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

Wow what an achievement!

Do you feel having a written list of goals is helping you achieve them? Are you sticking to a particular schedule for taking stock and making sure you stay on track? I love reading how other people get motivated/make changes - very inspiring.

Such impressive progress

Wow well done.

I am laying down overwhelmed and fatigued.

Today I took my and my neighbours sacks of recycling to the drop off point so got rid of stuff and exercised in one go.

Hung a load of washing.
Retrieved glasses from behind/under a pile of stuff dd knocked off the shelf in the bathroom.
Got kids to school on time (but using the grace period) but no late mark.
Sat in traffic for 10 minutes due to a temporary traffic light.
Helped extract someone from their parking space.
Bought milk and snack from the corner shop for ds.
Took ds's boots to school as he forgot them.
Did some washing up. (Got the burned on bits off a pan that has been soaking in biological washing liquid for several days)

I need to put another load of washing on before 20 past.

for you too BlackeyedSusan

No star worthy achievements here, though I did receive permission to throw away some empty toy packaging, a couple of Christmas cards and a lot of dust.

Thanks and it all helps miaowse.

I rushed home for my parcel... (oops things coming into the flat... ) merino thermal base layer form Aldi. too good to miss and I wear them a lot. ( from October to May) So I need to get rid of the equivalent volume of stuff today.

I’ve still done nothing!! Really need to get some focus. You’re helping me along.

Oh! I have shifted 6lb in weight since the start of the year. Does that count?!

I could do with decluttering many pounds myself, are you following a particular programme?

While on a long social phone call I’ve removed a carrier bag full of rubbish from my desk and the floor around my desk. I also put a small amount of paper in the recycling and stacked up a bunch of other papers to sort/file, there are about 15 pages to shred so will try to remember to do that tomorrow.

I foraged in the freezer for tonight’s supper. There are far too many tubs of random stuff in there - planning to have a freezer meal at least a few times a week to clear the backlog (and reduce our grocery spend).

I’m eating a lot less and moving a lot more. That’s it, really. I’m really short so my TDEE is depressingly low. I was overeating by a lot, so it’s been quite an adjustment . I have at least another stone to lose.

Ds1 has decided that he will, for environmental reasons, now only eat red meat once a week. It will be good for us all. I’m going to start having to label everything properly in the freezer so as to avoid giving him bolognese or the like thinking that it is pizza sauce! We’ve eaten loads out of the freezer lately, and I’ve put lots of fish in the online shop this week.

I feel it inspiring reading what others are managing to achieve :)

I also get inspiration of what I could tackle.

I'm sure I could weed a few items of clothing out of my daughters drawers, she's had a growth spurt and a few t-shirts and trousers are looking too short on her.

@WellTidy well done on ‘decluttering’ 7 lbs! 👍 It definitely counts in my book! ☺️

@Miaowse over the last few years I’ve tried various methods but none of them suited me to a tee, so I ended up creating my own method of goal setting and goal tracking.

It is quite a lengthy process which results in a VERY long list of goals. Then I choose three goals which I’d like to focus on first (in 2022 these are my hoard, my weight and my Instagram blog), and create a step-by-step plan for each of them. As Miguel de Cervantes once said, ‘the man who is prepared has his battle half-fought’.

I set a deadline for each step, and use all possible tools to keep me on track (the Hoarder’s Anonymous thread being one of them 🤗). I use weekly and monthly planners to help me with my time management (I have my own system for this as well 🤓), and I also track new habits which I’d like to form in 2022 (at least 30 minutes of cardio per day, the Swish & Swipe routine, daily vitamin intake, etc.).

When I reach the final deadline, and can confirm that the goal has been achieved, I treat myself to something nice (I have a rewards list prepared 📋). For example, I have rewarded myself with a full body Swedish massage session for finishing my bathroom.

Been a long time again since I was here but had to come over to tell you all the good news ; 2/3 of the shutters are finally in the two top floors of the house after first day of fitting . Rest should get done tomorrow and maybe some on Friday since the fitter will be alone unlike today . It was a long 4 month wait and a huge amount of money that we thank god received back in the form of some extra stamp duty we payed ( rest will pay for most if not all of the landscaping ) . Looking good so far in the rooms I’ve checked . Haven’t seen all I’m too tired but DH did have a good look and the quality seems excellent as does the fitting ! Praying tomorrow goes as well, the open plan living room has 3 sets of big double doors to the garden . Now waiting to hear back from the landscapers since we’ve chosen the trees so we can start on that and build the shed and then empty bikes and lawnmowers etc from the garage . Then we’ll organise rest of the garage once more cupboards and drawers arrive . Now my DH has ordered a kit car he’ll build with DS who wants to go into automotive engineering and that’ll create some serious mess but it’s only arriving in nov . By then there should be empty space since it’s a double and other cars are parked outside . I’ve been continuing decluttering and organising in the attic though at a slow speed and we still have a storage locker to empty once I’ve done that . Feeling tired and overwhelmed ;me and kids have several health issues and both new schools to find and 11+ and A levels next school year so that’s causing stress . DS has developed anxiety made worse likely by a medication he’s come off now and he’s got back issues as well he just had another app for . I’ve got some new health worries too I’m trying to deal with . Trying to tick things off one by one but I am forever struggling more or less . Ds just turned 17 so we bought him another smaller car and he’s starting lessons and had a helicopter flying lesson as a birthday treat in the weekend . I’m trying to keep going . At least I’m happy with the shutters !

