Thread: Decluttering support thread Board: All Saints / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Here is a brand new, shiny and surprisingly uncluttered thread for all of us who want more order in our lives. The old thread is now here in Limbo if you need to refer back to it.

<small>[ 11. February 2013, 06:32: Message buggered about with by: Kelly Alves ]</small>

[ 13. February 2013, 13:25: Message edited by: Marvin the Martian ]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Aww, a baby thread. I love new threads! *Pets thread gently*

We have bring-and-share-a-pudding lunch at church tomorrow so some of the Christmas food will be decluttered there. [Biased] Meanwhile I've been going round the house this morning trying to decide on the next area to declutter... I got partway through my dressing table the other day and lost interest. [Hot and Hormonal]

Nen - showing some symptoms of attention deficit disorder.
 
Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
I need to sort my room out, and generally make it all fit, but I am hopeless at getting rid of things. [Help]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
... I got partway through my dressing table the other day and lost interest. [Hot and Hormonal]

Nen - showing some symptoms of attention deficit disorder.

I inadvertently decluttered my dressing table... I discovered a forgotten box of dressy earrings but have now lost it again.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I have just discovered that listening to a talking book while I clear the debris of my life keeps me on task.

It sounds so simple, but has made a huge difference to my life [Yipee]

And yes, I do know I lead a boring life.

Huia
 
Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
Huia, that sounds like a really really good idea. I may give that a try next week when I start work on sorting this junkyard of a flat out in earnest. Meanwhile I'm still in Christmas mode - one day to go [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I have just discovered that listening to a talking book while I clear the debris of my life keeps me on task.

It sounds so simple, but has made a huge difference to my life [Yipee]

And yes, I do know I lead a boring life.

Huia

I listen to talking books or iPlayer while tidying, often comedy CDs or radio 4, it does take your mind off it. last week I listened to the first 2 series of the radio 4 comedy, Old Harry's Game.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Smudgie:
Meanwhile I'm still in Christmas mode - one day to go [Big Grin]

Indeed. It all begins in earnest tomorrow.
[Big Grin]

Nen - ignoring the piles of paperwork and wondering how much of the unopened box of Quality Street can be consumed before the end of the day. [Biased]
 
Posted by Starbug (# 15917) on :
 
Well, the Hippo bag is here and almost full! We've taken up the old stair carpet and removed most of The Mess that was down the side of the house. Later this week, we're gong to tackle the Cupboard Under The Stairs.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Serious decluttering needed here. One barrier, if the whole place is a mess, where do you put stuff to sort? Where do you pile stuff to garage sale? That requires an non-cluttered space before you start!
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Now the tree is down I can give the lounge a serious going over tomorrow, there's presents, toys and paper hiding away in corners. I might also reduce the books on the shelves to make room for those sitting around the landing.
 
Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
Belle, that's my problem exactly. I can't even reorganise cupboards because there's nowhere to put the stuff while I'm reorganising. The only place really is the bed, with the result that it all gets taken off and hurriedly dumped on the floor at the end of the day! I need my son to go away for a month, or something, so I can use his bedroom.. except I'd have to do his bedroom before I could start!!!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have lost an important piece of paper. This has the potential bonus that finding it is the most important thing to do today, so I can legitimately spend time decluttering the study till I find it.
(It will only be a bonus if I do, in fact, find it!)
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
Serious decluttering needed here. One barrier, if the whole place is a mess, where do you put stuff to sort? Where do you pile stuff to garage sale? That requires an non-cluttered space before you start!

Sniff sniff sniff (Boogie the bloodhound) - do I detect and excuse here [Biased]

Find some bits of floor to mark out as declutterig zones [Smile]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I haven't found my Important Bit of Paper, but I have found a money-off voucher which expired 22 May 2007.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
Serious decluttering needed here. One barrier, if the whole place is a mess, where do you put stuff to sort? Where do you pile stuff to garage sale? That requires an non-cluttered space before you start!

Sniff sniff sniff (Boogie the bloodhound) - do I detect and excuse here [Biased]

Find some bits of floor to mark out as declutterig zones [Smile]

Start by throwing away everything that can be thrown away. You can take stuff to the recycling or charity shop if you can manage this, but you can also give yourself amnesty from this. The priority is to get stuff out of the house.

Don't overthink it, if it's hard to throw something leave it for now. Concentrate on clearing stuff out. That should clear some space.

Put stuff in the room it is supposed to live in. Then you will be able to see how much stuff there is for each room and it will be easier to sort.

Ask yourself if you are really going to make enough money from the garage sale to make the effort worthwhile? If not, get rid of the stuff as above. If the stuff is worth serious money a dealer will come and value it and take it away for you. Or place some individual small ads in the classified section of your local newspaper.

I have decluttered my shoes and cleaned out the bottom of the wardrobe. The survivors are packed in plastic boxes and shoe bags.

Embarrassing moment yesterday. I had stashed some boxes in the fitted wardrobe in the attic in an effort to make the room look more room like and less like a storage area for our prospective buyers.

The man opened the wardrobe doors and a large box fell out onto him.


[Hot and Hormonal] [Killing me] [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Anselmina (# 3032) on :
 
My usual untidy-housekeeping style has just recently got worse with the addition of a new dog who used to scavange to keep alive. He counter-surfs like nothing I've ever seen before - usually from on top of any surface he can fit his four paws onto, knocking everything around or onto the floor (crockery, glass and even on one very sad occasion a much-looked-forward-to bottle of wine).

And so far he's managed to snort his way through two plastic, twist-top jars of chocolate powder (unscathed!), two full pots of jam, any number of supposedly securely packaged buns, biscuits and binned bread items. If I nip to the loo for a moment, and leave anything vaguely resembling food, it becomes a ripped-up, crumby mess in less time than it takes to....... flush the toilet.

There's egg in the carpet where half a dozen boxed eggs bit the dust - shells and all. And last week I found him wandering round the garden with a Baker's Complete bag over his head and shoulders, banging into walls and trees. The only thing he hasn't done yet is open the fridge.

I shall have to take on a whole new idea of tidiness for the new year! But because he scavanges non-food items, too - anything in a packet or on the counter - I think it'll have to be, very reluctantly, a crate for the times I'm out of the house.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
if the whole place is a mess, where do you put stuff to sort? Where do you pile stuff to garage sale? That requires an non-cluttered space before you start!

Sniff sniff sniff (Boogie the bloodhound) - do I detect and excuse here [Biased]

Find some bits of floor to mark out as declutterig zones [Smile]


That assumes the floors aren't already piled with stuff!

quote:
Start by throwing away everything that can be thrown away. You can take stuff to the recycling or charity shop if you can manage this, but you can also give yourself amnesty from this. The priority is to get stuff out of the house.

Yes, I think that's the key, not trying to place it with someone who might like it ("Clara would love this blouse I've never worn, she's coming to visit in July so I'll save it for her" doesn't get it out of the house now!) and not thinking in terms of "I can surely get a few bucks for this at a garage sale or if I would learn the Ebay game" (that doesn't get it out of the house NOW.).

A huge part of the problem is that I accidentally became the resting site for the storage room of stuff of a homeless woman who wants me to sell the items piece by piece and told me prices. Unrealistic prices of course, we all over-value our stuff. I got an offer for her china set that was way lower than what she said to sell it for but higher than it goes for on Ebay (the set was once very popular), I emailed her for permission to sell at the lower price but she scolded me for something irrelevant instead of responding to the offer.

So I emailed her last week that in February I will pack up one footlocker of things I think are treasures for her, and sell everything else because I have to start getting the house cleaned out to sell and can't be waiting for her approval of prices anymore. (Some year I'll sell the house, right? Gotta start cleaning!)

My clutter is bad, someone else's stuff on top of my clutter is affecting my life. Most people go thru it at some point, have to take in their parent's or child's stuff for a while.

But I also need to face "my own clutter is bad." Always has been. I need some attitude adjustment towards insecurities and sentimental attachments and "might come in handy sometime" etc clutters. Decluttering my mind would have a side effect of less clutter in the house.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I can see the carpet in my study! And I've finally found the Important Piece of Paper! Sifting through the teetering heaps has made me realise just how much I still have to do; decluttering the study is going to take weeks. [Frown]

Our paper recycling box is full to overflowing with a week to go before recycling collection day.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
But I also need to face "my own clutter is bad." Always has been. I need some attitude adjustment towards insecurities and sentimental attachments and "might come in handy sometime" etc clutters. Decluttering my mind would have a side effect of less clutter in the house.
Belle Ringer, I found it useful to think of it in terms of 'you've had your use out of it'. Just because you have owned something for ever doesn't mean you have to keep it indefinitely - you owned it, you used it, you enjoyed it, now set it free!

And the other side of it, of course, is 'if you haven't used it in ten years what in the world makes you think you ever will?'. Its space is more valuable to you than its presence.

My current dilemma is a huge dolls' house, the size of a chest of drawers, that I was 'lent' over 60 years ago. The idea was, it would be mine until the woman who owned it had children, which she never did, and now we have lost touch entirely. It has enormous sentimental value but nothing financially, and it is so big I can't imagine Miss S - assuming she has a daughter, please excuse gender-specificity - ever having room for it even if she wanted to.

Ah me ...

The Rueful Mrs. S
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Those things, such as the dollhouse, have sentimental value beyond cost or space needed. I have a few things like that (smaller, but still...) and I would rather apply my declutter rule to other stuff first.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Maybe I should tidy it up and repaper the outside, and then use it as storage? I could keep towels or stuff in there .... hmmm.

Mrs. S, considering
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:

My current dilemma is a huge dolls' house, the size of a chest of drawers, that I was 'lent' over 60 years ago. The idea was, it would be mine until the woman who owned it had children, which she never did, and now we have lost touch entirely. It has enormous sentimental value but nothing financially, and it is so big I can't imagine Miss S - assuming she has a daughter, please excuse gender-specificity - ever having room for it even if she wanted to.

Would taking lots of photos of it and putting them in a lovely frame help? (And then the thought of a child somewhere - who did have the space - enjoying it?)

[Smile]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Is there a museum locally that might welcome it?
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
A doll house lent 60 years ago by an owner no longer in contact, is a doll house the owner doesn't want or she'd have stayed in contact to make sure she got it back some day. Lent 60 years ago, if she was 20 then she's 80 now and probably living in too small a space for it.

I felt really bad when I gave away a stamp collection someone had loaned me, but after several years and several moves there was no way to find him and give it back, and I can't be expected to hang on to someone else's stuff forever just in case we bump into each other down the road.

If you ditch the doll house and the owner shows up to claim it a couple years later, you tell her it was terribly in the way for a decade but you couldn't find her and had to finally get rid of it to reclaim your own life/house.

If you would enjoy using it for storage, then fine. Otherwise, it's firewood. Unless a museum would love it but they are usually short on space.

(Always easier to ditch someone else's stuff! We should trade houses and do it for each other.)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
(Always easier to ditch someone else's stuff! We should trade houses and do it for each other.)

Ain't that the truth!

It isn't that I'm concerned about the owner rolling up and demanding it back. The trouble is that, in and of itself, it isn't well proportioned; only having four cube-shaped rooms means that it takes up a lot of space for its play value. But, I loved it so much - sixty years ago when I were a child, toys were a lot harder to come by and accordingly much more appreciated!

Mrs. S, feeling OLD.
 
Posted by Sergius-Melli (# 17462) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
And the other side of it, of course, is 'if you haven't used it in ten years what in the world makes you think you ever will?'. Its space is more valuable to you than its presence.

I have this question problem with books - or more properly, Mr. S-M has this problem with my books and asks the question constantly... I have them everywhere, in the cupboard under the stairs, under the bed, everywhere I can store I have to store because I can't part with them... some aren't particularly impressive or important, but I'm a book hoarder and refuse to part with a book even if I've not read it since Noah was in short-pants.

I really need someone to come round and just sort my books whilst I'm not there, I would probably be amazed at how much space I would gain from this exercise!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
NO!

Not never! Not no now!

I HATE other people messing with my books - it gets me really anxious! Herself moved a few today, or I thought she had, and I got all strange about it - then I saw they were still there and she was only dusting them - PHEW!
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I also have books everywhere, and not necessarily on shelves. I have managed to recycle my old nursing text books but can't get my husband to part with any at all.
Today I cleared a square metre of floor in my sewing room/study and sorted my boxes of patterns. I may shortly revisit these boxes now they are organised and actually get rid of some of the patterns.
 
Posted by Sergius-Melli (# 17462) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
NO!

Not never! Not no now!

I HATE other people messing with my books - it gets me really anxious! Herself moved a few today, or I thought she had, and I got all strange about it - then I saw they were still there and she was only dusting them - PHEW!

Whilst I hate the idea too - the only solution to me decluttering the unnecessary and out-of-date things would be for someone to come in and do it - Mr. S-M knows full well never to do it (it would be out in the old rabbit hutch if he tried) but one day I need to do it...
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
And I've finally found the Important Piece of Paper!

That's great news! The loss of Important Pieces of Paper can dominate your life, glad yours is found. [Big Grin]

I've had to do a re-think about books; always they've been a non-negotiable with me. But when we were clearing my mum's house out in the autumn we just had to throw quite a lot away. It was absolutely heartbreaking [Waterworks] but I had to be realistic about who was going to give them house room (me) and whether they were going to get read or just collect dust. In most cases the answer was the latter.

I will always have loads of books, and they collect wherever I am... bedside table, desk, workstations, bathrooms... but I really am committed to decluttering them this year.

Things that have sentimental value are always really hard. When we were clearing my mum's house I learned from my brother that there had once been a boxful of letters that my grandmother had written to my mum, but my dad had thrown them away years before. I never knew my grandmother and would love to have read some of her letters. Just the knowledge that there were some that are now lost to me makes me sad. [Frown]

Nen - who wouldn't want anyone, even (or perhaps especially) Mr Nen, decluttering on her behalf.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I think I would be able to cope with someone else de-cluttering, I suspect it would be liberating to give someone else the responsibility and just let go.
Last week my FIL gave my husband a stack of back copies of The Economist which he thought I might like to read. So basically he has de-cluttered them to my house. I think tomorrow I will spend a couple of hours flicking through them and then stick them in the recycling bin [Smile]
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
I have books my Grandmother gave me 40-50 years ago that I have never read, never reached for to read. I have books I bought 10 or 20 years ago with the intention to read them "someday." I have books I loved as a child, but if I reread one now, yawn. I have travel books from places I've been and places I thought I was going to go that I haven't looked at in the decades since the trip (planned or actual).

I was uncritically taught "books are your friends" but are they? They can't bring you chicken soup when you are sick!

Several decades ago I got rid of enough books that they were all single-layered on the shelves. I estimated 1000 books gone. I have missed one of them, just one. But if it were here double or triple layered behind other books I wouldn't be able to find it anyway.

I'm going to work really hard on the question why I have so many books I haven't opened nor wanted to open in decades! Yes they are almost all of them irreplaceable. That matters only of they are in fact of important value. Maybe a lot of my books belong in the hands of someone who would actually want to read them, instead of sitting dusty on my shelves?
 
Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on :
 
We periodically try to cull our book collection (thousands and thousand including those in bins in the basement.) We are currently on a one month hiatus from acquiring new books.
 
Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
Have today discovered this website for UK folks which for me seems more gentle and personal than ebay for getting rid of stuff to people who live near enough to collect it.

For everyone who signs up and places an item on there to sell this month, they will make a £1 donation to the charity I work for.
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
Some friends of ours moved recently into a retirement complex where there is a communal library, which contains a wide range of books donated by the residents, on all sorts of topics. I wonder if it would be possible to create something like this for people who don't all live in the same place. I wouldn't mind setting some of my books free if I were sure other people could enjoy reading them, but could read them myself when I wanted.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
The trouble is that, in and of itself, it isn't well proportioned; only having four cube-shaped rooms means that it takes up a lot of space for its play value. But, I loved it so much - sixty years ago when I were a child, toys were a lot harder to come by and accordingly much more appreciated!

It may still have great appeal for a child. Is there a child-care center you could donate it to?

Moo
 
Posted by tessaB (# 8533) on :
 
I recently de-cluttered three bookcases full (double and sometimes triple stacked.) I took the path of picking each one up and if I wanted to open and re-read it then and there it went back on the shelf. If I didn't, it went into a bag. About 400 books ended up in bags and went to the local dump where there is a book container which goes to the British Heart Foundation charity shops.
I now have three single stacked bookcases with room for a couple of ornaments and pictures. Very pleased with myself, now to tackle the rest of the house [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by tessaB:
I recently de-cluttered three bookcases full (double and sometimes triple stacked.) I took the path of picking each one up and if I wanted to open and re-read it then and there it went back on the shelf. If I didn't, it went into a bag. About 400 books ended up in bags and went to the local dump where there is a book container which goes to the British Heart Foundation charity shops.
I now have three single stacked bookcases with room for a couple of ornaments and pictures. Very pleased with myself, now to tackle the rest of the house [Hot and Hormonal]

Applause! [Overused]

When Master S moved out for good, he only took two carloads of Stuff with him, leaving a large-ish bedroom basically FULL. As the Intrepid Miss S wanted the room (a powerful incentive to her to help!) we took 3 months - I'm not kidding, THREE MONTHS - to empty it completely. Half the problem was that he had simply swamped our four bays of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, double and triple stacking them and laying books on the tops of others (a pet hate of mine as an ex-librarian!) so we had all our books hidden behind them.

I packed all the books, lecture notes etc up into crates and heaved them into the attic. Now 7 years later they have only just come down from and been sorted. Most of them went. But I think perhaps he *needed* that interregnum to come to terms with the fact of leaving home properly.

As to the dolls house - thanks for all the helpful suggestions. Day care centres tend to be in shared 'accommodation' and need to pack the toys away. But what I *could* do is put a photo on the noticeboard at the back of church where we can offer things for free (part of our green credentials!)

Mrs. S, very grateful for all your support!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Having reduced the teetering piles in my study both in size and in number, and having revealed several square feet of carpet (yay!) I strode in happily today, and stubbed my toe on my desk - I'm so unused to be able to walk around the study I'd no sense of where the furniture was. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
The book conversation has propelled me into some book decluttering. They haven't left the house yet but are bagged up ready to go.

I am reading one! But only one.

All the dress patterns are sorted. I have researched local car boot sales and there are several, including what looks like an ideal one for prospective purchasers of patterns and fabrics.

I have started measuring and labelling the fabrics.

What I should have been doing is my tax........

[ 09. January 2013, 13:22: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Today I have opened and emptied a box I brought here 5 years [and a week or two] ago when we moved here from the city. Most of the contents I burned and a few bits I kept - I even found an almost new and unused roll of sellotape/Scotch tape/ whatever you might call it where you live - transparent sticky tape.

I also spent a further hour in Mrs E's room bagging up clutter now she has retired. I shall try to convince Himself to run a jeep load over to her next week sometime.
 
Posted by Starbug (# 15917) on :
 
The Hippo bag is almost full and Mr Bug has gone online to arrange collection! We almost have a clear passage down the side of the house now, which is quite a novelty.

As an aside to this, I've decided to declutter my time by resigning from a committee that I foolishly signed up for without considering the cost.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Polly Plummer:
Some friends of ours moved recently into a retirement complex where there is a communal library, which contains a wide range of books donated by the residents, on all sorts of topics. I wonder if it would be possible to create something like this... I wouldn't mind setting some of my books free if I were sure other people could enjoy reading them, but could read them myself when I wanted.

I don't think it's possible to have someone else house your stuff at their expense plus their guaranty it will be available to you. People often want to donate to libraries on the grounds the book will be on the self "forever"; doesn't work. Libraries have their own agendas.

I'll bet that senior center library doesn't accept any and all books, or they'd be overwhelmed when people brought their entire room and a half floor to ceiling libraries saying "house all of this for me."

My Mom's place had a library of books donated by residents, but it also had volunteer librarians to make sure the number of books accepted fit on the shelves and that the collection was varied instead of overwhelmingly romance or world war 2 or outdated once loved by someone college texts.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
I suspect this will horrify some people but, having checked their value, I am gradually reusing illustrations (and associated text) from fairly dilapidated childrens story books by turning them into birthday cards. It is tough because some of the books were my mother's but no-one else will be interested in them and it will help me declutter, even if very slowly. And hopefully they will give joy to the recipients.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
I am gradually reusing illustrations (and associated text) from fairly dilapidated childrens story books by turning them into birthday cards. It is tough because some of the books were my mother's but no-one else will be interested in them and it will help me declutter, even if very slowly. And hopefully they will give joy to the recipients.

I have seen people buy old books and tear them apart to sell as separate art objects the illustrations. You aren't the first!
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
I am gradually reusing illustrations (and associated text) from fairly dilapidated childrens story books by turning them into birthday cards. It is tough because some of the books were my mother's but no-one else will be interested in them and it will help me declutter, even if very slowly. And hopefully they will give joy to the recipients.

I have seen people buy old books and tear them apart to sell as separate art objects the illustrations. You aren't the first!
A local book dealer even sold the Book of Mormon a page at a time:
quote:
In 2005, Schlie became somewhat of a controversial figure among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she announced plans to sell pages from the book for $2,500 to $4,000 apiece. She estimated she has sold 40 of the book's 588 pages, each mounted in a wooden frame.

 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Now there's a thought. I'll see if any of them are good enough to frame.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
I am gradually reusing illustrations (and associated text) from fairly dilapidated childrens story books by turning them into birthday cards. It is tough because some of the books were my mother's but no-one else will be interested in them and it will help me declutter, even if very slowly. And hopefully they will give joy to the recipients.

I have seen people buy old books and tear them apart to sell as separate art objects the illustrations. You aren't the first!
I've often used book pages in altered art and art jewellery. I think birthday cards are a great idea.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I've done it! I've taken the fabrics and dress patterns to the charity shop. They were happy to take them. So I am seeing it as a charitable donation.

I couldn't work up the energy to try a car boot sale. When I get into a decluttering frame of mind I need to get the stuff out quickly.

I feel quite drained. I had a huge emotional investment in the things and they have bothering me for a long time.

Perhaps I will be able to start making things with the keepers now.

My resolution is not to acquire another stash, not even sale bargains, but only to buy what I need when I need it.
 
Posted by Sergius-Melli (# 17462) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
I've done it! I've taken the fabrics and dress patterns to the charity shop. They were happy to take them. So I am seeing it as a charitable donation.

I couldn't work up the energy to try a car boot sale. When I get into a decluttering frame of mind I need to get the stuff out quickly.

I feel quite drained. I had a huge emotional investment in the things and they have bothering me for a long time.

Perhaps I will be able to start making things with the keepers now.

My resolution is not to acquire another stash, not even sale bargains, but only to buy what I need when I need it.

Congrats.

I went home yesterday after work, pulled out one box of books, unloaded them all, and then promptly packed them all back in again with one exception - which is now taking the place of my bedside book after I finished the last one the other day...

Not very successful yet on my part!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well done Thyme! That's really something to be proud of, accepting that the space is more useful to you than a *possible* financial return.

Mr S took two boxes of Stuff to the charity shop today. Hooray. Now back to the nagging re putting the rest of the stuff on eBay - I feel like Marge Simpson without the blue hair, practising her least nagging tone 'Homie ...'

Mrs. S, applauding other people's achievements [Overused]
 
Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
I tidied the junk cupboard yesterday - you know, the cupboard you throw stuff into to tidy for visitors. It's my version of the cupboard under the stairs.

I had to take most of the stuff out of it so that electricians could replace my fuse box yesterday so took the opportunity to tidy up, throw things out and generally declutter a little bit. I can now get the Hoover in easily without having to shove it in and close the door swiftly before it falls out again... Massive win.

Last month I had a good sort out of books and magazines because someone gave me two new 8ft bookshelves to add to the two I already had... My books are a lot more organised now and I got rid of some magazines that I'd moved with from Birmingham ... [Hot and Hormonal]

I also went through my yarn stash and fabric stash and tidied them. I was pretty ruthless and got rid of quite a lot of fabric in particular, and whilst doing so found a blouse I used to love that had been retired to the fabric pile because it was too small. It now fits perfectly, so that was nice and felt like a good return for my efforts.
 
Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :
 
Books are the bugbear of the literate peripatetic. I used to go through them each move and keep all the ones I thought I might read one day etc. One Big Move I took the opposite tack. I kept only those that were either signed by the author or inscribed to me as a gift from someone I could still remember, on the basis that ALL the others could be replaced. It was magic. Not psychologically easy, but I got rid of many more than I retained. And all the rest went to a charity shop, of course. In fact, I was aided in the task by the manager of the shop in question, which also helped.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Congratulations Little Miss Methodist! And great that you found the blouse and it fits. Fabulous.

Sergius-Melli - well, progress not perfection is the watchword. At least you got them all back in the box again and not on the shelf! I've done that sort of thing many a time and just put everything back on the shelf or in the cupboard.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
My next decluttering task is the bookshelf on the landing - mostly pulp fiction so that should be easy, yes?
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
After eight years of doing virtually nothing in my house (difficult to care when you're working full time and madder than a bagful of weasels) I made a major decision. I put an ad for someone to help me sort and clean my house on gumtree. I got a ridiculous 78 replies and I think I've found the right person.

She's starting in a fortnight and she's going to do four hours a week for five weeks to work with me to declutter and clean and then going down to two hours a week just as a normal cleaner.

This is a huge weight of my mind as things had got so bad that I didn't even know where or how to start but working with someone should provide the motivation to get my house back.

Wish me luck because it's going to be quite a stressful experience.
 
Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I have decluttered the fridge of jars. The jar half full of mouldy duck fat was easy to throw out. The jar half full of mincemeat from Christmas 2011 - well, I'm not sure. It smells fine, & I've mixed it with half a jar of apple puree and a slug of calvados...butI am just not quite sure whether to use it. What would you do?
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Dormouse:
I have decluttered the fridge of jars. The jar half full of mouldy duck fat was easy to throw out. The jar half full of mincemeat from Christmas 2011 - well, I'm not sure. It smells fine, & I've mixed it with half a jar of apple puree and a slug of calvados...butI am just not quite sure whether to use it. What would you do?

I would use it. In fact I did use last year's mincemeat with a nice slug of brandy added.

The mince pies were delicious.

My Dad used to work in a Christmas pudding factory (yes-really!) and they always put the left over puddings from the year before into the new mix.

[Smile]
 
Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Dormouse:
The jar half full of mincemeat from Christmas 2011 - well, I'm not sure. It smells fine, & I've mixed it with half a jar of apple puree and a slug of calvados...butI am just not quite sure whether to use it. What would you do?

I used 2011 mincemeat in 2012's mince pies spiced up with extra brandy, and it tasted just fine! I suspect that there may have been some 2010 mincemeat blended into that too. [Biased]
 
Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
If it hadn't been opened, I wouldn't have a problem. It is the fact that it's been opened (albeit in the fridge) for over a year that makes me pause...
 
Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
My sister has an absolutely gorgeous recipe for Christmas Pudding Ice Cream. It sounded very similar to this one for Mincemeat Ice Cream.

Jengie
 
Posted by Starbug (# 15917) on :
 
The ice-cream sounds delicious! (Both kinds - I love Christmassy flavours.)

In our attempts to declutter, we actually have more clutter than before! We've bought several new storage cupboards and trays, which are currently in the dining room in various states of self-assemply. Two of them are for the spare bedroom, but can't go in there until we've emptied and un-assembled the dressing table in there that will be given to mother-in-law. It's getting a bit complicated... [Eek!]

On the plus side, we've bought another, bigger Hippo bag, so this shouldn't create a new Mess at the side of the house. And we can finally dispose of the office chair and bird table that are still lurking down there.
 
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
Good luck Chive. I hope your helper really helps, and the process is useful on more than just a practical level.
 
Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
If it hadn't been opened, I wouldn't have a problem. It is the fact that it's been opened (albeit in the fridge) for over a year that makes me pause...
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
My mince pies this Christmas were made with mincemeat left over from 2011 mincemeat. It was in a plastic tub - probably a kilo, or a kilo & a half's worth originally - which had been opened and half used, then kept in the larder cupboard ever since. I added cranberries and cointreau to one trayful of pies, and added some even older crystalized ginger to another.
No-one seems to have suffered any nasty after-effects.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I think I put on weight just reading that wonderful ice cream recipe!

Bring it on!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Mr S took two boxes of Stuff to the charity shop today. Hooray. Now back to the nagging re putting the rest of the stuff on eBay - I feel like Marge Simpson without the blue hair, practising her least nagging tone 'Homie ...'
A combination of disgusting weather here on Saturday and a free listing weekend on eBay did the nagging for me - I had just decided NOT to say anything when Mr S voluntarily fired up TurboLister. Man what a pain - it took both of us *4* hours to get 23 items loaded. [Ultra confused]

There are 49 people watching one item! [Yipee]

And anything that doesn't get sold can go to the tip - I'm sorry, the Domestic Refuse Recycling Facility. [Devil]

Mrs. S, busy collecting packaging materials
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
We are redecorating and thus theoretically decluttering room-by-room. Today I took boxes 25-28 of obsolete teaching resources and other long out-of-date paperwork to the recycling dumpster at the local dump [with more still to be sorted]. We have given away ten boxes of teaching materials to a young student, with another four waiting to be delivered.

The issue is going to be disposing of the redundant shelves and chests of drawers now cluttering our rumpus room, while lounge, dining, master bedroom and study look shiny and new.

We also have thousands of books, but in the end will probably donate the ones no longer of interest to us to our regional university, which stages a massive annual book sale occupying the whole floor space of the Great Hall.

It's a huge task, but after nearly 35 years of marriage, and a cumulative 74 years of teaching, we really need to savagely cull our collections. The redecoration has been a strong motivator.
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
I went into the Oxfam bookshop in next town today and organised the man there to come round some time in the next few weeks and pick up the circa 500 books that are currently in a pile on the spare bedroom floor.

It's starting....soon my house will be immaculate.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
How come I can lie in bed picturing things "I can get rid of that," "I never use that" but when I get up and see the same items in real life it is hard to impossible to put them in the "get rid of" box?

I swear things have claws and cling to you.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Did a massive clean of the kitchen just after new year's, before my housemates came back from their holiday. Pleased to report that the "broken windows" theory has been working well, and they have been tidying up after themselves EVERY NIGHT so far since!! [Yipee]
 
Posted by snowgoose (# 4394) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:

I swear things have claws and cling to you.

Yes!

My craft room is a complete overcrowded mess, so I have decided to sell most of my craft supplies (I have thousands of beads I will never use) on ebay. All that stuff has been weighing on my mind, so it is time to be rid of it.

Also, I will be taking one of my sets of china to give to my niece when we drive up north in October.

I have managed to talk the gander into giving two chairs away. Believe me, this is a triumph.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by snowgoose:
I will be taking one of my sets of china to give to my niece when we drive up north in October.

Lucky you. The kids don't want my china, or grandma's china. They have their own tastes. Mostly, they don't want anything that can't go in the microwave or needs to be hand washed. I'll be putting Grandma's china out in the garage sale.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Talk to the Grandkids before you do that--generations tend to pendulum swing.
 
Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :
 
When I downsize in the future, I intend to pile all my spare belongings into one room and invite all the kids and grandkids over to take what they want. Then the rest can go to a charity shop.

But of course, when the time comes, I expect I will find it much more difficult than that.....
 
Posted by Sergius-Melli (# 17462) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
Did a massive clean of the kitchen just after new year's, before my housemates came back from their holiday. Pleased to report that the "broken windows" theory has been working well, and they have been tidying up after themselves EVERY NIGHT so far since!! [Yipee]

Whilst I may have continued to avoid even contemplating sorting out books again, I did do the kitchen yesterday, spent the day emptying cupboards, cleaning them and then reorganising things so the space is used much more effectively. I also managed to throw/give away a couple of things I've had hanging around at the back of the cupboards never to be used... I feel like I did some good, albeit small, decluttering yesterday... [Yipee]

[ 16. January 2013, 10:56: Message edited by: Sergius-Melli ]
 
Posted by birdie (# 2173) on :
 
Not a regular on this thread but saying this so you can hear and I have to report back.

I am currently going around the house collecting all the ridiculous piles of paperwork which are all over the place since the move. They are all going on to the table in the conservatory and then tomorrow is going to be Paperwork Day as I have no other commitments. My aim is for the table to be clear by the end of the day.

I may have to invite someone for Sunday lunch as extra table-clearing motivation.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by birdie:
Not a regular on this thread but saying this so you can hear and I have to report back.

I am currently going around the house collecting all the ridiculous piles of paperwork which are all over the place since the move. They are all going on to the table in the conservatory and then tomorrow is going to be Paperwork Day as I have no other commitments. My aim is for the table to be clear by the end of the day.

I may have to invite someone for Sunday lunch as extra table-clearing motivation.

Well, you've told us now Birdie - we'll be expecting you to report back [Smile] We may just turn up for Sunday lunch as well, of course! Good luck, we'll be rooting for you...

Mrs. S - whose paperwork needs decluttering also but it's in a filing cabinet! [Two face]
 
Posted by birdie (# 2173) on :
 
Ergh - plan thwarted by the arrival of a nasty cold. I've done a bit of sorting into piles of different categories, but my head is too wooly to make decisions about the finer details! Having a cup of tea then back to bed.

Satisfying amounts in the 'recycle' and 'for mr b to deal with' piles already though!
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
Chorister wrote:
quote:
When I downsize in the future, I intend to pile all my spare belongings into one room and invite all the kids and grandkids over to take what they want. Then the rest can go to a charity shop.

When my father died and my mother had to go into care, she gathered the three of us and divided her collection of crystal and china between us. While it was a small collection, some pieces from her glory box dating from the late 30's and into the 40's are now very valuable over and above the emotional and familial value which they hold.

My own children, now in their twenties and early thirties want to go through the same process before it becomes urgent, as we have all seen too many ugly family disputes arising from estates.

@snowgoose - My wife's craft room is much the same, and we have the overflow collection of ballet costuming resources in the rumpus room. For these reasons the craft room will be the last to be decluttered and redecorated. We have to finish every other room first so that we have moving and sorting space to deal with the craft room.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
My mother and my grandmother stuck labels on the bottom of ornaments and glassware to denote who they were going to.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Slight tangent/ Does anyone know how to go about getting a vase valued, preferably for free? When my elderly neighbour died, she had a large collection of ornaments. Her family didn't want them all, and her grand-daughter gave me a vase, as she thought it went well with my wallpaper (it did!)

A few years later my mother claimed to have spotted the same vase on Antiques Roadshow and it was "very valuable" Obviously if it was valuable, I'd return it to her family, but I don't want to spend good money having it valued, based on something Mum saw on TV.

It's stamped Royal Doulton on the base, a solid pottery type of vase, rather than china, and it looks as though it was painted while wet, and the colours ran, giving a blurry effect. It's glazed.

I like it very much and hope that it's not worth anything!

/End tangent.
 
Posted by Sergius-Melli (# 17462) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Slight tangent/ Does anyone know how to go about getting a vase valued, preferably for free? When my elderly neighbour died, she had a large collection of ornaments. Her family didn't want them all, and her grand-daughter gave me a vase, as she thought it went well with my wallpaper (it did!)

A few years later my mother claimed to have spotted the same vase on Antiques Roadshow and it was "very valuable" Obviously if it was valuable, I'd return it to her family, but I don't want to spend good money having it valued, based on something Mum saw on TV.

It's stamped Royal Doulton on the base, a solid pottery type of vase, rather than china, and it looks as though it was painted while wet, and the colours ran, giving a blurry effect. It's glazed.

I like it very much and hope that it's not worth anything!

/End tangent.

Have a look on-line. There are forums for pretty much everything where people will have a look at items for you and give you an impression of what they think about it.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
There's this site. Do you see anything like your vase there?

[ 17. January 2013, 16:55: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
There's this site. Do you see anything like your vase there?

That links right back to this thread.
[Confused]

[link fixed]

[ 17. January 2013, 16:59: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
No, I've had a look several times on google images to see if I could see it. There are dozens of different Doulton vases! There are vases with same colour scheme dating from the 1930s, valued at about £40-£60 pounds, but to my untrained eye, they look "better" than mine, in that they have a distinct pattern over a blurry background, whereas mine is all blurry IYSWIM.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Lot 54 (scroll halfway down) has a jug with the same blurry finish - but I'd say my vase is more attractive than the jug, because it has different colours melding into each other. It's a combination of strong colours (deep blue, pink, brown, yellow, bluey-green) and soft lines. Looks lovely full of pink carnations!
 
Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
What about these.

Jengie
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Wow! Mine has two sets of initials on the base - JH and WK or WR or WB. Googling Royal Doulton JH hadn't provided an answer. Mine's a different size, shape and colour scheme but I've no doubt it's painted by the same person.
Thank you, Jengie Jon!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Apologies for derailing the thread.

To return to decluttering - we have an aged king size duvet lurking, which wasn't going to be used again, but it seemed a pity to take it to the tip. Our vet, who does pro bono for a nearby animal sanctuary, has said it can be used to make a sick animal comfy. Apparently there's an ailing goat who will be very grateful! Result!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Apologies for derailing the thread.

To return to decluttering - we have an aged king size duvet lurking, which wasn't going to be used again, but it seemed a pity to take it to the tip. Our vet, who does pro bono for a nearby animal sanctuary, has said it can be used to make a sick animal comfy. Apparently there's an ailing goat who will be very grateful! Result!

We give all our leftover bedding to a charity that helps resettle people who have been left with nothing (women fleeing abusive situations, homeless being housed, etc etc). I know yours has already gone to the goat*, but other shippies in that situation, please don't assume because you won't use it again it's only fit for the tip. Mr S was going to take an old set of bedlinen along to the food bank for onward transmission this morning - but as he has had to walk a mile or so through falling snow I relented and let him off till next week!

I tell all potential donors to look at their stuff from the point of view of someone who otherwise would have *nothing* - to cook in, sleep under, whatever, and it's surprising how much more appealing it becomes!

(end of sermon - sorry!) [Hot and Hormonal]

* better than going to the bad, or to the tip!

Mrs. S, unsure whether to be Good King Wenceslas or the page ...


[coding]

[ 18. January 2013, 09:58: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 
Posted by Sergius-Melli (# 17462) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Wow! Mine has two sets of initials on the base - JH and WK or WR or WB. Googling Royal Doulton JH hadn't provided an answer. Mine's a different size, shape and colour scheme but I've no doubt it's painted by the same person.
Thank you, Jengie Jon!

There is a group on facebook that might be able to help you:

facebook
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I want to get rid of some functional but unsightly filing cabinets. So have started re-organising the contents into boxes and arch lever files.

But I didn't/don't have any clear plan for the filing storage alternative.

I've reached the stage where the room and the files are in chaos. It is as much effort to abandon the project and put everything back as it is to go on.

I think I am going to have to start again from scratch.

I have managed to get rid of some papers though.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
What about yer bog standard IKEA bookcase? Shelves can be adjusted to the height of the files/stacked boxes.

Insofar as any paperwork is organised in this house, it lives on the lower reaches of bookshelves in box files labelled 'bills', 'statements', 'important stuff' etc.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
What about yer bog standard IKEA bookcase? Shelves can be adjusted to the height of the files/stacked boxes.

Good idea, we have an Ikea here in Thyme City but I forget because it is new. It is an attic room so the walls are not full height. I will need to do some careful measuring. I think I need to get all the paper into boxes and files first so I know what amount of shelf space I need.

I don't have a good feeling about this. I think it is going to make the filing more difficult and therefore the old 'PILES' system will re-emerge. [Frown] The filing cabinets are unsightly but they do keep it all under control. Too late now.
 
Posted by Starbug (# 15917) on :
 
Thanks to the snow, Mr Bug and I spent most of today decluttering. We now have a tall shelf unit in the bathroom for storing towels, loo rolls etc. Also two plastic shelving units in the spare bedroom, which I'm mostly using to store bed linen,although Mr Bug has commandeered two of them as his 'man drawers'. We've also hidden away the snooker table top that was previously in the dining room, so for the first time in several years I can access all of my bookshelves again. All in all, very productive. [Yipee]
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
I don't have a good feeling about this. I think it is going to make the filing more difficult and therefore the old 'PILES' system will re-emerge. [Frown] The filing cabinets are unsightly but they do keep it all under control. Too late now.

There's really no better place for papers than filing cabinets! Can you paint the cabinets, or put them behind a curtain?

The only alternative I know is to buy lots of filing boxes and buy bookshelves to store them on.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:

I don't have a good feeling about this. I think it is going to make the filing more difficult and therefore the old 'PILES' system will re-emerge. .

It's why I favour the open-top style of box file. You can see what's in there and when it fills up, you are prompted to decide whether you really need to keep 15 years worth of back whatever.
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
May I join you?

Six bags to the charity shop in last two days. Am renting out spare room for a few weeks which has galvanised me I to action. Spare room is supposed to be office but of course for last few years has basically been junk dumping ground.

Have still got a way to go though. Not to mention the other rooms.....
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Yangtze:
May I join you?

Six bags to the charity shop in last two days. Am renting out spare room for a few weeks which has galvanised me I to action. Spare room is supposed to be office but of course for last few years has basically been junk dumping ground.

Have still got a way to go though. Not to mention the other rooms.....

Welcome to the thread Yangtze!

I have been de-cluttering and de-piling for ages now - I am naturally messy, so it's a constant challenge. But SO worth it!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:

I have been de-cluttering and de-piling for ages now - I am naturally messy, so it's a constant challenge. But SO worth it!

Does the battle never end? [Frown]

Nen - feeling discouraged.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Nenya: No it never ends, but it does get easier! The key is to find new habits to replace the old ones which led to the clutter taking hold. [Two face]

I was incapable of keeping my dining room table clear until it dawned on me that if I never, ever put anything on it, or didn't leave anything overnight the problem would be solved.
And so it turned out. I also put a runner and an ornament on it so it looks nice as a deterrent.

Likewise with the bedside table. I put the books in progress in their own place on a bookshelf. Nothing goes on the table except the alarm clock and lamp and the current book. Although the Kindle and ipod seem to be taking up residence. But they can go in the drawer.

I also realised that most of my piles of paper clutter got binned once I started putting them away. So I am a lot better at binning the junk stuff immediately.

I am making progress with the file reorganisation. One cabinet is empty and the other two are leaner. I have put the boxes in some plastic containers for the moment and reorganised the wardrobe. So there is some order emerging.

Firenze's idea of the bookshelf is growing on me. I think that will be the answer. I am also wondering if I can release some space on the bookshelves downstairs and if so will I also keep up with the filing. [Confused]

Although am I doing well at simplifying my life so there isn't much filing to do. [Cool]

[ 19. January 2013, 14:18: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
filing. [Confused]

I have four (four!) butt ugly file cabinets at work, so to make them prettier and less dreary to stare at every day I stuck wall paper to the front of them. Tutorial here, I used watered down pva instead of "modge podge". When I'm at work next week I will see if I can upload a photo.

At home for paperwork I keep document wallet folders in a couple of plastic crates that slot neatly underneath a desk. The 24, 35, 42 & 64 litre Really Useful Boxes will fit foolscap sized files. I think suspension files are the work of the devil, but those fit too. This photo is of my ex-housemate's filing system. Her crates live on shelves.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Thanks for the links and info ecumaniac, very interesting and useful.

I'm determined to get rid of the file cabinets - I would never get round to decorating them!

The info on the boxes is very useful.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Nenlet2 has brought back a boxful of beautiful unused lever-arch files from his work which were going to be thrown away. [Eek!] They've made me really keen on the idea of filing. Though not quite keen enough to actually start doing it.

Nen - procrastinator.
 
Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
We've been shopping a bit lately, so to offset the consumerism, I've finally gotten around to sorting out things to take the Charity Shop. Nice warm things like hats, gloves, a coat etc. which will hopefully help someone who needs them.

I also had a good tidy and throw out of our bookcase.

Now I just need to get my husband willing to look at his shirts with a view to charity shopping some of them... Wish me luck!
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Sometimes old and creaky possessions can find a new lease of life. I had four IKEA woven baskets which used hold shoes, and would tuck under two chests of drawers in my bedroom. Then I moved from a flat to a house,and the shoes found other storage.

This is where the instant declutterer might have steeled herself to bin or give the baskets away. BUT I also have an upstairs sewing cupboard, while the sewing area, aka dining table, is downstairs.

Those four baskets now fit beautifully under my ancient convertible couch, which I was also thinking of replacing. They hold current sewing which I don't want to keep trecking up and downstairs, and knitting wool. A perfect match of old furniture and storage solution. (How is it that even a move from a two bedroom flat to a three bedroomed house with attic, utility room and garage, still left me needing more storage space? Even after junking an enormous amount of stuff?)

With a new foam rubber cushion along its length, that couch is here to stay.

[ 20. January 2013, 18:20: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Lever arch files are fab! I had them in my office before I retired, all arranged on a bookcase behind my desk so I could scoot back and select the right one then scoot back and replace it when I had finished. Get lots of plastic pockets and you'll never look back.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:

I have been de-cluttering and de-piling for ages now - I am naturally messy, so it's a constant challenge. But SO worth it!

Does the battle never end? [Frown]

Nen - feeling discouraged.

Nen - last year I persuaded a friend of mine, instead of giving stuff up for Lent, to resolve to put her clothes, shoes etc away as she went along, rather than leaving them all around the house. She's still doing that nearly a year later! So, it CAN end, with enough shiny new habits [Smile] You need a motto - 'don't put it down, put it AWAY!'

In other news, we have managed to unload most of the stuff Mr S put on e-bay (and made some pennies [Yipee] What's left is being advertised on the noticeboard at the back of church, for free, or going to the tip. The workbench in the garage is *nearly* clear now, after Wayne came and took away the Atari and a ginormous boxful of games for it. Sadly his wife was Not Happy - he collects computers*

*well, so do we, but not intentionally!

Mrs. S, so pleased to see the back of all this Stuff!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:

I have been de-cluttering and de-piling for ages now - I am naturally messy, so it's a constant challenge. But SO worth it!

Does the battle never end? [Frown]

Nen - feeling discouraged.

Nen - last year I persuaded a friend of mine, instead of giving stuff up for Lent, to resolve to put her clothes, shoes etc away as she went along, rather than leaving them all around the house. She's still doing that nearly a year later! So, it CAN end, with enough shiny new habits [Smile] You need a motto - 'don't put it down, put it AWAY!'

In other news, we have managed to unload most of the stuff Mr S put on e-bay (and made some pennies [Yipee] ) What's left is being advertised on the noticeboard at the back of church, for free, or going to the tip. The workbench in the garage is *nearly* clear now, after Wayne came and took away the Atari and a ginormous boxful of games for it. Sadly his wife was Not Happy - he collects computers*

*well, so do we, but not intentionally!

Mrs. S, so pleased to see the back of all this Stuff!

[ 21. January 2013, 08:01: Message edited by: The Intrepid Mrs S ]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:

I have been de-cluttering and de-piling for ages now - I am naturally messy, so it's a constant challenge. But SO worth it!

Does the battle never end? [Frown]

Nen - feeling discouraged.

Oh dear - I was trying to be encouraging!

My clutter and piles were unusually bad and I have ADHD which means organising myself is a constant battle. But I am so much happier and less stressed with a (nearly, nearly) clutter free house.

[Smile]
 
Posted by CuppaT (# 10523) on :
 
Somehow what started as decluttering for me, selling off some clothes on consignment and some books on Amazon, has morphed into other people giving me things to sell for them also. So now I have more!
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
[qb]
I have been de-cluttering and de-piling for ages now - I am naturally messy, so it's a constant challenge. But SO worth it!

Does the battle never end? [Frown]

Nen - feeling discouraged.

What I've found is that the battle has significantly reduced! Where I'd put aside a whole day, regularly and resentfully, to tackle the work, now I've been keeping on top of it more, it has reduced to a couple of hours, less regularly.

I'm a naturally messy, untidy person, and that's where the battle mostly is with me, the part of me that likes to be tidy and organised, agin the messy, untdy me. That battle will probably never be won!!
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Just cleared the huge pile on the chest in my bedroom and tidied all the clothes and shoes away. I need to get my bedroom back into a presentable state.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Following Flylady's instructions, today my plan is the tackle to chest I keep the underwear, socks, tights etc in. When I did the major declutter of the bedroom a couple of months ago I rather dumped this area and said I'd get back to it later and never did [Roll Eyes] there's tights in there that I haven't worn for years.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I like the idea of a Lent resolution [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
I like the idea of a Lent resolution [Smile]

It worked really well for my friend, HA - just need to persuade her to start doing the same with the heaps of papers she has all over the place!

Mrs. S, wishing she could declutter some of this sn*w
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Errghh! I have nearly emptied the filing cabinets. I am running out of steam but must finish or it will never get done. Tempted just to bung several remaining files into the boxfiles without weeding and sorting first.

A scrap metal merchant has put me in touch with a man who will collect them for free. This is a bloke with a van I think. He takes them away and sells them on. I might be able to get a small amount of cash for them if I took them to the yard myself but then I would have to get them down two flights of stairs, into the car etc, etc. The likely amount of money is not worth the hassle.

The problem of how to store the files and make a replacement worksurface remains but I have a sort of a plan. (There is a length of kitchen worktop over the cabinets forming a desk at present).

As with all major changes it is making me feel sick and stressed.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
But it will be so LOVELY when it's done, Chive!

Mrs. S, regarding the S family study with disfavour
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Lever arch files are fab! I had them in my office before I retired, all arranged on a bookcase behind my desk so I could scoot back and select the right one then scoot back and replace it when I had finished. Get lots of plastic pockets and you'll never look back.

Mr Nen, who is the paperwork expert of the house, files everything in lever arch files. He has shelves full of them in his study. I've been unconvinced until recently (my side of the family always employed the stick-it-back-in-the-envelope-and-put-it-in-a-pile-or-drawer filing system) when he's been helping sort out my mum's paperwork and I've seen how his method works so much better. [Smile]

I like the idea of Lent resolutions as well - so much more constructive than giving things up. I'm going to give it some thought. Thanks, Mrs S. [Smile]

Boogie - you didn't say anything wrong, you did say decluttering was worth it! I was just feeling discouraged generally when I posted that.

Nen - when's Ash Wednesday? [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Well I've sorted the underwear and sportswear, thrown lots out and moved some other piles of clothing into new homes. Getting there [Smile]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Congratulations!
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Off to the charity shop shortly with some clothes I've grown out of (sideways) and down to the recycling with some scarves that are too ratty for the charity shop (I was learning to knit when I made them, with far more enthusiasm than skill!)
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:

Nen - when's Ash Wednesday? [Ultra confused] [/QB]

13th February.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I've just found my daughter's "Santa list" [Hot and Hormonal]
Still, it's given me an idea for her next birthday!
 
Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
quote:
posted by NEQ:
I've just found my daughter's "Santa list" [Hot and Hormonal]

For which year? [Biased]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Japes:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:

Nen - when's Ash Wednesday? [Ultra confused]

13th February. [/QB]
Thank you. [Big Grin]

Nen - off to search for diary.
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
So, I basically got the house clear and tidy-ish enough for friend to have at least some space in the spare room. However my room is now full of stuff.

There just isn't enough storage for everything I have so things are going to have to go. Yes, I work from home but that doesn't mean the work papers have to take over everything.

The "it might be useful one day" drive is VERY strong in me.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Congratulations Yangzte


I have emptied all the filing cabinets. Although there is still a pile of files waiting for a new home.

Weather has prevented me from getting sufficient quantities of boxes.

I am trying not to think about how much money I have spent on boxes, lever arch files and plastic pocket sheets.

I'm also at a tedious stage of trying to make best use of the things I have so I will have to reorganise some boxed stuff into the lever arch files. Tedious.

John with the van and his mate are arriving tomorrow afternoon to take the filing cabinets away.

Tasks before then are to clear the stuff off the worktops and clear the access to the cabinets and stairs. Shouldn't take long. [Big Grin]

[ 24. January 2013, 14:08: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
The "it might be useful one day" drive is VERY strong in me.
Yangtze, you may need to work on its replacements 'Good grief,that doesn't owe me anything!' and 'If it hasn't been useful these last 10 weeks/months/years/decades/delete as required, then it never will!'

Good luck ...

Mrs. S, proud owner of a decanter or three ...
 
Posted by The Kat in the Hat (# 2557) on :
 
I can almost see the floor in my office!! [Yipee]
 
Posted by Starbug (# 15917) on :
 
I had some old duvets to get rid of, which were going to be thrown out in the Hippo bag. A work colleague advertised that she needed some old blankets for a dog shelter, so I asked if the duvets would be any use. Twenty-four hours later, we have a clear space on the floor and the dogs have some warm bedding. [Smile]

[ 24. January 2013, 21:37: Message edited by: Starbug ]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Good for you Kat. [Yipee]

I could hardly see the floor in my attic yesterday despite throwing out loads of stuff. I seem to have just as much left. I had several files with names like 'odd bits and pieces' 'Useful stuff' and so on. Some of them contained duplicate items. [Roll Eyes]

John and mate turned up on time and removed the cabinets and worktops.

It doesn't look a lot better. At least before it looked like an office, a scruffy office but an office. I am wondering if I have done the right thing.

Now it looks like a storage area. It looks smaller as well. Still I am not finished yet.

I dusted, hoovered and washed all the areas previously hidden by the cabinets.

It needs decorating. It would be easy enough as I woudn't need a ladder, just a chair and it wouldn't involve removing wallpaper. I will try and do that this year if we haven't sold it by Easter.

While I was at it I prised open the little door into the roof space. As I suspected there are some boxes and box files in there. I think they have been there at least 10 or 15 years, maybe longer. I don't know what is in them. When we move I'll have them cleared out and dumped.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Mr Nen and I talked Decluttering this morning and made a sort of pact. I'm going to declutter my paperwork and he's going to declutter his clothes. (The admission that he needs to is something of an event. [Biased] [Yipee] )

We have a free afternoon so I'll start after lunch...

I so understand that "it might come in useful" thing, especially as I'm sure I'm not the only one to have thought on occasion (ok, maybe only one or two occasions [Biased] ) "If only we still had the..."

Nen - procrastinating on the Ship as usual. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
All the sorting and filing is done. It is not perfect but it is finished.

I've decided to get Ikea bookcases, they have the perfect thing,(thanks for that idea Firenze) and a folding table.

The Really Useful boxes would probably be cheaper but not so visually attractive. We want people to see the possibilities of the room. And they wouldn't provide such flexible shelf space.

I was going to order/get them today but this morning the estate agent phoned, people wanted to view the house in less than two hours time.

[Eek!]

Mr T and I scampered round stashing and dashing, swishing and swiping and so on. We have a well rehearsed routine now.

I do owe such a debt of gratitude to FlyLady. We were ready even though they arrived early and the house looked OK because I have kept up with basic routines.

The attic had to be presented as a work in progress. Thank goodness the filing cabinets had gone. I stacked everything up as neatly as possible against the wall and the room did look much larger than before.

So I am not going to buy any stuff until we know if they are going to buy it. They said they are ready to move, no chain, so our fingers are crossed and [Votive] .

[ 26. January 2013, 16:25: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
That sounds positive [Smile]
DH has spent the day clearing the outhouse as he has just bought a huge metal lathe secondhand from work and it needed a home.
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
After a week staying at my sister's extremely tidy house I came back to my shit tip. Cleaner starts on Tuesday so I'm trying not to get too downhearted but I'm terrified of the whole thing. I usually refuse to have people in my house (partly the mess, mostly the madness) so it's going to be immensely difficult to let her in and let her touch my 'stuff.' And part of me is comforted by my stuff - it's my security blanket.

I keep telling myself this is a good idea but as it gets imminent the desire to hide under the bed increases exponentially.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Courage! [Votive]
 
Posted by Starbug (# 15917) on :
 
We went to visit mother-in-law today, taking with us a wooden table with double drawers that I'd been using unsuccessfully for storing tea towels. We put it in her spare room. MIL now has a new-to-her dressing table and we now have a set of much more practical storage drawers.

This decluttering thing is becoming addictive! [Yipee]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Mr Nen spent some time sorting his clothes this afternoon and most of them have gone back into the cupboards, but I do have a pile of things to get rid of so it's a start.

Meanwhile my paperwork is slowly starting to migrate into a lever arch file. Very slowly.

Nen - tired and a bit overwhelmed. [Frown]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Well, I'm feeling virtuous today, having cleaned the bathroom, cleared my hotspot (kitchen table), tidied the veg rack and wiped down the kitchen surfaces. Later I will do as Flylady says and give the lounge a quick tidy. I also have the urge to sort out dh's wardrobe - I think this might all be displacement activity for the fact that I should be doing my marking [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I can see you've all been working hard [Hot and Hormonal]

I wanted to share a tip that I picked up when the Telegraph did a series on housework, years ago. Get all your bedlinen out of the airing cupboard (or wherever you hide it) and sort it into sets - then store each set in one of its pillowcases. Get rid of all the odds and ends (or at the very worst, put them into a pillow case at the back).

Result - tidy airing cupboard and easy bed changing, how many hours did I waste when we had single as well as double beds, trying to put a single sheet on to a double! It's such a small thing but SO useful - and FREE!

Mrs. S, hoping someone else finds this helpful [Smile]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
That is a good idea [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by chive:
Cleaner starts on Tuesday so I'm trying not to get too downhearted but I'm terrified of the whole thing.

Chive, you may find that the desire to get your money's worth out of the cleaner is helpful - our house is pretty tidy but both Mr S and I rush round putting stuff away before our cleaners come, because we don't want them to waste paid time moving Stuff about!

Once you have it a bit tidier you may find that it's such a nice feeling you're encouraged to keep it up [Big Grin] YMMV of course

Mrs S, in a spirit of encouragement...
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
quote:
Originally posted by chive:
Cleaner starts on Tuesday so I'm trying not to get too downhearted but I'm terrified of the whole thing.

Chive, you may find that the desire to get your money's worth out of the cleaner is helpful - our house is pretty tidy but both Mr S and I rush round putting stuff away before our cleaners come, because we don't want them to waste paid time moving Stuff about!

Yes - we had a cleaner 'till we semi-retired and couldn't afford/justify one. My cluttering tendencies meant I stuffed the stuff in cupboards on the day before the cleaner came [Hot and Hormonal]

My decluttering now includes trying to make sure EVERYTHING has a place. It's so hard for my disorganised mind - but my kitchen and stationery cupboards have been thus sorted for 6 months now - wayhay! It's a joy to know where the selotape is!

My study leaves a lot to be desired, still. But now I know it can be done.

Battle on, battle on!

[ 28. January 2013, 13:55: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I can see you've all been working hard [Hot and Hormonal]

I wanted to share a tip that I picked up when the Telegraph did a series on housework, years ago. Get all your bedlinen out of the airing cupboard (or wherever you hide it) and sort it into sets - then store each set in one of its pillowcases. Get rid of all the odds and ends (or at the very worst, put them into a pillow case at the back).

Result - tidy airing cupboard and easy bed changing, how many hours did I waste when we had single as well as double beds, trying to put a single sheet on to a double! It's such a small thing but SO useful - and FREE!

Mrs. S, hoping someone else finds this helpful [Smile]

That really is a useful idea. [Smile] I sorted my airing cupboard not so very long ago, but when its turn comes round again that's what I'll do. [Smile]

For the last two days I've shipped bagfuls of Mr Nen's clothes to the charity shops and the clothes banks and it's good to be almost clear of them now. I've also got a bit of filing to do this afternoon, to try and keep my breakfast bar clear (one of the hotspots that attracts clutter). The house is littered with my various attempts at filing and it's going to take a while to consolidate them all.

Nen - still tired but a bit more optimistic.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I like the storing of bedlinen idea. I will do that next time I feel moved to tidy the airing cupboard.

I have ticked a few icky jobs off my list.

Wash the kitchen floor - Done

Clean the soap dispenser and drawer in the washing machine - Done.

Run self clean oven programme, clean racks - Done.

Properly clean hob - Done

This morning while wondering if my kitchen knife was sharp discovered it is when I sliced into my index finger. Strangely it doesn't hurt. But it is bundled up with plasters and is a good excuse for not doing any more for a while.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
The attic room is finished! [Yipee] [Yipee] [Yipee] [Cool]

It looks fabulous. I am thrilled. The Ikea units are perfect (thank you for that suggestion Firenze).

The room looks so much bigger and more attractive now. I have more storage space than before. I can see at a glance where everything is. Also, strangely, I think I will be more motivated to do my dressmaking than before. The space seems easier to use. I am definitely going to decorate asap.

I am not a 'frilly' sort of person but I could put a curtain over the front of the shelves and that would hide the files. I'll have to think about that.

Also thinking of replacing the folding bed (which is functional but not attractive) with a sofa bed.

I'm not going to get another table yet. I'll see how the room works before I decide if I need one and if so what sort.

I wish I had done this a long time ago. It didn't take long once I'd started. Also, I have realised that the filing cabinets held a lot of unhappy memories and now the cabinets have gone I am not reminded of them.

Off to do some sewing.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
That sounds lovely Thyme [Smile]
Btw, your parcel has arrived safely - thank you.
 
Posted by rosamundi (# 2495) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
I like the idea of Lent resolutions as well - so much more constructive than giving things up. I'm going to give it some thought. Thanks, Mrs S. [Smile]

I like the Lent idea, too. I think it's partly about gratitude, for me. I have stuff I don't need and am resentful of because it's in the way and makes me feel guilty.

There's also stuff which was here when I moved in, which is blocking the shelves in the box room (a long, narrow storage room with shelves at the back, coat hooks, fuse box, &c). I have already been at it once, and got rid of most of the cardboard (I don't really think I need to keep the boxes for the computer before last), so I'm no longer in danger of being killed in the avalanche when I open the door.

I have got a few days off work coming up, so I have booked a man with a van to come and take some of the stuff away (a washing machine? Why is there a washing machine in there?!?) and bribed my brother (easily bribed, with beer and petrol money!) to come and get rid of some other stuff.

I will then be able to get at the shelving, and maybe put up some more shelving down one of the side walls, so the space will be more useful. I think a couple of these Ikea shelving units with some extra shelves will be perfect.
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by rosamundi:


I will then be able to get at the shelving, and maybe put up some more shelving down one of the side walls, so the space will be more useful. I think a couple of these Ikea shelving units with some extra shelves will be perfect.

We have one and while it can hold a lot BEWARE! There are no sides, so you might need something to stop books etc falling out of it. We also have a couple of these which can hold two rows of paperbacks, which is OK if you can keep your books organised enough to find them subsequently.
 
Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
I'm still slightly in denial about the Room of Doom (my study), but following a conversation with my boss last week I think I'm going to have to get really serious about writing, which means I'm going to have to have a decent writing space. I think I'm going to try to do a little bit daily, and see where that takes me.

Chive, how did Tuesday go? Hope it works out with your cleaner and you can feel less anxious about it as time goes on.
 
Posted by cross eyed bear (# 13977) on :
 
Sioni Sais
quote:
If you can keep your books organised enough to find them subsequently
I also have paperbacks in double rows, but have put old shoeboxes lengthwise along the back of the shelves to raise the back row to a higher level than the front row. It's a great use of space and means you can see enough of the spines of the back row to identify the book relatively quickly.

I've been a lurker to this thread, but you've had a great effect! I've sent books to online sellers/charity shops, my collection of old glasses (spectacles) to lunettes sans frontieres, sold stuff on ebay, sent broken electrical stuff to a recycling organisation, given duplicate kitchen stuff to a girl moving into a new flat, and the house is unusually organised. I'm putting off the paperwork, though...
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Well done Cross eyed bear [Smile]
No marking this week and I've got a few hours to spare so I'm going to have a decluttering week. The bedroom still has a few piles that need sorting since the big overhaul last September and I could do with tidying the cupboard I keep my OU work and studying materials in. Might do a book declutter too.
Really I need to completely clear out the sewing room/study but that might require a brave step too far!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Great stuff cross eyed bear.

Chive - I've been wondering how you got on as well. Hope it all went OK.

Heavenly Anarchist - glad the parcel arrived safely.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
Our decluttering proceeds slowly. My wife has now attacked her craft room, resulting in the hitherto narrow passage to her workspace being much enlarged, as items migrated from the floor to the redundant shelves transferred from other rooms, or even into the bin. She admitted to a friend a few days ago that she was a compulsive hoarder, the first time I've heard a public acknowledgement.

I have spent the last two days cleaning and restacking our pantry, courtesy of a marauding mouse. The result - lovely sparkling clean shelves, and the disposal of many small packets of stale foodstuffs which had managed to become hidden in back corners or on the top shelf.
 
Posted by Starbug (# 15917) on :
 
I cleared out the cupboard under the kitchen sink at the weekend. Several things went in the bin, including an old rusty wok. We're keeping the baking trays and a few other bits, but I now have a bag of mugs and glasses that will be donated to the local women's refuge, via one of our local councillors.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Great stuff everybody!

I've been decorating my bedroom, hence no access over the weekend - but at least the decluttering *should* be minimal. Having said that, there are about 42 feet of bookshelves (no, 14 shelves each 3 ft. wide - not a 42 ft. run of shelves!) which will require careful monitoring of the contents as they are replaced.

The room looks so much bigger without them, but there's nowhere else to put them and I can't do without them all. AND a blanket box absolutely FULL of photographs - I really mustn't just put them straight back, however tempting that might be [Confused]

In other news, the last of the eBay sales was collected by the courier yesterday, and you can put your feet down in the understairs cupboard [Yipee] for the first time in 21 years!

Mrs. S, emulsion on her glasses and gloss paint under her fingernails
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I sorted the work/study cupboard yesterday and my kitchen is looking much tidier for it. I also threw out a pile of sewing magazines and have ready about 50 books to recycle. Today I might start tackling the piles of miscellaneous items in the bedroom.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Yay to all of us!

(HA - any more of this and you'll need to change your name! [Big Grin] )

Mrs. S, snickering hound
 
Posted by rosamundi (# 2495) on :
 
The gas heaters and washing machine have gone! I have a usable box room! [Big Grin]

Now I just need to glom off to Ikea... [Frown]

Still, into every life a little rain must fall.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by rosamundi:
The gas heaters and washing machine have gone! I have a usable box room! [Big Grin]

Now I just need to glom off to Ikea... [Frown]

Still, into every life a little rain must fall.

As this isn't the weight loss thread, you could reward yourself with Dime/Daim bar cake ...

The Envious Mrs. S!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I asked at the local vets today whether they'd like our old pillows and duvets and the answer was in the negative. [Roll Eyes] I'll try the animal rescue place and if not it'll all have to be ditched.

I have a charity bag and plan to spend part of Saturday filling it with shoes and handbags and clothes. Will also be decluttering the books some more.

Nen - planning ahead. [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
I asked at the local vets today whether they'd like our old pillows and duvets and the answer was in the negative. [Roll Eyes] I'll try the animal rescue place and if not it'll all have to be ditched.

I have a charity bag and plan to spend part of Saturday filling it with shoes and handbags and clothes. Will also be decluttering the books some more.

Nen - planning ahead. [Smile]

Nen - are there no local homeless shelters or similar?

Mrs. S, reluctant to see anything go to be ditched - hopefully not actually *in* a ditch...
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
My daughter is visiting from another city for the weekend, and popped her head into our bedroom and said "Is the bed smaller, or is there just more space in here now?" Given that a bookshelf, a wonky shoe cupboard, set of drawers and valet stool have disappeared, you can imagine my answer.
 
Posted by rosamundi (# 2495) on :
 
The most excellent rosabrother came and went to the tip, with the contents of my box room in his possession.

I washed the shelves & steam mopped the floor, and put stuff on the shelves.

Then the nice man from Ikea came with two sets of shelves, so I put those together. 112 screws went in by hand, I want a power screwdriver. *Applies ice to wrist*.

Tomorrow I will start putting more things on the new shelves, I think I've done enough for today.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{Stocks thread pantry with first aid kit, remedies, comfort food, etc.}

Making some progress.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Barnabas Aus:
My daughter is visiting from another city for the weekend, and popped her head into our bedroom and said "Is the bed smaller, or is there just more space in here now?" Given that a bookshelf, a wonky shoe cupboard, set of drawers and valet stool have disappeared, you can imagine my answer.

"Yes." [Smile]

Mrs S - I'll contact the local rescue places, but there isn't much homelessness round where I live... fortunately. The stuff won't be chucked if I can help it.

I did so well yesterday but today can't get my head round any proper sorting at all. [Roll Eyes]

Nen - boom and bust declutterer.
 
Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
I work from the manse, as the minister... Moved into it last May.
In the study.... I unpacked the books, but that was all. The rest of the room became the catch-all for everything, and I worked from the living room table.
Today, my houseguest and I went to work AND VOILA! Lovely, usable, clean, sorted study.
And a car full of rubbish went to the town's tip.
YAY!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
SOMEONE - I suspect Wodders - has changed the name of this thread and it's NOT FAIR! [Mad]

*WE* aren't the hoarders - we may be ex-hoarders or on our 12-step way to becoming ex-hoarders - but we deserve a lot more credit than we're getting here!

Seriously, I find it impressive and very touching how people's lives have actually been changed (for the better!) by clearing out Stuff from their homes, and by extension, their lives.

Having done all the cooking I reasonably could on such a wet Sunday afternoon, I started on the blanket-box full of photographs and it is by far the hardest thing I've ever tried to declutter. Mercifully Mr. S does not want to digitise the entire archive (Heaven be praised!) but I am still wrestling with how they should be filed or arranged. I suppose I'll just keep plugging away at throwing out endless views of A Hillside in Crete, and maybe even some A Small Baby in a Blanket could go as well...

Mrs. S, hardening her heart [Devil]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Am I a hoarder? Yes - by nature I am, but I fight that nature daily and feel MUCH better for it.

Yesterday I 'did out' under the sink (again) so friends can wash up at parties without everything falling out on them.

Next job - spare room wardrobe. It has been full of all sorts of junk for years. We now have a spare room as Boogielet2 moved out properly on Friday, not just to college or uni this time - to his first home.

[Smile]
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Rowen:
I work from the manse, as the minister... Moved into it last May.
In the study.... I unpacked the books, but that was all. The rest of the room became the catch-all for everything, and I worked from the living room table.

Gulp. I'm moving into a Manse in two weeks time. I have boxes and boxes of papers needing sorted out. That is so going to be me.
[Waterworks]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Next job - spare room wardrobe. It has been full of all sorts of junk for years. We now have a spare room as Boogielet2 moved out properly on Friday, not just to college or uni this time - to his first home.

[Smile]

Congratulations Boogie!

When Master S. finally *really* moved out it took Miss S and me three entire months to empty his room completely. [Eek!] It was so worth it though!

Mrs. S, looking back in relief!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I hate being labelled a hoarder. [Mad] Real hoarders have binliners full of stuff in their baths and can't find their beds or their floors for rubbish.

I, meanwhile, have gaps on my bookshelves, a half filled charity bag and a tidy breakfast bar.

Nen - throwing her toys out of the pram, another way to declutter.
 
Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
I keep walking past my study door and going "Ahhhhh!" with delight.
H*** the mnse move mentioned above goes well.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
Thanks for the good wishes, Rowen. It's going to be a chaotic week. But you give me h*o*p*e*. [Smile] (Because that word appears to be on the censors' list!)
 
Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
Now all the macro unpacking done, and I can move on to the micro.... Just did the medicine cabinet.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
But you give me h*o*p*e*. [Smile]

Ain't that the truth! Reading about other people's successes is a great way to motivate yourself, I think.

Mrs. S, loving Nen's last status!
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
I'm realizing I can ditch the cookbooks. For a couple years now, if I want to cook something I look for a recipe on the web.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well, we've all been vindicated - I read an article in the Telegraph saying that de-cluttering is definitely The Way To Success >>
Telegraph

so we look forward to untold success this year [Yipee]

Mrs. S, feeling smug!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Well, we've all been vindicated - I read an article in the Telegraph saying that de-cluttering is definitely The Way To Success >>
Telegraph

so we look forward to untold success this year.

Mrs. S, feeling smug!

[Yipee]

I must say my experience is the opposite. Clutter = confused mind, not confused mind = clutter (if you see what I mean)

If my environment is uncluttered then I am able to relax and become more productive. If I'm living in clutter I'm distracted by it. (Partly because it shouts at me to clear it up!)

<edited because my :spin: wouldn't yipee!>

[ 18. February 2013, 11:03: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Finally realized my constant sense of mild frustration comes from the homeless woman's stuff overflowing my covered patio and cluttering my living room and hall. It's stressing my life. Friends say they'll help with a garage sale but in reality everyone's busy. Ads for individual items aren't getting responses.

I have termites, I have to get rid of the stuff now so the pest control folks can access the whole exterior of the house.

Saturday morning I'll haul what I can from behind the house to the front. I would start moving stuff today but it's supposed to rain. I'll take whatever anyone offers and take the rest to the women's shelter thrift shop and call a social worker friend to fetch the big stuff for someone she knows could use it.

Good thing about a garage sale of her stuff, I can throw some of my own stuff into it. Yea! Get.rid.of.stuff! Maybe get her some money. And get my patio back!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
Finally realized my constant sense of mild frustration comes from the homeless woman's stuff overflowing my covered patio and cluttering my living room and hall. It's stressing my life. Friends say they'll help with a garage sale but in reality everyone's busy. Ads for individual items aren't getting responses.

I have termites, I have to get rid of the stuff now so the pest control folks can access the whole exterior of the house.

Saturday morning I'll haul what I can from behind the house to the front. I would start moving stuff today but it's supposed to rain. I'll take whatever anyone offers and take the rest to the women's shelter thrift shop and call a social worker friend to fetch the big stuff for someone she knows could use it.

Good thing about a garage sale of her stuff, I can throw some of my own stuff into it. Yea! Get.rid.of.stuff! Maybe get her some money. And get my patio back!

Good luck with that Belle [Overused] don't you find you feel better having made a plan - any plan?

Mrs. S, Proud Promulgator of Plans
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have reached a plateaux - a bit like the diet!

So today I am going to throw everything to be decluttered on to the landing (my paint cupboard) to force me to get on with it!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Most friends I asked for help with the garage sale are busy (it's our life style), but one will come by for 20 minutes on her way to work to give me a potty break.

But then a neighbor said she needs money and will being her stuff and join me. Yea! Bigger is more attractive, two people is much better than one, and she said it's perfect timing for her. And the weather prediction still says clear tomorrow and Saturday. Looking good!

AND, half a day setting up, half a day selling, half a day cleaning up - is time not on line! Time outdoors! Needed changes in my life. Decluttering is healthy!
 
Posted by AmyBo (# 15040) on :
 
I managed to get Hubby to help with the spare room: removing the guitars (they now live in the remodeled basement), putting in a futon and new rug, painting 2 walls, getting rid of all the boxes of stuff we stuck in there to go through later, and getting rid of all the excess books overflowing the shelves.
The next day his mother broke her leg; now she's staying with us for 2 months. So either it's lucky we had all that done, or as a friend put it, it's a feng shui backfire.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
AmyBo [Killing me] Sorry to laugh, hope mil is recovering well.

I have just donated nearly all my cassette tapes. I never listen to them and can find anything I might want on youtube.

Plus a couple more bits of clothing.

Next up - some video tapes. I never watch them. We still have a video recorder but my DH says it doesn't work with the new TV. I haven't been able to persuade him to dump the recorder. So I am not sure if it really won't work with a modern TV or if he can't work out how to do it but won't admit it. This has happened before [Roll Eyes]

[ 25. February 2013, 11:12: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
My friend has taken up decluttering for Lent - she has heaps of paper about the place and wants to tidy them up (she lives alone, so no one to nag her about them!) Progress is being made in that she went through one heap - and then put it back! - but at least she now knows what's in the heap and has promised to Sort It Out on her day off, Friday.

Thyme - I recognise that feeling too!

Mrs S, remaining to be convinced [Killing me]
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
The cleaner is here for her first day (illness and my incompetence delayed things). She is currently completely gutting the bathroom (which needed it). And even better because she's here I've been motivated myself and cleared the table top, the drawers and the bureau in my living room.

I is so proud (and slightly smug at myself) but a long, long way to go yet.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Wow did I under estimate the time needed to do a garage sale!

Sale was Saturday 8 to noon. At 1 my friend and decided to go to lunch, having been up since 6 without a break. As we were pulling out a woman drove up - tables have all been pushed back to the house and blankets thrown over them and no one standing in the driveway but she's getting out of the car. What was she going to do, remove the blankets? We called to her "it ended an hour ago" and drove away exhausted, ignoring her protest.

Then the whole afternoon packing, sorting what to toss what to keep for another time. (?) Next day we both collapsed. Monday we were both short tempered from still being too tired. Add almost two days sorting and pricing before hand, it's a week of work! For about $80, not worth it.

But good to be outdoors for a day, meet lots of neighbors, there's value in that. My friend made about $70 and really needs the money, so does the homeless woman whose stuff I'm selling, so I guess it was worth while. It got rid of a lot of stuff! Yea!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Great work chive, congratulations.

Your homeless friend can't complain you didn't try Belle Ringer!
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I've moved house now, and the main rooms - kitchen, living room and dining room - are pretty much sorted. But it is still chaos elsewhere, especially in my study. I need a filing cabinet NOW.

I also have boxes and boxes of old papers, going right back to undergraduate days. (My mother has quite rightly refused to store them anymore.) So I have resolved to clear one folder a day until it is done. Already I have unearthed an old school show programme signed by my then-pupils, that has brought back happy memories. Oh, and a weird poem that I seem to have written once.
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Someone please talk me out of this.

In an on-line discussion group I lurk at, some people are talking about going to a conference about paleo diet and exercise, I'm not paleo but I am getting grains out of my diet so there's a lot in common. The conference is an hour or so from me and costs $200. I won't go at that price, but I could offer rustic accommodations (air bed on the floor, shared bath) - which would force me to do a LOT of cleaning before the end of this month, and would bring some interesting company into my life for a few days, while saving a few people several hundred dollars of hotel.

Tempting to do the invite, force myself to do the cleaning. Tempting to continue my relaxed way of life which doesn't generally include much of the long overdo cleaning.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Originally posted by Thyme:
quote:
Next up - some video tapes. I never watch them. We still have a video recorder but my DH says it doesn't work with the new TV. I haven't been able to persuade him to dump the recorder.
This is a bugbear in the NE household. Our video started to go a bit funny about 3 years ago. So the North East Man decided that we'd stop using it to watch videos, and would use it solely to transfer our videos onto DVD. When he had the time. Except that he hasn't had the time at any point in the intervening 3 years. So we have a bookcase full of videos which we haven't watched in 3 years, but which have to stay because I'm the only one who is happy to bin them (local charity shops are no longer accepting videos). And we have a teetering pile of DVDs next to the TV, which can't get put away, because the shelves are full of redundant videos....

As I'm the one who dusts and hoovers round the stuff, I'm the one who's most inconvenienced, but, alas, this doesn't give me extra voting rights on what should happen. Sigh.
 
Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Hmm the ministers rouse time. Based on the the story of the minister who wanted rid of the church hymn book, so took one or two home each week. Each time you dust and clean you throw out one video.

You can decide whether you tell North East Man this or not.

Jengie
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
Someone please talk me out of this.

.... which would force me to do a LOT of cleaning before the end of this month, and would bring some interesting company into my life for a few days, while saving a few people several hundred dollars of hotel.

Tempting to do the invite, force myself to do the cleaning. Tempting to continue my relaxed way of life which doesn't generally include much of the long overdo cleaning.

Nope I'm not going to talk you out of this - it sounds a great double-incentive: more of your home clear and clean PLUS interesting company. Not to mention enabling folk to get to this conference.
 
Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
help!* my house is a complete dump. and I am moving in 3 months, so I have all the reason in the world to get rid of EVERYTHING. but it's overwhelming. where the hell do I start? ACK!

*not really asking for help. just sharing.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
When I was getting ready to move from New Hampshire back to Virginia, I had to deal with a twenty-year accumulation of stuff by four pack-rats.

There were two mental images that kept occurring to me. One was a cartoon of a boy in a classroom with his hand raised. He is saying, "Mr. Osborn, may I be excused? My brain is full."

The other was from a Dick Francis detective story. An actor in a play wanted the protagonist to give some ideas to the director whose name was Zak. The protagonist replied that maybe the director didn't want any advice. At this point the director came along and said, "At this point Zak is taking suggestions from chimpanzees."

If there had been a chimpanzee around, I would have been tempted to ask for advice.

Moo
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by comet:
help!* my house is a complete dump. and I am moving in 3 months, so I have all the reason in the world to get rid of EVERYTHING. but it's overwhelming. where the hell do I start? ACK!

*not really asking for help. just sharing.

You need a visitor who has been in declutter mode for years.

Me, for instance. 3 years ago, I started thinking about how my survivors would deal with my home
- so I decided to make it easy for them.

Invite me - I am not sentimental and am a pitbull.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by comet:
help!* my house is a complete dump. and I am moving in 3 months, so I have all the reason in the world to get rid of EVERYTHING. but it's overwhelming. where the hell do I start? ACK!

*not really asking for help. just sharing.

Start by eating everything in your freezer.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Hmm the ministers rouse time. Based on the the story of the minister who wanted rid of the church hymn book, so took one or two home each week. Each time you dust and clean you throw out one video.

You can decide whether you tell North East Man this or not.

Jengie

The snag, if he noticed after, say 10, or 20, or 30, or 40 had gone, it would be obvious that I'd got rid of them, because I'm the only person in the house who is annoyed that we're wasting shelf space on videos we will never watch again, and whose sole function is to gather dust. Even if we ever did find the time to copy them onto DVD I doubt we'd watch them. Some are Disney videos which my husband wants to "save for the grandchildren." But we are still, I assume, a decade away from grandparenthood, and if videos are obsolete now, I can't imagine they'll have come back into use in the 2020s.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
And on a cheery note, I have dealt with all the piles of paper round the house which are likely to get swept into our study/bedroom when we tidy for visitors.

In the study/bedroom itself, the "extra" stuff is in one cardboard box, three 24 litre stacking plastic boxes and a large carrier bag. All I need to do now is clear space in assorted files and shelves, put the contents of the boxes and bag away and, for the first time since we moved in 2003, we will have a tidy study/ spare bedroom!

I can do this!
 
Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by PeteC:
quote:
Originally posted by comet:
help!* my house is a complete dump. and I am moving in 3 months, so I have all the reason in the world to get rid of EVERYTHING. but it's overwhelming. where the hell do I start? ACK!

*not really asking for help. just sharing.

You need a visitor who has been in declutter mode for years.

Me, for instance. 3 years ago, I started thinking about how my survivors would deal with my home
- so I decided to make it easy for them.

Invite me - I am not sentimental and am a pitbull.

c'mon over, Uncle Pete! I need you!
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Pete's got a point.

When you are asking for help do not ask a friend. They will be far too kind. My m-i-l used to say "Get an enemy to prune your roses" and I reckon the same applies to decluttering.

Mind you if any enemy of mine (and not a few friends) tried to declutter my bookshelves they would end up on the floor with a chalk outline around them, but they could declutter my wardrobe all they liked.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
WTAF? I've just found a copy of the Daily Mail's Disco Greats in my study? And a single baby sock.
This decluttering is way overdue.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
How old is that baby now? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
It might be my niece's - she's 5. It can't belong to either of mine, as they were at school when we moved into this house.

I've also found a mystery CD of photos of my neighbours' children and my neighbour's back garden, which looks to have been taken 7 or 8 years ago. How did I acquire that?
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
For Comet and any other Shipmates moving house:

http://unclutterer.com/2011/02/28/moving-how-to-pack-your-home/
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
North East Quine wrote
quote:
All I need to do now is clear space in assorted files and shelves, put the contents of the boxes and bag away and, for the first time since we moved in 2003, we will have a tidy study/ spare bedroom!
You're way ahead of us NEQ, it's 24 years since we moved, and I got my study organised properly just in time for Christmas 2012.
 
Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
For Comet and any other Shipmates moving house:

http://unclutterer.com/2011/02/28/moving-how-to-pack-your-home/

those are excellent tips, thank you!
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
This week with the cleaners help I managed to send four boxes of books to the charity shop and throw out eight bags of rubbish to the tip. I've also ordered a filing cabinet to sort out all my papers.

This is all going remarkably well and I've not had any really emotional reaction to getting rid of things which I'm chuffed about.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Yay, Chive!!! [Smile]

I'm slowly getting rid of more stuff. [Smile]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Good luck, Comet!

I've moved once a year for the 4 years I've lived here. I cannot imagine having to move after living in a place for a long time!
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
My new filing cabinet and files arrived today so on my next day off I'm going to sort out the paper work which lives in small piles all over the house.

This is going quite well. [Smile]
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Post garage sale clutter. The friend who did the garage sale with me left her leftover stuff at my house "for a day or two" because we were both tired and her stuff is heavy, like cartons of LPs and CDs.

A "day or two" is now two weeks. She's "busy."

Meanwhile, the yard man has taken to storing some of his stuff on my patio, saying it will be stolen from his yard.

Sigh. I'm quite capable of being cluttered on my own, I don't need help!
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
Despite my cleaner being snowed off today I have made inroads to the huge pile of mess on the coffee table. All that is left now is my phones, remote control and a small torch.

Smug feelings are rising. I hope it doesn't all go wrong soon.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by chive:
Despite my cleaner being snowed off today I have made inroads to the huge pile of mess on the coffee table. All that is left now is my phones, remote control and a small torch.

Smug feelings are rising. I hope it doesn't all go wrong soon.

Well done Chive - that should encourage you no end!

My children bought me flowers for Mothering Sunday, on the basis that I'd spent all summer throwing Stuff out and didn't want to start accumulating again.

Mrs. S - they know me so well!
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
(Sneaking back onboard the Ship after some absence...)
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
The snag, if he noticed after, say 10, or 20, or 30, or 40 had gone, it would be obvious that I'd got rid of them, because I'm the only person in the house who is annoyed that we're wasting shelf space on videos we will never watch again, and whose sole function is to gather dust. Even if we ever did find the time to copy them onto DVD I doubt we'd watch them. Some are Disney videos which my husband wants to "save for the grandchildren." But we are still, I assume, a decade away from grandparenthood, and if videos are obsolete now, I can't imagine they'll have come back into use in the 2020s.

But they at least will be easy to replace should you ever feel the need. The good Disney stuff will always be available. And in 10 years' time, who knows if DVDs will still be the way to go. Get rid, and use the shelf space for things you want now and for the next however many years! [Biased]

I recently managed to declutter the dining table, by dint of bagging up Mr B's work books and taking them over to his office for him... It's not entirely cleared yet, but that's laziness on my part now rather than his clutter. And the living room has stayed much better since the table got moved out to make space for the Christmas tree. The tree is long gone, but the table and chairs are still in the garage. Part of me wants it back for when we're eating in the living room (i.e. most evenings!), but mostly I think if it came back in, it'd get buried under Mr's books and work papers again, and still wouldn't be useable by the rest of us. Hmmm...
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
Post garage sale clutter. The friend who did the garage sale with me left her leftover stuff at my house "for a day or two" because we were both tired and her stuff is heavy, like cartons of LPs and CDs.

A "day or two" is now two weeks. She's "busy."

Meanwhile, the yard man has taken to storing some of his stuff on my patio, saying it will be stolen from his yard.

Sigh. I'm quite capable of being cluttered on my own, I don't need help!

Have you considered putting up a list of your space rental rates?
[Biased] [Biased] [Biased]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have poured the bottle of Malibu which I bought in 1985 down the sink. I have no idea why I didn't do so years ago. I tried to suggest to the North East Man that a bottle of Bacardi, 2/3 full, bought in 1989 might equally well go, but he thinks someone might still want to drink it at some point. I said I was fed up dusting bottles of alcohol which no-one wants to drink. Daughter suggested that that problem was easily solved - stop cleaning. She thinks cobwebby bottles would have a certain charm, and that an inch of dust would give our kitchen a "pirattey ambience."

[brick wall]
[Waterworks]

At least the study decluttering is progressing, albeit slowly.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I decluttered our drinks cupboard yesterday ( this was following a 'mouse drama' behind the cupboard earlier in the day, mouse is now no more). I'm using some old bottles of whiskey and rum to make fruit liqueurs [Smile]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Following on from my last post, I cleared out under the stairs yesterday, throwing out loads of old shoes, some mine but mostly children's, and rehousing others. I now have space for my preserves there and for the winemaking I'm doing later this week.
Today I need to tackle the bedroom, piles are beginning to gather on surfaces......
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
You have inspired me Heavenly Anarchist. I am off to re-declutter my study which has re-cluttered very quickly (How does that happen??)

[Confused] [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I swear it's the house elves - they come into my study at night and pile stuff on the desks!
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I swear it's the house elves - they come into my study at night and pile stuff on the desks!

Yes, and then they insinuate it into my mind that I put that stuff there. [Frown]

Moo
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Following a few close shaves I've been sensible and moved heavy, breakable dishes from the top shelf to a lower one where I kept my store of spices, and now that I can't eat such spicy food I've decluttered those as well as some of the dishes that I've not used for many, many years. Now I can give my teapots and jugs (hmmm - candidates themselves for decluttering) more space. It feels good.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
I found a good article from Unclutterer.com: "Fight back! Turn the tables on clutter."

Good ideas about all those things that pile up in nooks and crannies when you're too tired to put stuff away.

That's a big one for me, due to chronic health problems.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
My son came to our place today to give us a hand with our rumpus room and storage room, which have been crammed with stuff left behind by him and his siblings or moved out of other places about the house while renovations are in progress.

Three hours work later, two carloads of junk to the dump, half a load of his possessions into his car to go home, and my wife's multitudinous containers of craft supplies and winter clothing neatly stacked in the storage room.

This means that my model railway, which has been inacessible for many a month, is now freed from its prison and I can get some ejoyment from it once more.

Now, if only I can get my wife to do something about the dozens of my daughter's ballet costumes still inhabiting various old wardrobes downstairs.......
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
I found a good article from Unclutterer.com: "Fight back! Turn the tables on clutter."

Good ideas about all those things that pile up in nooks and crannies when you're too tired to put stuff away.

Thanks - I will peruse it [Smile]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
I found a good article from Unclutterer.com: "Fight back! Turn the tables on clutter."

I've joined [Yipee]

My name there?

Boogie - of course!
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Books, shoes, clothes, paper, logs, bricks,....Gone

Rags, cassettes (shhhh!), files and comentaries....relocated

(phew)
 
Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
My efforts seem quite minor in comparison to some here but I have taken a bag of my grandmother's blouses to a charity shop. I just do not have the hanging space for things I am never going to be able to get into and enough time has passed since her death for me to be able to pass them on.
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
I've been tackling the ever-increasing list of "Things I must get around to sometime". All ridiculous, little jobs, taking at most five minutes.

