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

Floor finished.
Paintwork in hall wiped down.

Got a few puzzles into the recycling today (tatty/incomplete etc). It’s easier to get rid when I buy them cheaply in charity shops anyway and DD2 grows so quickly that she doesn’t need to keep them long term.

I am very excited to have measured the upstairs cupboard (which has always ended up full of junk since we moved in 2018) and the Kallax units downstairs. Even a 2x4 one would fit! So I need to continue clearing out that cupboard. I’ll then be using it to collect all the stuff I’m selling while I get the book declutter done. That will also free up lots of space downstairs so hopefully all the books we are keeping will fit on the biggest unit. I really do plan on getting rid of a lot. And once the sale is done, the smaller Kallax can go in the cupboard and store things that aren’t needed so often (shredder etc). It’s a long term plan but I feel I have enough direction to make it work now.

I almost don’t want to tell DH because he will move it ASAP and then we will end up with the contents of cupboard and Kallax everywhere 🤣 I am more methodical 😁

well done, you have achieved loads mrst

I am going to retreat to bed a whimper quietly... my arms hurt from floor scrubbing... (really unfit) i am giving the covid vaccine the side eye. i have a sneaky suspicion that i may not be as fatigued as I was before. I worked a lot on Saturday and on Sunday and today. I shall withdraw this hypothesis if I spend the next two days in bed.

Everyone’s so busy, but I’m afraid I’m relegated to the side lines and can only cheer you on and not type too much.
Several of my joints have swollen badly, but especially shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers causing a great deal of pain to the point of being unable to hold things, sometimes even cutlery which has been an unwelcome shock. Waiting to find out if it’s connected to Chrons disease or something else, and praying for everything to go down, but having to ration all movement in order to complete a piece of work for Sunday, that has to happen but is now in jeopardy.

Babieseverywhere So sorry you have a crap service. It is a post code lottery. Being completely unable to stand isn’t a requirement in this area but apparently age defines if you’re an ‘active user,’ not what you (normally) get up to and how often. How much you can contribute also determines if you get a chair that meets needs or not. I’m theoretically grateful for my new chair but I’m struggling to use it because it is just too wide and too heavy for me, and I can’t get it in and out of a vehicle on my own, so it actually lowers my independence. Btw don’t know if this is the same everywhere but here no matter how big a percentage you’ve put towards it, it is 100% theirs with you financially responsible for it, ensuring it’s maintained (by them) and they can recall, replace, or remove it without notice, so small mercies but at least you escape that trap.

MrsTidyHouse Hello and you’ve made a great start!

Everyone Well done to all!

Fab progress mrsT!

So sorry about the pain/fatigue elle and susan

I managed to get more recycling and rubbish sorted today. Plan is coming together gradually.

adding to the list. I wiped down the front of all the appliances. (fridge freezer, wm, freezer cooker)
wiped cupboad doors (lower) (lost some of the top ones behind tomatoes)
made up tomato feed and watered plants
put away some of the last shopping.
sent compost with ex and three cds
wiped part of the kitchen wall
cooked tea to use up the rapidly going over coriander
cleaned the top of the step stool
snack and drinks for ds
packed up the new broken headphones and found receipt to take back
washed up most of the pots

all the pots now... midnight washingup

and put the elderflower champagne on to steep.

I managed to get a refund last week for an incorrect rug, what a relief.

Today I have hoovered and dusted in my bedroom and put everything back into my wardrobe. I've done laundry. And I've swept one huge area and mopped it. There was plaster dust everywhere.

I will need to do more sweeping and mopping tomorrow.

Our green bin goes out tomorrow, I have lots of garden waste that I'm getting rid of every fortnight. I am keeping organised with it and making sure that bin is full to the top every fortnight.

Great progress!

Today so far I’ve sorted all the workbooks/activity books. Got rid of about half, between recycling and putting aside to sell. A few more to be used up fully by my younger two in the next week or so and then recycled.

hello all.

I'm not sure where I am on the 0-10 hoarder scale but with 7 kids and a room full of craft stuff and a house, a loft & 2 sheds full of everything I think I'm definitely at least a 6.8😁

I did a good sort through & clear out of loft crap (toys, rubbish, old school books etc) and sorted through boxes of Lego last month (photos at the height of chaos)

this month we are struggling with illnesses so taking it easy.
but I made a little space by dropping off blankets for Woolly Hugs and threw away 2 dozen books (beyond repair) so that's something

ahhhhhhhh... woolly hugs... so, how's you wool stash?