And our shutters are all done although we did end up ordering two more for some bathrooms that have frosted windows ( mine is blindingly bright all morning in the sun , DH has little privacy next to the sink ) they’ll come in June . Really happy with the result, they’re very neatly fitted and really suit our house .
They’re a bit different ones on these 3 sets of garden doors since they need to open sideways but theyre the same style as the others . Took 3 full days to install so I’m glad to have my house back even though the fitter was a nice guy .
Here they are in our open plan living/ dining room. I’m still decorating hence the pretty empty shelves etc but I have to admit I’m enjoying the more bare look so there won’t be too much stuff added on them. Easier to clean that way !

The rest of DH garage cupboards and drawers came, one of course in a wrong colour so that’s been collected / correct one delivered at some point . He’ll spend the weekend doing multiple dump runs with all the wooden pellets etc packaging they arrived with , the 30 paper curtains and general delivery boxes etc . Also hoping he’ll manage to take a parcel or two away I’m returning and charity stuff . DD has a riding lesson later and DH took the dog to the vet for some booster shots and a check up already . He’s really healthy at 1y 3 m so I’m glad about that ! Sunny here if a bit cold and kids have gone to play basketball so am alone in a quiet house for a bit . I will attempt to get some more decluttering done in the upstairs . I’ve been cleaning a lot while the shutter fitter was here so enough of that now is time to get rid of more stuff !
Oh and the car /s reallly need a wash too …

CherryMargo your system is working so well for you. It was really interesting to read your strategy, thank you for sharing.

I did clear a corner of my main room the other day. Much churning and stashing but also a bunch of stuff discarded.

and to all.

I've been procrastinating all week!

Hi everyone, I dropped off the thread months ago, had a lot of stuff going on so I stopped focusing on the house for a while. Today the state of it has just hit me like a ton of bricks and I feel paralysed, like there's no point even trying. I know I need to pick myself up and try again, just struggling to actually do it.

It may be a regressive move but I've ordered another shoe rack. There is a spot for it in the hall, and it will hopefully stop the shoes and bags overflow from spreading across the floor. Technically I suppose I should have reduced the shoes owned, but most of it is kids shoes (dd1 has school shoes, school trainers, sparkly shoes and wellies). My goal is to train the kids to put their shoes on the rack when we come in. We'll see how they take to it....

Any tips for getting others on-board with decluttering?

I've been working really hard on shedding stuff and reducing what I bring in, & I've noticed DH is more of an issue than I previously realised - I always thought it was me!

We are sorting the loft out and I've basically got rid of everything I had up there - I clearly don't need it. I've kept my sewing machine (no room to have it set up, but it will go in the spare room later this year once that's decorated) & a box of clothes a size down that I'd like to slim back in to after baby arrives (currently pregnant!). Other than that it's joint stuff like Xmas decs and camping stuff.

He has every childhood games console & game. Fine, he wants to play them with DC in future. A large box of magazines, another of CDs. OK, no problem. Lots of retro games, pokemon cards, music equipment. OK.

My issue is... a "collection" of around 50 empty beer bottles. Why? Whyyyyyy?

Just joining the thread if that's OK . I've completed most of the sorting and moving stuff to new, more appropriate, places in the house that I wanted to do in January. It's taken a bit longer than planned but I'm now in a place where my WFH space isn't just a complete mess.
I'm going to keep thinning out while cleaning as I go along but I'm no longer thinking its pointless as things need a major move round - as the move round is now done.

Big jobs left are the OH working space/room - and also the loft. The loft is a massive task but I'd like to get it done in 2022! Might need a skip

Awkward - my OH at least acknowledges he's the one bringing alot of stuff in. But he just stacks it up neatly everywhere in his office until I force a sort out.

Awkward oh dear, I feel your pain. My Dh also has a huge number of video games, most of which he'll never replay but couldn’t possibly part with. They live in his office so I leave him to it. Beer bottles though, that would drive me mad.

We both working in what was the dining room (small kitchen, no room for a table there either) so having it all out isn't an option. It's going back in the loft.
We're supposed to be extending soon so he'll have an office there. I guess he can just fill it up then!

Well tidy, that's an amazing weight loss. Well done.

Wow lots of good progress.
I have been plodding along not achieving much more than stopping it get worse faster... washing is getting done but the washing up is always on a backlog.

Today I have started to tackle some of the worst part of the washing up backlog

I have also climbed into the bath and washed the top row of tiles (about once a month) and given an extra scrub to the grouting while I cleaned the bath and basin.

Put school trousers in the wash. Just waiting for the swimming kits to be delivered before the next load. Then going to have a bath and a nap at some point. And the rest of the afternoon/evening off.

I dropped my laundry routine and have a big backlog to deal with over the weekend. To be honest, the dishwasher routine has been hit and miss too. I feel so ashamed of myself.