So, the bills finally got moved into their brand-new file, three piles of books were put away on the shelves, the four items queued up for mending with superglue are done, the brooms and toilet brushes have been cleaned, the filter from the vacuum cleaner has been washed, the drains had their dose of soda crystals, the lampshades have been dusted, the paper has been shredded, the psalm sheets have been sorted out...

I even went to church to re-file the psalm sheets, and tackled one of the music filing cabinet drawers. As a reward I've found a spare copy of a book I thought we only had one of, so I've brought it home, rather than bringing what I thought was the One and Only copy and risking losing it! Trust me, if it's been hidden in that filing cabinet for as long as I think it has, no-one will miss it!

I feel amazingly de-cluttered as a result, yet there doesn't look to be much visible difference!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
I found a good article from Unclutterer.com: "Fight back! Turn the tables on clutter."

I've joined

My name there?

Boogie - of course!

Hmmm - I have been there a few days but I'm not too impressed, the site very quiet and full of spam.

Never mind - the decluttering continues apace!

Today I did the medicine cabinet [Smile]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Yay, me!
I noticed how dirty my shelf unit in the bathroom was, so I thought I'd haul it out of the corner and have a really good clean - and while I was at it, there's a cupboard in there that is full of cardboard boxes that "just might come in handy".
So I filled six black sacks with the cardboard boxes, and a recycling sack of the pile of envelopes (even though there's nothing wrong with them and they could totally be used again - I'm never going to use them), and I threw out the dog's flea powder (the dog died over a year ago), and the toothpaste I tried once but it tasted horrible.
So now I have a huge empty cupboard to store other stuff in, and my bathroom looks clean and roomy again! [Yipee]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I've got three boxes and a large bag ready to take to the church rummage sale this week -- I'm going to try to add to that in the next few days. Next weekend our city is having a "Reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle" day, so I'm scrubbing the drive on my old computer and getting that ready to take, as well as dead batteries, lightbulbs, old sneakers, and whatever else I can get together.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Our local car boot sales have started up again, too - the first one of the season was this morning. So I'm collecting a few bits and pieces together. I don't have a car - I have a shopping trolley and a rucksack (but it's only a short walk up the hill), and the lady in charge said she wouldn't charge me the full fiver for a pitch if I didn't come in a vehicle!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
This afternoon I cleared out all the "might be needed one day" cardboard boxes from the roofspace and it looks a whole lot better up there now.
This was triggered by a request from an aunt for a photo of her father which she thought I would have with my mother's paperwork.
Which made me wonder just how long after someone has died does their paperwork need to be kept? I even have her mother's paperwork.
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
Update on the house. It's done. It's clean. It's shiny. There is no crap anywhere (apart from some books that will be picked up by a second hand bookshop in a couple of weeks). I come in my front door from work and smile at the space. It's amazing how spacious a small house looks when all the crap has gone. I've even got into the habit of tidying up everything when I've used it as opposed to a decade later!

I have to say my cleaner has been amazing. The perfect mixture of hardworking, pleasant and encouraging. If anyone in the Kent area needs a cleaner she is definitely the one for you!

I am genuinely so pleased and so grateful for your support that I could cry.
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
Just to add, my priest is coming round some time after I get back from my holidays to bless my newly lovely house which is the most brilliant thing ever. [Yipee]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
I am genuinely so pleased and so grateful for your support that I could cry.
Aw shucks [Hot and Hormonal] that's so nice of you!

But it's just lovely to have a clean and uncluttered house - and so much easier to keep that way! Well done you, chive! [Yipee]

Mrs. S, evangelist of encouragement [Angel]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
That all sounds wonderful chive [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Congratulations, chive. [Yipee] A few bits of my house have that clear uncluttered look and I know what a wonderful feeling it is to look at them.

Even at this moment I have the contents of a drawer emptied onto my bed for sorting.

Which is why I'm on here, naturally.

Nen - procrastinator.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Fabulous news chive. I am so happy for you. A wonderful achievement.

In other news I have decluttered the video machine to the tip. And took the videos to the charity shop. Not without a pang as I still haven't watched them...

Turned out the charity shop didn't want them so I donated them into the nearest litter bin outside the shop.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by chive:
Just to add, my priest is coming round some time after I get back from my holidays to bless my newly lovely house which is the most brilliant thing ever. [Yipee]

What a great idea. Well done Chive.

My recent uncluttering efforts will not be so noticeable - I've unsubscribed from masses of junk emails, and continued to remove a box from the roof space each time I go up there. I'm beginning to get a clearer looking inbox and roofspace. Nice.
 
Posted by Kasra (# 10631) on :
 
I have to pack. I'm moving in with the man, which is good... but oh, dear, how I hate packing!
Wine and strong-minded girlfriends are getting me through so far... also thinking about ecumaniac's link from upthread.

Help!

Kx
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Even at this moment I have the contents of a drawer emptied onto my bed for sorting. Which is why I'm on here, naturally.
Jump to it, Nen - you know you want to [Biased]

And with a respectful nod to Malik3000 on the Prayer thread - clutter begone!

Mrs. S, plagiarising [Two face]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
A leg fell off my wooden sewing box, which also has a dodgy hinge on the lid, so I decided it Had To Go.
At first I was going to donate it to my neighbour as kindling (or Morning Wood, as they call it locally), but now I've had a brainwave - the drawers are deep enough to fill with soil and put small plants in, and it will look quite decorative outside the front door (as long as I prop up the corner where the leg fell off!). So I shall be off to buy some flowering plants shortly.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Another box removed from the roofspace and emptied. One more down, so many more to go, but it is happening.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Eigon:
A leg fell off my wooden sewing box, which also has a dodgy hinge on the lid, so I decided it Had To Go.
At first I was going to donate it to my neighbour as kindling (or Morning Wood, as they call it locally), but now I've had a brainwave - the drawers are deep enough to fill with soil and put small plants in, and it will look quite decorative outside the front door (as long as I prop up the corner where the leg fell off!). So I shall be off to buy some flowering plants shortly.

That should be really pretty - what a good idea
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I watched another hoarder programme this week. It was a school teacher with 35 years worth of school clutter. That thought 'I may need it one day' is very strong regarding teaching materials!

Now that rang a bell! So this week I've been being ruthless. If I haven't used it in 3 years it has been binned/given/recycled. 90% of the resources I use are online now anyway.

I now have shelves with accessible stuff that I USE! Hurrah!

[Yipee]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I really must do something about my desk - I thought of posting a photo of it on Flickr but really I would be too ashamed [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I really must do something about my desk - I thought of posting a photo of it on Flickr but really I would be too ashamed [Hot and Hormonal]

Take a photo / save it / do a declutter / post a before-and-after piccy.


[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Good idea!

Before piccy taken but it might be months or years before I get round to an after piccy.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Good idea!

Before piccy taken but it might be months or years before I get round to an after piccy.

What kind of commitment is that ? [Biased]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Erm, MY kind?

[Cool]

[Biased]


eta: you have to realise that some of this stuff hasn't seen light of day since Paloeolithic times.

[ 28. April 2013, 09:32: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
nothing like having a boomeranging young adult back in the home to sort the de cluttering

~no church this morning, we're still recovering!~

[ 28. April 2013, 12:27: Message edited by: Ethne Alba ]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
nothing like having a boomeranging young adult back in the home to sort the de cluttering

erk!!
 
Posted by Taliesin (# 14017) on :
 
Yeah...

My mother was suddenly ill and rushed to hospital. She didn't want to go home, because of all the messa and clutter. So the siblings and I went in with a 'shovel and bags' mentality and carted a load of it away, to be stored.

She is now home, and asking for bits back (and thank God we identified the stuff in genuine use and had it at the front) which we bring her.

She feels much better. [Smile]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Upcoming renovations mean I have to clean out my storeroom -- I finally found a home for boxes and boxes of leftover inventory from a deceased business (more involved than I care to go into now). So... I spent the day organizing all of that to get ready for delivery. I hope to finish up tomorrow. Yesterday I had to clean out a small shed, so that some of the other stuff in the storeroom can be moved into that.

I'm exhausted -- but really feel I've accomplished something! (But there's still a long way to go...)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Not as dramatic as some others' posts, but I dipped out of band practice last night and sorted out all the T-shirts that I normally put on and think, gosh that's too big/gone baggy or whatever, but keep on wearing and washing ad nauseam . Also my Very Favourite pair of blue trousers that won't actually stay up and are far too complicated to alter ... all gone to the Clothes Bank [Big Grin]

Nearly had to declutter my ancient and much-beloved Frister & Rossman sewing machine, lugged home ON THE TUBE about 40 years ago from Gamage's closing-down sale, believe it or not. The lead, as I unplugged it from taking up another pair of trousers, emitted a very satisfying blue flash and blew (blue?) various fuses [Confused] Luckily The Intrepid Mr. S dismantled the lead and restored it to life - what a star! [Axe murder]

Mrs. S, hair still standing on end [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Am making progress.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Not as dramatic as some others' posts, but I dipped out of band practice last night and sorted out all the T-shirts that I normally put on and think, gosh that's too big/gone baggy or whatever, but keep on wearing and washing ad nauseam .

I have started making dusters out of mine. No more washing dusters, I just throw them away when used.

[Smile]
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
A rag rug is a good way of using up old clothes. I put about 20 T-shirts into one, but they seem to have crept up again...
 
Posted by Evangeline (# 7002) on :
 
I'm not one to talk my desk is a disgrace and has layer upon layer of stuff that has now spread onto piles on the floor and I just can't bring myself to deal with it but I'm feeling so much better reading this thread (It's a form of denial, I don't have a problem like those people over there [Biased] )

quote:
A rag rug is a good way of using up old clothes. I put about 20 T-shirts into one, but they seem to have crept up again...
Isn't a rug made of old t-shirts just clutter transformed into... even less useful clutter than before??? Does anyone really need a rag rug?
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Evangeline:
Isn't a rug made of old t-shirts just clutter transformed into... even less useful clutter than before??? Does anyone really need a rag rug?

My niece makes lovely rag rugs - they look great in her farm cottage. I had a go once, it hurts the hands!
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I'm turning my sons' tees into a blanket [Smile]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I wonder why making a rag rug hurt your hands, Boogie? I've made rag rugs by two different methods - one with a sort of pair of scissors that you stick through the sacking and pull your 3" length of cloth through to make a tuft 1 1/2" long each side, and one done with the sacking stretched on a frame with a tool to push long lengths of cloth into the backing. There's another method with a rug hook which I haven't tried. I've made several rugs over the years, one of them a portrait of my dog running. They use tons of fabric and wear well, and look attractive - and I don't remember ever hurting my hands doing it.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Eigon:
I wonder why making a rag rug hurt your hands, Boogie?

To be fair, it's because of my Arthur-itis.

[Smile]
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Evangeline:
Isn't a rug made of old t-shirts just clutter transformed into... even less useful clutter than before??? Does anyone really need a rag rug?

I dare say you have a more decoratively coherent home than I do. It amused me to make it and I enjoy stepping out on to it each morning. Some day I can bin it with the feeling that I got my money's worth.

But I am an inveterate recycler.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Mr Shrew has gone out to the pub for the evening so I am taking the opportunity to tackle filing...
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
So this week I've been being ruthless. If I haven't used it in 3 years it has been binned/given/recycled. 90% of the resources I use are online now anyway.

I have my bookshelves in the living room because I'm always into the books - but recently I realized I haven't looked at any of my books in - years? If I want to know something I go on line.

That awareness startled me, but it sure suggests I can ditch a lot of books. Maybe a bookshelf too?

I guess most of the cookbooks ought to go. If I want a recipe I go on line.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Upcoming renovations mean I have to clean out my storeroom -- I finally found a home for boxes and boxes of leftover inventory from a deceased business (more involved than I care to go into now). ...

A friend with a larger vehicle than mine just helped me deliver 15 large boxes to an organization that can put this stuff to good use! I feel so liberated,as if a huge weight has been lifted!

[Yipee] [Yipee] [Yipee]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Upcoming renovations mean I have to clean out my storeroom -- I finally found a home for boxes and boxes of leftover inventory from a deceased business (more involved than I care to go into now). ...

A friend with a larger vehicle than mine just helped me deliver 15 large boxes to an organization that can put this stuff to good use! I feel so liberated,as if a huge weight has been lifted!

[Yipee] [Yipee] [Yipee]

Yippee indeed - well done Pigwidgeon, and that's a very special feeling of liberation you got there.

I've got to the stage where, under stress, I start looking around for things to throw away - not AT anyone, just AWAY!

Mrs. S, feeling pretty libersated these days
[Smile]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
[Anyone who has bought a rug (BOUGHT!)...could do with making a rag rug. They're lovely things.]

On another matter.....the files are being emptied, our blue paper recycling bin is filling up and spaces are appearing in the bookshelves.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
... and spaces are appearing in the bookshelves.

My problem is that I always see this as an excuse to have a day in the bookshops!
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Yippee!

After nearly a year of searching I've found me an adult's version of Mrs Doubtfire. Tracking down this paragon took 6 months because everyone (Macmillan, CAB, hospice, CRUSE, etc) thought such people existed but didn't know where or how to find.

She's now helping me go through the 30 cubic metres of administrative chaos bequeathed by my dear departed - getting through the first lot reduced me to such a state my GP said I was displaying symptoms of PTSD

Quite apart from anything else, she's found 11 unpresented cheques [Eek!] so we're now busy writing to former clients, etc, to see if they'll reissue...
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
My problem is that I always see this as an excuse to have a day in the bookshops!

You need an excuse?
[Eek!]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
[in the interests of honesty: i HAD visited a second hand bookshop two weeks previously...
......maybe i'd forgotten exactly why i needed space.....i now need to make More space.....grrrrr.....}
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
My problem is that I always see this as an excuse to have a day in the bookshops!

You need an excuse?
[Eek!]

Nah, I just need a spare few minutes or, preferably, an hour or two.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
More progress. [Smile]
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
"Mrs Doubtfire" is wonderful - organised and methodical and just getting on with it.

And the best thing is that all the dreck means I can have a bonfire... [Smile]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
"Mrs Doubtfire" is wonderful - organised and methodical and just getting on with it.

Excellent [Smile]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Dealing with a "major cleaning before workers come in for major repairs" situation. Workers should be here early next week. Nervous, and unwell (for other reasons), and did I say nervous?
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
I got through it, and the repairs are done! [Smile]
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
For "bonfire" mentioned earlier read "garden incinerator": lit it just before 2pm on Tuesday - finally extinguished by torrential rain just after 8pm Thursday [Eek!]

Mrs D has now completed the first pass through - now just to get the stuff we've kept into some kind of order.

And I finally got rid of a rocking chair I've hated since 1993 [Yipee]
 
Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 
I dared let my friends in to see the chaos in its natural state, (normally I relocate junk from the living room and close all other doors). They came back this week and zapped some of it. I have a craft room i can do stuff in so don't need to take it elsewhere and then it gets left there etc.

It feels like my brain has been tidied a little bit too.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I joined my next door neighbour in a table sale this afternoon and got rid of a rug that's been sitting rolled up at the back of the bathroom for a couple of years. I got £5 for it, which is pretty good considering I first got it when someone further down the street had left it out for the bin men!
(It's a good rug - I just don't have room for it any more)
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Congraulations everyone.

quote:
Originally posted by Avila:
It feels like my brain has been tidied a little bit too.

I know what you mean. I can't think properly when everything is in a mess.

I'm feeling a bit flat after the big attic clean out. I think there is more to do but I'm not sure what. Surely I can't be finished? [Eek!]

I need to sort out my socks. Seriously. The little drawer is crammed full and I can never find a matching pair in the right colour. Every day it annoys me. Maybe if I do that it will clear my mind.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:

I need to sort out my socks. Seriously. The little drawer is crammed full and I can never find a matching pair in the right colour. Every day it annoys me. Maybe if I do that it will clear my mind.

I recently had a sock sort - I keep the odd, holey, ancient ones for one-off throw away dusters.

[Smile]
 
Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I'm in the midst of moving, and it's done great things for my decluttering.

Here's the deal- we don't have movers outside of the urban areas, and the do-it-yourself moving vans are prohibitively expensive. So we bought a trailer- the size we'd fit one single snowmachine into. It has 2ft walls, no roof. And my life has to fit into this thing. It's a 2-3 day drive, partly through a corner of Canada, so more than one trip is not possible.

This has caused me to switch my thinking around from "what can I bear to part with?" to "what absolutely HAS to go with me?"

I've reduced my entire wardrobe by 2/3rds (including stagewear and costuming) and officially donated enough books to the library that they asked me to stop. We have given four full sized truck loads to the local charity shop and taken 4 truckloads to the dump. I have also given away a good portion of my belongings via facebook. No yard sale, just unload.

It's been difficult, but it feels very FREE!
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
So, Comet, you didn't need me - [Tear]
 
Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I always need you!

Shall I fedex you these matresses? [Biased]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Upcoming renovations mean I have to clean out my storeroom -- I finally found a home for boxes and boxes of leftover inventory from a deceased business (more involved than I care to go into now). ...

A friend with a larger vehicle than mine just helped me deliver 15 large boxes to an organization that can put this stuff to good use! I feel so liberated,as if a huge weight has been lifted!

I got the last of all the miscellaneous "stuff" out of there yesterday, and the renovations began this morning! [Yipee]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Well done Pigwidgeon, and best of luck with the move Comet
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Mr Nen took a carload of stuff to the community recycling place this morning. Two computers. Two monitors. Two televisions. Two radios. All from the loft. I never realised there was so much stuff up there... I must have known about it once, but forgotten...

Nen - still shellshocked. [Eek!]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I joined my two neighbours in a table sale outside our houses today - had a lovely time sitting in the sun and chatting and made £13.50, and got rid of enough stuff to make it worthwhile doing again.
 
Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Mr Nen took a carload of stuff to the community recycling place this morning. Two computers. Two monitors. Two televisions. Two radios. All from the loft. I never realised there was so much stuff up there... I must have known about it once, but forgotten...

Nen - still shellshocked. [Eek!]

Sounds like the Ark for electricals - the items went in 2 by 2....

I'll get my coat....
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
We aren't so much decluttering - too many non-fiction books that we simply can't dispose of - but we've disposed of stacks of old craft magazines, two dying chairs and an awkward piece that doesn't hold enough bottles, knick-knacks or hobby stuff to earn its keep, replacing them with yet another bookcase and a couple of smaller, more useful cupboards that stow away more easily. Once they are in place, a couple more tatty old bookshelves can go.

I suppose it's going to be eBay again next, then maybe a front-of-house sale and the charity shops.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Avila:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Mr Nen took a carload of stuff to the community recycling place this morning. Two computers. Two monitors. Two televisions. Two radios. All from the loft. I never realised there was so much stuff up there... I must have known about it once, but forgotten...

Sounds like the Ark for electricals - the items went in 2 by 2....
[Killing me] Doesn't it just? [Biased]

Nen - thankful the electrical pairs didn't start breeding in the loft.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I'm painting the attic I cleared out a few months ago. So upsetting to find out how grubby it was. No wonder no-one wants to buy the house.

I'm using a special light reflecting paint that is supposed to make small spaces look bigger and lighter.

Unfortunately I am not sure I have chosen the right colour. It is a bit pinker than I expected.

I went to an exhibition recently and fell for a
Morphy Richards Steam Cleaner

Has anyone used one? How do you get on with it?
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
I just thought I'd update you all - I've had my cleaner 5 months now and I think I may have turned into a tidy person. Everything is getting put away straight after I've used it. What's happening to me?
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have a Morphy Richards steam cleaner, but a cheaper model. I like it. We have lino in our porch and kitchen, and tiles in our bathroom and showerroom, and it makes a good job of them. Our bathroom in particular is a nightmare as the previous owners floored it with white tiles, and it gets grubby easily.

It heats up quickly and it's light and easy to use. I use tap water as we live in an area with low limescale, so that, after the initial outlay, it's cheaper than using a bucket and mop with cleaning liquid. The floors dry quickly; our kitchen lino is slippy when wet, so that's good.

My only gripe is that I'd like a longer flex on mine to reach from the nearest socket right into the bathroom and showerroom.

[ 25. June 2013, 12:17: Message edited by: North East Quine ]
 
Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
I have a similar thing, different make but same basic idea. I do love it because cleaning the floors is my third least favourite household task (after cleaning the cat litter tray and taking out the rubbish). I thought having this might help me to wash the floors more often. At first it did, but I have the same aversion to sweeping the floor as I do to mopping and it hasn't helped with that!

I do really like it tough and it's great for cleaning the shower and the kitchen cabinets, stuff like that. I've even tried it on my sofa, but it think every machine probably need to know its limitations...

I'm working on starting a general declutter at the moment because I've just been feeling overwhelmed by 'stuff" lately. My house is actually pretty tidy and clutter free but I just feel like there is too much stuff in it, so I think it needs paring down slightly. Not even remotely sure what to start with though!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
I have a steam mop which does the job well when I get around to using it. I need one that does it for me without my prompting.

I've just returned from a week in a lovely holiday cottage which was almost clutter free (just a few ornaments to make it look more homely) and was hit by the clutter at home and have had to resist the clear-out because it is sentimental or useful clutter, and I have to remember that i always feel like this when I come back from a more functional place.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
That's all very encouraging. Hopefully it won't turn into another bit of clutter.

Congratulations Chive, that is great news.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I subscribe to the Writing Magazine, and when I've read a copy I have been keeping them on a shelf to look at again some time. Yesterday the pile reached the top of the shelf so I couldn't squeeze another magazine on, so I thought I'd go through them to get rid of the ones I didn't want to keep for useful articles.
I now have a nice empty space on my shelf, and I'm disposing of all of them!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I'm not convinced about the steam mop yet. But I have only used it once, and what with the buying of distilled water, the reading of the instructions and the scratching of the head, and the finding of screwdrivers to fix various bits to each other - I felt it was easier to use the traditional scooting a j cloth round with the foot method of cleaning the bathroom floor.

Meanwhile the decorator started on the main bedroom today. So quite a lot of decluttering went on while we were moving everything out yesterday.

I am hopeful that when all is done we will be able to get rid of a wardrobe in the spare bedroom thanks to my previous purging of clothes.

I was so upset when we moved the furniture in the bedroom. Behind it in the corners the wall paper was peeling and black with mould and cobwebs. [Eek!] and [Hot and Hormonal]

I shouted at Mr T for a bit and felt better. Told him we need a new carpet as well as curtains as in the corners where the mould and condensation had been the carpet came out in clumps when I hoovered.

He is not happy as we are putting it back on the market when the work is done.

No wonder no-one wanted to buy it. Although they couldn't see the mould etc, clearly we hadn't realised quite how grotty the room had got.

In fact I am jolly glad we have decorated before selling. I would have been mortified if we had only found all this when we moved out and had to leave it for the buyers.

I am now thinking that it will be best to move out and rent before putting it back on the market. Then we can deal with any grot and people will see that all is ready to move into and clean as it will be empty.

Haven't told Mr T this yet.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Matters have slipped again........
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I don't usually post in this thread, but I have just got rid of a desk and all its contents have been redistributed neatly to other space or tossed. Which just leaves two piles of filing to do soon, as someone is coming to stay on the futon on which it is distributed. At some point before Sunday I must feel motivated.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
[Eek!]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Congratulations on the desk removal Pete C.

How are you getting on Ethne Alba?

The decorator assured me that mould and peeling wallpaper behind furniture against external wall corners is commonplace and even the best households suffer from it.

A bit like headlice in children I suppose.

She is going to treat the walls to inhibit its reappearance. Seemed confident about it.

This is all very reassuring but I am still going to make sure the furniture is not replaced tight against the wall.

Must be more organised about doing proper cleaning more regularly.

Still fomenting plans to move out before selling.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
A ridge of paper mountains....
[Frown]
 
Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 
Yesterday I hosted the meeting at my house in the garden, using excuse that the living room gets the evening sun and heat and garden shadier, plus hint of breeze (just a hint!) - but really it was about not having to face rescuing the room from clutter plus this weekends event planning on top!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Avila - that's a really creative response [Overused]
 
Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
Tonight I have gone through my wardrobe, underwear and sock drawers, chest of drawers and anywhere else where I might store clothes and had a good sort out! I've filled three black bags with stuff to donate / throw and have two piles of things to give to friends when I next see them! I've also pared down my bed linen and rearranged the storage across the two bedrooms to make better use of the space.

Feeling very virtuous.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:
Tonight I have gone through my wardrobe, underwear and sock drawers, chest of drawers and anywhere else where I might store clothes and had a good sort out! I've filled three black bags with stuff to donate / throw and have two piles of things to give to friends when I next see them! I've also pared down my bed linen and rearranged the storage across the two bedrooms to make better use of the space.

Feeling very virtuous.

Yes, it makes you feel great, doesn't it?

In other news, I took a deceased computer monitor to the dump and went to hand it to the guy sorting out the electricals.
Guy: Take it to the office please.
Me: It doesn't work, you know.
Guy: Yeah, just take it to the office anyway.
(I take it to the office, hand it to Office Guy)
Me: It doesn't work, you know.
Office Guy, very crestfallen: Oh. (takes it anyway)
As if anyone would take a large flat screen monitor to the dump if it was still working! [Confused]

I'm currently trying to persuade Mr. S into doing the exact same things as Little Miss M above - having thrown out all my unsuitable clothing I am now seeking what I might throw out from his wardrobe [Devil]

The Sneaky Mrs. S [Two face]
 
Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:

I'm currently trying to persuade Mr. S into doing the exact same things as Little Miss M above - having thrown out all my unsuitable clothing I am now seeking what I might throw out from his wardrobe [Devil]

Ah, I need to work on the same thing with my boyfriend... We don't live together, but you wouldn't know it from the amount of his stuff all over my flat. I'm fine with most of it, but he has hoarding tendencies (actually no, he has full blown hoarding behaviour) and I don't want all the random crap he rescues ending up in my house! I did some washing yesterday of stuff he had brought in, and I didn't recognise most of the clothes! Where did they come from? I've certainly never seen him wear them...

Ah well, I suspect this is going to be a constant feature of our relationship, so i'd better start getting used to it now!
 
Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
I am on the move (again), and am trying to be ruthless, and move less junk than usual. I however have lots of hoarding tendencies so this is tough! Any advice welcome.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making some progress. [Smile]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
I am on the move (again), and am trying to be ruthless, and move less junk than usual. I however have lots of hoarding tendencies so this is tough! Any advice welcome.

Lots of advice for anyone with hoarding tendencies looking to declutter and move here

Try a search on the site or just post a question and people will pile in with links and advice.

First off, get rid of everything you can before packing/moving. Firstly, obvious trash. Then you have amnesty from donating or recycling or mending/repurposing/selling or whatever reason you were saving stuff for. The priority is to get rid of it. You cannot organise clutter/a hoard, you can only get rid of it.

Get rid of everything that will not fit into the new place.

Pack up everything that is essential for the new place that does not need to be in use between now and the move.

Set aside/make a list of stuff that you will be using up to the move.

That could be a method to start with.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Forgot to say, congratulations Golden Key.
 
Posted by cross eyed bear (# 13977) on :
 
Some encouragement: I have been lurking on this thread more than posting, but, as shared in an earlier post, have been prompted to do a lot of decluttering of my own.

Two weeks ago, my office flooded. (i'm self-employed and rented an office closer to the city). Everything had to be moved out and set up so I can work from home, whilst the landlord gets the floor professionally dried and renovates the place. If I do go back in, it'll take a while.

Because I had done so much decluttering in the office and at home, 95% of the stuff I ended up removing from the office was relevant to my work, and we had the space at home to set up a workable office within three days.

So, thanks for prompting me to declutter!
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Finally admitted that I am never going to knit/sew all those tangled skeins and scrap pieces. Filled two large black bin bags - which is as much as I had space to put out. Probably still half as much again to chuck.

Also need to tackle several years output from painting classes. I don't think I'll be impoverishing Art by chucking 95% of my productions.
 
Posted by chive (# 208) on :
 
I've finally got rid of the several hundred books that were cluttering my spare bedroom. Freecycle is wonderful and they're going to be sold for charity so I'm delighted. I think everything is done now and I can relax in my house. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
The house has been a tip since our son's wedding six weeks ago. We fetched into use loads of 'stuff' that had been stashed away for years, all of which meant first moving other 'stuff' to get to it. Now I have to try and put it all away again. The ancient table-linen has been washed and ironed and returned to its box behind the bath sheets, so the airing cupboard is more-or-less back to rights. It's a start I suppose.

I am currently clearing out the big cupboard in the hall. The contents of three shelves have been culled - the shelves are still quite full, but tidy, and nothing falls out when the doors are opened. This evening I pulled out at least 15years-worth of old greetings cards (I know they are that old because I found our silver-wedding cards, and we hit 40 years this year). They have yet to make it to the recycling bin, I'm just waiting for daylight.
That leaves me a nice empty space at the bottom into which I can move the colouring books and pens when I clear out the top shelf. Then the grandkids can reach them without a) standing on a stool and b) having a shower of books fall on their heads
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
cross eyed bear - that is a good story, thanks. Hope you get your proper office back soon.

Firenze - I felt much better when I finally made myself get rid of all the stuff I was never going to use/finish. Strangely I started getting more done on other things. All the UFO's induced a sort of paralysis, I couldn't do anything else while all that stuff was hanging about.

Chive - [Overused] Many congratulations, fantastic achievement.

Good luck Roseofsharon.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
The recycling bin is nearly full, and it's a whole week to collection day. It weighs a ton - all those greetings cards, out of date guide books and road atlases from the hall cupboard.
Still two shelves to go.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
When an aunt died my cousins found she had kept every single card they, and possibly anyone else had ever sent her!

I think they had a few happy memories going through them, but I don't think they kept them. I wonder how often my aunt looked at them.

My mil had a collection of postcards. She kept every single postcard anyone ever sent her. My sil has still got them but I am not sure why she is keeping them.

On the basis of throwing out anything that hasn't been looked at/in use for a year or more I would be decluttering my wedding photos. [Eek!]

Sometimes I consider it. [Snigger]

The main bedroom decorating project meant that all the boxes of papers and photos that lived on top of the wardrobes had be moved. I have banned them from returning until they have been sorted. But that won't happen for a while. But I do have an incentive because I will be tripping over them all the time.
 
Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 
This week organised the set aside research stuff in preparation for returning to study after 7 months interruption - I have order!!

less good was time off browsing in nearby town where I came home with some lovely remnant material and clear 'black bag' full of foam blocks [Help] I don't yet know what they will be useful for but they were only £2 [Big Grin]

As I do creative things with kids, with myself and in laying out interesting 'worship spaces' I maintain I will use them....

I'm sure I will... at least I think I will... hope I will.... well maybe... possibly....or not

But they were only £2!!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We have had the puppy, Tatze, for eight weeks now. So all decluttering halted completely.

She is growing up now, house trained and in a routine, so I will start again.

Today ...... yes, TODAY!!

[Angel]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
We have had the puppy, Tatze, for eight weeks now. So all decluttering halted completely.

She is growing up now, house trained and in a routine, so I will start again.

Today ...... yes, TODAY!!

[Angel]

She's beautiful!

[Axe murder]
 
Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
We have had the puppy, Tatze, for eight weeks now. So all decluttering halted completely.

She is growing up now, house trained and in a routine, so I will start again.

Today ...... yes, TODAY!!

[Angel]

She's beautiful!

[Axe murder]

Absolutely.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
Forgot to say, congratulations Golden Key.

Thanks! [Smile]

{{{{{{{{All declutterers, on the Ship and elsewhere}}}}}}}}
 
Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 
My study/office/ black hole (never actually work in it just everywhere else) has a floor!! [Eek!]

Whilst aware of the ontological need for something to be holding things there, I have been agnostic at least about its existence for so long, this is a powerful revelation!
 
Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
Have spent the evening decluttering my desk / office and have space around my to work in for the first time in months! Chucked a lot of crap out. Am aware that there is probably quite a lot more that should be thrown out but it's all filed "under the surface" as it were, and at least I've got rid of the obvious clutter.
 
Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Moving day is fast approaching and I have managed to de-clutter some stuff, other things not so well, but it is better than it was! While tidying I found a pillowcase with a map of Europe on it, on the map East and West Germany (among other things are still on it.) As it's a pillowcase as well I feel I can justify keeping it! That said I have got rid about 8 black bags worth of stuff so that is positive I guess!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
We have accepted an offer for the house!

Let the decluttering commence!
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
With a lot of self-bullying, I finished decluttering the craft room. Another two bin bags of Stuff I Am Never Going To Finish.

I was slightly mortified to find, when I came to vacuum the newly-revealed floor that what I thought was the dulling of the carpet through fading turned out to be a layer of dust...
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
On Thursday I had to put on a display of work by the Knitting & Crochet Group of our U3A. To get at the poster card for labelling I had to empty a load of art'n'craft stuff out of a cupboard in the half-cellar/cat room/sewing room. Where it will sit until the poster card gets put away again.
We were out visiting friends on Friday, and shopping on Saturday, so nothing from Thursday has been put away - it went into the dining room, where I have been putting 'stuff' that is being sorted from the hall cupboard.

Late on Saturday afternoon Elder Son 'phoned to ask if we'd like him to visit, with the family, for the day on Sunday. [Eek!]
That meant an emergency evening visit to Supermarket for suitable foodstuffs, and then a scramble to make the dining room accommodate seven people sitting at table for meals.

Some stuff is now in tottery piles on top of the sideboard, some in the spare bedroom (which I'd almost cleared of Younger-Son's-wedding-related stuff from the end of June) and more stuff has been dumped in the half-cellar/etc. There it will stay until I can get a round toit. Which won't be this week, looking at the diary.
Still, it was a nice visit, and I sent Elder Son home with a small pile of his old books, toiletries he'd left here when getting ready for that wedding, (and a bag of runner beans;)

And although everywhere else is a tip, I do have a tidy hall cupboard with one completeely empty shelf!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
I was slightly mortified to find, when I came to vacuum the newly-revealed floor that what I thought was the dulling of the carpet through fading turned out to be a layer of dust...

Well...At least you don't think you might need a new carpet anymore!
[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Today i start de-cluttering my "stuff" from my parents loft! I'm thinking there might be one or two things worth selling on eBay. I've never used eBay so would therefore be grateful if anyone has any advice as I'm clueless. Thanks.
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Can't help with ebay advice, but Flatmate and I did manage to empty a large box last night that has been looming in the corner of the living room since we moved in last year. And Flatmate organised the shoe storage before I got home, then we re-ordered the hats/gloves/scarves. This all feels very good.

Now I need to deal with the mountain of clean laundry that needs putting away in my bedroom.
 
Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
Yesterday was the first of what should be a series of regularly-scheduled visits from the cleaning fairies (magical beings who make your house clean when you aren't looking), who did the master bedroom, bathrooms, kitchen, and entry/stairway/landing. I'm absurdly happy happy happy! [Yipee]

Prepping for the visit made us declutter the various spaces. We got rid of a good bit of rubbish (not-quite junk mail, etc.) that had accumulated, and put a bunch of not-rubbish away.

Now I need to attack the disaster that is my work-room, which to a realtor would be the dining room. Over the last few months a lot of things have just been chucked in there to deal with "later". I think "later" has arrived.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
First off, get rid of everything you can before packing/moving. Firstly, obvious trash. Then you have amnesty from donating or recycling or mending/repurposing/selling or whatever reason you were saving stuff for. The priority is to get rid of it. You cannot organise clutter/a hoard, you can only get rid of it.

Get rid of everything that will not fit into the new place.

Pack up everything that is essential for the new place that does not need to be in use between now and the move.

Set aside/make a list of stuff that you will be using up to the move.

That could be a method to start with.

I think I wrote this for myself. [Big Grin]

I suggested to Mr T that he buy packing materials and make a start on the books while I am away. But he seemed a bit hesitant. I can't do anything myself until I get back in September.

So I am making a plan in my head. September and October are very busy months and we are away a lot so I think I need to get started with the packing asap.

Even if this sale falls through at least some progress will have been made for the next one.

The house is pretty much decluttered, tidy and organised already so that won't be too hard.

I'm not sure I will have time to sort out the boxes/suitcases of family memorabilia that used to live on top of the wardrobes. They will probably just have to be transported as they are to the new place where they will form a pile of clutter that sucks the life out of me just thinking about it.

We are going to move in two stages, a rental first then take our time looking for something to buy. So I plan to leave a lot of little used stuff unpacked when we make the first move.

I think I will start making lists of things to do. What Flylady calls a Control Journal for the move.

I want to use Evernote for this master plan and sub plans. But I need to work out how to share the notes with Mr T and train him how to use it. [Ultra confused]

Maybe I will just print the notes out periodically for him.
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
When my daughter was tiny and we were moving for the umpteenth time in a few months I started packing by boxing up things I didn't use so much and putting the boxes back in the cupboards where that china or winter clothes or whatever lived there normally. So when I had to load the car/van on the day, for a quite a bit of it I just had to open cupboard doors and pull out the box.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Thyme:
quote:
I suggested to Mr T that he buy packing materials and make a start on the books while I am away. But he seemed a bit hesitant.
YMMV, but in my experience it's better to leave books until the last possible moment; they are easy to pack and take up far less space on the bookshelves than they do in boxes. If it was me I'd try and get him to pack some of the non-essential kitchen things - now they ARE fiddly to pack.

Besides, if you pack them several months in advance I guarantee you will discover a burning desire to reread a multi-volume saga that has been packed in four different boxes, all on the bottom of the stack... [Help]

I actually came here looking for sympathy - we are redecorating Daughter's bedroom next week, but before we do that there is a huge tidying and sorting job. She is a hoarder and when she was 3 I rashly promised never to throw any of her toys away without consulting her first. Seven years later we can hardly see the carpet in her room...

[ 22. August 2013, 08:14: Message edited by: Jane R ]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
She is a hoarder and when she was 3 I rashly promised never to throw any of her toys away without consulting her first. Seven years later we can hardly see the carpet in her room...

Oh, bad move, bad move [Biased]

We used to hide unused toys and take them to charity a couple of years later. If they were not missed in two years they were not missed at all.

Now every scrap of they boys stuff has gone as they have their own homes.

It feels odd [Frown]

So I have filled the place with doggy stuff [Big Grin]

I bought Tatze a teddy today - it's as big as her!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
If it was me I'd try and get him to pack some of the non-essential kitchen things - now they ARE fiddly to pack.
(snip)
I guarantee you will discover a burning desire to reread a multi-volume saga that has been packed in four different boxes, all on the bottom of the stack... [Help]

Ooooeeeeerrr, I don't fancy letting him loose on the kitchen stuff, it's mine, all mine, my preccioussss..... [Paranoid]

You might be right about the books [Smile]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Ever since clearing out my filing cabinet I have been shredding. I do some every day - one shredder full a day. I'm fed up of it now.

Yesterday I saw a great little new business - a small van with 'mobile shredding' on the side. They come and do your shredding for you.

I don't have enough for that - but what a good idea.

I don't enjoy shredding but would happily do it for cash!! Great idea for setting up a little business for any jobless Shippies out there.

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Mr T and I have had a summit meeting to agree the rules of engagement for decluttering and packing for the move.

It proceeded calmly. We seem to have made progress in handling these things after 36 years of marriage. [Big Grin]

We have a road map and a process.

I want a clean start with this move, getting new things for the new house. Taking only those things which we love or want.

Mr T is more inclined to keep things 'just in case'. He is very tidy and organised but once a thing takes up residence somewhere it is very difficult to dislodge it.

We are going to start by getting all the small items we don't want to keep either out to the charity shop or to the tip.

Then packing up all the small items we don't need until after the move, pictures, ornaments and so on.

A friend wants first refusal on any religious books I am decluttering. So that is a big help.

No news from the agents or solicitors so I am hoping the buyers aren't changing their minds.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
We are hoping to exchange contracts on our very first house soon... I'm a bit terrified by the task of packing and moving, but hoping to use the opportunity to have a good clear out.

I did have great success this week in sorting out the brownies cupboard, to declutter it for the new term. There is so much stuff in there that I can't imagine we need (I took the group over at the start of the year) but at least I now have a clear idea of what is in there.
I used a set of drawers to put paper and card in, and fixed up the broken shelves with mdf so at least it will be easier to use. Now to have a 'one of everything' type night to use up some of the crafts there is about ten years worth of the last three or four of any given craft (from when you make or buy extra or when one girl doesn't turn up) so although there isn't a full set of anything, there are enough things to keep them all occupied for several meetings if I just let them pick one thing each to do.
That should make my planning easier this term at least [Razz]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
In less than 4 weeks, The Intrepid Miss S and Future Son-in-Law will be married, [Axe murder] and the reception and the afterparty will have been and gone *phew*

Because the afterparty the next day is at Chateau S, I have been madly painting everything; to wit, two boundaries' worth of fence panels: ten garden chairs and two garden tables: the front door, the hall and banisters, the utility room (yes, I know, but it was awful): the dining room and the sitting room.

To attempt to clear the sitting room a bit, I suggested Mr. S buy a Brennan or similar, so he bought a Cocktail Audio onto which he has spent 5 weeks loading almost 1000 CDs. Then we double-wrapped said CDs in clingfilm, in batches to fit back into the shelving, and lugged all the shelving and all the wrapped CDs into the loft.

Thus, having spent last summer emptying the loft, we have now almost refilled it *sigh*

BUT THE LIVING ROOM LOOKS LOVELY! [Overused] and we can search the music collection from a tablet, instead of trying to see down into the darkest corner behind the sofa.

Extreme decluttering, anyone?

The Exhausted Mrs S, lightly coated with paint, but [Yipee]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Blimey, Mrs. S. [Overused] [Overused] [Overused]

My reason for not de-cluttering chez Piglet is that we've been having work done to the house which is taking forever (builder problems - don't even go there [Mad] ) and I feel no inclination to do any tidying until the place stops looking like a building-site.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it ... [Biased]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
WOW Mrs S - what an achievement! Congratulations.

[Overused] [Overused] [Overused]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Well done Mrs S!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Marvellous work Mrs S - well done [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Yes indeed, well done.

Piglet, you'd have been horrified by me yesterday - I got the va**um out and cleared away the cobwebs that have been threatening to take over the stairwell, it was looking distinctly Miss Havisham like! Afterwards I did the study and my bedroom as well.

I felt VERY virtuous.

[Angel]

[Have you noticed how vacuum and valium both look the same when the two middle letters are *'d out?]
 
Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:

Now to have a 'one of everything' type night to use up some of the crafts there is about ten years worth of the last three or four of any given craft (from when you make or buy extra or when one girl doesn't turn up) so although there isn't a full set of anything, there are enough things to keep them all occupied for several meetings if I just let them pick one thing each to do.
That should make my planning easier this term at least [Razz]

Why not set them a "cardboard box" challenge. They get given a random cardboard box and told to make something of it. If these are small ones, then one each or work in pairs; if big boxes then one per six. They are free to make any of the other craft material.

Jengie
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Thank you for those kind words! It horrified me to see quite how grubby everywhere was - I had no intention of doing more than the one 'feature' wall in the dining room, but as soon as I laid a paintbrush on it you could see that everywhere else was just filthy, really. I couldn't think why - 'candles' said my friend Anita and of course she was right.

Ah well, if that's the price I pay for candlelit dinners, so be it.

In fairness I should also point out that I left work on 5th July - a combination of retirement and redundancy - redundament? or hardly any of this would have got done.

(Every time we try and do something about the house or garden, I think that the garage seriously needs decluttering because that's where Stuff ends up, but I daren't suggest anything like that to Mr. S just at the moment!)

Mrs. S, resigned in more ways than one! [Yipee]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... if that's the price I pay for candlelit dinners ...

The Intrepid Mrs. Bucket?? [Devil]

WW, I'm horrified and impressed in equal measure ... [Eek!] [Overused]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Well done indeed, Mrs S. [Overused] I hope the wedding is a truly wonderful day.

Pegging away slowly at the sorting of paperwork here at Casa Nen. It's slow and frustrating and emotionally draining but there's no option but to keep at it. [Roll Eyes]

Nen - no end in sight at present. [Frown]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Piglet, at least if the dinner is candlelit, no-one can see the cobwebs (pace WW!) [Two face]

Mrs. S, method in her madness
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I went around the house yesterday collecting up obvious things to declutter that aren't going to move with us.

Pleased that the pile was quite small. Although it was only things out on view, I haven't started delving into cupboards yet.

I also started dealing with the piles of paperwork that have accumulated while I have been distracted recently.

Pleased to see that most of it is filing/rubbish and not too many things I have to do something about, or should have done something about two months ago [Hot and Hormonal] .

I have lost an important doc needed to do a tax return. Hoping St Anthony will come to the rescue.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have done the filing. It seems I haven't done any since April. [Hot and Hormonal]

My 'to do' list is very small and manageable. It is strange because before I started sorting out the papers I felt I had loads to do and no idea where to start.

Now all the surface 'life clutter' resulting from a recent major family drama has cleared it seems that maybe my decluttering of my own life and possessions has made more progress that I thought.

Perhaps it is like losing weight, each half pound seems invisible and interminable and then suddenly your clothes are a bit too big. This has happened too recently. I went to M&S for trousers and lo and behold had to buy a smaller size.

It would be nice to think that ever so gradually I could declutter myself out of this world and into the next without anyone noticing. Thus sparing myself and my nearest and dearest a lot of anguish and hassle. I have witnessed and had to clear up the effects of 'not going gentle into that good night' and they are not pretty.

I would like to go gently into the great eternal light, blessing and giving thanks and praise, not raging against the dying of this light where we see only darkly
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{{{Thyme}}}}}}}

You're doing great! [Smile]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
The thing I find about filing is that it rarely takes very long to actually do it - but it can take weeks or months [years?] for me to feel sufficiently motivated to tackle it! A few years ago I gave myself a solemn promise that I would file stuff when it arrived. I think the New Me lasted maybe a month.

[Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Socks and thermal vests sorted and decluttered. I probably still have too many socks but have done as much as feel capable of right now. At least I can find the right matching pair for the right shoes and outfit now.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Anyone would think that Mr. S and I were hosting the Intrepid Miss S's wedding in our garage, as decluttering has arrived there.

Cue much 'do you know what this is?' from me, followed by 'if we don't know what it is, we don't need it' from Mr. S.

Half-empty tins of paint, old shelves, a broken set of steps, endless small packets from which 2 screws and a washer had been extracted - fun fun fun at the dump today, then we came home and did some more [Roll Eyes] Well, another trip to the dump - sorry, household recycling facility - will give Mr. S something to do while I am at Miss S's Hen Do! (my very first! [Eek!] )

Mrs. S, scraping grot from under her fingernails
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Clearing our No. 1 shed last summer (didn't get it finished but got rid of a lot) I got to be on such good terms with the chaps at the dump that they came to our carol service...!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
Clearing our No. 1 shed last summer (didn't get it finished but got rid of a lot) I got to be on such good terms with the chaps at the dump that they came to our carol service...!

[Killing me]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
L'organist -Decluttering as evangelism - how cool is that!

You could probably get a grant to form a Fresh Expression - 'Dump Church?' or maybe 'Tidy Church' [Two face]

You have more than one shed?

Mrs S - clearing the garage, [Overused]

[ 27. September 2013, 08:08: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Currently decluttering kitchen cupboard of pottery I've had since I was a teenager, much of it chipped or cracked. Replacing it gradually with nice Denby [Smile] also throwing a lot of baby cutlery and dishes. Now I can reorganise some cupboards.
I've got a big bag of good toddler clothes beside me and I really need to list some of it on the parenting site I frequent and charity shop/ give away the rest.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:

You have more than one shed?

She wouldn't be the first.
[Biased]

(I actually have two myself!)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:

You have more than one shed?

She wouldn't be the first.
[Biased]

(I actually have two myself!)

Mr. S's friend John has SEVEN! [Overused]

But in compensation, we have none - a deliberate decision - which is why our garage is such a tip *sigh*

Never mind, it's better than what it were.

Mrs. S, trying to maintain clean fingernails
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I have one shed, two outhouses and an outside loo to store my clutter in! And this is a modest ex-council house.
I'd love another shed [Smile]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Love the Monty Python clip!

I have just remembered that in our last house I installed two quite large sheds in the garden [Hot and Hormonal] It was a very long time ago so that is my excuse for forgetting.

Mr T was very fed up when we had to leave them behind.

We have one shed in this house. My main regret is that I didn't get a bigger one.

I decluttered the herbs and spices yesterday. That was embarrassing.

[ 27. September 2013, 17:14: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Our local animal sanctuary wants feeding bowls. Hurrah! think I. A chance to get rid of the food bowls which belonged to our cats, the last of which died in 2009. So I unearth them. They're rather dusty. I put them through the dishwasher. At this point, my daughter claims that they are "sentimental" and we can't get rid of them. She thinks we could start using them again, perhaps as nut dishes, or to serve olives. I point out that one has "Pussy" printed on it, and the other three have a paw-print design. Daughter fails to see why this precludes them being used to serve nibbles to guests.

[brick wall] [brick wall] [brick wall]

It shouldn't be this hard to declutter a cat-food bowl four years after the last cat's demise.
( [Votive] Cleo [Votive] Agnes)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Our local animal sanctuary wants feeding bowls. Hurrah! think I. A chance to get rid of the food bowls which belonged to our cats, the last of which died in 2009. So I unearth them. They're rather dusty. I put them through the dishwasher. At this point, my daughter claims that they are "sentimental" and we can't get rid of them. She thinks we could start using them again, perhaps as nut dishes, or to serve olives. I point out that one has "Pussy" printed on it, and the other three have a paw-print design. Daughter fails to see why this precludes them being used to serve nibbles to guests.

[brick wall] [brick wall] [brick wall]

It shouldn't be this hard to declutter a cat-food bowl four years after the last cat's demise.
( [Votive] Cleo [Votive] Agnes)

[Killing me]

Mrs. S, tickled [Yipee]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Our local animal sanctuary wants feeding bowls. Hurrah! think I. A chance to get rid of the food bowls which belonged to our cats, the last of which died in 2009. So I unearth them. They're rather dusty. I put them through the dishwasher. At this point, my daughter claims that they are "sentimental" and we can't get rid of them. She thinks we could start using them again, perhaps as nut dishes, or to serve olives. I point out that one has "Pussy" printed on it, and the other three have a paw-print design. Daughter fails to see why this precludes them being used to serve nibbles to guests.

[brick wall] [brick wall] [brick wall]

It shouldn't be this hard to declutter a cat-food bowl four years after the last cat's demise.
( [Votive] Cleo [Votive] Agnes)

[Killing me]

Mrs. S, tickled [Yipee]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The paw print design bowls have gone (our vet, just round the corner, has a collection point for the sanctuary, very handy) but we still have the "pussy" bowl. [Disappointed]

I've lost a piece of paper. I've had a good rummage and can't find it. However in the course of looking for it, I've half-filled our paper-recycling box, have caught up on several Radio 4 programmes and have re-sighted the study carpet.

So that's always something.

The big declutter starts (D.V.) next week.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
[Killing me] so funny about the cat bowls North East Quine.

I have been decluttering bits and pieces here and there.

Mr T commented that the bins were very full and heavy this week and asked what I had decluttered.

I couldn't remember!!!! Just shows how important it all was.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
6. pm - The big declutter started!
6.30pm - First argument with husband over the first item I intended to declutter.

It's a bottle of 40% proof Russian vodka. Husband was given it about 8 years ago, and told to store it in the freezer. It took up valuable room in our freezer, where it was out-of-sight-out-of-mind to husband. Eventually I needed the freezer space, and put it with the rest of the alcohol. Husband spotted it and put it back in the freezer, intending to drink it. Except that, once in the freezer, it was out-of-sight etc. Till I turfed it out, he remembered it and put it back in...

It's been doing the hokey-cokey in and out of the freezer for eight years, without ever being opened. I think I could usefully use it as drain cleaner. But no! Husband assures me he will drink it....one day. There's currently no room in the freezer, so he can't drink it yet.

[brick wall] [brick wall] [brick wall]
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
OK. Back in the freezer. At conclusion of meal you bring him frosted glass and say: Iss wodka dorogi moi. Drink!

If he doesn't, drain it yourself. Possibly spend evening singing song of the Volga Boatmen. Continue until bottle is empty.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Bloody hell, Firenze - I'm getting a hangover just reading that post!

[Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
Bloody hell, Firenze - I'm getting a hangover just reading that post!

[Roll Eyes]

We set up a tradition when I lived with son and DIL. Mid-afternoon in summer on a Sunday and all on the enormous covered balcony on living level of house. Son would make freshly squeezed fruit juice and vodka.

Then roast dinner and Dr Who.

Of course none of this is really decluttering, but it will empty that bottle.

[ 26. October 2013, 04:27: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I am not drinking anything 40% proof. Especially not when the label is in Russian and I can't read it.

We have some dodgy-looking Nepalese brandy, too, but it's at the back of a cupboard and not annoying me.

I have great plans to declutter and clean the kitchen today!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Could you use it as Russian window cleaning fluid? Never having used Russian Vodka to do that myself, but i get the feeling it might be rather good.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
It doesn't have tobe a big glass - just a shot, but cold enough that it sticks to your fingers. Nothing nicer as a digestif. Nor does it give you a hangover.

Which is more than can be said for last night's wine tasting. Mind you, just as soon as the hammering stops, we're going out to buy a case of the Chilean rosé sparkler.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We had lots of friends round for a meal last night (20!) and one staying over.

Lots of decluttering done. NOW I know why my friend's house is so tidy - she regularly has visitors to stay!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Taliesin (# 14017) on :
 
Isn't all vodka 40% ?? And how can you pour it from the freezer... or does vodka not go solid..?

Just put lots of mixer in it,NEQ. It's far less lethal than wine or stuff like sherry.

I have to get rid of clothes this week. Very hard. And help my mother, too. House so full she can't use one room. Depressed about it. We're going to put everything in boxes and stack it up.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Taliesin:
Isn't all vodka 40% ?? And how can you pour it from the freezer... or does vodka not go solid..?

The freezing point of pure ethanol is -114C. Unless you make your vodka in an oil drum out the back, it's unlikely to be quite that strong, but it will have a freezing point substantially below the range of an average domestic freezer.

Wine will though, which is why, when you pop in a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, it's important to repeat loudly and at frequent intervals 'Wine in freezer!' unless you want to be picking shards of glass out of the fish fingers for weeks to come.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Boogie - having visitors used to be the only thing that kept my house anywhere near presentable.

I remember when daughter announced a sudden visit at short notice to stay for the weekend with sil and grandchildren.

I had to get up at 5.30am and clean till time to go to work and then all evening after work for a week! It was after that I decided Something Had To Be Done. Enter Flylady via Ship of Fools.

This weekend's effort is to declutter the books pending the Big Move. Cleared out a large crateful. I hardly dare whisper it as contracts aren't quite exchanged, but the house is sold.

Tomorrow's task is to buy boxes and a huge roll of bubble wrap.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
... repeat loudly and at frequent intervals 'Wine in freezer!' unless you want to be picking shards of glass out of the fish fingers for weeks to come.

Been there, done that. Ours wasn't bubbly though, so it didn't actually explode. IIRC we put the broken bottle into a tall plastic jug until it defrosted, then poured the resulting mixture through a coffee-filter and a sieve. The wine was fine, but the jug had to go as lots of little shards had sort of embedded themselves in the plastic ... [Eek!]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We have been decluttering ourselves of a bottle of plum wine, which was rather lovely. Finished it last night, so it's the vodka next!

Went onto Fly lady this morning, and intend to follow her suggestion of decluttering the living room this week.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I might follow your example and revisit Flylady, I found it very helpful last year.
Perhaps I should follow your other example too, and raid the drinks cabinet... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Cara (# 16966) on :
 
I think I need to read this thread regularly. But my mind is too cluttered to remember it is here.

Clutter is my bête noire and always has been. Have found regularly visitors is a real help.

Now preparing for a move so must Confront It. Blech.

Have cleared out two modest carrier bags full of books. Piles of magazines (am trying to pass books and mags on to people who will enjoy them, as they aren't rubbish, but not much luck).

Today may address a) clothes--need to give some away.
b) hoard of newspaper articles about nice places I may travel some day.....

Or may c) spend too long on the Ship, d) finish a bit of writing that is more fun than anything else, or e) go out for a walk in the amazing warm sunshine.

(Hmm. Could kill two birds....sort clothes and take nice walk with give-away ones to box where they can be deposited.)
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Packing and organising to move. Feeling overwhelmed. Everything seems chaotic.

Also, I thought my house was reasonably clean but in the packing process I am getting filthy!!!

Lots of decluttering going on though, including Mr T's stuff, which otherwise would just have stayed where it was forever.

Can I face moving every few years just to force a major declutter? No.

However, this first move will probably be a temporary one while we look for somewhere permanent. So maybe there will be more decluttering scope the next time round.

Trying to organise the boxes so we can leave a lot of stuff unpacked till the final move.

The removal firm advises not having the boxes so heavy we can't lift them ourselves. Not for their benefit but for ours. So the really heavy items like books have to be mixed with lighter items, or have millions of half filled boxes....

This makes it harder to devise a logical method of filling the boxes to assist in the unpacking.

Cara - 'amnesty' is your friend. The objective is to get the stuff out of the house. Give yourself amnesty from finding good homes for it all or recycling it or whatever. Just get it in the bin or down to the tip.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
Trying to organise the boxes so we can leave a lot of stuff unpacked till the final move.

The removal firm advises not having the boxes so heavy we can't lift them ourselves. Not for their benefit but for ours. So the really heavy items like books have to be mixed with lighter items...

I have two tips from my last move.

1)Buy some contact paper with a very conspicuous print. Cut large squares and paste them on every surface of the boxes that you need access to before you make the final move. You need to label the boxes also, of course, but it helps to know at a glance which boxes you can ignore temporarily.

2)Buy your own boxes for books. Try to locate a box factory near you. (I was surprised to learn that there are small box factories all over, at least in the US.) I bought boxes that were designed to hold four gallon jugs filled with liquid. I could lift them when they were filled with books. The drawback is that I had to buy them in quantities of twenty-five. However, I had enough books to fill them.

Good luck with your packing!

Moo
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Your local print shop may have surplus boxes that paper comes in -- just the size to pack books that you can still lift.

When I moved into an apartment where I didn't expect to stay for long, I marked the end of each box (printed in a LARGE font on my computer) so that when the boxes were stacked I could see where things were if needed, but a lot of the boxes stayed packed until my next move a year later. They also have lift-off lids, which are a big help.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Thanks for all the good ideas. Daughter (an experienced mover - last one with a new born and an under two) says there's no point fretting about organisation because it never works, just chuck it all in boxes and it will sort itself out sooner or later.

I think maybe a happy medium, although as the deadline approaches I think the 'chuck it all in the boxes' approach will be the best way. It is all going very slowly and there is still the kitchen to do. [Eek!]

Threw out a load of old towels. Why was I keeping them? Some vague idea of cutting them up for dusters. I did that once, even overlocked(serged) the edges. But they just left a load of lint everywhere. A lot of effort for not much reward. Life's too short. So away they go and if I need dusters I'll get them from a pound shop (dollar store?).
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making some progress! [Smile]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
As long as you know where the box with the kettle, tea mugs and tea, milk and sugar are, you can cope with the rest later!
 
Posted by Cara (# 16966) on :
 
Continued good luck to you, Thyme. Thanks for the amnesty tip.

I did eventually walk out, with a shopping-trolley crammed full of clothes, down to the bin whence they will apparently be thoughtfully recycled/distributed, so feel good about that!

The mags may indeed end up in the recycling rather than entertaining other readers, I can't hold on to them for ever til said readers who want to take them away appear! Amnesty.

Thing is, doing one small thing that loomed so horribly (and didn't actually take that long to do--like filing, as WW says above) always feels so good and so heroic that I I feel I have the right to rest on my laurels a bit, sit down w a cup of tea, read something or do a puzzle....but there is still so much to DO!!
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cara:
The mags may indeed end up in the recycling rather than entertaining other readers, I can't hold on to them for ever til said readers who want to take them away appear!

If you happen to be passing a hairdresser, doctor's office, laundromat, etc., you might drop them off there.
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Many offices no longer supply magazines due to the germ factor.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Our dentist still has a table full of magazines - I haven't been into the doctors' surgery lately to see if they still do. I usually take my magazines to the launderette.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
A mouse was spotted last night in our big upstairs room which has become, over the years, little more than a repository for junk. It is now becoming fearfully organised so that we can seek and destroy the little pestilence. I am glad I have taken my antihistamines as the dust levels are extreme to severe!

Shortly we will bring feral cat upstairs for a sniff around.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I had a turn out of a kitchen cupboard today. Why, given I rarely bake, do I have five bags of caster sugar? Other multiples were polenta, red lentils, teriyaki sauce and balsamic vinegar.
 
Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
Thanks for all the good ideas. Daughter (an experienced mover - last one with a new born and an under two) says there's no point fretting about organisation because it never works, just chuck it all in boxes and it will sort itself out sooner or later.

I think maybe a happy medium, although as the deadline approaches I think the 'chuck it all in the boxes' approach will be the best way. It is all going very slowly and there is still the kitchen to do. [Eek!]

Threw out a load of old towels. Why was I keeping them? Some vague idea of cutting them up for dusters. I did that once, even overlocked(serged) the edges. But they just left a load of lint everywhere. A lot of effort for not much reward. Life's too short. So away they go and if I need dusters I'll get them from a pound shop (dollar store?).

I'm all for the 'throw it in a box' approach, but make sure you label the boxes - it's really, really annoying to find that there are several heavy boxes at the wrong end of the house, and on the wrong floor. Not to mention taking a month to find things that you really needed straight away.

I did the keeping old towels thing, but ended up using them for packing around things, which was good. They were also quite useful when we found that the new house wasn't nearly as clean as the one we'd left. They're going into the bin now we've moved though!
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
I had a turn out of a kitchen cupboard today. Why, given I rarely bake, do I have five bags of caster sugar ...?

The same reason I had three jars of coriander seeds - you buy one, use a teaspoon of seeds, put it away and forget about it, then you want to do that cauliflower-and-coriander thing from the old Delia Smith books and you think, I need some coriander ... [Big Grin]

Either that or they were on a BOGOF offer.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Piglet--

[Biased] Clearly, you can solve your coriander problem by no longer eating cauliflower! [Biased]


-->(Not a big fan of cauliflower.)
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Thanks for the tips Drifting Star. I think you are right about the towels. I might rescue them. They will come in handy for cleaning this house once everything is out - never mind the new one!

We are mostly packed up. Kitchen and a few bits still to do.

The man from the clearance firm has just been and quoted me for the clearance items. So depressing. Only one item has any monetary value. All the rest will go to the tip.

I am not surprised, I had this with my parents stuff and their stuff was much nicer.

It has reinforced my determination not to spend any more money on furniture and household items than I have to. It is a complete waste of money.

Also to continue paring down our personal possessions.

Have to say that Mr T is being brilliant [Overused] [Axe murder]

He has decluttered loads of his books and papers and other stuff and is generally being a rock.
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
If you ever have a leaking pipe/radiator/washing machine, you'll be glad of all the old towels you can find!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Yes! It's a dilemma - whether to keep a pile of old towels just in case. Of course as soon as they are got rid of the emergency will happen.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
It has reinforced my determination not to spend any more money on furniture and household items than I have to. It is a complete waste of money.

Also to continue paring down our personal possessions.

Up to a point I agree, Thyme - clearing stuff out made me think a lot harder about what I bought, particularly what you might term non-essentials. But good stuff lasts longer than cheap stuff (as well as being nicer). I think perhaps it's better to forget about whether it will be worth anything to someone after you die, and just concentrate on whether it is what YOU (and Mr T, of course) want in the here and now.

We've spent quite a bit of money over the years on pictures but it doesn't worry me whether they'll be worth anything to/for the kids when I die - I'll have had the pleasure of them for all this time. [Axe murder]

YMMV, of course! [Smile]

Mrs. S, wondering what to throw away next
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Intrepid Mrs S:
quote:
But good stuff lasts longer than cheap stuff (as well as being nicer). I think perhaps it's better to forget about whether it will be worth anything to someone after you die, and just concentrate on whether it is what YOU (and Mr T, of course) want in the here and now.
Wise words. Whatever else you do, don't economise on your bed and mattress, Thyme. You need one that's comfortable.

My father-in-law hated spending money on new furniture, with the result that he slept (uncomfortably) for about 40 years in a bed that was second-hand when he got it. It wasn't as if he couldn't have afforded a new one, either.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
Yes! It's a dilemma - whether to keep a pile of old towels just in case. Of course as soon as they are got rid of the emergency will happen.

Or you will get a new puppy! [Biased]
 
Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Here the story of my grandfather and shoes. First thing you need to know is my family has a genetic form of arthritis. The major symptom of which are large and painful bunions. While, I who am female have it the weakest of the lot who have so far, my father and grandfather had quite badly deformed feet due to it.

My grandfather would not spend much on a pair of shoes. Of course cheap shoes were dreadfully uncomfortable for him, so he kept buying new shoes. The result was that there were about twenty pairs of cheap hardly worn shoes in his cupboard when he died.

Jengie
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Well done to all you declutterers. Chez Nen progress is slow. Very slow. In fact, imperceptible. [Roll Eyes]

I'm thinking I need to take a day or two off work in order to make some significant progress and give myself a head start.

Nen [Help]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Having lurked and intermittently posted for a while, this week saw a bit of a breakthrough.

I just threw stuff away.
Ok, "recycled" then.
But it went.


There's about another twenty wheelie bins to go, but something has changed...in me.

Amazon is helping!
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
... about twenty pairs of cheap hardly worn shoes in his cupboard when he died ...

D's father died while we were over on holiday this summer, and we realised that he hadn't brought any clothes suitable for a funeral. While we were contemplating a visit to Oxfam to get him a suit, his cousin (whose father had died a couple of months previously) called to the house. She said that she hadn't got round to clearing out her father's clothes and shoes yet, and brought a huge load of them round the next day.

D. came away with a suit, a blazer, a pair of trousers and three pairs of unworn, very good-quality shoes, which fitted him as though they'd been made for him.

That was just what we could fit in our suitcase - there are more that we'll pick up next time we're over. He reckons he'll never have to buy shoes again ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Today I decluttered two books to the charity book shop...and came out having bought five.
 
Posted by Jenny Ann (# 3131) on :
 
I'm thinking about decluttering some bookcases this weekend. I have a recipient for the books, and they'll mostly be fiction (of the non-trash, but not 'great literature' persuasion).

Previous solution for the issue of more books than bookcase space has been to buy more bookcases, but now I've got no more space for bookcases!

I'll be honest, I'm dreading it.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
NEQ:
quote:
Today I decluttered two books to the charity book shop...and came out having bought five.
Every time I try to thin out my book collection I have the same problem. I eventually came up with a guiding principle that works for me:

If you can still see the floor in most rooms, books do not count as clutter.
 
Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :
 
To avoid looking at additional books, I wrap the used books in an old carrier bag and put them in the Oxfam hopper at the nearest recycling point. That way, there are no other books on show to tempt me to buy more.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
That's a good idea. I also give them away to church sales - I don't think I've ever found a book I wanted in a church sale, though once I bought a copy of a book in an Oxfam shop that turned out to be something I'd donated to a church sale a year or so earlier...

(not just a book addict - an absent-minded book addict)
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
It's rare for us to come away from the bookstall at the Cathedral sale with fewer books than we started with, but I think we managed it at the one a couple of weeks ago.

Part of me treats it as a sort of lending library: I bought Wolf Hall at the Spring sale, decided it was cr@p and returned it at the Autumn sale ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Polly Plummer:
If you ever have a leaking pipe/radiator/washing machine, you'll be glad of all the old towels you can find!

This turned out to be prophetic. Fortunately I had kept most of the old towels after Drifting Star's comments.

The big move has happened and we are now unpacking. We have rented a lovely bungalow.

Had a major stress when I realised that it is fitted out with cream carpet in all the main areas [Ultra confused] [Help]

Managed to leave the old house in a good clean condition (I think). Very upset to discover that along with our possesions we have also managed to bring along a load of dust and cobwebs
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Hit send by mistake. Then took too long editing.

After the removal men left I had four full bin bags of assorted rubbish to take to the tip.

All this stuff was just stored in the house basically. In future I'm going to try and be more vigilant about removing all the small and not so small bits and pieces that just get stuffed into cupboards and forgotten about.
 
Posted by Palimpsest (# 16772) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:

It's been doing the hokey-cokey in and out of the freezer for eight years, without ever being opened. I think I could usefully use it as drain cleaner. But no! Husband assures me he will drink it....one day. There's currently no room in the freezer, so he can't drink it yet.

There's always penne with vodka sauce
 
Posted by Cara (# 16966) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Today I decluttered two books to the charity book shop...and came out having bought five.

[Killing me]

Oh I can SO relate!

Having just decluttered quite a few books, I made the mistake today of going into a giant used-book sale- for charity--luckily most of the books were in French so, though I do read it, I was a bit less tempted...there were some English books as well and I am proud to say I only bought ONE (1). Though it may be one I already have somewhere. [Hot and Hormonal] ! (Hello Jane R, from another absent-minded book lover.)

I also asked if they were still taking donations, as i have some still around that I have put in the "giving-away bag"--this is dangerous as if they hang around too long I'm liable to put them back on the shelf! And they are not still taking donations so I need to take the bagful somewhere else...


Thyme, enjoy the rental bungalow--though I do share your trepidation about cream carpets! I love your resolve to be more vigilant about regularly clearing out those things that accumulate...any tips on how to KEEP this resolve will be much appreciated!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Rescuing the thread from hostly decluttering!

Still unpacking here. Hoping to get a couple of small bits of junk furniture decluttered at the weekend and get the stuff that isn't being unpacked till the final move more organised and tidy in the garage.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I'm considering getting a new bed - and realised I haven't actually done this since the 1980s (when my mum told me what to do!).
I think I need to get rid of the old one - I've never liked divans, and the mattress is getting unpleasantly lumpy now. If I get the Council to take it away, I can also get rid of the old bike that's been in the shed for four years, and the old computer hard drive that isn't compatible with anything else any more.
Then I can sleep on the spare mattress until the new bed arrives - and since it's something I'm going to be using constantly for at least 10 - 15 years (and hopefully longer) I really want to get the best bed I can.
At the moment I'm rather taken by the idea of a small double Captain's Bed with all those storage drawers underneath....
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Extra storage space is always useful - particularly if it frees up more shelf space for books!
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Eigon:
quote:
At the moment I'm rather taken by the idea of a small double Captain's Bed with all those storage drawers underneath....


Ooh, that sounds nice. You do need to try out the bed before you buy it though - go and lie down on it in the shop.

This is quite embarrassing, especially if you are buying a bed for two (both of you need to lie on it at once) but is the only practical way of finding out if you like it.

It might be worth looking for an independent furniture store, if there are any in your area, rather than going to a big chain. We bought our last mattress from an independent shop and they were great - helpful and friendly, deliverymen turned up on time and did their thing, and the mattress cost about the same as one of a similar quality from Argos would have done.

(waves to Cara)

[ 14. November 2013, 13:37: Message edited by: Jane R ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Extra storage space is always useful - particularly if it frees up more shelf space for books!

AMEN! [Smile]
 
Posted by Cara (# 16966) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Eigon:
quote:
At the moment I'm rather taken by the idea of a small double Captain's Bed with all those storage drawers underneath....


Ooh, that sounds nice. You do need to try out the bed before you buy it though - go and lie down on it in the shop.

This is quite embarrassing, especially if you are buying a bed for two (both of you need to lie on it at once) but is the only practical way of finding out if you like it.

It might be worth looking for an independent furniture store, if there are any in your area, rather than going to a big chain. We bought our last mattress from an independent shop and they were great - helpful and friendly, deliverymen turned up on time and did their thing, and the mattress cost about the same as one of a similar quality from Argos would have done.

(waves to Cara)

Thank you for the wave, Jane!

Re beds, I think tempurpedic is the best. Costs a ridiculous amount of money, but once you have one, you are converted and realise it is worth it.

I agree wit the advice to lie down on the bed in the shop, however daft you think you look.

OK so I have a confession. I went back to that booktent/charity sale. I bought a few more books..... [Hot and Hormonal]

One of them may be one I already have [Hot and Hormonal] [Hot and Hormonal] [Hot and Hormonal]

But I did nearly buy another one I already have, until I realised at the last minute and put it back....so, kudos, eh?!
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cara:
... I bought a few more books ... [Hot and Hormonal]

Well may you blush, Cara dear - this is a de-cluttering thread ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by Cara:
... I bought a few more books ... [Hot and Hormonal]

Well may you blush, Cara dear - this is a de-cluttering thread ... [Big Grin]
But books are NOT clutter!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Preach it!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have frequently bought a book I already own! I have also bought another copy of books I have previously decluttered because I missed it or forgot I had read it.

When packing I discovered I had two copies of a book, when I distinctly remember giving my original copy away and buying a replacement, so presumably I have bought three copies of this book.

Also, I am sure that I found a duplicate of a book I had already packed in another bookshelf but it was too late to try and find the first copy to check. Maybe I will find out when I finally unpack and resort them into their new homes.

In other news the unpacking has ground to a halt. It feels like on of those puzzles where you have to move all the bits around to get the pattern and I don't know where to start.

The process of downsizing from a large house into this much smaller house has really focused our minds on what sort of house we want for a permanent home so it is very useful from that point of view.

But I would like to have my life back by the end of weekend.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:

But I would like to have my life back by the end of weekend.

To give you time to read all those books [Biased]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
[Hot and Hormonal] You have discovered my secret Boogie. I have a lot of books I thought/think I would like to read, but haven't.

I did manage to declutter some of them in the move, but still think I am going to read the rest sometime. Just cannot let go of this delusion!

I have tried to have a rule of no new books till I have read all the existing ones, but it doesn't work. Does slow down the rate of acquisition, but that is all.

[ 16. November 2013, 08:58: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by Cara (# 16966) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
[Hot and Hormonal] You have discovered my secret Boogie. I have a lot of books I thought/think I would like to read, but haven't.

I did manage to declutter some of them in the move, but still think I am going to read the rest sometime. Just cannot let go of this delusion!

I have tried to have a rule of no new books till I have read all the existing ones, but it doesn't work. Does slow down the rate of acquisition, but that is all.

Thyme, I SO relate to all of this! Among those books I naughtily bought the other day, a novel--not rubbish, and by a good writer, but still, a book I thought I would give away again right after reading--now have read it and might want to keep it after all...and yet, I still have so many unread books....

Oh dear. It is a bit of a disease.

But I have recently de-cluttered some papers into smaller, more organized clumps.....
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Books and reading are not a disease. How can something so pleasurable be called a disease? [Waterworks]
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
If it's a disease, I don't want to be well.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Books are not clutter. They tend to stay put, letting ideas bounce off each other and reproduce.
[Eek!]

All the OTHER flotsam and jetsam is clutter.

I've heard of people putting their mattresses directly on top of boxes of books. That way, they could just lift the mattress when they needed a book, and the books were housed out of the way.
 
Posted by Cara (# 16966) on :
 
Yes, yes, and Yes! To the above three posts about books.

(Except perhaps the mattress business, too much bother to lift it).

Of course deep down I don't really feel that it's a disease!
Or at any rate I do not want to be cured.

In fact, with the physical book perhaps in jeopardy now
[Eek!] [Eek!]
and bookshops most definitely in jeopardy or already gone
[Eek!] [Waterworks] [Frown] [Mad] [Confused] [Waterworks]
I feel it is incumbent on one to do one's best to preserve the physical book, and prove to bookshops that one does want and need places to browse through physical books and discover new ones by actually touching, opening and handling them.

So buying books is a Good Thing.

And therefore building up a bit of a library (!) is also a good thing and not to be seen as clutter.

Except perhaps for those extra copies one has inadvertently bought without realising one already had that book. Or for those books one knows one will never read or even pick up again.

However, piles of bits of paper and magazines newspapers and old receipts and brochures and.... ..now these ARE clutter. And the Bane of my Life.
.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I bought the bed!
Having discussed with my other half (I'm in a long distance relationship) I decided to go for a proper double bed instead of the Captain's Bed, which will give both of us more room. So I was going to walk out to the edge of town big store to see what they had, when I noticed a sign pointing to a local firm's warehouse much closer to the centre of town.
I saw the bed I was looking for almost as I walked through the door. The sales lady was lovely, and I now have a bed frame and mattress coming on Friday, and they'll take away the old bed - and it was all so easy!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Congratulations Eigon, and hope you are having sweet dreams.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
The new bed is, indeed, marvellous - and now I have space under it to store things, I have been having a massive clear out and move around of stuff.
In particular, I decided that I would never actually use the four bin bags full of material that I have been hoarding over the past ten years to do patchwork, so that's going down to the local Oxfam, where they like to offer material for patchwork.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Other Half is having a massive clearout of his home office. We're up to 12 bin bags full of junk and he hasn't finished yet...

Not counting all the stuff that can be given away to the next jumble sale or passed on to friends!

Now all I have to do is persuade him to declutter the rest of the house [Yipee]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Another 2 bags of clothes OUT to the charity shop, making space for 2 new items IN. But a pile of magazines arrived IN from a neighbour - eventually faces will be cut out and stored for kids crafts, but first they simply must be read in case there is a key article.... maybe on decluttering [Razz]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Congratulations on getting rid of the patchwork fabrics Eigon. It is as hard to get rid of that sort of thing as it is to get rid of books imo.

And congratulations to daisydaisy on getting rid of the clothes.

I have been mia recently. Decluttering of a sad and macabre nature, clearing Dad's room in his nursing home following his death. I was very grateful that other family members took on organising this.

Another resident's daughter said that she would have to do this soon, but also has her relative's house to clear. Such a difficult process. [Votive]

In due course I will be decluttering all his paperwork. I had a look at the files and I could probably get rid of a lot immediately or could have let it go a long time ago. But I felt I should keep it all as a record of how we administered his affairs should anyone ever ask. It will go once the estate is dealt with and all is finally over.

The funeral is next week. Another sort of decluttering. I take refuge in this type of dark 'humour' so do not be offended.
[Hot and Hormonal] [Tear]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
[Votive] Thyme
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
[Votive] indeed, for literal and emotional de-cluttering.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
[Votive] a hard time indeed - be careful not to be too drastic though, as I was with my mother's paperwork when I got rid of some letters from my father that I realise now that I would have treasured - thankfully I did read them first.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
The house is fast filling up with Christmas clutter.

Over on the English thread we are talking about cleaning windows and how people who have eye surgery often remark how their furnishings need cleaning now they can see properly!

I suppose the advice to clean things according to a routine and calendar whether they appear to be dirty or not and not waiting till they 'get dirty' is the solution to this and much else.

I think I will make an effort with this after Christmas.

We are hoping to move into a very new house and get it all redecorated and carpeted immediately. Plus some new furniture. All the manky old stuff went to the tip during the move. So no excuses to keep it looking clean.

[ 10. December 2013, 18:36: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I'm sure I decluttered the herbs and spices a few months ago before the move.

So how have I got a packet of spice with a use by date of 2011????? [Confused]

How does this happen?
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I need to declutter the breakfast bar before Christmas. At present there's a sea of stuff on it that has to be pushed aside if I'm serving up a meal. [Frown]

The small spare room is also full of stuff that needs sorting.

[Confused]

Nen - deeply discouraged about it all.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
I need to declutter the breakfast bar before Christmas.

15 minutes a day - go for it!!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
I'm sure I decluttered the herbs and spices a few months ago before the move.

So how have I got a packet of spice with a use by date of 2011????? [Confused]

How does this happen?

Make sure you lock all the doors at night, I think they sneak in during the night.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
I'm sure I decluttered the herbs and spices a few months ago before the move.

So how have I got a packet of spice with a use by date of 2011????? [Confused]

How does this happen?

Make sure you lock all the doors at night, I think they sneak in during the night.
I think the cat brings them in to season it's prey.

I visited someone else's house yesterday that was so uncluttered I think I'll move in (uninvited),

Huia - feeling jealous, and messy
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
[QUOTE]

I visited someone else's house yesterday that was so uncluttered I think I'll move in (uninvited),

Huia - feeling jealous, and messy

Someone whose house is messy beyond belief (at least to me) came round to collect something from our place yesterday. I'd just finished the cleaning (and the pre-cleaning tidying-up) and it did look lovely.

He looked round and said 'ah, a house without small children - what life can be like!' I'm very fond of him, so I refrained from pointing out that even when we had small children it would have driven me crazy to live in a house like his...

Mrs. S, smug - just don't look in the little back bedroom, aka Santa's Grotto! [Help]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I lost it yesterday. We were given a lovely Caithness glass bowl as a wedding present, 25 years ago, which has been in daily use as a fruit bowl, and yesterday it cracked right across, but didn't actually break. I was trying to decide whether it should go in the bin, or the glass recycling box, and my family told me I couldn't get rid of it because it was "sentimental" I pointed out that it was about to break into two potentially lethally sharp bits, but the solution apparently was to put it somewhere just to sit there gathering dust, and not use it, touch it, dust it or interact with it in any way.

I have disposed of it. I can't understand why my family are so reluctant to get rid of broken stuff. Our home would be so much nicer if we didn't hang on to broken stuff.

I feel a steely resolve descend - I WILL declutter this house.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
And possibly the first thing I will declutter will be teenage son, who yesterday told me I couldn't get rid of the cracked bowl.

Today I asked if he'd like to take the "Coke" glasses back to Uni with him tomorrow, as he is the only Coke drinker and he's mostly not here. And he said he'd rather not, as he has no space, and one of the things he enjoys about living in his flat at University is the lack of clutter. Apparently he doesn't want his Uni flat to end up looking like home.

[Mad]

He is lucky not to have been decluttered and buried six feet down in the back garden.

[Mad]
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I hear you. The number of things lurking in cupboards in our house against the day when my husband is going to superglue them back together..
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We have a collection of broken kettles etc in our garden shed, which my husband plans to cannabalise into a robot.

The original plan was to enter "Robot Wars." You'd have thought that the fact that that series ended in 2004 might have put a dampener on the plan, but no.

[brick wall] [brick wall] [brick wall]
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
We're still hanging on to a tome entitled 'Secrets of Windows '95'. For when that comes back again.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
We're still hanging on to a tome entitled 'Secrets of Windows '95'. For when that comes back again.

In the year 2095?
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I have just tidied [AND DUSTED!] half of the desk in my bedroom - I may do the rest later, when I recover a bit!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Windows 95 seems like a bad dream now, doesn't it?

Anyway, the decluttering and dusting of the desk in the bedroom is completed and the bedside cabinets are also decluttered and dusted!

I am rather chuffed with my little self.

A month or two ago I bought a dusting glove thingy that you wet then wring out and wear to wipe over the surfaces and then just rinse and the dust fals out - I think it is made of polypropylene but am not sure - it certainly seems to work.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Amazon is still helping and it Is a financial incentive. But we've rather stalled.

Or had.
Until Christmas arrangements broke down and we've got twelve altogether staying here for Christmas. A this is a small house.

Unless i am to sleep children and grandchildren in a shed, we will Have to declutter, on a very large scale and within two days.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I am beginning to think there is something wrong with me - we watched Britain's Craziest Christmas Lights last night, it was on Channel 5 and showed 5 or so families who regularly plastered their houses with Christmas lights (narrated by Noddy Holder, yet).

Watching one of them, living in quite a small house stuffed to the rafters with boxes of lights, and with ex-Blackpool Illumination lights stored on the landing, I felt VERY uncomfortable indeed (not to mention concerned about the fire risks!). How do they LIVE like that, all year round? [Eek!]

Is it just me? [Confused]

Mrs. S, still very uncomfortable
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
The great Shrew move is in progress. Mr Shrew gets nervous about big changes so we have kept our rented place another month, and are moving a bit at a time (except essentials which all moved last weekend with us). I'm trying to take the opportunity to do a fairly ruthless declutter. having some success with things which are obviously junk, although kitchen utensils are still to go, and they are my nemesis. It's easier to do when you have to decide to move it into your home though
Nothing more will happen till Christmas though, as we are luckily going away for Christmas.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have started at my back door and intend to work my way systematically through the whole house. I've decluttered 3 cupboards, 1 drawer and a small piece of work surface so far, resulting in a small amount binned and a box heading for the charity shop.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
I have started at my back door and intend to work my way systematically through the whole house. I've decluttered 3 cupboards, 1 drawer and a small piece of work surface so far, resulting in a small amount binned and a box heading for the charity shop.

[Overused]

One of the hardest things is knowing where to start. And wherever you do start it feels as though anywhere else would be so much easier. [Roll Eyes]

Nen - whose breakfast bar is actually looking quite good.
 
Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
Decluttering at work today. I've got several square feet of open desk space that weren't there when I started this morning. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
It turns out we have "sentimental" salt. No, I can't pass our second salt-grinder onto son-at-uni because it has "sentimental" salt in it. The second salt-grinder hasn't been used once in the past two years, and is unlikely to be used at any point in the next two, or even possibly ever, but we have to keep it.

[brick wall]

(The salt came from a salt mine in Poland which we visited, hence the reason for it being "sentimental.")
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
How unfortunate if it were to come in contact with some deeply cynical water.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Could you decant the salt, perhaps putting it in a sealed urn on your mantelpiece? [Biased]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Perhaps it should be used in cooking the family meals thus becoming one eternally with the family body who will truly be one body and the salt of earth.

Or something.

You might have to bury the container and put a little memorial stone on the plot.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The salt cellar/grinder we actually use matches the pepper mill we actually use, so I can't give that one to son-at-uni. We really, really don't need two salt cellar/grinder things (are they called "salt mills"?) Son-at-uni doesn't have a salt grinder and might actually use it. But it's "sentimental" so he can't have it, apparently.

We did drop off a small boxful of stuff to the charity shop today, though. There is hope.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Originally posted by Thyme:
quote:
Next up - some video tapes. I never watch them. We still have a video recorder but my DH says it doesn't work with the new TV. I haven't been able to persuade him to dump the recorder.
This is a bugbear in the NE household. Our video started to go a bit funny about 3 years ago. So the North East Man decided that we'd stop using it to watch videos, and would use it solely to transfer our videos onto DVD. When he had the time. Except that he hasn't had the time at any point in the intervening 3 years. So we have a bookcase full of videos which we haven't watched in 3 years, but which have to stay because I'm the only one who is happy to bin them (local charity shops are no longer accepting videos). And we have a teetering pile of DVDs next to the TV, which can't get put away, because the shelves are full of redundant videos....

As I'm the one who dusts and hoovers round the stuff, I'm the one who's most inconvenienced, but, alas, this doesn't give me extra voting rights on what should happen. Sigh.

I posted this on 2 March. I have managed to reduce the number of videos by stealth since then. However, it turned out the North East Man wasn't as oblivious to my annoyance as I thought. He heard that someone else was chucking out a broken video player and claimed it, on the basis that if he ever got round to fixing our broken video player it would be handy to have spare parts. So we now have fewer videos, but an extra broken video player.


[brick wall]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I decluttered the porch yesterday and completely cleared the patio = Hurrah!!

[Yipee]

[ 21. December 2013, 12:29: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I was chuckling over North East Quine's video recorder collection when my new Dyson vacuum cleaner arrived.

Now the old Dyson was inherited from a parent in 2006 and quite old but I bought it a lot of extra accessories. It had an accident recently after a plumbing disaster and thought it was a wet cleaner. While waiting to see if it would dry out and recover without electrocuting me I had to buy a new cleaner, (on sale in the nearest supermarket, not a Dyson) to complete the cleaning which couldn't wait.

Well, this new cleaner was wonderful, so light and manoeuvrable. The old Dyson was very efficient but heavy and hard to steer. Really I never liked it and hated getting it out.

So I thought I would get rid of it when I had time to think about it.

Meanwhile Dyson brought out a new small, lightweight, highly manouverable model, delivered today. I also bought extra accessories which were on offer with the machine. [Roll Eyes]

So I have had a little play with the new Dyson and it is very, very nice. And thinking about how to dispose of the old one. Not too keen on freecycling it because of the water accident.

Did I mention I also have a Dyson handheld cordless, with accessories? [Big Grin]

And I found myself wondering if all the various accessories would fit the new machine. And if not maybe I should keep the big old Dyson for cleaning the car interior with the special car accessories? Or other jobs.

I caught myself just in time. If I did that I would have no less than four vacuum cleaners.

Also I rarely vacuum the car as I take it to the hand wash and valet car place every so often, as I hate cleaning the car and tell myself I am helping poor immigrants and refugees and redistributing wealth if I pay them to do it.

Owning expensive Dyson accessories did not, I discovered, motivate me to clean it more often. Neither have I ever used them for other jobs.

So the big old Dyson is in the garage and will go to the tip before Christmas. That was narrow escape on the slippery slope to hoarding vacuum cleaners.

I will keep the accessories though till I have time to try and fit them on the remaining machines.

Yes, I am keeping the brand new machine that was temporary fix when I hoovered up a small pond with the old Dyson, and I have the brand new Dyson and the handheld Dyson. I am keeping all these. Ad all the accessories that still fit - when I get round to it.

I am feeling a bit more empathy with people who end up with loads of old broken gadgets they never use. It can happen to anyone given the right circumstances and gadgets. There but for the grace of God......
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thyme, that post is priceless.

I recognise some of my own behaviour there too, which makes it even funnier,

Huia
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We have [Axe murder] BobTwo [Axe murder] who is a Roomba. I love him. We also still have Bob the Roomba which died when the North East Man tipped a full mug of coffee over him. Apparently, he might get fixed at some point. Plus an indifferent Dyson. And a hand-held which is officially for the rarely-cleaned car.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
...when the North East Man tipped a full mug of coffee over him. Apparently, he might get fixed at some point.

Seems a bit drastic for one mug of spilled coffee.
[Eek!]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
We also have a roomba. Seriously amazing and has vastly improved both how clean and how clear our floors are.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
...when the North East Man tipped a full mug of coffee over him. Apparently, he might get fixed at some point.

Seems a bit drastic for one mug of spilled coffee.
[Eek!]