(this could turn into a mine is bigger than yours post... )

I feel like I have done nothing, but:
boys breakfast,
school run
washed stinky pe kit, (maybe someone else's stink as it wsa borrowed. )
hung yesterdays wash load up to dry
scrubbed the black muck out of a white t shirt. (tough on the back and hands)
ordered secret birthday presents on prime
three way negotiation on birthday present as urgent on Prime
boy drinks and snack.
arranged for boy to watch football with dad. chivvied out the house.
taken pants upstairs and gone up to close dd's curtains (extra energy stuff)

I need to get a load of laundry done this afternoon. My kids just had two more days of school then they had two weeks off.

Welcome zing!

I sorted Christmas stuff yesterday. Half a carrier of broken decorations, also have one special one that needs mending (will ask mum to sew, she is much better than I am!) and three that need string/ribbon. Checked fairy lights/tinsel etc. Also cleared out and organised the wrapping paper box although not much to get rid of except empty pages of Christmas labels!

Today DH and DS are building the Christmas tree - it’s a self assembly one that my parents bought for my second Christmas in 1987 🥺🥰 but bits are coming off it and I’ve never actually given it a good clean. So they’ll build and check it while the little one is at nursery (imagine her confusion if she saw the tree going up 😬🤣) and I can clean it, and the box, before packing it away properly.

Once that’s done I can properly sort the upper shelf in the upstairs cupboard of doom - it’ll contain all the Christmas stuff, wrapping box, and a bag of old sheets for painting.

thanks sing

I have just decluttered something (emotionally) big. I don’t count it as something I was hoarding - it is not unusual to have a Christmas tree :o however on checking it, it’s just too far gone now. I’ve had it since my second Christmas. I was just over a year old in this pic!

I checked with mum in case she wanted it back but she is in agreement. It’s had a good long life (used most years since 1987) but it’s time for me to choose a new one now!

that was very brave sing
well done.

I've only got as far as making DD tea (still home, ran a fever last night) and filling up dishwasher and totally exhausted already.

I desperately need to sort the bookshelf in her room by beginning of July, but I don't think I can get on with it today.
I think duvet day is more sensible.

best of luck everyone today

My kids just have two more days of school then they have two weeks off.

I've just seen my typos.

Well done getting rid of a Christmas tree that you've loved Sing.

I've managed to wash a load of laundry and hang it up. I also Folded and put away a big load of clean and dry clothes. I am terrible for not putting the clean clothes away usually.

Tomorrow I am planning on cleaning up every last little bit of plaster dust. And then I will probably try and tackle some garden jobs.

Last night I did all DD clothes instead of cleaning the first floor like I planned . I was itching to see how much there was to go and there was lots too small stuff or not needed anymore otherwise like her brownie uniform now that she’s stopped going . I wasn’t able to quite give away everything too small I had to keep a few really good conditioned expensive things. I have emotional issues with this since I really wanted a third child for years but I was able to let go far more and about one huge storage boxes worth is going to charity shop and another smaller one to dump clothing or rag collection . There is one coat and a few more other items that we need to try on to see if they still fit or they can be added to the go go boxes . Still need to put what I kept and hung on hangers or folded nicely or put in drawers back in the wardrobe but DH is at the office today and am waiting for DS to come home he’s got a half day at school only then they can help . I’m really happy of getting this done it took hours but I’ve been meaning to do it for ages !!! Still need to go through her new shoes in another wardrobe in DS room later and check if there’s now some too small ones there in boxes.
I will do a bit of online shopping and admin today but I think cleaning the first floor might have to be tomorrow ,and the gardeners are due to come finally too so if we’re lucky I then get to cross that job off the long list as well . I had about 30 urgent jobs on it last week and we are getting through it even though I keep on adding to it . We’ve done most now !

@Nordicmom well done with doing the big job of sorting clothes. Where you've said that you'd kept clothes in case you had a third child it really made me remember why I had so many bags of baby clothes in the garage. The other day I found these bags of baby clothes and I said to myself "why did you keep all of these?", well it slowly made me remember that I'd been wanting to have another baby. But after we moved house three years ago I slowly let go of wanting another.

Anyway, I've been busy busy this morning. I've hoovered, swept and mopped. I've also been scrubbing walls and doorframes. I've done a load of laundry and hung it up to dry. I'm going to have lunch then I'll think about some jobs in the garden.

we have clothes in the loft still for a third child. out of sight, out of mind.

I need to sort the bits that can be seen first.

though I am refreshiing the track package page of amazon order... birthday presents. more fecking stuff

so: today I slept early due to amazon being due in the afternoon.
tried to sort out school report (fecking thing is unreadable in places)
tracked amazon package...
put a load of washing on
taken a basket full of clothes up to dd's room to be put away first
done online church this morning
erm, and buggered about a bit on mn. (I think four hours on monday has had an effect on energy levels this week though I got a spectacularly short night this week as well which has not helped. )

I have set myself the target of sorting something out in ds's room but it is not happening so make go and try to do anything instead of nothing avoiding it. once this sodding package has arrived.