack the remaining cardboard ones and move contents into labelled plastic ones then organise the boxes better to make room for contents of the storage locker we want to empty after decluttering as much of it as we can . We were planning a dividing wall into attic room to have a gym up there or DH suggested a bit of a games room with a foosball table . I was on the ict and nov minimalism challenge thread finished ict on time but not nov so I continued that but my bit until I did get to the last day . Then stopped actively decluttering since had Christmas prep but I have been putting things aside and jotting things down as I come across them and I’ve actually gotten to 65 new items if u don’t count the 15 shoeboxes I decluttered tonight individually but as an one item . DH has done so many dump runs near our new house they now greet him on arrival 😳. I’m getting him to do a charity shop one ,I’ve soon got 2 more big boxes for him to take and I’ll get a food bank load ready too . Better get back to work now for a bit then more tomorrow . I think I’ll need to order more of the convenient large storage boxes and more labelling tape for sure !

oh heck ell, good luck.

car has a new tyre. took ages. what with getting kids ready and out and tyre pumped up so I can drive on it, and waiting around for the appointment as it was late. and then cleaning the inside of the car...

I went a short walk in the sunset.

also have tentatively turned right way round the brown trousers... they were black or blue when they went out. I seem to have acquired half a playing field.

shopping has arrived and been put away. (ish)

sent ex out with a binbag while there is still room in the communal bin. it is not getting emptied until the middle of next month. It has not been emptied since the middle of this month.