[Two face]

Does your Roomba have a name, Mrs Shrew? I loved my Bob, and now I love my BobTwo.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Housework is a totally unnecesary evil - as Quentin Crisp said "After 4 years the dust doesn't get any worse!" The only purpose I can find for housework is as an avoidance technique when I really should be doing something else.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
His name is Little Roomba, which doesn't sound terribly imaginative but works for us. we do sit and cheer him on when he is cleaning, and I am very attached to him.

Today I am going to tackle my wardrobe - ruthlessness is the only answer. I have quite a few clothes which don't fit properly, but I have recently enough been unable to afford even second hand clothing that I am hoarding them. I Need to accept that even if I do lose weight it is a slow process, and that fighting through things that don't fit or that I don't really like only holds me back.
Nearly all of the things which don't fit are in very good condition, so should raise a good amount for charity shops.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Video tapes and recorders... sentimental salt... vacuum cleaners... [Killing me] Thank you so much to everyone for these posts which have given me a smile this damp and dreary morning. [Smile]

I am gearing up for a Major Declutter once Christmas is over and I know now where I'm going to start, which helps. [Big Grin] We are trying to clear our spare room so that we can reorganise things to decorate our bedroom - Mr Nen finds it impossible to decorate a room unless it's completely empty of everything. This will involve major reorganisation in every bedroom except for the one Nenlet2 sleeps in. At least, I'm hoping that one is immune. [Eek!]

Interested in the vacuum discussion as ours needs replacing sometime fairly soon. Have not come across a Roomba or a Bob but have heard good reports of Henry.

Nen - whose vacuum cleaners last well on account of the fact they don't get out much. [Biased]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Henry is generally a good one, and they last very well. Roomba is a robot vacuum cleaner - you charge it up (it has a little docking station) then push "clean" and it makes a happy little noise then goes off and cleans until
a). It thinks the room/area is clean
b). It's full (embarrassingly this happened the first time we used it, but since then it hasn't)
c). It runs out of charge (only happens if you use it lots without charging.)
It then attempts to return to dock.
We love ours because it takes all the effort out of vacuuming. Also because it is a robot and Mr Shrew is very excited by robots.

It has a little gizmo to make a virtual wall if you don't want it to go somewhere, otherwise it just goes round anywhere it can get to. It also doesn't fall down stairs..... (we tested thoroughly just in case)
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Ours Roomba gets full almost everytime! We have a cockatiel which sprays out seed husks, and so the area round the cockatiel needs hoovered pretty much every day.

I didn't want the cockatiel, on the basis that I would be the one landed with any extra cleaning, but I was over-ruled and - surprise - I ended up with extra cleaning. The robot vacuum was the family solution; it would save me from having to hoover daily, but wouldn't involve any other member of the family in extra work.

I love the Roomba; it makes happy little noises and it hoovers very well. Unfortunately they aren't coffee-proof, so try to avoid pouring a full mug of coffee over them.
 
Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
I'm another one who should be replacing the vacuum cleaner. Unsatisfactory state of the carpets aside, I have cleared (most of) the clutter from downstairs and the guest bedroom, and my own bedroom doesn't look too bad - I have enough floor space to do my morning yoga up there. The nut crackers and bottle openers have a place to be, and the Christmas cards are all up. Guests arrive tomorrow [Smile]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
The wardrobe is now tidy, and I managed quite a bit of ruthlessness, including a couple of things I was attached to but knew I wouldn't wear again. Feeling quite proud!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I love you all - the thought that there are people like you out there in the world does wonders for my sanity!

[Overused]

Have a fabulous Christmas, everyone [Angel] because afterwards we're ALL going to have to declutter All Over Again [Two face]

Mrs. S, chuckling to herself
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
My decluttering is going on at a steady pace; I'm now half-way round the kitchen. I've been cleaning as I go, and replaced the extractor filter, so though I'm not progressing quickly, I'm pleased with the way it's going.

The history buff in me loves old lists of items, so I had the idea that I would inventorise as I went along; posterity might appreciate a list of the contents of a kitchen c2013. I have a table on the computer, with a column for the provenance of each item, and tick columns for "useful" and "beautiful". Any item which is neither useful nor beautiful is being decluttered.

This approach has stunned my family, not exactly into silence, but enough for them to wary of uttering the "sentimental" word. There is no column in my table for "sentimental"!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:

I love the Roomba; it makes happy little noises and it hoovers very well. Unfortunately they aren't coffee-proof, so try to avoid pouring a full mug of coffee over them.

I really fancy one - but fear that my 8 month old labrador may think I've bought her a fab new toy!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Boogie: He, he! I'm just glad I didn't know about Roomba's before I spent all my cleaning gadget money!

North East Quine: Good luck!

[ 23. December 2013, 13:44: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
My decluttering is going on at a steady pace; I'm now half-way round the kitchen. I've been cleaning as I go, and replaced the extractor filter, so though I'm not progressing quickly, I'm pleased with the way it's going.

The history buff in me loves old lists of items, so I had the idea that I would inventorise as I went along; posterity might appreciate a list of the contents of a kitchen c2013. I have a table on the computer, with a column for the provenance of each item, and tick columns for "useful" and "beautiful". Any item which is neither useful nor beautiful is being decluttered.

This approach has stunned my family, not exactly into silence, but enough for them to wary of uttering the "sentimental" word. There is no column in my table for "sentimental"!

You star - that's fantastic! [Overused]

Mrs. S, humbled
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I
Have a fabulous Christmas, everyone [Angel] because afterwards we're ALL going to have to declutter All Over Again [Two face]

Mrs. S, chuckling to herself

I echo that - and maybe we should be thinking about leading the way next year in giving consumable gifts that cannot possibly be considered as clutter,
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I love you all - the thought that there are people like you out there in the world does wonders for my sanity!...

Mrs. S, chuckling to herself

I think this is the first time ever that I have mentioned as an aid to sanity!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
.... maybe we should be thinking about leading the way next year in giving consumable gifts that cannot possibly be considered as clutter,

Ah but ... all those lovely jars that might 'come in'!


[Devil]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have just cleared out "that" kitchen drawer; the one that had 13 plastic Calpol spoons, several bottle openers accumulated from crackers and a broken whisk, as well as stuff we actually use like cheese knives, rolling pins and the pizza cutter.

I don't know how much I've decluttered, but it's been quite a lot, and I've put 87 "useful" items back in.

87!

Our local food bank asked our church to supply tin-openers as they have had families refusing tinned food because they have no tin opener. Meanwhile, I have the full panoply of apple corer / melon baller /salad servers / corn-on-the-cob skewers / ice cream scoop etc etc. So much "stuff" that it's actually become a nuisance.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
re: the salt discussion earlier

Spent time at Mums this Christmas and finally her old and cracked salt cellar could go.

OhMyGoodness....if you are holding onto an old salt cellar, please check the wretched things?

Took the top of Mums ( outwardly very clean) salt cellar top...and EEEw: The SMELL [Frown]

GROSS...utterly gross......and full of something godawefully terible as well

(jusssayin)
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Oooherrr, Ethne Alba! This is part of why I have put so much effort into decluttering and getting a cleaning routine sorted over the last few years.

I don't want to get old and not realise how icky everything has got, even if it does look outwardly clean.

North East Quine, impressive effort with the drawer of doom on Boxing Day [Smile]

Used my parents good dinner service and glassware over Christmas. Have finally decided to keep it. I have been dithering about it for several years.

Now to get Christmas cleared up!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Another day, another cupboard decluttered. I had a similar experience to your salt discovery Ethne Alba. We bought a tin of Lentils de Puy as a souvenir many years ago. We used the lentils and I was under the impression that the pretty tin was lying empty. It was in today's cupboard and I discovered I must have refilled it with normal lentils - but when?

I am so pleased to have finally got round to decluttering.

I have now catalogued 766 items in my kitchen, and that's erring on the conservative side, counting things like a cup and saucer as one item.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I'm starting to lurk around antique/junk shops with a tape measure in my pocket.
When I moved into this house, over ten years ago, I was given furniture from my mum's old house, and the kitchen table has always been too big for the living room (my house is much smaller than her's was).
Now I have a little bit of spare cash, I'm looking for a smaller table/computer desk which actually fits in the space. I'm thinking of a drop-leaf table, but it has to fit into a space which is quite limited, and it has to be the right height.
Then the kitchen table and four chairs can go onto Freecycle.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I've found what I wanted on Preloved
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Preloved p is great - I found my first flute there, and just before Christmas managed to find a buyer for it there too (I upgraded so didn't need the original one)
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have decluttered my whole kitchen! [Yipee] [Yipee] [Yipee]
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
[Overused]

That is impressive, NEQ.
 
Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
I have decluttered my whole kitchen! [Yipee] [Yipee] [Yipee]

If this is what finishing thesis does to people then role on finishing thesis.

Jengie
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
NEQ [Overused] And in the run up to Christmas too!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
I have decluttered my whole kitchen! [Yipee] [Yipee] [Yipee]

If this is what finishing thesis does to people then role on finishing thesis.

Jengie

Perhaps it's a way of not thinking about my upcoming viva. I mean, my viva's not till 2014 - that's ages away, right?
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I thought I was doing well on the decluttering front 'till we went to my friend's for a meal on Christmas day.

It was sooooooo tidy and relaxed and lovely and comfortable - I now have a new decluttered role model.

It's going to take years .............
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
On a roll ... I have decluttered my airing cupboard!
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Found a lost potato, it had ben hiding for a while.....it looks like an alien!
 
Posted by FooloftheShip (# 15579) on :
 
I'm really struggling to get going. I keep taking things out and thinking "well, I kind of need that but have no idea where to put it or how to store it". At present, therefore, I'm making mess rather than sorting anything. Grrrr.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I've decluttered my glass cutting desk, the incentive being my new lampwork torch [Smile]
Later this week I'm tackling the study, aka the sewing room.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Preloved looks good - but I'm happy to say that I found the perfect table in a shop about five minutes walk from my house - and the shopkeeper carried it home for me!
And I have six people interested in my old table, so I'm just waiting to hear back from the one I've offered it to, and if he declines I'll offer it down the list.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
We're off to a flying start here. We attacked the built-in wardrobe yesterday. Four bags of clothes ready to go to the local charity shops, and Mrs BA has discovered a heap of clothes which she can fit into once again, including one dress which still has the shop tag attached.

I have been in the study sorting and discarding obsolete agenda, copies of minutes, outdated correspondence and the like from the last twelve months, and most flat surfaces are now decluttered, papers filed or ready for recycling.

We've just got to keep the momentum going. We have family visiting from UK in April, one of whom is a bit OCD about clutter and the like, so I'd like to have the place reasonably clear prior to their arrival.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I must join in this thread with serious intent this spring (whatever that is), as D. informed me today that an old friend of his is going to Toronto in May and would like to stop off in St. John's for a few days en route.

I'll have to find the spare bedroom, and when I find it, tidy it out ... [Eek!]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Oh, lawks, 2014. This is the year when It's All Supposed To Happen. [Help] But New Year's Day is still the holidays, so things like the diet and the decluttering don't start till tomorrow, right?

Nen - procrastinating.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
My new year's resolution is a declutter a day. But my resolutions never really start until the children are back at school [Smile] I'll do a small declutter today though, possibly the side in my glass room.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
What is a small declutter, though? If I throw two receipts away does that count?

Nen - good at discussing decluttering, rubbish at doing it. [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Everything counts!!!! [Cool]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
OK

Today's small declutter is that drawer.

I am going to get rid of/sort out everything in it and re-assign its purpose completely.

I'll be back to report when it's done!
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
What is a small declutter, though? If I throw two receipts away does that count?

Nen - good at discussing decluttering, rubbish at doing it. [Roll Eyes]

Two receipts or other pieces of paper a day -- you'll have gotten rid of 730 pieces by the end of the year! (As long as you don't let new pieces of paper accumulate.)
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
By mid February I will have been in this house for a year. So I am making mid February the deadline for finally getting my study up and working. I have been using it as a dumping ground, and still have to climb over boxes to get to my books. Enough is enough.

On the plus side, I now have a filing cabinet and have just ordered suspension files for it. So soon I can start on all the paper work. But today I will work on clearing a space in the middle of the floor.

Also, my very handy niece and nephews stayed over last Saturday. The 15 year old loves all sorts of joinery, and brought his tools with him, so between us, we finally built the two single beds for the guest room. So that is another room finished. [Yipee]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
The drawer is done!

Hurrah!

[Yipee]
 
Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
I like the small declutter idea. I have a few projects which would really benefit from it - the area by my bed (chest of drawers, wardrobe, shelves) which is currently several piles of clothes which desperately need sorting out; the baby's room; and the spare room/study. I will do a little each day - today's was moving baby stuff from the living room into the baby's room - it's still a mess in there, but she will be sleeping in our room for a while yet, so the theory is that little and often we can get her room ready for the time she moves in there. And at least now there is room on the sofa for more than one person to sit on it without being covered in baby stuff.

The baby's room used to be my study, so I am in the process (v.long process, sigh) of moving my stuff out and into the spare room. Realistically the study will be the last room to be done, so my intermediate goals are to sort out our room, get the study stuff out of the baby's room, and get the baby's room tidied and like a bedroom rather than a dumping ground. If I can do odd bits of unpacking in the study as well that would be great, but that is a bit more of an undertaking.
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
Family coming to stay in August: I think I'll have to start clearing out the spare bedroom some time soon. I did spot the spare bed in there under a pile of things today, so that gives me some encouragement!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
Also, my very handy niece and nephews stayed over last Saturday. The 15 year old loves all sorts of joinery, and brought his tools with him, so between us, we finally built the two single beds for the guest room. So that is another room finished. [Yipee]

Bringing a whole new dimension to visitors making their own beds, I love it!

I am working on my kitchen, having fimally bought a ladder I feel safe using. The big Dhristmas cake tins now have a home in the top cupboard, whereas the muffin tins, used fortnightly will live in a more convienient location.

I thought I had solved the problem of too many cookery books, but the small bookcase I was planning on using doesn't have high enough shelves.

Today my target is the cupoard with kitchen appliances, which has accumulated some very odd things. I listen to a story on a CD as I declutter, which makes it bearable.

Huia
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Polly Plummer:
... I did spot the spare bed in there under a pile of things today ...

Have you any idea how much better that makes me feel?

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
[Waterworks] Why is it that on the journey toward uncluttered things get more messy before they get tidier? [Waterworks]

Cleanliness may be next to Godliness, but tidiness is next to impossible.

I'm off for a bike ride to the shops taking the scenic route to give me a break and help me to think through the logistics of where things go.

Huia
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I cleared 3 bin bags of fabric today from my sewing room/study and hope to have many more tomorrow. I used to have a small home business making children's clothing and cloth nappies, mostly using recycled fabrics, but I don't sew as much these days and I'd like to reclaim some of the room or at least see the floor again.
I have one and half bags of clothing for the charity shop too.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{H/As: Hope this is ok to post. I checked the 10 Cs and the FAQs, and didn't see any forbiddance. I don't have any connection with the site nor the teacher.}

Stephanie Bennett Vogt, author of the space-clearing book Your Spacious Self, is teaching a year-long, online course called A Year to Clear What's Holding You Back!


The fee is on a sliding scale. You can choose to pay as little as $1. I've been on her mailing list for some time, and also have her book. She writes well. She's very supportive--she's been impossibly cluttered, so she really gets it.

Anyway, I could use some hand-holding, and figured you might, too.

FWIW, YMMV.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Cleanliness may be next to Godliness, but tidiness is next to impossible.

God may find that very comforting--otherwise, She'd have lots of competition for Her job! [Biased]

Hmmm...then maybe clutter is a heavenly plot?
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
...Hmmm...then maybe clutter is a heavenly plot?

In that case my disaster of a desk may be part of god's will and perhaps I should leave it like it is.

[Two face]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well, New Year's Day in the UK was atrocious in terms of weather and Mr. S was prowling around looking for some trouble to get into, so I suggested we declutter his wardrobe. He's absolutely the tidiest person I know, but since he retired 4 years ago he has a ton of clothes he doesn't need, and all the storage is rammed with MORE clothes I'm sure he's forgotten he has.

Decluttering always makes me feel better on a bad weather day, so I thought that would be a really good plan.

His excuse? After the blow-out of New Year's Eve, there was no use trying on clothes, as all that would fit him would be the muu muu and the judicial robes [Killing me]

I had to admit he had a point [Overused]

Mrs. S, married to Homer Simpson
 
Posted by Alban (# 9047) on :
 
2014 - you might see me on here a bit. This summer I've been waterblasting driveway, repainting fence and deck, all this avoiding the vast amount of clutter waiting to be sorted.
I'm scared, but I figure this is the time...
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Alban:
2014 - you might see me on here a bit. This summer I've been waterblasting driveway, repainting fence and deck, all this avoiding the vast amount of clutter waiting to be sorted.
I'm scared, but I figure this is the time...

Welcome Alban!

The way I do it is to set aside 15 minutes a day - doesn't sound much but the job IS getting done!

Today's job is the dog's cupboard.

[Smile]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
His excuse? After the blow-out of New Year's Eve, there was no use trying on clothes, as all that would fit him would be the muu muu and the judicial robes [Killing me]

And how many of those does he have?
[Biased]
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
Joining in for the new year. There is no doubt I have too much stuff. And mostly it's 'will come in useful someday' and/or 'sentimental value' stuff.... ;-)

Have spend the last few days beginning to get to grips on some of it. Some of the old make-up and toiletries have been ditched. But I am still awash in 'smellies', mainly ones people have given me. And of course it's true they will all come in useful some day. But I seem to be given them faster than I can use them. Some judicious re-gifting is necessary I think.

Today, I have tackled some of the old magazine stack.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Today I have cleared 2 more bags of fabric from the sewing room and might tackle some more later.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
Today I have cleared 2 more bags of fabric from the sewing room and might tackle some more later.

Make that 4 bin bags full [Eek!] in my defence, I am clearing out my old home business!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I became so dispirited with the kitchen cupboards yesterday that I wandered into the spare bedroom and rebuilt the shelves that hadn't been finished since I had to move out for post earthquake repairs. This will mean that the decluttering in other areas will become easier as I can sort out books and craft supplies that haven't had a proper home - which in turn will allow me to decluter them, rather than having anonymous mixed stuff in my bedroom [Yipee]

The other thing I remembered was that I had got rid of a bookcase in a dangerous position, but not the books that went on it - so it's no wonder books are everywhere. (Yes, I know it's obvious, but I notice that things that happened then were outside my immediate awareness, but are now coming back).

Maybe the mind declutters of all but the urgent things in an emergency.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
His excuse? After the blow-out of New Year's Eve, there was no use trying on clothes, as all that would fit him would be the muu muu and the judicial robes [Killing me]

And how many of those does he have?
[Biased]

Not enough to wear every day - and he certainly isn't allowed to buy any more! [Two face]

Incidentally I see there's an article on the Daily Telegraph website about decluttering wardrobes, but I'm not going to look at it online as we buy the actual paper on Saturday - or we will when I get my (non-decluttered) wetsuit from the back of my wardrobe and go out to get it!

Mrs. S, nerving herself
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Kitchen, airing cupboard, bathroom done. Next in my "start at the back door and work round" is our dining "room" which is semi open plan with our hall.

The curtains came with the house, ten years ago, and we've never really liked them, but couldn't agree on a replacement. Yesterday I took them down to wash as step one in the declutter and one tore! Yay! We now have to stop faffing and choose curtains!

Plus, languishing in our dining room was a genuine 1960s bottle lamp, which the North East Man greatly admired when he was six, and saw his uncle making it. He inherited it last year, on the basis that he was the only family member who liked it. (Not only do we treasure up broken junk on account of it being "sentimental" but other people offload their broken junk onto us!!) We've never actually used it, on account of the original 1960s two-pin plug, but I've just ordered a proper converter kit. Only £6, inc p&p.

We are on a roll!
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I decluttered the bathroom and quite a few other surfaces: the hall chest of drawers where everything gets dumped and all the Christmas stuff into the loft, plus about half the surfaces in my bedroom - procrastination are us - but the cleared surfaces are lovely to look at.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
In addition to the abovementioned declutter, I now have in the back of the station wagon to go to the dump for e-cycling one shelf stereo, portable analogue TV and two defunct vacuum cleaners. Along with the obsolete paperwork already mentioned and the four bags of clothing, that's almost a cubic metre of stuff decluttered since New Year's Eve. Just hope we can maintain the momentum.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Other Half took four bags of clothes to the recycling after decluttering his wardrobe, but then celebrated by buying himself a toy rollercoaster which is now all over the kitchen table.

I am not sure he's got the hang of this...
 
Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
I'm going to join in here.

I have high hopes (although you could also call it a reasonable expectation) that by the end of 2014 I will have a ring on my finger ( [Yipee] ). That means I will be moving out of my current flatshare and I am not going to be taking all the crap with me that I have accumulated in the last four years since I moved in. I don't want to find myself with all the crap to clear in a panic so I'm going to start clearing / throwing stuff out / giving stuff away.

I'm going at the slow pace of one drawer at a time. I started by clearing out all my make-up and threw out more than I kept [Roll Eyes] (when a product is almost finished, I buy a new one but have a bad habit of not throwing the old one out).

Goodbye, all my crap!!
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
It gets worse before it gets better, it gets worse before it gets better, it gets worse before it gets better ...

[Help]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
It's fine.....then Christmas happens!

Now what???


* Have come to the conclusion that actually throwing stuff out is maybe the only way to go.
* Or i can choose to recycle ( At Once! In the many bins helpfully provided by our councl that are in our garden)
* Or a walk fround to our supermarket's Rack Of Assorted Charity Bins.

If it can't be Got Rid within the day.....it has to go into the car. And once in the car...it can't come back inside again.

Five days in and we're getting there....slowly.
((sigh))
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I'm decluttering my laptop this morning, as it is slower than a slow thing.

Managed a bit over the weekend - next weekend is when I am aiming to finish house moving so there will be a lot to be done then.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Mrs Shrew I started doing that with my desktop -- until I deleted the trash bin symbol. Now I've given up and decided to get the local computer fixit bloke to sort it out.

Huia _ technopeasant*

* with thanks to Pete for the appropriate word.
 
Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Mrs Shrew

May I suggest that if you want guidance you post on the Ancient Geek thread in heaven, as I am quite sure a number of people there can make suggestions how to go about it.

Jengie
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Thank you for the suggestion, decluttering the laptop went very well and it is much happier and faster now [Yipee]
(as it happens I am pretty handy with a computer, I was just putting it off because it was a horrid and dull job)

I cleaned out the kitchen cupboard today. Small steps are starting to show progress
 
Posted by The Kat in the Hat (# 2557) on :
 
Husband wants to declut the bookcases, to get rid of one. Doesn't he realise the only reason for getting rid of books is to make room for more??
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
Husband wants to declut the bookcases, to get rid of one. Doesn't he realise the only reason for getting rid of books is to make room for more??

And the only reason to get rid of a bookcase is to replace it with a larger one.
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
We switched the positions of two bookcases with that of the sofa this weekend, instantly transforming the shape of the living room and finding space for all the recent birthday-and-christmas books and DVDs. The boardgames are now much less precariously stacked on top of one bookcase but I'm struggling with a few now-displaced bits and bobs, including several years' worth of photographs. Looking through those two shoeboxes of photographs was fun, but I can't see it being a regular activity.

Next I should really tackle the mantelpiece and the radiator shelf, I think that if my 'display surfaces' look cohesive I will feel better about the whole place.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
Husband wants to declut the bookcases, to get rid of one. Doesn't he realise the only reason for getting rid of books is to make room for more??

Declut? Sounds vaguely rude - I like it!

That's the first aid cabinet done.

Hurrah! I'd been putting it off for weeks!

[Smile]

[ 08. January 2014, 10:59: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
quote:
Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
Husband wants to declut the bookcases, to get rid of one. Doesn't he realise the only reason for getting rid of books is to make room for more??

Declut? Sounds vaguely rude - I like it!

That's the first aid cabinet done.

Hurrah! I'd been putting it off for weeks!

[Smile]

Last time I did the first aid cupboard I had to take a carrier bag of medicines to the chemist, some of the bottles had dates from when I was a teenager [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Tomorrow is packing the last things from the old house day, in preparation for moving them on Saturday. I'mllooking forward to the lowered stress and also lowered costs from only having our own house to fret over, no longer the rented one too(staggered move was made necessary but is not easy for me)

I'm very conscious of the need not to move clutter, but there is a danger that I will snap and just shove everything in a box to sort later.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
I'm very conscious of the need not to move clutter, but there is a danger that I will snap and just shove everything in a box to sort later.

Any time one moves, there's always a last-minute throw-everything-in box. Leave it unopened for a few months -- you probably will realize there's nothing in there you need. Good luck with the move!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
When I crossed the water to live in Liverpool [Wirral people will understand] I took such a box with me - when I was packing to leave Liverpool I realised that box hadn't been opened all the time I was there so I just dumped it without checking - if I hadn't needed the contents in 8 years then...
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I realised that box hadn't been opened all the time I was there so I just dumped it without checking - if I hadn't needed the contents in 8 years then...

When we moved there were some boxes (cardboard) in the roof space, I remember putting them there, at least 20, maybe 25 years ago. I think they had old business stationery and maybe accounts, I don't know. Just got the bloke who cleared the house to take them away and dump them with the rest of the stuff. Felt that the risks of identity theft or similar were very small.

They were all dusty and probably damp and full of spiders so no way was I going into them, quite apart from lack of time.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
PS, Mrs Shrew, I tried really hard to be organised about the packing, but in the end it got away from me and I had to just throw things into boxes and bin bags.

Good luck.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
Tomorrow is packing the last things from the old house day, in preparation for moving them on Saturday. I'm looking forward to the lowered stress and also lowered costs from only having our own house to fret over, no longer the rented one too (staggered move was made necessary but is not easy for me)

good luck with all that, Mrs. S!

The Other Mrs. S [Two face]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The dining room declutter isn't happening. I have realised that what we have in our dining room isn't clutter per se, but non-clutter masquerading as clutter.

I need to rethink storage.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
When I crossed the water to live in Liverpool [Wirral people will understand] I took such a box with me - when I was packing to leave Liverpool I realised that box hadn't been opened all the time I was there so I just dumped it without checking - if I hadn't needed the contents in 8 years then...

I know someone who lost her birth certificate and passport that way, so be Careful!
 
Posted by Marama (# 330) on :
 
We have just returned to live in Australia after years in Fiji.

The house in Australia to which we are returning is now completely uncluttered , as in our absence it was rented out as 'unfurnished', and the tenants have left it clean but empty.

But I fear it will not remain that way for long, as we have had a fair amount of furniture, books and other goods stored in a removalist's warehouse for the past 7 years, and they will be delivered next week. Some of it will leave us wondering 'why did we bother keeping this?', but I bet my husband ( a mild hoarder) won't want to discard any of it.

And then next month we expect to receive the stuff (mostly books - so not really 'clutter' ) that we shipped back from Fiji. And of course,we will need a fridge, washing mc, sheets, etc, as our old ones were given away to our children who were setting up house at the time. Fortunately [!?] such items are on sale in post-Christmas sales, so restocking should not be too expensive. [Roll Eyes] [Roll Eyes] [Roll Eyes] [Roll Eyes] [Roll Eyes]

[ 11. January 2014, 09:13: Message edited by: Marama ]
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
quote:
we will need a fridge, washing mc, sheets,
Have sent you PM which may be very useful or not at all depending on your destination.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Marama:
...I bet my husband ( a mild hoarder) won't want to discard any of it ...

Can you discard some of it when he's not looking, with the excuse that if he could do without it for seven years, he has no need of it?

[Devil]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
The moving is going better than expected.

Now we unpacking kitchen stuff. I need to declutter a lot of tins and packets. Soup and custard for the next month, I think.....
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
One step forward, two steps back. In order to sort my dining room, I need to create some storage space elsewhere.

This may involve (gulp) decluttering the landing cupboard.....
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
... Soup and custard for the next month, I think.....

Presumably not in the same bowl ... [Eek!]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
One step forward, two steps back. In order to sort my dining room, I need to create some storage space elsewhere.

This may involve (gulp) decluttering the landing cupboard.....

If you empty the cupboard into the dining room...

Sorry, I'll leave well alone.

[Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I got a real boost with my decluttering. I was having coffee with a friend on Friday and saying how overwhelmed I felt. The upshot is that next Friday he is coming to pick up all the books I have ready and take them to a charity second hand bookshop that is on the other side of town. Not having a car that would have been difficult for me to arrange.

Because I had a deadline I sorted the books by Sunday and am now concentrating on my scary bedroom. My aim is to be able to see the floor by Wednesday - I know it's there somewhere!

It's amazing how the support of has given me such a boost. Some friends are worth their weight in gold.

Huia
 
Posted by Alban (# 9047) on :
 
Since the end of a relationship in 2011, most of my books have lived on my back porch. We painted it last week, which meant they were excavated. As they returned to the porch, it's been a sorting opportunity - 4 boxes gone!!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have been decluttering for some time now - years!

So my clutter tends to be recent these days. Leave any room for a week and it'll be in a dreadful state.

So today's decluttering is my camera cupboard. Why do I just shove things back in - then it's in a mess in no time??

I have trained myself with some cupboards and drawers that each thing has a place and nothing else is to be shoved in there.

S l o w process, but I'll get there one fine day. When that happens I will wave several flags and sign off this thread for good (Give me about five years ... )

[ 13. January 2014, 10:57: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Large space decluttered by the removal of an old black and white TV from the landing cupboard.

Me: "Why are we keeping this? It doesn't work."
Daughter "It does work!"
Me "Really? We can watch TV on this?"
Dau "Well, we could if the government would just switch the analogue signal back on."
[brick wall]

Husband then suggested we convert it into a
goldfish bowl.


[brick wall]

I have over-ruled them. It is going to the municipal tip's electrical section.

I can't believe we were storing a black and white TV on the offchance that the analogue signal would make a come-back. [Disappointed]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Large space decluttered by the removal of an old black and white TV from the landing cupboard.

Me: "Why are we keeping this? It doesn't work."
Daughter "It does work!"
Me "Really? We can watch TV on this?"
Dau "Well, we could if the government would just switch the analogue signal back on."
[brick wall]

Husband then suggested we convert it into a
goldfish bowl.


[brick wall]

I have over-ruled them. It is going to the municipal tip's electrical section.

I can't believe we were storing a black and white TV on the offchance that the analogue signal would make a come-back. [Disappointed]

[Killing me]

Mrs. S, deeply impressed [Overused]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Husband then suggested we convert it into a
goldfish bowl.

I thought it sounded like a cool idea until it said you needed a circular saw.

[ 14. January 2014, 09:03: Message edited by: ecumaniac ]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Half a shelf cleared,
Paper recycling bin full,
Four empty files that have been recovered,
Happy Ms Alba
[Smile]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
At this point, my daughter claims that they are "sentimental" and we can't get rid of them.

In that case perhaps she could find room for them in her bedroom cupboards?
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I'm trying. Truly. I spend some time most days working down the pile of paperwork on the breakfast bar, filing and discarding as appropriate. But the pile never seems to get any smaller and there are similar piles all over the house.

Nen - [Waterworks]
 
Posted by Hebdom (# 14685) on :
 
In this household, 2014 has been declared The Year of the Great Declutter!

Am overjoyed to find that this gardening technique will allow me to get rid of the old cardboard boxes and bags of slashed grass that have been cluttering the back yard. Have previously been drip feeding them into assorted recycling bins.

The only problem is that it is too hot to go outside, let alone do any gardening.... [Mad]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
I'm trying. Truly. I spend some time most days working down the pile of paperwork on the breakfast bar, filing and discarding as appropriate. But the pile never seems to get any smaller and there are similar piles all over the house.

Nen - [Waterworks]

It's the same in my home too - just as I rediscover the surface of a table or worktop, clutter appears as if from nowhere. Same with emails - just as I clear the inbox so it only takes up one page, more appear that need dealing with.
BUT I have one room of sanity - I am managing to keep it free of clutter, if I disregard in-flight craft projects.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I've noticed that piles of paper and miscellaneous stuff are starting to appear. There are reasons:

Moving house, living temporarily in a rental with a lot of stuff in boxes in the garage.

Dealing with Dad's estate and all the death related admin.

Christmas.

I keep losing things and forgetting things. Everything takes so long because I don't know where things are.

All my routines have disappeared. I don't know where things live. The kitchen is fairly organised but other things aren't.

It has all made me realise how much I need order and routine in my life and how bad I feel when these are missing.

ETA hit send by mistake. [Disappointed]

I don't feel like trying to get re-organised here because we hope to be moving soon. Just doing the minimum. But the little heaps depress me every time I look at them.

[ 15. January 2014, 09:21: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I've felt my spirits lift since decluttering the kitchen / airing cupboard / bathroom.

I'm trying to work out what to do with our dining room. Specifically, today, the brass log-box. We bought it because we had a fire in our old house and we used it to store logs / coal.

Now it's in our dining room, and we keep our cockatiel stuff in it; sandsheets / perch covers / food etc.

The dining room would look much better without a random log-box full of cockatiel stuff. But we do need to store the cockatiel stuff somewhere.

Originally posted by ecumaniac:

quote:
In that case perhaps she could find room for them in her bedroom cupboards?
Her cupboards are already full to overflowing. She has stuff stacked on her floor because her cupboards are full. Her bedroom is potentially lovely, but spoiled by being full of stuff.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:


Originally posted by ecumaniac:

quote:
In that case perhaps she could find room for them in her bedroom cupboards?
Her cupboards are already full to overflowing. She has stuff stacked on her floor because her cupboards are full. Her bedroom is potentially lovely, but spoiled by being full of stuff.
Then your point is illustrated. Time to put the foot down, perhaps?
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
... I'm trying to work out what to do with our dining room ...

Eat in it? [Devil]

I'll get my coat ...
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
daisydaisy:
quote:
It's the same in my home too - just as I rediscover the surface of a table or worktop, clutter appears as if from nowhere.
That happens here too. After heroic efforts to declutter, there is a brief halcyon period (usually about five minutes) when the house looks like something out of Ideal Home magazine.

Then someone comes along and starts recluttering, and we have all the weary work to do again.

However, I did just declutter the hall table, where a pile of unsorted letters has been leering at me for about a week. Fortunately there wasn't anything urgent in it.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Yesterday I discovered a dinner service I'd forgotten I had, lurking in the back of a cupboard. That started off a chain reaction of decluttering so I now have plenty of bits to take to the charity shop, although strangely nothing actually looks that decluttered.
It helped me to realise that my drinks cupboard is rather full - that could be a rather fun area to declutter [Big Grin]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
It helped me to realise that my drinks cupboard is rather full - that could be a rather fun area to declutter [Big Grin]

Can we all come and help? [Overused]

Before her death, The Intrepid MiL S was forever trying to declutter her drinks cabinet - she'd say 'I've had this brandy for years, I'm sure it's gone off' and we'd have to reassure her that no, they use brandy to PRESERVE things, it'll be just fine.

Mrs. S, no such issues at Intrepid Towers [Biased]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
... my drinks cupboard is rather full - that could be a rather fun area to declutter

When we moved to Canada we discovered that you weren't supposed to take bottles of spirits into the country. At the time our drinks cupboard was full of all sorts of things*, and we gave it all (except an unopened bottle of Highland Park which we took with us, secreted in a sock) to a couple of friends who said they'd be delighted to help us avoid breaking the law in our adopted country. [Devil]

* IIRC mostly bribes from the parents of choristers who had wanted their little darlings to be made Head Chorister [Big Grin]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
Nen - [Waterworks] It's the same in my home too - just as I rediscover the surface of a table or worktop, clutter appears as if from nowhere. Same with emails - just as I clear the inbox so it only takes up one page, more appear that need dealing with.

In our house, clutter keeps arriving from The Intrepid-Miss-S-as-was and SiL, whose house was not large enough to contain their existing possessions as well as all their lovely wedding presents. So, they send us Stuff - like sheets, towels, crockery - to go to a local charity.

Imagine how sad it is for us to realise that the kettle they are getting rid of is better than ours? [Eek!] and that we can't resist a John Lewis reindeer mug, or indeed various other of their discarded mugs? In consequence I am having to declutter our mug cupboard, which is always exactly full, and move some of Mr. S's mugs to another cupboard so he forgets them before they are finally decluttered to the dustbin [Devil]

The Underhanded Mrs. S
 
Posted by Alban (# 9047) on :
 
It's amazing how decluttering begets clutter. I decluttered 3 big boxes of schoolbooks and such (around 20 years old) and just wound up filling the place they were with 3 boxes of detritus - waiting for a declutter of their own.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
In our house, clutter keeps arriving from The Intrepid-Miss-S-as-was and SiL, whose house was not large enough to contain their existing possessions as well as all their lovely wedding presents. So, they send us Stuff - like sheets, towels, crockery - to go to a local charity.

Imagine how sad it is for us to realise that the kettle they are getting rid of is better than ours? [Eek!] and that we can't resist a John Lewis reindeer mug, or indeed various other of their discarded mugs?
The Underhanded Mrs. S

[Killing me]

My dr & sil are decluttering pending a move and I have carefully avoided seeing their pile of rejects just in case I want to give any of it a home!
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
As far as I can see, so long as you send your used crockery to charity, there is no reason you cannot use your daughter's castoffs, Mrs S.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
Another car-load of obsolete paperwork and electronics to the recycling depot at the city dump. While my wife had her back turned I finally managed to dispose of teaching resources she had been hoarding, most of which were dated 1963-64.

I've even gained agreement that within the next month, when we have a quiet week, a skip will be rented, and an intensive clearing-out undertaken. Meanwhile, I will continue the carload process, as there are many recyclables still cluttering our storeroom and garage.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by PeteC:
As far as I can see, so long as you send your used crockery to charity, there is no reason you cannot use your daughter's castoffs, Mrs S.

None at all, Pete, and they get all our 'cast-offs' already. I was just a bit horrified that our children were getting rid of stuff that was better than the equivalents we were still quitw cheerfully using.

Mrs. S - is that S for Scrooge? [Eek!]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Some successful decluttering here [Yipee] A woman advertised in the supermarket for fabric so she could teach her daughter patchwork. I didn't have much, but then discovered her daughter was also into all kinds of craft, so nanaged to hand on other bits a pieces too.

[ 18. January 2014, 17:31: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I have just discovered another full box of cleaned out old ice cream tubs saved in case they come in handy....

I think our recycling bin shall be stuffed full this week!
 
Posted by iamchristianhearmeroar (# 15483) on :
 
Oh dear, a weekend of decluttering our understairs cupboard had a rather dramatic end... We'd decided to rip out the horrid old carpet after emptying the cupboard and after doing so I noticed that one of the floorboards looked a bit damp. So I levered it out only to find that the bottom has worm holes in it, with dust on the earth below. Need to get someone in now.

Bollocks.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
[Killing me] You'll know better next time. as will I.

We are currently reassembling our front room after a complete wall semi-demo, repair, skim coat and paint job. Part 2 comes tomorrow when the skim coaters come to do the dining room.

And it all started with a wee rip in the wallpaper.
 
Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
I have to declutter my patchwork fabrics, I've had some of them for years and some I have decided I don't like. Does anyone have any experience ebaying fabric? Do I sell the coordinating stuff together or as separate lots?
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I appear to have reoccurring allergy symptoms. I had been desperately hoping it was just a cold, but this morning my eyes itch as well.
Since I haven't had them since we moved at all, I'm now Seized with sudden terror that somewhere in the house is an object we have moved which has mould spores somewhere (old house had a hideous damp and mould problem, but it was in the structure of the house and I was careful to not let any stuff touch walls or floors to avoid this. Clearly not careful enough). I'm now faced with having to clean (in a way that removes mould with no damage) everything Mr Shrew and I own, whilst there are still books left to move.
Mr Shrew hoards magic the gathering game cards, which are the only thing I can think of which were on floors. They are in boxes so hopefully it would not be the cards affected, but the boxes are so heavy to move I don't know how I will manage to sort the cleaning.
I'm feeling like decluttering all my belongings into a skip right now and just trying to start again.


[duplicate of this post deleted - WW]

[ 22. January 2014, 09:35: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
We have cleaned the boxes. Allergies gone. [Yipee]

How is everyone getting along?
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
We have cleaned the boxes. Allergies gone. [Yipee]

How is everyone getting along?

OK thanks.

I have saved my (huge) box of photos to the last.

1. Because it will takes ages as I want to scan my favourites to save in various places, including on the cloud.
2. I know I'll really enjoy it and it'll take ages!

So I now have an incentive to get on with the other stuff!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Ooh that sounds fab Boogie! Digital storage of photos sounds like a great plan, as well as fun to do
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Just decluttered 8 assorted mugs with pictures of cats on them and some cat nick-nacks to The Cats' Protection League shop [Yipee]

I have also joined Freecycle and am giving someone 20 large preserving jars. Next listing will be for jam jars.

I have also bundled up about 20 good quality picture books to take to the local Playcentre* when it re-opens after the summer break. (*this is a NZ organisation for pre-schoolers run by the parents. I was a Playcentre kid 57 years ago. Then their slogan then was "play is a child's work".)

I am finding it easier to declutter if I find a recipient for stuff that's reusable.

Huia
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Some time ago, I went through a phase of collecting nice small furniture which had been left out for the bin men, on the grounds that it was far too nice to chuck into the back of a bin lorry. So I have four occasional tables, two of them of the nesting variety (the smallest one of the set of three nesters was broken).
Encouraged by the recent removal of my overlarge table and four chairs, I have now shifted round so I have a small table by the front door to put my basket on when I come in, one by the bed for my books and so on, and the nesting tables have gone into the back of the storage area for the next car boot sale in the spring.
It's getting there [Smile]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
The Christmas before last we were driving up the road from our house and someone had left a little 4-drawer chest outside their house for the bin-men. It didn't look like much (it had probably lived in their garage), but it was exactly the size we wanted for the dining room and all it needed was a clean, a couple of coats of black paint (which I gave it), a bit of internal surgery to make the drawers fit properly and some nice handles.

Now our cutlery has a home. [Smile]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Ski boots now on Preloved. Table being cleared and cleaned so it can be photographed for Preloved. Really need to tackle the dresser so I can photograph that too.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I've sorted all the bins, drawers and cupboards below bench level as well as the 5 small high cupboards in the kitchen which leaves only four containing food, baking ingredients and crockery.

I am now going to have a break from the kitchen and clean up the bathroom so the plumber can fit the new taps I bought [Yipee]

I'm getting good at rewarding myself for the work I'm doing - just as well Mum and Dad's estate came through to allow me to do so, and there's the added bonus of spending money on things they would have approved.

Huia
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Good going, Huia! [Overused]

I have just, very sadly, decluttered my cat after 10 years (she was older than that though we were never sure how much more). A combination of diabetes and dementia led to her demise, and have meant that I have now got rid of all the cat-related detritus, all the towels I used to keep the upholstery clean, the old cushions she used to sleep on...

The only bit of decluttering I would far rather not have done. [Waterworks]

Mrs. S, mourning
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
[Votive] Awwww - not a nice bit of decluttering.

I have found a new owner for the costumes that I made for the medieval banquet that I had to celebrate my 40th a while ago - they are among the ones In this pic. The local am dram are happy to take them [Yipee]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
[Tear] Sorry about the cat Mrs S.

Mrs Shrew, glad you got the allergy thing sorted. That is a horrible thing to have.

We have exchanged contracts on a new house. I have decluttered a pile of brochures from estate agents relating to all the houses we looked at.

Also managed to do a bit of tidying up of heaps of paperwork, and got rid of some packing materials from a christmas present. I kept it in case I needed to return the item and have only just got round to checking it works.

Still have a pile of papers that need filing. However, most of the files are still in boxes in the garage. So I don't know whether to get these out and do the filing, but then they have to packed up again for the move, or create a special filing box and do it all when we have moved and things have a permanent home.

The latter course means that there is a big risk that I will lose the filing box, forget what is in it, never get round to doing it. Creating a huge procrastination problem for myself.

Now I have written this I think the best thing is to get the files out and do it now.

I think any further major decluttering will have to wait till we move.

[ 26. January 2014, 10:01: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I'm very sorry to hear about the Intrepid Cat, Mrs S. [Frown] We recently decluttered the cupboard where we kept the things related to our small caged animals. Not that we have kept any for a couple of years but it was like an admission that we are not going to have any more, at least for the foreseeable future.

If I clear any space in the house at present Mr Nen fills it with Stuff, so it's a tad discouraging.

Nen - hoping to have more space than stuff one day.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Sorry to hear about your cat, Mrs. S. [Frown]

Nenya - I love the idea of "more space than stuff", although I can't see it happening chez Piglet any time soon.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Thanks everyone [Frown] for your kind words.

The Appreciative Mrs. S.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Sorry to hear about your cat Mrs S. I threatened to decutter mine when she got underfoot as I was coming down fron a ladder, but in reality I would be devasted if she went anytime soon.

Huia

[ 27. January 2014, 19:47: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making progress. [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Good for you Golden Key.

I have my bedroom and the spare one to do (including wardrobes and drawers). [Help] But at least the rooms where the heatpump fitters and the plumber will go are sorted [Yipee]

Huia
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
I'm gradually decluttering a dead dishwasher - I realised that the space it is taking up can be used for storage of things to help in the chain of moving things around so I can remove the huge Welsh dresser - I hope I can find someone who wants that.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
daisydaisy I found an outfit called Freecycle where you post what you have to give away or want. I know it's available in the US, (and New Zealand obviously) but am not sure where else it might be.

It's amazing what some people have considered desirable.

Huia

[ 06. February 2014, 07:45: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Most towns in the UK have a Freecycle, I used to offload baby clothes on it.
In our place the rag and bone man visits most weeks and will take old white goods.

[ 06. February 2014, 08:08: Message edited by: Heavenly Anarchist ]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
I use freecycle a lot, even for dead printers. But I'm really not sure about the dishwasher - still, someone might like a challenge. Thank you for reminding me - I'll give it a go before I pay the council to remove it.
 
Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on :
 
I am cleaning my office since I am moving to a new position four doors down the corridor. Trying to give as much away to colleagues as possible.
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
I'm having some new radiators put in this week. The old ones had barely been in the front garden for 5 minutes before they were swooped on and taken away.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Friday is Mr. S's day at the foodbank so I decluttered a load of books, bric-a-brac etc from the garage(including a large box of bottles, but we won't mention those, oh no) and yet another dead computer - well, the case at least - it had already been eviscerated for spare parts.
[Smile]
Next up is two boxes of videotapes, currently quarantined in the garage - when in a couple of months Mr. S hasn't noticed they've moved I figure I can shuffle them quietly off to the tip.
[Two face]
When Miss S got married back in October, we tidied up the back of church - old cassette tapes, mainly, and old-but-virtuous magazines and other old cr*p. The box got moved behind the font and no-one bothered emptying it after the wedding. Yesterday we thought it had gone altogether and were quietly celebrating - but I later discovered it in the flower-arrangers/slash/worship band cupboard. Frankly that is the last place it should be, and very soon it's the last place it WILL HAVE BEEN. I am taking an Executive Decision.

The Stroppy Mrs. S - no, better make that Assertive [Devil]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{{{All of us; and may our clutter move along to the right next place for it, without undue stress, strain, or panic for us.}}}}}}}


Re Freecycle: I've used it a few times, though mostly to get stuff.

Re the broken dishwasher: is there a vocational school around, or a secondary school with a mechanic vocational program? They might be happy to have the dishwasher, and come get it, to practice repairs.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
If the school etc a dishwasher they'll see it on Freecycle like they saw my other broken kit & claimed it. But so far no response, so if it's still not claimed on Monday then I'll arrange a collection by the council.
Meanwhile the space it occupied Is no longer empty - I've moved cooking/baking things there, and moved things off the dresser either into new space or put it by the door ready to go to the charity shop. But not the boxes of choklits I found..... oh no, all this decluttering deserves a treat [Smile]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
... the space it occupied is no longer empty ...

You mean you aren't replacing it??? [Eek!] [Confused]

I'm dreading the day our one (which is 10 years old) pops its clogs, as I don't know if we could afford to replace it, but I'd hate to be without it.
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I like my dishwasher too, but when it goes, I think I will just have some more shelves installed (leaving the plumbing for the next owner)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Oh no, I'm with piglet on this one. I can't remember how old ours is (crosses fingers) but I would not be without it, as it keeps my kitchen surfaces decluttered on a daily basis! [Overused]

I got my first after Mr. S's surprise birthday party for his 40th. As we stood there at 3 am washing glasses, he said 'Thank you for my lovely party, would you like a dishwasher?'. Do bears make their own sanitary arrangements in arboreal areas? In fact, I ended up getting a new kitchen, as fitting the dishwasher made such a mess of the existing one [Devil]

Mrs. S, feeling blessed [Axe murder]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
After the washing machine my dishwasher was my most essential large appliance.

But when it died after many years faithful service there was just the two of us and I decided that I needed the storage space more than a dishwasher and got a cupboard for the space.

Now we have moved nearer family and are doing more entertaining and I have a dishwasher again and have fallen in love with it all over again.

Plus, I have decluttered a lot of kitchen stuff and no longer need that much storage.....

I suspect I never needed the space, I just had too much stuff.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
...I suspect I never needed the space, I just had too much stuff.

Amen to that!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
I thought I'd not manage without it, but it's fine. My kitchen is so tiny that the extra space is welcome, and at last (after 20 yrs) things are where they are handy, rather than in the dining area. I think I'll live without the dishwasher for the moment, or until I've emptied all the bottles taking up one of the cupboards [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
Phase one started this morning with a trip to the tip. Poor son is severely traumatised at parting with his accumulation of computer bits. Now to sort the books I was saving for Epsom Book Fair.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
...I suspect I never needed the space, I just had too much stuff.

Amen to that!
We did a puppet show about the lost sheep, and afterwards it occurred to me that when you need to declutter to find all the things you'd forgotten you had - you have Too Much Stuff and don't value it enough.

Not sure where I'm going with that thought, though...

Mrs. S, cheerfully decluttering the booze cupboard
[Yipee]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Dishwashers. [Axe murder]

There are three of us in the house at present and in the course of a normal 24 hours we fill ours and run it last thing at night. In the morning we use stuff straight out of it for breakfast, put away the rest and start again. Minimum of putting things in cupboards, dirty dishes out of sight. It's a beautiful thing. [Smile]

Other decluttering chez Nen is not going too well... [Frown]

Nen - may take a leaf of of Mrs S's book and declutter a wine bottle this evening. Every item counts, right? [Biased]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
... until I've emptied all the bottles taking up one of the cupboards ...

Depending on what's in the aforementioned bottles, do you need any help? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
When Miss S got married back in October, we tidied up the back of church - old cassette tapes, mainly, and old-but-virtuous magazines and other old cr*p. The box got moved behind the font and no-one bothered emptying it after the wedding. Yesterday we thought it had gone altogether and were quietly celebrating - but I later discovered it in the flower-arrangers/slash/worship band cupboard. Frankly that is the last place it should be, and very soon it's the last place it WILL HAVE BEEN. I am taking an Executive Decision.

It has gone - cassettes of Evangelical conferences from only 15 years ago, home-recorded cassettes of Graham Kendrick [Eek!] and all [Devil]

Mrs. S, rubbing her hands in glee
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
It has gone - cassettes of Evangelical conferences from only 15 years ago, home-recorded cassettes of Graham Kendrick [Eek!] and all [Devil]

Mrs. S, rubbing her hands in glee

Only 15 years old!!! [Eek!]

[Overused] [Killing me]
 
Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Pray for me, brethren and (in view of what I’m about to undertake, especially) sistren [Biased] .

I hereby solemnly declare that tonight I am going to clear out my lingerie drawer. And I am going to put in the bin every last unmentionable that is either worn out or has been in an unfortunate incident with a black sock in the washer.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I hereby solemnly declare that tonight I am going to clear out my lingerie drawer. And I am going to put in the bin every last unmentionable that is either worn out or has been in an unfortunate incident with a black sock in the washer.

I save the worn out ones until I go on vacation. They get worn while I'm away, but most of them are tossed before I come home, leaving a little more space in my suitcase. (I just pray I'm never in an accident and taken to hospital while on vacation!)
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... worship band cupboard ...

You keep your worship band in a cupboard? What an excellent idea - I should leave them in there if I were you.

[Devil]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... worship band cupboard ...

You keep your worship band in a cupboard? What an excellent idea - I should leave them in there if I were you.

[Devil]

[Killing me] [Overused]
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
The nice people from Scope should be coming to whisk a small cabinet and a large box of oddments from us tomorrow. Huzzah! How is it possible to collect so many bits-and-bobs of no consequence? Assorted keyrings, compilation cds, a barometer, a globe and a toy telescope, and they're the highlghts.

Once it's all gone I'll be starting a fresh box.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... worship band cupboard ...

You keep your worship band in a cupboard? What an excellent idea - I should leave them in there if I were you.

[Devil]

[Killing me] [Overused]
...sorry guys, I'm not prepared to live in a cupboard with the rest of the band (and a load of flower-arrangers too, however talented!)
[Killing me]
Mrs. S, closet claustrophobic
 
Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I hereby solemnly declare that tonight I am going to clear out my lingerie drawer. And I am going to put in the bin every last unmentionable that is either worn out or has been in an unfortunate incident with a black sock in the washer.

I save the worn out ones until I go on vacation. They get worn while I'm away, but most of them are tossed before I come home, leaving a little more space in my suitcase. (I just pray I'm never in an accident and taken to hospital while on vacation!)
Not so [Biased] . If ever you get in a nasty accident, the first thing the medics are going to do is get a big pair of scissors and cut all your clothes off you (taking clothes off an injured person risks making things worse). If you’re wearing your nice lingerie, that’s the last you’ll ever see of it.

You really want to hope you’re wearing your manky undies if you get hit by a bus. (That said, someone I know was once in a nasty skiing accident. And she said that her first thought as she heard her ligaments go pop and collapsed on the piste in agony was indeed “Do I have good underwear on?”)

OTOH, this is now academic since I have achieved my object and now only have good lingerie left. If I get scooped up by any kind of medical personnel, my undies all have their elastic intact and are the same colour that they were when I bought them.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
quote:
my undies all have their elastic intact and are the same colour that they were when I bought them.
[Overused]

I have this cartoon in my knicker drawer*

You have achieved that!!

* Because everyone keeps cartoons in their knickers drawer, right?
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
quote:
my undies all have their elastic intact and are the same colour that they were when I bought them.
[Overused]

I have this cartoon in my knicker drawer*

You have achieved that!!

* Because everyone keeps cartoons in their knickers drawer, right?


 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
quote:
my undies all have their elastic intact and are the same colour that they were when I bought them.
[Overused]

I have this cartoon in my knicker drawer*

You have achieved that!!

* Because everyone keeps cartoons in their knickers drawer, right?


Of course - and was it Nen or another of our decluttering sistren who said her husband described her knicker drawer as 50 Shades of Grey?
[Killing me]

Mrs. S, pressing the wrong button [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on :
 
A colleague, who happens to be a personal counsellor, is helping me purge my office prior to an office move to start a new position. Much needed and appreciated help.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Caissa, friends like that are worth their weight in gold.

Huia
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
was it Nen or another of our decluttering sistren who said her husband described her knicker drawer as 50 Shades of Grey?

Not me - there's nothing in my knicker drawer that would interest Mr Nen. [Biased]

Nen - all cotton, size 14-16.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
was it Nen or another of our decluttering sistren who said her husband described her knicker drawer as 50 Shades of Grey?

Not me - there's nothing in my knicker drawer that would interest Mr Nen. [Biased]

Nen - all cotton, size 14-16.

Sorry Nen [Hot and Hormonal] - I knew it wasn't me, so I naturally assumed it had to be you! [Snigger]

The Apologetic Mrs. S
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Just had a successful declutter - friends came over for lunch & left with a jacket, dishwasher paraphernalia and bar stool, and interest in the Welsh dresser. I must have people over for lunch more often [Smile]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Yay, daisydaisy! I love it!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We have decluttered a shelf of assorted pamphlets and maps from places we have visited or quite fancy visiting. Realistically, if we visit or revisit any of these places, a street map dated 1993 is not likely to be helpful. Nor is a guide to eateries labeled "new! revised! 2001!" We now have a full paper recycling box and a foot of available shelf space.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I have convinced Mr Shrew to declutter an old leather jacket that is completely worn out and utterly useless through the promise of fabric recycling bins.... Feeling very proud (now to work on the other six old jackets that are worn out but less obviously past any kind of use)

I also have a couple of bags of things which I never wear to go to charity.

I figure progress may be slow but it is steadily heading in the right direction.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
We have decluttered a shelf of assorted pamphlets and maps from places we have visited or quite fancy visiting. Realistically, if we visit or revisit any of these places, a street map dated 1993 is not likely to be helpful. Nor is a guide to eateries labeled "new! revised! 2001!" We now have a full paper recycling box and a foot of available shelf space.

Oooh, yes, no matter how hard I try we seem to accumulate this sort of thing as well. I don't know why it is so hard to get rid of. Just before I read your post I noticed we have a big road map dated 2010 and wondered why we are keeping it.

Congratulations for the dishwasher daisydaisy. And the clothes Mrs Shrew.

I had a huge clothes declutter, it must have been nearly two years ago now when Comet got us doing the 30 items thing. Since when I have done a bit more as and when but I think I need another radical sort out. I haven't been buying much, I think I need to replace some things.

It's a never ending process. My next big household declutter will be when we move again in a couple of months.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Travel information sneaks its way in with stealth - especially the guidebooks you get at castles. I know they never get looked at, and yet every time they tempt me!

Can you tell me more about the 30 items thing? It sounds intriguing...
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
D. took a phone call this morning from the local Diabetics' Association saying that they'll be doing a doorstep collection on Wednesday, so if I can muster up the energy/motivation I might be able to ditch a bin-bag or two of clothes that I know I won't wear again, and possibly the odd surplus-to-requirements bit of kitchenalia.
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
The Diabetes Association collects clothes to sell in job lots to vendors who pass the clothes on at exorbitant rates to wholesalers in other parts of the world
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
Can you tell me more about the 30 items thing? It sounds intriguing...

I can't find the previous decluttering thread. It must be in Oblivion somewhere.

You wear 30 items for 30 days. Then review your wardrobe. Or it might be 33 items for 3 months. I forget, but you get the general idea.

Basically the idea is that you select 30 items of clothing, not including underwear, uniforms, workwear, gardening clothes and such like.

Whether you include shoes and jewellery is up to you. Some sites do, some don't.

Here are some links but if you google 30 items of clothing you will find sites.

here

here

here

here

I never got down to 30 item even excluding shoes, jewellery, cleaning clothes, swimwear and so on, but it did focus my mind considerably and at the end of it all I did have a smaller but much better wardrobe.

I also applied a similar principle to my jewellery and part exchanged nearly all of it and bought just a few items which I now wear very regularly. That was a really good move.

I came across articles etc about how French women have a small number of clothes which they wear all the time, until it is time to replace them. If they have a couple of outfits they look great in, they have no qualms about wearing them all the time.

here is a typical example, but just google french women's style or fashion.

I'll try to find the original thread if I get time. I think it was the previous incarnation of this one.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Wodders has helpfully linked to the old thread in Limbo in his OP here. I haven't found Comet's post about the clothing yet.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Here it is 27 June 2012
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by PeteC:
The Diabetes Association collects clothes to sell in job lots to vendors who pass the clothes on at exorbitant rates to wholesalers in other parts of the world

They do? [Eek!]

There's a second-hand shop here called Previously Loved which D. says is an outlet for the Diabetes Association; I sort of assumed that anything we left for them would end up there. I'm hopeless in second-hand shops, but D's very good at finding things in good condition: he buys his clothes there so that I don't have to ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on :
 
I move tomorrow into my new de-cluttered office.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Yesterday was such a foul day here (just for a change [Mad] ) that Mr. S started to declutter the study. I'd rather he'd done his wardrobe, but hey, can't be helped. We threw out TONS of old boxes (for the Nook, the GPS and for at least three old mobile phones), old magazines, maps, CDs (M$ Encarta 2001, anybody? Thought not)...

Today doesn't look any better, so we'll probably have to do the filing cabinet etc [Big Grin] BUT the best thing is - I found my birth certificate! You know how it is when you're sure you know where something is? If it isn't there, you have no idea where to look. Well, it was in with the certificate for my French A-level, which I took about 25 years ago.

(I had had to get a copy, which in the end didn't serve the purpose it was required for - my CRB check - because the chap who was checking it said it made my year of birth appear to be 1961 rather than 1951 . I wish!)

So, who knows what delights will be unearthed today [Yipee]

Mrs. S delighted to be decluttering
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
The weather produced a similar flurry of action here. One wardrobe entirely reordered inside, a quarter of the previous garments awaiting stickers to be affixed to their plastic bags for the charity shop, brand new space for shoes and half of hubby's hobby cupboard newly streamlined.

I am still in shock!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Well, it was in with the certificate for my French A-level, which I took about 25 years ago.

I too took French A level - but longer ago than 25 years. [Biased]

Returning to the subject of knicker drawers, I decluttered mine at the weekend, prompted to do so because I couldn't fit all the knickers and socks I'd washed into it and then close it. [Roll Eyes] It's now much tidier [Big Grin] . However I have the habit (which I read about years ago, probably in some edition of the magazine "Jackie" - did anyone else read that?) of putting my empty perfume containers in my underwear drawer to make them smell nice. When I sorted it there were three empty Rive Gauche eau de toilette sprays in there. [Hot and Hormonal]

Nen. - born in the same decade as Mrs S but a bit later in it. [Biased]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Well, it was in with the certificate for my French A-level, which I took about 25 years ago.

I too took French A level - but longer ago than 25 years. [Biased]

Nen. - born in the same decade as Mrs S but a bit later in it. [Biased]

Ah, but this was what they used to refer to as Evening Classes (last step before Ironing Classes, maybe? [Snigger] ). My original A-levels were taken more or less before recorded time began...

A further day of decluttering the study has produced more shredding than three compost heaps can handle, but no long-lost treasures, sadly.

Mrs. S, way past anything so intellectual as A-levels these days [Biased]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
[tangent]
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... this was what they used to refer to as Evening Classes ...

Ah, evening classes! That's where I met my Beloved - he was teaching Higher Music and I was learning it (and quietly lusting [Snigger] ).

I was his first success. [Smile]
[/tangent OFF]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
It Was Jackie who suggested that and I also wasted far too much pocket money on that magazine!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
After discovering that a tall shelf thing is teetering a bit too much I removed the sewing bits & fabric from it, generated 3 bags from that for rehousing but, with everything on the floor while I decide what to do with what I want to keep, this round of decluttering leaves me feeling like I'm only scratching the surface. [Waterworks]
Really I need to focus on clearing the dresser so I can put it up for sale.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
Mrs BA has summoned up the energy to tackle her craft room, which was fast disappearing under the accumulation of materials and projects. I'm not certain how much has been disposed of, or whether it is just better arranged, but at least most of the floor is now visible.
 
Posted by Silver Swan (# 17957) on :
 
Visible floor is one of my goals. [Yipee]
If I could manage to sort one box a day I'd get there eventually.
 
Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
Last year, when we thought we'd sold our bungalow on the Isle of Wight, I brought stuff I'd been storing there and "temporarily" put in into paid storage here. Then the sale fell through and finances forced me to bring the boxes into my tiny flat here. Result - no room to move or sort, and any attempts to sort ended up as counter-productive as the lack of space made it impossible to leave things out while I sorted them.

This week a burst of energy and determination and a brainwave as to the answer. I got a special deal on paid storage and have moved it all there. The plan is, over the next couple of months, to bring home a box at a time and deal with it, with the space and time to do it but, even more, the lack of feeling overwhelmed or depressed at the state the place had got into. It's costing me £100 for the two months (thank goodness my wages in this new job are higher), but already I feel £100 better morale-wise. I quite like my clutter, but it had taken over somewhat!
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Well done Smudgie that all sounds very organised! I agree that working one box at a time helps make things more manageable.

I did read the links about project 333:I'm not sure I would be able to get as low as 30 but I plan to give it a shot in a couple of weeks.

Next weekend is wedding weekend (so I finally WILL be Mrs Shrew...) so at the moment my house is full of both stuff and people. I have a few bags for charity shop to go today, filled with clothes and books I found whilst tunnelling out space for a bed in the spare room.
After that I really will have to give it a rest until after the wedding.

Mrs Shrew-surrounded by lists of Things That Must Be Done Ready For Saturday.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Congratulations Mrs Shrew, hope all goes well and you have a wonderful day.

Are you getting wedding presents? Will you have a one in one out rule? [Big Grin]

We have completed on our new house. The decorators are in. I am thinking about how to declutter even more as we prepare to move and how to prevent further clutter taking up residence in the future.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I'm not sure about a one in one out rule, but I will definitely be continuing the strict decluttering after the wedding.

I sneakily threw out the old broken coffee maker (that the future Mr Shrew was saving in case he could fix it) yesterday.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
If anyone nearbyish is decluttering fabric, I'll give it a good home....
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
If anyone nearbyish is decluttering fabric, I'll give it a good home....

What sort of fabric do you like [Smile]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
If anyone nearbyish is decluttering fabric, I'll give it a good home....

What sort of fabric do you like [Smile]
I'm very much a beginning sewer, so only doing cotton/linen and polycottons at the moment!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Owing to the plumber breaking the basin when he was removing a tap, I had to declutter my bathroom vanity at short notice. Much of the contents went into straight into the rubbish but some things are now cluttering the spare bedroom.

I have vowed not to put anything back into the new vanity (which has 3 drawers and a cupboard with shelves) until I have worked out whether or not I need to keep it.

Smudgie - that sounds brilliant - I find it too easy to get overwhelmed by piles of things.

Over the next week my goal is to sort my bedroom and the spare room. I am planning on getting my house re-wired and some space uder the lights and around the electric sockets is necessary.

Huia
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Hope the basin disaster was not too bad Huia
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
Are you getting wedding presents? Will you have a one in one out rule?

I am pleased to report that, not only did we succeed in Getting Married, we also avoided the great Toaster Trap (as predicted by my mother when told we would not have a wedding list). Indeed we have somehow managed to be given only things which are both useful and do different tasks than any things we already owned.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Congratulations Mrs Shrew!
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
Congratulations, Mrs Shrew!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Congratulations Mrs Shrew.

Today not only did I sell my dining table, but also 3 chairs that I didn't advertise but needed to rehome, to a couple who are getting married in 4 weeks - so are collecting clutter! Hurrah for Preloved.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
One word: Wardrobe

[Frown]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Congratulations, Mrs Shrew! Mr Nen keeps all sorts of things thinking he'll mend them. Kettles. Printers. Umbrellas.

Nen - unsuccessful declutterer.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Congratulations Mrs Shrew.

The basin breaking was a blessing in disguise. Just before the plumbers came I looked at the old basin and thought it needed replacing, but didn't really think it through, so the plumber breaking it was a relief. He then lined me up with a vanity unit and installed it a few days later. I have dealt with the company before so I was happy to do it that way. I know it will be fairly expensive as he was here for some time, but this firm has saved me money in the past so I trust their billing system to be fair. He did offer to try to find an old second hand one but I am so glad I said no because the new unit looks stunning.

I have allocated the top drawer for blister packs of my medication. Now they have a definite place to live I should remember to take it more regularly.

Huia
 
Posted by Willow warbler (# 18035) on :
 
I try keep on top of the clutter (and I'm better than I was) but it's still very much a work in progress. Off work next week and hope to make some significant progress but we'll wait and see. Would probably benefit from a specific goal to aim toward. Maybe a fixed number of items to the bin/recycling/charity shop per day? Maybe that could be my Lenten challenge - instead of giving something up, bless someone with something I no longer love every day for forty days (even if the one being blessed is the local tip).
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
If anyone nearbyish is decluttering fabric, I'll give it a good home....

What sort of fabric do you like [Smile]
I'm very much a beginning sewer, so only doing cotton/linen and polycottons at the moment!
I have a room filled to the ceiling with fabric as I used to make and sell clothing made from recycled fabrics. I desperately need to clear it and make a stab at it every so often so may well find something for you [Smile] do you have any preferences to colours or patterns? What do you sew? PM if you like.
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
One word: Wardrobe

[Frown]

With you there. I'm trying to be mindful of what I wear over Lent with a view to decluttering my wardrobe thereafter, but I struggle with getting bored of my clothes and am a bit of a packrat so that makes being truly ruthless difficult. Especially as I have managed ruthlessness in the past (often as a result of an impending house move) and missed items very quickly.

I suppose I have to admit to myself that I now have a decent salary coming in and if I pass on something that's 'not quite right' but find myself missing it, I can now endeavour to find a replacement that is 'just right' and also as ethically sourced as possible. The same is probably true of items that don't quite fit right now. I have too little wardrobe space to be hanging onto things I actually can't wear.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
5 bags of this & that to the charity shop this afternoon. I can now see the floor again.... ready for the next wave of decluttering.
Because all of this stuff was hidden in cupboard, I can't yet see the benefit of it, but that should come soon when I find a new home for the huge dresser.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
As part of my spring cleaning, I am trying to do 15 minutes every day of clearing surfaces and filing bits of paper. I have just realised that the quick wash cycle on my washing machine is exactly 15 minutes! There is a cardigan in there right now (with chocolate melted onto the front), and I am about to press 'Start' ... [Smile]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
In much the same manner, podcasts of "Desert Island Discs" are giving me roughly half an hour of easy distraction while The Deed is done

3 bags done up for the charity shops; slowly slowly
 
Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
Three bags from my bedroom, for charity.
One of rubbish.

Some years ago, I made the tree change. Permanent. And now I am getting rid of the very good work gear.
Ministry here is simpler than being a hospital chaplain. Comfy clothes as opposed to professional...
So, at long last...!!!
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I have 8 black bags of fabric for recycling/charity in my hallway, some of it from the days when I made and sold cloth nappies and wool wraps made from vintage fabrics and blankets. I now have a daily project of clearing a meter square of floor in the fabric room. I am very much looking forward to being able to actually find stuff in there.
 
Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 
I am so impressed by the progress you are reporting, but how did you you manage to get the things as far as bags to go to the charity shop? I have made a good start on taking clothes out of the wardrobe and boxes under the bed but they are now sitting waiting until I try them on to see if they still fit and might come in handy in future. My best guess is that I'll finish up putting them back under the bed 'just in case'. And that's before I look at the fabric and wool.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Landlubber:
I have made a good start on taking clothes out of the wardrobe and boxes under the bed but they are now sitting waiting until I try them on to see if they still fit and might come in handy in future. My best guess is that I'll finish up putting them back under the bed 'just in case'. And that's before I look at the fabric and wool.

Here is a blog post just for you Landlubber!

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Here is a blog post just for you Landlubber!

[Big Grin]

That gives me Mondays off, then! Thank you for pushing me towards honesty. But I see a chink of light. Today is Tuesday, so I can ignore the clothes heap and declutter a bit of loft instead [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Landlubber:
I am so impressed by the progress you are reporting, but how did you you manage to get the things as far as bags to go to the charity shop? I have made a good start on taking clothes out of the wardrobe and boxes under the bed but they are now sitting waiting until I try them on to see if they still fit and might come in handy in future. My best guess is that I'll finish up putting them back under the bed 'just in case'. And that's before I look at the fabric and wool.

I have a small room designed for my old sewing business which has very deep shelves (1metre!) from floor to ceiling and the floor is deep in more fabric and boxes. I have an awful lot of fabric I can potentially get rid of! I have put stuff back on the shelves that I probably should also throw and have a policy of revising shelves regularly in future.
My motivation is the need to actually be able to find what I require and consequently enjoy sewing again. At the moment I never sew any more as it is too much of a chore. The room also houses my desktop and my fortnightly marking marathon will be much more comfortable if I am able to move around.
I also see decluttering as a way to help with my depression (I have bipolar disorder). I am more positive when surrounded by order. And actually achieving the decluttering is also motivating, I set myself small targets, a shelf perhaps.
 
Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
quote:
I have a small room designed for my old sewing business which has very deep shelves (1metre!) from floor to ceiling and the floor is deep in more fabric and boxes. I have an awful lot of fabric I can potentially get rid of! I have put stuff back on the shelves that I probably should also throw and have a policy of revising shelves regularly in future.
My motivation is the need to actually be able to find what I require and consequently enjoy sewing again. At the moment I never sew any more as it is too much of a chore. The room also houses my desktop and my fortnightly marking marathon will be much more comfortable if I am able to move around.
I also see decluttering as a way to help with my depression (I have bipolar disorder). I am more positive when surrounded by order. And actually achieving the decluttering is also motivating, I set myself small targets, a shelf perhaps.

Thank you. Regular and small doses it will have to be, not starting on all the boxes at once, which will be quite hard to start with. It's not how I usually operate!

quote:
Originally posted by Landlubber:

... today is Tuesday ...
Er, that would be Wednesday [Hot and Hormonal]

[ 12. March 2014, 10:50: Message edited by: Landlubber ]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Today I did my sock drawer.

I have a use for old socks, they go into a box and are used for one off dusters. Dust, turn inside out, dust, throw away.

That way they are not wasted but don't clutter my nice tidy sock drawer either.

[Big Grin]

I think a hatred of waste has been deeply instilled in some of us - so much so that we keep useless things (like old socks!). I am working to be less wasteful by having less, instead of by keeping more. Not easy - but worth it.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I have a use for old socks, they go into a box and are used for one off dusters. Dust, turn inside out, dust, throw away.

You use the word "dust" as though it were a verb. [Confused]

Mr Nen and I are going to tackle the smallest bedroom soon. Yes, really. We keep talking about it.

Nen - whose one-of-many excuses is that she's not been too well lately... [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
smallest bedroom............ah, there's a thought....
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
You use the word "dust" as though it were a verb.

[Killing me]

Re: procrastination. I find the 15 minute 'rule' really helps with this and should use it for other procrastinations I am nurturing.

Doing something towards the niggle is so much better than doing nothing even if the job takes months!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Doing something towards the niggle is so much better than doing nothing even if the job takes months!

You're right, of course. I'm feeling a lot better - in more ways than one - than I have for some time and really am going to get some time sorting that small bedroom today, as well as using the supply of old socks I discovered in the room that used to be Nenlet1's. I thought I could try this "dusting" lark. [Biased]

I'll report back later.

Nen - thinking positively. [Smile]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
After a 21 year procrastination I can now count the days until my home is decluttered of a large welsh dresser - a friend is buying it and having it moved at the end of the week. I've moved the contents of the drawers and cupboards, but need to decide on what to keep of the things on display on the top. Perhaps a gentler option is to put some into boxes for a decision another time - I feel I've made enough of those lately.
 
Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
Procrastinating doesn't work when I land on the Ship and find you lot talking about order, "dust" as a verb and something rather frightening called the 15 minute rule. I shall now spend 15 minutes reading this thread and perhaps the house will then get my attention for once.

Cattyish, shamed into looking at the dust (noun).
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
My primary goal right now is decluttering my home office. To motivate myself, I have cleaners coming the end of the week, and a friend coming over a few days later which will involve my desktop computer, so this room HAS to be cleaned up. I'm working at it slowly but steadily.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Breathes on fingernails and polishes them on shirt - not that I am wearing one

Last night I tidied the desk/table in my bedroom! I also fitted a 4-gang power board to the side so I am not constantly unplugging one thing to charge another.

One day I'll have a go at the desk in here, a rather bigger task.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Clutter relocated from corner cupboard top AND put away (faint!)

Corner of room now has fetching china server and beautiful plant.


[am not going to look at what is around the base of the bookcases until tomorrow though...been there two months, can stay another two days]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Great progress on the dresser daisydaisy!

I'm hoping that we move to the new house at the end of March. It is being redecorated throughout and recarpeted. So all I have to do is clean the hard floor areas, kitchen cupboards and the showers and other sanitary wear before we move in.

This will mean that I have, for the first time in my life, a totally clean house. Now I will have to make sure I have a strategy for keeping it that way.

I also have to clean up the rental property after we leave. Not looking forward to that at all. Not that it's bad just that I seem to have spent a lot of time cleaning to leave things for other people recently.

I am hoping to declutter more furniture, although we will also probably have to buy some more. We did a huge amount of decluttering on the first move so I don't think that decluttering is the big issue anymore.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Our bathroom is finally complete! Its good to have it done, but even better to have the spare room back from under the bath and shower unit which had been in there since october. The only trouble is... I have just been dumping things in the spare room to deal with later.

I can't face it this weekend (and the kitchen is still a tip, mostly due to the volume of leftover drinks and snacks from the wedding so I should probalby hadle that first), but next weekend I shall Tackle It.

Pleased the dresser is gone, and to a good home daisydaisy.
 
Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
Because of using shitty flea drops and spray we have two cats with fleas and need to spray the house. Which means we need to remove clutter and Hoover under all the furniture, then spray under all the furniture and clutter, then Hoover again.

I don't know what we will do with all the clutter, especially the spare room which is currently housing a load of boxes belonging to a friend who has moved into sheltered accommodation and has now put her husband in a care home, so she can't currently face more declutter get...so it needs to go to the loft....argh!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by sophs:
and has now put her husband in a care home, so she can't currently face more declutter

What a stroke of genius. In my experience husbands significantly add to the clutter. [Smile]

Nen - eyeing Mr Nen speculatively.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by sophs:
and has now put her husband in a care home, so she can't currently face more declutter

What a stroke of genius. In my experience husbands significantly add to the clutter. [Smile]

Nen - eyeing Mr Nen speculatively.

[Killing me] [Overused]
 
Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by sophs:
Because of using shitty flea drops and spray we have two cats with fleas and need to spray the house. Which means we need to remove clutter and Hoover under all the furniture, then spray under all the furniture and clutter, then Hoover again.

I know this won't help with your decluttering, but in my experience the thing that makes the most difference with fleas is treating the cats with something like "Advocate" - any fleas that jump on the cat die, which means that after a couple of days all the fleas in the house die. I have tried the "spray the whole house" approach and in over 10 years of cat ownership it has never worked, the only thing that has worked completely has been the drops. Worth a thought...
 
Posted by Sola gratia (# 14065) on :
 
Hello all

In a recent declutter (one whole alcove by the chimney stack in my bedroom [Yipee] ), from which a charity shop benefitted to the tune of ooh, three bags, and the rest recycled [Angel] I discovered some old CD-ROMs (or maybe CDs - I confess I never did play them [Hot and Hormonal] ) from a charity I used to get mailings from. They are around 7 years old now and I have no way of rewriting them etc., but I don't want to throw them away without seeing if I can use them for something or be creative with them.

Any suggestions?

SG
 
Posted by The Kat in the Hat (# 2557) on :
 
Glue them back to back (shiny side facing outwards) with string/ribbon inbetween (so you can hang it up) to make a reflective mobile / bird-scarer
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Ask a preschool if they can use them for arts and crafts.
 
Posted by Palimpsest (# 16772) on :
 
disposable drink coasters
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Today was D(resser)-Day - at 8am my Welsh Dresser was rehomed. The room looks so strange without it - I can't work out if it looks bigger (it should) or smaller but it certainly looks different. Many spiders will now be looking for a new home, and there is embarrassing evidence of when I didn't move the dresser last time I painted.

Now to choose wallpaper or paint for that wall [Smile] so that I can finish off this major decluttering step.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Great stuff daisydaisy.

Sola gratia: I just googled repurposing old CDs

I do not want to be rude but my experience is that all the stuff I keep (thinking especially of cards and bits of Christmas bling) intending to recycle into something original and charming, just turns into a load more clutter, this time with added guilt.

If I know I have no immediate use for something I just chuck it now. There is no shortage of old CD's if you ever feel the need for one.

YMMV [Smile]
 
Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 
My life obviously does not intend to be decluttered. I took heed of all the good advice you offered me, set myself a manageable target and - caught a really horrible cold (third this year) and retired to bed. So I gave up on the wardrobe and am now sneaking up on the box room and have nearly a whole carrier bag in the porch for the charity shop. Mercifully, once something has got as far as the porch I have never been know to bring it back in.
I am grateful for the hints, I'd never have got even this far without them.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Today I am helping a friend get control over her super messy kitchen. Step 1: put all stray dishes in dishwasher and turn on (even though it wasn't full!!) Then everything off the table (onto living room floor, but you gotta start somewhere) then clean the table surface. Took about 20 paper towels, but finally all the grime is gone!

Next up: lunch.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{{{Everyone}}}}}}}

Making progress; also dealing with that emotional void that comes from it.
[Eek!]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Getting rid of bits and pieces here and there as we unpack.

Main project is emptying all the boxes stashed in the garage from the move.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Nice one Thyme - I wonder if you'll find forgotten treasures.

I've recovered from the shock of an emptier room after the dresser left, and have ordered the wallpaper (very bold design) and a red lampshade. Yesterday I painted walls, door & a cat in readiness for papering.

Already I have plans for the next room to declutter... and redecorate as a reward.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
[Eek!] You painted the cat?!! Wow... I can never be bothered to make sure everything coordinates.

How did you get it to stand still long enough?
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Daisydaisy, you may have painted the cat, but I bet it doesn't hang about to be wall papered.

I've got someone coming to help me declutter and clean up as I need the house clear enough to be rewired in the next few weeks [Eek!] - not to mention the bloke rebuiding the shower.

I'm also thing of re-carpeting too.

Huia- making up for years of inaction
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
[Eek!] You painted the cat?!! Wow... I can never be bothered to make sure everything coordinates.

How did you get it to stand still long enough?

You don't need to - grab cat by collar and dunk quickly into large can of paint. Alternatively, stand back from adding the last brushstroke to a perfectly-glossed door and wait - the cat will be sure to rub up against it very soon ...

Mrs. S, currently cat-free (but not through paint poisoning, mercifully)
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
Nice one Thyme - I wonder if you'll find forgotten treasures.

Finding the treasures I distinctly remember having and packing is the problem at the moment!
[Big Grin]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
[Eek!] You painted the cat?!! Wow... I can never be bothered to make sure everything coordinates.

How did you get it to stand still long enough?

You don't need to - grab cat by collar and dunk quickly into large can of paint. Alternatively, stand back from adding the last brushstroke to a perfectly-glossed door and wait - the cat will be sure to rub up against it very soon ...

Mrs. S, currently cat-free (but not through paint poisoning, mercifully)

I gave the cat a quick hair cut to avoid poisoning him. While I did that, a couple of little bugs flew a bit to close to the gloss paint, so I still get Life in the paint. Still Life?
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
... a couple of little bugs flew a bit to close to the gloss paint, so I still get Life in the paint. Still Life?

I should enter your wall in next year's Turner Prize if I were you. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
... a couple of little bugs flew a bit to close to the gloss paint, so I still get Life in the paint. Still Life?

I should enter your wall in next year's Turner Prize if I were you. [Big Grin]
[Overused]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
There definitely has to be an art prize in there somewhere!

The shelves in our living room are up, and hold all our board games (surprisingly!) this leaves plenty of wiggle room to get tidying the spare bedroom. Mr Shrew has very kindly bought me a second hand filing cabinet for all the paperwork, so I will be filling that up at the weekend.

The weather was quite nice on Saturday so we investigated our garden. The surveyor had said there was a bit of clutter hiding behind the large trees (which look like they are at the very bottom of the garden but are actually about six foot away from it).
Thus turns out to have been an understatement. We appear to have a four foot high by about 4 foot diameter mind of earth and an enormous pile of bits of dead tree, with assorted rubbish thrown in. I'm not entirely sure how one declutters mud....
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I think what is called for is some artful rearrangement of said mud.

How is beyond my capacity to comment.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Leave the pile - it's a perfect hedgehog and wildlife retreat!

[Smile]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
You know what it's like when a member of a group you're in is selling something you don't want but feel obliged to buy for a good cause?

Half my cookery books are ones I felt obliged to buy for school funds or whatever.

Well, many years ago, one of the Playgroup mums had a close relative with a good singing voice. He cut a fund-raising CD and I felt obliged to buy a signed copy.

I found it in today's declutter. And the singer is a lot better known now than he was then! I've googled, but there don't seem to have been any sold on E-bay, so perhaps there aren't that many in existence. I might have a rare example. A rare, signed, example! (All google threw up was a review at the time advising Playgroup Mum's relative not to give up the day job.)

What do you think? Could a rare, signed CD of Alex Salmond singing "The Rowan Tree" be worth a fortune????
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
Oh, that is a fabulous find, NEQ! I am almost tempted to make you an offer. [Devil] (Almost, but not quite ...)

I am expected to buy all sorts of junk at all sorts of coffee mornings, sales of work, etc. Long ago I adopted a policy of buying homemade cards. Because the beauty of them is that I buy them, then give them away!

The Bake Stall is, of course, another matter ...
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
NEQ:
quote:
What do you think? Could a rare, signed CD of Alex Salmond singing "The Rowan Tree" be worth a fortune????
It depends how much he'd be willing to pay to stop anyone else getting it, doesn't it? [Snigger]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
He's actually got a good voice - he was a choirboy till his voice broke.

This (from 0.50) is a poor quality recording, but as you can see he's not shy about taking the stage.

However, I think my signed CD justifies the description "Probably the worst party CD, ever."
 
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
This was mentioned on Radio 4 in the past few months - either the Today Programme or the PM show. Copies of the CD are hard to find, apparently...
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Did it say if they were worth anything, Ferijen?
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Leave the pile - it's a perfect hedgehog and wildlife retreat!

[Smile]

Yes, it's called a "berm".
 
Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
A big bag of stuff for the charity shop.
Proud of myself!
Long may the discardedness continue in my house [Angel]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Currently working my way through three black rubbish bags of shredded paper, from the Great Study Declutter. You can't put it in recycling, so I am mixing it with grass cuttings and compost accelerator, aka pee - but even two large compost bins fill up pretty quickly at that rate ...

In other news, we are having cupboards and a sink put into our utility room at the weekend - it's only taken 22 years to get there! so I need to clear everything out into the garage before then *sigh* [Help] We can apparently block the door to the outside without planning permission, but not take it out and replace it with a window *sigh again*. You can take bricks away, i.e. change a window for a door, but not put them in - how crazy is that? [Ultra confused]

Anyhoo, it'll be worth it so I don't have to clean paintbrushes in the kitchen sink. I used to use the bath, but when I got a new one that was out of bounds as well!

Mrs. S SKIING* [Yipee]
(*spending the kids' inheritance)
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
As some Shippies know, Daddy Vern was a man who basically became a father to me, and he taught me many basic life skills. Over the years, and especially recently I think, I've struggled with keeping those up, including taking care of my home and household. Now I am determined to go back to the healthy living habits he taught me, for both my sake and my partner Cubby's (QuakerCub here on the Ship).

Hugs to all!

(Similar but different post going on the weight loss thread...)
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Wow! I was visited by a whirlwind of a home help today and she's coming back next week [Yipee] In the meantime I will be sorting through some of the stuff and decide what it biff, but this shouldn't be too diffficult as they are in small seperate piles so I can tackle 2 or 3 per day. Also, having had someone else get rid of the obvious crap there is less to sort.

I'm also looking at fabric that I have had for years and realising that I will never use it. I list it on Freecycle and when someone comes to pick it up I get a buzz when they tell me what they're going to use it for. I makes it easier for me to give up stuff when I think someone else is going to use it - and if they don't it's not my problem [Two face]

Similarly with the jam and preserving jars. I will never do that much jam making or preserving and having got rid of them I will never come across them in the garage and beat myself up for it.

It will probably be more difficult when I get to the craft stuff because I'm not sure where I can get rid (ahem - donate) heaps of cross stitch pattern books. I may see if the local needleworkers guild is interested.

Huia
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
quote:
It will probably be more difficult when I get to the craft stuff because I'm not sure where I can get rid (ahem - donate) heaps of cross stitch pattern books. I may see if the local needleworkers guild is interested.

Huia, I can't speak for the needlework guild but I do know the Knitters Guild down here runs a postal library for members. Hopefully, your guild may do the same.

There is a NSW Embroiderers Guild who may be interested but I imagine the postage would be horrendous.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Just looked outside from my balcony. A big van was there marked, UtterDeclutter . So get some experience and capitalise on it.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have just read another decluttering site, here is a quote from it -

quote:
Clutter tolerance seems to run a fever cycle, much like the flu. Every so often, the cluttered household will become intolerable, sparking short-lived but fiery anti-clutter efforts. Piles will be shifted, boxes will be filled, stuff will be stashed--until the fever breaks. Then the clutter tide flows back in, confusion redoubled because of the flushed and furious attempts to get a grip in a hurry.
How true!

So I am now re-energised on my 15 minutes a day. Not a big splurge, just a constant chipping away. It's not bad here - but the battle of the piles is never ending for a messy moo like me!

[Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I finally Had Had Enough (cf. WW on the Keep Calm... thread) and tidied the cupboard over the oven, which houses cake tins and - not coincidentally - the medicine basket.

Optrex, best before 2006, anyone? [Ultra confused]

At least now, when you remove the medicine basket looking for a paracetamol, fourteen cake tins don't cascade on to the ceramic tile floor (thus intensifying the need for paracetamol). And if you wonder why two people need so many cake tins, they date back to our fund-raising days when home-made cake was a sure-fire success. Too good to get rid of, though at least I've discarded the odd plastic shelf-type thing for the dishwasher, never used in years, that we can't remember the purpose of!

The utility room is now lovely and tidy (although the overflow, by custom and practice, is in the garage, which needs ANOTHER complete declutter [Roll Eyes] )

Mrs. S, still wondering what the glycerin was for..
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I finally Had Had Enough (cf. WW on the Keep Calm... thread) and tidied the cupboard over the oven, which houses cake tins and - not coincidentally - the medicine basket.

Optrex, best before 2006, anyone? [Ultra confused]

I raise you some diclofenic acid tablets, prescribed for a teenaged me in the late 80s and discovered in the medicine cupboard 18 months ago [Hot and Hormonal] I have moved house 8 times since they were prescribed.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
...Mrs. S, still wondering what the glycerin was for..

Erm, immediate suggestions would be the manufacture of either Tri-Nitro-Glycerine, which could get you in trouble with the police, or Royal Icing for a Christmas Cake, which could get you in trouble with your wardrobe!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Of the unpacking of boxes and trips to the tip there seems to be no end.

A lot of these boxes haven't been unpacked since November last year when we moved for the first time. I am not sure what is in some of them. I haven't needed the contents in nearly six months. Maybe I don't need them at all.

I have done a bit of decluttering of things along the way but really most of it was done before the big move.

Most of the remaining stuff is mine. Books, ornaments and files.

We got a new bookcase/cd storage unit. I think (unless there is another box somewhere) that all the cds are unpacked and there is plenty of space for future acquisitions.

The books are another matter. I have already decluttered loads and am reluctant to get rid of more. I have identified a few that I might consider surplus to requirements. I shall have to wait and see how the space works out.

The unpacked books and cd's aren't ordered yet. Some of the books are. Mainly into categories, sewing, cooking, God, Terry Pratchett - you get the idea. The cds are just randomly stuffed into the spaces.

Most of the ornaments are still in boxes. I am just consolidating the boxes as I came across them.

Meanwhile I have cleaned out the rental property. That is ready for the landlords inspection.

Love the new house but feeling a bit weary with it all at the moment.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
cake tins … Too good to get rid of..

Ah, but are you going to bake this many cakes again? In the near future?

If not, maybe some nearby young person starting out their household could make use of them?

Nothing is ever too good to get rid of, if you aren't in use of them!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
Nothing is ever too good to get rid of, if you aren't in use of them!

It helped me to think of it as giving someone else a chance to use something, rather than me getting rid of it, which may just be semantics - but it made it easier. This worked with a 1940s pattern book for children's clothes which I knew I would never use, but which came from my family home and contained patterns for some of the clothes Mum made me as a child, including the knickers made out of flourbags.

Huia
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
cake tins … Too good to get rid of..

Ah, but are you going to bake this many cakes again? In the near future?

If not, maybe some nearby young person starting out their household could make use of them?

Nothing is ever too good to get rid of, if you aren't in use of them!

It's true, ecu, but I have reduced their number by half, by the simple expedient of sharing them with Miss S - I suppose she counts as a young person setting up home [Biased] . Now I only have one of each kind left, and the moment I get rid of that tin I just know I'll want it. And cakes are funny that way - they like the right size tin or they sulk...

I like baking, the only downside being I like eating the stuff too [Big Grin]

Mrs. S, regretfully rotund
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
the moment I get rid of that tin I just know I'll want it. And cakes are funny that way - they like the right size tin or they sulk...

This is true about a lot of cooking items. You do need the right tools for the job. I have hesitated over a lot of my cooking equipment but have decided that just because I "could" manage with a couple of saucepans and one frying pan doesn't mean I have to.

I have a quantity of individual tartlet tins. I rarely use them but I will at some point and then I will need them. So I have decided not to declutter them.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
I'm not young but when I moved to the uk I had to furnish myself a again, from scratch, so was very grateful of friends' cast off furniture and kitchenware.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I have decided to keep the wildlife home, as per upthread, but with a slight alteration - I will remove the bits round the edge which are leaning on fence (as they will eventually damage the fence). We have decided to do this ourselves, so more work but much less expense.

The spare room continues to be my nemesis. Like Thyme I have boxes I have not touched in six months (and boxes of Mr shrew's which haven't been touched in two years), however I simply don't know where to begin.

I would like to use the upcoming bank holidays to do some sorting out but as my family live so far away we are using them to travel and visit without having to use up precious holiday days.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
And cakes are funny that way - they like the right size tin or they sulk...

[Killing me]

Like others on this thread The Spare Room looms large in my consciousness and, sadly, not in a Narnia way. Mr Nen and I keep talking about how we're going to spend some time sorting it. Yes, we really are... There is stuff in there from I-don't-like-to-think-how long ago, including a boxful of my mum's paperwork and her books which are a special treasure but we have no shelves available to put them on.

This is all part of Project Decorate Our Bedroom: there needs to be space in the spare room for the spare bed (from what was Nenlet1's bedroom) so that we can move our bed and bedroom furniture into there and be there while we decorate our room. This has been the plan since Nenlet1 got married. She's just celebrated her second anniversary. [Roll Eyes]

Nen - still unclear about why a room has to be totally empty before you can decorate it...
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
The spare room continues to be my nemesis. Like Thyme I have boxes I have not touched in six months (and boxes of Mr shrew's which haven't been touched in two years), however I simply don't know where to begin.

My experience is that this sort of 'block' is as much psychological as it is practical. Ways round it I have used are:

1 Find out what is in the boxes if you don't already have some idea. This will mean that you can make some sort of plan as to where the stuff will go if it is not to live permanently in boxes. If you find you have no place for it then at least you know that there is a different set of decisions to be made.

2 Just start. With one box. Then do another. Aim for something manageable like one a week or even month. If there is a choice, ie, you can get to them easily, start with the easier ones.

3 Even if some of the stuff should be in permanent storage, make a plan for what that storage should be. eg, something a bit more decorative than packing boxes.

Nen: I learnt from my brother in law that a room doesn't have to be completely empty before decorating. Just take out whatever you can and work round the rest with dust sheets. I've decorated rooms with furniture still in place. Even when we had a decorator in to do the main bedroom she was happy to work round some furniture.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:

Nen: I learnt from my brother in law that a room doesn't have to be completely empty before decorating. Just take out whatever you can and work round the rest with dust sheets. I've decorated rooms with furniture still in place. Even when we had a decorator in to do the main bedroom she was happy to work round some furniture.

I've heard that from other friends too. Mr Nen, however, thinks otherwise... [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:

I've heard that from other friends too. Mr Nen, however, thinks otherwise... [Roll Eyes]

All is now clear [Biased] [Big Grin]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:

Nen: I learnt from my brother in law that a room doesn't have to be completely empty before decorating. Just take out whatever you can and work round the rest with dust sheets. I've decorated rooms with furniture still in place. Even when we had a decorator in to do the main bedroom she was happy to work round some furniture.

I've heard that from other friends too. Mr Nen, however, thinks otherwise... [Roll Eyes]
I'm with Mr. Nen on this one, when at all possible - otherwise you spend so much time moving stuff around, and when you emulsion the ceiling it can get downright dangerous [Eek!] I think it works out quicker in the end, really...

In other news, I was walking past the Sue Ryder shop yesterday and saw an orange cast-iron paella pan for £9.95. As I happened to have one ten-pound note in my purse, of course I had to buy it
[Roll Eyes]

As I said to Mr. S, 'It isn't Le Creuset, but hey, what do you expect for a tenner?'
Mr. S, without hesitation - 'Le Creuset' [Killing me]

I have wanted one for so long, but now have to clear a space about two feet square to accommodate it - MORE decluttering!

(Good luck with everyone's boxes and spare rooms, btw)

Mrs. S, looking for a paella recipe for oh, a dozen, I'd say [Yipee]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... an orange cast-iron paella pan for £9.95. ...

Why do I never see things like that? [Waterworks]

I've been wanting one of those for ages too; we saw some quite nice "pseudo-Creuset" ones in Sainsbury's the last time we were home, but even they were about £70 and were so heavy we'd probably have had to pay excess-baggage on them.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... an orange cast-iron paella pan for £9.95. ...

Why do I never see things like that? [Waterworks]

I've been wanting one of those for ages too; we saw some quite nice "pseudo-Creuset" ones in Sainsbury's the last time we were home, but even they were about £70 and were so heavy we'd probably have had to pay excess-baggage on them.

I think it was Le Sainsbury's, piglet - they also had a tagine, which tempted me (but I had no more money) and a giant casserole which someone else had bought. She was thrilled when I told her the inside would come up like new with a bit of bleach [Yipee]

Mrs. S, still trying to find space for her new treasure [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I never find things like a nearly Le Creuset paella dish in charity shops either!

I do have a well used 35 year old large Le Crueset casserole with a well developed patina inside.

Will it really come up gleaming with some bleach? Will one of those bathroom sprays with bleach do the trick?
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I really don't need encouraging to trawl the charity shops looking for le creuset dishes! [Smile] we have a lovely blue oval one which is just right for 6-8 people. It is my favourite casserole dish.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Will it really come up gleaming with some bleach? Will one of those bathroom sprays with bleach do the trick?

I'm a bit more direct than that, Thyme - I just boil a dishcloth or two in a solution of ordinary bleach! It brings the enamel up a treat [Yipee]

They do last almost indefinitely. We have a set of 4 casseroles which are more than 30 years old - and I well remember the day I discovered the factory shop at Coutances. Mr. S says I looked like 'a kid wot's been given a fahsand pahnds worf of sweets!' Goodness knows where that came from!

Mrs. S, possessor of some impressive arm muscles

[Killing me]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
My mother cooked porridge in her Le Creuset and other casseroles to clean them - put me off porridge for years (in Aga slowest oven overnight).
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... just boil a dishcloth or two in a solution of ordinary bleach! It brings the enamel up a treat ...

Really? We have two Le Creuset casseroles and a roasting pan that we got as wedding presents 25 yrs ago from my sister and brother-in-law and the round casserole is very stained and bashed-about inside. Do you mean boil the cloths in bleach inside the dish, on top of the stove?
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Mrs. S, possessor of some impressive arm muscles ...

When we lived in Belfast, Debenhams were having a sale of Le Creuset stuff and I got a set of three saucepans, a frying-pan and a small casserole, with a hanging-rack. As you can imagine, this weighed just a little less than Jupiter, but I carried it from the shop to the Cathedral car-park, about quarter of a mile, in pouring rain.

Any suggestion that they belong to anyone but me is met with very short shrift ... [Devil]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Piglet -

1) Yep, just that.

2) I had one of those, too, but I wrecked the pans by putting them in the dishwasher - it stripped the varnish off the handles [Disappointed] (smack wrist!). I still have the rack, which I use as a cookery-book-case, and I hang keys on the pan hooks - magic [Axe murder]

You reminded me of when I bought my sewing machine in Gamage's closing-down sale over 40 years ago. I carried it home on the Tube, from ?Oxford Street out to Greenford, and until you do something like that you do not appreciate quite how far a Tube journey requires you to walk. As it was over 40 years ago, sewing machines were made from melted-down overground rails or the like, you can imagine what it weighed.

I still have it, still use it, never going to declutter that [Overused]

Mrs. S, sorry about the tangent [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
Right. <cracks knuckles, stretches arms, grabs bin bags and a vacuum cleaner> Dad will arrive on Saturday and I have three days of work and nine hours of rehearsals and a performance to get done before then. And the room he's going to be sleeping in is my craft place. Send me some good slinging-things-out thoughts.

Cattyish, pulling on rubber gloves.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
Do you mean boil the cloths in bleach inside the dish, on top of the stove?

I wondered that as well but was too shy to post! Thanks for the reply Mrs S.

cattyish - good luck!
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Porridge smells nicer than boiling up bleach (or biological washing powder) with cloths on top of a stove, and does a surprisingly good job. I've done both, just not entirely convinced I ever want to eat the porridge that's doing the clean up job.

I got my Le Creuset pan set from a church fête for £5. And they were battered when I got them.
 
Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on :
 
Weeded out some records yesterday. We need to wrestle our basement into some semblance of order.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
... not entirely convinced I ever want to eat the porridge that's doing the clean up job ...

Or any other porridge for that matter ... [Projectile]

Sorry - end of porridge tangent. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I took two large plastic storage bins of clothing to church yesterday for our upcoming Rummage (aka Jumble) Sale. I have a little more closet space now, and my drawers are so much neater and roomier! Next week I'll take over some household items and electronics.

And I've been organizing/decluttering my home office during Lent. There's been a huge improvement.
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Gah!

I have been meaning to deal with the detritus that has washed up in the living room as a result of failing to completely unpack (and re-home the baby haggis) after several weekends away. Now I've given myself the motivational event of a number of people needing to have a small dance rehearsal in the living room tomorrow! It's about time but [Eek!] !

Strangely, I think the thing that will make it easier is sorting my wardrobe so that things can go back in it and I will have sensible access to the storage under my bed (which is where the haggis spend the majority of the year). So that'll be a good job for my afternoon of today, along with some extra errands.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
the storage under my bed (which is where the haggis spend the majority of the year).

You keep haggis under your bed? Doesn't it go off and smell terrible? [Eek!]

Here at Chateau Nen, Project Decorate our Bedroom is actually making progress. Our wardrobes plus contents are now in Nenlet1's old bedroom. Even more sorting and decluttering has appeared. The spare room is clearer than it was. Mr Nen is talking about Mirror Doors and Feature Walls. It's been a busy day.

Nen - now exhausted and looking forward to a return to work for a rest tomorrow.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Because they promised us showers, I coerced Mr. S into decluttering the garage. Yes, I know, we did it last year - but because it is the Last Chance Saloon for everything that has been partially decluttered from the rest of Chez S*, it has to be re-done periodically (like getting oneself organised - it just doesn't Stay Done!)

The dustbins are full and we even have some storage space on the shelves [Biased] I may have wrecked my beloved vacuum cleaner by getting dead leaves stuck in the tubes, but that's a matter for another day [Ultra confused] along with taking a ton of dead blinds, video tapes, bits of deceased computers, etc etc, to the dump - but NOT on Easter Bank Holiday Monday, thank you so much [Big Grin]

* it stays in the garage for six months, and if we haven't missed it by then - farewell!

Mrs. S, weary but decluttered [Yipee]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Well done Mrs S!

I remembered this thread whilst visiting my eldest brother over Easter. He was born with a poor sense of smell in addition to being learning disabled which means he was totally unaware of the pong of the damp dishcloths in the washing basket and in the sink, so I grabbed them and put them on to boil with a pre-wash soaker. The smell was horrendous, and my youngest brother, who has a very acute sense of smell, came in looking pale and complaining about my "archaic sanitary practices", meanwhile his son accused me of causing the bugs to become airbourne and likely starting another outbreak of the bubonic plague [Roll Eyes]

Don'tcha just love family gatherings (the purpose of this one being so youngest brother and his son could bond over building a piece of kitset furniture for oldest brother).

Actually they did a good job, given the limitations of the kitset.

Huia
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
the storage under my bed (which is where the haggis spend the majority of the year).

You keep haggis under your bed? Doesn't it go off and smell terrible? [Eek!]
Have no fear, Nen, these are not the kind of haggis that go off. There are about 40 of them and they were created out of socks and newspaper and come out on a roughly annual basis to be hunted so I can make grown adults do ridiculous things for small chocolate prizes.

And they are safely re-ensconced under my bed, having been removed for a weekend away back in February. The full how-to on our decluttering (really just glorified tidying with bonus TV-to-the-tip-ing) efforts can be found on the beloved's blog (lurky shipmate Callanish). There was something very apposite about getting through that on Easter Saturday, when Jesus was traditionally harrowing Hell. Just got to keep it up now, but we've hit 'dishes zero' each night since, so this time it might just stick.

Perhaps one day I will be an advanced enough declutterer that I will deal with the boxes that have been occasionally opened but not really unpacked since we moved in 21 months ago. Then I'll know I'm a proper grown-up.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
Having finished our internal redecoration, we now have a 6 cubic metre skip in the driveway slowly being filled with the accumulated useless contents of our double garage, including a dead mower, assorted doors, broken furniture and so on. It's about half full so far. We have until next Monday to complete the task when the truck will come to take it all away.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Well done, Barnabas Aus. You must live in a quiet little corner up there in the Hunter.

In Sydney, all material to be deposited in a skip is gathered in one space near where skip will be dumped. On its arrival, a frantic amount of tossing sees rubbish thrown out and skip hopefully filled. To leave a skip partly empty is an open invitation to have it filled at your expense with rubbish from the rest of the street.
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
Dumping stuff is not the only problem. The last (and only) time we had a skip, I had to prevent some White Van Men from nicking everything. Having tried to stack everything in some sort of order to fill the skip as much as possible and gone for a cup of tea, I found some guy in a high vis jacket hip deep in cupboard doors and circuit boards, presumably trying to find scrap metal. I was not a happy Arachnid. [Mad]
 
Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
Round here skips are fair game. Anything you put in is assumed to be unwanted and up for grabs.
 
Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
We live in a council estate that still has a lingering reputation, despite the fact it's quiet with a group of polite kids who hang around playing out and threading conkers..we have had a skip outside our house for 4 weeks and nothing extra has been put in it.

We are buying an extra skip to put some general waste in it, and once the extension is finished we should have enough space to not feel cluttered. Although in the mean time it's...interesting.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
ken:
quote:
Round here skips are fair game. Anything you put in is assumed to be unwanted and up for grabs.
Well, that's fair enough, but I think what Arachnid was complaining about was people coming along and rummaging through her carefully stacked skip and not putting the things they didn't want back into it afterwards.

And maybe I'm being unreasonable, but I would object to someone walking onto my drive (which is where skips are parked when we need one) and having a rummage. Unless they knocked on the door and asked permission, that is.

[ 23. April 2014, 15:23: Message edited by: Jane R ]
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
ken:
quote:
Round here skips are fair game. Anything you put in is assumed to be unwanted and up for grabs.
Well, that's fair enough, but I think what Arachnid was complaining about was people coming along and rummaging through her carefully stacked skip and not putting the things they didn't want back into it afterwards.

And maybe I'm being unreasonable, but I would object to someone walking onto my drive (which is where skips are parked when we need one) and having a rummage. Unless they knocked on the door and asked permission, that is.

Yep, that's pretty much it. If it was a random person passing I wouldn't have been bothered. This was 3 men and a large van attempting to move stuff in bulk from a skip sat inside my front garden.

I did once have a rusted car rack (someone had thrown it over the fence) mysteriously disappear from the side of the house though, so scavengers can sometimes be useful.
 
Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
Drives and gardens. I hadn't thought of that. Skips are left in the street here. You need to get permission from the council for them.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
This may come as a shock to you, Ken, but things are different outside London... [Biased]
 
Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
[Big Grin]

But I lived half my life in Brighton (5 different houses, one in Hove, actually) and I've also lived in Bognor, Durham, and Newcastle, and a small mining village near Durham, and members of my immediate family have lived in places I've visited in and around Glasgow (many houses), Gourock, Greenock, East Kilbride, somewhere in Ayrshire, Fife, Lossiemouth, Preston, somwhere near Preston, Newcastle, other parts of Tyneside, Seaham, Woodbridge, a farm near Ipswich, Chichester, Worthing, Lewes, and other places. And the only ones with a big enough front to park a skip off-street were the colliery village and the farm - genuinely rural places (and short-term temporary rented for us, not permanent homes).

Maybe its to do with hills?

(You could have parked an aircraft carrier in the place near Ipswich if you could have got it there. It had sheds housing a quarter of a million ducks, and a lot of space left over. My relatives were just renting a house on the grounds - we were nothing to do with the farm. But I will never forget what duck poo smells like. I reckon I could identify a mallard in flight by smell alone now. If it flew close enough.)

[ 24. April 2014, 06:11: Message edited by: ken ]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
That is a rare and unusual talent Ken.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Project Decorate Our Bedroom continues apace. [Big Grin] Our aim this weekend is to move our bed into Nenlet1's bedroom and ensconce ourselves there awhile. I am clearing my dressing table even as we speak (yes, really - those of you who think I'm on the Ship are hallucinating) and Mr Nen is in the utility room clearing out our collection of carrier bags. This, of course, is not directly related to the Project but it needed to be done and I'm grateful he's addressing it. He is Carrier-Bag-Preserver-In-Chief.

Nen - who has not passed on Mrs S's words in support of clearing a room before you decorate it. He's entrenched enough in that idea already. [Biased]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Whatever works for you, Nen!

I have just had to declutter the booze cupboard as we have had French doors put in the breakfast room instead of a window, and Mr. S decided that it would be better somewhere (anywhere?) else *sigh*.

Unfortunately that means I now have lost the surface where I stored my new/pre-loved paella pan so I had to clear ANOTHER shelf for it to go on.

I have a theory that Mr. S would really like to get rid of all the furniture, and live in an empty house with just a computer for company ...

Mrs. S, who was not allowed to declutter the booze cupboard into her stomach [Devil]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I have just had to declutter the booze cupboard...

I'd be happy to come help you.
[Biased]
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
Nen, I hope you have more success than us. We were to move into the spare bedroom once son and his wife had moved to their Air Force house, but daughter moved back in the next day, and our redecorating took an extra two years as a result.

On the current decluttering, our skip is full to the brim, and awaiting collection tomorrow. Some of the boxes we decluttered came with us to this house 25 years ago, and Mrs BA had not opened them since. She seems to be overcoming her tendency to hoard at last.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I have just had to declutter the booze cupboard...

I'd be happy to come help you.
[Biased]

Sorry Pigwidgeon - we have no cheap GIN and I (most unChristian-ly!) am not prepared for you to help me declutter my precious Bombay Sapphire [Devil]

Mrs. S, who put all the booze back in the cupboard [Angel] rather than make the killer punch!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Yay, this decluttering lurk is sometimes very rewarding. Wintery blasts have struck and I have found a lovely dark turquoise, merino top in my wardrobe and a deep purple long sleeved top with a design of leaves in light grey, both of which I had forgotten about. It's like being given a gift. Also I have dumped some ancient T shirts that were totally beyone the pale [Yipee]

When I was getting some potting mix in the hardware shop today I saw a wardrobe organiser that had 2 rails for hanging things, space for shoes and some shelves for tops etc. I am seriously thing of buying one because it would be easier to have specific places for things to go, rather than the present arrangement of one rail with shoes etc in a heap down below. I will need to take measurements and if I get it will need to attatch it to a wall or something in case we get more big shakes.

This getting organised could become addictive [Big Grin]

Huia
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
This getting organised could become addictive [Big Grin]

Huia

[Overused]

I find it a great cure for the blues, especially on a wet grey day. Unfortunately it isn't effective (or not AS effective, anyway) if you are on your own, or (I imagine) if you are actually Depressed. I wonder how getting organised could be organised as therapy?

Mrs. S, looking for a DPhil in Decluttering Studies [Smile]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{Everybody}}}}}

Making progress here. [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
{{{{{Everybody}}}}}

Making progress here. [Smile]

Please don't declutter our thread, Firenze!

Mrs. S, wishing she could declutter some of her family [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Lodger No.2 moves out this week. This will leave me with a spare room until some visitors come to stay in August and a new exchange student arrives in September. I shall be decluttering away the enormous desk (it's a good size, actually, but coupled with the gigantic bed it just doesn't fit) and redecorating over the next few weeks. Thereafter I resolve not to fill it with displaced clutter from the rest of the flat. Honest Guv.

In other news, the grand declutter a couple of weeks ago seems to have stuck. Except that the hat of a 5' tall model of the Moulin Rouge has taken up residence on the dining table. But that's only temporary. We have even achieved washing-up zero every day since the big tidy (with the exception of last night when a delayed plane meant it was wash up and become a pumpkin or fall in to bed and not be a zombie at work today). Next challenge is probably laundry zero, but I don't feel that catching up with the laundry has the same benefit on my quality of life as the dishes do. Clearly a sign that I have too many clothes and should start my decluttering efforts in my wardrobe, I fear.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
A laundry zero would be impossible here at the moment despite my best effforts as the rain has been almost constant. I managed quite a bit yesterday, the first fine day for ages, but today fog is forecast, so I suspect it will be one of those grey days when the washing just hangs limply on the line. I am seriously contemplating a dryer.

Mrs S, I know my clutter is depression linked but it almost seems circular situation of low energy levels leading to mess, leading to being overwhelmed by the mess, which then fuels the depression. It's not as neat as that of course with other factors coming into play. I'm hoping that my almond eating, which increases my energy levels will help break the cycle and at least give me more control over the chaos.

Usually I get someone from student job search to help, which had led to mixed results because they often don't have the life experience/confidence which means I still need to decide what to ask them to do whereas now I've got an older woman from an agency who is great because she can see what needs doing and will say, "how about tackling this next?"

My only problem with this is that agency gets a very large chunk of the money I pay, while she is on the minimum wage. This doesn't sit well with me as she is worth a lot more than that. I was paying individual students about what the agency charges.

Huia
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Our garage has had a visit from either
a) the declutter fairies or
b) thieves.

We suspect it's the latter. They have taken a bike and possibly other stuff, but the cluttered condition of the garage means it's difficult to be sure.

We have reported the theft, and have been told a police officer will be round at some point. This could be embarrassing.

[Hot and Hormonal]

(Although when the police actually see the rubbish we store in the garage they may be more understanding as to why we weren't in the habit of keeping the garage door locked.)
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Pleased to hear about so much good progress everybody [Smile]

I hope the police are able to help, North East Quine

MrsShrew (who has been reading but failing to post anything due to a forgotten Ship password that she eventually remembered on the bus this morning - I think i need to declutter my brain!)
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
A laundry zero would be impossible here at the moment despite my best effforts as the rain has been almost constant. I managed quite a bit yesterday, the first fine day for ages, but today fog is forecast, so I suspect it will be one of those grey days when the washing just hangs limply on the line. I am seriously contemplating a dryer.

Laundry zero seems like an almost impossible challenge to us as well, so we have decided that we will declare it in the first instance when the laundry baskets are empty, regardless of how much laundry is 'in process'. Thereafter we may progress to attempting to get all clothes clean and dry at the same time. Possibly even put away. There are no plans to include ironing in the scheme at any point.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
You'll then need more cupboards, TTP!

I remember when nagging my son to declutter the heap of sh*t he called his room, he used to collect all the clothes that were lying about and put them in the laundry basket. (It's off my desk, innit?)

At least half of them could simply be shaken out, refolded and returned to him as they were [Devil]

I got a friend of mine who lives alone to take up something for Lent last year - when she came in from work and got changed, she put her clothes and shoes away rather than just dropping them on the floor. More than a year later it's still stuck. [Angel] Didn't work so well with the heaps of paper, sadly [Waterworks]

Mrs. S, applauding the efforts of all!
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
On Friday last week I tipped everything out of the big blue box I use for carrying things to and from Brownies each week, so that I could use it for taking things on a Brownies outing. Does it count as decluttering that yesterday evening I rediscovered the dining table under the heap of mess? It's quite amazing how much of it could go straight to the bin, and how much more could be put away upstairs (or at least moved to the landing), and yet the box is still full...!

I'm needing to find some motivation to crack on with some real clearing - the village fete is coming up soon, so maybe that'll be my target. [Smile] Both Opuses cleared out their books recently, and we took enough to Op 2's school for their spring fete that it would have stocked a reasonable book stall just from what we provided! Hopefully we can repeat the feat with unwanted toys and games now. And both rooms will still be packed to the gunwales. [Help]
 
Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 
I just want to say thank you for your help weeks ago. I then disappeared ('flu, Easter, aged relative) but with your input I have cleared the wardrobe and one box under the bed and sent three carrier bags of clothes to a local charity [Smile]

Next the two boxes never unpacked since we moved in.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Does ironing count as clutter?

And if so, how long does it need to have been waiting for attention before it's in that catagory?
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
Does ironing count as clutter?

And if so, how long does it need to have been waiting for attention before it's in that catagory?

Haha! Good question!

I used to have piles and piles of ironing just like I used to have piles and piles of paper.

I dealt with it just like I did the paper piles, little and often. I have an 'ironing station' permanently set up (it's a table board set up on the work surface in the utility room) and I do three or four bits of ironing every day. I find that amount perfectly manageable - so I put it in a routine, like teeth cleaning. Come downstairs, iron, let dog out of crate, walk dog. (She watches me iron while waiting - it's good for dogs to wait like this, stops the 'greeting frenzy' most dogs will get into if allowed).

It works! The hardest bit was getting through the original piles before I started the new regime.

[Smile]
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Hmm, Smudgie! There's your answer! 4 pieces every day between duvet and coffee! [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I never iron. I got the iron out last weekend to do an iron-on patch for a pair of Nr Nen's trousers. The time before that was two years ago when I ironed the white shirts for Mr Nen and Nenlet2 to wear on Nenlet1's wedding day. A lot of smoothing and folding goes on in my house. Also, I possess that wonderful thing, a tumble dryer. Huia - and anyone else who doesn't have one - I strongly recommend it. If you put shirts and blouses in and time it so that you're at the door when it stops you can whisk the things out, give them a shake, put them on hangers and presto! No iron required.

As I was explaining on the Purgatory "Stuff" thread, Mr Nen and I have achieved the move into Nenlet1's old bedroom (which I must start calling the spare room as she's not lived here for two years, see above) and we are surprisingly uncramped and comfortable in there. Operation Strip Wallpaper has now commenced. [Big Grin]

I aspire to Boogie's "little and often" when it comes to dealing with papers but I've got a long way to go before I achieve it.

I am on retreat this weekend so hoping to achieve laundry zero before lunchtime tomorrow. I am well on the way, with both washing machine and tumble dryer in action even as we speak. No ironing to do, of course. [Biased]

Nen - slightly wrinkled and that's not just the clothes.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I have achieved ironing zero this week (the pile definitely counted as clutter as it had been there ages and was blocking access to other things.)
Laundry zero seems unlikely to ever occur, although maybe if I get a whole weekend sometime I will manage it.

Beethoven-my big Brownie bag sounds much like your blue box.
 
Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on :
 
Fortunately, all of our clotehs, are wash, dry, fold and wear.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
I never iron. I got the iron out last weekend to do an iron-on patch for a pair of Nr Nen's trousers. The time before that was two years ago when I ironed the white shirts for Mr Nen and Nenlet2 to wear on Nenlet1's wedding day. A lot of smoothing and folding goes on in my house. Also, I possess that wonderful thing, a tumble dryer. Huia - and anyone else who doesn't have one - I strongly recommend it.

We used to 'iron' using the tumble dryer. We stopped using it when the economy drive started (we are both now semi-retired) and saved £16 a month just on that!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Yep it's not just the cost of buying the dryer, but the on-going running costs - I might have to give up bubble baths as a trade-off [Disappointed]

I had a real break through today. I was sorting through the wardrobe, biffing out clothes right, left and centre [Smile] and thinking about the organiser I had seen, when I remebered two small bookcases I had bought for my bedroom, but which when I got them home just weren't suitable. They are four ft high and 1 ft square and side by side will fit neatly into the end of the wardrobe, providing 8 small cubby holes for foot wear, woolly hats etc. I could even buy some light weight drawers to put in them small items like socks.

I have also allocated a place for my backpack so I no longer run around the house looking for it every morning. As my keys, buscard and wallet live in it this is essential for stress relief.

And the vacuum cleaner fits under the bed, which means I can use the larger space where it formerly lived for my emergency supplies [Yipee]

My mother used to say, A place for every thing and every thing in it's place I'm finally seeing that as a possibility.
Huia
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Washing-up zero slipped again last night. But at least it wasn't a baking night like Wednesday was.

It looks (she says quietly, surreptitiously looking over her shoulder out of the window) like there might be enough sun and breeze this afternoon to put a load on the line so I may start to tackle the laundry mountain. And perhaps cast my eye briefly over the clothes in my wardrobe for items that don't get enough wear to justify their continued taking up space.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I'm still using the iron that my mum bought me to go away to college - thirty years on! I do ironing, on average, about four times a year.

I'm rather pleased that I've decluttered my "in-tray" next to my computer, and found the notes I'd made for the next part of my story (which has been on the back burner for some time).
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Although my parents always had a tumble-dryer, D. and I never had one until we moved here - I used to dry everything on radiators, clothes-horses or the backs of chairs.

I certainly wouldn't be without it now - and it negates a lot of the need for ironing, as long as you take the stuff out as soon as possible.

The first time my in-laws came to visit us here they were so impressed they bought their first one as soon as they went home.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I decided to declutter a velvet skirt which I had never worn. Due to freecycle bouncing my post back to me several times (my carelessness) [Hot and Hormonal] I got a bit flustered and didn't put the size into my post. A woman came to pick it up and it fits her perfectly [Yipee]

Most of the clothes I'm getting rid of are beyond passing on even for patchwork, but this was unworn and waiting to be taken up.

I've been wanting to declutter some cross stitch pattern books for ages, so I might freecycle them too.

Huia
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I achieve ironing zero quite a lot, because I iron in front of the TV; I virtually never watch anything on TV without ironing at the same time.

Laundry zero sounds like an impossible dream,though, because of the dreaded "hand-wash-only" items which live at the bottom of the basket awaiting the rare combination of a good drying day / time to hand-wash. My husband bought a red silk dragon print hand-wash-only tablecloth in China; it is a nightmare. It's so large that it takes up the whole line and thus needs the even-rarer combination of good drying day / nothing else on the line / time to hand wash. The last twice I have washed it, husband has sloshed gravy on it on its first reappearance on the table, so it's been straight back into the laundry basket for a further long sojourn.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
I never iron. I got the iron out last weekend to do an iron-on patch for a pair of Nr Nen's trousers. The time before that was two years ago when I ironed the white shirts for Mr Nen and Nenlet2 to wear on Nenlet1's wedding day. A lot of smoothing and folding goes on in my house. Also, I possess that wonderful thing, a tumble dryer. Huia - and anyone else who doesn't have one - I strongly recommend it.

We used to 'iron' using the tumble dryer. We stopped using it when the economy drive started (we are both now semi-retired) and saved £16 a month just on that!
I shall not be sharing that with Mr Nen - the tumble dryer is one of the things that massively de-stresses my life and keeps laundry clutter to a minimum (not to mention time saving - I actually quite enjoy ironing but it takes hours [Eek!] ). We are both working at present and I consider it £16 a month (or whatever) well spent. [Smile]

Bank Holiday Monday and no excuse not to hit the decluttering. I guess I couldn't go on permanent retreat? No?

Nen - off to find a black bin liner.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
We're still working our way through the shredding which was an unfortunate consequence of the garage declutter - a whole LARGE box of papers from Mr. S's work [Eek!] So, the poor little shredder is permanently set up in the garage and anyone passing by runs a few sheets through it, till it cries 'mercy' and shuts itself down.

Memo to self - why can't people do that?

Three days of sunny weekend/bank holiday weather have allowed me to achieve Laundry Zero [Yipee] even with bath towels!

Mrs. S, off to declutter the biscuit tin [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
My current important decluttering task is the freezer. It is in serious need of defrosting.

So, I am enjoying a couple of weeks of eat whatever I've defrosted, and lazy cooking. I'll restock during the next half-term break, which is not far away now.

It's one of my favourite decluttering jobs!!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
My job for today is the wardrobe - we've got tiny moths again - grrrrrrr! Everything will have to be vacuumed and washed.

[Mad]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Father Christmas Hat still in washing basket, so no washing zero for me.......yet.

Ironing may reach zero level tonight, if there is something half way decent on telly.

Shoes, they are clutter if...............?
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:

Shoes, they are clutter if...............?

Shoes are clutter if you never wear them - simples!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:

Shoes, they are clutter if...............?

Shoes are clutter if you never wear them - simples!

[Smile]

[Overused] [Axe murder]
Boogie, you are our declutter guru. [Smile]

Another question - how do you decide what paperwork to keep and what to discard and, once decided, how do you store/file it?

Nen - seeking wisdom.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
I just know that i have asked this question here before....but...how does one store shoes, so as to enable them NOT to be clutter?

There is a veritable clutter party going on under my bed right now and every now and then they all spill out into the bedroom.....
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Loads of options here. We have a very nice stainless steel shoe rack outside the front door and we still scatter shoes all over the verandah!

[Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
That would work if Himself did not use the bottom rack for all the shoes he no longer wears, but refuses to part with.

And what are you doing up at this time??
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I have the interlocking boxes thingy. May not look pretty, but it beats tripping over scattered shoe in dimly-lit bedroom and smacking yourself painfully in the face with the floor.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I just recently bought two of these. which I have stacked. The width is perfect for my closet, and they hold just the right number of shoes for me (after I'd decluttered about four pairs to our Rummage sale).
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have stackable clear plastic boxes, which hold two pairs each, and which fit into the bottom of my wardrobe.

I have a few pairs which I virtually never wear, but which I might wear again; perhaps I should make more effort to take them out of those plastic boxes now and again.
 
Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Hurrah for me! [Smile]

My best friend is organising one of those "sell all your unwanted stuff for a good cause" sales on Thursday (which is a public holiday here).

Tonight I went on the Attack™. Because it entertained me to count, I am giving away: 34 bits of jewellery (mostly costume jewellery but there's a few silver bits in there), 7 handbags, 2 of those big Ikea bags of clothes and various random household items. I was ruthless - anything that I can't remember the last time I wore/used has to go.

I am feeling very proud of myself.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
That is so impressive [Yipee] [Overused]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Good job, la vie en rouge!
[Overused]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
I just know that i have asked this question here before....but...how does one store shoes, so as to enable them NOT to be clutter?

There is a veritable clutter party going on under my bed right now and every now and then they all spill out into the bedroom.....

I have two of those hanging thingies with pockets in, hung in the spare wardrobe (yes, I know, showing off) and I think they are terrific. So easy to put the shoes away tidily in pairs, and they are on view and easy to see and get out again.

I could have more if I decluttered the suits I used to wear about 15 years ago which are now taking up the rest of the hanging rail [Hot and Hormonal]

Mrs. S, still working on the shredding
 
Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Boogie, you are our declutter guru. [Smile]

Another question - how do you decide what paperwork to keep and what to discard and, once decided, how do you store/file it?

Nen - seeking wisdom. [/QB]

I suspect we have been hiding from this question, behind the heaps of papers.

Confession time: when we moved, we brought all the financial paperwork from the past 30 years with us. We had to dispose of at least six boxes worth. We now keep it in folders by financial year and shred it when the taxman no longer requires it to be kept. We also keep folders by subject (house, car, insurance, utilities ...) and, where necessary, divide them into two parts: one to be kept permanently and one which can be weeded regularly.

We then bought a smallish filing cabinet and the paperwork is only allowed to live in there. (Even so, I am sure it breeds ...)

We also allowed ourselves a space each where we are allowed to keep whatever we like and the other person is not allowed to call it clutter or complain. I have old birthday cards and manuals for a dead camera on mine. My husband has his grandfather's paperwork on his, so I don't think we are really in a position to offer advice!
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:

Shoes, they are clutter if...............?

Shoes are clutter if you never wear them - simples!

[Smile]

If they are uncomfortable, don't fit well or don't go with any of your clothes.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
This is the week I'm going to declutter my study. It's mostly paperwork. I'm bored already.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The boredom is now tempered with appallment at how big a backlog of paperwork there is. [Frown]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Stick with it NEQ - 'il faut souffrir pour etre deluttered'*

*'one must suffer in order to become liberated from clutter'

but it really will All Be Worth It.

Best go and buy a new shredder ready for the onslaught, though! [Ultra confused]

Mrs. S, somewhat smug
 
Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
Defunct paperwork is compost dry matter in my book. In Mr C's opinion it must be burned. Of course, he doesn't take the ashes out, so I decant them (eventually) to the compost anyway.

I am inheriting my Dad's cluttering tendencies. It's not quite hoarding (I tell myself) but it's inconvenient.

Cattyish, Needs to spend time on this thread.
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
This is the week I'm going to declutter my study. It's mostly paperwork. I'm bored already.

I tend to record lots of radio programmes, Book at Bedtime and the like, that sit on the dvr for ages, but they're perfect for decluttering to as you only really use half a brain to sort through things. Recent programmes have been reading of Lynn Truss's horror story about cats, and the history of citrus fruit in Europe. Helps make the time skip along a bit quicker.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by cattyish:
Defunct paperwork is compost dry matter in my book. In Mr C's opinion it must be burned. Of course, he doesn't take the ashes out, so I decant them (eventually) to the compost anyway.

Would a shredder solve the problem? If Mr C wants the destroyed because of privacy concerns, the shredder would do that -- and it would make the paper easier to compost.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by cattyish:
... Cattyish, Needs to spend time on this thread.

Piglet. Needs to spend less time on this thread and more time decluttering.

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Lynn Truss wrote a horror story about Cats? Must look that out. I tend to do my big decluttering bouts to the sound of story cds from the library. It means I don't begrudge the time so much.

Huia, addicted to reading.
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Lynn Truss wrote a horror story about Cats? ...

yup

A bit since, we had major work done on the house such that 70% of our possessions needed to be boxed up and approx. 70% of those were books. Quite a few of the books are ones that 'fell into my lap' on the closure and restructure of the local libraries; worth a read, but maybe not to keep.

I may look as though I'm reading, but as the book will end up in a charity shop, I'm actually decluttering. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
I may look as though I'm reading, but as the book will end up in a charity shop, I'm actually decluttering. [Big Grin]

I love that logic!
[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I have had fine luck with a wire wall-mounted shoe rack. It hangs on the wall of a closet that is otherwise too narrow and deep to be efficiently used, and all of the shoes are off the floor and don't lose their mates.

The other decluttering tip I spotted the other day (I think it was via Martha Stewart) is to unsubscribe or mark as spam at least one commercial or marketing email this week. If you get one email a week from some site that you bought something from five years ago, that is one heck of a lot of email. Block it, and save time.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Of course...how silly: rather than endlessly waiting for the shredder to cool down....i can compost the wretched stuff

THANK YOU!
[Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Lynn Truss wrote a horror story about Cats? Must look that out. I tend to do my big decluttering bouts to the sound of story cds from the library. It means I don't begrudge the time so much.

Huia, addicted to reading.

I can do almost any sort of w*rk - gardening, cleaning, ironing - almost eternally, with a new audiobook to listen to!

Mrs. S, earphones* permanently in place

*pink ones, decorated with owls [Overused]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
The other decluttering tip I spotted the other day (I think it was via Martha Stewart) is to unsubscribe or mark as spam at least one commercial or marketing email this week. If you get one email a week from some site that you bought something from five years ago, that is one heck of a lot of email. Block it, and save time.

I regularly "unsubscribe" from email lists, most of which I'd never subscribed to in the first place. Even better -- I've just started calling every catalog company that sends me catalogs, often weekly. If they can't promise me fewer catalogs, I'm having them remove me from their lists completely. I'm hoping to see results in a month or so.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Well, one thing about decluttering the study - it makes laundry seem exciting. My laundry basket is empty!

Although the corollary to that is that in a couple of hours time, assuming no rain, my ironing basket will be full.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
NEQ:
quote:
it makes laundry seem exciting...
NOTHING can make laundry seem exciting. Not even this.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I decluttered a biro today. [Yipee] It may not sound like much but it was one of those freebies that come with begging letters through the post and it's the sort of thing I'd kept because it was free. I used it this morning and it was horrible - all blobby and blotchy - and instead of throwing it back into a drawer (it works doesn't it?!) I chucked it into the bin.

I also made a trip to the charity shop with three bagfuls of stuff we're not going to use any more.

Nen - making slow, very slow, progress.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Living with a hoarder [worse than me by several degrees of magnitude] can be difficult but last night I at least tidied away the old remote controls for devices we don't use any more - once they have been out of sight for a while they may mysteriously disappear altogehter.

[Cool]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I did a major declutter a couple of weekends ago to make space for studio flat contents in two bed flat, several bags of stuff out for rubbish and recycling, but I still need to do some more. But it's finding time when I'm upright and in.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Living with a hoarder [worse than me by several degrees of magnitude] can be difficult but last night I at least tidied away the old remote controls for devices we don't use any more - once they have been out of sight for a while they may mysteriously disappear altogehter.

[Cool]

That's the way to do it - stealth decluttering!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
I decluttered a biro today. [Yipee] It may not sound like much but it was one of those freebies that come with begging letters through the post and it's the sort of thing I'd kept because it was free. I used it this morning and it was horrible - all blobby and blotchy - and instead of throwing it back into a drawer (it works doesn't it?!) I chucked it into the bin.

Yes, it's this sort of small detritus I find so difficult to deal with. So piles and drawers of it accumulate and then it seems like a huge effort to go through it all.

I have two giant bags full of stuff like this in the garage waiting to be sorted, moved from the old house .

I can't just dump the lot, tempting though it is, because there is also quite a lot of useful stuff in there as well. [Help]

Regarding the freebie pens though I just bin those as soon as they arrive along with their paper. They never work properly and just store up aggro for the future when you really need a pen and have to hunt through all the junk ones to find one that works.

The majority of my major decluttering is finished, it is just the small stuff now and not letting it accumulate.

I think I have some more books I am ready to let go.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Hmmm, I could go and declutter the two desk drawers in my workroom, they are filled with stationery, yet I only sew and mark electronically in there (no more than one pen and notebook needed).
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have cleared the paperwork mountain.

This job has been hanging over me for a long time. I lost control of it all somewhere in between the first move, Dad dying and the second move.

And I decluttered a lot of 'hidden' paper clutter that was out of date stuff neatly stored in box files.

[Yipee]

Now the surface of the table is clear I am going to try reorganising the furniture in the study. I don't think it is going to work the way it is at present. But I couldn't do anything about till I had cleared up all the paperwork.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Thyme, your comment about being ready to let go of things was helpful. Thank you!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I spent yesterday sorting paperwork. It was horrible. Even the space I've cleared doesn't particularly cheer me up because I know there's so much more to do. [Roll Eyes]

Nen - looking forward to the day when she can also declare she's cleared the paperwork mountain.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I filed not quite a year's worth of bank statements today - and having several accounts and in two countries that took a while. It's not hard work work, it's just BORING!!
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making progress, but a lot more to do.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Went through about six years of electricity, water, and phone/internet bills yesterday, shredding sections with my name, address, account number and recycling the rest. All had been neatly filed chronologically, but totally useless to keep. One year is enough.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Half way through the cupboard under the sink
[Frown]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
My neighbour does a table sale for the weekend of the Hay Festival. I usually join her and don't sell much, but this year I got rid of two occasional tables, a child's bow and arrow set, a few books and videos, a hat, a set of double sheets and some alpaca fleece ready for spinning!
And it was a lovely day, and we got to chat with some lovely people.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
To the tip today. Surprisingly little to take! Still a bit of unpacking and sorting to do, mainly in the garage. I might start that this week.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{Everybody}}}}}

I'm ploughing away at stuff, with periodic moments of panic. My building is going through inspections, and mine is towards the end of this month.

My health makes it very difficult to do stuff. I'm pushing hard and making progress, but it's detrimental to my health.

I should have the worst of the clutter gone in about a week. Then it will be a matter of an extremely thorough cleaning, and then double-checking everything.

Juggling this along with my health is very difficult. I need to get stuff done. But if I get too sick from the exertion, it could make me too sick to get stuff done.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Golden key - I hope you find the right balance.

Yay - linen cupboard nearly sorted. One duvet cover in good nick going to a friend as he has the right sized bed for it and needs a replacement, various old sheets and towels that are totally beyond the pale are going to the SPCA who have a shop nearby. One of the staff delivers them to the kennels/cattery. This is good because it means I'm not tempted to adopt a friend for Georgie-Porgy (who would probably beat it up anyway).

There were 2 damask style tablecloths that will probably go to a City Mission Op-Shop and the Birthday Tablecloth. This was the one Mum used to put on the table for all out birthdays and special occasions. It has Colombines (the clown type, not the flowers) embroidered on it and some of the embroidery has worn off. I can't bear to throw it away it was part of Mum's "bottom drawer" or "hope chest" and was the first gift Dad bought her when they were engaged. So far I have been pretty ruthless with the stuff that came for the family home, but I'm keeping this along with the replacement tablecloth I stitched with a picture for each of the 6 family members.

Someone else will have to deal with them when I am no longer capable.

Huia
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well, we're going to have to declutter one of our two reclining chairs (with matching footstool). Master S - who is eight inches taller than Mr S, and built accordingly - sat down in it last night and there was a hideous cracking sound [Confused]

More careful examination this morning shows that the outer layer of lamination has cracked at the apex of the curve, and it does not look capable of being mended [Ultra confused] Can't remember how old they are, but they weren't very expensive (mercifully).

Poor Master S is mortified [Hot and Hormonal] and now we have to replace it somehow - contemplating recovering the (very elderly) Poang chairs from IKEA that we lent The Former Miss S and SiL until they got their furniture sorted!

Mrs. S, thumbing through the IKEA catalogue ...
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My church has a used book sale every August, and I am using this year's as an incentive to cull out books. I have 20 floor-to-ceiling bookcases in the house, so this is no small task.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
All of cupboard under sink...all of cupboard at top of stairs....tired out now!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Well done Ethne Alba.

I was interrupted in my cupbaord clearing by the bloke coming to fit new window catches (yay, no more draughts) and the need to clear spaces for him to work.

I will get back to the cupboards, but meanwhile need to clear the occasional tables out of the bathroom (sigh).

Huia

[ 03. June 2014, 21:24: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Stationery cupboard done (again) but it does get better each time - less unused stuff goes back [Smile]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have taken some stuff to the charity shop today and bought some of those plastic drawer kits to organise our stationery hoard.
 
Posted by Persephone Hazard (# 4648) on :
 
My ultimate plan is to completely renovate my father's flat, which I will soon own outright, and move into it and experiment with living alone for a while. I'm doing the lot - removing a wall, new kitchen, new bathroom, new floors, new ceilings, garden landscapers, the works.

This is as a result the single hugest and most daunting prospect I have ever tried to take on.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Sounds like a wonderful plan, and you know we'll be right behind you cheering you on, PH! Please keep us informed [Smile]

(we're a nosy lot, you know!)

Mrs S, speaking for herself
 
Posted by Persephone Hazard (# 4648) on :
 
Heh, yeah, I eyeballed this thread as the place to panic armwavingly about it on the internet ;-) It is going to be a HUGE JOB.

Dad owns something like ten thousand books. I mean, you all knew ken, this shouldn't come as a surprise - and I'll probably want to keep at least half of them - but they all need to be gone through and organised and sorted, and then stored somewhere for the duration, and then there's everything else.

We accumulate so much *stuff* in a life.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Persephone Hazard:
... Dad owns something like ten thousand books ... and I'll probably want to keep at least half of them.

You don't really want a flat - you want a library. [Big Grin]

I wish you the best of luck: I nearly get an apoplexy whenever I contemplate the task that we'll eventually face with Dad's house: he's 89, he's lived in that house for nearly 50 years and he's a bit of a hoarder ... [Eek!]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Persephone Hazard:
My ultimate plan is to completely renovate my father's flat, which I will soon own outright, and move into it and experiment with living alone for a while. I'm doing the lot - removing a wall, new kitchen, new bathroom, new floors, new ceilings, garden landscapers, the works.

This is as a result the single hugest and most daunting prospect I have ever tried to take on.

You'll need a whiteboard. And lots of post-it notes. (Not even kidding.)

I'm about to move house for the 5th time in 6 years, this time from a shared 3br house (in which I have 2br) into a fully furnished 2br flat.

[Ultra confused] what will I do with all this furniture?!!
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Ikea, for bookcases. Far the cheapest, you can get them all alike, and by the time you assemble half a dozen of them you will be an expert.
 
Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
I do not think you have quite an understanding of the problem Brenda. Here is Ken describing how he organises his books to read

quote:
How do I organise books to read? In loose piles all over the flat. Some three feet high. Some on the floor some not. The three or four or five that are on the go at any one time will be lying open on the table or on my bed or on a chair or else in the bag I take to work.
Back in 2008 we shared pictures of our shelves. Ken's by far was the most impressive. Even then there were piles on the floor. I think Persephone Hazard is likely to have underestimated the number when she says 10,000.

By halving the number of books they might well fit onto existing shelving but she needs the space in order to get the renovations done.

Jengie
 
Posted by Persephone Hazard (# 4648) on :
 
What Jengie said! Plus, the whole place is - uninhabitable. Probably a health hazard.

But it will be gorgeous. It will be. And full of books.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:

You don't really want a flat - you want a library. [Big Grin]

I wish you the best of luck: I nearly get an apoplexy whenever I contemplate the task that we'll eventually face with Dad's house: he's 89, he's lived in that house for nearly 50 years and he's a bit of a hoarder ... [Eek!]


I have an agreement with the Dowager Mrs S - who has lived in the same 4br house for almost 50 years - that she will Leave All That To Me. She is incapable of throwing anything away; having filled bags to take to the charity shop, with clothes she never wears, indeed can no longer wear, she will then have a change of heart and put them all back. [Roll Eyes] She couldn't even bring herself to get rid of an aged set of Dickens - when she already has a set herself that she never reads because the print is miniscule - because Someone Might Want It. [Eek!]

So when she shuffles off this mortal coil it will be a lot easier if I just move in with a skip. The real problem will come if she has to move out, other than feet first - but she's made it to within a week of her 90th birthday, so we'll worry about that when we have to.

Mrs. S, ruthless in disposing of (other people's!) Stuff!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Persephone Hazard:
....We accumulate so much *stuff* in a life.

It was dealing with my mother's *stuff* (not that she had anywhere near the number of books that Ken had but she was pretty good at hoarding cracker toys) that got me started on my own declutter so no-one has to go through what I did - to start with it was 20 year-old bills that might be interesting to someone one day and theatre & concert tickets and programmes, then moving onto clothes that might come back into fashion but which I would never, ever fit into again, boxes of things that I had no idea what was in so I wouldn't miss the contents (I checked first and was right), and so on.
It's now a regular event - anything that didn't move (and sometimes even the cats look worried) comes under scrutiny.

Persephone Hazard, I wish you a smooth journey through to a lovely, beautiful flat.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
With my dad it's not so much books as video-tapes (old war-films, every episode ever made of Bilko and Dad's Army plus much besides) and boxes of slides from over 40 years' worth of holidays, which between them completely fill a built-in wardrobe.

As for the garage ... [Eek!]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I had a sort of reverse or anti-clutter moment yesterday.

I was going round a market - lots of stalls with pre-loved/collectable/antiquey things.

There were two very nice Le Creuset casseroles in good condition. One in orange a bit smaller than my current one. One in blue a bit larger.

I resisted. But now I regret it. I don't have anywhere to put them and I don't really need them. I thought of The Intrepid Mrs S and her paella pan. But I haven't ever thought that what I really need is a different size of casserole.

I managed not to buy quite a lot of things so I am quite proud of myself.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:

I managed not to buy quite a lot of things so I am quite proud of myself.

Well done!

I am a terror for impulse buying online - so now I use the 'wish list' feature. I never buy anything first off, it has to sit in my wish list and be revisited several times before it gets moved to the basket.

I've saved a fortune using this method [Smile]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Persephone Hazard:
What Jengie said! Plus, the whole place is - uninhabitable. Probably a health hazard.

But it will be gorgeous. It will be. And full of books.

Move the whole lot into storage before doing the renovations.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jengie Jon:

Back in 2008 we shared pictures of our shelves. Ken's by far was the most impressive. Even then there were piles on the floor. I think Persephone Hazard is likely to have underestimated the number when she says 10,000.
Jengie [/QB][/QUOTE]

Nevr mind the books-got plenty of those.
I covet the harp!
[Angel]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well done, Thyme! I must say that decluttering has spoiled me for shopping (generally [Hot and Hormonal] ) as I really think I have plenty of Stuff. I must have saved a fortune!

The paella pan was a real exception to that rule, in that I had wanted one for ages, but just couldn't bring myself to pay for a new one.

I am happy to report that it is in regular use and made another appearance on Friday evening, full of Nargisi Kofta for Former Miss S and SiL [Axe murder]

Mrs. S, currently trying to declutter the church by stealth [Smile]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
D. found a mock-Le Creuset paella pan the other day for $50, but it weighed an absolute ton* (it seemed far heavier than the real ones we have). However, right next to it was a slightly smaller, lightweight, non-stick two-handled shallow casserole with a glass lid, which only cost $20 (and was also the right colour - "Le Creuset" orange), so we bought it instead. I tried it out the other day and I must say I was well pleased.

Not de-cluttering, but as it sits happily on top of the larder-cupboard, it's not really cluttering either.

* I'd have almost worried about it going through the ceramic stove-top. [Eek!]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Actually, I prefer almost any of the other Le Creuset colours to the orange. They do beautiful blue and aqua - I have one casserole in each of those shades - and Former Miss S has a smaller paella pan in purple [Axe murder] Then there's the gun-metal grey and the almond, and even the brown seems to me to be preferable, although only slightly.

I lived through the 60's and wore far too much orange ever to love it again! [Roll Eyes] Brown not quite so much, though I remember tons of brown carpet and soft furnishings.

The Reminiscent Mrs. S
 
Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
I just asked my wife to give away all of my extra-large t-shirts that she does not wish to keep for nightdresses. In my industry, I often get shirts from employers and shows that are damn-all worthless; those I keep are the ones from architecture school, my first real date with my lovely bride of 36 years seeing Sir Elton on tour, my Bridges to Babylon Stones tour when I was forty and the 'Kamana Wana Lei U' t-shirt I bought in Hawaii that was featured in a memorable nightclub photo with seven pretty girls when I was a 20-year-old university student who surfed a bit in Kona on the Big Island...

I am also plagued with 9 rooms of furniture in a 7-room house!
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Actually, I prefer almost any of the other Le Creuset colours to the orange ...

I love some of the other colours too (especially the turquoise), but as the rest of our stuff is orange ("volcano" I believe they call it), that's become the "right" colour for us.

Believe me, it's probably the only orange stuff we possess. [Big Grin]

[ 16. June 2014, 13:36: Message edited by: piglet ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making lots of progress, but still a lot to do before building inspection next week.
[Paranoid]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
ecumaniac:
quote:
Move the whole lot into storage before doing the renovations.
If you can afford to pay for storage, this is good advice. We redecorated most of the rooms in our house before moving our stuff in (it was in storage for a week between moving out of the old house and into the new) and it's a lot easier without having to move your stuff around to get at the walls. Just remember to allow time to go through the storage bin when the renovations are done; don't get suckered into paying to keep the extra stuff in storage until the sun explodes...

I managed to persuade my mother-in-law to clear out one of her kitchen cupboards this weekend. We had to clear it out anyway because the plumber needed it empty to replace the taps, and when he'd gone we looked at the stuff and thought 'how much of this actually gets used and needs to go back in the cupboard?' It turned out hardly any of it did.

The unwanted stuff has only got as far as the garage, but it's a start!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I decluttered some kitchen items into the charity shop today. Some of it was a wrench as they were good quality, hardly used items that were wedding presents.

They were hardly used, but I felt very guilty about them as I did ask for them at the time.

When we moved I put them out on an open shelf in the hope that would encourage me to use them, but it didn't. I am hoping that now they are gone they will be out of my mind.

The lady at the charity shop was thrilled with them.

Also decluttered a surprisingly large quantity of shoe polish, either dried up or for shoes I no longer own.

On the downside I found a house clearance shop in the town yesterday. Lots of nice stuff and I bought a plate. I did send a plate to the charity shop to compensate though.

Also found a tapestry frame in the charity shop while I was delivering the kitchen stuff and bought it. [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Actually, I prefer almost any of the other Le Creuset colours to the orange. They do beautiful blue and aqua - I have one casserole in each of those shades - and Former Miss S has a smaller paella pan in purple [Axe murder] Then there's the gun-metal grey and the almond, and even the brown seems to me to be preferable, although only slightly.

[...]
The Reminiscent Mrs. S

I have blue cast iron ware, a red heart casserole and pink stone wear. I would be lying if I described them as anything other than my pride and joy.

I finally bought a sturdy warderobe to replace the ikea one, and it will be delivered today, along with a chest of drawers. Both will go in the baby's room. Despite a new extension (which is now full of a table, washing machine, DVDs and desk), we still need to declutter...and with three adults worth of stuff, and exer expanding amounts of baby paraphelia in a three bed house it's going to be a long job. Which would be fine if I didn't need it sorted in 12 weeks. We will be rather busy at that point.

At some point we will have the third bedroom spare once Housemate moves out, but that won't be til after the baby comes.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Sorted out some handbags for the charity shop.
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
In the spirit of making a public commitment to something, I've decided to post here my intention to kick the hoarding habit. It's not helping me get well, or be good to my kids. The downside is that only the recognisable, complete, saleable stuff can really go - leaving me with the unfinished projects which I currently have no room to work on, and no motivation due to the piles of stuff to climb over to get to them.

So lined up for ebay photos we have an early 60s Ferrograph tape recorder (on my fixit pile for about 20 years), an Edison cylinder phonograph, an early Conn baritone saxophone, a cabinet model wind-up gramophone and pile of 78s, various bits of university lab furniture, a laboratory hotplate, two B&K microphone multiplexers, and (biggest heartache) my last East German two stroke motorbike with enough spares to make about 3 extra engines. Taxed in Jan and not ridden since.

When I add that this doesn't make a very big dent and there will have to be much more gone, you can get an idea of the problem. I'd say PM me if any of this appeals to you, but hey, were at AA here and I'm emptying my drinks cabinet...

MiM - grieving like a right pr*ck.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I lived through the 60's and wore far too much orange ever to love it again! [Roll Eyes] Brown not quite so much, though I remember tons of brown carpet and soft furnishings.

I was at secondary school in the 70s and our school uniform was brown. [Eek!] Never worn that colour since.

Mark - we feel your pain. I decluttered some of my kids' school work months ago and have never really got over it.

Nen - happy to assist in the decluttering of any drinks cupboards. [Biased]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Oh Nenya, such an act of Christian charity [Biased]

Mark does Freecycle exist in Manchester? The reason I'm askking is that it does here and people list all kinds of weird and wonderful things, which others happily come and collect. It has been a boon to me in decluttering - just don't respond to the "offers" otherwise you may end up with more stuff to declutter.

Huia
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
MiM - it might be worth copying your post to this thread.
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
A few years ago, I realised that I was having a hard time decluttering some things that had broken. (Yes, I realise this is somewhat crazy but still.)

A guide leader had made me a dear little clay nativity that had fallen and broken in two and I had carried around the broken pieces for several moves. I wound up taking a photo of it and found that that gave me the confidence to let it go. I've since done it with several other items that I should have been done with but was finding hard to pass on.

I've still got way too much stuff but some of the things that really should have been enjoyed by others are now gone and taking and having a photo of them helped.
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Right, trying 10 minutes a day. Hopefully in a couple of weeks the bedroom will be sensible again...
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I have just (this morning) resigned as Secretary of the Board for a non-profit organization. Within the next week I shall be clearing out all of the records and other items that belong to them but that have been stored in my house. That will make it much easier to declutter my own stuff. (It also provided some emotional decluttering.)
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Done a couple of bookcases and the stuff from my college study. tomorrow: desk!

[ 20. June 2014, 17:04: Message edited by: Jenn. ]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Staring down the face of 4 weeks between moving out of my current house and into the next one. 《Turns up the decluttering setting to Ruthless》
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Good Luck ecumaniac!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
What has poor Ruth got to do with it?
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
What has poor Ruth got to do with it?

She's been decluttered, I think ...

Mrs. S, fetching her coat
 
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 
Nope, still here! [Razz]

My mother did a great job of decluttering when she moved from a big house to a two-bedroom apartment earlier this year, so much so that there is room for everything in her new place and everything is all nice and tidy. After a week with her, I'm feeling fired up about getting rid of some of the stuff that's accumulated in the 21 years I've been in my apartment.

But we'll see how long that fire stays lit once I get home.
 
Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
3 rooms reorganized yesterday. It is so hard to do when it has to be a double 'yes' with your partner, but we made good headway.

It made me realize how much art we have hung on to that neither of us has really strong feelings about - it just sort of 'went with the colour scheme' at the time, or was a memento of a gallery excursion. Our mantra has become "Is it beautiful, is it useful, is it meaningful?"

Suddenly having 8 things to choose from to put on a wall went down to 2 or 3. The nice thing is knowing that we both are really really happy with the end result.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
This week I have decluttered the boxes of equipment my Brownie (girl scout) unit uses for weekend away trips.
I inherited these boxes when I took over the unit 18 months ago. The difficulty is, of course, that everything in the boxes has been bought for or donated to the unit so I find it difficult to dispose of even patently useless items because they are not really *mine* to do that with. I finally snapped this week and decided that the unit running efficiently and without me going spare was more important than holding on to things I believed to be useless out of a sense of propriety.
It has taken all week to get them properly under control but now they are actually right and how I want them, and they have only stuff I need in them. I have replaced the old plastic storage boxes (two of them, each huge to the point that I struggled to get them in my car, and could not lift them without help from a strong friend) with three much smaller and easier to handle plastic storage boxes with integral lids. And with the clearing I have managed to do, I have actually got essential things (the spare sleeping bag, the sick bucket, the first aid kit and the leftover loo and kitchen roll carried over from last year)which previously would not fit inside the boxes to fit in them so this should have a big knock-on effect in tidying up my Brownie storage cupboard too.

We are taking the Brownies away for their annual weekend trip next weekend, after which I am desperately hoping to be able to get on with decluttering my own things again.

Following which, I may try again to have a go at tidying the Brownie storage cupboard (we are lucky to have a huge cupboard, but it is an absolute tip. We share it with the Rainbow (younger girl scout) unit and much of our equipment and craft stocks are shared, making the decluttering even harder.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Well done Mrs Shrew!

Yesterday I did 'that' drawer with all the wires and chargers which match up to nothing at all. Now the only wires I have are useful ones! [Yipee]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well done everyone!

We have had to declutter two reclining chairs in faux-leather. Master S - who is 8 inches taller than his father and built to match - sat down in Mr. S's chair and there was a horrible noise, later identified as the laminated wood actually snapping at the point of greatest strain. [Eek!] All attempts to mend it failed, so we took it to the dump (in dismantling it, we got oil on the carpet [Mad] so that had to be shampooed) and bought a second sofa from IKEA to match the existing one.

Fine - except that my recliner, now viewed from directly in front, rather than sideways,leaned like Lee Marvin's horse in one of those spaghetti westerns. Cue repeat trip to dump, having dismantled THIS one on a dust sheet to avoid the oil.

We had to bring down the spare chair from upstairs to replace it!

Mrs. S, exhausted just thinking about it
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Well done Boogie! "Those" drawers creep up on us!

I'm sorry about your chair, Mrs S. It sounds like a very productive weekend at least
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I am a bad person.
A friend said she was getting rid of a Viking round shield, left behind by her ex-husband. I don't do a lot of Viking re-enactment, but I offered to give it a home. So now I really should have an axe or a spear to go with it....
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Eigon, some things rise above being the designation of clutter -Id give something like this the bebefit of the doubt/

Huia
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Making lots of progress, but still a lot to do before building inspection next week.
[Paranoid]

It will be this Wednesday. I've gotten a lot done, but

[Eek!] [Paranoid]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have set a date for starting the total declutter of the study /spare bedroom. 5th July. And I'm getting excited just thinking about it. [Yipee]
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
Mrs Shrew, would you like to come and sort out my Brownies clutter, pleeeeeeeease? [Big Grin] I took over a unit last September, and have inherited the most terrific amount of pens, pencils and paper, not to mention old resources! I've sorted out the absolute dross, but now have several boxes on my landing of 'too good to bin, not sure I want it' stuff. They've been there since October half-term, so have probably taken root by now...! [Hot and Hormonal]

On the bright side, I did declutter my bedroom a bit by putting away my mountain of clean clothes. So the floor around half the room is visible...
 
Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
Being told that the church Summer Fair is in danger of having an empty white elephant stall is a good spur to a spot of light decluttering!
I have already donated a couple of unwanted Christmas presents to the Tombola (its no fun if all the prizes are desirable is it?) and we have been collecting unwanted books since the Christmas Fair.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Any time I've donated unwanted stuff to church tombolas etc, I've ended up winning worse stuff back....
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
The trouble with donating unwanted pressies to the Fête Worse Than Death™ is that the person from whom you got them might very well be there and think, "didn't I give something like that to D. and Piglet last Christmas?"

[Eek!]
 
Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
The trouble with donating unwanted pressies to the Fête Worse Than Death™ is that the person from whom you got them might very well be there and think, "didn't I give something like that to D. and Piglet last Christmas?"

[Eek!]

The chances of my mother travelling 100 miles to attend an event she does not know about are slim, so we are safe from that horrid fate. [Biased] [Biased]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
The trouble with donating unwanted pressies to the Fête Worse Than Death™ is that the person from whom you got them might very well be there and think, "didn't I give something like that to D. and Piglet last Christmas?"

[Eek!]

If it's something that has been given to me by a parishioner, I donate it elsewhere. (I once bought at a church rummage sale a present I had given someone else!)
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My church, bless them, has a used book sale every August. The best way to think of this is as a way to exchange books you do not (at the moment) want for books that you (at the moment) do. And this year should be especially efficacious for me. The donation period is just before I leave for London, so I will not be in town for the actual sale at all.

In the meantime, however, a relative has sent me two large boxes of framed family photographs, mostly of persons already deceased. I know this is in preparation for the relative's moving house. I still don't appreciate it.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Any time I've donated unwanted stuff to church tombolas etc, I've ended up winning worse stuff back....

Give donations - do not accept tickets!!
 
Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
My church, bless them, has a used book sale every August. The best way to think of this is as a way to exchange books you do not (at the moment) want for books that you (at the moment) do.

I agree in theory...but Mr P and I are now officially responsible for the book stall at church fairs and, spending several hours with the books, putting them out etc., gives one lots of opportunity to find interesting things. I could try to institute a rule of buying no more than we donate but I am not sure that would work.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Any time I've donated unwanted stuff to church tombolas etc, I've ended up winning worse stuff back....

At the tombola in the bazaars of one church I went to there used to be a huge doll dressed in a red flamenco dress - it was the unspoken and unwritten rule that whoever won it brought it back, and everyone was more than pleased to do so. The doll made a fabulous focal point, but was a bit much in anyone's home.... or so we thought until one day she vanished.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
The trouble with donating unwanted pressies to the Fête Worse Than Death™ is that the person from whom you got them might very well be there and think, "didn't I give something like that to D. and Piglet last Christmas?"

[Eek!]

If it's something that has been given to me by a parishioner, I donate it elsewhere. (I once bought at a church rummage sale a present I had given someone else!)
I once had a small and rather ugly model of a duck. I gave this to my mother, who sold it in a church car boot sale. Six months later it turned up in a church tombola. It was won by my aunt, who gifted it to my 10 year old niece - much to my sister's chagrin. I believe it found a home in her flowerbed.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
I once had a small and rather ugly model of a duck. I gave this to my mother, who sold it in a church car boot sale. Six months later it turned up in a church tombola. It was won by my aunt, who gifted it to my 10 year old niece - much to my sister's chagrin. I believe it found a home in her flowerbed.

You are allowed to landfill the truly ugly/pointless/unwanted things! Repeat after me. It's ok to throw it away. It's ok to throw it away... IN THE BIN!
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
I once had a small and rather ugly model of a duck. I gave this to my mother, who sold it in a church car boot sale. Six months later it turned up in a church tombola. It was won by my aunt, who gifted it to my 10 year old niece - much to my sister's chagrin. I believe it found a home in her flowerbed.

You are allowed to landfill the truly ugly/pointless/unwanted things! Repeat after me. It's ok to throw it away. It's ok to throw it away... IN THE BIN!
I agree. Except the 10 year old niece loved it!

Sister's problem, not mine. [Snigger]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
A happy ending then!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Next phase of decluttering must begin next week - if only I'd realised it before today though. Today 2 people arrive to stay for a few nights, which has meant I spent the morning moving Stuff from my usual room to the Smallest Room in the house and emptying a few drawers for them to use, as well as moving furniture on the landing (only holding more Stuff) that I can avoid in the dark but which might catch my guests out. First bags of Stuff (mostly bedding) go to the charity shop this afternoon, and The Smallest Room is now full of Stuff that I thought might come in useful one day and that hasn't (usual story). I think I can get to my bed in there [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
The next phase has begun [Smile] . 1 large item sold, another large item about to be collected, and I'm dismantling a bed (no-one wants it) to take it to the dump. I'm being ruthless and taking even more Stuff to charity shops.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The Great Study Declutter started yesterday, but was mostly tidying up other rooms, so that I had somewhere to move the clutter, pending decluttering.

I start properly today. Books into the diningroom, paperwork into the living room, photographs on the settee and a wee work station -shredder / bin / paper recycling box / charity box / possible sellables box set up in the hallway.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
I got rid of four sacks of clothes last weekend and (thanks to the British Heart Foundation) a sackful of unwanted books last Thursday. Now wondering what to do with a bunch of old VHS tapes that we have no further use for. Can they be recycled? Does anyone know of a UK-based charity that's still taking them for resale?

Next job is shredding old papers. I've been putting it off for a long time, so there are rather a lot of them.
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
The only UK place that I can find that will recycle VHS tapes, but it's not a brilliantly straightforward process.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The Great Study Declutter is going very slowly. I've emptied about a quarter of the contets of the study, and only one piece of furniture, and yet I have managed to take over the livingroom, dining room and hall.

I'm going to empty it all, then sort and declutter before putting any of it back.

I can't believe how much dust there is!
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I took out six bags of trash today!

Mind you, they weren't clutter in the usual sense, just, um, hadn't taken them out in a bit... [Hot and Hormonal] But still!! [Smile]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
It's a start, CM ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Unexpected phone call this morning means we have unexpected guests coming soon so Himself and Herself are going to have to move back upstairs into their own bedroom [don't ask, okay?] so the great bedroom declutter is underway - for the last couple of months all sorts of things have been dumped on their bed - it's a BIG job!

[Snigger]
 
Posted by womanspeak (# 15394) on :
 
Got rid of 1970's wall units ( well into garage ) and sorted the hundreds of books and wine glasses on their shelves. I even regifted some new champagne glasses when I counted the 60 champagne flutes I already owned! I did keep and drink the french champagne that came with them.

The problem is the hundreds of books which were were of no use - old text books, damaged etc were bagged and put in the boot.

Since that time ( a few months ago) the books have had many journeys around the countryside and interstate and one by one I spot one that looks interesting when lifting the shopping bags stacked on top of them and it makes its way back into the house,

I must go to the tip.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Repeat after me - 'I must go to the tip'.

Go directly to the tip. Do not pass Go. Do not collect £200.

Continue to repeat until you reach the tip (AND throw all those books into the skip!)

Mr. S again raised the question of a new kitchen last night - the thought of the havoc that would ensue is enough to deter even an avowed declutterer such as me!

Mrs. S, only too aware of what's at the back of all those cupboards! [Help]
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
And when you're at the tip, dump your books and go straight home - don't stop to look at the possibly-useful things that other people have left there!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The Great Study Declutter is into week 2. The livingroom is completely full of paperwork. The diningroom is completely full of books. The hall has the empty bookcases, so I'm walking sideways along it.

I've been slowed down by finding all sorts of interesting things, although a bit depressed to find decades old New Years Resolution lists that say "This is the year I will write my novel" something which also featured on this year's NYR list.

Still, the horrible green and pink flowery wallpaper is gone! I've only painted one wall so far, but I'm very pleased with the way it's looking.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Polly Plummer:
And when you're at the tip, dump your books and go straight home - don't stop to look at the possibly-useful things that other people have left there!

It's not just me then? [Hot and Hormonal]

It's worse than going into an animal shelter, all the things trying to look useful and cute and pleading 'take me, take me'. It needs a strong will.

Great progress North East Quine. What colour are you painting it?

The Intrepid Mrs S - how did you train your husband to voluntarily suggest a new kitchen? Is there an app? Or is he a top of the range model and came already programmed? [Snigger]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The room is both our spare bedroom and our study, plus the repository for anything which doesn't really go anywhere else. I'm painting three walls (the walls the desk, bookcases and filing cabinets are against) in "parchment" a "warm neutral." Having had bookcases with multicoloured book spines against green and pink floral wallpaper was not good! Then I'm going to wallpaper the fourth wall (the one the bed is against) in an oat-meal and gold patterned paper.

I thought I could kill two birds with one stone on Sat by taking the godkids to the swimming pool and sorting through a large pile of Women's History magazines whilst spectating. There was a row of 32 empty seats. I went to the very furthest with my pile, intending to use the seats next to me for sorting. The an old lady came in and walked past 30 empty seats to sit next to me. No-one else came in after her.

So I was all crammed up, flicking through articles such as "The Lesbian vampire in pre-war Spanish literature" and "Abortion and sex-liberalism in Sweden in the 1960s" next to a sweet old lady. Sigh.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I am also into a Great Study Declutter, week two.

I can not believe that I did it four years ago - it's taking an age!

At the moment I'm being ruthless with books - I want to cut them by two thirds. This to make space to take stuff from downstairs (which I do want to keep but isn't used every day) upstairs. I want 4 large spare drawers in the kitchen for Guide Dog stuff - the equipment arrived and there is lots of it!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
This is a first ever study declutter. When we moved here, 11 years ago, it was our "spare room" and was filled floor to ceiling with boxes. It took a few months before it was box-free, but it's never been a "planned" room - it just sort of evolved. The floral wallpaper and curtains were there when we moved in.

So this is a once-in-eleven-years declutter.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Polly Plummer:
The Intrepid Mrs S - how did you train your husband to voluntarily suggest a new kitchen? Is there an app? Or is he a top of the range model and came already programmed? [Snigger]

Oh, he's a top-of-the-range model, but has still required various upgrades over the years!

I got my first dishwasher twenty-some years ago by giving him a surprise 40th party - as we stood there at 3 am washing glasses*, he said 'Thank you for my lovely party, would you like a dishwasher?'

* top-of-the-range, you see - couldn't go to bed and leave the kitchen untidy! [Overused]

THAT led to a new kitchen as the dishwasher and washing machine had to share a set of plumbing so couldn't both be run at once. This kitchen, however, is only 23 years old and has YEARS left in it...

I think the reason I'm procrastinating is I know we won't want the same things - he'll want high-gloss units and I'd much rather have wood *sigh*. When we re-did the bathrooms, basically we had to choose tiles etc for one bathroom each, or we'd still be stuck with the elephant-grey suites, tiles etc [Projectile]

Mrs. S, firmly resolved against melamine [Snigger]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Decor sounds lovely North East Quine.

Boogie, I've managed to get rid of a lot of books, but somehow what appears to be huge quantities of books declutterd never seems to translate into an equivalent amount of freed up space.

The Intrepid Mrs S, sounds like you did get a top of the range model!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
My final artisan designed and hand painted tile has arrived. It's lovely. The plumbers and builder start my bathroom on August 18 [Yipee]

Huia
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
...Boogie, I've managed to get rid of a lot of books, but somehow what appears to be huge quantities of books declutterd never seems to translate into an equivalent amount of freed up space...

It's a little known fact that books breed. You've got to watch 'em like a hawk.
 
Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
I haven't posted here in quite a while (never? I can't remember) because the do-housework part of my brain is damaged. But the panic!panic! part of the brain that sees an apartment inspection coming is in fine working order. So I called a friend who has worked in enough batshit homes not to freak out at mine and we put in about eighteen hours of hard labor in the past few days and the place is nearly beaten into presentable order. (I did pay her some for her efforts.) She has had to leave on a short trip starting today, and there are still some things to do. Inspection should be Wednesday. I'm using the leftover momentum to finish. I told her I'd like to hire her to come in a couple of times a month to work for an hour or two side by side with me so I don't have to go through this panic again.

You guys are very inspiring, and I ask for your prayers for my persistence in finishing the job. Knowing myself I can use all the heavenly help you can ask for me. Thanks!
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
It's a start, CM ... [Big Grin]

Yes, it's something I should again.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
CM some years back you were the person who introduced me to Flylady. I don't follow it now, but the principle of cleaning in 15 minute bites, with a rest in the 4th period allowed me to approach a very messy house without feeling totally overwhelmed when I had to evacuate for earthquake repairs 3 years ago.

I always wanted to thank you for that.

Huia
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
CM some years back you were the person who introduced me to Flylady. I don't follow it now, but the principle of cleaning in 15 minute bites, with a rest in the 4th period allowed me to approach a very messy house without feeling totally overwhelmed when I had to evacuate for earthquake repairs 3 years ago.

I always wanted to thank you for that.

Oh yes! I had forgotten all about flylady - but I still do the 15 minute thing, I just thought it had been my own idea!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Hmmm, I can't get the link for Flylady to work but then some links don't work from here for some strange reason - the link is certainly the right link as I have checked that. Perhaps housew*rk links are banned here.

Anyone else having a problem with it?
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
As all our chairs had piles of books on them, I sat on the floor to take a phone call - and got wedged between bits of furniture. Had to be hauled up by my daughter. The sooner I can move stuff back into the study the better!
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I was able to open the Flylady link OK over here - as you say, WW, perhaps it's God's way of telling you that housework is a Bad Idea™.

[Snigger]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I could open it WW - looks like you are allergic!

All the many, many, many adverts are annoying, but here is a gem. I aspire to this and I AM getting there.

"One of the main reasons stuff piles up on counters, dining tables, coffee tables and floors is that it’s homeless. When an item has no “home,” it gets added to an IPOD (Important Pile Of Decisions). That’s why it’s important to make sure everything in your home lives somewhere"

as my Mum used to say "A place for everything and everything in its place". She managed this for 93 years - I clearly don't have her jeans!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
"One of the main reasons stuff piles up on counters, dining tables, coffee tables and floors is that it’s homeless. When an item has no “home,” it gets added to an IPOD (Important Pile Of Decisions). That’s why it’s important to make sure everything in your home lives somewhere."

That's very good, and very true.

Frankly, we have never decluttered. I'm a bit of a hoarder and Mr Nen is even worse. If I clear a space, he moves some of his stuff into it. [brick wall] [Mad] He grew up as an only child in a large house - the spare room was his, as was the lounge (his parents basically lived in the kitchen-diner with the Aga) and never had to clear stuff out. When we made the big move from the south coast to where we are now, empty paint pots from the garage came with us. [Roll Eyes]

However, we have a big Life Change coming upon us as Nenlet2 flies the nest in September and decluttering is top of my list. I have yet to have The Talk with Mr Nen to establish this. [Help]

Nen - hoarder with inner minimalist struggling to get out.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I clearly don't have her jeans!

[Smile]

One less thing to declutter. Whereas her genes sound as if they'd be a good thing to have.
[Biased]

(My Mom's jeans wouldn't fit me, and -- unfortunately -- her genes are one of my excuses for a tendency to clutter.)
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I clearly don't have her jeans!

[Smile]

One less thing to declutter. Whereas her genes sound as if they'd be a good thing to have.

Oooops - disslecksia rools!
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Had a clear out today - 6 boxes emptied and half a box of relevant stuff put back to be filed. Feeling very pleased with myself!

Now need to keep up the momentum for the desk...
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I like the 15 minute thing (and indeed was taught about using a timer by Daddy Vern) but FlyLady drives me insane. I perceive a very... ah... 1950s sitcom notion of reality from her, so your mileage may vary.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
I like "unf*** your habitat" which is like flylady but without the girly housewife stuff which annoys me a lot.

Replace the *** with the f word.

Oh yeah, there's a lot of swearing ! So you need to be ok with that.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
That sounds more like my kind of thing Ecumanic. I found the 15 minute thing and some of hints helpful on FlyLady, but not the worldview.

Will check out your suggestion.

Huia
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I have just done cleaning up 2 file boxes. When the other file is done, it will be slimmer. Total time agonising: 1 year. Total time spent filing: 30 minutes,

[Eek!]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
[Overused] for UnF*** Your Habitat [Overused]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
It's excellent!

Here is a link to simple but good habits.

[Smile]
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Right, the desk declutter has begun. I have realised that I have a serious aversion to filing, and that this is a problem. I'm going to try 10 minute slots and see how I get on...
 
Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by PeteC:
I have just done cleaning up 2 file boxes. When the other file is done, it will be slimmer. Total time agonising: 1 year. Total time spent filing: 30 minutes,

[Eek!]

That sounds about right [Biased]
It is good to know that I am not alone in spending ages procrastinating over something that does not take that long, when I finally get down to it.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Going to bite the bullet when done with the Ship reading/posting shortly and start exploring UFYH. [Smile] Fingers crossed!!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Originally posted by PeteC:
I have just done cleaning up 2 file boxes. When the other file is done, it will be slimmer. Total time agonising: 1 year. Total time spent filing: 30 minutes,


I can't bear to think of the amount of my life I have wasted like this!

Often the fact that I have not done what I ought to have done induces a sort of paralysis about doing anything else, especially anything I might enjoy! In fact I haven't enjoyed a lot of things because of the guilt about the undone thing I have been procrastinating over.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
Often the fact that I have not done what I ought to have done induces a sort of paralysis about doing anything else, especially anything I might enjoy! In fact I haven't enjoyed a lot of things because of the guilt about the undone thing I have been procrastinating over.

I so relate to this - it's completely paralysing.

I am thinking about taking some time off work specifically to concentrate on the decluttering. 15 minutes a day doesn't work here, the house is far too full of stuff; I need some days of Slash and Burn first to clear the decks and get systems in place in order to move forwards. Case in point - had to clear the breakfast bar this morning to give the boiler man space to service the boiler. Among other things there were copies of the last two weeks of the local paper. What the heck were they doing on my breakfast bar? [Eek!]

I did used to be a Fly Baby but I couldn't keep up the pace. Maybe that other site is more up my street. [Biased]

Nen - determining to find other homes for the stuff that has no right in the kitchen.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Originally posted by Thyme:
quote:
Often the fact that I have not done what I ought to have done induces a sort of paralysis about doing anything else, especially anything I might enjoy! In fact I haven't enjoyed a lot of things because of the guilt about the undone thing I have been procrastinating over.

Gosh, yes!

The study / bedroom is now decorated, so today's the day I start decluttering in earnest as I put things back into it.

It's also the day I start buying new stuff - the old blue bedside lamp and blue clock (the clock with the sellotape holding the battery in!) didn't go with the old pink/green colour scheme, but the whole place was such a mess that it didn't matter.

Today I start looking for a new lamp and clock.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Today I start looking for a new lamp and clock.

You will throw the old, broken ones away, won't you?

If not, it's not de-cluttering, it's re-cluttering ... [Devil]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I have a friend who had clutter issues. These were greatly exacerbated by a messy divorce. She loaded all her possessions into a rented storage unit and lived a nomad life for some time.

Around here a storage unit costs about $100 a month, a considerable sum if you are on a limited income. Even with the prospect of saving this sum before her, she was unable to declutter. I tried to help her sort and get rid of stuff; it took years. And the saddest thing was, in year 2 or 3, when we carried stuff from the storage unit to the dumpster and popped it in. (Unhelpfully, I suggested just piling everything up, applying some accelerant, and throwing in a lighted match.)

She confided that, if only she could send an email back through time to her younger self, she would have advised herself to just throw everything away at the outset, and pocket the money.
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
I have just ruthlessly de-cluttered the Japes clothing situation. Two bin liners full to go to the clothes recycling when I go that way next week.

Specifically I de-cluttered socks, T-shirts, rugby shirts, no-longer-necessary-for-work trousers and disreputable jeans. There's a remarkable amount of space in the wardrobe now, and still plenty of clothes to wear.

I think I can now treat myself to a new Scotland Rugby Shirt as the twenty year old one has just gone in the bag.
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Desk declutter complete bar the filing. TOmorrow is wardrobe declutter day.. WHOOP! I treated myself to some new clothes in anticipation though... :S
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Yesterday I failed to declutter much of my stationery. However, I now know I have enough envelopes to last for several years, they're all in the same place, and my drawers are much tidier.

I have dozens of postcards, mostly bought on holiday and then not written. I'm not sure what I can actually do with them, but it seems a shame to dump them in the recycling.

Today I reshelve my books. I only need to reduce my books by about one-tenth to fit them in.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
just had two days of near hysteria brought on by loosing various and assorted v-i-t-a-l stuff.

I Need To De Clutter.......
[Frown]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jenn.:
TOmorrow is wardrobe declutter day..

Oh, just keep pushing everything to the back and let the Narnians have it. [Smile]
 
Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
<snip>
I have dozens of postcards, mostly bought on holiday and then not written. I'm not sure what I can actually do with them, but it seems a shame to dump them in the recycling.
<snip>

How about writing them now and sending them to surprised but delighted friends and family?

Cattyish, uses free postcards for quick notes a lot.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
An emergency tidying mission last weekend (I got out my sewing machine buy the power cord was missing so I had to go through boxes till I found it) made me realise that I still have not unpacked even half the spare room boxes since moving in. I'm feeling quite fired up to tackle it though - hoping that lasts for a few weeks as the sewing project is rather mammoth and has a deadline in the first week of August.

I have been looking at unf*ck your habitat - thanks so much for that link, it is encouraging me to start making little habits like always putting shoes away which will hopefully help long term.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
That was the one good piece of advice my late and not-very-lamented Uncle Len gave me - 'Don't put it down, put it away!'

Once you HAVE decluttered, this is essential! [Cool]

Mrs. S - now guaranteed uncle-free [Yipee]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Postcards are gratefully received by charity shops....i know, i get mine there!

Genuine question, how does cluttering up our homes start? Is it genetic? Or learned behaviour? Is it a response to something in our lives? Or laziness?
Only asking as i would Love to be done with it once and for all and maybe knowing Why i do this might just help me.....
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Good question Ethne Alba.

My Mum and Dad were the tidiest people I have ever known, so it certainly wasn't learned behaviour for me! My Dad said he was tidy because he was lazy (didn't want to have to tidy up) and I am just beginning to understand his logic as my house creeps towards having "a place for everything and everything in ts place".

Why it has taken me so long I have no idea!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Somebody has decluttered three dinner plates from my kitchen cupboard! I have no clue where they might be, and I'm sure we haven't broken them [Confused]

(embarrassing, as I really need a dozen for tonight and would have liked them to match *sigh*)

That may be the downside to being organised - as Boogie says, a place for everything and everything in its place - that when you know where everything is, if it isn't, you are completely flummoxed (to put it politely).

Mrs. S, scratching her head
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I have found that survivors of the Depression find it difficult to get rid of stuff. Of -course- there is a use for all those styrofoam meat trays, they will come in handy for something some day! Hard times taught them to be fanatically thrifty.

Not that this is any excuse for us younger people.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
My mum was a major declutterer, my dad a hoarder, and I'm something of a hoarder too and certainly not good at tidying. We were at Nenlet1's house for lunch and she and her husband keep their house really clean and today... puts me to shame... but son in law is also tidy... unlike Mr Nen...

Nen - loving the way Mrs S's decluttering also extends to her relatives. [Killing me]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Nen - loving the way Mrs S's decluttering also extends to her relatives. [Killing me]

Still a way to go on that one, Nen!

Mrs. S, who still finds her relatives more of a trial than the decluttering [Help]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I have to say that decluttering some of my relatives would be wonderful!!

I've got a little list, I've got a little list;
and there'll none of them be missed, there'll none of them be missed!


Sorry for that - back to the topic...
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I think today's it's got to me. Maybe it's the unreachable cobwebs in the stairwell. Or the walk-cupboards that are mini rooms (two have windows) - that haven't been dusted in decades. Or the falling plaster that needs repair - but where am I going to put the stuff that has to be displaced to get access? So much stuff I can't clear out on my own cognisance. And for what I can, how can I physically get it out of the house to the recycling centre or wherever?

How do you start to tackle a lifetime of Stuff?
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
One bag at a time, Firenze. [Votive]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
So Mr Nen went clothes shopping yesterday and vowed he would declutter his wardrobe to make room for the new things. He just asked for my help with this... as usual it involved squeezing as much as possible into the spare room wardrobe to make space in his already full-to-bursting double-wardrobe-with-shelves. Completely resistant to the words "charity shop" and "clothes bank." [Roll Eyes] [brick wall]

I, meanwhile, have nearly cleared the paperwork that was on my breakfast bar so it's not all bad.

Nen - humming "One bag at a time, Firenze" to the tune of a well-known hymn. [Biased]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I struggle most, I think (?) with the "everything is messy and each element screams at me in the same shrill voice" issue, so I wind up never actually starting and finishing, well, anything. [Help]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
... humming "One bag at a time, Firenze" to the tune of a well-known hymn. [Biased]

Oh good - it wasn't just me then ... [Snigger]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Ouch. Except I'm hearing it to the tune of the 1970s sitcom theme song... [Ultra confused]

But now...

So are you.

[Snigger]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
Ouch. Except I'm hearing it to the tune of the 1970s sitcom theme song... [Ultra confused]

But now...

So are you.

[Snigger]

Nope. Must have been before my time.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
May be a Pond thing - it doesn't ring those bells with me. I was remembering it as a song by Lena Martell that clogged up the Charts many moons ago.

Sorry - that was a bit of a tangent. Back to the de-cluttering ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
I have no idea either.

My housemate's have started to pack (their moving van arrives tomorrow) so the house is utter chaos. I want to start packing my stuff but there's no space anywhere for the boxes!

An ex took me out for dinner last night and gave me a half doz large cardboard boxes. He did always know how to woo a lady [Biased]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
ecumaniac:
quote:
My housemate's have started to pack (their moving van arrives tomorrow)
[Eek!] Do they not have very much stuff then?

It took us two weeks to pack last time we moved, and even then we were feverishly flinging things into boxes until midnight the night before...
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Oh, here you are then. [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Silver linings and all that - having discovered that three large dinner plates had absconded (when required for Saturday night) I put in a business case for some new plates. 48 hours later I have 12 each of small plates, large dinner plates and cereal bowls, square, in plain white porcelain.

The remains of three other sets (maybe 16 dinner plates, 19 tea plates and 20 cereal bowls) have been ruthlessly decluttered for reuse by a local charity, and the cupboard looks beeyootifully tidy.

[Yipee]

Mrs. S, very pleased with herself [Overused]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I washed EVERY. SINGLE. DISH. tonight.

(Yes, all of them, ALL of them, were dirty. Most of the cups too. There were about 12 cups on the coffee table that had sat there accumulating for ... a while now.)

Top terrifying thing to say to your partner while doing dishes:

"Cubby... when DID we last have peas?"

[Eek!]

And now that I have run some white vinegar through the dishwasher, I'm going to keep the dishes clean...

(By the way, it's truly amazing--in an OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT STENCH kind of way--what happens to dirty water when it's between a few plates, creating an anaerobic environment for an indeterminate period of time but probably more than a week, and then you separate those plates. Seriously. The shock wave of smell traveled from the kitchen to the living room and Cubby was horrified when it "hit.")
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
Top terrifying thing to say to your partner while doing dishes:

"Cubby... when DID we last have peas?"

[Eek!]

Reminds me of the - probably apocryphal - story of the person who commented after colonic irrigation, "But I haven't had sweetcorn for weeks."

I tried the baking soda and vinegar thing (recommended by Unf**** Your Habitat) and all it seemed to do was make the kitchen smell like a chip shop. [Roll Eyes]

However, it's my day off and I'm gearing up for some serious decluttering. I have my sights set on the cupboard in the dining room. Although the box room also needs attention - living up to its name and full of boxes. [Roll Eyes]

Nen - suffering from Don't Know Where To Start Syndrome.

[ 24. July 2014, 10:47: Message edited by: Nenya ]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:


Nen - suffering from Don't Know Where To Start Syndrome.

So where did you start? [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
I washed EVERY. SINGLE. DISH. tonight.


Thank-you so much for this post, I've fallen into a black hole (other stuff, but always reflected by the state of my house) and I was making it worse by beating myself up for my mess. Reading about someone else's helped put it in perspective.

I have seriously considered allowing myself only one dinner plate, mug etc which would force me to find and wash them before reusing.

I use the cheapest white vinegar for cleaning and buy it in 2 litre bottles. I started doing that when I had Sam, a cat who delighted in spraying in unique and creative places. Thank goodness Geory-Porgy fat'n'fluffy is better behaved in that way, but I still miss Sam [Tear]

Corina, the human whirlwind is coming to help me clean and sort tomorrow [Yipee] .

Huia
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:


Nen - suffering from Don't Know Where To Start Syndrome.

So where did you start? [Smile]
The cupboard in the dining room. I didn't get very far with the decluttering but I did find the framed photographs that we moved off the mantelpiece to make way for the Christmas decorations and have hitherto been unable to find.

Nen - embarrassed about how seldom she opens some of her cupboards. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Yesterday and today I tidied the kitchen. I've been unwell for a month and we were drowning in mess, not helped by the fact that loading the dishwasher is dh's job and he appears to not think he needs to do it on a regular basis [Roll Eyes] but I tidied the sides and swept the floor and put all the messy stuff away. It actually looks like i could invite someone in.
My next task is to tidy up the pile of books and sewing behind my chair in the kitchen, and then attack my work shelves which are full of out of date text books and paper.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The Great Study Declutter week 3.

In my study/spare bedroom I have one small box of slides from the 1970s, one biscuit tin of negatives from the 1980s, 33 photograph albums, a dozen packets of loose photographs, a box of "big" photos (school photos etc) and half a dozen CDs of photos.

The albums take up two bookcase shelves, but are tidy and organised. The rest are clutter. Husband is suggesting that the answer is to scan the lot, and put the originals in the loft, but I don't really want to shift the clutter into the loft. Also, I'm assuming it would take hours and hours to scan in so many photos.

Has anyone else decluttered a collection of photographs?
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Has anyone else decluttered a collection of photographs?

I need to do this. When my sister died two years ago I acquired a large box of unsorted, unlabeled, disorganized photos -- old school pictures, family vacations, Dad's retirement, and people I can't identify. I've thrown away the unidentified (Dad's co-workers?), but every time I've tried to deal with the others I've had bad dreams. Everyone in those pictures is now dead except for me. That's pretty depressing. It also means I have no family to pass these on to. I really need to ask a friend to keep me company while I deal with this -- and then go out for dinner/a drink afterwards!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
but every time I've tried to deal with the others I've had bad dreams. Everyone in those pictures is now dead except for me. That's pretty depressing.... I really need to ask a friend to keep me company while I deal with this -- and then go out for dinner/a drink afterwards!

Put the photos in a pile or box and light a candle, maybe put an icon on the table, or cross or flowers or somesuch. Burn some incense if you like it. Make a little shrine. Say some prayers of blessing and commit their memories with love to God and pray that they rest in peace with Jesus. Sprinkle them with blessed water if you like. Having a friend round to share this ceremony and the disposal is a good idea.

Basically you need to surround the emotions that these things are giving expression to in bad dreams with prayer and the healing power of the Holy Spirit and hand them over to God.

Then just get rid of the photos, put them in the bin outside or take them to the tip. I wouldn't go through them unless you think there are ones you want to keep.

quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Has anyone else decluttered a collection of photographs?

Yes, I had to go through my parents collection after our father died. They weren't in the habit of labelling them and lots were shots of scenery, under/overexposed. Many of unidentified people, mostly probably long dead.

Talked it through with sister and dumped everything that didn't have some personal meaning for one or other of us or historic significance for the family archives. This got rid of about 90%. We then had an unfortunate misunderstanding as she thought I had taken the ones I wanted and decided she didn't want any of them and dumped the lot. Never mind. I never looked at them when I had them and haven't missed them.

I now have two large suitcases full of our own, that is Mr T and my and daughter's, memories and childhoods. I have promised myself I will go through them this winter during the long dark evenings and at least winnow them out a bit.

What I noticed going through the parents stuff was that it wasn't the shots of places that seemed worth keeping, it was the ones with people.

I think with ours I will just keep representative samples, best of breed sort of thing. Or ones with a particular memory attached.

What I will do with them when sorted I have no idea. One thing at a time.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Missed the edit window - afterthought:

I think it is the same with photos as with things, don't hang onto anything that has a bad memory attached to it.

And North East Quine, I'm with you on the scanning and storing the originals in the loft. That is just shifting the clutter from one location to another. If it's clutter it needs to leave the house.

If it needs preserving and scanning is the way to do this then it is not clutter. But whether you need to keep the originals after scanning I don't know.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Digitising photos is something that you can pay people to do for you.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I decluttered two broken keyboards into the bin. Elder teenager has retrieved them from the bin as apparently they could be used for "an art project."

[brick wall] [brick wall] [brick wall]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
Digitising photos is something that you can pay people to do for you.

This is what I did with all my dad's slides and cine films. It was worth every penny - I then created collections for relatives containing pics or clips of them and their loved ones.

However, I've still not got around to disposing of the slides and cine films - they are in a cupboard mentally labeled "for when I am particularly ruthless".
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
I decluttered two broken keyboards into the bin. Elder teenager has retrieved them from the bin as apparently they could be used for "an art project."

Just glue some gears on it! [Smile]
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
Before we last moved house we decided to get rid of our old, incurably out of tune, piano. To save carrying its great weight, Mr. Plummer broke it up on the drive - it was quite exciting to see. The keys liberated from their places looked very pretty and I was sure they could be useful for something, but he took the whole lot to the dump.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
I can see why you smashed up your old piano, Polly, but it seems... wrong. Like burning a book. My dad still has his old three-quarter size violin from when he was a boy. He hasn't played it for years (that one would be too small for him anyway) and it's got woodworm so it would sound terrible. But he can't bear to get rid of it.

Sentiment... the enemy of decluttering.

Wish me luck, everyone - I have lost a vital piece of paper to do with Daughter's martial arts classes. In order to find it I will have to sort out all the family papers, a job I have been putting off for months if not years.

<gulp> Here goes...
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Good luck, Jane! I find it easier to sort papers when there's a reason to do so.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
PHEW. Only a fraction of the papers have been sorted, but at least I found the missing martial arts document!

I am now going to have the rest of the evening off. There are limits to my devotion to decluttering.

Thanks for the good wishes, NEQ.

[ 29. July 2014, 20:20: Message edited by: Jane R ]
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
Two bags of clothes to the charity shop in as many days.

Hurrah. Lots more to go though.
 
Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
Four bags to the charity shop today and I also contributed a new bed frame because it was made in China, i.e excruciatingly low quality and no better than the ten-year-old one I was going to toss out into the alley for pickup. [Angel]

Thank God the new headboard was made right here in the United States. It was quite an ordeal putting everything together and I was finally motivated to do real de-cluttering. I really worked rather hard all afternoon and I will carry on getting rid of rubbish and other worthless items. I am not looking forward to visiting a commercial shredder up the street. I have at least 98 pounds or 7 stone worth of confidential documents such as credit card offers and pharmaceutical labels for them to do! I'll look for a top-of-the-line household shredder later next month! This time I'll maintain it properly and shred six days a week after the post is delivered...

[Snore] [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Does your municipality or county do shredding? Mine does -- you have to bring your materials to the site, and there is a gigantic industrial shredder. All in the cause of diminishing the flow of trash to the local landfill.
 
Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
I'll have to ask!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I shall be decluttering in earnest come the autumn, Nenlet2 is moving away to further his studies and I shall need to keep busy.

To this end I am making lots of plans and reading books and websites on the subject.

Nen - expert procrastinator.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Nen, I've probably told you this before, but when Master S finally moved out For Good, his car boot wouldn't open, so he had to push stuff into it through the lowered back seats. Which severely limited what he wanted to take away with him!

The Then Miss S and I spent three months - yes, a quarter of a year - emptying his room so she could redecorate it and move in. That meant stripping out every stick of furniture and scrap of carpet, plus a lot of packing stuff away in the loft - and then, at a later date, bringing it all down again for him to sort through and either get rid of it, or give me a business case as to why it should go back in the loft [Help]

I hope your project with Nenlet 2's room doesn't take you as long!

Mrs. S, facing the decluttering of the corner cupboard in the kitchen [Eek!]
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I had a bijou declutterette of a small kitchen cupboard. Having bought new kitchen appliance, an existing one has to go into semi retirement.

Binned stash of very ancient spices, rediscovered 3 nice pottery jugs, so all good.
 
Posted by Jenny Ann (# 3131) on :
 
I de cluttered 2 kitchen cupboards last weekend. All I discovered was that I may never need to buy cans of chopped tomatoes or kidney beans ever again.

I mean, I know they're useful but there is a limit..

J
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jenny Ann:
... I may never need to buy cans of chopped tomatoes or kidney beans ever again ...

Tomatoes and kidney-beans come into the same category as wire coat-hangers or supermarket carrier-bags: if you put two of them together, they'll breed.

Chilli con carne anyone? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I decluttered just one shelf in the fridge door this afternoon - I have promised to do another shelf tomorrow. The soy sauce was 7 years out of date which is probably too far even for me - and we never use it anyway. The jar with a tiny speck on jam left in it was developing its own ecosystem, even at that temperature.

Still it was something and better than nothing.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Well done!

Today I am clearing out my friend's front room so I can move all my world possessions into it next week. Thank goodness he has many sturdy STACKABLE crates!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
I had a bijou declutterette

I love that term! [Axe murder] I reckon if I aim for those I might start to get things done. [Big Grin]

Mrs S - Nenlet2's room is way down the priority list for my decluttering - in fact he's already done a pretty good job of it himself. Just about every other room in the house needs decluttering more than his does. [Biased]

We currently are decorating our bedroom so are sleeping in what used to be Nenlet1's bedroom, with loads of stuff piled up in the box room. Decorating takes us years. Literally. This decorating has been the plan since Nenlet1 got married over two years ago. [Roll Eyes]

Meanwhile I have my sights on a corner of the dining room. I've been eyeing it up for days and will be starting on it soon. Oh yes.

Nen - feeling the sudden urge to put the kettle on. [Biased]
 
Posted by welsh dragon (# 3249) on :
 
It is possible to declutter kidney beans and tomatoes into a Basics Bank collection quite successfully (if within date).
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have bought 20 Tesco Basic foolscap box files (£2 each) and am sorting the paperwork mountain into 20 different categories, each with its own box file. I think 20 will be enough.....
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
OMG HI WELSH DRAGON!!! [Axe murder]

After being sick I am getting the dishes done again. [Yipee]
 
Posted by welsh dragon (# 3249) on :
 
Hi ChastMastr xxxxx
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:

Nen - feeling the sudden urge to put the kettle on. [Biased]

That's decluttering in my book! I have a gigantic tea stash that really needs drinking up.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Huge decluttering on Daughter's bedroom yesterday, complicated by the discovery that her bed was broken. Hasty visit to local furniture shop just before closing to get new one revealed that the earliest they can deliver it is in three weeks' time. So she's sleeping on a mattress on the floor until then and the things that were in boxes under her bed are in the spare bedroom...

We did get rid of four bags of rubbish though, and her bedroom looks amazing. For five minutes.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:

Nen - feeling the sudden urge to put the kettle on. [Biased]

That's decluttering in my book! I have a gigantic tea stash that really needs drinking up.
Similarly, I continue to declutter my booze stash.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Would you like some help with that? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Decluttering party at daisydaisy's!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Hic [Axe murder]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
...haec hoc...

[translation for non-Latin-speaking shipmates: beginning of the declension of the Latin pronoun this/these]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I started the Great Study Declutter on 5 July and it's now the 5 Aug and I'm still not finished. One final push....

On the positive side, the new curtain pole went up yesterday, and the new curtains were hung today. I am beyond thrilled with the way the room is shaping up and don't want to lose it by letting a tidal wave of paperwork back in.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
...haec hoc...

[translation for non-Latin-speaking shipmates: beginning of the declension of the Latin pronoun this/these]

I chose an etching from the studio of an artist in Kent, at least partly because of its title. It's of a small French town, and it's called -

'Vini vini vini'.

Mrs, S, proud possessor of real etchings [Cool]
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
Whacking great quantities of paper decluttered today. After 3 months waiting, the council have finally delivered a new lid for paper recycling bin. 2 hours later, it's full and ready for collection. Can now walk around own house without fear of disappearing under an avalanche of newspapers and junkmail. [Yipee]
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
Ooh, me too. We have small green bins (kinda the size of a large cardboard box) fr recycling rather than a wheelie bin and I have filled two of them and will fill the third tomorrow.

I also gave vast piles of old magazines away on Freegle.

Plus two more bags of clothes to charity shop.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Finally gathered up the new kitchen trash and put in bags, and filled up the dishwasher which is running now. Yes, it's 4:30 am here but better late than never. [Yipee]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
My lovely neighbours let me put my overflow recycling into their box whilst they were on holiday.

The North East Man and the North East Daughter have been inspired by my efforts and are now decluttering, too! Which is excellent, but it does add to the feeling of general chaos.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
With my move pretty much done, I'm not sure if it's good or bad that I only managed to declutter 2 carrier bags of clothes/shoes.

Oh, and a quarter bottle of gin.

All my worldly possessions are now piled up in the dining room of my long suffering friend. I've secretly put all my foodstuffs in his cupboards/freezer though. I don't intend on taking them with me to the new house!
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
... and a quarter bottle of gin ...

All in one go?? [Eek!] [Overused]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
I learned to drink gin from the best.

The Anglicans
 
Posted by moonfruit (# 15818) on :
 
It's decluttering time in my little flat! I had a conversation with my dad where he surveyed the general mess and said "I think you might need more storage". To which my reply: "Wrong solution. I don't need more storage, I need less stuff!"

My aim is to start with CDs and books. Plan for CDs is to see what's available on Spotify, then ditch. Books however will be harder. Even if they go to charity, I still get terribly sentimental. Books are somehow part of me, and getting rid of them seems...wrong. But then having books on my shelf that I haven't even opened in 5 years seems silly.

Wish me luck!
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
A carrier bag of books and another of CDs went out this morning to the second hand bookstall raising money for the church. I asked first and he was quite happy to take them. There's a box of videos
to post to the only place that recycles them, while they're accepting them and another box of cassettes.

I also managed to get rid of three carrier bags of the secretary's papers for something I did ages ago. The current secretary took them away. She's going to try and find a cupboard in one of the churches involved to store everything.

The ironing pile is, however, still looking reproachfully at me.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Went to a second-hand booksale today and came back with nine (count them, nine) books. None of them were actually for me: two for mother-in-law, one for husband, the rest were selected by Daughter who is now a confirmed book addict.

We are so doomed.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
[tangent]
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
I learned to drink gin from the best.

The Anglicans

[Killing me]

Me too - specifically, the curate at Downpatrick Cathedral about 20 years ago.

I was quite shocked when the Dean came back from a conference a few years ago and said he'd only just discovered GIN.

How could he have possibly been an Anglican all his life and risen to such an office without it? [Confused]

[/tangent] - back to your de-cluttering ...
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Went to a second-hand booksale today and came back with nine (count them, nine) books. None of them were actually for me: two for mother-in-law, one for husband, the rest were selected by Daughter who is now a confirmed book addict.

We are so doomed.

But in the nicest possible way!
 
Posted by moonfruit (# 15818) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Went to a second-hand booksale today and came back with nine (count them, nine) books. None of them were actually for me: two for mother-in-law, one for husband, the rest were selected by Daughter who is now a confirmed book addict.

We are so doomed.

Jane R, that sounds like something I would do. The Oxfam bookshops are also dangerous places.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by moonfruit:
The Oxfam bookshops are also dangerous places.

They are indeed. Lots of interesting books in the Oxfam shops, I often end up making a very necessary purchase. [Biased]

Nenlet2 went off to his new university town today to get settled before his course starts. I have tidied one side of the kitchen surfaces, sorted a shelf in one of the kitchen cupboards, cleaned out the fridge and have two bagfuls of things for the clothes bank tomorrow.

Nen - keeping busy. [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:

Nen - keeping busy. [Smile] [/QB]

I hope that's not an ironic smilie, Nen! Thinking of you, anyway (())

Mrs. S, eagerly awaiting a passing visit from The Former Miss S and SiL
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Drat. The kitchen's gotten to be a mess again. [Waterworks]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Mine too, not helped by it being the depths of winter here and me not wanting to even get out of bed. I blame the cat.

I can't wash anything because I used up the hot water having a wonderful bubble bath, so that will have to wait until tomorrow. So in the next 20 minutes my goal is to put away the rest of the shopping ( of course the frozens are in the freezer already and the meat is in the fridge where little claws can't rip holes in the plastic). My nightmare is that said cat will learn to open the fridge and I will have to turn vegetarian [Waterworks]

Huia
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I wouldn't normally rush to the defence of a cat, but it's hardly his fault that it's the middle of winter. [Big Grin]

I usually blame my unwillingness to get out of bed on my teddy-bear ... [Smile]

[ 15. August 2014, 14:51: Message edited by: piglet ]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Tonight's task- the filing! Wish me luck!!!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Good luck!

I'm still decluttering the study. Tomorrow is the 6 week anniversary of starting it.....

The only thing that is saving my sanity is that I took "before" photos. When I get really fed up I look at them and realise how much I have done.

I've binned all sorts of stuff, including address labels for the house we left in 2003.

[ 15. August 2014, 17:57: Message edited by: North East Quine ]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Huia:
quote:
My nightmare is that said cat will learn to open the fridge...
But why would the cat bother learning to open the fridge when you are there to do it instead? [Biased]

Thanks for the good wishes, Wodders and moonfruit. My new mantra is 'books do not count as clutter'; we are going to Whitby for the day tomorrow and there is a very good second-hand bookshop there and an equally good independent bookshop. Obviously it is my civic duty to ensure that they both stay in business; after all, if I declutter everything else there will be plenty of room for more books.

Good luck with the filing, Mrs Shrew.

[ 15. August 2014, 19:11: Message edited by: Jane R ]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
...after all, if I declutter everything else there will be plenty of room for more books...

Not quite yet but I can see a possible future conflict arising here between room for books and room for teddy bears so I am seriously considering a special set of shelving in my bedroom to accommodate the bears.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
North East Quine, it sounds like an enormous project, I am cheering you on! (also I am going to do some "just about before" photos now, as that sounds like a very good plan....)

I managed a good two hours of filing last night before dinner, and I think I am starting to make headway. All the paper is in such a mess that I am starting by sorting it into groups and will put it into chronological order at a later stage - thankfully I have my newish filing cabinet and a load of hanging suspension files which is making life much easier.


I like your theory about books Jane R! We are off to whitby tomorrow (Sunday), but I really must try to avoid additional books as our shelves are completely overflowing! When I get enough floor space, the spare room will be getting an extra bookcase.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:

Nen - keeping busy. [Smile]

I hope that's not an ironic smilie, Nen! Thinking of you, anyway (())
It's a tad strained. [Roll Eyes] Thank you for your concern, Mrs S. [Axe murder]

I'm in the process of clearing out another kitchen cupboard and have my sights set on the aforementioned corner of the dining room.

Nen - uplifted by the kindness of Shipmates.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
I am just begining the major you-have-been-in-this-house-for-half-decade-thereis-no-excuse-for-not-having-place-for-everything tidy up. Just put together the storage bed I purchased to assist this - immediately leaving me with the what shall I do with the disssembled old bed too battered to sell but too much decent wood to bin dilemma. I am aware that thinking I could keep the bits and make that wood into something is a snare and a delusion, or rather, some part of me is aware that ....
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Freecycle.

Or, take it to your local council recycling depot.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
... I am seriously considering a special set of shelving in my bedroom to accommodate the bears.

We have two of those, but then we do have rather a lot of bears ... [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
God, I hate taking out the trash.

Mind you, our dumpster has to be driven to, as it's at the other end of the apartment complex, so that is probably a factor.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
Freecycle.

Or, take it to your local council recycling depot.

You are probably right, I am definitely doing a tip run anyway.

I have been surfing the web for organisational tips and finding it unusually unhelpful. There is lots of stuff about getting over procrastination or dragooning your children (I have no dragoons). But there is nothing about how to categorise your gubbins. This is my main issue, do you store your cameras with your media, or your binocculars - does your rucksack go with camping stuff or with suitcases ?

Each decision in itself is trivial, but there are many of them and its the indecision that slows me to a crawl.

What I want is some home guru to have a list that goes you have these x number of categories - use them !
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Ask yourself, if *I* were to go looking for whatever, where would I look first?

And that's where you put it.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Unfortunately, for basically my whole life, the answer to that has been either a) think back to where I last remember seeing it or b) in that massive pile of stuff, covered with a throw, that I haven't sorted.

I could adapt a pre-generated list, its doing one from scratch that kills me.

I have started some general categories, but need something more comprehensive.

On amore positive note I have almost finished transferring the disassembled bed to the car for this afternoon's tip run. And bagged the clothes to take too [Smile]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
The problem with giving you a prearranged list is that it depends on what space is available for storage. My rucksack lives with my camping and other outside sports gear in a trunk in the hall, my cases are on top of my wardrobe in my bedroom filled with out of season clothes. But I am most likely to use the rucksack to do anything and only rarely use a suitcase.

I need to arrange storage for craft stuff which is currently in a cardboard box having been emptied out of the desk they were in, it having been repurposed, and I need to find a storage solution that will work for me.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
Unfortunately, for basically my whole life, the answer to that has been either a) think back to where I last remember seeing it or b) in that massive pile of stuff, covered with a throw, that I haven't sorted.

I don't think you need a lost then. In fact, I think "where I saw it last" could work perfectly fine for you.

So what if the cameras are stored on the book shelf next to the cleaning products which are next to the dvd? As long as there is *a* place where they are stored safely, then fine!

Eventually you might notice that actually, it would be more convenient for me if the cleaning products were stored in the linen cupboard instead of in the lounge by the TV, but that's a natural thing that comes out of how your house is set up and how you live in it. Not because some stranger on the internet told you so.

Make the first step to get the random piles of stuff put away, somehow, get more storage/throw stuff away etc.

It doesn't matter where things are stored as long as you can find them.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I organized my kitchen on principles of laziness. So glasses are next to the fridge, where the milk/juice/water lives; dishes are between fridge and dishwasher, so I can put the freaking things away without having to walk. Spatula/wooden spoons/etc. are next to the stove, where I use them. Stuff that rarely gets used (e.g. baking stuff) is in the farthest, most inconvenient corner. [Biased]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
I organized my kitchen on principles of laziness. So glasses are next to the fridge, where the milk/juice/water lives; dishes are between fridge and dishwasher, so I can put the freaking things away without having to walk. Spatula/wooden spoons/etc. are next to the stove, where I use them. Stuff that rarely gets used (e.g. baking stuff) is in the farthest, most inconvenient corner. [Biased]

Exactly, LC! [Overused]

Mrs. S, recognising a kindred spirit
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
I have returned from the tip having got rid of a jam-packed carload of stuff. (It turns out the answer to how do you get a whole double bed frame into a tiny car is, with an axe [Big Grin] )

[ 17. August 2014, 15:32: Message edited by: Doublethink ]
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
One word: baskets.

At one point I bought a lot of rectangular, stackable baskets in, I think, T K Maxx. I discover two of these, side by side, exactly fitted an IKEA Billy bookcase. Result as far as jewellery-making, haberdashery and stationery goes. Log baskets = fabric, yarn. Sundry smaller baskets - the current project.

Coat hooks. Bags. Put stuff in bags, hang from hooks.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Nice system for a craft room [Smile]

One thing I have got is plenty of storage, it is all about getting stuff from floor to storage in a sensible system. (Previous attempts at decluttering have fallen into the trap of getting more storage, but not getting rid of any actual stuff.)

I have chucked some plastic chests of drawers, well their frames, I have kept the drawers as they are the right height to use in the ottoman bed to organise whatever I put in there.

I have eight deep shelves and a bedside cabinet left to fill in the bedroom (not including clothes storage, I have sorted them). The shelves are too deep to easily reach the back, so last abortive declutter attempt I bought decorative boxes for each shelve, and I still have these.

In the study I have waaaaaay too much old paperwork, much of which needs burning or shredding, but I do have a two drawer filling cabinet for what I need to keep. In addition to obligatory bookcase(which is full), I have an ikea shelving unit which is currently a mess, I have two decorative boxes intended to hold stationary for that.

I do think I might need to put up some shelving in the spare room though - I have no obvious place for my music books.

[ 17. August 2014, 16:19: Message edited by: Doublethink ]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I was wondering about looking out for something with drawers, lots of little drawers, for the craft stuff. The plan is to keep an eye out for something second-hand in the charity shops and repaint it to fit where it's going. I have a five drawer chest of drawers, square-ish, tallish, tucked into a corner between doors in the hall that stores hats and gloves in the top drawers and tools in the bottom drawers. It cost practically nothing, is pretty hideous laminate under the paint job and new handles, but is painted to match the hall.
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Consider getting a label maker so you know what goes where. Basic ones are about 20 quid from whsmith or staples etc.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I only started out to refill the pepper grinder.

An hour and a half later I have decluttered not only one kitchen cupboard, ridding myself of endless small quantities of borlotti beans etc, but also the spice reserve. (Whose bright idea was it to have kitchen cupboards that stop eight inches below the ceiling, just the right height to store stuff and then forget it's there? [Mad] Which is why we have endless half-packets of herbs and spices).

Anyway, the 'active' spice drawer is all lovely and tidy and all the little jars are full again [Axe murder]

Mrs. S, standing for 'smug' this morning [Cool]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
And you deserve to be smug.

Well done!

Huia [Smile]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
CK:
quote:
I was wondering about looking out for something with drawers, lots of little drawers, for the craft stuff.
Depends how little the drawers need to be and how decorative you want them, but you might want to consider something like this. They're really for keeping screws and nails in but we got several from B&Q for our gaming miniatures - they're just the right size and can be padded with cotton wool if you're worried about your orcs (or whatever) being damaged in storage. They'd probably work for fiddly bits of crafting kit, too.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Progress. All the paperwork that still needs to be sorted is in six stacking 24 litre plastic boxes in the study.

There is no study stuff in any other part of the house. None. At all.

I'm aiming to reduce the boxes by half a box a day.
I think that's achievable.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Well done !
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Talking diy storage I am cutting up the memory foam topper, that is now too small for my bed, to line the under bed storage drawers. My plan is to be able stick things in the foam the way you would in a camera bag and make sure things are unrattley [Smile]
 
Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Good work, DT!
 
Posted by Jemima the 9th (# 15106) on :
 
We are going to try to move house! People are coming to look round! [Help] In addition to the [Help] I really need a "running around like a headless chicken in panic" smilie.

Oh well. I'm trying to see this as a positive - that the prospect of people coming to look will help me to declutter & keep the place tidy. She says, sitting on her arse, typing away on a laptop. Hm.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
So I have made a start in the dining room - pulled everything out of the corner and emptied a shelf in the corner cupboard. It is bin day tomorrow and I was determined to have a bin liner with some stuff in it to go out. This I have achieved, but the dining room looks dreadful now - stuff on the table that I don't feel strong enough to face this evening and bagfuls of stuff in the middle of the floor. [Help]

Nen - it has to look worse before it looks better, right? [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
First it gets worse, then it gets a lot better, Nenya.

We still have another two weeks before our nest empties. Will I still have clutter to keep me busy after then - oh, yes!!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Will I still have clutter to keep me busy after then - oh, yes!!

That's the reassuring thing about clutter - it can always be relied upon to stick by you. [Biased]

I have a deadline for the dining room - Nenlet1 and son-in-law are coming for tea (in our house that means the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening) on Sunday. While I am not anticipating having all the shelves and drawers sorted, I do want to have the floor cleared and to be able to use the table - currently piled high with half empty files, papers and bubble wrap. I'm seeing a table cloth, flowers, wine glasses, candles...

Nen - better get my skates on.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
......I'm seeing a table cloth, flowers, wine glasses, candles...

What a lovely incentive - keep that image in your mind and it should really help.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
There's nothing quite like an impending dinner-party (even if it's only your own family) to switch on the de-cluttering gene.

Good luck! [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Jemima the 9th (# 15106) on :
 
It gets worse before it gets better is my mantra for most things housework related! Good luck Nenya - hope you have a great evening.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Old Study: Emptied, sorted, restocked, and the paper recycling bin is almost full

Kitchen: utensils drawer emptied, scrubbed clean, restocked.

Living room: Ikea was visited! Telly wall mounted. Audio sorted. Large books relocated. Storage boxes repositioned

Spare room: Departed Relative Belongings await family decision

Cupboard under stairs/ new porch area/ garage-to-be/ front garage are all....... [Waterworks]

Gardens both blitzed, to nil effect tbh.....

Yesterday we both forgot that it was our wedding anniversary....too busy!

[ 23. August 2014, 11:34: Message edited by: Ethne Alba ]
 
Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
I am dipping my toe in very gently but was surprised how much I got done in two 20 minute tidying sessions yesterday. It feels possible that one day we might have worked out where things live in this new flat and so be able to put them away.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Congratulations!


[update: wall-long bookcase blitzed and nine bags of books to charity shop this afternoon]

[ 23. August 2014, 14:10: Message edited by: Ethne Alba ]
 
Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
I've found my mother a major help with de cluttering! She came round and was ruthless in the baby's room, so we now have a today room ready for a baby!

She's coming over on the first September again and we're going to tackle the living room. Which isn't too bad, but still has renments of clutter from the extension, and there are a couple of glory holes that need sorting but I've just not got the spoons to do it.

Mum was really good last time in not letting me do too much, she understands pregnancy much better than chronic illness and could relate to it so was telling me to rest and making sure I was comfortable.

Interestingly she was very concerned that the mister would be cross at the work they'd done, especially when my step dad put up some shelves for us!
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
Congratulations!


[update: wall-long bookcase blitzed and nine bags of books to charity shop this afternoon]

I am impressed with your list !
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
I have discovered incinerating old bank statements is a lot more relaxing than shredding them.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
JoannaP I hope the toe dipping is helping you.

I find it important not to try to do too much otherwise it gets overwhelming and you Just. STOP. which is especially awkward if you have just emptied a box or cupboard...

For my own efforts, the filing cabinet is done, and it felt so good last time post arrived to take back statements straight up to put away (after checking them quickly)
Yesterday afternoon I rearranged some furniture in my living room. Not quite a declutter really, as the only thing that got removed was an empty whisky bottle from when I emptied and refilled the alcohol cupboard in order to move it.
Nonetheless, it looks so much smarter and I'm really happy with it. I have talked to Mr shrew about getting a little TV unit, as currently the TV lives on top of the largest nesting coffee table. It's ok but not ideal.

I know it sounds like recluttering but actually I think having better organised furniture helps me to keep the clutter under control.

This morning we are shopping for shoes and trousers for Mr shrew for work. This afternoon, I need to remove the old/worn out/non fitting ones.

I'm also hoping to do some serious tidying in the spare room as when we moved in, we opened out the extending (drop leaf) table and put boxes both on it and under it. I've been trying to clear it for a while, but only in a fairly laid back way. However we are having friends round on bank holiday Monday to play the board game we received as a wedding gift link to game

It needs all the table space in the world and more so I really do need to try to excavate the drop leaf table. Still, there's nothing like a deadline to provide motivation!!!

(Edited to fix link)

[ 24. August 2014, 08:21: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Second tip run completed, having this much crap to get rid off feels like a very first world problem.

Next up - more paperwork sorting - I shall clear the study !
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Well done Doublethink!

I successfully excavated the drop leaf table, and made a huge difference to the living room.
(apologies for the broken link previously. I thought I had checked it but obviously not.)
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
I am currently continuing the decluttering by watching netflix with a coffee, whilst keeping an eye on the incinerator fullo all my old university coursework [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
So that's the feel-good factor out of the way.....
Now here's hoping we don't allow it to all build up again [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
That's always the battle isn't it. It is a bit like dieting I think.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Very much so
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
The holiday suitcase and bags are unpacked, almost everything is tidied away and the laundry is done.

I have even started catching up on paperwork. Got rather irritated because business people wouldn't answer the phone, and I wanted to get on with my stuff, then realised it is a Bank Holiday. [Hot and Hormonal]

Then I realised I could happily and responsibly procrastinate. [Two face]

[ 25. August 2014, 13:31: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Excellent !
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:

Now here's hoping we don't allow it to all build up again [Roll Eyes]

I have been decluttering money-off vouchers which expired in 2007, guarantees for electrical items which went to the recycling depot years ago, information sheets about school trips which were forthcoming in 2006, and I've found a library book which we paid for, having given it up for lost in 1998.

I'm telling myself it would take years to build up that level of dross again.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
*highfive*
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
...I'm telling myself it would take years to build up that level of dross again.

...or, in my case, about 10 minutes!
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
...I'm telling myself it would take years to build up that level of dross again.

...or, in my case, about 10 minutes!
That long? [Eek!]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I need to build up those habits that help things like trash and dishes get done regularly...
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
......I'm seeing a table cloth, flowers, wine glasses, candles...

What a lovely incentive - keep that image in your mind and it should really help.
We had a lovely evening and there was a table cloth, and wine glasses and candles. [Smile]

There was also a lot of stuff whisked upstairs into the spare room. [Biased]

However, progress is being made. The recycling bins and bags were very full when they went out this morning and the cupboards in the dining room have a couple of empty shelves. There's still so much to do [Help] but it won't get done by me sitting and moaning about it. [Roll Eyes]

I work hard to keep the sink clear - I hate coming down to last night's tea things or coming back from work to the breakfast stuff. I wash some or all of the cooking pans after I've dished up and before I sit down to eat. I rinse the crocks and cutlery and get them into the dishwasher before I sit down for coffee. We eat breakfast in the kitchen and I'm constantly up and down rinsing stuff for the dishwasher as it gets used. Dishwashers are wonderful things - they make the kitchen look as though you've washed up when you haven't. [Axe murder]

Nen - off to cook and wash up. [Biased]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Oh yes, Nen, dishwashers are wonderful things. I have a surveyor coming next week to tell me whether it will be feasible (mostly financially) to move about some of the walls in my kitchen. I definitely plan to include a dishwasher in my new kitchen lineup, it might take a bit of creative design if the walls stay as dog-leggy as they are now though.

Unfortunately, said surveyor will arrive upon our return from a camping holiday while the detritus from a dance festival still hasn't found its way home. I foresee a busy Monday. Especially as the heavy canvas beast of a tent isn't likely to be dry when we take it down...
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
TTP, if you want a dishwasher badly enough (and who wouldn't?) you can Find A Way.

We have a small one (24" rather than 30" wide), which is perfect for the two of us; you wouldn't think that 6" less width would make it so much easier to accommodate, but it does - especially if, like us, your kitchen hasn't got a specific space for it.
 
Posted by Jemima the 9th (# 15106) on :
 
Today I am going to tackle the front garden. Lord have mercy. I don't feel well either, so hopefully it'll be a distraction.

Oh bother, and I meant to add - glad you had a good evening Nenya!

[ 29. August 2014, 08:43: Message edited by: Jemima the 9th ]
 
Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
A fortnight home alone, relaxed and unpressured, and I am rather pleased with my achievements so far. Hopefully I can maintain the momentum once the boy gets home tonight and school starts next week.
I've used the cheating method of renting storage, but so far it's working. I'm sticking the clutter in there until the flat is how I want it (you'd still describe it as cluttered, but I quite like clutter as long as you can move safely from room to room - I'd never survive as a minimalist!) and then rehoming/binning the storage stuff at my leisure. Several loads of rubbish has gone already and there are a couple of bags waiting to go to the charity shop. I think now 80% of the clothing in the house is stuff we actually wear.
The kitchen and bathroom cupboards have been decluttered - plastic boxes now all have lids, apart from the ones I use for feeding the cat, and those bottles of unidentifiable, must-be-vintage-by-now bath stuff that I was keeping for a rainy day have gone to the big bubble bath in the sky.

Next job - paperwork. Where did I put the shredder ? (Hope I didn't declutter it!)
 
Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Smudgie:

I've used the cheating method of renting storage, but so far it's working.

I have a friend who use to refer to it as "off-shore storage." Like money in an off-shore bank account doesn't count (for tax purposes), so things in off-shore storage don't count for clutter etc purposes.
 
Posted by Jemima the 9th (# 15106) on :
 
That sounds like great progress Smudgie. The under-the-sink cupboard is on my list of things to tackle....

Front garden looking better. More to be done, though.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Put up picture rail. Sanded and painted chest of drawers (for shoes in hall). Covered in paint but mild sense of achievement noted [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jemima the 9th:
That sounds like great progress Smudgie. The under-the-sink cupboard is on my list of things to tackle....

Oo, oo, I did that one yesterday. [Big Grin] Amazing how many sprays of all-purpose cleaner I had... [Eek!]

I'm currently decluttering the bathroom cabinet. Used toothbrushes, anyone?

I hope in time to have an organised routine, with a weekly focus area. At present it's more a case of "OMG, it's a mess in there as well, better get to it."

Nen - who does not want to talk about the spare room.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Had visitors - notable comment "oooh, you didn't used to be able to sit on that sofa" [Smile]

I am on the last furlong of sorting the storage bed.

[ 31. August 2014, 13:32: Message edited by: Doublethink ]
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Found home inventory apps [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have decluttered two volumes of 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'. They have survived several purges but now they are going. I feel sad about it even though I haven't actually consulted them for several decades.

Also a couple of items of clothing. I bought some new clothes yesterday and so some that I have never or rarely worn had to go.

I am looking at a shelf of poetry books. I rarely read poetry now and if I do want to read it I can usually find it online. I cannot remember when I last opened any of them. When I feel strong enough I will tackle them. I could probably get rid of some more 'God' books as well.

As for under the sink: I have two small cupboards that qualify for this description. One under the actual sink and one in the utility room.

When I moved in these were carefully organised. Now the one in the utility room is a mess. I really don't know how this happens. We have been here less than six months!

Monday was supposed to be the start of an Autumn renewed effort in cleaning, organising and decluttering. But a friend suggested that would be a good day to reschedule a day out we had to postpone earlier in the year, and there may be another get together as well during the week. So I can feel the energy and impetus for this housework draining away.

I came across a new to me housework/decluttering blog the other day. It is the Flylady principles repackaged to suit her own temperament. She is one of those who couldn't get on with Flylady, but she has come up with her own version.

a slob comes clean You'll either love her or hate her! I'm not sure which category I fall into but have been rather compulsively reading her blog and watching her videos.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I'm starting on another declutter of the books. Most of ours are currently stacked up in the box room, and as we don't plan to replace the shelves in our bedroom where these books have lived hitherto it's going to be a challenge to find them a new home; helpful, therefore, if there are fewer of them. I sometimes end up sleeping in the box room and I've lain there gazing on these books and thinking, "I don't think I've opened that one since I was at university..."

I've had a break from the decluttering for a couple of days as Nenlet2 has been home and we've been doing family things. Back to it tomorrow.

I did give A Slob Comes Clean a bit of a go but just found it irritating... [Hot and Hormonal]

Nen - off to empty the dishwasher.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
When I get to the end of the greater declutter, I need to order the books and scan them onto Librarything.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
When I get to the end of the greater declutter, I need to order the books and scan them onto Librarything.

Does anyone know of software for organizing and cataloguing music CDs? Unlike books, which are usually fairly basic (author, title, publishing info) CDs often have more than one composer per CD. If it's a CD of Bach's music, that's easy to alphabetize. But what if it's Baroque Trumpet Concertos by several composers? Also, some CDs feature the artist rather than the composer (let's say, Maurice André plays trumpet concertos). There has to be some way of organizing all of these. Any ideas?
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
This blog post is about organising sewing patterns, but the suggested apps could be adapted for music CD's I think. Also, there are tons of other suggestions for apps in the comments.

here

I decided to use Evernote for my sewing patterns, and when they are done I am going to use it for my CD's and books.

With the apps and Evernote you can put tags into the entry so all the different variables can be covered and easily found.

[ 31. August 2014, 19:44: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Sorry, I should have said, I think you search for database apps, if you don't want to read the post and comments.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
This might work, I've not tried it myself but I like the idea. You put the CD into the computer, and it pulls all the information from the internet.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
Sorry, I should have said, I think you search for database apps, if you don't want to read the post and comments.

Thanks -- but I don't have a smartphone, so it has to work on my desktop. (I have searched for database software, but didn't have much luck.)
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
This might work, I've not tried it myself but I like the idea. You put the CD into the computer, and it pulls all the information from the internet.

I actually have that one bookmarked -- but I need to get an external CD drive for my computer. For some reason TPTB have decided that computers don't need CD drives anymore. That program did look promising, however.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I got a lot in my bedroom done: All trash out and desk cleaned!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Decluttering flummoxed me. I looked in the obvious places for my knitting needles last seen at a recent major declutter, and only after I bought some new-to-me ones (ridiculously cheap for bamboo) did I notice the cabinet inherited from my mother which was where she used to keep hers. I must have inherited the where-to-put-things from her too.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
Decluttering flummoxed me. I looked in the obvious places for my knitting needles last seen at a recent major declutter, and only after I bought some new-to-me ones (ridiculously cheap for bamboo) did I notice the cabinet inherited from my mother which was where she used to keep hers. I must have inherited the where-to-put-things from her too.

Buying replacements is always the best way to find something that's missing.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Having tidied up, I couldn't find my shoes this morning - typical [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
(Enters, waves at all, introduces self as fellow declutterer.)

Three bags of clutter just left my house.

Three bags of containers and other organizational tools just entered my house.

I am not entirely sure that I am doing this correctly.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
If it's properly organised and you need it, it doesn't count as clutter... or so I keep telling myself.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I have bought two shelves to put in my bedroom, they are currently cluttering the bedroom floor until I get around to it!

The requires getting out both the drill and the vacuum cleaner - not difficult at all but each takes far longer than the drilling will require so...
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Buying replacements is always the best way to find something that's missing.

Especially when you've put the thing you've lost "in a safe place".
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Hah, I can beat you on points, Wodders - we currently have my daughter's new bed (still in bits) spread over the living-room floor, although once we have finished putting it together and rearranged her room things should improve.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I've got a small bag of stuff ready for the charity shop.

Put some things on Freecycle if they are not taken up very quickly they will go to the tip.

Asked Mr T to take something to the tip.

Still working up to another major book declutter. I've just noticed I've got two copies of 'Diary of a Country Parson' by James Woodforde. No idea how that happened or why I haven't noticed before.

I have just remembered I still have to get rid of all Dad's paperwork. It's out of sight and therefore out of mind.

I'm finding that as I go on, more and more things that escaped previous clearances are presenting themselves as ready to leave. Now though they are the smaller things.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
There's a box in the dining room for books which are to be decluttered. There are five books in it.

Nen - it's a start I suppose...
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
I have somewhat lost my decluttering oomph [Frown]

I fear it may now stall for another year [brick wall]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Doublethink can you give yourself a short holiday - because of what you have already achieved [Overused] a make a date when you will start back? I often use important dates (family birthdays, public holidays) to remind me that I will start the day after.

Huia
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Parents are planning to visit in a couple of weeks - I would really like to have it done by then but I can feel myself starting to slip - I feel like if I stop I'll never restart [Frown]
 
Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
My flatmates are currently decluttering the kitchen, while I sit on the floor. This is my level of decluttering! [Snigger]
 
Posted by Jemima the 9th (# 15106) on :
 
Excellent!

I have tackled the under-the-sink cupboard. Disappointing lack of stuff thrown out. Mind you - 3 bottles of ceramic hob cleaner? A little extravagant I think.

All the best with the future bit, DoubleThink - could you have a really small bit scheduled for a couple of weeks' time, so at least you feel like you have a plan? When I have a big list of things to do, I always include a couple of things I've already done, so I can tick them off and feel righteous...
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jemima the 9th:
...When I have a big list of things to do, I always include a couple of things I've already done, so I can tick them off and feel righteous...

What a fabulous idea!

Thanks.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
quote:
Originally posted by Jemima the 9th:
...When I have a big list of things to do, I always include a couple of things I've already done, so I can tick them off and feel righteous...

What a fabulous idea!

Thanks.

I once employed someone because she did that - I'm sorry to relate that it was a Really Bad Idea! (employing her, not the to-do list thing, which I do myself! [Hot and Hormonal] )

Mrs. S, still wincing at that particular memory
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
I prefer to include a couple of jobs that will only take five minutes. Then I can do those first and tick them off and feel self-righteous - without cheating.

It would probably be just as quick to do them without writing them down on the list, of course.

However, the good news is that Daughter's new bed is now assembled and the boxes that live underneath it have been put back where they belong. They've been languishing in the spare room for about a month because the shop couldn't deliver the bed immediately (she broke the old one). So we haven't really decluttered anything, but the house looks considerably tidier!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
I prefer to include a couple of jobs that will only take five minutes. Then I can do those first and tick them off and feel self-righteous - without cheating.

Good grief, why call it cheating? It's a Technique devised to help those of us who are 'organisationally-challenged' to feel more in control of our lives - which makes it a Therapy. Probably ought to be available on the NHS ... [Devil]

And you only have to read Wodders' posts to know that just because something will only take five minutes, it doesn't mean that it will actually get done. Ever!

Mrs. S, ready to accept whatever help is going

[Two face]
 
Posted by Jemima the 9th (# 15106) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
quote:
Originally posted by Jemima the 9th:
...When I have a big list of things to do, I always include a couple of things I've already done, so I can tick them off and feel righteous...

What a fabulous idea!

Thanks.

My pleasure. How does the expression go? "If you can't be a good example, at least be a terrible warning". [Big Grin]

In a last-minute-find-the-plimsolls exercise, I ended up decluttering the shoes under the stairs. Plimsolls weren't there, obviously, though I found them later. Also chucked out 1 pair of thoroughly worn out shoes, and have a nice little pile of too-small tap shoes to go to the dance teacher next week.

Also, not quite decluttering but - I made 3 phone calls I was hiding from - to the school office, the dentist and the hairdresser. So they're ticked off the mental list. (Darn it, I should now write one and tick them off!)
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
The Intrepid Mrs S:
quote:
Good grief, why call it cheating? It's a Technique devised to help those of us who are 'organisationally-challenged' to feel more in control of our lives... just because something will only take five minutes, it doesn't mean that it will actually get done. Ever!
That's true (that's why our bathroom sink only gets cleaned when we have visitors). Only it feels like cheating to me...

I should phone the hairdresser as well, but if I get my fringe cut short enough so I can see out I will just notice all the other stuff that needs to be decluttered! [Help]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jemima the 9th:
I have tackled the under-the-sink cupboard. Disappointing lack of stuff thrown out. Mind you - 3 bottles of ceramic hob cleaner? A little extravagant I think.

I found exactly the same when I did mine. The stuff we keep under our sinks is very useful stuff and really will get used in time - as long as we don't keep adding more of the same to the supplies. [Biased]

I've had a very productive day and have done everything on my "To Do" list. I love lists and do the thing of writing things on them I've already done, for the satisfaction of it. However, the other day I found I'd written "Make tomorrow's to do list" so I'm starting to wonder whether things are going a bit far. [Eek!]

Well done, assembled declutterers! [Big Grin]

Nen - still only five books in the recycling box, but on a roll generally. [Yipee]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
I'm the same with toiletries - I seem to buy my favourites whenever they are on offer, and again when I run out. I really must rememembr to check first - if only I could remember where I stash these things!!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Yesterday I finally got Mr. S to go through his wardrobe, by which I mean one double and one single wardrobe, and seven drawers. Even so I forgot he had two under-the-bed drawers full of Stuff, plus another in one of the spare rooms! [Ultra confused]

But the upshot was, two blue IKEA bags out the door this morning on their way to the Clothes Bank, plus a dustbin half full of clothes hangers, and old clothes that were just too far gone for anything! (yes, I know the clothes could have gone for rags, but I wanted them all out asap. [Yipee] )

It did worry me a bit that the joy I felt was tempered with almost a physical pain as he refolded all his shirts The Wrong Way! He folds his with the sleeves inside - OK, for a long-sleeved shirt it makes no odds, but for a short-sleeved shirt it puts an extra crease in the sleeves and makes the whole package more bulky. Still, forty years of marriage teaches you what is entirely non-negotiable - doesn't it? He's out all day today so I may have to sneak in and refold them all [Devil]

Mrs. S, sitting on her hands
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have enough toothpaste for the rest of my life I think.

I kept buying more (in bulk as they were on offer) so I had a new tube each time we went on holiday. Then with all the moving I couldn't remember where I had put them and had to buy more when the next holiday arrived.

Definitely going to declutter most of the poetry. Discovered that Mr T has a collected works of Shakespeare and it is all available online.

Decluttered a quantity of family papers. Tried not to look at too many except for the purpose of setting aside important financial info that has to be kept. Filled a bin bag and recycling box with 10 years worth of generally difficult memories.

It hasn't made much visual impact but I feel better for knowing it isn't there anymore and hanging over me.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Family papers are so difficult to declutter. I have some going back to 17 years ago when I should have done something about them. I just push them further back into the wardrobe, and add to them occasionally.

I have just put 60 [Ultra confused] clothes hangers onto freecycle - if they don't get taken this weekend then they'll be binned. They were on top of the aforementioned wardrobe and so not in the way or anything.... just wondering what else is hiding like that.
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
Being quite a bit shorter than Mr. Plummer I often miss seeing clutter on top of wardrobes etc., which annoys him.

On the other hand, I spend quite a bit of time looking for things that turn out to be on top of cupboards. He can see them, but doesn't think to mention it, and I can't.
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
What is it with books?

If they have to go in the bin, even the recycling bin, it feels like having an animal put down. [Frown]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I ordered two more, secondhand, by post from UK last night - with the P&P they cost about as much as new ones!
 
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
I de cluttered my fridge door today. That is, removed the various money off vouchers, thank you cards, birth announcements, invitations, godson photos, appointment letters, recipes, and other Random Stuff, cleaned the door. And then out about half of it back on again, but at least it's tidier.

Luckily I realised that I'd included a £20 note in the pile of recycling papers in time to hunt through the bin...
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Trying to sort my CDs I type, (and watch New Tricks).
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
I've been re-organising my CDs - slowly getting them onto iPlayer and working out how to categorise them in my CD tower - there is so much overlap between categories.
Once I've got the CDs sorted I'd like to add my tapes to iPlayer too - I have a gizmo to digitise them.
With these all stored digitally I wonder how much I'll use the hard copy, so that will one day be a brave declutter.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Of course, I meant iTunes not iPlayer [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Daisydaisy, Mr. S bought a Cocktail Audio and loaded all our (~ 1000) CDs on to it. It took him 5 weeks, working almost full-time, to load all the details and cleanse the data. Then he backed it all up on to an external hard drive.

THEN he wrapped all the CDs in cling film, a batch of 10 or so at a time so they fitted into the CD racks; and humped all the racks into the attic, and put all the wrapped bundles of CDs into them. Thus neatly filling the attic we'd so lovingly cleared the year before [Confused]

Still, it gets them out of the sitting room, I suppose [Yipee]

Visited my mother the Dowager on Sunday, and she made a start on decluttering by giving me a Dartington salad bowl she said she'd never use (on the principle of one in, one out I compensated by getting rid of a cut-glass rose bowl I'd been given as a leaving present about a quarter of a century ago [Projectile] )

I also got her to agree to throw out an enormous bunch of dried and artificial flowers, over 6 foot tall - sadly in trying to lug this downstairs I stumbled and only saved myself at the cost of a few bruises from the terracotta pot they were in [Help]

Mrs. S reflecting that it's a start, anyway [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
daisydaisy - what are you using to convert your tapes so you can store them on i-tunes?
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
There are a few more books in the box for decluttering now. [Smile]

I'm using Flylady's suggested weekly zones so that when I feel I don't know where to start she has already told me. [Biased] This week it's the kitchen. I've decluttered my cupboard of spices and sauces, having smugly thought I didn't have anything out of date in there "It's not that long since I last sorted it..." I realised I was wrong on more than one account. [Hot and Hormonal]

Nen - to whom it is news that there's A Right Way To Fold A Shirt. [Eek!]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I took out two bags of trash today!

I am hoping that if I take out two bags of trash every day when I get home from work then not only will the ones left in the kitchen (3 now down from 5) be gone in a day or two, but then every day I can empty wastebaskets into a trash bag and take them out with the kitchen trash.

This may waste some plastic bags but honestly I think it is a major step above having literally overflowing wastebaskets, paper trash and such on the coffee table, etc.

(Am I the only one who sees a filled kitchen trash can, sees there is no room in it for anything, and then, er, just leaves stuff on the counter which then starts accumulating?)

Since the dumpster is at the other end of the apartment complex (I literally have to drive to it), but is next to the mailbox, I can get the mail at the same time (and hopefully start throwing away the vast amounts of paper (ads, ads, and more ads) that comes in the mailbox too).
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Nen - to whom it is news that there's A Right Way To Fold A Shirt. [Eek!]

I know, I know, Nen - I appreciate how sad that is, but ... we were watching Only Connect (recorded) last night, and one of the guys had his shirt collar in such a mess that I could hardly concentrate on the answers [Confused]

But this - All Saints - is the only place I would ever admit that there are two ways to fold a shirt, my way and the Wrong Way; and when Mr. S was doing the ironing, I just used to refold my shirts while he wasn't looking - I don't grumble about it IRL!

The Compulsive Mrs S [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
there are two ways (snip), my way and the Wrong Way;

[Killing me] [Overused]

Very tempted to make it my sig.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
there are two ways (snip), my way and the Wrong Way;

[Killing me] [Overused]

Very tempted to make it my sig.

Be my guest!

The Flattered Mrs. S [Angel]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
About a month or so ago I decluttered lots of old filing and I have now reluctantly come to the conclusion that the resultant pile of decluttered papers on the floor here will not move downstairs on their own - I think I am actually going to have to move them myself.

[Disappointed]
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
You could buy a powerful fan to waft them ...
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Nen:
quote:
...to whom it is news that there's A Right Way To Fold A Shirt.
You fold your shirts?! We always hang ours up.

Of course, that could be because we've never bothered to learn how to fold them...

I ought to persuade Other Half to declutter his wardrobe. There are shirts in there that are falling to bits and haven't fitted him for years; it's stuffed so full that the things he does want to wear are crammed up against the junk and get creased anyway. But I'm not sure I have the energy. Perhaps I should lead by example and declutter all the things I never wear from my wardrobe.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Paper clutter from floor now in large, used, plastic paint bucket together with other papers for destruction that have been lying on the massage table in the other room for, erm, a day or two. Bucket now downstairs with request to Himself that the contents should be burned next time he plans a conflagration.

[Cool]
 
Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Did you find your passport??
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Finally lost the battle with our table....it'll take half a day now
[Frown]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
My passport was in its proper place - or at least somewhere where I knew where it was.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I dropped off a bunch of books for the Friends of the Library book sale today -- mostly fiction which I'll never re-read. If I do get a desire to read any of them, I can always borrow them -- from the Library!

I also sent off some greeting card fronts, unused cards, etc. to a church that makes them into scrapbooks for nursing homes.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Re-sorted my cds and cleaned those that needed it with vodka.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
daisydaisy - what are you using to convert your tapes so you can store them on i-tunes?

Finally found it! I used Digitope to transfer tapes onto digital.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Nen:
quote:
...to whom it is news that there's A Right Way To Fold A Shirt.
You fold your shirts?! We always hang ours up.

Of course, that could be because we've never bothered to learn how to fold them...

What, even the T-shirts and polo shirts? We haven't enough hanging space even for formal shirts [Roll Eyes]

The whole point of the wrong/right way to fold shirts is only that I think my way minimises creasing, whereas Mr. S folds his with what Dorothy L. Sayers referred to as 'a maddening perversity of wrongness', i.e. seeming to be encouraging creasing, exactly where it will show most [Mad] And he isn't doing it badly to get me to do it for him - I just don't understand [Confused]

Mrs. S, whose role it is always to wrap the parcels [Smile]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
daisydaisy - what are you using to convert your tapes so you can store them on i-tunes?

Finally found it! I used Digitope to transfer tapes onto digital.
Thank you!
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I decided today to declutter my work cupboard before my students start (I work from home for the Open University). I threw out several previous incarnations and revisions of the courses I teach, the endless mound of updated DVDs and unnecessary admin. I still have a pile of papers but plan on a campaign of sorting those and putting as much as I can on the computer. It was not only very liberating but also very necessary, as the course books look identical after they are re-written and it is rather disconcerting to find your reference on a different page to your students'. I now only have the recent mailings. I also now have a huge space ready for my own studies as I start a MEd in a few weeks.
I might start on the cupboard below now...
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Intrepid Mrs S:
quote:
What, even the T-shirts and polo shirts?
Oh right... I thought you meant just formal shirts. I don't think of T-shirts as shirts, and I don't HAVE any polo shirts. You are overestimating my sartorial elegance [Biased]

I have the same problem with Mr R, but I usually just avert my eyes when he does it to his clothes and have trained him not to fold mine at all - he hangs them over the back of a chair and then I put them away myself.

Of course, he hangs them in completely the wrong order because he usually does blouses and shirts first and then puts the trousers and jeans on top of them. [Roll Eyes] But you can't have everything...

[ 12. September 2014, 15:35: Message edited by: Jane R ]
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
daisydaisy - what are you using to convert your tapes so you can store them on i-tunes?

Finally found it! I used Digitope to transfer tapes onto digital.
Oooh tempting.

After lunch I am am going to catalog my books onto Librarything with CueCat and my netbook, (that I can now charge - after a year ! - because I found the cable after the great tidy up).

Cds are stored neatly, but I have ducked the long term organisational decisions for the moment.

[ 13. September 2014, 12:13: Message edited by: Doublethink ]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
It took most of today, but I have done out the under stairs cupboard!
This is where shoes, coats, recipe books, cds and dvds live at Chez Shrew. Also four camping chairs which we need easy access to for when we have lots of guests (we have regular boardgames evenings so that is quite frequently).

There was not much culling of dvds or cds, but they are now beautifully sorted so culling will be easier. I made up for it by being ruthless with the shoes though.

Love the look of 'library thing' . I may investigate it when I get to sorting the books.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Well done [Smile]

I am about half done with the cataloging So that is about 350 books in 4 hours, using a barcode scanner for most, manually entered isbn for a few, and title search for some older volumes - plus the taking on and off shelf. So as you can see, the add process is quite efficient.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
What is cataloging for? I'm wondering if i should do it.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
In my case, it would be for knowing what books I have when the shelves are double stacked.
My mum also did it for her house insurance as having a full list of books in advance would apparently be useful in case of fire or the like
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
I am complete, it appears I have 742 books, which is slightly less than I expected - but then I have repeatedly got rid of crates full over the years.

I have not yet included ebooks or audio books.

Why, you ask ? Well with a view to getting rid of duplicates and anything I am clearly never going to read, plan out the categories in my bookcases - ensure I don't buy anything I already own (I have done that in the past).

[ETA also to work out if the reason I can't find a given book is disorganization or because I lent it to someone who hasn't returned it ...]

Also, librarything then generates reading recommendations on the basis of a detailed look at what sort of books you enjoy. There are also discussion forums etc that I am thinking of getting involved in.

[ 13. September 2014, 22:18: Message edited by: Doublethink ]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
The kitchen is gross again. So is the living room. Dirty laundry on the bedroom floor.

[Waterworks] [Help]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
The kitchen is gross again. So is the living room. Dirty laundry on the bedroom floor.


That's the problem with housework - you do it, then 6 months later you have to do it again [Biased]

As for the laundry - today as part of his Reflection the Minister at church introduced people to the idea of a floordrobe - I find it a very useful concept.

Huia

[ 14. September 2014, 07:33: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
What is cataloging for? I'm wondering if i should do it.

I am going to do it for my CD's, sewing patterns and books because I am prone to buying multiple copies because I forget what I have got [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Have worked out how to convert my vhs to dvd, and tapes to mp3, with existing equipment. Tis going to take me forever though.

Using audacity freeware for the audio - which I would recommend to the world.

[ 14. September 2014, 17:02: Message edited by: Doublethink ]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Attacked the kitchen again, tidying all the admin away and clearing the table, sorting the drinks cupboard (and asking liqueur with some surplus) and sorting out the many piles of books/sewing/fabric that congregate around my area. It's almost respectable enough for visitors.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
Have worked out how to convert my vhs to dvd, and tapes to mp3, with existing equipment. Tis going to take me forever though.

Using audacity freeware for the audio - which I would recommend to the world.

Well, I thought I had worked it out, vhs to dvd is going but audio is still defeating me. I take back my audacity recommendation.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
As for the laundry - today as part of his Reflection the Minister at church introduced people to the idea of a floordrobe - I find it a very useful concept.

[Overused] I encountered that word at unfuckyourhabitat and it describes my habits. Also need to work on that (he said ruefully, looking at the pile behind him).

I did get some dishes done and all trash in the kitchen put into bags.

More to do though.

The fruit flies are DRIVING ME INSANE NOW.

Though UFYH says this:

quote:
OK, so every damn thing you find on the Internet will have you building some kind of contraption involving several of the following: wine, dish detergent, vinegar, plastic wrap, sugar, water, and a bowl or glass of some kind. None of these have ever worked for me. They may trap a few flies, but if there’s one thing that fruit flies are, it’s prolific. ...

First things first: you need to find where they’re living and eating (and breeding). This is almost always going to be some kind of food source. ... Keep in mind that they can live off of food crud that lives on your dirty dishes. ...

Once you’ve found their home and disposed of it outside of your house, you need to clean ... wipe down every possible surface to make sure there’s nothing for them to live or feed on. ... make sure there’s nowhere for them to make a new home base. It may take a day or two for their numbers to noticeably dwindle.

We've had them before and this has worked as well. I don't know if they just decide to fly to greener pastures but cleaning things up and keeping them that way makes them go away, so my mission is clear. (Ties hachimaki around forehead.)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I've moved on to decluttering my church. I know (none better) that the church is a working building, not a picture postcard, but ours has begun to resemble a jumble sale [Mad]

So the vicar has started announcing at services that anyone who wants to claim one of the 15 or so umbrellas, or a food dish, or a lost cardigan, had just better get to it before I do! [Devil]

Mrs. S, about to phone for a skip [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Ok, do I spend my life reformatting from tape to mp3 - or - do I join spotify ? Are online streaming services good enough to replace your music collection ?
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I've moved on to decluttering my church. I know (none better) that the church is a working building, not a picture postcard, but ours has begun to resemble a jumble sale [Mad]

So the vicar has started announcing at services that anyone who wants to claim one of the 15 or so umbrellas, or a food dish, or a lost cardigan, had just better get to it before I do! [Devil]

Mrs. S, about to phone for a skip [Big Grin]

Isn't that what Christmas Fairs are for?
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
So the vicar has started announcing at services that anyone who wants to claim one of the 15 or so umbrellas, or a food dish, or a lost cardigan, had just better get to it before I do! [Devil]

Mrs. S, about to phone for a skip [Big Grin]

Rest assured that either:

Just as the stuff is about to leave the premises it will somehow not happen, the PCC will suddenly decide it has to be postponed for further consultation.

Or

Immediately after it has been disposed of there will be a torrent of complaints that Granny Smith's priceless salad bowl or handknit cashmere cardigan has been taken without consent etc.

I do admire your gumption attempting this - do keep us informed on progress. [Two face]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
The bags of trash (which had sat, un-taken-out, for a few days) appear to have been the culprits as the main source for the fruit flies.

Which are now homeless, though I am sure most of them left with the bags.

AND ARE NOW DRIVING ME INSANE AGAIN AND I FEEL LIKE KING KONG SWATTING BIPLANES. rrrrRARRARARARAAAGGAGAGAHHHhhhh!! [brick wall]

I have, dutifully, at the behest of a friend, despite the info above from UFYH, put a jar of water with honey mixed in and plastic wrap over the top with a hole in the middle in hopes that ... er, somehow it will do something, and by morning it will be filled with drowned fruit flies. Or something like that.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Add a little wine. It actually works. [Devil]
 
Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
If you have a vacuum with a hose nozzle, the sluggish ones can simply be vacuumed right out of the air. Soooo satisfying. You'll feel like a wizard.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I have just uncovered the plastic storage box with the remains of my mother's dolls teaset. It has scotty dogs printed on it and I was allowed to play with it if I was very careful. The teapot in the shape of a dog with his front paws forming the spout, was broken when it fell off the bookcase that fell over in the February 2011 earthquake. (I felt so guilty as I had promised to look after it when I was a child [Waterworks] )

It's just occurred to me that the school where I volunteer has a fair coming up next Wednesday, and the tiny cups and saucers would probably sell. In fact I'm going to do a quick check around to see what else may appeal to the children and their parents [Smile] .

Huia
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Huia, that's a very bold decision, as Sir Humphrey Appleby would say in 'Yes, Minister', and |I really admire you for it.

Daisydaisy and Thyme - yes, I know, eeek! But it really needs doing. When Miss S got married nearly a year ago, we removed two enormous boxes of assorted Stuff from the back of the church. No-one noticed. Six months later I quietly dumped the lot [Devil]

(The vicar is all in favour and no-one asked the PCC!)

Mrs. S, feeling ruthless - if Granny hasn't missed her cashmere cardi by now she has too many of them [Two face]
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
Mrs S - that's the way to do it. After more than 20 years looking after various communal lab facilities (and being constantly amazed at how a sizeable minority are oblivious to the shite they create for everyone else...the larger the ego, the greater the shite...) that's my approach - be ruthless and go with your own gut feeling. Never ask a committee, and if you have a secret 'limbo' in which you can put stuff for a few weeks to await any unlikely squawks of protest, so much the better.

This caught me out once; on seeing a great pile of shite in a university corridor, I automatically gave it the once over. It was all scratty bits of rubbish (and I'm a hoarder, so it really was rubbish) apart from two or three useful-looking bits of old kit. Assuming it had been put out for the porter to dump, as usual practice, I grabbed the slightly useful looking bits and hid them under my desk.

Two days later, I encountered a colleague Dr D_ pushing a trolley with a pile of this shite on it. On asking if the porter was on strike, he said no, this was his research project.

I didn't fess up - and so had to smuggle the rest of his stuff out from under my desk and back into his much diminished pile in the corridor, before he came back for the rest. He didn't seem to notice...
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I have just uncovered the plastic storage box with the remains of my mother's dolls teaset. It has scotty dogs printed on it and I was allowed to play with it if I was very careful. The teapot in the shape of a dog with his front paws forming the spout, was broken when it fell off the bookcase that fell over in the February 2011 earthquake. (I felt so guilty as I had promised to look after it when I was a child [Waterworks] )

It's just occurred to me that the school where I volunteer has a fair coming up next Wednesday, and the tiny cups and saucers would probably sell. In fact I'm going to do a quick check around to see what else may appeal to the children and their parents [Smile] .

Huia

Huia, I've probably said this here before, but if you are having any pangs of regret, take a photo of the set before sending it off. I somehow feel better having a photo of a couple of items that I was quite upset to have broken. Someone will be very happy to have the little tea cups and saucers.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Hugs to you Huia.

I have cleared away to my husband's workshop the pile of paint, tools and DIY paraphernalia littering a corner of the kitchen. No doubt this will cause a row as I will have put them in the wrong places [Roll Eyes] but it's not as if he hasn't had the opportunity to do it himself [Mad]
On a brighter note I have cleared out a cupboard containing cookware and thrown out a huge about of plastic pots and storage containers and can now see what is actually there. I've also tidied some shelves with electronic stuff and found a new home for my cheese making kit and sorted some of the baking kit.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
The bags of trash (which had sat, un-taken-out, for a few days) appear to have been the culprits as the main source for the fruit flies.

CM, you really took me back here - though I'm sure your home isn't like this! Over 30 years ago Mr. S and I had the key to a house two doors away while the owners (middle-aged widower and his teenage son) were away on holiday. For some reason I have totally forgotten we had to go into the living room, which was LITTERED with half-empty takeaway cartons. Okay they were partly full of left-overs, but they were also full of
maggots! I had led a very sheltered life and had never seen anything like it [Projectile]

Mr S and I did what we'd come into do, and left hurriedly. I've never, ever again left food out to this very day.

Coda to this - upsetting even more of my assumptions - I mentioned this to the lady in the next house and added 'bet it wouldn't have been like that if Maureen was still alive!' 'Oh yes' she said, ' it's always been exactly the same!'

Mrs. S, still recoiling in horror [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
quote:
'bet it wouldn't have been like that if Maureen was still alive
Hey folks, this is Heaven and I suspect I'm outnumbered - but. I've shared a lot of houses, sometimes with minging men, and women. The former didn't outnumber the latter!

For the moment, I'm largely a house-husband. Gender turns out (surprise surprise) to have nothing to do with our current respective tendencies to be obsessed-with-work-neglectful-of-domestic-life / resentful-nag-brewing-feelings-of-neglect [Frown]

Back on topic, and on a happier note, declutterers with a DIY bent might like to check out these pull-out wire shelves, sold individually by IKEA. You can get a stack of 4 under a work-top / table / desk, and because they pull-out, you can squish them in and still get to whatever is at the back. A plus that the missus nagged me to do it!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by mark_in_manchester:
quote:
'bet it wouldn't have been like that if Maureen was still alive
Hey folks, this is Heaven and I suspect I'm outnumbered - but. I've shared a lot of houses, sometimes with minging men, and women. The former didn't outnumber the latter!

For the moment, I'm largely a house-husband. Gender turns out (surprise surprise) to have nothing to do with our current respective tendencies to be obsessed-with-work-neglectful-of-domestic-life / resentful-nag-brewing-feelings-of-neglect [Frown]

Back on topic, and on a happier note, declutterers with a DIY bent might like to check out these pull-out wire shelves, sold individually by IKEA. You can get a stack of 4 under a work-top / table / desk, and because they pull-out, you can squish them in and still get to whatever is at the back. A plus that the missus nagged me to do it!

m-i-m, I did say 'upsetting even more of my assumptions'! I felt sure my neighbour would say 'oh no, Maureen must be turning in her grave' cf. my sad tale of Uncle Ron on the Elderly Relatives thread [Eek!]

(and you are absolutely right about the wire basketty thingies - SO useful!)

Mrs. S, chastened
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Mrs. S, feeling ruthless

Go you! The Force is strong in you sister!
[Overused]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Well, the pickle jar I'd emptied and put water with wine and honey in it didn't seem to attract many... but since I had a bunch of dishes soaking in the sink, I'd just poured the pickle juice into a dirty bowl there... and lo and behold, there were a zillion in it. I thought, Hmmm, maybe they like vinegar? So I put some white vinegar into a cup and lo and behold, lots of flies floating in there now too.

Which is odd, since the saying is you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but maybe I needed to put more honey in it or something. In any case, if the vinegar works then yay. Still want them ALL gone though, which means Mt. Dishmore needs to be tackled.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
CM, you really took me back here - though I'm sure your home isn't like this!

Mostly no, thank God, though... er, well, imagine these large plastic trash bags, with the plastic folded over (as such things are), and when you start to pick it up, you see a huge cloud of fruit flies and other... small... things... [Eek!] [Projectile] and then the part of your mind that goes "ew" and doesn't want to deal with it sort of shuts off out of necessity and you take the bags outside and then you get the swiffer wetjet and spray and clean, spray and clean, and then take the bags out to the car, and don't put them in the trunk oh God no but pile them on the back of the car and then as carefully as you can drive down to the dumpster and throw them in and then come back and wash your whole forearms, not just the hands, several times, while the EW EW EW starts to kick in, but it's OK, you got the bags out, but OMG EW EW EW EW EW EW EW...
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
Well, the pickle jar I'd emptied and put water with wine and honey in it didn't seem to attract many... but since I had a bunch of dishes soaking in the sink, I'd just poured the pickle juice into a dirty bowl there... and lo and behold, there were a zillion in it. I thought, Hmmm, maybe they like vinegar? So I put some white vinegar into a cup and lo and behold, lots of flies floating in there now too.

Which is odd, since the saying is you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but maybe I needed to put more honey in it or something. In any case, if the vinegar works then yay. Still want them ALL gone though, which means Mt. Dishmore needs to be tackled.

In my experience they love a glass of wine so vinegar figures. They like acidic things, the treatment for flies in a worm composter is to add lime, so vinegar would be ideal for trapping them.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by lily pad:
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Huia

Huia, I've probably said this here before, but if you are having any pangs of regret, take a photo of the set before sending it off. I somehow feel better having a photo of a couple of items that I was quite upset to have broken. Someone will be very happy to have the little tea cups and saucers.
lily pad, this gave me such a lightbulb moment <searches for lightbulb smilie>. Hands up everyone who has a box of old greetings cards they can't bear to throw away? Yes, I thought so. Me too! But we could take photos of them, or scan them, and then have them as a screensaver (or on an electronic photo frame if you prefer) and we'd see them a lot more often than we do now [Yipee]

If you want the message inside as well you could cut the card in half and take an image of both pieces, side by side!

lily pad - [Overused] [Overused] [Overused]

Mrs. S, reaching for the scanner
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Not so much advice for decluttering, but if they are Christmas cards, you could decorate with them, especially if they are from loved ones who are no longer with us.

(Of course, if you have 52,000 of them then, well, that might be a tad unwieldy...)
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Vinegar by itself won't work unless they are truly desperate. They seem to want something else a bit sweet in the mix. (ask me how * know... [Disappointed] )

Vinegary wine goes very well, also straight vinegar stirred with fruit juice.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
[* ]Fruit flies: They have gone away / Fruit flies are not here today / Fruit flies now are gone at last / Fruit fly menace: It has passed![/* ]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Alternately, the song "Brand New Day/Everybody Rejoice" from The Wiz may be sung. Everybody sing along!

[ 20. September 2014, 20:48: Message edited by: Cthulhu ]
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
quote:
Crap spouted by ChastMastr:
Well, the pickle jar * 'd emptied and put water with wine and honey in it didn't seem to attract many... but since * had a bunch of d***es soaking in the sink, * 'd just poured the pickle juice into a dirty bowl there... and lo and behold, there were a zillion in it. * thought, Hmmm, maybe they like vinegar? So * put some white vinegar into a cup and lo and behold, lots of flies floating in there now too.

Which is odd, since the saying is you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but maybe * needed to put more honey in it or something. In any case, if the vinegar works then yay. Still want them ALL gone though, which means Mt. D***more needs to be tackled.

It really disturbs me that you have completely rewritten that old proverb. [Paranoid]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
The proverb is wrong anyway, because it depends what kind of fly you want to catch. Quite a lot of species are attracted to rotting meat...

Wasps, though... wasps are attracted to sugary things.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Why is it that this thread and the Aging Relatives thread are increasingly intertwined?

My grandfather, when nearly blind and living with my (increasingly senile) grandmother, once observed that the raspberry jam was very crunchy [Eek!]

Mrs. S, sticking to honey (which is very easy to do)
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have organised the CDs. Decluttered a few in the process.

I have started on the books. They are now mostly on the floor and I wish I'd never started. [Waterworks]

Still, I have decluttered several more in the process.
 
Posted by Nanny Ogg (# 1176) on :
 
I have been busy decluttering during the past 2 weeks. I decided that, having moved here over a year ago, if I haven't used it or worn it then it can go.

I have needed the help of a friend from church who is also doing my cleaning (I suffer from chronic pain) and he started off by making me decide to keep or not to keep.

I found that once the process had been started, I was able to do some decluttering on my own and having a jumble sale deadline helped me focus.

I am now facing the difficult part of decluttering and that is my bedroom, especially costume jewellery and accessories. that's where I really need help.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I'm gradually adding to the boxful of books for decluttering. I find them hard because I'm emotionally attached to a lot of them. And I find paperwork hard because I'm not properly set up with a filing system, and because some of the paperwork has emotional investment as well. [Roll Eyes]

I have a friend who is, to use Flylady's term, Born Organised, and she hoovers her books [Eek!] . I'd never come across anyone else who did that until I was watching a Youtube clip of "How Clean Is Your House?" and Kim did the same. So apparently it needs to be done.

I am, however, making good progress through my kitchen cupboards and have also decluttered the bathroom cabinet and several of the dining room cupboards.

Next week's focus is the Master Bedroom.

Nen - decluttering voyeur.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Hoovering books is the best way to clean them - it gets the dust off properly. If you swipe them with a duster you end up mashing the dust down between the pages. If you have one of those high-powered cleaners you might need to switch it to low power (if possible), especially if the books are old and fragile. A vacuum cleaner designed specially for hoovering books is best (yes, there is such a thing).

If you don't want to vacuum your books the next-best method is to get a soft (unused) paintbrush, hold the book closed with the spine pointing towards you and brush the dust off gently. But if you do that you end up with dust flying everywhere; best done outdoors if possible, so you don't have to dust that room as well.

Of course if you read them often enough they don't need dusting at all [Biased]
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Jane R, you are making my head hurt with that talk.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
You don't think I'm in the habit of vacuuming my *own* books, surely? I've got six thousand or so (probably more by now, they seem to breed) and better things to do with my time.

Normally I only clean books when someone else is paying me to do it. As when I worked as a Rare Books Cataloguer, many moons ago (they couldn't afford to pay someone else to clean the books properly so I gave them a quick swipe with the paintbrush to get the worst off before cataloguing them).

At home I rely on the 'read them often enough and they won't need dusting' approach.

[ 21. September 2014, 14:41: Message edited by: Jane R ]
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Thank you, I feel ever so much better now.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
I have made some cable / charging boxes - basically a lidded cardboard boxes with a divot cut out of each side for the wires to pass through - its amazing how much tidier it looks for so little effort.

I'd strongly recommend it.
 
Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
Last week, I moved apartments: new one is a hundred square feet less than old one. My pre-move decluttering has paid off: new place feels roomier than old one! Now, to resist the temptation to clutter again...
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
lilypad:
quote:
Thank you, I feel ever so much better now.
[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Infinite Monkey [Overused]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
to use Flylady's term

(wee shriek)

FlyLady makes my teeth hurt.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
I've never actually looked at the Flylady website. The image it conjures up, of a giant human-sized fly in a pink pinny wielding a feather duster, is very off-putting.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I found FlyLady very helpful when first setting out to declutter my house, it put the process into helpful steps and was very non-judgemental. I still use a lot of the tips, such as clearing a small area at a time. found the psychology used sensible and approachable, though the twee-ness is quite something. But my husband hated the approach, the idea that you could do something in small stages and not finish a task in one go was not on. He didn't seem to get it when I pointed out that his approach of 'finishing' things never worked as we never did.
 
Posted by FooloftheShip (# 15579) on :
 
Wish me luck, I'm going in. I'd forgotten just how much I find that any kind of decluttering triggers my anxiety. Something to do with fear of what lies underneath, I suspect.....
 
Posted by FooloftheShip (# 15579) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by FooloftheShip:
Wish me luck, I'm going in. I'd forgotten just how much I find that any kind of decluttering triggers my anxiety. Something to do with fear of what lies underneath, I suspect.....

Good Lord, that means I spent nearly two hours sorting out my "paperwork" - or at least that's the title with which I choose to dignify it.

Truly a miraculous occurrence.

Perhaps I am a declutterer after all....

[Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by FooloftheShip:
Wish me luck, I'm going in. I'd forgotten just how much I find that any kind of decluttering triggers my anxiety. Something to do with fear of what lies underneath, I suspect.....

I'm glad you survived and feel better for it [Smile]

I dived into a long cluttered cupboard today - the one with baking tins, cake tins and too much stuff which didn't belong there.

It's DONE - I feel better for it! [Yipee]

[ 23. September 2014, 17:37: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
I've never actually looked at the Flylady website. The image it conjures up, of a giant human-sized fly in a pink pinny wielding a feather duster, is very off-putting.

Does she acid-vomit over piles of clutter? It's certainly one way of decluttering, but wouldn't be my choice.
Uugh. Apologies, I've even disgusted myself. [Projectile]
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
... I dived into a long cluttered cupboard today ... [Yipee]

If the stuff's in a cupboard, does it really count as "clutter"?

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I'm clearing 'under the stairs' today, that mass of bags, shoes, wellies, racks of home made wine etc. I may have to find a miners helmet [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Nanny Ogg (# 1176) on :
 
It is finished! [Smile]

All cupboards, drawers and shelves have been decluttered and everything is clean [Smile]

I am so grateful for a friend who helped me kick start the whole operation. He is even going to do my cleaning each week as I find it difficult with chronic pain.

It has also had a beneficial effect on my mental health. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I've ordered replacement windows for my entire house, which means I have to make all of my windows accessible to the installers. The biggest challenge is my huge desk, where all sorts of papers and other things like to hang out and party while I'm asleep.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Nanny, well done [Overused]

Pigwidgeon I admire your committment. I found it dfficult enough when I had to clear the bathroom. My next step is having the house rewired, which means having all the lights and electric sockets clear to be worked on - and my usual helper is out of touch due to having had to evacuate her house while earthquake repairs take place [Help]

Huia
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Yay, well done, Nanny Ogg! [Yipee]

I confess my decluttering has slowed a bit; it's been a busy week and the Master Bedroom, this week's focus area, has not had the attention it was due. [Disappointed] However, I did take a small bag of clothes to the clothes bank and put some more books into the decluttering box, and I have maintained the tidyness in the spaces I had previously cleared. Major step forward for me. [Smile] As Flylady would say, baby steps. As Tesco's would say, every little helps.

Nen - who can't seem to make headway with the dressing table drawers... [Help]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Other half has finally taken the black bags of decluttered junk to the tip - hooray! Now I can get to the outhouse to store the wine and beer I'm making and move some of the beer making stuff from the kitchen. I can also start decluttering the patio.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nanny Ogg:
It is finished! [Smile]

All cupboards, drawers and shelves have been decluttered and everything is clean [Smile]
[Big Grin]

No!!

That's amaZING!

I expect to get to that stage around 2017!

Well done you.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Congratulations [Yipee]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Mammoth congratulations Nanny Ogg!

I have just completed the great desk declutter. It looks so much better. I also found our marriage certificate, which I had *thought * was there, but was nervous at having slightly misplaced.

This afternoon I will be off to the tip and a charity shop with old worn out shoes, some clothes and shoes which are still good but unused /not fitting and a small collection of games, books and dvds.

I need to buy shelves to put in our long over the stairs cupboard, so that it becomes usable (at the moment it is just a long pile of boxes), but I'm putting that off for the moment as it is just too terrifying to consider
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
Now I can get to the outhouse to store the wine and beer I'm making and move some of the beer making stuff from the kitchen.

This would mean something totally different in the U.S.
[Eek!]

American outhouse
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Cupboard under the stairs totally emptied....feeling a little faint! ((shock))
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
Now I can get to the outhouse to store the wine and beer I'm making and move some of the beer making stuff from the kitchen.

This would mean something totally different in the U.S.
[Eek!]

American outhouse

[Big Grin] we have one of those too. These 1950s council houses were built to cater for working class people of various sensibilities so the house was built with both indoor and outdoor loos. We don't use the outdoor one but it is perfectly functional and solidly built and in a concrete walled building next to our two storage rooms ie the outhouses. We love having storage rooms, they are quite unusual for modern houses here.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Well, the smaller storage room has been cleared of our failed attempt to use it as a larder. Now it just contains the freezer, some Demi johns, several gallon bottles of home made wine, a large keg of freshly brewed Black Sheep beer and a mini keg of home brew. These will shortly be joined by the soon to be kegged St Peter's Golden Ale. Our own very small pub [Big Grin]
Other half is now clearing out the larger room which he uses as a workshop, mainly because he bought a retired upright drill from his work to go with the industrial metal lathe which already takes up most of the room. There are pieces of wood and paint pots everywhere. If we ever do move house this room will be a nightmare!
Now to return to clearing the lounge...
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
My dining room table is now covered with tools, electrical cords, and all sorts of odds and ends. Before I can eat dinner they need to be thinned out, organized, and put back in the laundry room closet. (I was sort of hoping they'd organize themselves while I ran some errands, but I think they actually multiplied while I as out.)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nanny Ogg:
I am so grateful for a friend who helped me kick start the whole operation. He is even going to do my cleaning each week as I find it difficult with chronic pain.

Nanny, when we had cleaners (ah those halcyon days) I used to find that we kept the house cleaner and tidier in general, as we didn't like to leave the place in too much of a mess for them. You may find it helps you too - and you are so right about tidiness helping with your mental state. All best wishes and long may it last!

Mrs. S, completing the first stage of birthday-card scanning [Yipee]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Inadvertent decluttering to make space for new computer and printer/scanner [Yipee] . At least it gives me a reward for finishing, but why did I leave it until the last minute? [Roll Eyes]

I excavated my birthday book, which is just as well because both my sisters in law have their birthdays this month, and I didn't have a clue who was when.

This year I may even look organised [Killing me]

Huia
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
I am currently de-cluttering the half-cellar that was once my sewing room, but over the past 10-15 years has just become the room where we dump all the stuff that doesn't have a home anywhere else.
So far, in spite of getting rid of loads of stuff, it looks even more cluttered than when I started - and it has spread to the dining room, where the contents of a six shelf unit are waiting to be sorted.
Being sort of cellarish the room is a bit damp and dusty so everything is having to be aired to get rid of the musty smell, and a layer of grime washed off most things whether I'm keeping them, donating, Freecycling or putting them in the recycling bin.
It all takes so much time

The idea is to clear out enough of forty plus years of accumulated 'stuff' so that an estate agent could actually see the floors and walls to value it - and then we hope to "downsize".
If my stuff is this difficult to deal with I dread to think how Mr RoS, a compulsive hoarder, will manage his when/if he faces up to it.

I will read through this thread, and look for encouragement, as this first room is taking forever, and then there's the rest of the rooms - plus loft, garage & garden sheds. [Eek!]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Look what I found:

Unfuck Your Habitat..

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Discovered that I've been on this thread before.
I cleared out the hall cupboard last August, and reported on it here.
I'm pleased to say that there is still an empty shelf in there, although I notice that "someone" has snuck in another old road atlas or two.
The mammoth "sewing room" declutter is ongoing, but there's not been an overwhelming response to my Freecycle offers, so that stuff is now cluttering up the hall [Frown]
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
I found I ultimately only succeeded when I freed myself from the tyranny of having to donate.

I consoled myself with the thought that the household recycling centre would do that anyway.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
I found I ultimately only succeeded when I freed myself from the tyranny of having to donate.

Second only to the 'You could get something for that on e-bay'.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
I found I ultimately only succeeded when I freed myself from the tyranny of having to donate.

I consoled myself with the thought that the household recycling centre would do that anyway.

Unfortunately I don't drive, and Mr RoS finds it almost impossible to throw anything away, so the recycling centre is out.
What I can I put in the recycling bin, but that's only emptied fortnightly.
Got rid of some stuff on Freecycle today, but the two three-drawer chests (dressing tables minus mirrors) are still cluttering up the hall. [Roll Eyes]
But, the "sewing room" is looking much better. I'm hoping to be able to sew in it by the weekend.
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
You need a skip, and ruthlessness ...
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Look what I found:

Unfuck Your Habitat..

[Big Grin]

FYI: this is a decluttering/cleaning site. It originally targeted "lazy people". However, as the writer began to understand their own severe depression and the various challenges of the readers, it shifted into more of a "do what you can, when you can, here's how, no home is hopeless, do a little at a time, you are better than your mess" gathering spot. It's especially understanding of folks with chronic illness, of any kind.

FWIW, YMMV.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Progress. All the paperwork that still needs to be sorted is in six stacking 24 litre plastic boxes in the study.

There is no study stuff in any other part of the house. None. At all.

I'm aiming to reduce the boxes by half a box a day.
I think that's achievable.

I posted this on the 18th August. I still have 4 1/2 of the plastic boxes to go.
[Hot and Hormonal]

Today is the day!

I have been enjoying the tidier study. I've bought various paper mache boxes, painted them with the left over paint from the walls, stencilled on "pens" "bookmarks" etc and stacked them in the cubby holes above my desk. I'm pleased with the end result.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Stoopid Yahoo a/c - it put replies to my Freecycle offers in the spam box - and someone wanted the chests of drawers! That was about 3 days ago, but I've emailed and hope he still wants them.

A local church is holding a "Creative Arts Day" next month - workshops in the morning, and stalls selling crafty stuff in the afternoon. I've just booked a stall to sell Second-Hand and Vintage Knitting & Dressmaking Patterns, Craft and Art books.
These are all things I'm never going to use again, but can't bear to throw away. Having removed them from the "sewing room" I hope I will have the strength not to put any remainders back in there.

There's one cupboard still to empty - the one where I keep my painting materials. Haven't painted for years, so I may also be able to sell some of the stuff from there.
Feeling quite positive about it today.

Re: skips - MrRoS skip dives, he'll have the stuff out and in the garage as fast as I put it in.
I've been telling him for years that when he falls of his perch I'm going to get a skip, put him at the bottom & pile all his rubbish on top of him.
But I'll probably go first. [Frown]
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
If you're both hoarders never, NEVER, give your other half stuff to take to the dump.

When my other half-died and I began the mammoth clearout I discovered lots of stuff that looked very familiar, finally getting to an old electric blanket which had a post-it note stapled to it with my own block capitals saying DUMP.

I'm still trying to fathom how we gained 2 vacuum cleaners I didn't recognise, plus a floor polisher when none of the houses we occupied had polishable floors... [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:

I'm still trying to fathom how we gained 2 vacuum cleaners I didn't recognise, plus a floor polisher when none of the houses we occupied had polishable floors... [Ultra confused]

Oh, that's easy - your other half went to the dump.

Mr RoS isn't bad at donating to charity shops, but if he takes the stuff in himself he rarely comes out empty handed. If I send him to the dump I check the car on his return.
Most of his acquisitions come from around the village. He squirrels them away into the garage when I'm not here, and then forgets all about them. The most recent 'find' in there was a bag of half a dozen single sheets & pillowcases. He came and asked me where they came from [Ultra confused]

[ 01. October 2014, 13:17: Message edited by: Roseofsharon ]
 
Posted by _Feh (# 10899) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Look what I found:

Unfuck Your Habitat..

[Big Grin]

Ha.. I like that and maybe I can use it for a bit of motivation. If nothing else, the verb 'unfuck' has provided me some amusement this morning.
Thanks, GK :-)

I'm in moving out clean mode, and I'm astounded at the crap I've accumulated. Where does this stuff come from and why the hell didn't it go in the trash already?
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I did laugh at the conversation about skips. Mr Nen has been known to take stuff there and come back with more than he took. [Roll Eyes]

I'm doing my best to keep up the decluttering impetus and sorted a small shelf yesterday and got some stuff from it into the bin, ready for bin day today. The box of books to be decluttered continues to fill, albeit very slowly.

One thing I would be very good at, if permitted, is decluttering newspapers. If we buy a Sunday paper I have read most of what I want in it by the middle of the week at the latest, and I would then put it in the recycling. But newspapers are Mr Nen's department. He likes to preserve them for posterity. He promises me that he will soon be sorting the pile in the sitting room where, last time I looked, they went back to 25th May.

Nen - grateful we don't take a daily paper.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Here we can sell old newspapers and cardboard for money! Not much but enough to encourage us to keep them and then clear them out every 3 months or so. Money is a great incentive.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Now that's a good idea. When we lived in Belfast we took the Times and Daily Telegraph every day, and they didn't half mount up, especially at the weekends. We had monthly paper collections, but they didn't give us anything for them ... [Frown]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by _Feh:
Ha.. I like that and maybe I can use it for a bit of motivation. If nothing else, the verb 'unfuck' has provided me some amusement this morning.

Me, not so much!

I have a strange habit of keeping 'notes' in one word document, so anything interesting or stuff I need to remember goes in there.

Not important stuff, just stuff.

I have recently taken on a job as Worship Co-ordinator at Church (yes, it's every bit as boring as it sounds). A rather staid old fella, a steward, came to visit to sort some things out out. He asked a question...

I said "Hang on, I have a note about that here".

Opens laptop and word document ...

Scrolls down ...

What does he see? "Unfuck my bedroom"

erk!!!

What can I say? It's no use saying "no no no no no! It's not what you think!!"

So I just casually said "Oh it's some decluttering stuff I'm doing" and moved on.

erk!!!

[Hot and Hormonal]

*** points accusing finger at ChastMastr! ***

[ 02. October 2014, 06:06: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
[Killing me]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Pray for me, sisters and brothers, as today I take boxes to church to try and de-clutter the dumping ground behind the font (that's just as you come in). Can anyone explain to me why there's a size 8 French Connection vest and overshirt in the Lost Property? Thought not, but it's going to the jumble sale!

There's also a whole lot of literature, which might be useful if anyone knew it was there - but there's no more room to display ANYTHING. I think I'll go for the six-month quarantine box there [Two face]

Mrs. S, flexing her de-cluttering muscles
 
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
All your talk of decluttering reminded me of a great character...

When I was at sixth form I had a marvellous politics teacher. Well, he was pretty rubbish at teaching the curriculum, but he was an old school character, who had retired from the college (and previously was a teacher at the grammar school it had replaced, and head boy prior to that) but missed teaching so much he came in every week, ostensibly to teach us about politics but really to share newspaper clippings.

He took all the broadsheets every day, and had done for most of his life. He then took clippings of all these newspapers and filed them away. Apparently most of his four bedroomed house was filled with newspaper clippings. But if, for example, you wanted the review of Henry V from the 1960s, of an obituary of Isaiah Berlin, or the graphic used to illustrate the Maastricht treaty, etc. he was The Man.

I wonder, if he's still alive, whether he's ever got around to decluttering...
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
posted by Nenya
quote:
But newspapers are Mr Nen's department. He likes to preserve them for posterity. He promises me that he will soon be sorting the pile in the sitting room where, last time I looked, they went back to 25th May.
Is that this year? If so, where's the problem?

I admit to being guilty about hoarding some old newspapers but the main culprits in our house are the children. Ever since they discovered sheets of wartime newspapers in stuff from my late lamented's childhood they've been obsessed with keeping papers they say are for their children (they're 20 at the moment).

As a result I have newspapers relatiing to: death of Diana, Princess of Wales; last flight of Concorde; death of Queen Mother; Murray winning Wimbledon; etc,etc,etc.

Of course, they're outraged at my collection of concert and opera programmes...
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
You must point out to them that decluttering opera programmes is a SIN!!
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
I'm afraid I resort to simple trade: I keep opera programmes if they keep programmes for rugby internationals.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Intrepid Mrs S:
quote:
Can anyone explain to me why there's a size 8 French Connection vest and overshirt in the Lost Property?
Well, it isn't mine. [Biased]

Today I am trying to motivate myself to tidy my office; it's got to the point where I have to shift huge stacks of paper around before I can find anything. And it would be nice to get my tax return done in good time this year, instead of waiting until the last possible moment in January.

[Snore] [Help]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Jane - when I got there with the black plastic bag, it had gone!

I have a box of stuff (and three umbrellas) to go to the jumble sale, and I have half-filled my dustbin and recycling bin with Stuff (including cassettes from the 1996 New Forest Bible Weekend - so last century!)

It only took about 45 minutes in the end, as well.

Mrs. S, feeling smug again [Yipee]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
The man from my spam box came and took away the two old dressing-tables-minus-mirrors to put in his new shed. [Yipee]

I've emptied everything out of the "painting stuff" cupboard - It's now all over the dining room waiting to be sorted. Don't think there'll be much saleable stuff for my stall, but I'm making up "a box of artists materials" for Freecycle.
I'm surprised that no-one wanted the two bags of cat litter I offered last w/e
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Today I did 15 months-worth of filing - looking at what needs to be shredded I think this might take another 15 months but I'm sure it'll be just a few hours (allowing for pauses while the shredder cools down every now & then)
 
Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Burn iiiiiiittttttttt .......
 
Posted by Ann (# 94) on :
 
Tip whilst shredding - have a spray can of shredder / sewing machine / light / WD40 type oil and, every time the bin gets emptied, spray the next sheet (in a squiggly line from side to side and top to bottom) with it before shredding. This will lubricate the mechanism.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ann:
Tip whilst shredding - have a spray can of shredder / sewing machine / light / WD40 type oil and, every time the bin gets emptied, spray the next sheet (in a squiggly line from side to side and top to bottom) with it before shredding. This will lubricate the mechanism.

Thanks for the tip. I hope I will remember that when my decluttering marathon finally reaches the dining room where I have what must be 30 years worth of bank statements, and goodness knows what other confidential documents [Paranoid]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
Burn iiiiiiittttttttt .......

Ooh yes thank you for reminding me - I am planning a bonfire at the allotment and the kindling will be handy.
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
If you don't want to shred or burn you could always invest in one of those handy gadgets that turns old newspapers into brickettes for an open fire: hours of innocent fun [Biased]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Several years ago I burned most of the files from my divorce -- on November 5. It may have been the only bonfire in Arizona that night.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
Burn iiiiiiittttttttt .......

Oh, good idea - that would save me filching newspapers from next-door's recycling bins for Mr RoS to light the fire with
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Well, I didn't get rid of the huge stacks of paper so much as move them around yesterday - most of them had only been printed on one side so they're waiting to be reused on the next book I have to print out. But my desk is a lot tidier and the only stacks of paper on it are work that needs to be done in the next couple of weeks.

Today we are decluttering the garden of a couple of big trees that are growing too close to the house, but we hired a tree surgeon to do that so all I have to do is write him a cheque when he's finished...

...and feel sad about it, because I don't like cutting down trees, even when they're eating into the foundations of the house.
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
I have just filled my recycling bin [Yipee]

Did get a bit diverted by finding some old youth club photos but forced myself to put them away so am feeling very virtuous.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
posted by Nenya
quote:
But newspapers are Mr Nen's department. He likes to preserve them for posterity. He promises me that he will soon be sorting the pile in the sitting room where, last time I looked, they went back to 25th May.
Is that this year? If so, where's the problem?
[Killing me] You and Mr Nen would get along famously. I guess I wouldn't have quite as much of an issue if they were stored appropriately, such as in a box in the garage. But on the lower shelf of a glass-topped coffee table in the middle of the lounge, with the last two weeks' worth actually on the glass top? I don't think so. [Disappointed]

I'm sorting the boxes which have lived for some years now on top of the cupboards in the dining room. They're full of photos, mostly of when the Nenlets were little and need putting into albums. It'll take months. Why didn't we do it as we went along? [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Having wreaked havoc at the back of church on Thursday, I went to visit the Dowager today and ended up decluttering the cupboards under her breakfast bar. These are so deep that stuff easily gets pushed to the back and lost [Eek!]

I pretty much filled her dustbin* [Yipee] and sorted a certain amount for the jumble sale, but when she started on 'well, they aren't doing any harm there' I knew when to back off.

However I zapped her with the famous William Morris saying [Smile]

* the jetsam did include six 'champagne' glasses as given away with petrol coupons, back when dinosaurs manned the petrol pumps [Cool]

The Hard-Hearted Mrs. S [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
* the jetsam did include six 'champagne' glasses as given away with petrol coupons, back when dinosaurs manned the petrol pumps [Cool]

[Killing me] I remember that! They're linked in my mind to bookfuls of Green Shield Stamps. [Smile]

I've had a very productive afternoon. I cleared out a whole corner of the lounge, cleaned the book case, hoovered all the books [Roll Eyes] and sorted a few for the recycling box. I cleaned the DVD rack and every single DVD, cleaned the elephant bookends, washed the wall and skirting boards...

I now need something to eat and a nice cup of tea.

Nen - domestic goddess.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
* the jetsam did include six 'champagne' glasses as given away with petrol coupons, back when dinosaurs manned the petrol pumps [Cool]

[Killing me] I remember that! They're linked in my mind to bookfuls of Green Shield Stamps. [Smile]

I've had a very productive afternoon. I cleared out a whole corner of the lounge, cleaned the book case, hoovered all the books [Roll Eyes] and sorted a few for the recycling box. I cleaned the DVD rack and every single DVD, cleaned the elephant bookends, washed the wall and skirting boards...

I now need something to eat and a nice cup of tea.

Nen - domestic goddess.

Where's the 'like' button? Well done Nen!

Mrs. S, looking for some more trouble to get into [Killing me]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Got some more art up on the wall!! [Yipee]
 
Posted by fullgospel (# 18233) on :
 
I really love Ferijen's story about his old teacher.

'but missed teaching so much he came in every week, ostensibly to teach us about politics but really to share newspaper clippings.

He took all the broadsheets every day, and had done for most of his life. He then took clippings of all these newspapers and filed them away. Apparently most of his four bedroomed house was filled with newspaper clippings.'


A really heart-warming and cheery tale , for me, - not sure why.

His eccentricity, good-will, and yet vulnerability.

Yes, i sensed his vulnerability and it seemed to chime in a bit with myown, but without haurting.

Just a stirring.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
All nasty kitchen trash is bagged up! [Smile]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Sewing room all neat and tidy with almost all surplus stuff disposed of one way or another.
I don't think I can claim to have finished the job until the 2 boxes for a car boot sale, the Second-hand and Vintage stall items and the recipes-in-installments collection for e-bay have all left the premises, permanently.

It's been quite traumatic. In that room I had accumulated an archive of the paperwork from the various jobs I'd had, and organisations I had been involved in, during the 1980s and '90s - probably my most productive period. It was like throwing 20 years of my life away.
 
Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... six 'champagne' glasses as given away with petrol coupons ...

When we got married, we didn't really have a List as such, but D. suddenly realised that the only glasses he had were the sort you got free with petrol, so when one or two people asked what we'd like, we said some glasses would be nice ...

We got two sets of wine glasses and a set of liqueur glasses (which we still have) and six sets of whisky glasses (at least two of which were recycled as presents for other people*). [Eek!]

* We moved to Belfast just after we married, where we didn't know anyone, so present-recycling was quite safe. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Mr Nen and I had a bit of a tussle over the decluttering this morning. [Roll Eyes] I had some boxfuls of old photos on the dining room table which need cleaning out as they are full of dust and other evidences of being on top of the cupboards for far too long. He wanted them put back on top of the cupboards. I said I'd spent a long time clearing and cleaning those tops and was not in favour of having dusty dirty boxes put back up there. He said there was probably dust and dirt behind the cupboards as well so maybe we should get all of that out. I said he was probably right but one has to start somewhere. [Mad]

We compromised by putting the boxes on the floor in a neat arrangement.

Turns out the reason he wanted the boxes moved was because he wanted to work at the dining room table... because the desk in his study is too - um - cluttered.

Nen - cross at the time but able to chuckle about it now. [Killing me]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
If papers and photos become too bulky, it is (in theory at least) possible to scan them and save them electronically. Sharing also then becomes tons easier; you can email the images to relatives.
 
Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
An inspirational thread. Time I clocked in, too. [Smile]

I'm another one of those newpaper hoarders. Currently 2013 and some 2012 ones left. Luckily, those are in one place, or let's say, one area... - the more recent, 2014 ones, however - all over the place! I really need to get organised.

However, I love looking through old papers again. So much gets forgotten and is no longer newsworthy a year or two later. In that sense: a useful exercise. Now, if it just were not for those old newspaper clippings... - the plan is/was to scan them. Hm... They're just hidden away in plastic boxes with lids, in my spare room. Oh dear. Will need to tackle that at some point.

On the up-side: the recent decluttering of my 1TB desktop puter plus 3TB main external harddrive was successful: I had inadvertently put a music folder in twice, once hidden away, with the same files. Checked and deleted on puter and backup drive - about 600GB of space gained. And more cleanup to follow. At least you can comfortably sit on a chair for that and don't have to go through boxes of stuff. [Biased]

Keep up the good work, all. I, on the other hand, shall try to keep pace with all of your sensational efforts!
 
Posted by Thrice Thought (# 1984) on :
 
Have you considered an electronic news subscription that you could save to a hard drive.
 
Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Oh, in fact electronic access is included in my hardcopy subscription. But I just like the feel of paper. And it doesn't need electricity. - Though I guess I could save the pdf copy of what I'm interested in. Hmm...
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Just decluttered my emails, and refiled some of them - I hope I can find them when I need them!!
 
Posted by Zoey (# 11152) on :
 
As yet, I've never had the time or inclination to sit scanning stuff onto the computer in order to dispose of the hard copies. However, last night I realised that this is a genius option when it comes to old school photos. I don't really want to display or give storage space to pictures of the whole of Year 11 and the whole of Year 13 from the late 90s, but I might want to have them available for reference at some point in the future - hello, scanner.

On a different matter which has arisen as a result of my decluttering activities and unearthing things I haven't used for (cough) some years:
What's the advice in the UK about disposing of leaking batteries? Can they go to the council battery recycling place along with their non-leaking cousins?
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Zoey - maybe take them to your local recycling centre and ask? They will probably have staff there who can advise you. I guess it depends on how they recycle them and what actually gets reused - i really have no idea what this is though!

It is misty and cold out in York today, making it perfect declutter weather. I have to pop out for an errand first thing but then I shall be continuing the mission.

Today's ambitious task - trying to approach my yarn stash. I have lots of very beautiful knitting yarn, but given how long I have had most of it, I know that realistically it isn't being used. But trying to consider getting rid of it is a little heartbreaking. I'm planning to pass bits off to friends slowly. Must. Break. Emotional. Connection. With. Clutter.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Part of our extended family (a couple) needs dishes and glassware and mugs.

And it so happens that the sets of such things we have are really too many for the two of us in an apartment. About... twice as much as we need.

[Yipee]

[Axe murder]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
I'm making some progress.


Chast--LOL. Nice synchronicity. [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Well done on the progress, Golden Key.

Yesterday the sink bench was totally clear and clean. I should have taken a photo.

I have cleared my table because tomorrow my new computer is being delivered [Yipee] and we may need space to unpack the boxes. I hope the company setting it up includes taking away the old one as I don't have a way of taking it to be recycled. Actually the best plan would be to take the old computer away in the new computer's box, thus sorting all the junk at the same time [Big Grin]

Now all I have left to do is clear the computer desk (sigh).

Huia
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Rats. I just completed an impromptu cupboard clear out thanks to flour weevils.

I suppose at least that cupboard is now completely clean, and I no longer have any stash of baking ingredients to declutter [Waterworks]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Apparently burying a dried bay leaf in your flour-bin helps keep weevils away.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Oooh thank you Piglet, I shall try that.

I had not been keeping dry goods in plastic/glass jars until now but having just thrown away a whole cupboard full of baking ingredients I am ordering a collection of pots to keep flour in.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
Oooh thank you Piglet, I shall try that.

I had not been keeping dry goods in plastic/glass jars until now but having just thrown away a whole cupboard full of baking ingredients I am ordering a collection of pots to keep flour in.

If your shelving is made up if boards or similar which join together, give the shelving a very good wash and airing. There could be eggs in the cracks which will start the whole cycle over.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lothlorien:
If your shelving is made up if boards or similar which join together, give the shelving a very good wash and airing. There could be eggs in the cracks which will start the whole cycle over.

There are kitchen-safe sprays you can buy to use in the cracks.

Moo
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
You want to keep flour etc. away from light and warmth. I'm told the eggs are there dormant in the food itself, but until light/warmth awakens them, you're good. After that, no amount of sealing will do, you'll have bugs.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
I don't know the details, but I've heard of people freezing flour, etc. overnight when they get it. That's supposed to kill any eggs, I think. Should be info online. YMMV.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I just put my flour in a sealed plastic bag and keep it in the fridge. This being Florida, I keep bread there too or else it spoils very quickly.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I keep my flour in my fridge because I have a very large fridge and very little cupboard space.

Moo
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I wondered about doing that Moo. Do you bring some to room temperature before you use it for baking?

Huia
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Straight out of the fridge would be perfect for making pastry!
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
After weeks of clearing out all the unwanted stuff from the shelves, cupboards and boxes my "sewing room" is lovely and tidy, but my hall and dining room are still full of the clutter I removed.
The person who wanted my freecycle stuff didn't turn up at three arranged appointments - with plausible excuses the first two - and has now gone silent.
A pile of paper & card destined for a montessori nursery school has been cluttering up the sideboard for a week as the director hasn't managed to pick it up (she's just promised to come at tea time today - my fingers are crossed).
And there are boxes of vintage knitting and dressmaking patterns, craft books and other related stuff are piled on the dining room table while I research, repair and price them ready to sell (I hope) at a craft event next month.

The feeling of achievement at managing what was a mammoth task is rapidly melting away.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I wondered about doing that Moo. Do you bring some to room temperature before you use it for baking?

When I use my bread machine, I always put in the ingredients and wait about two hours before I start it. I have noticed that the bread rises higher when I do that.

When I'm not using my bread machine I just put the flour in straight from the fridge. It may cause the dough to rise more slowly, but it doesn't seem to make any other difference.

Moo
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Not so much Decluttering as transcluttering at the moment.

The plasterer comes tomorrow, so that is the glass and bottle cupboard, 2 walls of the kitchen/spdining room, one side of the hall and areas of the bedroom and study to be cleared.

So far there is a disappointingly low ratio of chuckable from all that.
 
Posted by Panda (# 2951) on :
 
Today it was confirmed that with new jobs on the horizon, we will be moving in February, so I have a feeling I'm going to be on this thread a lot more!

We'll have been in this house nearly 8 years by then, which I guess isn't that long, but there were three of us when we came, and now there are five. And all the attendant equipment/clobber/junk that accompanies that.

But - rejoice with me! I've secured a table at the next 'Nearly New' sale for babies' and kids' stuff, and with a little organisation (oh yes) should be able to shift really quite a lot of it. And may even end up with some cash in hand.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Transcluttering, I like that word. It sums up what I do best [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
I've gotten a LOT done, so far, this weekend. [Yipee]


Re transcluttering: sounds like playing the Freecell computer game that comes with Windows. You move *this* card so you can get to *that* card. Eventually, everything gets sorted out together.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Well we now have one tidy walk-in cupboard (but, unfortunately, another five that aren't).
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
My next task is to re-arrange the house so I can call the electricians to come and re-wire it. It's a 1950s house and it's never been done, so this is a matter of safety. After that I can ring the contractors to fix my earthquake damaged driveway. They said to leave it until last, so none of the tradespeople damaged the new laid concrete.

The difficulty is of course that all rooms have to be done at the same time. [Help]

Huia
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
The stuff I put on Freecycle has finally gone to new homes - with the exception of five sturdy cardboard cartons. But I have found a use for them!

Mr RoS's bedroom is full of bags & boxes of stuff he can't face sorting. I am emptying them, and packing the contents neatly in the cartons - which have lids and can be stacked. I can then put all the old, dilapidated boxes & bags in the recycling bin.

It's just tidying, I am NOT sorting through all his rubbish for him. I've got enough of my own to deal with, and he needs to make his own decisions on what needs keeping.

In the meantime, having priced most of the stuff I'm putting on my Second-hand and Vintage stall, I am going through the dressmaking patterns making sure they each have all the right pieces, and the instructions.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Cubby was in the hospital again recently, and when I found out he was coming home, I went into a quick dash of cleaning his room and his bathroom, doing dishes, etc., and all are much nicer now.

[Axe murder]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Much nicer for Cubby to come home to as well.

I have bits and pieces of my old computer scattered about the house and will have to collect them up for recycling, then find a friend to take them to the depot.

I think someone in my local freecycle group may be interested in the monitor, so that's a start.

Huia
 
Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
Moo, do you use warm water in your bread machine? I use 1/5th ish water from the kettle to 1/5th ish water from the cold tap in my quick bake cycle.

Just popped in here to say that I'm currently having the builders in and it's been amazing what I've been able to get rid of in the process of downsizing. Suddenly I find I don't need a lifetime's supply of scrap bits of fabric or all the paperbacks I've ever read. I have a sneaky suspicion that soon I won't need my VHS player and cassette tapes. Maybe one day I won't need three sewing machines, but not today.

Cattyish, wondering what to do about all the stuff I've collected for youth work.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Pleased to hear of so much progress!

I have been doing a spot of transcluttering today, in preparation for Mrs shrew-in-law. I am blessed that she is wonderful and will not judge me for the mess (besides anything she does know what Mr shrew is like!). Still there is some kind of instinctive urge to make everything spotless and dust the tops of all the doors.....
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by cattyish:
Moo, do you use warm water in your bread machine? I use 1/5th ish water from the kettle to 1/5th ish water from the cold tap in my quick bake cycle.

As I said upthread, I don't start my bread machine for at least two hours after I put all the ingredients in. I use water from the ice water dispenser on my fridge door, because it is filtered. I store my yeast in the freezer, and it's very cold when I put it in the machine.

The two-hour wait insures that everything is the same temperature.

Moo
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
A week from Thursday I'm having two rooms carpeted, so they need to be emptied. The guest room won't be so bad, but -- the second room is my office. I've been working on it a little each day, decluttering a bit as I box stuff up, and I hope to declutter a bit more when I get around to putting things back.

[Help]

Maybe I should just keep the faded, worn, ugly carpet that's here.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
A week from Thursday I'm having two rooms carpeted, so they need to be emptied. The guest room won't be so bad, but -- the second room is my office. I've been working on it a little each day, decluttering a bit as I box stuff up, and I hope to declutter a bit more when I get around to putting things back.

[Overused]
You are so brave. I've put off any idea of having carpet laid for a while. Mind you this morning in bed I was thinking through the logistics of getting the re-wiring done and decided it may be more simple than I thought. Move stuff away from plugs and switches but leave space under lights clear. I may have to move a scotch chest into the wardrobe but that's about all - apart from cleaning up the floor - gravity can be so annoying [Roll Eyes]

Huia

[ 20. October 2014, 23:54: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
We've needed re-wiring and re-plumbing for several years, and the damp-proof & timber-treatment guarantees have run out, but the prospect of having any whole-house work done is more than daunting.
It's not so much the moving things out of the various rooms, it's that the house is so full of 'stuff' that there isn't anywhere to move things too.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I feel your pain - I am a would be minimalist and likely to stay would be forever!
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
(((((All of us)))))

Making progress. [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Hi Golden Key, that's good news.

I handed on my monitor and two small speakers through freecycle to a woman whose grandson has end of year school assessments due (which is a really bad time not to have a computer.

Also found a home for a large button phone that doesn't quite go loud enough for me any more as well as giving one of my bikes to a group that fixes and gives bikes away [Yipee]

On the other hand I appear to have misplaced a packet of dry cat food and Georgie-Porgy is most displeased as I replaced it with some cheaper stuff [Frown]

Huia

[ 24. October 2014, 23:19: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I just got four pretty bowls from the charity shop for 10p each (I ducked into the charity shop to browse because the queue at the greengrocers was so long!) so I've been able to de-clutter my distinctly inferior bowls and the side plates that go with them. I've also been upgrading my cutlery, because I was sick to death of the old set with crappy green plastic handles (and why do I need six of everything anyway?) so I've now got some gorgeous spoons, forks and knives that are a delight to eat with, all from local vintage shops.
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
I have started to declutter the kitchen, given it is relatively tidy, this involving more replacement than anticipated. I have swapped out all my kitchen knives, and now I need to do a tip run. And trying to organise the store cupboard is making me think I need a spice rack, and some effective food storage jars.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
On the spice front - most 'racks' are built to accommodate half a dozen jars, which is absurd. A few years ago I had a chap make me two little matching wall-mounted units which hang either side of the cooker, each with three shelves, each shelf holding about 10 jars/packets. It holds - just - all my spices, herbs, mustards, stock cubes and seasonings.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Still working on clearing out my office for the carpet which arrives on Thursday. I swear someone sneaks in here and keeps adding two piles of stuff for every one pile I clear out. And the dust is so bad I've been wearing a mask.
[Help]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Firenze, I have an entire drawer under the hob, stuffed with herbs and spices in those little square jars that used to hold cheats' garlic and ginger. Had to eat a lot of those, but that was no hardship! The fact that they're square keeps them in neat lines, and I have other, less tidy stuff, at the back. Best solution I've come across yet [Yipee]

In other news, just back from 12 days in Peru. Total of purchases = one scarf and six small keyrings with model alpacas attached. (Those are to keep me from losing the keys to the new windows.) I was saved from buying any more by the thought that when I have to clear out the Dowager's home, there's enough Peruvian St*ff there to keep me busy, without my adding more!
[Killing me]

Mrs. S, who negotiated unsuccessfully for a vicuna lawnmower [Waterworks]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
In other news, just back from 12 days in Peru. Total of purchases = one scarf and six small keyrings with model alpacas attached. (Those are to keep me from losing the keys to the new windows.) I was saved from buying any more by the thought that when I have to clear out the Dowager's home, there's enough Peruvian St*ff there to keep me busy, without my adding more!
[Killing me]

Mrs. S, who negotiated unsuccessfully for a vicuna lawnmower [Waterworks]

That would have made a wonderful souvenir. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Eigon:
I just got four pretty bowls from the charity shop for 10p each

I like buying crockery from charity shops, you can get such pretty stuff. I also like the mixed bag of designs it gives to ones dinner service. [Smile] Having said that, I'm gradually moving to an all-white, not necessarily completely matching, look.

My next area of decluttering is my dressing table - the scene of several previous unsuccessful attempts. [Roll Eyes]

Welcome back from Darkest Peru, Mrs S. I was wondering where you were. [Axe murder]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Mrs. S, who negotiated unsuccessfully for a vicuna lawnmower [Waterworks]

That would have made a wonderful souvenir. [Big Grin]
From Nen's post on another thread, I could probably have sold her a similar one! The camelids really are unimaginably cute. (Didn't see any vision-impaired bears, though [Frown] )

Mrs. S, who had to mow her own lawns on Thursday [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I keep my spices (bought in bulk, and massively cheaper, though not much bought at a time) in little plastic bags. If I had a wee jar for each of them they'd take up massively more room.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
I keep my spices (bought in bulk, and massively cheaper, though not much bought at a time) in little plastic bags. If I had a wee jar for each of them they'd take up massively more room.

Yes, I do have reserve stocks in other parts of the kitchen - but the drawer/square jars setup allows me to find what I need in the shortest possible time AND put it away tidily (the jars are all labelled and alphabetised)

Mrs. S, for whom there is a word!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I've just cleared out under the sink - hurrah!

[Yipee]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Mrs. S, for whom there is a word!

"Domestic Goddess"? Oh, wait, that's two...
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Mrs. S, for whom there is a word!

"Domestic Goddess"? Oh, wait, that's two...
Thank you for that, Nen - but 'anal' was the one I was trying to avoid using!
[Hot and Hormonal]

Mrs. S, only aspiring to Piglet-like states of Domestic Goddess-ness!
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
The two rooms that are being carpeted tomorrow are decluttered! I will disconnect my computer first thing in the morning before they arrive.

I not only stirred up a lot of dust, but I stirred up all sorts of memories going through (and getting rid of by way of my shredder or my recycle bin) old greeting cards from my late mother and sister, old papers from my divorce, old papers from a business which has closed, etc. It feels good to have shut some of those doors behind me.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... aspiring to Piglet-like states of Domestic Goddess-ness!

[Killing me] [Killing me] [Killing me]
Believe me, Mrs. S. - my goddessishness extends only to baking bread and making soup.

I'm really more of a soup dragon.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Good enough for me, Piglet! [Killing me] [Killing me] [Killing me]

I have started scanning old birthday and anniversary cards, and I know just what Pigwidgeon means about stirring up memories. These are mainly happy ones though! It struck me that I never looked at the cards I'd saved, so I stand a better chance of seeing them again on the screensaver.

A few I just ditched, which was probably a wise decision, Minister.

Mrs. S, now with a load of anniversary cards to deal with [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
How do you summon the willpower to do that Mrs S?

I have a ton of Dad's slides really want to scan. I started the job a year ago and did one box full - now they sit on the desk and accuse me!


[Paranoid]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making progress, but running low on health and energy.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
How do you summon the willpower to do that Mrs S?

I have a ton of Dad's slides really want to scan. I started the job a year ago and did one box full - now they sit on the desk and accuse me!


[Paranoid]

To be fair, there aren't that many at a time - I keep coming across little caches of them and that makes it much simpler to deal with.

It's my (blanket) box of photos that makes my heart sink!

Mrs. S, resolutely seeking displacement activities [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
How do you summon the willpower to do that Mrs S?

I have a ton of Dad's slides really want to scan. I started the job a year ago and did one box full - now they sit on the desk and accuse me!


[Paranoid]

I didn't know you could scan slides! Do you put the little dickens directly on the scanner plate?
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Pete:
I didn't know you could scan slides! Do you put the little dickens directly on the scanner plate?

No - I have a little scanner thingie which does it to memory card.

Here it is [Smile]

Now answer my willpower question please thank you.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That looks like a clever wee beastie, Boogie. When the time comes, I've no idea how we're going to deal with Dad's God-knows-how-many boxes of slides.

Some of them (the ones of family events and such-like) would possibly be worth preserving in some way, but as for the x years of holiday photographs (many of which seemed to feature electricity pylons [Ultra confused] ) - I doubt if any of us would really want them.
 
Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
... holiday photographs (many of which seemed to feature electricity pylons [Ultra confused] ) - I doubt if any of us would really want them.

What's wrong with pylons? [Eek!]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Nothing at all.

Years ago somebody gave Dad one of those little pointy light things for pointing things out on the slide-screen, and whenever we had The Annual Slide Show* he'd always point out pylons in the photographs, and it became a sort of family joke.

IIRC it started after he'd been to Norway, where they have rather a lot of them ... [Big Grin]

* [Snore]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
My next area of decluttering is my dressing table - the scene of several previous unsuccessful attempts. [Roll Eyes]

No progress to report in this area yet. [Disappointed]

Nen - planning to sneak up on the dressing table from behind and surprise it. But probably not today.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
My next area of decluttering is my dressing table - the scene of several previous unsuccessful attempts. [Roll Eyes]

No progress to report in this area yet. [Disappointed]

Nen - planning to sneak up on the dressing table from behind and surprise it. But probably not today.

Do a bit a day, while running the bath or whatever - it doesn't weigh on your mind that way [Smile]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making progress. [Smile]
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Do a bit a day, while running the bath or whatever - it doesn't weigh on your mind that way [Smile]

I particularly like the tip on UnFuck Your Habitat website about putting away five things at a time.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
I'm in bed most of the time; but I try to take care of a few things on the way to the bathroom, and on the way back.
 
Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
Clutter crisis! I innocently allowed myself to get the builders in just before someone gave us back a load of expensive and bulky items they'd been harbouring for ages. I can't get into my lounge or the cupboard under the stairs. Thank heavens I can still reach my sewing machine so will maintain my sanity that way until normality returns.

Just in case normality is slow to return, any tips on hiring storage?

Cattyish, edging around things.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I decluttered about 8 bottles of disgusting home-made wine circa 1990 from the Dowager's understairs cupboard, plus various other cr*p.

Also swapped out her old phone and microwave for new ones - hooray! so off to the dump tomorrow [Yipee]

Mrs. S, grubby but unbowed [Big Grin]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Dishes in washer, clothes in washer. It's hard though.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by cattyish:

Just in case normality is slow to return, any tips on hiring storage?

Just one - don't do it!!

These facilities make a fortune out of people putting their clutter out of sight, out of mind.

My friend put her stuff there (for 'three months', which is now three years and counting) all this to store stuff which is worth 1/100th of the amount she pays every month to have it stored!

My brother has a lot of spare land - I keep telling him to put storage containers there - a financial killing to be had if ever I saw one!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Qoheleth.:
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
... holiday photographs (many of which seemed to feature electricity pylons [Ultra confused] ) - I doubt if any of us would really want them.

What's wrong with pylons? [Eek!]
Wow! My father worked with pylons and has a heap of photos of them - Scotland's most northerly pylon, Scotland's most westerly pylon, Scotland's second most westerly pylon, the pylon that was damaged in the Great Snow of 19-oatcake....
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I wonder if we're related ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Does your father also have photographs of electricity substations, Piglet?
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
There are some pretty fancy electricity substations; for instance my local one; it is even listed.


Jengie
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Wow! My father worked with pylons and has a heap of photos of them - Scotland's most northerly pylon, Scotland's most westerly pylon, Scotland's second most westerly pylon, the pylon that was damaged in the Great Snow of 19-oatcake....

Goodness me!

For years I've thought my gran, of blessed memory, was the only person to use 19-oatcake when describing a year she didn't either want to reveal or didn't know. (Generally her year of birth.) I use it too, but had never heard anyone else doing so.

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
To return us to our decluttering...

I'm in between a rock and a hard place, in that I really could so with some more bookshelf type space, for ordinary books and for lever arch files, but am loathe to buy any at the moment as there is every chance I will be moving within the next 6 - 12 months.

I could expand my current system of a plastic box per project, which also has the virtue of meaning most of that stuff is more or less packed.. but I'm away I'm likely to run out of floor space!

Of course, I could just refuse to take on anything else for the foreseeable future.

Decisions, decisions.
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
I've just bought a couple of sets of bookends, that go on top of the full bookcases and take the volumes that won't fit in below. Everything looks a lot tidier.

This isn't really decluttering, but getting rid of books is against my nature!
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Decluttering isn't *only* getting rid of stuff. Finding it a shelf to live on counts, too.
[Smile]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Japes--

Maybe the classic board-and-cinder-block shelving? Pretty cheap, especially if you scavenge the boards.

As far as possibly moving and making furniture decisions accordingly, you might check out the TV show "Home To Go", which you can watch online. That's what the show is about. And the designers aren't overly full of themselves.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
There are better ways of building shelves! I refused to do the brick and plank thing because I am no longer a student, so until I could scavenge something better I did plank on whiskey bottle containers, and plank on top of the cardboard inside of a roll of carpet, cut to size.
There's also a pottery near me that makes long, tall plant pots, which look rather nice, and those earthenware jars that can be found in vintage shops.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Is there something like Freecycle where you are? In the US, Freecycle is a network for giving things away. (Recycle, only free.) You sign up, and then either view the things being offered, or offer things yourself. Bookcases are not frequently on offer, but they do appear. And then, when your need for them is past, you give them away again.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I've begun to decluttter some of my older cookery books - the sort that you only ever cook one recipe out of. I scan and print that one recipe, and file it in a plastic sleeve in a big lever-arch file. Sorted!

(In case you wonder exactly HOW they are sorted, it's by principal ingredient [Big Grin] )

Mrs. S, who tried using a Kindle for this - and failed dismally [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Tons of trash taken out! The apartment is improving!! [Smile]
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
Thanks for the suggestions about shelving and freecycle.

I am going with the plastic boxes idea for now, as it works for me on several fronts.

My current home is significantly smaller than where I will be moving to, and I don't really have room for any more book cases/shelves, but the boxes could all fit under desks, or tables.

I'm also reluctant to waste time and effort on sourcing materials to be creative with shelving on a temporary basis when I can easily pick up boxes on my way home from work and solve it a couple of hours!

It's an unusual move in that I know where I will be moving to, and what I am likely to need there. It's just not happening until the current tenant moves on which is Not Yet, but could be sooner than we thought.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Dressing table top decluttered. [Yipee]

Dressing table drawers slightly fuller than before.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Both sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren visited today, ostensibly for middle grandson's birthday. The girls brought, served and cleared away all food (except the birthday cake, which I'd made).

After lunch the boys took Mr RoS out to the garage and "encouraged" him to turnout an incredible amount of junk. They are coming back next month for another go.
All this, apart from the birthday cake, was arranged on the quiet by my elder d-i-l.
I have been unwell for most of the year, and she could see that Mr RoS's hoarding was really getting on top of me.
What an [Angel]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Hmmm...clearly, I need to rent a family. [Biased]

I'm making progress, though.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Dressing table top decluttered. [Yipee]

Dressing table drawers slightly fuller than before.

Well done Nen - I know that's been preying on your mind!

And well done too to the RoS family [Overused]

After church yesterday I overheard someone say 'so are we going to throw that away?' to which the reply was 'Mrs. S will do it when she gets round to that cupboard!'

[Killing me] [Killing me] [Killing me]

Mrs. S, a Woman with a Reputation
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We had our Memorial service yesterday afternoon. When I got the tea lights out of the vestry at least half were used!

I had a BIG clear out! Now we only have new tea lights for the next time.

[Smile]

Those clutterers - they get everywhere! [Biased]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
My whirlwind helper turned up in the weekend and WOW! I had been worried I had lost her as she is in temporary accommodation whilst having quake repairs and my phone was out for a week, but she turned up last Thursday [Yipee]

Now just a bit of moving things into cupboards and I can call the electricians to re-wire the house, then get the last of my earthquake repairs done (just the driveway).

Huia
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Dressing table top decluttered. [Yipee]

Dressing table drawers slightly fuller than before.

Well done Nen - I know that's been preying on your mind!
[Axe murder] [Overused]
I see that expressed as "praying on your mind" so often that to see the correct term used is a cause for celebration. [Big Grin] [Yipee]

I think the decluttering may be starting to have an effect on Mr Nen. He was home alone yesterday (Man Flu [Roll Eyes] ) and sorted out the newspapers on the coffee table without me even mentioning them.

Nen - celebrator of small victories. [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
[Hot and Hormonal]

Thank you Nen!

I spent yesterday evening helping to sort the results of this Harvest's donations to our local food banks. You've never seen so much food - it's truly amazing and humbling to see how generous people cane be when they know of a need.

[Overused] [Overused] [Overused]

BUT...

some of what they donate is clearly the result of decluttering their kitchen cupboards! A kilner jar of stem ginger in brandy, for instance, some YEARS out of date? Random packets of make-in-a-mug soup?? A large tin of Mamade oranges to make marmalade from???

(and yes, I brought home two of those particular items - one lady I know makes marmalade and sells it in aid of the food bank, and after all, brandy is a preservative. We used to have to stop Grandma S pouring away bottles of brandy because she's had them some years and she thought they'd have gone off [Eek!] )

Mrs. S, grammar maven
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
We used to have to stop Grandma S pouring away bottles of brandy because she's had them some years and she thought they'd have gone off.

{tangent alert}

I heard of a woman who was asked to prepare sweet potatoes with Jack Daniels for a church function. She didn't drink, and the bottle of Jack Daniels she had was several years old, so she used three times what the recipe called for.

{/tangent alert}

Moo
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have a large box of 'thank you teacher' cards which I have decided can now go. I have been going through it and putting the cards in recycling one at a time.

I have a poor memory, but was thrilled that every child came to mind as I read the cards.

I think it was the combination of their drawing, handwriting and name in visual form (I have a very visual memory). It was a lovely experience.

Some of these kids will be in their 30s now!

But, at last, now I have another empty box [Yipee]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Slow progress, but progress.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Every bit helps. [Biased]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
It was Shoebox Sunday last week, and I nearly threw a wobbly when I rocked up to be sidesperson and discovered that, at the back of church so lovingly cleared by Muggins here, someone had deposited a huge bag of empty shoeboxes. Now I know people had requested these, so they could fill them, but to bring them in on the day they were due to leave? [Mad]

I can't bring myself to throw them away, so I am tempted to put them in the loft. (Mr. S - 'Why not? That's where everything else is' [Help] )

But how do I remember that they are there, about 11 months from now, when I can't remember what I should be doing this time tomorrow? I'll need to put a note in the office diary, or a Google+ reminder, or something...

What I should really do, is make an inventory of what is up there, but I think that might be about as easy as loving one's neighbour as oneself [Ultra confused]

Mrs. S, daunted

[ 18. November 2014, 06:59: Message edited by: The Intrepid Mrs S ]
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
You could put the things in the loft into the shoe boxes ...
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
Why not contact Christmas Child charity and see if they want the shoeboxes for making up. There are people who donate without packing. They therefore have a late packing at the storage facility.

Jengie
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
pm-ing with details of a local drop-off point... and potential for a shipmeet !!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
daisydaisy - my spies tell me that the boxes were no longer in church this morning [Ultra confused]

For all I know, someone else put them up in the attic, or took them to the drop-off point, or just plain Threw Them Away (oh, come on, get real!) All I know is - I don't have to [Yipee]

Mrs. S, wondering who in church reads this thread [Two face]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Pssst...maybe the boxes were raptured. [Biased]


I'm making progress, though more slowly. Thanks for everyone's support.
[Smile]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
As posted on the prayer request thread...

quote:
...and for me to get the household in order. We should live better than we do and having a couple of people coming over for Thanksgiving has helped push me in the right direction, but there is still a lot to do. Working on it.

 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Pssst...maybe the boxes were raptured. [Biased]

See that's what happens at my house, then whoever is in charge of the Rapture in this hemisphere rejects the stuff and sends it back to a slightly different location
[Paranoid]

I got the bench clear when the lighting bloke came to assess the kitchen but some messy being, (I suspect the cat) made it all untidy again.

It's going to be really fun when the electricians come to rewire the house.

Huia
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Last night on my way to bed a decluttering fairy took me by the hand and helped me go through Sparkly Posh Frocks from about 14 years ago in a size I doubt I'll ever see again, plus accessories (gold sparkly shoes with 4 inch heels - adorable but unwearable), plus various other clothes in the same size - deep sighs as I recognised they need to go. So I have a car load ready for a charity shop trip.
 
Posted by Jemima the 9th (# 15106) on :
 
Having fallen off the decluttering wagon in a fairly impressive way, I'm making attempts to clamber back on.

Made a good start with Child B's clothes yesterday - the drawers now shut! Rah! And much stuff which has had it put in the cloth recycling, things in good nick will go to the niece.

I made the big mistake of looking in the loft the other day. [Help] We can never move house. Oh my word.

Ooh, a quick job I can do now. My summer clothes are still cluttering up the wardrobe. I can bag them up. And, er, put them in the loft.

Bestest of decluttering wishes to everybody!

[ 23. November 2014, 12:45: Message edited by: Jemima the 9th ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making some progress, though (of course) life gets in the way. I'm going to try this week (hopefully, sooner rather than later) to clean and line some pantry shelving.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
The shoeboxes had not been raptured [Devil]

They had indeed been placed in the loft, so I have made a note in the office diary to get them out at the beginning of next October. Frankly I shall be amazed if it works, but hey, hope springs eternal!

Mrs. S, glad to see that nagging has had an effect
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Got started on the pantry shelving. [Smile]


Nice to know that errant shoe boxes can be nagged into place...
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I got a cupboard really, really properly sorted today. Everything in there is wanted and it's not too full - in fact it's very tidy.

Hurrah!!

[Yipee]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Tomorrow I'm having every window in my house replaced. They'll need access to every window, which means further decluttering -- and I haven't yet put back everything from my recent carpeting (of two rooms) and closet re-do.

But after tomorrow I'm done with home improvements for a couple of months, and this will give me almost three weeks to get everything tidied up before Christmas.

(All of this would be easier if I weren't storing our church Adopt-a-Family gifts, as well as donations for our upcoming Outreach Auction, not to mention several large boxes I've filled with Rummage and can't take over to church until the first week of January.)
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I have two granddaughters here every second weekend. This place has two bedroom but is small unless two people are a couple. So son is here and his stuff. We are accumulating clothes for the girls to have here and some toys etc.

I had forgotten how painful it is to tread on a small piece of Lego with bare feet! [Mad]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I saw a firewalk challenge set up, except it was Legos instead of hot coals.
 
Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Heh. My niece and I were bonding over that meme yesterday. I tend to kneel on Legos while tidying the classroom. Owwww.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Ooh, deeply ouch! One of the advantages of being childless ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Not in my case! [Big Grin]

I need to clean out my car. I tend to use it as a lunch room, which means right now I have stacks of used Odwalla bottles in the passenger area.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
I have been noticing an unpleasant small in the spare bedroom recently. It is reminiscent of dead mouse, so a real, thorough clear out and clean is required.

Not only is this the spare bedroom it is the room where everything that doesn't have a home downstairs gets put, and where I do anything that needs room to spread out.
There is a single bed with a smaller one underneath, a chest of drawers, a big desk, the ironing board and two boxes of ironing (I don't iron often, it mounts up!) - and two overflowing, piled high bookcases.

Today I emptied the chest of drawers (mostly filled with old letters & greeting cards, and the records of the five bookgroups I used to belong to, including a postal one I ran).
That was hard, but it's all gone in the recycling bin, which will be emptied to morrow.
The beds have been stripped and pulled out, and there's no evidence of mouse underneath. The boxes of ironing have been moved temporarily to the landing to give me elbow room - I hope to have the strength of mind to take some of the contents to a charity shop before returning it to the bedroom.
I emptied one bookshelf (authors N - Z) and am amazed at the number of tottering piles balanced precariously on desk and chest of drawers

I'm going to be busy the next couple of days, but when I get in there next I'll give the cleared area a good vacuuming, replace the bed and the bookcase, which I will have to re-fill. I have some stout carrier bags at the ready, and intend to take a good number of those books to the charity shop (after I've given the family their pick of them).
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
My new windows are lovely, my handyman has been here to take care of some loose ends, and now I can start putting everything back where it belongs. I've washed every curtain and am in the process of hemming one pair and making one new set. I was delighted to discover that some kitchen curtain my late mother made for me about forty years ago look as if they were custom-made for my laundry room (where I don't really need curtains, but they brighten things up).
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My son's bedroom tends to smell like the den of an animal. I discovered that this was because he tosses his dirty laundry into the corner, where it piles up over the air vent. So all the air in the room is filtered through used male underwear...
 
Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
...
I feel slightly better about my car.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
...So all the air in the room is filtered through used male underwear...

TMI!!
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
My one-and-only closet collapsed the week before Thanksgiving. The iron rod hanger thing took a dive into the opposite wall, and all the family's clothes with it. Thereby rendering the whole closet impassible and the linens, sheets, and spare toilet paper unreachable. Woe unto us! For we were stricken with the flu at the very same time. As we gazed at the heaps of quickly wrinkling laundry on the floor through fever-bleared eyes, and contemplated the sheer mountains of stuff that had to be re-ironed, re-hung, and re-placed, the decision was unanimous: We're not having Thanksgiving at our house this year. Sorry dudes.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
My son's bedroom tends to smell like the den of an animal. I discovered that this was because he tosses his dirty laundry into the corner, where it piles up over the air vent. So all the air in the room is filtered through used male underwear...

Maybe get him one of those combo laundry bag/basketball hoop things? You hang them on a closet door. Laundry goes through the hoop into a mesh bag. Gives an incentive to throw laundry where it should go. YMMV.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Wow, LC. Stuff always seems to happen at the worst time.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
It does. I've no doubt this will become the stuff of family legend in years to come. [Razz]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Went to get the Christmas decorations out. We have a large cupboard on the landing, with a hatch at the back, which gives access to part of the loft.

First I had to empty the cupboard to access the hatch, then my massive backside got stuck in the hatch like Pooh in the rabbit hole, then I had to shift boxes in the loft to access the boxes of decorations.

[Waterworks]

I reckon there's a full day's worth of decluttering in the cupboard, then possibly several weeks worth in the loft, plus I really need to lose weight to make access to the loft easier.

I'm feeling very discouraged.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{NEQ}}}}}

That would freak me out. I'm claustrophobic. IMHO, the problem isn't your weight--it's whoever thought it was a bright idea to put a hatch at the back of a cupboard.

Is it possible to have somebody with you the next time you go into the cupboard? Or at least into the hatch? They could keep you company, and get help (if necessary). Or make sure you use a doorstop to keep the door open? Or take a cellphone with you? Or all of the above? Just want you to be safe.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
It's quite safe - our house was built as a bungalow and the previous owners did a loft conversion to add two bedrooms. So the hatch leads horizontally into the eaves on one side IYSWIM. It's what was left of the original loft after the landing and bedrooms were put in. The storage space would be great if we hadn't jammed it full of clutter.

Plus, I suspect I'll have to argue to chuck any of it out. There's a big pile of board games - but we've only ever played Scrabble and Monopoly. I think the family will resist a clear out - just because we haven't played a board game in the last ten years doesn't mean we won't at some point in the next ten. For example, if there's a big bird flu epidemic and we're quarantined at home for several weeks, we might be grateful for some of those board games!

[brick wall]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I am happy to say that I've been able to get the kitchen back to the state it was in just before Thanksgiving now. Trying to keep it like that. Not perfect (the top of the stove needs to be cleaned) but it's nice to have it better than it was. [Yipee]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Top of my cooker probably needs cleaning, too - but I can't see any dirt on surfaces over five foot up, and what the eye doesn't see...
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Just to be clear, I have a cooker with an eye-level grill, so I'm not talking about the hob (which could do with a bit of a wipedown)
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have had to completely clear out my desk as that's where the Christmas tree is going this year.

Why oh why do I shove things in cupboards? [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Electricians coming to rewire the house on the 15th and for four days after. This should be the last lot of tradespeople coming through, this year.

I need to clean up and to move stuff away from all the plugs, switches and lights. With the small rooms I have this is a challenge.

Boogie, this is the kind of reason I shove things in cupboards.

Huia [Help]

[ 06. December 2014, 18:45: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
... Why oh why do I shove things in cupboards?

Isn't that what cupboards are for? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
We have few cupboards but acres of shelves - this means that the stuff you shove there is visible. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is entirely dependent on your point of view.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
... Why oh why do I shove things in cupboards?

Isn't that what cupboards are for? [Big Grin]
No.

No.

No!

Cupboards are for keeping things which one uses. Not for shoving endless clutter which lives there from year to year, never to see the light of day.

They are not for 'tidying up' quickly either in order for the house to look tidy.

Cupboards are a marvellous thing for keeping your mind and house uncluttered - providing you have an uncluttered mind and house to begin with.

This is (endlessly) my aim! Three of my kitchen cupboards have reached this lofty ideal - I am working on the others.


[Big Grin]
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Our tree (but not lights or decorations yet) is up!

Kitchen cluttered again (it takes, like, a day or two) but I know I can get it back to OK again. [Smile]

[ 08. December 2014, 01:39: Message edited by: ChastMastr ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
... providing you have an uncluttered mind and house to begin with ...

Ah - that may just be the problem ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I think i' a freak. Or is there any one else in the universe who has spotless organized cupboards, closets, drawers, and whose actual HOUSE is impassible?
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Found a good new resource: the Personal Organizing section at About.com.

I'm making progress on the pantry shelving, and a few other things.
[Smile]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Cupboards are for keeping things which one uses. Not for shoving endless clutter which lives there from year to year, never to see the light of day.

I agree - this is what the roofspace is for [Snigger]

In a mini-declutter I just found 15 copies of Carol sheets that I wasn't aware I had so wasn't looking for, and that will come in sooooo useful on Thursday when the new-ish housing estate ("village") is sung to. We wondered where we could get some.
 
Posted by The Kat in the Hat (# 2557) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Found a good new resource: the Personal Organizing section at About.com.

I'm making progress on the pantry shelving, and a few other things.
[Smile]

I think I'd like that site more if they had photos as well as links to the ideas. I've no idea what they are talking about until I've followed the link & my computer isn't very fast.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
The Kat in the Hat--

Hmmm...my browser shows pictures next to most of the project links on the front page. Maybe you have your security software set strictly for About.com? I've run into that a lot.

YMMV.

If you like how-to info with pics, you might try Apartmenttherapy.com and Instructables.com.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
Kitchen cluttered again (it takes, like, a day or two) but I know I can get it back to OK again. [Smile]

And as it's icky again I plan to do this tonight after school. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
CM, you know you can do it!

A friend of mine put on FB last night that the calendar was done, but at the expense of the washing up. My comment was that sadly the washing up wouldn't rot down overnight [Two face]

Mrs. S, sending encouragement to all [Biased]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
We are doomed! Doomed, I tell you! It's nearly Christmas, and Husband's train-set is all over the floor.

It doesn't count as clutter, of course. But I really hope he leaves enough room for us to walk through it this year, without accidentally booting one of his cherished engines halfway across the carpet...
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
My Dad had a good tidying regime.

He never got out of a chair without tidying something as he went on his way.

I shall give this a try - sounds like a good habit!

(Why I didn't pick all this up as a child I have no idea [Roll Eyes] )
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{All of us}}}}}

I'm making progress. [Smile]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
The family was in too much of a rush to take their pick of my book cull, so elder son took photographs of the full boxes to look through later.
That means they will be here for a bit longer - must not put them back on the bookshelves.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Over the past month or so I've had two rooms carpeted (so, of course, they had to be emptied -- and one of them was my cluttered office), a closet redone (had to empty that too), and all new windows replaced (had to clear away everything that might block them). Today the window person came to do some final finishing up, and almost everything is back in place. I've repaired, rehemmed, or replaced some curtains and am making one new pair. The new cleaning service seems to have reneged on their promise of coming before Christmas (this is the third time a cleaner has done this to me before Christmas) so I need to get mopping, dusting, and vacuuming. I have dinner guests on Christmas Day, houseguests arriving that evening, and a party the following week. Aaack! (I also have a ton of stuff for our upcoming Auction at church, which I can't take over there until after Christmas, but at least the adopt-a-family gifts are out of here.)
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I did a foolish thing - I bought a settle, which was delivered today. I've wanted one for ages, and just happened to pass a local antique shop when they had one standing by the door.
So now I need to get rid of my perfectly serviceable sofa - which is now on Freecycle and Freegle (the areas overlap where I am). Which took me hours, because I couldn't get onto the Yahoo Groups they use, no matter what I tried. Fortunately, they have set up new groups (one on Facebook) which I can post on!
So, until someone puts an offer in to collect it, my living room looks like a railway carriage!
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
A railway carriage doesn't sound so bad! [Smile]

I'm making progress, but it's rough.

{{{{{{{All of us}}}}}}}
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Keep on keeping on!

[Angel]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Just noticed that Apartment Therapy is having "Join Us to Get Organized in 2015: The January Cure". Sign up, and they'll e-mail you daily with assignments.

FWIW, YMMV.
 
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
I can well recommend getting new carpets as a speedy aid to decluttering. Several bags of stuff to charity shops; more in the bin.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
This time last year I was planning to declutter the whole house, starting at the back kitchen door and working round. I didn't get much further than the kitchen, which took days and days to do, but the end result was worth it. Today I plan to do a maintenance declutter of the kitchen - I'm hoping I can do it in one day. We're living off left-overs today, so it won't be needed for actual cooking.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Sounds good, both of you! [Smile]
 
Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Checking in to say that I decluttered that cupboard in the kitchen where out of date medication, vitamin tablets etc live yesterday...and discovered a whole extra shelf I didn't know I had!

I only have the rest of the house to do now....
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I mentioned here that I needed to declutter some of my bookshelves/DVD shelves.

I am amazed to be able to report that I did it the next day! All is now waiting for the 7 new movies and 3 new opera DVDs that are currently winging their way here - actually, as the movies are coming by India Post it could be awhile yet! The operas are going to a friend's house in UK and he will bring them in March when he visits.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I am amazed to be able to report that I did it the next day! All is now waiting for the 7 new movies and 3 new opera DVDs that are currently winging their way here - actually, as the movies are coming by India Post it could be awhile yet! The operas are going to a friend's house in UK and he will bring them in March when he visits.

The challenge will be for you to keep that space empty until the DVDs get there.
 
Posted by The Kat in the Hat (# 2557) on :
 
My other half has decided to declut the bedroom. As his idea of doing this usually involves shoving everything into a cupboard & closing the door quick, I'm not hopeful.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I am amazed to be able to report that I did it the next day! All is now waiting for the 7 new movies and 3 new opera DVDs that are currently winging their way here - actually, as the movies are coming by India Post it could be awhile yet! The operas are going to a friend's house in UK and he will bring them in March when he visits.

The challenge will be for you to keep that space empty until the DVDs get there.
I went to the Post Office just now to post a cheque, a bit late, and found that 6 of the 7 Hitchcock moves have already arrived and were waiting for me! They are now adorning the newly cleared shelf along with an opera or nine!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
My other half has decided to declut the bedroom. As his idea of doing this usually involves shoving everything into a cupboard & closing the door quick, I'm not hopeful.

Just don't be the next person to open the cupboard.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I don't have an empty cupboard to shove things into!

Decluttering starts today. 18 months ago I did a major declutter (the parenting forum I admin on crashed for several months and I used the spare time wisely). But old habits reappear and I'm starting again. One of my new tactics is not to confer with my husband, as he can never make up his mind and can't throw things [Smile]
Starting in the boys' room today with their wardrobes. I did their chest of drawers earlier in the week. I might even look in my wardrobe...
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Happy new decluttering year Shipmates!

Up and attem!!

[Angel] [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Main bedroom has had total revamp and we are finally (after 8 months of decorating) back into it. Major sorting of cupboards and wardrobes before things are moved into the new ones. We may be some time, therefore, with stuff spread across two bedrooms. [Biased]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
My brother is coming to stay for a week. I have 8 more days to tidy the house, especially the spare bedroom which has been the repository for lots of junk [Help]

I actually made a large dent in the stuff I need to do yesterday, but a combination of aching joints and a hot day didn't help today.

I would like a cold spell for a couple of days, not the forecast 30c (86f) on Sunday.

Huia - not a sun worshipper
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Took out 3 big bags of trash today!
 
Posted by Joan_of_Quark (# 9887) on :
 
I've managed to create a LAIR instead of a home again. There's a base layer of books and paperwork everywhere, plus unfinished art, craft and writing projects. If I get ill, another layer of clutter and unwashed stuff gets added on top of that.

On the plus side, while I was lurking I heard about UfYH on here, and found their very non-prissy approach to housework helpful when I had the energy to keep attacking it.

Oh well, once more unto the bleach...
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Joan_of_Quark:

Oh well, once more unto the bleach...

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Bother - nobody wanted my sofa on Freecycle or Freegle when I offered it, so I went into the British Heart Foundation. Who said that they would take it if it had a label saying it was safe in case of fires. Said label seems to have come adrift, so I'm back to the drawing board.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
In certain parts of the city* here people just leave unwanted furniture on the pavement, where it's assumed to be "free to a good home". We've seen some (apparently) perfectly serviceable furniture just abandoned until either someone takes it, or eventually they get the Council to come and take it away.

We acquired a little four-drawer chest for our dining-room that way: it was on the pavement outside a block of flats up the road, and all it needed was a clean-up, a couple of coats of paint and some new handles.

* Quite often, in areas where the occupants are on benefits, and are being supplied with new furniture by The System.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
They do this in my area as well (although not in the tonier neighborhoods). I scored a very nice printer stand, with shelves below, in Bethesda, MD. And my sister-in-law has handily given away numbers of items in Texas by putting them out on the curb.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
They leave things on the sidewalk or by curb Dumpsters here in SF, too. I've gotten some things that way.

IANAL, but there are some legalities to consider here. You're not supposed to do it, except on specified special days. Some people cover themselves by putting a sign on the item, with the name of the local trash company. People can take the item as they wish, but the donor can say they had no intention to litter. (Don't know if that's ever been tested.) If the item's broken and needs repairs, put a note on it, so that nobody gleefully hauls it home, then finds out the sad truth.

You're also not supposed to put something in/on someone else's Dumpster. People do sometimes put things on construction/renovation dumpsters, 'cause they tend to have a lot of other household stuff. But *by* the Dumpster is thought of as safer, legally.

FIWI, YMMV, etc.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
When we were having the wooden siding replaced on our house, a house a couple of doors down was being completely gutted, and there was a skip outside the house for several days. Our builder asked them if he could put our discarded bits into the skip at the end of the day, and they were happy enough for us to do it.
 
Posted by Jante (# 9163) on :
 
I'm about to start my annual post Christmas declutter of my office- each year in the run up to Christmas I walk in from every service and dump what ever props, paper and books I have used until by today I can't move. Last year I managed to keep tidy until Easter but gradually the mess has built up- this year I need to do better as its likely we will be moving sometime before next Christmas!! [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I can't put the sofa outside here - it'd get soaked through in no time, apart from anything else! I think I'll try Freecycle again in a while, and if that fails there's always the Council, though they charge to take it away.
 
Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :
 
I’ve been lurking here for a long time, gathering inspiration and strength, but never actually picked anything up. Suddenly I seem to be in gear. Once you start it’s very compelling to keep going. I’ve sorted all the random papers around the place, from accounts to old magazines and cards, from paper that goes in the printer to stuff that is the wrong size in this country. Plenty of shredding and recycling and filing and I now know what I have and where it is. Then I tackled all the wires and cables and chargers and old phones and laptops. Challenging, but sorted. I even dismantled one old laptop, took out the battery for recycling and the hard drive for destruction by hammer. So satisfying. This has all happened in a couple of days, after a year or more of just glaring at it all! Next up – boots and shoes. Oh dear. Then, one rainy day… the kitchen! Maybe.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Deputy Verger:
Once you start it’s very compelling to keep going.

Law of inertia.

My Dad used to call me 'Inertia Bagwash' as it was so hard to get me going then even harder to get me to stop!
 
Posted by Jante (# 9163) on :
 
Office tidy [Yipee] Now lets see how long it stays that way! [Eek!]
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Yesterday I Decluttered the kitchen. Note I actually want to be in there [Smile] Next step: the lounge book cases. This could take some time...
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
Today I sorted out some old files and shredded the contents without reading them - I never thought I could do it!

Just another fifty or so to go and the cupboard could get quite tidy [Smile]
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
Have just de-cluttered and tidied the big hall cupboard, which I had to do before I could clear away the Christmas decorations (tomorrow's task). It was becoming a death trap, as I couldn't get at anything without tripping over something else. All is now clear and sorted. [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I hate it when I run out of energy and am left with a box of clothes in the bath, then I want to use the bath [Waterworks]

Huia
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have a new strategy.

I quickly empty the cupboard I want clear, then sort and put back 10 minutes at a time as I pass.

[Smile]

I have to keep changing how I declutter as I'm very easily bored.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
I'm making progress.

Boogie, good strategy!

May we all become a little more clutter-free this year.
[Smile]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Our church rummage sale is in February, but today they brought in a storage "pod" so we can start bringing our stuff over. My car trunk is now full with my first load, which I'll be taking over shortly.

It feels so good to get it out of the house!

[Yipee] [Yipee] [Yipee]
 
Posted by ThunderBunk (# 15579) on :
 
In a word, HELP!

There is so much stuff in my two bedrooms, and there needs to be so much less. I always think of the front one as having space, but it just doesn't at the moment, and I'm starting to panic.

Or might be in full blown panic.
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Oh ThunderBunk, that doesn't sound good. Hopefully it's not full-blown panic just yet and you can get a handle on a few small things to do that will make a lot of difference. Everyone here is on a journey that involves a few of those crisis points and I know I seem to go round and round in circles on specific issues time after time. Is there anyone you can ask for a wee bit of specific help from? I think Huia has found this helps her not to get overwhelmed and I know my girlfriend and I wind each other up when it comes to chores and decluttering, but it does mean that they get done and done quicker.

This weekend we spent the whole of Saturday afternoon dealing with the area under my bed. Pretty much the only thing that fits in my room is the bed (there's a door-width strip next to it into which I have squeezed a wardrobe stacked on some drawers, but that's it) so the area underneath it is valuable storage real estate but things had mouldered a bit under there - the dust bunnies were raising litters and some of the dust was running/wiggling around on its own. So we went out and bought six underbed bins with lids (because my bed is on risers and you can fit them stacked two high) and sorted the miscellany of cardboard boxes into them (excluding the two tiny tents and sets of ball-pit balls). I chose clear plastic boxes so I can now see which box contains what and they are all on the accessible side of the bed. Once the suitcases are emptied from our holiday adventures they will be nested and go behind the boxes for storage.

Then we vacuumed under the bed - it's a good thing my vacuum cleaner is hand-held, as this required a good deal of wriggling around under the bed lying on my side - and wiped the floor down with Dettol. And finally put the boxes back. Hopefully this will mean it is much easier to drag things out to vacuum under there more frequently.

Currently the living room is of an acceptable standard - we've had a couple of friends around for dinner since Christmas - but I would like to deal with the corner of it that gets a bit glory-hole-ish. Currently filled with knitting bags and a couple of fairly neat-looking boxes of things that have come back from activities we have run. I don't know when there'll be a chance to dig in to that though.

[ 12. January 2015, 09:14: Message edited by: To The Pain ]
 
Posted by Palimpsest (# 16772) on :
 
I'm overwhelmed with my house, so I'm not a role model. Sometimes it helps to get a large trash bag, fill it and throw it out. Don't worry about recycling, or finding a new home. Just get rid of a bag of stuff. Even one makes you realize that there can be progress.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Thunderbunk and all--

The...unusually named site, UnfuckYourHabitat, can be a great deal of help-- both for support and tactics. There are links to its other faces, too--tumblr, etc.


I'm trying to get some cleaning done, in advance of repair people coming in on Tuesday afternoon. Eeek!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Last weekend, in a fit of insanitary, I decluttered my bedroom and threw away loads of old receipts, etc. I also organised the new little stainless steel wire shelving unit above the desk. It has made it a pleasure to go into the room now.

Now the challenge is to keep it like that!
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Managed to be ready for the repair person! [Smile]
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Did 2/3 book cases in the week, and half my bedroom today. Me tidying means that husband gets involved and more gets done. Just need to get motivated and do some paperwork this week!
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{All of us}}}}}

I'm making some progress.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
My task today is to get someone to remove a roll of vinyl flooring from the back of church which I take a lot of trouble to keep clear*. I put out an e-mail request for a small amount to line shelves with in the little kitchen, and I'd got this all done and dusted by Saturday lunchtime.

Sunday morning someone brought in an entire roll and left it by the font [Mad] in spite of the fact that the e-mail said 'please contact the office with offers, rather than just bring stuff in'. [Mad] [Mad] [Mad]

*other churches manage to be a living witness to the Lord without looking like a permanent jumble sale [Confused]

Mrs. S, wondering why no-one ever reads an e-mail past the first sentence [Ultra confused] [Roll Eyes] [Confused]
 
Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :
 
But where does the clutter come from? Evolutionary psychology's take on it here.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Qoheleth.:
But where does the clutter come from? Evolutionary psychology's take on it here.

From the end of the article:
quote:
This idea is inspired by some research that proves happiness is more likely to come from experiences rather than stuff... this is an "experience revolution" that will help people be happier by nudging them to spend their time and money on experiences rather than stuff.

If more people do this, and join this "experience revolution", they will be happier - and they are far less likely to be drowning in stuff.

But for every "experience" you'll need the souvenir t-shirt, play program, ticket stub...

(Actually, I think the article does have some good points, but it's only one theory and doesn't deal with all of the issues facing hoarders.)
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Today, I'm trying to sort a large drawer full of jewellery. I very rarely wear jewellery, so it's effectively a drawer full of clutter. None of it is worth much. But most of it was a present, and quite a bit represents a special occasion; a gift when I was a bridesmaid, for example. The space is taken up by the boxes it's in; I do have a jewellery box, but it's full, and the stuff in there tends to get tangled up.

My daughter doesn't wear jewellery either.

How do other people store jewellery?
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Not long after we moved here, we bought a big wooden box with eight velour-lined sections in it and a Perspex window in the lid that contained assorted tea-bags. As it turned out, the teas were a bit rubbish, but the box is now my jewellery case (and is coming close to overflowing - I love jewellery [Smile] ).
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I rather like the clutter box for jewelry, as my grandmother kept one, and we used to go treasure hunting in it as children. It was probably her only cluttered thing, and it was awesome.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Some people store jewelry in clear vinyl bags that have compartments--like over-the-door shoe bags, but there are special ones for jewelry, too. You can see everything, and there's little chance of tangling if you put one item in each compartment.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I've seen Ferrero Rocher containers, complete with inserts, suggested for earrings (though that raises the question of how you acquire said containers [Biased] ).

Personally, I have a jewellery box full of stuff I don't wear; I hang the necklaces, chains etc that I do wear on one of those hands covered in black plush; I keep the stud earrings in a little glass bowl that was part of a Dartington cream-and-sugar set*; and the dangly earrings hang from the rim of a tall glass candlestick.

* the little jug is ideal for tweezers, nail clippers etc.

Mrs. S, doing her best to re-use and re-cycle!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I presume that by "stud" earrings you mean the kind that I would wear.

[Biased]
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
A good way to store dangly earrings is a piece of tapestry canvas pinned up. I also have a purpose-made wooden thingie. That still leaves quite a few pairs scattered over the chest of drawers. The necklaces are hung on the arms of a brass stand and a few over the mirror, though the current favourites are lying among the earrings. Did I mention I make bead jewellery?
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I presume that by "stud" earrings you mean the kind that I would wear.

[Biased]

To match the gold medallions on your ripped pecs, Wodders.
 
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I've seen Ferrero Rocher containers, complete with inserts, suggested for earrings (though that raises the question of how you acquire said containers [Biased] ).

I've actually got one for that very purpose. (We were sent FR at the office one Christmas and I kept the box.) The gold inserts are a bit distracting, though, so I keep it for the earrings I hardly ever wear and the loose ones that need to have clasps fitted.
 
Posted by cross eyed bear (# 13977) on :
 
I use a hanger from Primark: flat and double sided with 48 transparent pockets, which is attached to a clothes hanger and is stored hanging in my wardrobe. I don't wear jewellery much, though.

I sometimes wear earrings, and these are stored in a couple of flat, clear, plastic, compartmentalised boxes I found in an electronics store. I think they're designed for fuses and things.

Some people use ice cube trays for earrings, but I couldn't find any which were stackable.

(Edited to remove adventurous linking)

[ 25. January 2015, 09:28: Message edited by: cross eyed bear ]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I have a huge collection of costume jewellery in my dressing table drawer which is a good size and packed to the brim. I love chunky jewellery and I make fused glass so it is ever expanding. I did think about the covered board for brooches but have never got round to it - I do love a cluttered drawer of sparkling things.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I presume that by "stud" earrings you mean the kind that I would wear.

[Biased]

Oh Wodders [Hot and Hormonal]

Mrs. S, blushing
 
Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Today, I'm trying to sort a large drawer full of jewellery. <snip>

<snippety snip>

How do other people store jewellery?

Traidcraft have a jewellery appeal which includes costume and broken/ mismatched items. Here is a link.

I store costume jewellery which is really for wearing onstage in a drawer which is bursting at the seams. My good jewellery is hanging on a pretty decorative tree ornament which I bought in a sale in a shop full of odd gifts. Any thief would have to untangle it all.

I do have some pieces which I keep in their original boxes, but that's less of a tendancy than it used to be when I had less.

Jewellery rolls can be convenient for storage.

Cattyish, avoiding tidying up.
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
I find that I wear more of my jewellery if I can see it, so I use a jewellery hanger mounted on the wall or the side of my wardrobe. Otherwise I get caught in a rut rotating the same things over and over again. The same is true of clothes - I don't miss them if they disappear into the laundry or I fail to unpack a suitcase for umpty-mumble weeks and then there's the joyous reunion when they do show up.

Which reminds me that I need to sort my shoerack, it's all got a bit higgledy-piggledy in there and I've been using the snow and ice as an excuse to wear only hiking shoes.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making progress, but it's hard. [Frown]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I politely requested - via email - that the kind person who'd brought a whole roll of vinyl flooring into church (in response to an appeal for offers of that very thing!) remove it - and lo and behold, mirabile dictu, they have! [Angel]

Mrs. S, much amazed
 
Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
The sort of clear plastic boxes that fisher-people use for storing flies in make good ear-ring boxes...as do jelly bean boxes (but then, you do have to eat the jelly beans first!)

My "good" jewellery lives in the boxes it came in from the jewellers. (I don't have huge amounts of "good" jewellery, mind...) because some things can be damaged by rubbing against other things, chains can become tangled etc

I bought some small silk pouches to store items in, to keep them unscratched and chains untangled.

And ear-rings (of which I have an enormous number) are stored in the aforementioned plastic boxes - you can see what you have without having a cluttered heap and not being able to find it's "partner".
(If they are "stud" - type earrings, putting the shank of one through the butterfly loop of the other and then fitting the butterfly to it keeps them together...earring wearers will know what I mean!)
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
I was clearing out some old handbags today. One wasn't good enough to send to the charity shop, and I started to wonder whether it would be worth keeping as a place to put jewellery or little whatnots in - it has loads of pockets. But I managed to throw it into the bin, and am very proud of myself.
 
Posted by Joan_of_Quark (# 9887) on :
 
I've achieved Washing-up Zero for the first time since Advent. (Not that any item had been left since December, but I had never quite caught up with the backlog. Things had never been that bad before but I was ill a lot, and now am getting better at last.) I also have Laundry Zero and unpacking the boxes from my move has restarted. Next stop, Ironing Mountain.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
This is not me, but my son, who graduated from high school about eight years ago. Only now did he deem it possible to get rid of his high school graphing calculator. He was a notably poor math student, so this device did not get much exercise. I put it up on Freecycle, and am going to give it away to a HS teacher who will loan it out to students who can't afford their own.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Joan_of_Quark:
I've achieved Washing-up Zero for the first time since Advent. (Not that any item had been left since December, but I had never quite caught up with the backlog. Things had never been that bad before but I was ill a lot, and now am getting better at last.) I also have Laundry Zero and unpacking the boxes from my move has restarted. Next stop, Ironing Mountain.

I am impressed - wand wish you well for the path to Ironing Zero.

I am experimenting with taking an item to a charity shop each time I go into town. At some point I'll need to recognise a good time to stop though.
 
Posted by Tukai (# 12960) on :
 
For clutter, it would be hard to beat my mother who appears not to have thrown anything out in the 30+ years she has been in her house.

But last week, Mrs T and I helped her move into a nursing home, which required us to help her select a small subset of her stuff to take there.

She is quite fond of jewellery, and had it stored at various "safe" spots around the house, such as in old tea caddies, under a drawer full of underpants etc. These items - some of them quite valuable - are now in her lawyer's safe, though she wants to install a small safe in her room at the nursing home to hold it, which we are arranging to do at her insistence. . We also found a drawer that was entirely filled with old empty jewellery boxes and another full of old empty glass jars !

Fortunately for our sanity, she plans to keep the old house, so clearing it out for sale is still a distant prospect.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:

I am experimenting with taking an item to a charity shop each time I go into town. At some point I'll need to recognise a good time to stop though.

When you start having to buy stuff back from them, perhaps? [Big Grin]

Mrs. S, snickering hound
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Tukai:
For clutter, it would be hard to beat my mother who appears not to have thrown anything out in the 30+ years she has been in her house ...

For "your mother" read "my father" - except in his case it's nearer 50 years.

Any takers for videotapes of the complete Sergeant Bilko, Dad's Army, Inspector Morse, Poirot, Midsomer Murders and all the Carry On films?

[Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Put 'em on Craigslist or Freecycle. Some people still have VCRs.
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
Which reminds me that I need to sort my shoerack, it's all got a bit higgledy-piggledy in there and I've been using the snow and ice as an excuse to wear only hiking shoes.

So I didn't sort out the shoerack, it is just as higgledy as ever it was and had to be moved in that state for a delivery that never showed up, but I did find a different home for six pairs of shoes that leads me to the conclusion that clutter is not clutter when it counts as display!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I always have Ironing Zero, due to the fact I never do any. Things get dried flat, shirts go straight on to hangers, and a lot of smoothing and folding happens too.

We are decorating upstairs; our room is done and things are now to be moved out of the box room into Nenlet1's room (now the spare room but I can't get used to calling it that even though she hasn't lived here for nearly three years). The idea is to sort as we go. It is mostly sentimental paperwork, my very worst sort of sorting, and yesterday I was in tears over it. [Roll Eyes] But I am gradually filling a black bin liner.

Well done to everyone - perseverance is key.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
... clutter is not clutter when it counts as display!

I could give a good home to the red Mary Janes on the left-hand end of the top layer.

What size are your feet? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
... clutter is not clutter when it counts as display!

I could give a good home to the red Mary Janes on the left-hand end of the top layer.

What size are your feet? [Big Grin]

Oh, they're enormous, Piglet! About a UK 8 or 9 or a European 42. When I was 13 or so I took a US 11 and may still do so.

None of the shoes are really clutter, it's just that in their spare time they were doing a lot of cluttering! I do hold a special place in my heart for those red Mary Janes - they are in fact the Magical Shoes of Wonder and were actually a Christmas present from several wonderful friends and both my siblings!

The clutter has increased over the weekend though, I am sorry to report. There was a leak of water from upstairs into my hallway cupboard (no, I can't explain why their overflow discharges into my hallway cupboard) so the contents are spread around the flat to dry out. Again. Fortunately said cupboard was fairly comprehensively sorted while putting things back after Christmas and now contains far fewer items that would suffer from water damage. Now if only I could get the unused chest freezer out of said cupboard before I put everything back again, but it's wider than the doorway and I think some electrical conduit has been added since it was put in there.

There might have to be a dismemberment...
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That's unfortunate - mine are size 4 UK or 37 European. [Frown]

Lovely shoes though ...

green-eyed monster attack [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
That's unfortunate - mine are size 4 UK or 37 European. [Frown]

Lovely shoes though ...

green-eyed monster attack [Big Grin]

I have ruby red (with subtle shimmer) Mary Jane's in a size 3 with an hourglass heel and tiny heart cut out trim - they've my dream shoes come true. Feel free to drool in this direction too [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Yesterday was spent decluttering the kitchen ready for a new oven to arrive. Next job is to work out how to get rid of old computer equipment and that's another big bit of decluttering done.
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
This afternoon I have to declutter enough hallway and kitchen for my new fridge to arrive. Should be fairly straightforward. Putting everything back again sufficiently straightened up will be a good feeling.

Also working on plans for a whole new kitchen, dreading the week or so that the kitchen will be out of commission (but if I shift kettle/toaster/microwave into the living room and the fridge is still useable then the living room clutter might benefit from the experience too) and hoping that the opportunity to really sort through everything and eliminate a pesky corner unit will make for a more pleasing workspace.
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Hurrah! A local charity is picking the sofa up on Tuesday! They very sensibly said that, obviously, it must have had a fire safety label once, at which I admitted to having cut it off myself because it annoyed me, several years before I had any thought of getting rid of the sofa. (I didn't know it was going to be important!)
These people supply furniture to low income families at low cost, so it's going to go to a good home.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Once more into the breach to get things under control, more in a lifestyle management way than in a wild flurry of desperation way.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Just successfully sold a batch of CDs to a company who offers freepost. Now to use them to tackle the latest box of books to come down from the roofspace.
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
Had just started to successfully use Green Metropolis to sell my excess books, to find out the site is closing in the next couple of weeks. Foiled. [Frown]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
my parents are visiting this weekend, and brought the remaining yarn and fabric stash I had stored under my bed at home. Several hours were spent yesterday working as a team to go through all of my yarn and fabric, work out
What is good and enough for a reasonable project and should be kept
What is good scraps of fabric, or part balls of yarn that might reasonably be used for patchwork, toys or baby clothes (sibling shrew is expecting)
What I will never ever ever use and should be given away.
We then used zip lock bags to separate each set of yarn or piece of fabric and packed it away nicely.

The stash is plentiful and will need another go through to slim it down further, but at least it feels that some progress has been made. And now I know what is in there I can get started on using it!!!!
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Took a load of good stuff to a Table-Top Sale yesterday. Brought most of it back. Sold only small items, so that won't make much difference to the storage problem. Gave a big bagful of small odds & ends to another stallholder who will be holding a jumble sale next month in aid of a local hospice. At least I sold enough to cover the cost of the table this time.

Much as I'd like to make a bob or two on a number of what were expensive, but no longer wanted, gifts it looks like they will have to be added to the mountain of stuff I will have to haul (on the bus) to the charity shops in the area.
I never realised this de-cluttering lark would be so time consuming and difficult. And Mr RoS is still bringing home stuff he finds abandoned around the village [Frown]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Hall, bathroom and kitchen cleaned and decluttered, pretty much, and quite a few of the other surfaces in other rooms. Various loads taken to different places and a lot of bags of rubbish into the bins (quite a lot into the recycling bin, there are only so many plastic bottles and boxes I can use). The computers are booked for collection this week. I just need another box to pack the second one away.

Another week off would have meant I got the rest done. Shame about the work work I was procrastinating over.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Still need to clean kitchen. What work I've done has been grading papers. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
This week I really will put the boxes of Christmas decorations away. Honest. They're currently stacked up the stairs which is horribly inconvenient and conspicuous, so I have to get them dealt with soon. Even I can't cope with the idea of them still being there come March...! [Eek!]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
The sofa has gone!!!
Two lovely men came to pick it up about 9.30 this morning - and I immediately got the vacuum out and re-arranged all the furniture in my living room.
I have space! [Yipee]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Beethoven:
This week I really will put the boxes of Christmas decorations away. Honest.

I confess that was part of my hall decluttering last week. But they're all away now. I just added a few other bags of bits, two of which leave tomorrow.

I need to find another box to get the computers collected on Thursday, and write some labels for the collection guys, and that's another big cluttered bit gone. Hopefully by this weekend I'll get it down to only one room needing decluttering, which is my bedroom.

Briefly, oh so briefly, I was at Ironing Zero on Sunday and yesterday, but I've washed something that needs ironing.
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
I think I have a coherent, if not cunning, plan. Please pray it works. Fingers crossed!!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
I think I have a coherent, if not cunning, plan. Please pray it works. Fingers crossed!!

[Votive]

Let us know what it is!
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ChastMastr:
I think I have a coherent, if not cunning, plan. Please pray it works. Fingers crossed!!

You do know that arson is illegal, don't you? You musn't burn down the whole place to get rid of the clutter. [Razz]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
OK, help please:

How do i deal with the apparently never-ending piles of paperwork that accumulate around our living room?

I am a file freak who loves nothing more than seeing rows of orderly files, containing sorted documents. However i am married to someone who likes to leave their paperwork lying where it was dropped.

Remaining married is non negotiable.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
OK, help please:

How do i deal with the apparently never-ending piles of paperwork that accumulate around our living room?

I am a file freak who loves nothing more than seeing rows of orderly files, containing sorted documents. However i am married to someone who likes to leave their paperwork lying where it was dropped.

Make sure your spouse has their own office, then transfer all piles there.

Keep their office door firmly close at all times.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
Had just started to successfully use Green Metropolis to sell my excess books, to find out the site is closing in the next couple of weeks. Foiled. [Frown]

You could try WeBuyBooks - it's who I used for the CDs and will be trying for books next.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Boogie, thank you!

It's sounding like my method for dealing with the children in their teens
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Beethoven:
This week I really will put the boxes of Christmas decorations away. Honest. They're currently stacked up the stairs which is horribly inconvenient and conspicuous, so I have to get them dealt with soon. Even I can't cope with the idea of them still being there come March...! [Eek!]

I made it! Put them all away last Friday, so I even had a whole day spare [Biased] It's nice having space on the stairs again, but I do wish Op 1 had followed through on her offer to tidy the living room since I'd done the rest of downstairs. In practice she put away 2-3 things, moved a few others, and watched the TV. [Roll Eyes] The kitchen now looks like a disaster zone since my fridge needs replacing. Replacement was due yesterday so I cleared the microwave & all the clutter off the top onto the table. Replacement now not coming until Friday, so I have a couple of days to get rid of all the clutter...
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Still planning on doing my cunning plan. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
quote:
Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
Had just started to successfully use Green Metropolis to sell my excess books, to find out the site is closing in the next couple of weeks. Foiled. [Frown]

You could try WeBuyBooks - it's who I used for the CDs and will be trying for books next.
Interesting, I'll have a look at that. I've been checking out Bookmooch, but swapping books (which is what happens on the site) is not getting rid of books.

[ 03. March 2015, 19:46: Message edited by: ArachnidinElmet ]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Had people coming round on Saturday. Spent all day tidying and then hideying. The enormous pile on one of the beds now needs dealing with, but at least it's all in one place now, right?
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Man knocked on the door asking to buy the wrecked car, still in the driveway from last years accident because I need to find the title to gt it hauled away.

I said the chassis is bent. He said a family member is a mechanic and can bang it into shape.

So I had to find the car title, which is not in the file "Car"! Where could it be?

I spent the entire weekend going through papers (interesting articles I saved, old taxes and receipts and budget plans, old letters, travel literature - way too much paper in my house), didn't find the title.

I discovered a replacement costs only $2; the guy backed out; I filled the garbage can! I think I'll call and thank him for getting me to do some clean-up. (Long ways to go, but a good start).
 
Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Well, my cunning plan was a somewhat longish-term plan but unexpectedly we needed to do a bit of crisis cleaning, and by sheer Providence a friend called when I was about to start an all-nighter, and he was happy to help, so the apartment is AMAZINGLY WONDERFULLY BETTER NOW.

Um, so, there you go. [Hot and Hormonal] [Yipee] Thank you God!!!!!!
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Yay, everybody!!! [Smile]

And I'm making some progress.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Decluttering is being forced on me by major decorating chez Nen. The small bedroom is to become my study [Yipee] but I need to pare my paperwork and books down to fit into it. The going is slow. [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
A massive declutter has been forced on us by the arrival of carpet moths. (Foul creatures which EAT carpet, serves us right for getting the most expensive wool carpet) We have carpets in the bedroom, living room, stairs and landing - the rest of the house has oak floors.

The carpeted areas had to be cleared completely. All cupboards and drawers too. Then the rooms had to be fugged, then sprayed. It took three days, but a lot of stuff was decluttered.


[Big Grin] [Mad] [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Decluttering is wonderful. I found some possum fur innersoles for my sheepskin slippers.

No cold feet for me this winter. [Yipee]

Huia
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Yesterday I finished decluttering my back garden. It's small, so it doesn't take long to become cluttered, but about 3 years for me to get around to decluttering. I am looking forward to relaxing there in the sunshine soon.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Have culled a dozen or more boxes of books in the last few months, so how come the bookshelves are still full? [Confused] [Frown]
 
Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
It's magic [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
The books are breeding behind your back. They must like it in your house.

My mantra is 'Books do not count as clutter'.
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Decluttering is wonderful. I found some possum fur innersoles for my sheepskin slippers.

No cold feet for me this winter. [Yipee]

Huia

I loved my possum fur/sheepskin slippers but had to switch to sheepskin only ones last year as I'd worn the possum fur footbeds bald! Come to think of it, those were probably the slippers I bought the last time I visited CHCH and we went for milkshakes!
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Basking in the virtuous sense of a job done. [Smile]

Small spare room contains bed and computer. Music room contains too much of everything, many LPs and a convertible couch. [Confused]

In order to relocate the computer in the MR which is on the first floor, faces south and gets the best light and the least use in the house [Disappointed] I had to:

*Rationalise the contents of over 40 box files containing music. Lots of paper waste to the recycling, and 20 box files to landing preparatory to finding good homes for them.

*Move the LPs, till then stored in 4ftx18 inch bookcases lying on their sides, one stacked on the other, to the resulting cleared shelf space.

*Move bookcases, now upright, into temporary position in my bedroom.

*Move couch into the newly freed space under the window in the music room.

*Move computer table and computer, scanner, monitor etc. into newly freed space in the music room.

*Move spare room bed to newly freed space where the computer had been.

*Move the bookcases from their temporary location in my bedroom to the newly freed space in the spare bedroom where the bed had been.

* Finally, after four years, put overlarge books into the newly freed space in the bookcases in the spare bedroom. [Yipee]

*Distribute spare box files to interested friends.

*Have a large glass or three of wine.

*Pop in to spare room and music room to admire and bask in suddenly increased space. Also that on the landing.

That's my lot for the foreseeable future. [Cool]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Jacobsen - [Overused]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Yes indeed [Overused]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
To the Pain - that was years ago. I hope mine last that long.

Jacobsen, I hope the wine was enjoyable - you certainly earned it.

Huia
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
You bet. (Hic) [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Trying to do a big push over the next few days, but I'm sick.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Sometimes you just wake up, the energy is there, and you begin....

Hope you feel better soon. [Votive]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Jacobsen, following your wonderful example I bought myself a bottle of wine [Big Grin]

Now I just have to earn it. (sigh)

Golden Key, I hope you can balance looking after yourself with cleaning up.

Huia
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Jacobsen [Overused]

I had a coffee morning in my house yesterday. This neccessitated decluttering the porch / hall, living room / kitchen/ bathroom / dining room.

This involved the time-honoured technique of boxing up my husband's clutter and shoving it in son's bedroom, for him to deal with "later." The boxes are stacked on top of the boxes which resulted from the last similar declutter.

The household and my clutter was shoved into the study. And it looks almost manageable. So today's task is to sort it out properly. I'll be in the study anyway (article to write) so perhaps it's do-able...
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
This was your husband's clutter? he obviously never missed the stuff from the previous decluttering which is still in boxes underneath the most recent lot. How about just giving the boxes the old heave ho? [Big Grin]

Good luck, anyway
[Votive]

[ 27. March 2015, 09:54: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
It's mostly paperwork, some of it work related, which might be important. Definitely not anything I could chuck out.

My husband does like to hang onto stuff, though. Our most recent argument was over a cassette tape. We were in Paris in 1991, and listened to a street artist playing the pan-pipes. It was sunny, it was Paris, it was romantic - we bought one of his tapes. We listened to it once on our return and realised that without the holiday ambience, it sounded pretty grim. But we didn't throw it out.

A few weeks ago, I chucked it, and husband spotted it in the wastepaper bin. He was outraged! How could I even think of binning a tape which neither of us had listened to since 1991? It is sentimental!

It's back on the shelf. Sigh. I have binned all my cassette tapes, but my husband is hanging onto his collection. Why, I don't know. I guess he looks at a mix tape circa 1982 and is transported back to the halycon days of living in student halls.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
... he looks at a mix tape circa 1982 and is transported back to the halycon days of living in student halls.

I'm afraid I can relate to that - I've still got cassettes of Queen's Greatest Hits and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's Architecture & Morality, which may not have been listened to since about 1982, but I haven't the heart to throw them out.

They're part of my youth ... [Hot and Hormonal]

As for all D's magazines and periodicals about pipe-organs dating from before the Flood - don't get me started. [brick wall]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Oddly enough, I only thought of this this morning. The Former Miss S's grandmother-in-law always remembers Mr S and me very fondly, although we really didn't know her at all well. I've come to the conclusion that she thinks of us so kindly now because when we did know her she was in a happier place, i.e. living with her husband and daughter rather than widowed and living in a home for the slightly confused.

The thought of us takes her back there, rather like all these antediluvian cassettes - funny, I've never compared myself to an ancient mix tape before [Killing me]

Mrs. S, ancient and getting more so
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
My house is a chronic disaster area, but I do make a point of getting my trash out every week, and my recyclables unless it's raining or snowing.

Friday is trash day. This is the sixth Friday in a row that I could not put my newspapers and catalogs out because it was raining in the morning. As usual, it cleared up in the afternoon. [brick wall] [brick wall]

They say that in two months they will give us covered recyclable containers. I want mine NOW.

Moo
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
Why can't they just go out in the rain? That's what happens here. All our recycling boxes are uncovered. Doesn't matter if the contents get a bit soggy.

(ETA By 'here' I mean round my way. Not speaking for what everyone else's recycling boxes are like in the UK.)

[ 27. March 2015, 21:24: Message edited by: Yangtze ]
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Yangtze:
Why can't they just go out in the rain? That's what happens here. All our recycling boxes are uncovered. Doesn't matter if the contents get a bit soggy.

If they get soggy, they can't be recycled.

Moo
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Can't you use blue bags? All of our recycling goes out only in clear plastic blue-coloured bags.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
We have open rectangular containers. As I said earlier, we're supposed to get covered ones in June.

Moo
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
In Christchurch we used to have open plastic boxes for recycling, now we have coloured coded wheelie bins - green for organic which goes out every week, yellow for recycling and red for rubbish - those go out on alternate weeks. I would be tempted to be the first to put the wrong bin for the week and see how many people just follow [Two face] except I rely on other people to put out the right bins so I can follow them.

Huia
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Huia--

Thanks. I'm getting some cleaning done, and keeping a fairly good balance.
[Smile]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Today is a major declutter day at chez shrew!

I will be tackling the bedroom, which is an absolute disaster zone.

Mr shrew is on side and I am readying the dusters... Wish me luck!
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
In Christchurch we used to have open plastic boxes for recycling, now we have coloured coded wheelie bins - green for organic which goes out every week, yellow for recycling and red for rubbish - those go out on alternate weeks. I would be tempted to be the first to put the wrong bin for the week and see how many people just follow [Two face] except I rely on other people to put out the right bins so I can follow them.

Huia

We've had carts for about 25 years and it is very true that one person leading out with the wrong cart can turn a whole street over to the wrong ones. I always wonder what the worker picking up the carts thinks! [Smile]
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Go, Mrs Shrew! [Axe murder]
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Hooray! Bedroom is not finished but is very very much better. I'm completely shattered now!

Many bits of toiletries ready to go, and Tue northern hemisphere's major hairband stock replenished.

I also finally took the curtains up ( we bought them 14 months ago....)

Next weekend I'll be sending the surplus yarn and fabric to the charity shop. Must be strong....must not get sentimental about yarn.....
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:

This involved the time-honoured technique of boxing up my husband's clutter and shoving it in son's bedroom, for him to deal with "later." The boxes are stacked on top of the boxes which resulted from the last similar declutter...

...It's mostly paperwork, some of it work related, which might be important. Definitely not anything I could chuck out.

Having the same problem. There are also plenty of old cassettes - but at least they are hidden away in the same boxes.

Yesterday I sent a box of ornaments & other 'bric-a-brac', much of which had been gifts from family and friends, to a local jumble sale. At this rate I will have decluttered everything I own and we will still be buried under a heap of total cr*p that Mr RoS can't part with.
[Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Moo:
quote:
Originally posted by Yangtze:
Why can't they just go out in the rain? That's what happens here. All our recycling boxes are uncovered. Doesn't matter if the contents get a bit soggy.

If they get soggy, they can't be recycled.

Moo

Ah, round here they say it doesn't matter if they get wet. Must be different ways of recycling or something.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Originally posted bu RoseofSharon

quote:
At this rate I will have decluttered everything I own and we will still be buried under a heap of total cr*p that Mr RoS can't part with.
[Roll Eyes]

That's a disincentive for me; that by decluttering my stuff I'm creating space for more of my husband's stuff.

In fairness, I have two shelves of photo albums, dated, labelled etc and certainly not "clutter." If I want to get nostalgic about life c1982, I look at my photos. Whereas my husband's memories are tied up in his accumulation of cassettes, lidless tea-pots, chipped cups, too-small sweatshirts, old bottle tops, lecture notes, etc etc.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Which reminds me... you can sometimes get a hoarder ('scuse me, person-with-memories-tied-up-in-clutter) to let go of a lot of them by taking photos of the objects before disposing of them. The photo (even as a never-looked-at digital file) seems to be just enough existence that the concrete thingy can be let go without fear of somehow losing the memories.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{All of us}}}}}

I'm making progress. But it's wearying.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Family arriving!
Yikes!

De Cluttering button is now jammed on Full Steam Ahead. Main bins and paper recycling been taken to tip already. This is kicking my backside so hard.

Must remember to invite people to Stay far more often......
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
I have cleared and tidied up the area between my front door and the coal hole. Including cleaning the front door and door frame which were apparently filthier than a dirty movie judging by the colour of the water after and the fact that the door is now orange all the way down rather than a two tone orange-black.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I've just done the dog cupboard, which was so bad I was afraid we'd get mice.

Pleased with myself now [Angel]
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
I'm on a roll - also hacked back a whole heap of ivy and cleared one of the raised beds. Plus had to empty a bookshelf so I can move it to get the sofa past. (Glory be, have finally booked a council bulky waste collection to get rid of old mattress and sofa.)
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We have dismantled our greenhouse, which had been losing panes of glass in strong winds. No idea how old it was, it was there when we moved in, but the rubber cushioning the glass was perishing.

This means we have find somewhere to keep assorted plant pots, bamboo canes etc. We've bought some shelving to organise our garage.

I keep discovering duplicates - e.g. four pairs of gardening gloves and five watering cans. I'm particularly baffled by the watering cans. Where did they all come from? Did I buy them? Why?
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
We spent the whole day at working clearing out some shelves, before moving them. All the tangle of wires, post-it pads, labels, and pens have been sorted out into cubbyholes. The shelves were dismantled, moved, reassembled and cleaned. And then we loaded all the 15 types of copy paper back onto the shelves. The only annoying thought is that nobody in the office will appreciate our work. I will probably get a complaint or two, at most.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
After storing my clothes in a couple of old suitcases for the past two years, some new bedroom furniture will be arriving soon. This has spurred my on to do a spring clean of the bedroom, which is also going to get some new wallpaper, paint, and bed linen. I'll get my dreamy boudoir at last!
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
The temptation to merely return everything to it's former place...is immense, but must be resisted.

How though, is another matter....
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
At work we had a good time debating what certain things were. Also some things, like the rolodex cards, can surely be tossed. I have assembled a nice batch of equipment, machinery, and the plastic combs for binding brochures together -- nobody does this any more and I have hopes of selling the entire lot on Ebay and using the proceeds to buy a pizza for the office.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:

I keep discovering duplicates - e.g. four pairs of gardening gloves and five watering cans. I'm particularly baffled by the watering cans. Where did they all come from? Did I buy them? Why?

It is a well known fact that the best way to locate a lost article is to buy a replacement.

My guess is that when you needed gardening gloves, you couldn't find them amongst the clutter so you bought some more.

Either that, or, like coat hangers, they breed.
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
My gardening gloves go on holiday, returning eaten and with lots of companions. I had a really lovely skin-hugging pair that I don't mind wearing but they've gone AWOL.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making progress.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I've been reading here and admiring everyone's hard work, thinking I hadn't done any of late - but I have been decluttering the Dowager's paperwork. She has a habit of opening her correspondence, reading it, putting it back in the envelope and writing, say, 'URGENT' on it - and putting it away in The Box File of Doom [Roll Eyes] .

Or else, she tots up her current assets on the outside of the envelope and stuffs several years' statements in it [Eek!]

In any case, I have now reduced it all to statements etc from this century, removed from the envelopes and filed flat so you can actually see them. And of course had to shred all the envelopes!

I then filed all her letters about her medical conditions in a bright red file. Now, of course , she can't find anything, cue panicked phone call - 'I've been looking everywhere for that letter!'

After all, this is the lady who decluttered her camera into her underwear drawer [Overused]

Mrs. S, just wanting a good grumble [Help]
 
Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Originally posted bu RoseofSharon

quote:
At this rate I will have decluttered everything I own and we will still be buried under a heap of total cr*p that Mr RoS can't part with.
[Roll Eyes]

That's a disincentive for me; that by decluttering my stuff I'm creating space for more of my husband's stuff.

In fairness, I have two shelves of photo albums, dated, labelled etc and certainly not "clutter." If I want to get nostalgic about life c1982, I look at my photos. Whereas my husband's memories are tied up in his accumulation of cassettes, lidless tea-pots, chipped cups, too-small sweatshirts, old bottle tops, lecture notes, etc etc.

I could not resist posting this article from The Daily Mash: Man with mortgage and kid unable to throw out rave tapes
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
[Killing me]

The latest from the North East Household. I planned to pass on an as-new pre-school book "Explore maths through shapes and patterns", which my own two had ignored when they were pre-schoolers, to the four year old daughter of a friend. I wasn't convinced the daughter would like it any more than our two had, but I thought her parents would recognise it as a worthy book, the sort that's handy to leave lying around when the Health Visitor calls.

My husband wouldn't let me give it away. Apparently, we're keeping it for the grand children we might have in ten to fifteen years, on the off-chance that their taste in pre-school books is more academic than we managed to instill in our two.

[Disappointed]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We did our second bout of moth-proofing yesterday.

I can now declare the living room comletely declutterd!

It's the first room to reach this heavenly state, and shall be kept that way henceforth.

[Yipee]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Can one attain a completely decluttered state? I thought that it was only theoretically possible, like absolute zero.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I suppose if the only things in the room/house are the ones that you actually want to be there, then total declutterdom has been achieved.

Chez Piglet, sadly, has a very long way to go ... [Frown]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
We did our second bout of moth-proofing yesterday.

I can now declare the living room comletely declutterd!

It's the first room to reach this heavenly state, and shall be kept that way henceforth.

[Yipee]

Boogie, if I had posted that I would be tempted to add [Killing me] but I think you are more focussed than I am so it should probably be [Overused]

Huia
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
And determined!

Determined that nothing will sneak into the living room that isn't already there, having passed all exams.

I am guarding the door 24/7!

[Cool]
 
Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Being offered a swap of my 2 drawer filing cabinet for a 4 drawer one, I have spent today Sorting Out the mountain of paper and Other Stuff that has been masquerading as my desk for the past 2 years.
The top 2 drawers are filed alphabetically, the bottom one has spare reams of paper, and refill yellow legal pads. The last one has my old CD player, which I can't bring myself to recycle because it was a present from my DH, and which might be a Useful Thing one day.
One can nearly see the desk top now, and I have been deploying a duster but without much success. The rest of th room remains a tip. And you can't actually sit in either of the visitors chairs, but it is still a work in progress....
 
Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
The top of my desk is beech., who knew......
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
Bedroom furniture is arriving today! So at last I will be able to tidy away all my clothes. [Yipee]
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
Yes ... except, as is we all know, clothes placed in wardrobes etc. have a tendency to spontaneously breed until they fill up all the available space.
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by St Everild:
The top 2 drawers are filed alphabetically, the bottom one has spare reams of paper, and refill yellow legal pads.

I did read of one secretary who filed everything in her filing cabinet under "J" for "General".

And of an Army Colonel who had three trays on his desk: "In", "Old Bumf" and "Rugger".
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
Yes ... except, as is we all know, clothes placed in wardrobes etc. have a tendency to spontaneously breed until they fill up all the available space.

IME, the problem is that clothes in wardrobes have a tendency to shrink, thus necessitating the purchase of larger clothes. However, to throw out the mysteriously shrunken clothes is to admit that I'll never fit those clothes again.

I have boxes of clothes (in the loft, so not clutter) neatly labelled "10 stone" "10 1/2 stone" "11 stone" "11 1/2 stone" "12 stone" "12 1/2 stone" "13 stone" - well, you get the idea. No need for me to say how far the sequence goes. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Me too North East Quine - I have jeans in all sizes from 10 to 16 - ten pairs in all!

My 16s are now 'slack' and I am hoping to throw them away soon and move down. I think it's a pipe dream to think I'll need the 10s again 'tho, so they must go [Smile]

A moth was spotted in the (very very cluttered) spare room my brother sleeps in 3 days a week. So, today is the day - another room to blitz.

These moths are doing us a favour in the final analysis.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Tidied my work//sewing table yesterday and am embarrassed by the many identical packets of needles I kept finding in each layer, owing to my buying new ones as I can't find them. But now it is clear and organised and I am beginning to clean the adjacent table, which appears to have items I haven't touched in at least 5 years [Hot and Hormonal] But once I get that cleared and the drawers sorted I should be able to enjoy the room (and contents) better.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Spent the last three days emptying, cleaning and reorganising the garden shed, which hasn't been touched for five years.

Amongst other things, Mr RoS took 30yrs worth of old garden chemicals to the tip, including a few that have been made illegal since I bought them. I still have a couple of boxes of garden junk, such as plastic plug trays, strimmer cord and twirly ornaments that I'll put at the gate for people to take over the w/e. What doesn't go I'll offer on Freecycle, and anything left will go in the next load for the tip.
I have an incredible number of new garden gloves, coils of fine wire and packs of plant labels, bought because I couldn't find the ones I already had in the shed. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
My brother's room is done, hurrah! [Yipee]

I'm surprised how much of my son's clutter we still have. I am too kind to send it to him as he lives with his partner in a tiny flat in the centre of Bristol. He has house buying plans - so the stuff will be taken to him as soon as he moves in!
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I do not feel in the least bit guilty of loading ten boxes of my daughter's possessions into her husband's pickup truck. Alas, he has never visited us again, I am sure in fear that we will repeat it.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
One of today's jobs is to declutter the airing cupboard. We recently redecorated our bedroom and have new bedlinen but I do tend to keep all the old ones, single sets that our children had as well as our worn-almost-to-holes king size stuff... some vague idea about it being useful as dust sheets...

Nen - quite certain we don't need duvet covers with My Little Pony or Rainbow Brite.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Not even Hello Kitty? [Big Grin]

[ 25. April 2015, 06:46: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by jacobsen:
Not even Hello Kitty? [Big Grin]

No. Nor Rosie and Jim. [Roll Eyes]

Nen - partway through the airing cupboard.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Go Nen! [Overused]

Mrs. S, who still has a single Snoopy duvet cover [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
No need to blush, Mrs. S. - I suspect that when the ancestral pile is finally cleared out, a single Snoopy downie and pillow-case will turn up. And if it does, I shall reclaim it, even though we don't actually possess a single bed ... [Killing me]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Odd sheets and towels may always be donated to your local veterinarian or animal shelter.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Currently decluttering the ancestral mansion one cupboard at a time - every time I open a new one I gasp and reach for the rubber gloves!

Also decluttering the freezer Chez Dowager by helping her eat all the ready meals for two that have been gathering metaphorical dust since 2012 or so ... [Eek!]

Mrs. S, who does love her mother really [Two face]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I am, as always, struggling with the paperwork mountain. My problems with paperwork date back to my childhood when an official envelope coming through the door triggered major stress for my father, who employed the Intrepid Dowager's method of filing (straight back into the envelope, with a note written on the envelope) which has in turn been passed down the generations. Mr Nen couldn't believe it when he was sorting out my mum's paperwork, which had been looked after by my brother until his untimely demise. [Eek!] And yesterday, because I am stressed at work, I caught myself doing it with the post that had come into the office. [Hot and Hormonal]

A little advice please from those who are organised in the paperwork department. A letter comes through the door. Do you open it immediately or ascertain by the look of it whether it needs your attention and leave it till later? Do you set aside a slot in the week to deal with paperwork or do you do it as you go along? Do you file in a filing cabinet or in ring folders (which involves punching holes in paperwork)?

Nen - no clue how to start and embarrassed about being at this point again. [Help]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Nen:

This is what has helped me keep it down to a manageable level;

Open mail immediately and check if there is anything that really needs to be kept. Throw away junk inserts and only keep the essential bits. Bills to pay and anything that needs action to go in their own pile/folder/ Those three tier desk stands are useful. Action, reading, filing. Then when the shelves are full they have to be sorted.

Pay as much as possible online and go paperless.

If you have a pile of unopened bank statements, just get rid of them and only keep the last few months. You won't miss them. Promise. [Biased] [Hot and Hormonal]

For filing I have box files eg 'Car' is everything car related. 'House' is everything house related. Then I just throw the stuff in. It is not very organised and takes up a bit too much space but I know I can find it. I try to make sure I throw out of date stuff away while I am in the box. Eg last year's insurance policy. I have a special folder for household appliance instructions.

I used to keep 12 months utility bills until I went paperless. Throwing away the oldest one when I filed a new one.

Keep it as simple as possible, anything too complicated won't be maintained and just lead to more mess and guilt.

Also, all those charity and mail order catalogues, flyers, there will be another one along soon so just throw them away without opening or reading. You can always go on the websites to find the latest news.

Mostly when I have had to spend all day tackling a paper mountain I have ended up throwing 95% of it away and wondering why I kept it in the first place.

But just opening the mail immediately and throwing away non essential inserts helps a lot.

I don't have a special time for dealing with it. I try to keep on top of it as I go along.

At the moment I have an overflowing pile and I know I have to deal with it soon. The reason I have an overflowing pile is because since we moved my filing boxes are no longer to hand and I have to make a special trip to the garage to do the filing, which I don't like. I need to sort this out.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
They have discovered that the mere act of making a decision -- any decision -- costs mental and physical energy. So, never multiply decisions. Everything you touch, decide what to do with it and do it instantly. Do not save it to decide, again, about it later on, thus doubling your energy costs. And if you put it somewhere again, there you are, tripling the costs, exhausting yourself.

Touch every piece of mail only once. (Putting it onto a to-be-paid pile is OK, because then you're going to go right through that pile and pay them one right after the other.)
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Much of my so called paperwork now comes to me online. I have set up email folders and it is transferred straight to there after action is taken if needed. Many bills are paid by direct debit and I run an eye over online bank statement weekly to check all is well.

I have some quarterly bills which I cannot pay that way. I do get an email reminding me of them, but I have set up a reminder in Google calendar that payment is shortly due. I use that calendar for a lot of things, including monthly meetings and such..

Reminders from it usually work well, although I was surprised the other day to receive a reminder about nephew's birthday which is on fifth December. Google had swapped the date around to May twelfth. Still that's another post.

My computer is set to back up daily to Time Machine on an external drive. I've never needed the back up for bills or reminders but it is there.

[ 21. May 2015, 21:52: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Brenda, a link to this research could be interesting reading for some. Thanks.

Lothlorien
AS host
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Have decided to bite the bullet & clear out some of Mr RoS's old clothes, as he is clearly unable to do it himself (witness: 2 pairs of nylon underpants from the year we got married still occasionally appear in the wash - and we are now past our Ruby Wedding).
Two binliners of too-tatty-to-wear items have gone into the recycling bin today, and one filled to bursting with clothes too big/small for him, or that he never wears, has gone to the charity shop. I've asked him to do it himself often enough, so if anything (else*) has gone that he wanted to keep, well, he's got no-one to blame but himself.

* I donated a jumper he's not worn in 40+ years to a charity shop last autumn - today he told me it was his favourite. I told him that noticing it's absence after six months was a tad too late to save it, so tough luck!
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Some articles on how decisions cost you energy:
Decision Fatigue
and, a particularly fascinating one,
Israeli judges

Someone also wrote a book about it, which is summarized here: Willpower
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
... Those three tier desk stands are useful. Action, reading, filing ...

D. used to have a set of those on his desk marked, "IN", "OUT" and "LBW" (Let the B*ggers Wait).
[Devil]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
It would be interesting to do a study on decision fatigue and supermarket shopping because I think that's the place where it is most obvious in my life and I only shop for myself and Georgie-Porgy who is not a fussy eater.

Huia
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Thyme:
Mostly when I have had to spend all day tackling a paper mountain I have ended up throwing 95% of it away and wondering why I kept it in the first place.

But just opening the mail immediately and throwing away non essential inserts helps a lot.

I don't have a special time for dealing with it. I try to keep on top of it as I go along.

I am really grateful to you for taking the time to post your advice, and to others who have done that too. I need a concerted effort to get me started. From where I'm currently sitting in Nenlet2's bedroom, which is my temporary study while mine is being decorated, I can see 6 piles of paperwork which need my attention. There are more piles in the other room and downstairs on the breakfast bar. I have earmarked part of tomorrow to attack some of them and plan to report back here to let you know how I'm doing.

Nen - apprehensive but determined.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
@ Nenya,and all who declutter.

Excelsior!
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
If I did not know that this is a board where English is used, I would say, per ardua ad astra, colloquially translated as from the pits to the heights or through hard work to the stars. I still remember the principal at High School telling us to aim for the stars and we might hit a chimney pot.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Ah, paperwork! I have almost finished Stage One of my study. I have rationalised my paperwork into (so far) 41 box files, all of which I have painted the same colour as my study wall, with their subject stencilled on in the same colour as the curtains. They are stacked right up to the ceiling.

I have only one plastic box of paperwork left unsorted.

Stage Two is to go through each box file; I'm aiming to do one a week.

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
[Overused] [Yipee] Hurrah, what an amazing amount of work.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The question is; how did I manage to let paperwork pile up to the extent that even after I'd sorted through it and shredded about a third, I still had 41 box files worth left??

Also, painting and stencilling box files is more fun than actually doing the paperwork!
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
The question is; how did I manage to let paperwork pile up to the extent that even after I'd sorted through it and shredded about a third, I still had 41 box files worth left??

[Killing me] If we knew the answer to that sort of question we probably would not have these problems.

Flylady's 'hotspot' theory helped me. Once I identified these, eg the dining room table, and got them cleared I made a rule that nothing was allowed to stay there. It had to go on my desk. Then at least the pile was all in one place. That helped.

I am so impressed that you managed to do all that artwork as well as the filing. I would never even have thought of that, never mind doing it.

Meanwhile, I have gone through my 'inbox' and filed/deleted most of that. Still haven't done the actual physical paper. Doing the email was a displacement activity, but at least something is tidier.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I've been decluttering a memorial garden today [Eek!] I know I am not a sentimental person but oh my, what some people see fit to clutter up the stones with! (in spite of any rules to the contrary). My friend D found something on his wife's memorial stone and wanted to throw it out, but he didn't know which of his family had left it - so I threw it out for him and now he can blame me! [Killing me]

Mrs. S, aka Hard-hearted Hannah the Vamp of Savannah [Two face]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
gracious.

the shed's been emptied.


Hubby must have started reading this thread.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
The decluttering fairy has visited. Did s/he leave a congratulatory pound?
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Have made some inroads into Mr RoS's wardrobe.
An uncounted quantity of shirts with frayed collars were thrown in the recycling bin last week, and today he selected 18 wearable shirts to go to charity shops. That leaves him with 18 good shirts, plus half a dozen work/gardening shirts. Some sweaters & pullovers have been put in the charity shop box, too.

It seems that dealing separately each category of clothing (which I lay out on the spare bed for his perusal) rather than it all being mixed together higgledy piggledy in drawers & cupboards helps him realise just how much clothing he has, and aids the concentration.

This is progress, but I am not looking forward to sorting through the jackets, trousers & suits that are still crammed into two wardrobes.
Nor his collection of hats scarves & gloves.

[ 31. May 2015, 14:07: Message edited by: Roseofsharon ]
 
Posted by The Kat in the Hat (# 2557) on :
 
That reminds me of the time when I counted the number of shirts my husband had. "Do you really need a shirt for every day of the month?" I asked.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Mr RoS came back from church with a pincushion & needle-case as a wedding anniversary gift for me from the Tear Fund stall. I'm afraid he got a lecture on not bringing more "stuff" into the house when i am putting all my efforts into getting rid of "stuff".
I felt guilty at being so ungrateful, but it did have the effect of getting him to load the car with some of his collection of worn-out wheel/tyres from previously owned cars and taking them to the tip.

I am beginning to see a tiny chink of light at the far distant end of this de-cluttering tunnel!
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Could it be the light of an oncoming delivery van?

Sorry to be pessimistic. Will return at once to supportive mode.

Well done for your achievement. [Razz]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Virtual support and encouragement to all - especially perhaps to RoS who seems to be battling on two fronts here [Help]

I've just started in on the kitchen cupboards (again!) in preparation for a new kitchen - WOOHOO [Yipee] We'v had this one for almost 24 years and although the Dowager's has lasted longer (around 40 years at a guess - so long that it seems to have come back into fashion [Killing me] ) this one has already had one refurbishment, the workstops are showing signs of wear and some of the carcasses are beginning to give up.

Although I'll have even more cupboards in the new kitchen, I really don't want to transfer everything lock, stock and barrel, so I'm rationalising. For example - a tin of custard powder, BBE 2006 [Eek!] and a big jar of flour of one sort or another - no-one knew what sort [Ultra confused]

Wish me luck as I disappear into yet another cupboard...

Mrs. S, girding her lions again (grrrrrrr)
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Oooh, I want a lion to gird! Maybe he will eat some of the crap that's accumulated in our bedroom for at least three years as we try to keep the main house halfway presentable.

Hello, my name is Lamb Chopped, and I'm a hoarder. Well, not me, but a person I live with... I may have hoarderistic tendencies but am attempting to outgrow them... never mind.

Anyway, our big news is that today (miracle of miracles) we got the bedroom halfway cleared, and I have hopes of seeing it AND the main house reasonably presentable by the time relatives turn up this weekend.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
There's nothing quite like an influx of relatives to make you gird up your lions, is there? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
My husband suggested we invite them EVERY week. [Eek!]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
LC, while I was working we used to have cleaners once a fortnight, and when I retired I decided I really couldn't justify the cost [Eek!] . I remarked to my daughter that waiting for people to come to stay so you had to clean the house was like being young again (precious little else about retirement makes me feel young!)
[Killing me] [Killing me] [Killing me]

Mrs. S, lions at the ready
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I've never been able to afford or justify having a cleaning-lady, but a friend of ours in Belfast who did used to run around like a blue-@rsed fly cleaning and tidying the day before the cleaning-lady was due.

Perhaps I ought to get a cleaning-lady ... [Killing me]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Ow-eeeee. I spoke too soon and have a MASSIVE sinus headache due to dust allergy. Last night I was congratulating myself on escaping it due to getting allergy shots!
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
I've never been able to afford or justify having a cleaning-lady, but a friend of ours in Belfast who did used to run around like a blue-@rsed fly cleaning and tidying the day before the cleaning-lady was due.

Perhaps I ought to get a cleaning-lady ... [Killing me]

I've always thought I would do this if I ever had the $ to get a cleaner. It's bred into me, I don't think I can escape the results of early conditioning. Even my 90-year-old grandma used to wake up early on purpose to prevent helpers from actually having to do their job.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Tidying, yes I agree - so they can actually SEE the surfaces they're supposed to be cleaning!

Mrs. S, still missing Helen and her assorted cohorts [Waterworks]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... missing Helen and her assorted cohorts ...

You had cohorts of cleaning-ladies? What size is Castle Intrepid? [Eek!]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
[Hot and Hormonal]

I'd love to say, big enough to require a team of six [Cool] but it was only ever Helen and one other, which was sometimes her daughter and sometimes not. They used to come for an hour and a half once a fortnight, so it wasn't as if they had acres of parquet flooring to polish and a spa and gym to clean ... which I believe was the case with some of their clients!

Mrs. S, chatelaine of Castle Intrepid (I love it...)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Back again - we're just about to start having our kitchen replaced [Help] . So, the garage is full of kitchen units and appliances; the worktops arrive tomorrow; and the work (which I confidently describe as 'all hell breaks loose') starts on Thursday. [Help]

I have been through my cupboards *again* on the basis that the last thing I want to do is move stuff out, pack it up, and put it away, only to unpack it, take one look at it and chuck it out. But we were at a Food Fair a week ago and Mr. S persuaded me into buying sets of little dishes [Paranoid] so I now need to throw some more stuff out [Help]

In other news, I was at a Scout event (we were heavily involved some years ago) and someone remembered my ruthless decluttering of their stores - since he was a past master of 'reuse and recycle' we had to agree to disagree on that! 'If you leave it there, Mrs. S will throw it away' was not an empty threat.

Mrs. S, uncharacteristically trepidacious
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Our kitchen is due to be ripped out on Friday, giving us the weekend to decorate. Plan is to clear everything into the spare room doing some decluttering on the way, then declutter yet more on the way back in. I'm now a bit concerned about where the new cabinets are going to go while they wait to be installed...

Unfortunately, the worktops were delivered last Friday, so getting into the spare room is a bit of an obstacle course (why is 3m always so much longer than I think it will be?). I am, hopefully, successfully decluttering (on the work smallads) the gigantic kingsize bed that we have dismantled to fit the kitchen gubbins in the spare room. It will be replaced with a single/large double trundle bed once the chaos recedes.

And naturally, this week I have a committee meeting and a birthday meal on two evenings and Callanish is deserting me to go to a funeral Thursday/Friday. What fun!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Mr. S has had a rush of blood to the paws and started dis-assembling the kitchen [Ultra confused] The dining room is full of the contents of *some* of the cupboards and the garage that isn't full of cabinets is now full of bits of dead kitchen.

He was last heard muttering about keeping the shelves in case they came in useful [Mad]

I may be up all night on Thursday, emulsioning the bits of wall that have emerged (in a variety of colours [Hot and Hormonal] ) but the good news is that a week tomorrow I finally get a decent-sized fridge [Yipee]

Mrs. S, looking for the GIN
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
... why is 3m always so much longer than I think it will be? ...

You're still thinking in imperial, dear. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Hmm. This is not in the US, I deduce. Because here you get the cabinetry in, and then they template for the counter tops. Adds to the time, but you do get (ideally) a perfectly fitted top. It never happens that walls are perfectly square and floors perfectly level, which is why custom cutting is called for.
Is the floor (the tile or lino or whatever) the way it is supposed to be? Be sure that the installers don't mar it by dragging heavy bits across. They should lay down cardboard or canvas or something. Or perhaps you plan to refinish the floor after all the work is done. If this is so, clean like a madwoman as the workers go along, because dust will mar the new finish.
(I used to work in a kitchen installation shop.)
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
I need to declutter! Most of the house isn't too bad (by our family standards, at least...!), but what was the dining room and is now supposedly a study/craft room is a disaster area. Mostly it's my fault - I get back from running Brownies and just dump my stuff in there so it's out of the way. The next week as I'm getting ready to go I heave the old stuff out of the crate, and pile the new stuff in. And I now have a big box of outdoor activity equipment added in. This is becoming a bigger problem with every passing day as in the not-too-distant future we have house and dog sitters coming to stay. Oops... [Help]
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
Sorry for double-posting, but I was inspired by Mrs. S's intrepid determination! One crate of outdoor stuff is now in the garage (not even in a safe place waiting to be taken there! [Yipee] A heap of stuff has gone into the recycling, craft things are put away, and all my Brownie stuff is reduced to a single crate which is out of the way. [Yipee] The room's not yet perfect, but it's sooo much better than it was I might even manage to continue!
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
It's roughly 11 months since i started on my de-cluttering programme, and I am beginning to see actual identifiable rooms emerging from the chaos. Mr RoS is now committed to a move to a smaller house, although actually dealing with the "stuff" has not reached the top of his list of priorities.
Progress has been hampered by various health problems for both of us - the most recent being a slightly fractured wrist & possibly torn ligaments for me, and a hernia for Mr RoS - but I carry on nibbling away at the elephant, and have hopes of getting an estate agent in with a camera by the end of the month.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Brenda, the floor is the one thing we aren't going to change. Although it's been down 24 years the floor is heavy ceramic tile, and the prospect of changing it all through the kitchen, breakfast room and utility gives me the cold grues [Eek!] anyway it's still in pretty good nick.

The worktops are being cut to size and ready-jointed by the suppliers, who do an absolutely brilliant job (they did them for our bathrooms) but this can take up to two weeks, hence ordering them in advance.

Beethoven, I am flattered! but you are so right, it gives you a lovely feeling of satisfaction. And RoS, I am amazed at your staying power. [Overused] [Overused] to both of you

Mrs. S, looking at another day of putting Stuff in crates
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Kitchen renovation is like childbirth. Once it is over and you have the new arrival you completely forget about the misery of achieving it.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
Kitchen renovation is like childbirth. Once it is over and you have the new arrival you completely forget about the misery of achieving it.

[Killing me]

Surely one for the Quotes file!
 
Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
I called the GotJunk line and got rid of a lot of stuff. I also got rid of my old refrigerator and have a newer one. I have given away a bookcase. I have purchased a tape gun and rolls of tape, and got boxes in which to put the books. As soon as I finish filling them I am donating them to a book sale. Of course, someone will have to come get them!

I will probably have another mini load for GotJunk in a week or so.

My housekeeper says I better, because the sorting packing area is a humugous mess.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Well done, Pete.
 
Posted by Hilda of Whitby (# 7341) on :
 
There is nothing like putting your house on the market to make you get rid of stuff you no longer need/want/use. Our house is going on the market in early August.

There are just two of us, and we didn't have a huge amount of stuff, comparatively speaking. But we had more than we needed, for sure. We have been taking things (housewares, clothing, etc.) to Goodwill. The Salvation Army came to take away some things that was too awkward to fit in our car. We called a hauling service to take away junk in the basement and our backyard shed (some of which was left by the people who previously owned our house). We went to the dump on Friday to drop off some things. We've been donating books, videos and CDs to a bookstore that is run by a local public library. We have one more trip to the dump and one more trip to Goodwill and we'll be decluttered!!!!!!!

Again, we didn't have a huge amount of stuff, but boy, it feels really good to have gotten rid of things that were just taking up space. The house also looks bigger with less stuff in it, which is the main point of the exercise.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Hilda [Overused]

It feels very liberating, in my experience, to get rid of Stuff. We still have Too Much, but till we move house there's no need to get rid of any more. That may be some time off, I hope - not only are we in the throes of creating the most beautiful kitchen ever, I took one look at the kitchen contents stacked in crates in the dining room and announced that they'd need to carry me out in just such a crate, before I packed up the house and moved [Eek!]

Mrs. S, quailing at the thought [Help]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Brenda:
quote:
Kitchen renovation is like childbirth. Once it is over and you have the new arrival you completely forget about the misery of achieving it.
*gulp* I am going to be spending a large part of the summer organising my mother-in-law's kitchen renovation. We've picked an efficient firm to install it, so that's a good start. I'm just hoping it doesn't take longer than a week... Daughter and I are going to have to go and stay with Mother-in-law while the work is being done.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Good luck with that one, Jane!

Our builders are installing ours in their spare time (the chippie is a good friend and the other tradesmen are becoming so) but Andy reckons installing one from scratch, floor and all, shouldn't take more than a week as long as all the trades are lined up.

An ex-manager of mine said on FB that hers had taken three weeks [Ultra confused] but I'm sure that must have involved extensive building work (or bad planning).

I'm confidently expecting the Dowager to want a new kitchen when she sees ours (that's usually how things go) but I shall Put My Foot Down. It would kill her!

Mrs. S, living on microwave goodies [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
The spare room is full of the contents of the kitchen, the living room is full of the new kitchen, our room is half-full of the contents of the hallway and the overflow of new kitchen cupboard doors, we managed to paper and paint the empty kitchen over the weekend and we've moved to the house of a friend who is on holiday for the duration! Joiner friend is planning on finishing on Wednesday but has put Thursday in the plan for contingency and cleaning up.

I'm ashamed to say that in nearly single-handedly emptying the contents of the kitchen into the spare room I failed to do the dishes, so we carted them over to holidaying friend's dishwasher. I am very much looking forward to having a dishwasher of our own. I did fill the wheelie bin (and that of the guy next door who I know to be away for a week) to the very brim and I think there will have to be a fair bit of rationalising on the way back in, but I am now more confident to do it.

Here's to sparkly new kitchens with sensible layouts and optimised contents!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
Here's to sparkly new kitchens with sensible layouts and optimised contents!

Hear, hear, and amen to that!
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Hear, hear!

Mother-in-law's kitchen may take a bit longer than a week. They have to block up a serving hatch, install a new electric oven and (probably) rewire everything in sight - I don't think the wiring's been touched since the 1970s. My mantra for the next month is going to be 'It'll be nice when it's finished.'

And safer - finally we get rid of her gas cooker, which we've been worried about ever since it became apparent that she has lost her sense of smell...
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I have had major home renovations done. And my harsh on-the-ground experience is, that whenever a builder gives you an estimate? Doubling it is not sufficient. Triple it.
A crew came by to pop the roof off, add a shed dormer, and tuck 4 new windows into the new wall. The builder promised 6 weeks. Like a fool, I invited my in-laws to visit for week 13. Should have invited them for week 19, that would have just about been right.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
But the good news is that the existing kitchen is so old and decrepid that it will probably fall apart with one blow from a sledgehammer...

<wanders off singing 'Always look on the bright side of life'>
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Hilda of Whitby:
We have one more trip to the dump and one more trip to Goodwill and we'll be decluttered!!!!!!!

Envy!

Only one week to go before my self-imposed deadline for having the house sufficiently clear to let the estate agent in with a camera.
Most rooms are done apart from a run round with a duster & the vacuum cleaner - but Mr RoS has still not touched his bedroom.

I emptied a carton of old papers into the wheely bin last week - including various old magazines some of which were no doubt precious to him, but too bad!. There's a lot of actual junk, and mountains of old clothes to be sorted/chucked out, but I've already been in trouble for sending a favourite jumper (which I've not seen him wear in 40 years) to a charity shop. I've not summoned up enough courage to tackle the rest myself - yet.

The current plan, once everywhere else is finished, is to put all the clothes that won't fit into the wardrobes into bin bags and shove them under the bed - it's an Edwardian brass bed, and is quite high off the ground. I probably won't be able to get the collection of old radios, multiple electric razors, rechargeable tools (with chargers), socket sets and sets of drill bits under there as well, so they can go into large cartons and be stacked against a wall - pretending we have started packing up stuff ready to move. Just so that it looks a bit like it could be a proper bedroom.
I am getting close to the end of my tether.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
RoS, I really really feel for you.

It's not that I have that issue with Mr. S, but the Dowager keeps saying that she's going to move. This is a lady who has lived in a large four-bedroomed house for 50 years, every drawer and every cupboard in every room is rammed. And she can't even bring herself to throw away holey old pairs of knickers!

[Killing me] [Killing me] [Killing me]

Mrs. S, who has the local skip company on speed-dial
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
I've more-or-less finished de-cluttering the garden studio so am feeling pretty virtuous.

Whether or not I would have arrived at this happy state now (or ever) if I hadn't had to make room for another friend of the children's to make their home here is anybody's guess.

Now there remain the sheds... [Eek!]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Callanish has put up pictures of kitchen progress on her blog and hopefully we will be able to move back in tomorrow evening or thereabouts. Of course, that's when the real work of decluttering begins. We may even be contemplating a microwave-free existence and I suspect that at least on of our coffee-producing gadgets should move on to a new home.

Callanish also has plans for the worktop offcuts, but I hope that they will not be a cause of clutter in the meantime.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That's going to be lovely when it's done, TTP. Do keep us posted! [Smile]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Will do, Piglet, will do!

We are now nearly at the finish line - the floor is down, the bespoke shelves are built, the gas to the new hob is in so there's only a few bits and pieces to sort out and the joiner hopes to be out this afternoon. Most exciting. I don't think we'll move back in today (we'll be back very late from delivering tents and helping a friend pack to move) and it looks like it will be a busy little weekend treating the worktops, getting everything back in and catching up with a friend who is visiting. And putting up another tent. As you do.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
l'organist - *RESPECT* (and I really mean that) [Overused]

I got back from Manchester last night after two nights away, so was pleased to see the plinth in place, all the handles on the cupboards, the dishwasher installed (and lovingly balanced on the worktop off-cut, neatly solving that issue), lighting all done; and oven, built-in microwave-cum-grill, and hob all installed. All that's left is the trim to the wall cupboards (last job, I'm reliably informed) the tiling, and the installation of the cooker hood, which - and I am more excited about this than any grown woman should be) is going to vent to the outside! [Yipee]

Mr. S*, who has been manfully holding the fort while I was having fun in Salford (and yes, I mean that most sincerely too) has put all the photos on FB but I'll post a link to a few when it's all done.

*He's normally very good about decluttering and has been frequenting the local tip - sorry, Amenity Recycling Area - but for some reason has kept all the old shelves from the last kitchen [Eek!] Do not ask me why:rolleyes:

Mrs. S, off to do a stint in the church office *yawn*
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Has he kept the shelving from the old fridge too? Fridge shelves absolutely never fit any where else, unless perhaps outside shelving built in bricks to suit the size. Mr L always kept such stuff.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...and I'm just about to have a cupboard built, probably aluminium but possibly steel, and I will need fridge type shelves!

Having something like this made is actually to enable decluttering of all my camera stuff to somewhere where I can control the humidity rather better AND to have it all in one place instead of bits all over the place!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lothlorien:
Has he kept the shelving from the old fridge too? Fridge shelves absolutely never fit any where else, unless perhaps outside shelving built in bricks to suit the size. Mr L always kept such stuff.

No, Loth - but probably only because we had already got rid of those to squeeze in a wine rack!
[Killing me]
Which of course we have kept, so that we can squeeeeeze it into the current kitchen fridge when it is relegated to the garage to serve as a wine cellar
[Yipee]

Mrs. S, recycling fridges
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Our last house came with an under-counter fridge (the previous owners were building from scratch and buying a new one), so the fridge-freezer (mostly freezer) we took from the previous house went into the garage, and the fridge part became a wine and beer cooler.

As we never used the garage for the purpose for which it was intended, it became the repository for empty wine-bottles, and after one particularly long stint of ignoring them in the hope that they might go away, D. took about 200 to the bottle-bank. The bloke at the next slot grinned and said "good weekend, was it?".

[Killing me]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
To which, surely, the correct reply is:

Good grief, it was only one afternoon!
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I've been rumbled ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
Does it count as decluttering that Ops 1&2 are off on Guide camp for five days next week? I may not technically be getting rid of anything, but I can guarantee far less clutter will appear round the rest of the house in their absence... [Biased]
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
That definitely counts, Beethoven. No odd socks, discarded shoes and the usual detritus of their life hanging around.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Perhaps you need a notice on the front door stating that the house has been tidied and that it will remain tidy on pain of severe maternal retribution!

Okay, we both know it will be ignored but...
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Believe it or not, Loth, used shelves from fridges like ours can be sold for upwards of a tenner on e-bay! I only know this because the old under-the-counter fridge is now the naughty fridge and yes indeed, the old wine rack has been reduced in size and shoehorned inside [Big Grin]

And I may need to eat my words, as the old kitchen shelves have been pressed into service for the naughty fridge and the freezer to stand on in the garage (instead of an extremely rough-looking pallet [Roll Eyes] ) so, through gritted teeth, Mr. S was right [Mad]

Mrs. S, sulking
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
A couple of weeks ago the chimney had its annual sweeping, after which I laid a neat fire in the clean-swept hearth, with 'pretty logs' (as opposed to Mr RoS's old fencing offcuts). This for the benefit of Estate Agent's photographs. Now the weather has cooled down Mr RoS (who feels the cold) is desperate to light the fire. I have said that he can have one just as soon as the EA has been round with his camera, but that the junk-filled bedroom has to be dealt with first.
Am I being unreasonable?

At the moment, rather than tackle his bedroom, he is going around indoors wearing a thick fleecy jacket, and suggesting that he could un-lay the present fireplace arrangement, lay and light a normal fire, then re-lay my 'pretty' one afterwards.

[Help]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
RoS [Overused]

No, you are so NOT being unreasonable. Stick to your guns - maybe you'll need to purchase one, at this rate?

Mrs. S, firmly behind you on this!
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
@RoS, you could point out how warm he'd get sorting out his bedroom and then he wouldn't need a fire, would he, if he was moving around and active. He might also enjoy the internal satisfied glow from a good job well done.

It really isn't cold enough for a fire. Miserable yes, but cold, no.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:

It really isn't cold enough for a fire. Miserable yes, but cold, no.

Oh yes it is cold enough. I've got the central heating on!
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
At any other time I'd have considered today as cold enough to lay a fire - but...
Mr RoS has made a start on de-cluttering his bedroom! [Yipee]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
[Overused] RoS!

Mrs. S, deeply impressed
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Over half the office decluttered - I knew it was necessary when one of the local youth made a comment about how messy it was! I still have my desk to go and then push Himself to do his bit - but he is another one just like my dad who HATES throwing anything away!

A week today, or hopefully earlier, my new thingy arrives that should allow me to tidy all the photographic stuff to one place, which should make things a lot easier.

Onward and upward!
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
[Overused] RoS!

Mrs. S, deeply impressed

Me too! Wish I'd tried that at the beginning of the year.
Currently the bedroom looks worse than ever, but the recycling bin is half full, and so is the Charity Shops box so clearly some progress has been made.
I just hope he can face culling the mountain of hats, scarves and gloves I turned out of one of his wardrobes this morning. Half a dozen of each for winter, and half a dozen for summer should be enough, surely?
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Currently continuing to declutter the booze cabinet **hic**
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Would you like some help? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Just decluttered the front lawn - the grab bag lorry has been and removed the last bag of cr*p! Hooray [Yipee]

We still need the grouting, the cornice and two pop-up electricity sockets - oh, and the ceiling patching! - but the end is in sight, hallelujah.

[Overused]

Mrs. S, who has treated herself to a new apron (among other things [Hot and Hormonal] )
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Then you can stand on your decluttered lawn and wave your new apron with joy. [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I still don't look like Jenny Agutter in the Railway Children, Loth! [Killing me]

We took delivery of the new freezer yesterday (oh yes, it's all fun and excitement at Chateau Intrepid these days) so I should go and dress - that way we'll have time to empty the old one into the new, before we go off to work in the church office for the morning.

An old work colleague wants the old chest freezer [Roll Eyes] , so I'll have to declutter the ice from that first!

Mrs. S, procrastinating
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
We're after a chest freezer for the new extension when we get around to building it - but I think you're better giving it as promised as every time I get towards having enough money to build the extension another crisis raises its ugly head!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well the kitchen is Officially Completed - everything has been removed from where it was hiding and been placed in the new (and newly-lined!) cupboards and shelves. I now shan't be able to find anything ever again. Master S also expressed his reservations about this, until his father pointed out that the beer would continue to be in the fridge!
[Killing me]

All I have to do now is to make some bunting to go on a curtain rail (all right, we haven't got one of those in place either) to break up the rather blank space over the window - but that counts as fun! [Yipee]

To the Pain and Callanish - how is your kitchen coming on??

In other news, I threw out a load of old containers from the back of church. People bring cakes for an event in old ice-cream tubs or whatever, clearly not wanting them back, and then these tubs 'decorate' the coffee bar, until such time as they get moved to the vestry - at which point I Throw Them Away! Hooray!

Mrs. S, decluttering scourge
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
On the other hand, Mrs S, those ice cream containers make excellent containers for home made ice cream. The easy-peasy no churning slap it in the freezer overnight kind.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Jacobsen - there is a recipe thread in Heaven and I'd love a recipe for an easy-peasy no churning slap it in the freezer type of ice cream.

Hint, hint.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
What I hadn't explained, jacobsen, is that I had already decluttered about twenty of them from my own collection of freezer containers! Mr. S eats Carte d'Or vanilla in quantity so I am never short of a few more ...

Mrs. S, treating herself to oblong ones that fit the freezer better [Two face]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I am proud to report that I unloaded an entire crate of lace edgings. They were given to me by a church friend who was moving to Florida, to a much smaller apartment. I have been meaning to do something with them for twenty years! Finally the other day I met another friend from that period, who asked me what I had done with them. And I realized that it has been nothing long enough! They have all gone to the preschool, where they will be turned into decorations for valentines and Mothers Day cards.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Jacobsen - there is a recipe thread in Heaven and I'd love a recipe for an easy-peasy no churning slap it in the freezer type of ice cream.

Hint, hint.

To hear is to obey [Big Grin]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:

To the Pain and Callanish - how is your kitchen coming on??

We managed to treat the worktops the week after everything was installed, so we've been able to use it as a kitchen, and I daily sing the praises of our dishwasher! It really is a rather beautiful room now. We still need to put a few things back in and this is where the hard decluttering work comes in - anything that doesn't fit will have to go!

I have vague plans to sort the last of the kitchen stuff in the evenings this week so that what's left in the spare room can become part of the great spare room declutter at the weekend. We have been invited wine tasting on Saturday afternoon so I hope that will act as motivation and reward for a big morning of tidying, donating and furniture re-arranging!
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
As I am slowly getting the New Abode sorted and getting the furniture I want, I'm decluttering more ruthlessly than I did before I moved. I've moved into a larger house so it's been easier to do it here, as I unpack, than in the smaller Former Abode. Though, it is fair to say, I thought I'd been pretty ruthless when I was packing up.

So, today has been instruction booklets/leaflets. All neatly sorted, filed, and, more importantly, all together where I can find them! They'd been scattered across different drawers and files before for sensible reasons at the time.

There may also have to be another clothes decluttering. Losing weight is all very well, and I do like my clothes on the loose side, but some better fitting clothes would be good.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:

To the Pain and Callanish - how is your kitchen coming on??

We still need to put a few things back in and this is where the hard decluttering work comes in - anything that doesn't fit will have to go!
Exactly!

Another friend had her kitchen done at the exact same time as me; when I asked if she'd put everything back, she said yes, apart from some stuff up in the spare bedroom. I suggested that if she hadn't wanted to bring it down yet she might just as well ditch it altogether [Killing me]

I decluttered some more old cookery books by scanning the recipes I *did* use - often no more than one or two per book - and putting them on the tablet as searchable pdf files. I can recommend the process!

Mrs. S, who can now search on CAKE recipes *result!*
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Day 2 of getting Mother-in-law's kitchen replaced. The units were ripped out yesterday (except for the sink, which they left in so we could do the washing up this morning). The drilling noises are not as loud today, so the electrician must have finished gouging holes in the wall. Today's crisis was not being able to find the outside stopcock. We called the water company and *they* couldn't find it either. They might have to dig up the road... [Help]

On the other hand, the workmen are all very nice and so far have kept the mess confined to the kitchen.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Keeping jars-with-lids V Decluttering ????

Have the soft fruit in freezer + it's being added to daily.
But will we actually make the jam this year?

Will keeping the jars ensure we do?
....or just mean a second year of jar throwing in early December?
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
Keeping jars-with-lids V Decluttering ????

I have ben collecting jars for years, just in case i get the urge to make preserves. I don't get the urge every year, but when I do I make a cupboardful - jams, jellies, butters, pickles & chutneys.
This year I managed to clear out a lot by discarding everything that smells of pickle, any that have lids showing any sign of damage or corrosion, and any jars that my jam funnel doesn't fit easily.
However, I'm not telling how many I've got left [Hot and Hormonal]
I'll have a more ruthless clear-out before (if) the planned downsize actually comes about.

[ 12. August 2015, 13:33: Message edited by: Roseofsharon ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm quite lucky with jars: some of the people to whom I give red pepper jelly (my only attempt so far at preserving) as presents give the jars back, and every so often someone in the Cathedral will deposit a box or bag of jars which I can plunder. I don't make the jelly all that often - two or three times a year - and I keep a small stock of jars that are the right size; I haven't got enough storage space to keep too many.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
When I lived in a large house, I had quite a collection of jars, Since moving to a small apartment, I have twice had to buy jars for some homemade spices and relishes. It was a strange feeling to buy jars from the supermarket.
I had also a lot , over 1000, Fowlers Vacola preserving jars in many sizes. Most of those were sold to someone setting up an upmarket jam supply to local cafes.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Having decluttered a load of stuff from the new kitchen (which is now finished all but for somewhere to hang a towel and a tea-towel [Yipee] ) I decided to buy a new set of tins to store all the lovely CAKE I'll soon be making. Decided on a set I could see on-line as sold by a famous UK supermarket, which match the Famous New Apron. Sadly the Famous UK Supermarket no longer does Click and Collect [Mad]

But could I find such a set? No. I searched every branch I could find, and saw no evidence that they EVER stocked them! Asked staff. They said order on-line. I protested that the home delivery people would only be able to pick stuff off the shelves in my local branch - 'no no', they said, 'some of it comes from the warehouse'. Despite my misgivings we ordered enough GIN to make the order up to get cheap delivery, and when the order came, plenty of GIN but NO CAKE TINS! [Mad] (yes, I know, GIN is always welcome, but I could get that myself!)

I took to FB and soon everyone I knew, plus friends of friends, were scouring the shelves. One amazingly dear friend drove to the largest local branch and, failing to find said tins, went to a local garden centre (???) and purchased a similar but more expensive set as a present. I was gobsmacked [Overused] And she said if I didn't like them, to take them back and get a refund, which would pay for the other set and the delivery costs [Overused] .

Just as a friend of a friend located eight sets on the Isle of Wight(!) my sainted SiL managed to get some delivered [Yipee] .

So now, I have two sets, because there is no way on God's earth I can take my friend's gift back - and I still have the old set, which have been relegated to the garage. At least I can use them to take cakes to church events! [Killing me]

Mrs. S, foiled declutterer
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Mrs S--

FYI: There are plastic cake carriers available. I've seen people with them. Base, dome, and over-the-top handle.

Just in case you have further trouble getting tins.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
Keeping jars-with-lids V Decluttering ????

I keep all the fancy, nice looking ones and re-cycle the rest [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I keep all the fancy, nice looking ones and re-cycle the rest [Smile]

That could work well for old lovers too.

Huia (I'll get my coat). [Two face]

[ 15. August 2015, 11:12: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Following a surprise, and acceptable, offer on our house Mr RoS has been galvanised into action and has thrown out 3/4 of the contents of one wardrobe!
He's now recovering with a day at the sailing club,while I retrieve some old suitcases from the loft and fill them with the discarded items for taking to local charity shops.

I have a favourite shop that I usually donate our discards to, but I do wonder how much 'stuff' a single charity shop can cope with in a relatively short period. There's lots more we will need to dispose of.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Mr RoS sounds like an all or nothing kind of bloke. I can appreciate that being a bit that way myself.

Huia
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
2/3. not 3/4, so not quite "all or nothing" [Biased]
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
Right now I'm speculating about the possibility of permanently decluttering the Opuses. It's not been a good holiday, and the thought of another three weeks of this is just about unbearable. Anyone want them??

[i think I'm joking, really. Probably.]

[ 16. August 2015, 18:44: Message edited by: Beethoven ]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Beethoven, any loving grandparents who'd like to declutter their grandchildren for a week? Or there are still places on adventure holidays the week after next.

RoseofSharon - brilliant news about the house and Mr RoS's move on helping declutter.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
For a few days I have been eyeing the collection of shoeboxes on the bottom shelf here - there are five of them and they are really getting tatty and are due for replacement with something more permanent, possibly in clear plastic so the contents are readily identifiable. Two of them contain Birthday Cards and Other Cards [non-Birthday] and a third contains various odd cables and things for the computers but without actually looking I have no idea what is in the others so I am guessing that it is probably nothing very important.

Why do I [we?] keep junk?
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Occasionally keeping such stuff is interesting. i have just been through cards, really tags from parents' wedding in 1941. I thought I knew Dad's schools where he taught but found tag to him from staff of another small school.

I also went through postcard photo cards given to mum over twenty or so years, from 1920. Just who thought a proper photo of a sinking ship breaking up in heavy seas and labelled "The wreck" was a suitable birthday card for a five year old. It said Happy Birthday on reverse of photo. [Confused]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I went off to a big re-enactment show a couple of weeks ago - and managed to do quite a bit of de-cluttering into the general group coffers.
There was the gambeson (padded jacket that goes beneath chain mail, which I made myself and which no longer fits me), a pair of turnshoes, a pair of boots which are more like slipper socks (which I kind of bought by mistake - I now have better shoes and boots), and a couple of tunics that no longer fit me.
So I came back quite a bit lighter!
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Made the WRONG decision re: jam jars. Currently have plum conserve waiting in a jug.....
Note to Self, don't get De-cluttering mixed up with Organisation!
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
EA--

If you have Freecycle (or some such) there, you might be able to get more jars for free--and help them with *their* decluttering!
[Biased]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Beethoven [Votive]

Is there a library nearby, and are they old enough to be there without you? Drop them off for a few hours. There may also be free summer activities at the library--stories, book-reading contests, etc. (Are they old enough to read Harry Potter? Could keep them occupied.)

Or maybe make helping you declutter a game, an adventure, an archaeological adventure, a treasure hunt? If there are things that it would safe (physically, value-wise, and "OMG!" surprise-wise) for them to go through, at the very least they could label boxes, consolidate boxes, put papers all in one box, make an inventory master list of all the boxes, etc.

YMMV, of course! Just don't list the grandkids on e-Bay--they frown on that! [Biased]

Good luck!
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
Fortunately the end is now in sight, and I do still have two children! [Biased] Teenager-dom is hitting us all hard, and living miles from anywhere doesn't help much... They're both total bookworms - at least when they don't have phones in their hands - but that leads to problems too when books are scattered everywhere. I probably should ask them to have a bit of a sort through soon, and see what we can de clutter from their rooms. And from the bookshelf full of children's games which never get played any more.

It's been a summer of getting new things rather than decluttering, but at least most of the house is actually reasonably tidy at the moment, so I can live with that! [Biased]
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
That's two bags full of clothes for the recycling bin, bags sorted for the new academic year, last change of address stuff done, hymn lists sorted, this month's Evensong music sorted and shopping list created...

I am taking the rest of the last day of the holidays off!
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Beethoven - if the kids' games are complete and in reasonably good nick, I'm sure the local Sally Army/Oxfam/whatever would be happy to take them off your hands.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
Beethoven - if the kids' games are complete and in reasonably good nick, I'm sure the local Sally Army/Oxfam/whatever would be happy to take them off your hands.

There might also be after-school programs that could use them.
 
Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Clearing the kitchen cupboards out in preparation for a new kitchen being fitted will reveal what I think I already know...that, for a house with only 2 people living in it, we have far too many mugs. (We have about 30 at the last count...not counting the ones which actually match our crockery.)
This will necessitate deciding which ones are going and which are staying. Which will be harder than it sounds, because I won't want to get rid of mugs which were given as gifts or bought for a particular purpose. And he will have similar feelings - the set of mugs which can go will not be the same! Realistically, this will leave us with about 1 chipped mug that can be thrown away, and an interesting discussion about the rest.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Mr RoS has turned out a pile of shoes & other footwear. Some had to be thrown out, but most went down to the parish church to be taken on the next run to a city charity supporting homeless people.
Another couple of bags of assorted bits & pieces went to a local charity shop.
Small bites, but we are making some progress.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by St Everild:
... mugs which were ... bought for a particular purpose ...

Mugs have a purpose other than being drunk out of? [Confused]

We probably have far more mugs than we need too. We have half-a-dozen china ones which get rotated - tea definitely tastes nicer out of a china cup or mug - and a few over-sized ones we use for soup and cold-remedies, or if we're very thirsty.

The ones that match our everyday dinner-plates hardly ever get used at all.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I have a lot of mugs I don't use. Years ago when I had meetings at my house, it was convenient to have a lot of different mugs, so that when someone wanted a refill, there was no question about which mug was theirs.

My daughter found herself with a huge stash of mugs; she disposed of them by putting small packets of tea or coffee in them and giving them to her kids' teachers as gifts.

Moo
 
Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Some mugs were given as gifts (...my red one covered with squiggly hearts - a present from my completely unromantic DH one Valentine's day...the one with the Vicar skating - a ship Secret Santa gift) or they were bought by me as a reminder to me that I am beloved and have worth. Which I am and still do. So they can't go.And yet others were bought as a remembrance of a happy day/holiday/time.

While others have just...arrived....

I don't have children so giving them to my kids teacher's isn't an option, although I might offer some of them to the staffroom in school as replacements for the motley collection there.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
When I moved out I packed a pile of mugs. They were packed till I bought this place. My kitchen is small and a box remained on the floor for some weeks as cupboard space was tight. That was four years ago. One done stood by me and made me go through all I had. I passed area, very few , to sons and he took the rest to his church for morning teas.

I could not now tell you which were the ones I gave away. I could probably get rid of a few more, but I do need to have hem for family gatherings.
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
St. Everild, those mugs could be candidates for my favourite way of keeping things I can't keep - consider taking photos of them. If you have room for a framed photo in your kitchen, a collage of all of your favourite mugs would make an interesting and fun way to save them too.

Thankfully, I am rather clumsy and seem to destroy mugs on a regular basis. [Smile]

[ 02. September 2015, 22:31: Message edited by: lily pad ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Beethoven--

Sorry re "grandkids"! I think I picked that up from the post just after yours, which mentioned grandkids.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Well, I spent the past several days decluttering in preparation for a cleaning service that was supposed to come today. They didn't show up. Since this is the fourth time I've been stood up by a cleaning service, I think maybe someone's telling me I need to clean my own house. (At least the cleaning is much easier with the clutter out of the way.)
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Beethoven--

Sorry re "grandkids"! I think I picked that up from the post just after yours, which mentioned grandkids.

No worries!

They're both in school now, so my day off is being rather more peaceful! [Smile] And yet the only decluttering I'm doing is a couple of loads from the laundry basket [Biased] Oh, and I've put some cupcakes away too... [Two face]

[ 04. September 2015, 12:22: Message edited by: Beethoven ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Beethoven:
... I've put some cupcakes away too ...

Now that's the kind of de-cluttering on with which I can get. Would you like some help? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by Beethoven:
... I've put some cupcakes away too ...

Now that's the kind of de-cluttering on with which I can get. Would you like some help? [Big Grin]
Help is always welcome! I enjoy baking but try to do it when I can share the results, otherwise I declutter them rather too enthusiastically... [Hot and Hormonal] And with Op 2 being a very proficient baker, there is frequent temptation in the kitchen!

On offer today we have vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream and sprinkles.

[ 04. September 2015, 15:43: Message edited by: Beethoven ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Yum!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
As long as the sprinkles aren't chocolate I'll be there doing the quality control alongside you.
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
Oh no, always multicoloured sprinkles! [Big Grin] All the cakes have been successfully decluttered now I think... Still some biscuits to go though (very light, crumbly vanilla ones, for those who care to know!) [Biased]
 
Posted by Lucia (# 15201) on :
 
I am kind of in a state of pre-decluttering contemplation!

We've taken the decision that next summer we are going to relocate back to the UK (not because of the recent terrorist attacks here in Tunisia, we'd already decided before that! But work and family reasons).

So I am looking around the house with some trepidation knowing that every single thing in it is going to have to have a decision made about it. Some will be easy (not planning on taking any furniture back with us!), some will be harder (toys, books, ornamental stuff). Then there are all the files and piles of paper, cupboards full of clothes etc etc...

Everything will need to have its value or significance compared to the cost and practicality of getting it back to the UK. Will it cost more to transport back to the UK than it will cost to replace it at the other end? We have limited funds available for the relocation process so decisions will have to be made.

A family with growing children can accumulate a lot in 8 years!

So we're going to have to start this process sooner rather than later because if we leave it all to the end it really will be a complete nightmare!

Wish me luck! (Or sanity or something...!)
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Good luck and good sanity Lucia!

I would start with the 'can't do withouts' and work backwards [Smile]
 
Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
What an idiot!

That's me that is.

So, I decided to do some housekeeping on my computer and thought I had some folders somewhere else. I deleted from the deleted items.

Now, they are music files which I have had on my iPod. Can I get them from there to the laptop? They are not on my music folder.

Or - is there a hidden place from my computer? I have done a search by the person's name and I just have the thumbnails. I think too it's on my phone but I can't for the life of me find it.

Any ideas?
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
If you mean you have music files on your iPod which you want to copy to your computer, yes, you can. But the practicalities of doing this are best left up to a 12-year-old with experience. [Devil]

Bribe them with ice cream.

[ 18. September 2015, 21:32: Message edited by: Lamb Chopped ]
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Beenster:

So, I decided to do some housekeeping on my computer and thought I had some folders somewhere else. I deleted from the deleted items.

Now, they are music files which I have had on my iPod. Can I get them from there to the laptop? They are not on my music folder.

Any ideas?

When I did this I went to Apple Support, I think I did a live chat, and they were very helpful and gave me the instructions.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
There is a lovely little bit of free software called Recuva™ which can find deleted files. There are other similar ones but this in the one I use. Load it and follow the remarkably simple instructions.
 
Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
Thank you so much! I've managed to find some of the files elsewhere. Some of them - music files - I can buy again if I fail in my attempt to recuva. I will keep you posted. All annoying but nothing more. Really appreciate the input. What is it about decluttering which is so dangerous?
 
Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
WW - that recuva thing was genius thank you. i got most of the deleted things back, not quite sure why not all of them were there but it doesn't matter.

I checked my iPod I hadn't backed it up for a while so not all the files were there.

But, I feel happy! Thanks for your input. I appreciate you taking the time and trouble to help out this numpty.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
[Hot and Hormonal]

I only knew about it because I had a similar incident and somebody, possibly here, pointed it out to me.
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
I think I might have been Wodderwick's source and guess why I knew about Recuva! Yeah got it in one, important file for my thesis was deleted.

In other words, all the publicity for Recuva comes from people who are Numpties and had to use it.

Jengie
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I'm not sure about being a plain Numpty - I think I'm now in the realm of the Super-Numpty!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I managed to delete my trash basket once. fortunately I had a geek visiting who put it right [Hot and Hormonal]

Huia
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Lucia--

Re moving:

The "Unf*ck Your Habitat" site has a guide to moving.

YMMV, etc.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
In a moment of weakness, I invested in Marie Kondo's book on tidying. It is slightly mad, but also quite simple - I like her mantra of 'discard first' before tidying anything away. This is why all my clothes are currently in various piles in the spare room. I have spent half the evening sorting through my tops and muttering to myself, Does this give me joy?

So even though I have now started talking to my clothes (You I have hated from the start), I have nevertheless thrown out one bin bag and have a boxful for the charity shop as well. And that is just the tops.
 
Posted by Lucia (# 15201) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Lucia--

Re moving:

The "Unf*ck Your Habitat" site has a guide to moving.

YMMV, etc.

Thank you! Some good practical advice there!

I am trying to follow the 'start early' advice and tried sorting through one shelf of one cupboard today. OK it's not much but it's a start!
The problem is I immediately get bogged down in a pile of artwork and cards made by our children when they were younger. Maybe I just need to take photographs of the best of it and keep just a few examples for posterity! Then I'm sorting through old Christmas and birthday cards. Do I keep some from relatives who one day will not be here any more to send them? Do I keep the ones husband and I and the children have sent to each other? Can I bear to part with the ones written by my friend who died last year? Sigh - I'm not very good at this kind of clearing out that requires emotional decisions. Thankfully there was also a pile of old magazines and papers that I could throw away without any stress!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have a small success story. The North East Man and I were having one of those "What if we had a million pounds to spend?" conversations. Rather wistfully, the North East Man said that he would love to have a wardrobe full of clothes which were not torn / threadbare/ frayed etc.

I pointed out that if he just binned clothes when they became torn/ threadbare / frayed, he would have a wardrobe full of such clothes. We went through all his shirts (all 45!) and binned 14. Result! He has a wardrobe containing 31 unfrayed shirts ! Pretty much what he had regarded as a distant dream.

I am hoping that this might be the start of something bigger.

Meanwhile, I have many boxes of clothes in the loft, carefully packed, neatly labelled - 10 stone, 11 stone, 12 stone, 13 stone, 14 stone...

They're not getting in the way in the loft, but at what point do I accept that I'm never going to be 10 stone (or 11 stone, or 12, or even 13 stone again? 10 /11 stone is such a distant memory I have no idea what is even in those boxes. Sigh.

What does Marie Condo's book say about clothes which are tidily packed in labelled boxes, in the loft, Cottontail?
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
What does Marie Condo's book say about clothes which are tidily packed in labelled boxes, in the loft, Cottontail?

She hates 'storage solutions', because they too are soon overflowing, and are just a way of hiding your excess stuff. And clothes that are packed away feel unloved and get depressed. (my paraphrase!)

So she says take all your clothes, wherever they are stored, and sort them into piles - tops, bottoms, suits, accessories, etc. Only then can you see how much you have, and what items you have forgotten you have.

Then go through each pile one by one, handling each item, giving it a bit of love and asking if it is giving you love back. The question at every point is, "Does this give me joy?" If the answer is 'No', bin it immediately. If you hesitate over something you have not worn for years, you may need to thank it for the good times. The purpose of that size 14 top was to make you feel good when you were size 14. It has served its purpose, and now it wants to be thrown away, because it is no longer serving any purpose or giving you joy. And if they are in boxes in the loft, she promises that you won't miss them, but will feel cleaner and lighter and more in control of your environment!

Yes, it is all very idealistic. But it makes sense too. Though I admit that I am keeping some size 14 dresses, which I love, and whose purpose right now is to motivate me to lose weight. The size 14 T-shirts, etc, are already gone.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
It feels like an admission of defeat to get rid of them. Although some of the stuff in the boxes must be 30 years old, and I probably wouldn't want to wear the same clothes in my 50s as I did in the 1980s, when I was in my 20s. I regard those boxes as a wee beacon of hope.

Mind you, a quick check of old photos confirmed that some of the North East Man's shirts date back to at least 1991. For some strange reason they looked different then - looser fitting for one thing. At least he can still squeeze into his 1991 clothes.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
It feels like an admission of defeat to get rid of them. Although some of the stuff in the boxes must be 30 years old, and I probably wouldn't want to wear the same clothes in my 50s as I did in the 1980s, when I was in my 20s. I regard those boxes as a wee beacon of hope.

Get rid of them ALL, come over and join me on the new diet thread - then treat yourself to new clothes when you've lost the weight.

The boxes of clothes haven't worked thus far - so try an new tack [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
It feels like an admission of defeat to get rid of them. Although some of the stuff in the boxes must be 30 years old, and I probably wouldn't want to wear the same clothes in my 50s as I did in the 1980s, when I was in my 20s. I regard those boxes as a wee beacon of hope.

Get rid of them ALL, come over and join me on the new diet thread - then treat yourself to new clothes when you've lost the weight.

The boxes of clothes haven't worked thus far - so try an new tack [Big Grin]

She's right. [Smile] You probably don't even need to sort through them. You've already lived without them for years. You can live the rest of your life without them. They sound not so much like beacons of hope as beacons of guilt.

If you need a replacement beacon of hope, why not go out and buy just one gorgeous item in a size that you might realistically be able to get to for Christmas or spring (not Size 10). Hang that up in your wardrobe and gaze upon it from time to time.

I will join you on that diet thread, Boogie.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
... I am keeping some size 14 dresses ...

I have several dresses (I'm not telling you what size they are [Eek!] ) that are Not Currently Viable™, but some of them were so comfortable when they did fit that I haven't had the heart to throw them away.

Perhaps I ought to put them nearer the front of the wardrobe and use them as an incentive ...
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Lost a lot of weight between five and two years ago, joyfully threw out all the big clothes and started wearing those clothes that had been in a box in the loft for years (even some of the clothes from those boxes were eventually too big) and bought lots of smaller clothes. I even bought some that were still a tad tight, expecting to continue losing weight.
Then I had, in sequence, a health problem, two lots of surgery, depression and the return of a health problem of thirty years ago.
Am now nearly as big as I was five years ago, with next to nothing that fits.
Still hoping to get my weight and fitness back under control, but I'm not sure how to deal with the clothing, bearing in mind that we are preparing to move to a much smaller house. Do I throw out all the recently acquired smaller sizes, including those I've never worn, and buy a whole new big wardrobe to move house with?
[Frown] [Confused] [Frown]
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
Rose of Sharon, that's really tough. [Frown] I did something similar myself a couple of years ago, but with only myself to blame for putting back on all the weight I lost. Luckily (in one sense) I hadn't thrown out all my big clothes, mainly because I was still wearing them - or the tops at least. I like loose-fitting clothing anyway, and found that nicely-cut tops still hung well even when I lost weight. Trousers were trickier, but I find these tend to wear out more quickly anyway.

When I was losing weight, my counsellor had a few useful tips. Like, buy shirts that are a little too small and wear them open over a vest top. Then as you lose weight, you can wear them buttoned up. A belt will keep trousers and skirts wearable for longer, and you can use one to give shape to a larger blouse as well. If you can sew a little, you can add some tucks to larger items - this is easily done with skirts, even for non-experts. So there is no harm in you investing in some larger clothes, because you will be able to wear them even when you lose weight.

I think there is something to be said for the capsule wardrobe, where all you really need are a few well-chosen pieces. It might be worth doing some reading up on this - and Telepath on the Ship is a bit of an expert, who has given me good advice in the past.

Lastly, I find that I have far too many clothes anyway, even for my current size, and at least half of them I almost never wear. So if you are similar, maybe you can sort through your different-sized clothing, discarding:
(a) the stuff you never liked anyway because the cut is unflattering or the fabric is horrid;
(b) the stuff you like but that is pilled or stained from much use; and
(c) the stuff that you somehow never wore.
Then keep only the most versatile and beloved items. Even with all the different sizes, you can probably reduce your cache by half or more.
 
Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
I can identify with your predicament, RoS...I am in a very similar one myself. I have no words of wisdom to offer...

A new kitchen has forced MrStEverild and I to reassess all the "stuff" that lives in a kitchen. I knew there were a lot of mugs in the cupboard, but did we really need 79?
There are only 2 of us...
We have rationalised somewhat, but even so we still appear to have 34 or so mugs (that figure does include the 4 "best" ones that match our crockery, and 4 "builders" mugs that I don't mind getting covered in paint or broken).
The criteria used so far to justify the keepers have included "That was my work mug", "That was a present from so and so", "That is bone china and I like drinking from bone china" and "We bought than when were were in..."
The ones to go to the charity shop are the ones that we aren't particularly fond of and that have never been used. And a set of perfectly nice ones which might possible sell as a set.
The ones for the tip are the chipped and the stained.

Now for the rest of the house...
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
I have been clearing my bedroom, mainly by throwing out everything that is either two sizes two big or worn out. However, I have run into two difficult spots.


Sock draw
Full to overflowing but all of them fit and few show much sign of getting holes in. Actually I chucked those out but it is still overflowing. I probably need to make some big decisions.

Wardrobe
Actually it's two but I am pretending the one in the back room does not exist at present as it contains the dresses I wore as a bridesmaids and my degree robes.

No,the problem is my bedroom wardrobe which has a selection of semi-smart clothes in it. Some are of sentimental value (my Grandfather's best suit jacket which I wore with jeans for several years after he died and the designer shirt I bought as a student). However most of its contents are just collecting dust.

Jengie
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The thing with socks is that you can easily reach critical sock mass. The more you have, the less each pair gets worn, the less the chance of any one pair getting worn out. If somebody usually gives you socks each Christmas, then incoming new socks can outnumber exiting worn socks, further reducing the chance of any of your socks actually wearing out.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I think, if we ask Alan Cresswell nicely, he can probably come up with a mathematical formula for that.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
The thing with socks is that you can easily reach critical sock mass. The more you have, the less each pair gets worn, the less the chance of any one pair getting worn out. If somebody usually gives you socks each Christmas, then incoming new socks can outnumber exiting worn socks, further reducing the chance of any of your socks actually wearing out.

Indeed yes. I have on this morning a pair I made about fifteen years ago. There is a darn but it is from a thread I pulled, not from general wear. I wear only my hand knits, my feet protest if I use commercial socks. I find that thy last for years and years.

So pleasure from knitting and from wearing.

[ 28. September 2015, 03:29: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
I think, if we ask Alan Cresswell nicely, he can probably come up with a mathematical formula for that.

It doesn't really require such high levels of intellect - Piglet's Sock Theorem goes somewhat thus-ish:

Comfort of socks is in direct proportion to probability of putting one's toe through them.

but I'm sure AC could work out a formula to suit. [Overused]

My experience is that once you've put your toe through one sock, you keep repeating the process until you have to beg your mother-in-law to do a raid on Marks & Sparks followed by a trip to the Post Office. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I remember reading about a lady in the Borders who kept alpacas, and made socks etc from their fleece. She sold one pair to a Scottish farmer, who came back after a year for another pair.

He'd worn them every day except Sundays, when he washed them [Eek!] but after a year they were wearing a bit thin, so he was going to save that pair for summer! [Killing me]

Mrs. S, who would love a pair of alpaca socks
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lothlorien:
[QUOTE]
So pleasure from knitting and from wearing.

I have pleasure wearing a Lothlorien-knitted pair of socks, as well as pleasure in knitting (I love turning heels) and am working my way through a stash of light-weight yarn to top up my sock stash.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... He'd worn them every day except Sundays, when he washed them ...

That wouldn't have happened in the Western Isles ... [Devil]

The story reminds me of the old saying that Queen Victoria had a bath "once a month, whether she needed it or not". [Help]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I have taken Cottontail's excellent advice and have bought Marie Kondos book (on my e reader, thus avoiding further clutter) and am reading the introduction. I note one former satisfied customer decluttered his/ her spouse. [Eek!]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
If you only ever buy black socks not only does it save confusion it also means you never have to wash them!

The evidence is here.
 
Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
If you only ever buy black socks not only does it save confusion it also means you never have to wash them!

The evidence is here.

And just who taught you that, eh?
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
My singing club at work really love the Black Socks song!

It's a very mixed ability group of singers comprising of students who chose to be there, and staff who are there to support and not necessarily by choice. It's quite the most entertaining couple of hours of my week!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Pete:
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
If you only ever buy black socks not only does it save confusion it also means you never have to wash them!

The evidence is here.

And just who taught you that, eh?
You, O Illustrious Master - praise be to your illustrious name!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Buttons.

We are binning some shirts which are frayed beyond redemption, but the buttons are perfectly good.

It is my habit to cut off such buttons and put them into the button tin. But, is there any point, really? I inherited my grandmother's button tin, and there are buttons in there on cards priced in old money. Some of those buttons are older than I am. The chances of any button going into that tin actually being used in the future is nil.

But old habits die hard....

Should I cut the buttons off? They're not clutter after all, as they have a home in the button tin all ready and waiting.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
The button box is playtime. Open it, spill the contents out, sort them, try to find matching ones, tip them back, and,on your knees, grovel, looking for those that fell on the floor. Twenty minutes plus passes in a flash... and think of the exercise involved.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
When I was a child I loved dumping my grandmother's button box and playing with them.

Moo
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I have buttons enough to fill a bathtub. God knows what my kids will do with them when I die. At least I am trying to deal with the 14 floor-to-ceiling steel bookcases.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I have a button plastic jar and always cut off the buttons when a shirt gets to qualify as dusters or whatever - they are, very occasionally, useful.
 
Posted by Rossweisse (# 2349) on :
 
Basic Idiot Question: How does one start with decluttering?
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Bin bags, you need lots of bin bags!

You also need a ruthless streak and, in my case, reaching that point where I am screaming I can't live in this tip any more!
 
Posted by Rossweisse (# 2349) on :
 
I did that. It helped, but not enough.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Rossweisse:
Basic Idiot Question: How does one start with decluttering?

Heheheheh. Check your email.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Buttons.

We are binning some shirts which are frayed beyond redemption, but the buttons are perfectly good.

It is my habit to cut off such buttons and put them into the button tin. But, is there any point, really? I inherited my grandmother's button tin, and there are buttons in there on cards priced in old money. Some of those buttons are older than I am. The chances of any button going into that tin actually being used in the future is nil.

But old habits die hard....

Should I cut the buttons off? They're not clutter after all, as they have a home in the button tin all ready and waiting.

Buttons are for giving to primary school teachers for their craft boxes and math counting projects. They will love and adore you.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
I have buttons enough to fill a bathtub ...

For your next church fête count them into an actual bath-tub*, and have people guess how many there are. Charge something like 50¢ a pop, offering a suitably silly prize. [Big Grin]

* or other large vessel
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Rossweisse--

Some things I've found helpful:

Space Clear--Spacious Home, Spacious Self
Stephanie's book "Your Spacious Self" focuses on sorting out emotions that lead to clutter and interfere with decluttering. Her approach is very gentle and kind.

Unclutterer

Unf*ck Your Habitat--You're Better Than Your Mess
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Buttons are for giving to primary school teachers for their craft boxes and math counting projects. They will love and adore you.

I loved playing with the button box that my mother and grandmother had when I was very little. My grandmother had worked at a place that made women's clothing and often was allowed to bring home left-overs.

These days, I'm wondering if small children in a school or daycare setting are allowed to do so. Buttons may be considered choking hazards.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
... These days, I'm wondering if small children in a school or daycare setting are allowed to do so. Buttons may be considered choking hazards.

How else will they learn? [Devil]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
That's why I said "primary school," not "preschool." If children in general don't know better than to eat buttons by age 6, there's no hope for protecting them. (keeping them from shoving stuff up their noses and ears might take longer, mind)
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My son, age 9, put a dime up his nose. When I asked him how it had happened, he used a classic example of the passive voice: "A dime got up my nose." One must envision a wanton and unprovoked assault upon the bodily orifices by US coinage.
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:

These days, I'm wondering if small children in a school or daycare setting are allowed to do so. Buttons may be considered choking hazards.

My three-year-old and her classmates have stuck buttons (and various other objects) on to paper some time in the last few weeks.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
7.15 - The North East Man and I start the Marie Kondo thing, all full of enthusiasm.

8.15 - Our spirits are starting to break. We have stopped for a cup of tea. We are both wild-eyed and staring.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
[Big Grin]
That's probably normal. She does say that blitzing things means 6 months in her book. After one week, I am still working through my clothes, but I am seeing definite results. I am astonished by how little space they are taking up.

Great that the North East Man is on board, though.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The thing about tidying categories, rather than areas made sense.

We have a downstairs bathroom, an upstairs shower room, a BOGOF box for duplicates in the hall cupboard which includes toothpaste etc, and individual items wander - the Vicks menthol on a bedside table, the hand cream in a jacket pocket, the nail varnish remover on my desk. Invariably, once in the shower, it turns out that the shampoo is downstairs, or the conditioner upstairs. We keep buying more to make sure that there is at least one of everything in both places. Until we discover that both shampoos are downstairs, or both conditioners upstairs...

So collecting everything into the living room and sorting, and then deciding once and for all where everything went made such perfect sense.

Until we started....
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We have twelve bottles of shower gel so far, and probably more still to be unearthed. So why have I found myself in the recent past in the shower with three bottles of conditioner, two tubes of scrub and no shower gel?
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
The clothes are finished! [Yipee]

Three bin bags, and an equivalent for the charity shop. The wardrobe and drawers all neatly lined up or folded. I call that a job well done.

Next stage is terrifying me. It's been my nemesis in the past. It's ... papers ...
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
That's not too much shower gel NE Quine - it's too much in the same place.

Huia - shower gel Queen
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We've spent a second night of sorting out the contents of our bathroom and showerroom. We had seven bottles of shampoo and ... thirteen bottles of conditioner.

We're about half way there.

It does seem to be working, though. Up to now, tidying the bathroom involved moving stuff upstairs into the shower room, and tidying the shower room meant moving stuff downstairs into the bathroom. We have binned four carrier bags worth of surplus packaging, out of date items etc. The North East Man has found an unopened aftershave he likes, and I've found some bath fizzers I'm looking forward to using.

But - how did we let so much stuff pile up in the first place? How did I fail to notice thirteen bottles of conditioner?
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I once helped an elderly cousin of my mother's clean out some cupboards. The item she overbought was rubber gloves. She was really embarrassed until I told her about my collection of light bulbs [Hot and Hormonal] (this was before the longer lasting eco bulbs were available).

Finding the fizzies was a great reward for all your work. Well done.

Huia
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Toilet paper was on every shopping list for a long time for me. Thing is, there's basically just me here most of the time. I did not need four packs of multiple rolls each here. Now I do not get it in every order as if there were five people in the house and a constant stream of visitors. I was running out of storage space for it .

[ 02. October 2015, 21:39: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
Sock draw reduced so old socks have gone to a charity. A second bag came due to celebrating tonight as I needed to clear a hook for coats and decided to check through the outdoor stuff before hanging back up.

Jengie
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
But - how did we let so much stuff pile up in the first place? How did I fail to notice thirteen bottles of conditioner?

Tidying blindness? If something is always in the same place it looks as if it should be there. I've found it's easy to completely ignore things for weeks and months,tidying round them, before realising they could be thrown in the bin.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
I have also been decluttering toiletries etc this week. There are large cupboards in both the bathroom and the downstairs cloakroom containing toiletries and cleaning materials, a box of first aid and simple medical supplies in the kitchen and also a small but deep cupboard of cleaning materials.
I was somewhat surprised at the multiples of various items, too. Strangest is the collection of carpet stain removers, Three (or maybe four) each of which has probably only been used to remove one stain then got shoved to the back of the cupboard to be replaced with a new bottle when the next stain occurred.

Before I started that particular job I cleared out the dressing table drawers and found a couple of very tarnished silver lockets. Couldn't see any silver polish, so on Saturday bought a polish impregnated cloth to give them a bit of a clean.
And yes - at the back of that small, deep cupboard I found another of those cloths, a tin of Silvo, a jar of Silver Dip, and a rectangular metal sheet that claims to clean silver by some form of electrolysis (presumably a commercial version of the aluminium foil and baking soda method demonstrated on YouTube).
At least I'll have the right equipment to hand when I start de-cluttering the loft and find Mr RoS's father's silver trophies. [Biased]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Just cleared a shelf of a book case.....and solved the problem of Bags for Charity Shops under the stairsL one of those internet sites that pay for unwanted books and dvds.

There's a box taped up and ready to go by the table and hopefully just over £20 in the bank by this time next week

hurrah!
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I've started on the papers. The shredding machine is red hot, and I have filled a bin bag already. So much more to go. [Frown]
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
I tend to buy shampoo and conditioner, washing up liquid, washing tablets and laundry conditioner only when on a special offer or BOGOF. It's mainly why I tend to have more of any of these items than I reasonably need at any one time!

Think it's also because a few years ago when I knew I'd be going through a very tight time financially I stocked up for about a year's supply on those items beforehand, and seemed to have maintained those levels ever since!
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
I forgot to mention the boxful of accumulated hotel toiletries and free sample shower-gel/shampoo sachets I unearthed.
I will pass all the mini tablets of soap and travel-toothbrushes to the folk packing shoeboxes for the Samaritans Purse appeal this year - but can they include sachets of shower gel in the boxes?
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I don't think anything liquid or semi-liquid can go in shoeboxes, RoS - sorry!

(memo to self - get shoeboxes down from church attic, where they were 'decluttered' to last year after turning up too late for the Samaritan's Purse project!)

Mrs. S, writing on her hand [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Around here, food banks and women's shelters are always happy for small toiletry items.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We have finished the bathroom and shower room and are delighted. The concept of decluttering by category rather than place did the trick.

We threw away 6 carrier bags full, and can now see and access what we need and use. I estimate that if we hadn't done it, I'd have spent £20 between now and Christmas buying more of stuff we already had.

The only downside is that it took several hours, off and on, and our living room floor disappeared for 48 hours. Still, it should save time in the long run.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I am selling my son's toddler toys on Ebay. Since he is 27 years old he is cool with it.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Son and his friend tidied my pantry yesterday which was very messy. It's beautiful now. I sorted three big totes of wool and sewing supplies. I was planning on making more charity hats for children's oncology ward at Westmead kids Hospital. I have given away three garbage bags of good wool to others who will do charity items from it. I still have plenty left for my own knitting.

Looking at pantry now makes my mind sigh thankfully. Not a lot went out as out of date etc, but it is all tidy and sorted by category.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Three more boxes sorted, sealed and off for free dispatch.
Two book cases that now only contain books one row deep.
A CD stand that has oodles of space in it now.
+ a bit more money in the bank.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I don't think anything liquid or semi-liquid can go in shoeboxes, RoS - sorry!

That's what I thought, and I think charity shops are a bit wary of toiletries. I'll try freecycle, although I've not had much success there recently - there are two disassembled bookcases hanging about in my dining room that no-one wants [Frown]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Around here, food banks and women's shelters are always happy for small toiletry items.

I'll try the local food bank, thanks.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I knew that, Pigwidgeon, but it slipped my mind completely - sorry [Hot and Hormonal]

Bad memory is NOT the declutterer's friend. As I told y'all at wearisome length, I had a new kitchen (including new fridge, freezer etc). New freezer had very cute little ice-cube trays.

Come last Friday Mr. S came home from his shift at the food bank with a carrier bag full of fresh ginger which I peeled and finely chopped. Looked round for old ice-cube trays in which to freeze it - oh sh*t, did I throw them out? must have done. Poo. Down to local supermarket which didn't have ice-cube trays - but did have silicone baking trays shaped like 3-inch high owls. Not at all sure when I shall make 3-inch high owl cakes, but *have* to have them. Also cake pop (?) moulds which will do to freeze ginger.

Next day go to larger supermarket which *does* have ice-cube trays. Buy two ice-cube trays - but all the ginger has now been frozen in the cake pop moulds. Decide to store ice-cube trays in tidy, lidded plastic boxes on top of new kitchen cupboards. Climb up on stool, lift down box, find -


ice-cube trays [Killing me]

Mrs. S, still cursing [Mad]
 
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
(Now is not the time to tell Mrs S of the ability to use ginger straight from the freezer, is it? I just grate mine straight from a frozen block of the stuff...)

I, er, decluttered the freezer. Or, in other words, came back from the Farmers Market with stuff for the freezer and realised that it was chock a block.

I chucked out things which were unidentifiable, or provenance dated from far too long ago (the skirt beef bought during Mr F's stint of parental leave to make some sort of pastie. Three years ago.) But still have a packed freezer. So October is buy-no-protein (for it is mostly meat and fish) month, and I'm hoping to start November with freezer space I can use productively (for important things like ice cream).
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Quite right, Ferijen - get your priorities right. [Big Grin]

Our freezer is the top third-or-so of the fridge - the fridge seems quite big (compared to our UK under-the-counter job) but the freezer sort of isn't (it has two shelves plus a couple of narrow door shelves) - I always think it's nice when I go to it and can actually find things because it's not too stuffed.

I dream of one of those wardrobe-style ones with the fridge on one side and the freezer on the other, but because of the size of the kitchen, dreaming is all I'll get to do ... **sigh**
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Ferijen, at least you know where to come if you want to make owl-shaped cakes!

Mrs. S, possessor of a freezer full of ginger [Killing me]
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Some time ago, I ordered a couple of knobs of ginger in online grocery order. Whoever picked the order had no idea of what order meant. When I unpacked it, I discovered a huge amount of ginger, much like a big hand of bananas. I had been charged a small amount.

My brother suggested chopping into chunks and covering in plastic container with sherry. It worked well, although I did store it in fridge.
 
Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
And when you finished the ginger, was the sherry any good? Enquiring minds...
 
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Ferijen, at least you know where to come if you want to make owl-shaped cakes!

I was rather tempted by your description and wondered if it was our joint local supermarket and whether I should buy some owl shaped cake making tools myself.

(To go with the 200 or so biscuit cutters, and various novelty cake dishes including a train, a plane, a bugs bunny, a flower, and little castles. Let's just call it adventures in baking ideas...)
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
If you find yourself with a large quantity of fresh ginger root, it is easy to make it into ginger beer. Just chop it and steep it in water for a week or so, then drain off and add sugar to taste.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Pete:
And when you finished the ginger, was the sherry any good? Enquiring minds...

I don't drink a lot of sherry. I forget it is there. However, it was quite strongly gingery, a bit much for drinking. I did use it in cooking and the fruit cake was great with it as part of the liquid.

[ 07. October 2015, 20:09: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Ferijen - the one at Lordshill rather than the posh one in town! and they are awfully cute [Smile]

I used to use a teddy bear cutter to make my son's sandwiches, scones etc - hard to imagine at 6'3" that he was ever a fussy eater...

Mrs. S, proud owner of an Icelandic pony-shaped biscuit cutter [Cool]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... Mrs. S, proud owner of an Icelandic pony-shaped biscuit cutter [Cool]

Now that really is cool. [Cool]

I have trouble with cute-little-animal-shaped food. People sometimes give me teddy-bear or piggy-shaped chocolates, and I can't eat them - if it's got a cute little face I don't want to hurt it ... [Hot and Hormonal]

soft-hearted piglet
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
At one stage we had a cupboard-full of chocolate animals - hedgehogs and so on - that the kids couldn't possibly eat, even Master S at 6'3" (see above). So in the end their best-by dates disappeared so far over the event horizon I had to throw them away [Frown]

Mrs. S harsh declutterer of chocolate cuddlies [Devil]
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
Many years ago I brought some sweets back from holiday, foam sweets in the shape of the Virgin Mary, and gave them out at church, including one to my friend's Gran. After her death her daughters were decluttering her house (back on topic!) and found the sweet on a shelf. she could never bring herself to eat the BVM.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Biting the head off a Jelly Baby is one thing, biting the head off the BVM is another category altogether!
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
The first person to tuck in to one of the sweets was the then priest. Make of that what you will.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
"Yes, You Can Have A Lot of Stuff and Still Be Organized (Here’s How)" (Apartment Therapy) is a surprisingly balanced, no-shame article. First paragraph:

quote:
There's a war on stuff lately. Minimalist manifestos abound, both inspiring decluttering and shame. If you've gotten the impression that to be an organized person you can't own more than one of a particular object, we want to assure you that yes, you can have a healthy love of stuff and collecting and still manage to have an organized home. Here are are best tips to have the best of both worlds.
Can you say "breath of fresh air"? BTW, that's a good site for most anything home-related, other than yards, etc.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{{{{All}}}}}}}

I've gotten rid of (mumble) bags of stuff in the last few days.
[Smile]
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
What felt like a major declutter in the roofspace failed to find what I was trying to find and also doesn't appear to have made much of an I,pact up there. Down here though there are heaps waiting to go to charity shop, new owners or the dump so I know a fair bit came down [Smile]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My pest-control guy announced an invasion of mice. Our nice warm house is attractive, as winter approaches. I scolded the cats ("What am I giving you kibble for?") but my husband moved everything off the top shelves in the basement, to give the pest-control man room to work. We were able to not put lots of the stuff back! Either Goodwill or Freecycle is getting it all.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
In spite of working on the decluttering for about 18months now,I seem to have have made little impact.
The time has now come when we find ourselves with 6weeks in which to reduce the contents of this house, which we have been cramming with stuff for 30+ years, by half.

The planned downsizing has now moved from something we are talking about doing to there being an actual property, and solicitors preparing contracts [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
How I wish I could get us to that state. Alas, my husband must be the main driver of this and he is slow.
I had kept the trunk I took to college for 40 years. Today I gave it away!
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
My husband has not been participating in the decluttering so far, but was the one who found a buyer for our house, and is very eager to buy the property we are after.
I am hoping this will galvanise him into action now we have actually to dispose of our surplus possessions.
He is very good at the theory, but not so good on the action, especially when speed is of the essence!

Perhaps Mr Clough will get the moving urge come the spring, and the property market should be more active then?

This morning I sent Mr RoS into the loft, before he went to work, to fetch down the Christmas decorations. I have now boxed up the ones we haven't used for years and put them up on Freecycle - along with a year's worth of used greetings cards, a box of part-used colouring & activity books and about 15 kiddies jigsaws.
An equal quantity of jigsaws are boxed up, ready for the next tour of the local charity shops.
Now, where to tackle next?
 
Posted by Tukai (# 12960) on :
 
As followers of the Aged Parents thread will know, my 93 y.o. mother moved into an Aged Care residence in January. She has now come to accept that she will not be moving back into the Apartment in which she lived for the previous 30 years (20 of them with my father, before he died), and has asked me to prepare the apartment for sale.

The good news is that she was not as bad a hoarder as some of those shown on TV (where the cameraman can barely find room to walk in through the piles of old newspapers or whatever.

The bad news is that every one of the many built-in cupboards/ wardrobes in the fairly large apartment is full to the brim. This includes about 200 old ice cream containers neatly stacked in the kitchen cupboard, and about 20 suitcases occupying all the top cupboards (which she could not reach herself, being quite petite).

Mrs T reckons that she (my mother) hadn't thrown out anything other than wet garbage for the full 30 years! She has asked me to pull her up if she (Mrs T) ever shows such tendencies.

Mrs T and I have just spent the past week in Phase 1 of the clear-out, having travelled 1500km to do so. The main objective of Phase 1 was to move valuable stuff (including several pieces of antique furniture identified explicitly in her will as specific bequests) to one of those lock-up storage places. Of course the sideboards (packed with china) had to be emptied first, and the contents carefully packed. Some strong young men (professional removalists) helped.

We were also helped by our oldest daughter, who started to sort the clothes cupboards and chests of drawers, all of which were of course chokka. Said daughter is also petite and quite fancied some of the dresses, which she said were now back in fashion as "retro"! So she took one suitcase full with her on the plane back to Sydney, and left another 4 suitcases full in the lock-up for later collection.

In the course of this work, we also filled a 3m3 skip with rubbish and also about a dozen packing boxes full of clothes and kitchen-ware for the local op shops.

All of which is just Phase 1.

When we can next get a couple of weeks "free" - probably about March next year - we will move on to Phase 2 (clearing out the remainder of the contents, i.e. at least as much again) and Phase 3 (redecorating the walls, which are covered mostly in 30 year old decayed wall-paper).
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
My sympathies, Tukai. Your post reminds me of clearing out MIL's place. In one microwave were stored about 80 of the empty small containers of fruit and syrup from Meals on Wheels. A small chest of drawers held innumerable pieces of foil. some clean, most greasy. Annual reports from her RSL club dating back to 1947 were on the wardrobe floor. Hidden in the middle of these was the set of exercises from physiotherapist after her first of three hip replacements.

There was much more along these lines. Think felt hats forty years old which had been worn to church then but were little more than a hotel for moths when we found them

The worst however was just plain disgusting. She had once kept a cat but it had died at least five years before the cleanout. DIL who was working with me, picked up an eiderdown. Apparently the cat had peed on it and it was little more than a compost heap. I found the same thing with a pile of newspapers in the second bedroom.

Nothing was ever thrown out. Some years before she gave us an old fridge. When I went to clean it, I discovered it was full of plastic bags, all shapes and sizes. I stopped counting at 1100.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
You have my sympathy too, Tukai. We had the same with my MIL. The loft was full to the back. She saved everything! The trouble was, we couldn't just employ house clearance as she tended to hide valuables among the detritus. It took many weeks to clear the house.

This has made me all the more determined to be sure my house is clutter-free. I confess to a tendency to keep containers etc 'just in case'. But now they all GO! After all, if I had a sudden need for containers they are cheap as chops to buy from any £1 shop! [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by Tukai (# 12960) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
The trouble was, we couldn't just employ house clearance as she tended to hide valuables among the detritus. It took many weeks to clear the house.

We have that complication too.

[ 07. November 2015, 20:58: Message edited by: Tukai ]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Our house was heading in that direction - if we hadn't decided on this move our kids would have had a similar amount of clearing out to do after our demise. They would probably just have hired a skip and dumped the lot rather than sort it out, which would have meant losing a lot of quite interesting "family archive" and some valuable odds & ends.
Luckily for them, I got the job!

I started to panic last week as I added more and more to the piles of bags & boxes collecting round the house, but finally Mr RoS started to shift it. Two trips to the tip, and three supermarket-trolley-loads taken to the charity shops over the last couple of days has freed up some space for the next lot.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
What I find depressing, especially looking at this thread over time, is how we all naturally acquire Stuff, as the sparks fly upward. How is it that our possessions do not naturally become less, rather than more, over the passage of time? It seems very unfair. (And, while we're at it, why do we not acquire more hair over the years, instead of losing it?)
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
My pest-control guy announced an invasion of mice. Our nice warm house is attractive, as winter approaches. I scolded the cats ("What am I giving you kibble for?")

I meant to get back to this earlier. I had an infestation of mice caused by the cat who used to catch them outside and bring them in to show me how clever he was. He just neglected to kill them first [Frown]

I have managed to declutter the 6 ft high freezer left to me my Mother's cousin [Yipee] A friend's freezer stopped so he needed an urgent replacement.

Huia
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
That lot of decluttering was well managed, Huia.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I meant to get back to this earlier. I had an infestation of mice caused by the cat who used to catch them outside and bring them in to show me how clever he was. He just neglected to kill them first [Frown]

Here is how someone else solved that problem.

Moo
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
PopSugar has a list of 116 things to throw away.

The writer includes donating, recycling, etc. as part of throwing away. And it's a good list. Mostly those odds and ends that you can't think of what to do with at the time, or aren't quite hopeless enough to throw away, so you stuff them somewhere.

And she doesn't guilt trip! [Smile]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Yes, but... she really doesn't GET books, does she? I don't keep books I've read 'for display'. I keep them to reread.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Yes, but... she really doesn't GET books, does she? I don't keep books I've read 'for display'. I keep them to reread.

[Overused]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I had a birthday party last week and annoyingly, even though I had been firm about only edible gifts, someone brought me a print. It is quite large and depicts two sail boats. Now I either have to spring to frame it, or give it away somehow.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Would it be suitable as a Christmas gift (to someone who is not acquainted with the person who gave it to you)?
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I know of a group that does silent auctions, for charity. I may give it to them.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
They would probably just have hired a skip and dumped the lot rather than sort it out

Amend that to "several skips" - and it would cost vast amounts.

Tired of my panicky complaining our sons said if we hired a skip they would come & sort out the junk in the loft & garage this w/e.
Yesterday afternoon they started on the loft, keeping (or taking home) items of use or value - they have all but filled the (6yd) skip, and haven't been near the (big double) garage.

They are coming back today to deal with the garage, but I think they will only be able to sort out what is to keep and what is to be disposed of, as there's next to no room left in the skip.
The weather is atrocious, and i'm embarrased and ashamed that they have to do this.

With time so short, me so stressed, and with both Mr lil and myself injured in decluttering-related accidents they have arranged for a decluttering/downsizing company to come and assess the situation & resolve the various problems still facing us.

I dread to think how much this is going to cost, but I am so stressed at the size of the task remaining, even after 18months at it, that I think it is the only way to get through this and remain sane/married and be able to face the work that needs doing in the new place.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
((((Roseofsharon))))

Don't be embarrassed. You have two great hulking grown-up sons, whom you have brought up very well indeed, and who are now returning the favour of countless nappies changed and noses wiped by helping out their parents. Be proud - you did a great job when it mattered. And now they are doing a great job when it matters to you.

We all need a bit of help sometimes. There's no shame in it. And hopefully this last push will sort out the situation once and for all.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Well said, Cottontail. It is still hard however to accept help from family. Different circumstances but I am happy my own sons take good care of me.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
And for those of us without children, A lifetime spent helping friends when they needed it has resulted in some great karma. One friend not only decorated my utility room, but organised it, labelling every cupboard, box and drawer. 12 months later, when I needed a specific Allen key, the small tools box yielded it. [Yipee]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Can they be my friend too please?

I don't even know anyone that organised [Waterworks]

Just thinking about decluttering can help. Today I moved a pile of stuff in my bedroom wondering where to start, and lo and behold the long lost handpiece of the cordless phone appeared. [Yipee]


Huia
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
We threw a party last weekend, a birthday celebration This was the incentive for some major clearing out -- the recycling bin was filled to the top three times running. And we agree that it really is better!
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Well, it's done!
The skip is absolutely full (maybe over full - I guess I'll find that out when they come to collect it).

There is still some stuff left, but the boys have organised the loft and garage so that it is all gathered different piles; things to move with us, things that may have some financial value at auction and things still to be thrown away - all this, they say, should come under the remit of the downsizing company. We get to meet their representative & discuss our needs (and the cost [Ultra confused] ) on Wednesday.

After the lectures we have had from them I was highly amused by the number of things our sons packed in the car and took away with them - our daughters-in-law will not find it so amusing!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Roseofsharon:

After the lectures we have had from them I was highly amused by the number of things our sons packed in the car and took away with them - our daughters-in-law will not find it so amusing!

Ah, but it is now what Hitch-Hikers' Guide To The Galaxy calls S.E.P Somebody Else's Problem -the best kind to have really [Big Grin]

Huia
 
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
I hired a friend to help me tackle the kitchen. We filled the trash can (American sized - big). She is good at telling me to ditch stuff that is missing a part or that I have two of (because at some point I couldn't find it so I bought another), or haven't used in a decade.

For the first time in years everything in the kitchen fits! (Well, except for one counterfull of stuff.) Onward to the living room.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Well done Belle. I like the idea of hiring a friend because I know I sometimes need someone else's input.

Also it's reassuring to know someone else has bought double when they couldn't find something [Hot and Hormonal] I'm hoping that having less clutter will mean I don't do this as often.

I've started on clearing the stuff out of the pantry that's passed its "best before" date. I think my organics bins is going to be full this week.

Huia
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Also it's reassuring to know someone else has bought double when they couldn't find something [Hot and Hormonal] I'm hoping that having less clutter will mean I don't do this as often.

And less double buying will, in turn, mean less clutter!
[Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Decluttering at a whole new - lower - level this afternoon. I went to help my sister-in-law clear the flat occupied till Tuesday by my brother, her (separated) husband, now deceased. OMG and I mean that very sincerely - the detritus of 51 years, half of it never unpacked in three or four moves [Eek!]

I was thinking of taking some things for my mother the Dowager, but then I thought 'I'll only have to throw them away once she dies and I have her house to clear'. Old toys. Photos. Golf stuff, unused. Presents people had bought him, never opened [brick wall]

People, I implore you - clear out your cr*p now. Get that skip. Go to the dump. For the sake of those coming after you, just do it.

Sorry.

The apologetic Mrs. S [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Decluttering, or the lack thereof, is causing very loud and tearful rows in our house on a daily basis. I can't see us being rid of all the cr@p before we have to move out. [Mad] [Waterworks]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
We have finished the bathroom and shower room and are delighted. The concept of decluttering by category rather than place did the trick.

We threw away 6 carrier bags full, and can now see and access what we need and use. I estimate that if we hadn't done it, I'd have spent £20 between now and Christmas buying more of stuff we already had.

The only downside is that it took several hours, off and on, and our living room floor disappeared for 48 hours. Still, it should save time in the long run.

Two months later we are still delighted. Every morning since has been slightly easier than our previous morning routine (or lack thereof). We have spent only 65p on toiletries since, and the cupboard is actually getting tidier as we have worked our way through part of the backlog.

Since then we have decluttered several small categories (shoes / baking supplies / storage jars), but at this rate it will take a lot more than six months.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I'm now working on my study. I only work one day a week now and need very little of the masses of stuff. I gave myself a week - hah! It will be months - but I refuse to give in!

:determinedface:
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well done NEQ and Boogie!
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
I have cleared about three cubic feet of stuff and raised about £150 on Ebay. It could buy half a dozen goats for Africa in lieu of Xmas presents or a very nice old bottle of scotch for me.

I shall think about it. And pray a bit too.

[ 04. December 2015, 12:19: Message edited by: Sioni Sais ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Well done, SS. Maybe split the proceeds, and invite the goats over to share the scotch? [Biased]
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Very impressed with the Salvation Army. Who knew so much stuff could be shoehorned into a large estate car. I was sure I had a van load to go, but the chap who collected it was an absolute whiz at packing it in.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
From Stephanie Bennett-Vogt, my favorite decluttering guide:
"One-Minute Magic: Four Steps to Clearing Anything".

Stephanie's approach focuses on sorting through your emotions so you can sort through your stuff. She's really good at that. This article is about breaking your most emotion-laden tasks into teeny, tiny, one-minute segments.

FWIW.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Another load ready for The Salvation Army.
Plus 2 large containers (approx 60L each) of towels & bedding for a local charity for Chernobyl affected families, and 2 fertilizer sacks (unused) of tattier towels & bedding for a local animal rescue charity.
I was loth to dispose of the high quality cotton sheets & towels inherited from MiL. They are the ones I've not needed to use, as the ones I have used for the last 30 years have hardly worn. Still, I won't have the storage space in our new home, and will probably not outlive the use still left in the ones we are taking. So, off they go to somewhere where they will be put to good use.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
In sheer desperation I got a house clearance firm in today. It took three men 1 & 1/2hrs just to clear the loft!
The house is now clear of junk (although I am still finding things I don't want/can't fit in our prospective new home).
Half the garage is clear, but Mr RoS is still hanging on to a load of cr@p, some 'rescued' as the men tried to load it into the van.
I despair
[Waterworks]
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
I didn't know these people existed:

http://www.apdo-uk.co.uk
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Oh RoS, my heart bleeds for you. Stay strong!

The (unusually) sympathetic Mrs. S
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The slow decluttering by category continues. Today - Tupperware. It turns out we have eleven tupperware lids that don't fit anything. How has that happened?

We also have a set of three nesting containers which I don't recognise. Are they ours? If not, whose?

[Confused]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
We are currently in mid-declutter and now it's a case of rearranging what's here so that various Nenlets can stay here at various points over the festive season. I've had a huge shifting of books which is good, but there's still so much to do. [Help]

I'm determined that by this time next year we'll have a decluttered house. [Votive]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
We are pretty much at the point now where the Nenlets can stay over. Lots of stuff still to sort, but plenty also gone for rubbish and recycling. Determined to get it all under control next year.
 
Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
I am feeling a little more positive.
The house has never been so empty, although I fear we still have more stuff than can be fitted into the little bungalow we are moving to.

A good friend has been over to help sort out the messy end of the garage, so that the removal men can get to the freezer and a couple of other things that will need taking out. With his help Mr RoS has reduced the amount of old tools that he wants to take with him, although there is time for the pile to grow again.

Our buyer is being very understanding, and appreciates the effort that has gone into clearing much of the rubbish. If we can get the sale completed by the date they want says he will just cope with the remainder. They always knew it was like buying a junkyard, but they fell in love with the house (or at least, its potential).

Another trip round the local charity shops is needed on Monday.
For just the two of us, and in a kitchen without a dishwasher, we will need less than a third of the crockery & cutlery we have acquired over the years of raising a family. I didn't realise just how much surplus we have until today!
There's a glimmer of light visible at the end of this tunnel.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Nenya [Overused]

Roseofsharon [Overused]

Seriously, both of you sound amazing for what you have achieved. You have both inspired me to get off my bum and get doing, so thank you.

Thanks also to Doublethink for the useful link. I read beyond the first page and I think I have found a way to get started without getting overwhelmed and giving up (which is what usually happens).

I have decided my two projects for decluttering are;

The paper mountain consists mainly of no longer relevant confidential stuff that is already sorted into boxes, so my first step is to buy a paper shredder so I can put the resulting bits into the recycling.

The spare room is the repository of stuff that doesn't have a place to live so it presents a bigger challenge. I envisage throwing out some of the junk, listing stuff on Freecycle, and giving away craft stuff to either a school or the library for the holiday craft programmes they run.

On Monday I will start clearing the floor of the spare room so I can walk around it safely and on Tuesday I will venture out to price shredders.

(Today I will merely clean up the detritus from baking eleventy-one Christmas cakes).

Huia
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
I had a paper mountain, I also had a shredder - but that takes aaaages - so last summer I apologised to the ozone layer and bought an incinerator.

It was liberating, its much quieter than a shredder and you catch watch your problems go up in smoke whilst you sit there with a nice cup of tea.

I got one o these http://www.diy.com/departments/parasene-steel-20366l-incinerator-h730mm-w550mm-l550mm/246110_BQ.prd

[ 20. December 2015, 10:04: Message edited by: Doublethink. ]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink.:
I had a paper mountain, I also had a shredder - but that takes aaaages - so last summer I apologised to the ozone layer and bought an incinerator.

It was liberating, its much quieter than a shredder and you catch watch your problems go up in smoke whilst you sit there with a nice cup of tea.

I got one o these http://www.diy.com/departments/parasene-steel-20366l-incinerator-h730mm-w550mm-l550mm/246110_BQ.prd

When the time came to dispose of most of the paperwork from my divorce it was very healing to use my firepit. (I waited until 5 November for Bonfire Night!)
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I had though of burning them but the city has a total ban on outside fires including the kind listed. Any hint of smoke and the Fire Brigade visit, sometimes resulting in a hefty fine.

The other option might be burning the in a friend's wood stove in winter, but he is nosy and has no sense of boundaries - so that's not a goer. I suppose I could investigate a gadget I've seen for making combustible bricks out of paper. That way he gets something to burn that is impossible to read. [Two face]

Oh well, at least my effort at sorting stuff out have, unexpectedly, located my bike helmet so I can go for a ride before it gets too hot,

Huia - concentration span of a mayfly
[Biased]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
In my jurisdiction the county offers free shredding, once or twice a month. You haul your boxes of papers over to a designated site, where they have a truck-sized shredder. You dump your own box in and watch it go down. It saves on landfill for them.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Huia--

quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
The spare room is the repository of stuff that doesn't have a place to live so it presents a bigger challenge.

Spare room? Wellll, the kids in the first Narnia book got there through a wardrobe/closet in a spare room...Perhaps you could try pushing your things through the back of a closet, if there is one?

Dunno what Aslan would think, though! [Biased]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...and don't tell the politicians or they'll be using Narnia for landfill!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Hey Golden Key, even I don't have enough clutter to fill a whole country! [Razz]

Though with today's temperatures here hovering around the hottest ever recorded here, (35c - 95f) some snow would be welcome (I never thought I'd ever say that, I hate snow.)

Huia
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I am so nearly there with the kitchen! I did the huge corner cupboards yesterday.

Now it's just *that* cupboard which is full of paper and junk!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Nenya [Overused]

Roseofsharon [Overused]

Seriously, both of you sound amazing for what you have achieved. You have both inspired me to get off my bum and get doing, so thank you.

That's nice, glad you feel inspired. [Smile] I hope I keep up the impetus in the new year and carry on the good work. I've never yet managed to reach being so sorted that I just spend 20 minutes a day keeping on top of things. In fact I am deeply ashamed of the state things have got into (had a good cry at one point during the sorting of Nenlet1's bedroom) and don't want to let it get like that again... But it's hard to change the habits of a lifetime. [Help] Paperwork is my nemesis. Every sheet seems to carry emotional baggage.

During the course of the sorting a number of money-off coupons came to light. They reduced this morning's shopping bill considerably. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That's always helpful; the other day D. was clearing* the desk in the study and found a $50 Sears' gift card, which he gave to me, and which subsequently helped out with the Christmas shopping bill. [Smile]

* i.e. shifting things about while hunting for something [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Huia - be warned that paper bricks take a long time to dry out before they can be used! I have a friend who uses them in his woodburning stove.

Meanwhile - why do I do this to myself? I've just cleared out a pile of old t-shirts from under the sink, which I'd put by to use as dusters. I also have dusters, so I haven't touched the t-shirts for at least a year.
So now they're out and waiting to go down to the recycling, along with the drawer full of odd socks and single legs of tights that I put by during that very cold winter a few years ago, in case I needed to bundle up.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Our grocery coupons seem to be getting earlier expiration dates all the time -- some expire within a month of being published. If I run across any while decluttering, they are always long out-of-date.
[Frown]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Eigon:
Huia - be warned that paper bricks take a long time to dry out before they can be used! I have a friend who uses them in his woodburning stove.

I've been thinking about this and decided against it because it is the kind of thing that means you keep the stuff longer, always meaning to get round to doing something with it, but (usually) not doing so. The road to clutter is paved with good intentions [Roll Eyes]

I've managed to declutter a cat grooming tool (I had two because I thought one was lost), three mixing bowls, some small ramekins and an electric frying pan by responding to Freecycle posts [Yipee] In the new year I'm taking some posh cups and saucers which I never use but only hold on to for sentimental reasons, to the local Sallies who onsell them to dealers.

I now look at things on a day to day basis and ask myself if I need/wantthat particular thing. I'm not totally hard line - there will always be things I keep for sentimental reasons.

Huia

[ 21. December 2015, 19:57: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
Huia, do you need the ramekins yet? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
... I've managed to declutter a cat grooming tool (I had two because I thought one was lost) ...

Have you considered de-cluttering the cat? [Devil]
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
I can only just reach stuff on the front edge of the top shelves of my kitchen cupboards, so have been trying not to use them. Tonight after a clunk when I put a catering sized tin of coffee to store on the top shelf of the cupboard where I keep hot drink making supplies (and it's the most awkward of the lot to reach) I thought I'd better get the ladder out to investigate what was up there...

Well, I've found ramekin dishes (Huia, have you sent some my way?!?), a miniature bottle of brandy, and some bills from 2008. [Eek!]

As I moved in only five months ago, and the previous occupant moved here in 2010, I can only guess that shelf never got used in my predecessor's time either.

Maybe I should just check the other top shelves whilst I've got the ladder out... and mutter, again, about the cleaners who were supposed to have cleaned thoroughly before I moved in. [Roll Eyes]

[ 22. December 2015, 20:11: Message edited by: Japes ]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
... I've managed to declutter a cat grooming tool (I had two because I thought one was lost) ...

Have you considered de-cluttering the cat? [Devil]
Oh
Piglet [Waterworks]

Actually I did think about it for a couple of seconds. My knee hurts badly after a visit to an over enthusiastic physio, so I was lying on the bed with it elevated and Georgie-Porgy jumped on it, I just about went into orbit.

Huia
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Thank goodness for a "what on earth is that!" box. On Monday I decluttered the boiler cupboard ready for the service engineer on Tuesday, and found a screw top almost like a bottle top. On more ruthless days I would have thrown it out, but this time I didn't - what a good move! It turns out that when the boiler was serviced last year this wasn't put back onto the carbon monoxide thingy and without it the (fairly new) boiler would have been condemned.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
I have finally, after over a year of mounting chaos and piles of stuff tipping over and sliding to the floor, uncovered the oak unit, the cherry wood side table and the trolley. Now we can dust!
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by jacobsen:
...Now we can dust!

Please explain, I'm not sure I understand you.

[Razz]
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
I got the Marie kondo book for Christmas. I'm chucking stuff out all over the place. I may live to regret this...
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
If you want some decluttering guidance and support, Apartment Therapy's "Make 2016 Your Best Year Yet: Join the January Cure and Get Organized" is just getting started. You can sign up for free at that page.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jenn.:
I got the Marie kondo book for Christmas. I'm chucking stuff out all over the place. I may live to regret this...

...so I suppose everyone's seen this?
Telegraph article on effects of Marie Kondo book

Mrs. S, behind the fair as usual [Frown]
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
She says that you shouldn't do tidying a bit at a time because life is for living, so get on and do it all in 6 months and then live in it. I'm giving myself a year (because I have a husband and children who don't want to play yet) but plan to spend 2017 living surrounded by the people and things I love. We moved from a house with loads of storage to a bigger house with no storage at all, so getting rid of stuff is essential.
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
I bought the Kondo book, but then it said you only need 30 books in your house [Eek!] and that you always have to dress in an elegantly feminine way [Eek!] and my faith was rather crushed.

However, I have had success with a binge clear out if the first floor of my house last year which has stayed tidy, so I accept there is an extent to which she has a point.
 
Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Well yes, I'm still going to have hundreds of books, and I don't think she says you have to dress that way, just that she does. I like the basic idea, so I'm going with it!
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
I am comsidering doing the clothes bit with the vertical folding. Really I need to get overr the books comment and read the rest of it - but you know, its like telling me I don't need food ...
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Only 30 books!! How can anyone survive with so few? I've got childhood favourites that I still like to re-read, and medieval history reference books I refer to, and quilting and embroidery books, and the collected works of several of my favourite authors (a whole shelf of Dorothy Dunnett, and another of Lindsay Davis' Falco novels, and Kim Stanley Robinson, and Mary Gentle and Charles de Lint) and I'm rapidly acquiring graphic novels (the Jessica Jones ones most recently) and new favourite authors like Charles Stross....
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
The vertical folding of clothes bit has been puzzling me. But, then I have enough hanging space for all my fold-able clothes.

I've concluded I'm probably tidier and more de-cluttered than I think I am. Several visitors lately have remarked on how tidy and organised my house is.

Maybe I just need to declutter the myths that I am an untidy, messy, disorganised person.
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
I have read further (the books get a give me joy exception). I have looked at a couple of youtube videos on the folding method - makes much more sense once you see it - it is very similar to what I do when packing an overnight bag.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I am working on a new philosophy. My idea is, there are big things (furniture) and small things (books, balls of yarn). You can get rid of a lot of small things, but getting rid of one big thing makes a gibber impact. Two magazine storage units are leaving the house today, and a sofa is hopefully being handed down to a young woman in my church this coming week.
 
Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Yesterday I nearly gave myself a rupture getting the Free Desk from Hell into the car to take to a local charity depot, only to be told that they can't shift desks, and would probably just skip it. After all that effort (it's actually a really nice desk, but because of the way it is constructed, we cannot get it through any of the doors in the house), I was a bit miffed, so am waiting with hope to hear from the person on Freegle who was looking for a workbench for making jewellery. Hell, we are in her town on Sunday, I just hope she says "yes" now I've emailed over photos...

AG
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I didn't believe the folding method at first, even after I watched a couple of videos. But I tried it anyway, and darn it, she's right. My clothes have remained sorted ever since, and my wardrobe is a joy of organisation.

However, I've kind of ground to a crawl, if not quite a halt, when tackling papers. It seems that I haven't flung any piece of paper away for the past 25 years. But her advice has been really useful, and the shredder has been red hot. I have cleared loads already, but it just takes so long. [Waterworks]
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
Incinerator is quicker and more fun [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink.:
Incinerator is quicker and more fun [Big Grin]

Check council regulations. I too used to enjoy feeding rubbish into one when we moved many years ago.

They are illegal to use now down here.

[ 01. January 2016, 21:14: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
[Frown]
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lothlorien:
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink.:
Incinerator is quicker and more fun [Big Grin]

Check council regulations. I too used to enjoy feeding rubbish into one when we moved many years ago.

They are illegal to use now down here.

My niece is a professional artist and art teacher. Every NYD she has a burn-up when the previous years discards and working drawings go up the chimney.
 
Posted by Kittyville (# 16106) on :
 
I'm currently processing the idea that I don't need more bookcases, I just need to be a lot more ruthless about decluttering my books. I've done it once before, I need to gird my loins and do it again.

It still sucks like a Dyson.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I'm slowly working my way through the kitchen cupboards. I empty on a day - which makes me sort it out!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I decluttered my big food cupboard a while ago and did enjoy the ordered look of it every time I opened it. However, things have slipped and it needs doing again from scratch. I'm just no good at maintaining the level of sortedness once I've achieved it. [Hot and Hormonal]

Books are a difficult one. I have a new study in our house (and I absolutely love it! [Yipee] ) and thought I had done really well to condense my books down to the 20 shelves that I now have (excluding, of course, the 4 downstairs [Biased] ) but Mr Nen says there are boxfuls more up in the loft. I am bracing myself... I'm sure that, as I can't think what they are, I don't need them... but you never know... [Biased]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Now that I have removed and given away a large storage unit in my office, there is space now to haul up 14 long boxes of comic books, and short them for sale. This is a major undertaking that will probably take me this entire coming year.
 
Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
My priority for this year is to finally sort the Room of Doom so that amongst other things I can use it as a study. At the moment it's where the washing goes to dry (and dry washing waits to be ironed), which takes up a lot of space, but it's also the dumping ground for stuff which doesn't obviously go anywhere else. Somewhere in there is also a single bed, as it is in theory our guest bedroom, although the bed has been buried in Stuff for most of last year. There are also bookshelves with my nursing/PhD/Masters books and files, and house-related important bits of paper, but in no obvious order.

On New Year's eve I sorted through the stuff on the bed, so it has been considerably reduced (I started with 3 piles - keep, shred, and recycle (plus a bag to bin things) - and now there's only the 'keep' pile left). I hope that if I can do a little bit once a week (I'm thinking one shelf or small area) it will be a bit less daunting. It'll still be a bit messy for a while as I will keep going with the keep/shred/recycle system, so the 'keep' piles will still need sorting out at some point, but at least they'll be smaller than the current piles. I have four storage boxes full of random bits of paper, so I think I will aim to sort one per week through January as my first goal.

I don't think there's much I can do about the washing taking up the space (we haven't really got anywhere else we can put it), but getting the bed clear and the book-cases ordered will feel good.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We are currently on flood alert (though in no actual danger of flooding, I hope; our flood plain remains unbuilt-on and can cope with a lot of water.)

The North East Man and I were musing over a possible flood plan, and he said that there would be no point sandbagging our garage as everything in it is junk.

I am hoping he holds that thought long enough to let me have a major declutter. Up to now he has refused to chuck stuff which might come in handy one day.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
Shred shred shred.
Shred shred shred.

I have done tonnes, and there are still tonnes to do. But I am comforting myself with the thought that, had I not done the tonnes I have done so far, these tonnes would still have been to do. If that makes sense.

[Help]
 
Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Yes! Free Desk from Hell with new owner. Too good to throw...

AG
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
Shred shred shred.
Shred shred shred.

I have done tonnes, and there are still tonnes to do. But I am comforting myself with the thought that, had I not done the tonnes I have done so far, these tonnes would still have been to do. If that makes sense.

[Help]

They do multiply, you know, if they're not shredded before they breed.

[Biased]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
Shred shred shred.
Shred shred shred.

We run a small cottage industry which requires packing parcels with our products. My brother provides some waste bubble wrap from work. But, when we run out of that, I use shreddings - so the pile has now reduced to nearly nothing!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Boogie, I followed your link and your cottage industry was of no surprise at all [Biased]

I have just decluttered an electric frying pan, two 18cm cake tins, biscuit cutters and a set of mixing bowls. YaY Freecycle.

I felt especially good about the electric frying pan because the person who got it offered to help me out when I mislaid my tin for the Christmas cake.

Now if only my messy kitchen would clean itself I'd be set.

Huia
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Doubleposting to finish the Freecycle story. The bloke came to pick up the electric frying pan. He had a Christmas cake that he had made which he gave me. (I had mentioned over the phome that I had not got around to making my own after making everyone else's.

Some Freecycle people are lovely [Yipee]

Huia
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jack the Lass:

I don't think there's much I can do about the washing taking up the space (we haven't really got anywhere else we can put it), but getting the bed clear and the book-cases ordered will feel good.

I feel your pain. My music room has music shelves round three walls, a convertible couch, an original full-size tonne-weight Yamaha Clavinova keyboard, is used for Airb&b and between whiles is a drying room for the laundry. But it all seems to work.

Oh, did I mention the computer?
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Haven't been up to doing much for a while. And now, I need to get stuff done in the next couple of days, and I have a bad cold.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Yesterday I sorted out half of the utility room **happy dance**. FOUR big bags to recycle/go to the tip [Roll Eyes]

I don't know how I clutter places so quickly and easily - none of it belongs to Mr Boogs!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I don't know how I clutter places so quickly and easily - none of it belongs to Mr Boogs!

Some of us are just naturally born clutterers - it's a gift, like having perfect pitch or a high IQ.

Huia - extremely gifted.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Our houses incline towards clutter, as the sparks fly upward.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
Progress made. A dump run yesterday saw non-functioning electronics and obsolete paperwork go to recycling. Today, for the first time since our April storms, the formal dining room has emerged from the mountains of stuff which have sat there ever since. We can even see the tabletop. Next stage-the rumpus room. We have two couches down there which haven't been sighted for about twelve months.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
[Waterworks]

When my grandfather died I inherited his three piece suite. It was older than I was, and built to last. It served us well for several years, but then we inherited a second, newer, three piece suite. As my grandfather's suite pre-dated flame retardant materials, we couldn't sell it, or give it to a charity shop. So it was destined for the tip.

Except that my hoarding family decided that it would be great idea to keep the three seater settee in the hallway. It was handy to have a chair there, but we didn't need a three seater. It's not that large a hall.

At least the two armchairs were going to the tip!

Except that overnight my son somehow snuck them up to his bedroom, where they have remained ever since.

*sigh*

So, yesterday, I thought we were making progress. We bought a monks bench to go into the hallway to replace the settee. It's half the size - yay! - and it has drawers so it's also more useful. Win! Win!

The settee was destined for the tip.

I came home today to discover that my son had - somehow- snuck the settee up to his bedroom. He now has the entire three piece suite in his bedroom.

[Waterworks]

As if that wasn't bad enough, he has two (two!) three piece suites in his rented flat, both acquired second hand. He is 21 and he owns three, three piece suites.

This isn't normal, is it?
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
LOL! Sorry, but it is just irresistibly comic. (No, possibly it is not normal...)
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
How can I possibly get on top of the mess and the clutter when my family hoards three piece suites?

[Waterworks]
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
You've trained them well, NEQ.

My work is having a massive clear-out of obsolete electronic test and measurement gear. I couldn't bear to see it all skipped, but I haven't room or need for 95% of it. So just before Christmas I grabbed a big pile and listed some of it on a forum I post on, with some (I thought optimistic) prices, and the statement (inducement?) that all funds raised would be for Christian Aid.

Although my dining room is still full of shite, loads of people have responded by buying and helping move stuff around the country, and the running total is approaching £1000. I am Very Pleased - there are some great people around [Smile]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My county has an Electronics Recycling program, in which they collect old electronics so that they do not go to the landfill. It used to be once a month, but is now so popular that it is open all day every day.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
NEQ - maybe you can guilt them out. 'There are Syrian orphans without a single three-piece suite and you have three!'

Or just privily put them on FreeCycle 'Free for collection. Must be between hours of X and Y. Come to back door.'
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Free for collection. Fifty year old three piece suite. N.B. Not cool, retro early 60s style, but the style favoured by middle aged people in the 60s. Used to smell of St Bruno tobacco and whisky, and then of baby puke and cats and now just smells a bit fusty. Raggedy bits on back caused by being used as a cat scratching post. Don't worry about odd stain on back, it's just a water stain from spraying said cat to dissuade her from using it as a scratching post. Fringe round bottom coming adrift in places, but possibly repairable. Or possibly not.

Form an orderly queue folks.
 
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I'm not sure what you can do other than chloroform your family for 24 hours while either the bin lorry comes or you have a perfectly enormous bonfire in the back yard.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
I'm not sure what you can do other than chloroform your family for 24 hours while either the bin lorry comes or you have a perfectly enormous bonfire in the back yard.

5 November???
[Biased]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
... my son had - somehow- snuck the settee up to his bedroom ...

How the heck do you sneak a three-seater sofa upstairs????

You've got to admire his, um, determination ... [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
How the heck do you sneak a three-seater sofa upstairs????

You need someone to open a door in the right place of course.
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
He is 21 and he owns three, three piece suites.

This isn't normal, is it?

A man should always own more three piece suits than three piece suites.

Or something.
 
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
I've noticed - and the three piece suite is definitely an example - that there's a period of 'getting rid of stuff' when its fine. But, after a certain amount of time, keeping something stops being clutter and starts being an heirloom, sentimental, and one day becomes an antique. Because it was at this place in this house, and great aunty jo always liked to sit in it, and do you remember the time that lovely dog we had used to sleep on it, etc.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
NEQ, I would suggest to him that in fact this is a sign of a reluctance to grow up - that he isn't ready to get rid of Stuff that reminds him of being a small boy - that perhaps indeed this is a (rather large and unwieldy [Ultra confused] ) comfort blanket ! However you are sure that once he can put this immaturity behind him he'll be ready to face his own future rather than clinging on to someone else's past? [Two face]

Well, you could give it a try...

Mrs. S - manipulative, moi?
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Leorning Cniht:
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
He is 21 and he owns three, three piece suites.

This isn't normal, is it?

A man should always own more three piece suits than three piece suites.

Or something.

He doesn't own any suits. Or even any smart trousers or jackets. He's more of a jeans and t-shirt person.

In addition to the three, three piece suites, he also owns a bed settee, but I'm ok with that because it's where I sleep when I'm visiting him, and it's very comfy. So the snuck-up-the-stairs settee is actually his fourth settee.


[brick wall]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:

As if that wasn't bad enough, he has two (two!) three piece suites in his rented flat, both acquired second hand. He is 21 and he owns three, three piece suites.

This isn't normal, is it?

People who want to be "normal" lack imagination. He sounds really interesting, if a trifle eccentric in the matter of furniture.

Huia
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Two weeks into a new year and every single last surface in our home is totally covered with clutter

This is soooooo depressing.......
[Frown]
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
NEQ - I try to confine myself to keeping my head above the clutter chez jacobsen. To worry about anyone else's is the road to madness. Unless of course you keep barking your shins on settees 1-3, in which case an anguished howl might signal your distress quite effectively.

EA - you could try clearing one small surface for starters, e.g. a coffee table. Transferring the overload to another surface, however, is cheating, and likely to lead to the whole lot cascading to the floor, where you will probably trip over it.*

I mean it lovingly. [Big Grin]

* The voice of experience.

[ 15. January 2016, 13:54: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Jacobsen, you are right. His rented Uni flat (which contains three piece suites nos 1 and 2 and the bed settee) is of no concern of mine.

I do have a gripe that every time I declutter my own stuff, other members of the family move their clutter into the newly available space. My bedroom is the smallest of our four (although I decorated it and love it, it's very much my own wee nest!) but realistically, everyone else has to have one of the three larger bedrooms because they have more stuff. None of them could fit into my bedroom. Moving the three seater settee into his bedroom instead of letting it go to the tip is just typical of the process.

[ 16. January 2016, 10:51: Message edited by: North East Quine ]
 
Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
I too have two three piece suites...plus 3 footstools...and another high backed chair upholstered to match the one suite...it's a long story...

I managed to take 2 bags full of clothes to the charity shop today. There are lots more to go...
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
I live by myself in a house that is technically two bedroom but actually has only one room set up as a bedroom.

I have four bed / beddy type things, that would sleep a total of 6 people. It is surprisingly easy to accidentally hoard furniture - I am not entirely sure how I ended up with four armchairs in addition to my two sofas either. I rarely need to seat 9 people in my living room ...

On the upside my cat gets his own chair.
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
Tomorrow is the day I am Konmaring the wardrobe andtaking the excess to Oxfam [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Good luck Doublethink.

I accidentally did that over Christmas. I bought some new clothes in the sales (much needed) and went through the wardrobe kicking out anything I haven't worn for months or years and anything I was replacing. My daughter did it too as we have a wardrobe and trunk of her stuff stored here.

The charity shop and pass-me-downs went immediately, but I have four or five large carrier bags to go to the not-so-local homeless centre which I need to plan to transport, after I have mended a couple of other things that are going into that pile. This pile is full of lots of things they ask for like socks, tracksuit bottoms, jumpers, sweatshirts and not-as-smart-as-I-can-wear-to-work-but-no-good-for-cycling-or-walking warm and waterproof coats plus a few bits of work clothing that could be useful.

The work clothes I bought for interviews and hated so much I've never worn them since, a couple of shirts, a pair of black trousers and a jacket. Plus the jacket I've now upgraded and another pair of black trousers. Apparently interview clothes are something always requested.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Four years ago I cleared my post-removal junk from the garage in several trips to the local recycling centre. The Focus also took the bath, when I had a walk-in shower installed prior to hip surgery.

My latest car, a Seat Ibiza, is rather smaller than the Focus, but still accommodated a broken wheelie bin which had lost its lid.

It's incredible how one item can be a mental eyesore for so long, and the relief when enough oomph has accumulated for it to be removed.

But let's face it, decluttering is a way of life. Just off to do my tax....

Brief return to echo the comments about too much furniture. I have four wooden stools in my living room. OK, they make useful mini coffee tables and drink stands, as well as additional dining chairs, but they do take up floor space. Thinks what to do about this...

[ 17. January 2016, 09:28: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Plastic stackable kitchen/garden chairs are a great solution to that problem - darned site more comfortable than many wooden chairs, too.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
I do have a gripe that every time I declutter my own stuff, other members of the family move their clutter into the newly available space.

I have that problem too. Well, to be more exact it is one member of the family who does it. The one who still lives here while the Nenlets have left home and is currently filling up the spaces that they left as well. [Roll Eyes]

To be fair to myself, clothes really aren't my issue. All my clothes, summer and winter wardrobe, fit into one hanging cupboard, three shelves and three drawers. I wear them all, with the exception of six pairs of trousers that I bought a few years ago because I was oh-so-nearly able to fit into them comfortably. Then the sensible eating went out of the window and I'm only recently getting back on track with it.

Nen - whose house is so full of clutter that she has to be self-congratulatory about something. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
And quite right too, Nenya. I'm impressed that you have a working wardrobe that is so exactly right. Every year or so I take several black bin bags worth of clothes to the local charity shop. Where does it all come from?* If all the surplus you have is 6 pairs of trousers which nearly fit, then you are doing very well indeed.

*Sainsburys
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Yesterday I spent 5 hours decluttering the garage so that I can fit a trailer into it as well as the car & bike, so today I've made 2 trips to the dump with said trailer and later will go to the charity shop. It's amazing how the clutter in the garage can go ignored, even paint for walls that I have painted over twice! There is still more that I simply couldn't decide on, but that can wait another few years until I have my next garage decluttering. Now I will find that I need a piece of wood, or a pot, that I was sure I won't need.
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink.:
Tomorrow is the day I am Konmaring the wardrobe andtaking the excess to Oxfam [Ultra confused]

How did it go? I love the KM approach. I sent 11 bin bags of clothes to the charity shop and 22 carrier bags of books. Am now finally getting towards the end of paper which has been a long old slog.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
The KM approach is ideal for people who have lots of money. Then, any time it snows heavily and you don't have a pair of Uggs, you can go buy them. If you live in a widely varying climate and are not that well-off, it might be more prudent to hang onto things. (I would certainly ditch items that don't fit or that you definitely would never wear again.)
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
The KM approach is ideal for people who have lots of money.

I can't bring myself to throw away things that might be useful, for more or less this reason. Growing up, Mum had a button jar and Dad had any number of jam jars and boxes full of odd screws, electric plugs, old electric outlets and so on.

All that stuff was useful too often for me to be comfortable throwing stuff out.

My own pots full of odds and ends have proved useful on many occasions, too. Boxes full of odds and ends bring me no joy at all right up to the point when they contain exactly the thing I need for a particular purpose, and then they bring me much joy [Smile]

[ 22. February 2016, 14:47: Message edited by: Leorning Cniht ]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
My mother had a button box, helped along when my grandmother was working at a sweater factory and was allowed to bring home "left-overs." Those buttons brought me hours of pleasure when I was a pre-schooler "helping" my mother to sew. Just running my fingers through the box of them was fun. (No one seemed to worry in those days that toddlers would swallow things that small -- and I didn't.)
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Button box, hah. I have button tubs. More buttons than I shall ever use in my lifetime. I am hoping for grandchildren. A little girl, who can take all these buttons and play with them -- string them into strings.
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
DaisyDaisy said:

quote:
Yesterday I spent 5 hours decluttering the garage so that I can fit a trailer into it
If you're able to stand it on its end with the wheels and tail-board off, ball-hitch uppermost, you'll use less space and you can keep things (like the wheels and tail-board, but maybe a little more) inside the box.

I used to do this, but now I don't have a garage. So all my motorbike bits are indoors...
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
When we moved here, just over 8 years ago, I put a group of ten lever arch files containing old correspondence, bank statements, etc. in a convenient niche and have never looked at them since. Yesterday I emptied the files, collected the plastic sleeves for reuse and put all the papers, etc. in a convenient laundry basket for later destruction by fire. The lever arch files can, apparently, get us a few rupees at the recyclers place! I now have a place to put all my hard copy photos - which frees me up over a metre of bookshelf!

Hmmm, I feel a book-buying binge coming on...
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
... I feel a book-buying binge coming on...

I think that might be against the rules of this thread ... [Devil]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
... I feel a book-buying binge coming on...

I think that might be against the rules of this thread ... [Devil]
Books do NOT count as clutter.
[Razz]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Preach it, Pigwidgeon!
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Especially if they have their own shelf space (even if they are not often occupying it.)
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by mark_in_manchester:
DaisyDaisy said:

quote:
Yesterday I spent 5 hours decluttering the garage so that I can fit a trailer into it
If you're able to stand it on its end with the wheels and tail-board off, ball-hitch uppermost, you'll use less space and you can keep things (like the wheels and tail-board, but maybe a little more) inside the box.

I used to do this, but now I don't have a garage. So all my motorbike bits are indoors...

Thanks for the idea of removing the wheels - it's already up-ended, and the tail-board bits are sunk into the bodywork, and everything just about fits into the garage now. So if I need more space I'll certainly try removing the wheels.

Edited to add... On one of the trips to the dump I found someone about to tip a sack full of reasonable apples (so far less than 25% bruised) so I feel a chutney session coming on (12 portions of apple & parsnip soup are about to go into the freezer).

[ 23. February 2016, 08:17: Message edited by: daisydaisy ]
 
Posted by Doone (# 18470) on :
 
Especially if they're double-stacked [Help]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
Edited to add... On one of the trips to the dump I found someone about to tip a sack full of reasonable apples (so far less than 25% bruised) so I feel a chutney session coming on (12 portions of apple & parsnip soup are about to go into the freezer).

Please could you post the recipe for apple and parsnip soup on the recipes thread in Heaven?

This evening I'm going to a course that the person taking it claims teaches techniques for decluttering and stopping procrastination.

Here's hoping.

Huia - dubious, but willing to give it a go.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
My mother had a button box, helped along when my grandmother was working at a sweater factory and was allowed to bring home "left-overs." Those buttons brought me hours of pleasure when I was a pre-schooler "helping" my mother to sew. Just running my fingers through the box of them was fun. (No one seemed to worry in those days that toddlers would swallow things that small -- and I didn't.)

This is exactly what I did with my grandmother's jewelry box with my sister every time we visited--and it's why I never get rid of costume jewelry myself. I'm hoping to have grandchildren who will enjoy doing the same thing.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
... techniques for ... stopping procrastination ...

I'm going to try those tomorrow ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
I recently read (yet another) article on 15 simple steps to decluttering. It could have been summarised thusly:
1. Throw out stuff you don't need
2. Don't buy more stuff
3. Get your family to do the above two steps.

Sadly, in my case, this would involve finding a whole new family, as the present lot seem firmly wedded to their ways... [Roll Eyes]

Despite their best efforts, however, in recent weeks I have found & maintained order in most of the downstairs. And I finally put away all the Christmas things which had been cluttering the stairs since Jan 6th, so the stairs and landing are much improved. I also took the cunning step of clearing away 3-year-old and therefore very out of date work documents that Mr B brought home and hasn't looked at since a few days after. They're now in a pile in my office, waiting for me to have quality time with the shredder.. [Two face]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Beethoven:
... I also took the cunning step of clearing away 3-year-old ...

I really ought to read the whole way to the end of the sentence; I thought at first that you were talking about one of your children. [Eek!]

I know what you mean about your family though: if I were to de-clutter all D's books and magazines, I'd probably have to de-clutter D. as well, and that's not really an option ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by Beethoven:
... I also took the cunning step of clearing away 3-year-old ...

I really ought to read the whole way to the end of the sentence; I thought at first that you were talking about one of your children. [Eek!]

Me too! I thought she was applying step #1 to the 3-year-old and wondering why she didn't to the whole family.
[Snigger]
 
Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
[Big Grin] A very cunning plan indeed - so many tears and much aggro would have been saved if I had got rid of a three-year-old Opus...! [Biased]

On balance I think I'm happier keeping the family, but... [Two face]
 
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 
The decluttering support thread merges into a more general advice column as we apply the Konmari method to family members: "Do they bring me joy?"

Declutter your house and save thousands on no-longer-required therapy!
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
The best decluttering decision I ever made was ditching my ex (which, coincidentally, also cut down quite a bit on other household clutter).
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Well, for me the decluttering thread has somewhat merged with the weight loss thread. I started clearing my table and discovered two pairs of fairly new pants I wore last time I lost weight ... and they both fit. What's even better is that they are very light weight (and it's been horribly hot lately here) and they go with a couple of lightweight tops nothing else really tones with [Yipee]

It's like being given something out of the blue. [Yipee]

Huia
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
What a lovely feeling that must have been , Huia. Encouraging too. My unit here is one of the larger in the block, two bedrooms and airy. However it is not huge but I am constantly amazed at how much clutter accumulates.

Son is getting married again in a couple of weeks and hopefully this will mean he takes things with him. A glass fronted cabinet with several shelves? Full of his collection of matchbox cars? It is not an attractive piece of furniture at all but was free, a big consideration to him at the time. I have told him it must go. But first I will have to remove some old matchbox toys from my childhood.. A Jaguar car and a caravan it towed and a couple of others.

[Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
For me the decluttering thread dends to converge with the All Things Crafty thread. I find things and resolve to knit or sew them up. I am making great inroads on four yards of Asian silk (purchased or given to my mother 40 years ago) which shall become a dress and loose jacket, for me! I also have here a bag of very fine knitting cotton, which clearly ought to be a lace top of some sort if only I can find the right pattern.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Well, Brenda, there is another time sink for you. Searching Ravelry for the only pattern which will fit your requirements. [Big Grin]

I gave away an enormous amount of wool a few months ago. I still have SABLE. [Hot and Hormonal]

My cotton yarn was stored in my pantry/store cupboard. Not long after I moved here just on five years ago, there was a strange smell in the tiny room. After a couple of days searching, I found that a jar of raspberry vinegar with an ill fitting lid had tipped over and dripped slowly into the tub which had my cotton in it. Compulsory decluttering and it took ages to get the smell out of the room.

[ 25. February 2016, 22:01: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
The drain pipe under my kitchen sink gave out this morning and flooded all the cleaning supplies I keep underneath. It's been repaired (I have a wonderful handyman!), and now I've sorted out what I need, what I don't need, and organized the things I'm keeping.
 
Posted by Tukai (# 12960) on :
 
Mrs T and I have just returned from interstate, where we performed "ultimate decluttering" - we spent a week emptying my mother's flat in preparation for a sale. We filled two skips with rubbish (in addition to the one we filled in November) and about 20 packing boxes full of stuff for one of the many local op shops (in addition to the dozen more that we filled in November) . Plus of course the stuff that has gone to recycling - mostly old cardboard cartons, which were the packaging for items bought 20 or 30 years ago, and 2 bags of pharmaceuticals which we took to the local chemists for disposal.

Although notionally a 2-bedroom flat, it has the floor area of many 3-bedroom ones, and a huge amount of built-in cupboard space in every room.

As each new cupboard full came to light, Mrs T would mutter loudly "don't let me get to this stage" and "she [my mother] had the gall to upbraid me about my housekeeping???!!".

Some lessons we learnt:
1. "Tidy rubbish is still rubbish". (Most of the clutter was neatly put away into the capacious cupboards)
2. You don't need to keep 100 empty glass jars, unless you are a very keen and active jam-maker, nor the packaging for every item of hardware ever bought. (Two of the full cupboards contained
nothing else!)
3. Nor do you need to cover every visible flat surface with clutter.
4. Declutter while you are still physically capable of doing so. (Some of the cupboards were either so low down or high up so that for the past 5-10 years (when she was in her 80s) mother couldn't reach there to get anything in or out, including half-empty packets of biscuits and the like. But because those cupboards were neatly shut and forgotten about), the weekly cleaning lady didn't look in them.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Tukai:

1. "Tidy rubbish is still rubbish". (Most of the clutter was neatly put away into the capacious cupboards)

Very, very true!

I must print thins out and put it up in my study - which I continue to try to declutter!
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
(wincing at the idea of opened packets of biscuits ten years old) I hope you did not have mice.
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
"Does it bring me joy?"

The honest answer is that I don't own a single piece of clothing that brings me joy. I own clothing that brings me warmth, and which covers the essentials (which brings other people if not actual joy, then at least the absence of horror), and I own clothing that is socially appropriate for various occasions, but joy? I just don't care that much about clothes.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I can relate to that feeling. This summer I have had to throw out a piece which did actually give me joy for very many years. It was threadbare in many spots and not suitable for wear anywhere.
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Yangtze:
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink.:
Tomorrow is the day I am Konmaring the wardrobe andtaking the excess to Oxfam [Ultra confused]

How did it go? I love the KM approach. I sent 11 bin bags of clothes to the charity shop and 22 carrier bags of books. Am now finally getting towards the end of paper which has been a long old slog.
Well, I did it, off loaded a deal of non-joy inducing clothing - purchased joy inducing underwear drawer overhaul. However I have found that I still tend to end up with my laundry in a heap downstairs.

Have not maintained the careful folding, though I keep promising myself I will do it again.

Still need to finish reorganising the back bedroom.
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
Essentially, my life would be sorted - laundry wise - if my washing machine and dryer were in my bedroom.

Perhaps, one day, I will organise appropriate plumbing.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
This idea is dependent on our definitions of joy. Really perhaps a purg thread there.

Life is made up of more than joy, unless it is that deep feeling underneath, and that is a good thing. Must stop or a AS host will be along admonishing me. [Big Grin] [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Interesting - my wardrobe has stayed sorted, barring the ironing pile that is piling up (other reasons for that one), including the vertical folding for most of the drawers, including underwear drawers. I couldn't see how to make it work for sort of trousers that end up in bottom drawer of the chest of drawers: jeans, walking trousers, cycling shorts, leggings, tracksuit bottoms.

It helped sorting t-shirts into one row of tidy enough for work and another of layers for walking / cycling, and the same for my jumper drawer, which has one row of Guide stuff (if you go camping with Guides, you need a range of tops for every day with some sort of Guiding theme). I found that really useful.

I can now point to the rows of clothes in my drawers and explain what is there and why - because they are organised into sets I use for different things.

The paperwork and resource writing mountains, however, are not getting shifted, somewhat affected by getting ill the first time I have had any time off in four months - the two things are not unconnected.
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
I've ben doing quite well, for me at least, in decluttering recently - made more urgent because we have Builders in (lathe and lime plaster ceiling came down [Eek!] ) so have tried to declutter as I clear.

Now all is thrown into chaos with the revelation that Dame Janet Smith's enquiry at the BBC has been hampered by not being able to find memos and other correspondence from 1970/71. I mean, would any of us have stuff that old?
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I'm not a very feminine person in the bathroom - I don't wear makeup or use all those creams and things (I must have saved thousands over the years by not buying them!). But occasionally I get toiletry Christmas presents, and I have a stash of pretty soaps that I intended to give to people I needed to come up with a present in a hurry for. Since the stash has been sitting there un-used for about three years, I've just decluttered it, and some hats and gloves, for a trip a local charity is making in a couple of weeks to Dunkirk to give aid to the refugees there. They specifically asked for toiletries.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:

Now all is thrown into chaos with the revelation that Dame Janet Smith's enquiry at the BBC has been hampered by not being able to find memos and other correspondence from 1970/71. I mean, would any of us have stuff that old?

(Coughs deprecatingly) As a matter of fact, I have all my tax bumph and supporting documents since 1984 sitting in my attic. Yes, I KNOW we only need to keep it for ten years,but just in case....
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Am making progress.

{{{{{All of us}}}}}
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
For reasons known only to her my daughter has a carriage whip, six feet long and with a lash seven feet long. (We do not own either a carriage or carriage horses.) It has stood for ten years in the corner of my office, while she has spread her wings and flown away. I have finally given it away on Freecycle, to somebody who just acquired a carriage.
 
Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Two full bags of junk decluttered from the spare room today. Now using up fur fabric scraps for a craft project for brownie holiday in a couple of weeks
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Only another month to go before the church rummage sale! I can finally take over the boxes, bins, and other things I've put aside. I'll do one more look through closets, drawers, cupboards, and outdoor storage and then get rid of much unwanted stuff.

[Yipee]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Having massive anxiety here (so what else is new, LC?). Mother and sister flying in for son's confirmation, and the house, shopping, etc. is a disaster. REalistically I know it could hardly be otherwise, with Mr Lamb gone to visit sick brother, and me in exams/working/still dealing with healing surgical wound under arm--but my mother has always been one to evaluate your housekeeping, and mine is basically shitty. Plus all our foodstuffs, cooking, spices, etc. are set up to cater for Asians, and they are not Asians and will be expecting a host of foods we never ever eat (sandwiches, cheese, diet soda, orange juice, etc. etc. etc.) I rather think the Lord is handing me Mary and Martha to contemplate on, but I'm being dense today. At least it's occupying my brain cells and preventing a certain amount of panic.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Why not send them on a food shopping spree to get what they really like to eat and drink? Their contribution to the revels.

I need to clear my hall - it's full of the stuff taken from my last (crashed) car's boot. Maps for every county in Great Britain, for which I have no shelf space....Walking poles. Walking sticks. You name it, and none of them have places. And the new car's boot is much smaller.

[ 19. March 2016, 13:31: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
We have finished the bathroom and shower room and are delighted. The concept of decluttering by category rather than place did the trick.

We threw away 6 carrier bags full, and can now see and access what we need and use. I estimate that if we hadn't done it, I'd have spent £20 between now and Christmas buying more of stuff we already had.

The only downside is that it took several hours, off and on, and our living room floor disappeared for 48 hours. Still, it should save time in the long run.

I posted that on 3 Oct last year. We are only now reaching the last of the shampoo. Today I bought shampoo for the first time in six months. I estimate I have another couple of months worth of shower gel to go, although the North East Man ran out of his favourite shower gel a couple of months ago, and had to buy more.

Kondo-ing the bathroom and shower room has been an unqualified success. As we've worked our way through the backlog, the cupboards have been getting steadily tidier, with no further effort whatsoever.

BUT, despite the fact we know it works, we haven't found the consecutive evenings necessary to put aside to do various cupboards. We know it will be worth it. But it just hasn't happened yet.

Meanwhile, I am chipping away at the study. It's been two steps forward, one step back, but at least it's going in the right general direction.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
It has taken me a full year to get to it, but this month I began to sort through the 16 long boxes of comic books. All the ones of worth will go to an auctioneer in New York City; everything else will go up on Ebay. All the Batman items that do not sell on Ebay will go to a friend of mine who wants them, but his wife has made me promise that this shall not exceed two long boxes, so a pass through Ebay is essential first.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
jacobsen--

Re the stuff in your hallway:

Maybe a bulletin board for the maps? And some kind of a hook or pegboard system for the walking sticks? Could make a nice display, and would take up less space. Doesn't necessarily have to be in the hallway.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
It has taken me a full year to get to it, but this month I began to sort through the 16 long boxes of comic books. All the ones of worth will go to an auctioneer in New York City; everything else will go up on Ebay. All the Batman items that do not sell on Ebay will go to a friend of mine who wants them, but his wife has made me promise that this shall not exceed two long boxes, so a pass through Ebay is essential first.

You could make a fortune!

[Smile]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
No, I doubt it. I did sell my classic Xmen run some years ago, when the first movies came out and the market was at its peak. I needed $ to send my daughter to college. But mostly these comics are worth little or nothing.
 
Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
Home move on the horizon so 3 bags of clothes gone to charity. not sure how I managed to amass so many - well that's easy to answer. I bought them. I was quite ruthless in the process, but could have been more ruthless.

The question now, do I ditch the CDs now that everything is with iTunes?
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Golden Key - thanks for the ideas. I did actually sort the hall out yesterday - and am always astonished at the amount of emotional energy it takes! Not too much to throw out, but plenty to rehome in the music room etc. What I do have is an overflowing basket of scarves. The maps are actually books - A-Zs of each county. They are in a stack at present, but could be upended as in a bookcase. Everything is now accessible. Long may it last.

But I have found that decluttering needs to be a way of life, rather like clearing drains...
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I have had a minor victory today in my battle against the paper. I returned to the idea of sorting by categories, and so made three piles: paper to be thrown out immediately; paper that needs to be shredded first; and paper that I need to deal with and file. It meant I moved a lot more quickly than shredding-as-you-go, and I managed to clear five of crates of the stuff!

I still have to do the shredding and filing. But it's manageable now, manageable!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We have our shredder permanently set up in the utility room with a tray next to it 'to be shredded' papers go straight into it. Then we shred a few when we pass it as we head for the washer etc.

It helps that we are selling about three items a day produced by our burgeoning cottage industry, so we use the shreddings as packing material [Smile]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I managed to catch up on a backlog of shredding on Wednesday whilst I spent 46 minutes on hold listening to plinky music and a voice saying "Your call is important to us. Thank you for holding."

Usually being on hold gives me The Rage. But doing the shredding was a good outlet for my annoyance.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
NEQ -thanks, that's brilliant. I feel as though I have spent a lifetime on hold recently with a non communicating telecommunications company and offsetting that with the satisfaction of shredding unpleasant documents would be so satisfying.

Actually I though I had blown a fuse in the microwave using it on the same plug board as the shredder, but after leaving it several days it righted itself, the plug board needed replacing though, but that's what it was designed for.

Huia
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
The trouble is that my bits of paper go back over two decades. I have simply carted them around from house to house, and left a whole pile at my mother's as well. When she downsized, she brought about 4 boxes to my house and left them there - quite rightly, of course, despite my howl of dismay. [Waterworks] Once I get the backlog cleared, I can hopefully keep up with the paper on an as-you-go basis.

Ideally I would just dump the lot. After all, I have lived without most of it for years. But there are some precious things in among them. And besides, the whole point of shredding is to eliminate the stuff with personal information on it before I dump it.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
I've already, in the first flush of glorious achievement, posted this on the Praise and Thanksgiving thread, but it probably belongs here.

I TIDIED MY HALL.AND CLEANED THE UTILITY ROOM. [Axe murder]

On the principle of quinquennials, or whatever they're called, that's it till at least 2020.

Dementors lurk in the cleaning cupboard, and can only be kept at bay with chocolate brownies. (In the absence of my furry grey patronusses.)

[ 30. March 2016, 11:17: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Yay, Jacobsen!
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Major de-clutterations chez Piglet have begun with my clearing out a couple of drawers in the bedroom dresser and filling a bin-bag for the thrift shop. Small steps, but they're going to have to get bigger.

General Booth's Boutique* isn't going to know what's hit it.

* what a friend in Northern Ireland used to call the Sally Army thrift shop
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm now up to three bin-bags for the thrift shop, two for the rubbish-dump and two for the temporary re-location of small bears*.

* The bears won't be de-cluttered: they aren't clutter. [Smile]

[ 05. April 2016, 14:21: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Our church Rummage Sale is coming up in a couple of weeks. I am so glad that I can FINALLY get rid of the bins, boxes, bags, and large items that I've put aside. In the next week I plan to make one more round of going through every drawer and closet to be sure I haven't missed anything that needs to go. (And I am not even going to look at the "treasures" on offer when the Rummage Sale happens!)
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
The bears won't be de-cluttered: they aren't clutter. [Smile]

Of course they aren't!
[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My husband and I have 'the Oregon filter'. Every item in the house eventually has to pass the filter to ship (expensively and with difficulty) to Oregon. Otherwise it has to be gotten rid of. My son does not pass the filter. (He has a job here, and so will not wish to move.) Nor do the cats, who I hope will be at that Great Scratching Post in the Sky by the time we move.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I'm still working on the study, I can see the end, it's a dim flicker - but it's there!

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Brenda--

You could stuff everything into a covered wagon or two, and hit the Oregon trail. [Smile]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
... two for the temporary re-location of small bears ...

Make that three, plus two of the drawers whose former contents are now going to the thrift-shop.
 
Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 
Bears are a necessary part of life, but how can our small household need 10 rolls of sellotape? (Even having a plan for dealing with the mess is beyond me, so I just attack the bit I am standing in front of. Yesterday was a kitchen drawer.)
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Those big-lot stores have been our downfall. Buying tape in ten-packs, because it's so cheap -- but it'll take you the rest of the decade to use ten rolls of the tape.
I am on Freecycle (a grand institution for decluttering, BTW) and once got a large free bottle of aspirin, still sealed in its factory plastic. The old gentleman who gave it to me had purchased in in a two-pack, from Costco. He said that it would take him the rest of his life to use the thousand tablets that were in one bottle. And even if he gave away the second bottle to me, he was still paying less than he would have for a mere 200-tablet bottle in a regular store. So it was a win-win, and I got a thousand aspirin tablets free. (This was several years ago, and I see what the old guy meant -- I am less than a third of the way down the bottle.)
 
Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 
Freecycle is indeed a wonderful thing, but honesty compels me to admit that all my ten rolls of sellotape have been part used.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Landlubber:
Freecycle is indeed a wonderful thing, but honesty compels me to admit that all my ten rolls of sellotape have been part used.

Maybe see if your church office, library, school, day care, or some non-profit could use them? I made great use of "gently-used" office supplies when I worked in my church office.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
We're now up to six bags of clothes to General Booth (we haven't even started on boxes of books, unwanted tableware and whatnot), and this morning the bin-men took away about 10 bags of rubbish.

A bit of context: D's been appointed organist of Fredericton Cathedral in New Brunswick, so Château Piglet is being made ready for sale, and we can't buy over there until we've sold here. Hence the major declutterment - the combination of assuming that this was going to be our last house and my non-existent domestic engineering skills mean that the place is a bit of a tip, which needs to be transformed into something for which someone will actually give us money. [Eek!]

We've got a builder/handyman who's helping with a few bits and pieces, but the whole thing's a bit daunting. I feel as if we need to get someone like Kirstie Allsopp in to give the place an estate-agent-worthy makeover (preferably without being rude about the bears).

[Help]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Piglet, shame on you! Books are never ...

Well, perhaps sometimes they are but I find it so difficult to part with them.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I do understand, but I decided a spot of ruthlessness was in order: there are several books which I've read once and am sure I'll never read again, so really what's the point of keeping them? If they go to a second-hand place, someone who really enjoys them can get them cheaply.

What I'd really like to declutter is D's vast accumulation of periodicals dedicated to the King of Instruments: The Organ, The Organists' Review, The Organ Club Journal, you name it, all going back to the year dot, but he's adamant that they are all essential* to his professional well-being.

Of course they are, dear ... [Roll Eyes]

* The fact that for the nine years he was in Orkney and the first seven years we were in Ireland many of them were in his parents' attic would suggest otherwise.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I have 16 floor-to-ceiling bookcases in this house. If I ever hope to move I -must- get rid of some books.
Here's a thought for you, Piglet. See if the periodicals are available on line. If the publisher (or somebody) has them all available in pdf format, you can shed the paper magazines happily, knowing that any time you want you can go find that article from 1972. Even if you have to buy the pdf on a disc -- you could toss the magazines and promise him to get the disc set for Christmas. Ten discs takes up less than two inches of shelf space!!
It is by this philosophy that I have been able to get rid of -many- books. They are available (and searchable!) on Project Gutenberg, so I don't need a book that weighs five pounds.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Everything in the study is now for keeping - just need to sort everything out and put it away.

Not long now!!


[Yipee]
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Boogie [Axe murder]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
... Here's a thought for you, Piglet. See if the periodicals are available on line ....

Thanks for the thought, but sadly he can't read on-line periodicals in the bath ... [Snigger]

I'm off to do some shelf-measuring and re-organising. Really. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Spent two hours plus decluttering my side of the bedroom. Found any number of objects thought lost, discarded a black bag of time-expired documents, collected toys that neither the children (nor their children) will want and the situation is little changed [Waterworks]

Work resumes tomorrow
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Better than a light at the end of a tunnel, I can see carpet!

Last January, during the flooding, we had a frantic couple of hours gathering great armfuls of stuff from downstairs and hurling them upstairs, while the water came steadily nearer. The water was lapping the foot of our driveway when the flood reached its peak.

Our daughter had to sleep on the living room floor because her bed had disappeared under the mounds of stuff.

We decided that we wouldn't just dump the stuff back downstairs, but would sort, tidy and discard before replacing. Once our daughter had gone back to Uni there was no pressure to clear her room, so progress has been slow.

But - we are getting there. We will do this! Downstairs looks much tidier. I am starting to believe that we can declutter.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I always find the re-discovery of the floor encouraging [Hot and Hormonal] One of my friends refers to the floordrobe where clothes are likely to end up. The cat loves snuggling in.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Has anyone ever tried spinning discarded cat hair into yarn? I know it can be done with some types of dog hair, and sweaters have resulted. Every time I launder the cats' sheepskin (my old dismembered Jacket from 40 years ago) bedding, despite having hoovered it as thoroughly as possible, the tumble drier picks up a mass of very clean cat hair. Seems a shame to waste it.

This comes under the heading of potential recycling [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I start sneezing my head off if I'm in a house with a cat. I can't imagine sitting next to someone (church, theater, public transportation, etc.) wearing clothing made of cat hair.
[Help]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
I start sneezing my head off if I'm in a house with a cat. I can't imagine sitting next to someone (church, theater, public transportation, etc.) wearing clothing made of cat hair.
[Help]

It's likely the dander you are allergic to ~ in which case you'd be ok.

I groom the dogs every day and put the hairs out for the birds. The blue and great tits have been taking great beak fulls away [Smile] . They prefer the yellow to the black.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
If you know a spinner, she can tell you about spinning animal hair. Google around, there's sure to be a guild or something in your area. You could easily find someone to do it, if you don't care to pick up the skill yourself, but it'll cost you.
As a rule you have to spin it 50-50 with wool, because the fibers of cats or dogs aren't long enough for tensile strength. (Unsurprising, since they were not bred for their fiber and sheep were.) The yarn you get is very warm indeed, not really suitable for anything but very cold climates.
Before you can spin the fiber you have to wash, com and card it, and that usually gets out most of the dander.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Thanks to The Former Miss S and SiL, who had to move house using two sports cars [Eek!] I have discovered vacuum-packing bags to store fabric in. They are just magic [Overused]

I have packed away a set of floor-length curtains in one, plus a set of spare cushion covers for the sofa in another, which means a) they can be kept clean; b) they take up about a quarter of the space; and c) they are much, much easier to handle than in their original state.

Miss S and SiL pack away a memory-foam mattress and their spare pillows in them!

Mrs. S, rejoicing*

*Mr S had better not stand still for too long [Devil]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:

*Mr S had better not stand still for too long [Devil]

Like this?
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
That link is really bizarre!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
[Eek!]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Just ... no!!! [Eek!]
 
Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
I know!

Sorry to have inflicted that on you all. But there's educational value - if you try it at home there's a danger of friction (I presume) burns. I wouldn't have thought of that. Of course, neither would I have thought of vacuum-packing my loved ones, so I'm unlikely to need that information.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I am too scared now to click on that link.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
That was a bit ookie, but not as bad as the photo at the right hand side of the screen where a cake, realisticly baked to look like a human head, is being sliced.

It's fascinating what people think of doing.

Huia -obviously not sufficiently artistic.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:

*Mr S had better not stand still for too long [Devil]

Like this?
Oh yuck yuck yuck - you may just have saved him!

(Actually, he's safe - I've used all the bags [Killing me] )
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
.. if you try it at home there's a danger of friction (I presume) burns ...

Not to mention suffocation. [Eek!]
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
some of those - especially number 9 - appear to have drawn inspiration from here.

If you scroll down to around folio201v and zoom in - at the end of the 'begats' - you'll see the intertwined figures who are drawn around the 'Q' of 'qui' getting up to all sorts.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
6. pm - The big declutter started!
6.30pm - First argument with husband over the first item I intended to declutter.

It's a bottle of 40% proof Russian vodka. Husband was given it about 8 years ago, and told to store it in the freezer. It took up valuable room in our freezer, where it was out-of-sight-out-of-mind to husband. Eventually I needed the freezer space, and put it with the rest of the alcohol. Husband spotted it and put it back in the freezer, intending to drink it. Except that, once in the freezer, it was out-of-sight etc. Till I turfed it out, he remembered it and put it back in...

It's been doing the hokey-cokey in and out of the freezer for eight years, without ever being opened. I think I could usefully use it as drain cleaner. But no! Husband assures me he will drink it....one day. There's currently no room in the freezer, so he can't drink it yet.

[brick wall] [brick wall] [brick wall]

I posted that on 25 Oct 2013. Yesterday we had another argument about it, but this time I cried. Result! The vodka has been poured down the sink and the bottle is in the recycling!

Why is it so difficult to get rid of stuff that no-one is ever going to want, but somehow have to be kept, shifted, cleaned, moved...
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I don't know NEQ, but I live by myself and have those arguments in my head every single time I start decluttering. I don't even need someone else to argue with. [Hot and Hormonal]

Well done on reaching a solution.

Huia
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
NEQ:
quote:
Why is it so difficult to get rid of stuff that no-one is ever going to want, but somehow have to be kept, shifted, cleaned, moved...
Yes, but was it any good as a drain cleaner?
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
NEQ - [Overused]

Actually, I've done a bit of unsolicited declutterment - there was a pile of D's clothes draped over the banister-rail on the top floor, which I'd been asking him to "edit" and of course he said he would ...

Today the handyman was doing some painting nearby, so I thought, stuff it, I'll sort them myself.

Not that I've made any of them actually disappear, you understand, but I have established in my own mind that most of them are usable, so have put them in Appropriate Places.

brave piglet [Big Grin]

[ 23. May 2016, 16:04: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
So long as Appropriate Places doesn't equate to Safe Places, or else you'll never find them (but the next owners of your house will, in five years time).
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Don't worry, BT - they're not quite as safe as that. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
No doubt the duster draw.

Jengie
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Cynicism, JJ? [Eek!]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jengie jon:
No doubt the duster draw.

Definitely not that safe. [Big Grin]

Actually, I discovered this afternoon (while finding dusting implements to apply to the kitchen cupboards) that we had considerably more dusters than we're ever likely to need.

Perhaps if you put two of them together they breed, like wire coat-hangers and supermarket carrier-bags ... [Paranoid]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Supermarket carrier bags no longer breed here - a 5p charge per back has proved an effective method of plastic bag birth control.

However, the cloth bags have started breeding at a great rate, as local companies realised that they are a cheap and virtuous give-away.
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
Ah, but do they breed in cupboards, like the plastic ones? I'm not convinced that they do.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Is it illegal to observe bags in sexual congress?
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
They appear to be breeding in our hall cupboard.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Having only just removed all signs from our home of emptying parental home.....we now have every available surface covered in gorgeous clothes, jewellery and slides from a relative's house clearance.....
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by jacobsen:
Is it illegal to observe bags in sexual congress?

Only if you video it and download it onto the internet or use the threat of doing so to blackmail them.

Huia
[Razz]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
**bump**

Just moving out of the range of the Hostly Hoover.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Is the Hoover an old upright or something more up to date. It seems to do a thorough job when it sweeps through. Lift your feet please so Wodders can get underneath with the cleaner.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Glad you bumped this.

I'm back to decluttering after having five weeks full of new puppy.

Several drawers and cupboards need urgent attention. We run a small cottage industry and the boxes and packing material need sorting out, they seem to have taken over a whole room.

I'm off to make a list ...
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I sold 20 vols. of ancient H. Rider Haggard novels on Ebay. (They are all available on Gutenberg, and on the screen I can pump the font so it's actually legible.) Hurray!
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lothlorien:
Is the Hoover an old upright or something more up to date?

I should think it's a full-on, bells-and-whistles Dyson - nothing but the best for the AS hosts! [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
They handed me a brush and an old carpet beater!

[Waterworks]
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I had another blitz at the ancient paperwork this week. Three boxes worth has been filed, or shredded and dumped, and a few letters have gone in the post as well. The result is massive amounts of relief, and only a couple of very ancient boxes to go.

This isn't just decluttering my office; it is decluttering my mind.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
Mrs BA has finally arisen from the sense of loss and has been making great inroads into her late mother's belongings. A car load to the parish opshop last week, and a wheelie-bin full for the second rubbish collection in a row means we are unearthing our rec room. I retire from a community role in four weeks which will mean much paperwork to the recycling bins. All in all, by the end of the year I am confident we will have our house back in some semblance of liveability.
 
Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
There is a well-known chain of office suppliers which will shred papers for quite a reasonable fee. That may be useful for any you think too confidential to put into your Council's waste paper collection.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
30+ years ago I requested and was granted permission to weed a whole raft of highly confidential social work files and was told to take them to the municipal incinerator but that I actually had to watch their destruction,* it was very hot but sort of fun.

I decided it was not the time to try the Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego gig - Elfin Safety & all that.

*some months earlier one of our neighbouring local authorities had a scandal when social work case file papers were found blowing about their landfill site - questions were asked in Parliament!
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
In my area the county will shred paper for free. But you have to take it to the designated place/time.
 
Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Oooh, melurves me shredder! It's quite quiet (one of the reasons I bought this model), and it is VERY therapeutic.

Having a bad day? Go and shred a few things and all (or most) will be well! [Big Grin]

Terribly satisfying!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
This isn't just decluttering my office; it is decluttering my mind.

You said it Cottontail! That is an excellent reason for decluttering (and more than makes up for the aggro when you realise you have accidentally shredded your birth certificate, or some other vital piece of paperwork [Killing me] )

Mrs. S, wondering if we can declutter a few computers...
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
This week I carried on decluttering my to-do list:
New roof to replace a leaking on (4years on the list)
Lasting Power of Attorney party set up (6 years)
Replacement flush on the loo (15-ish years)
Leaking tap fixed (18-ish years)

Just a couple of more things, more recent than those... hopefully they won't mature like these.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I went though my food storage cupboards in preparation for soup making and discovered an inordinate amount of lentils of varying descriptions and ages. I now have a self imposed ban on buying any lentils until I have at least halved my stash.

I think I bought them when I saw them because the closest large supermarket is lax in ordering such things. Roll on the end of the month when an opposing chain opens its new store 15 minutes walk away [Yipee]

Huia
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
OK

Now for *that* cupboard under the sink. I'm going to time how long it takes!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Reporting back.

15 minutes!

Why do I put so much effort into procrastination?
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
You're not the only one and I, at least if no other, know that I'm doing it!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Oh yes, procrastination can look very industrious!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I might procrastinate ... if I get around to it. [Biased]

Huia
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm going to do some serious procrastination.

Tomorrow. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Have just pulled out three boxes from under the bed......feelin' faint.....

[ 16. August 2016, 10:17: Message edited by: Ethne Alba ]
 
Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
I read on the Interweb this morning that if it's not something I love, need or use I should get rid of it. I therefore have a padded envelope full of bits of unloved, un-needed and unused jewellery to post to Traidcraft for their bits of jewellery appeal.

Cattyish, a little lighter.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
We have been getting rid of books and magazines like navvies, shoving boxes and boxes of them out to the church sale. It took too cars to get them there last month! And yet, mysteriously, we cannot seem to get rid of book -cases-. The remaining books spread themselves out and hog all the freed-up space, and we never progress.
Well! Yesterday I was firm. I was able to get -all- the books out of the smallest bookcase in the house, and then push the bookcase itself out on Freecycle. One down, only about 20 more to go! Unfortunately all the remaining bookcases are floor-to-ceiling...
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Joy and delight, i have a friend who sells stuff on a market stall. Why did i never think of this before? One large amount of vintage twaddle now disappeared.....
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Tackling the paperwork mountain. Again. I still haven't managed to reach the point when each piece doesn't say to me, "You'd better keep me because you might want to refer to me again" and/or "Get rid of me and you'll regret it."

Nen - having such fun on a bank holiday weekend. [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
Four years ago we sold the big house where we'd brought up our daughters and lived in community with up to 10 people at a time and bought a much smaller house. We got rid of lots of stuff but as I am a chucker-outer married to a hoarder (with whom I have some sympathy as he says that shit constitutes his memory) we stored a considerable amount of stuff in our new garage.
We then moved to Kenya and one of our daughters lived in our new house.
Having now returned to Blighty and helped said daughter to move into her own place I have worked my way through all the stored stuff and have persuaded my husband to part with some of it so I am very pleased to announce that this coming bank holiday Monday I will be doing a car boot sale.
I just hope I price things correctly so that I don't return with any of it or I will face the challenge of its re-institution into our lives...
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by MrsBeaky:
...I am very pleased to announce that this coming bank holiday Monday I will be doing a car boot sale.
I just hope I price things correctly so that I don't return with any of it or I will face the challenge of its re-institution into our lives...

You can always give the leftovers to a charity thrift store.

Moo
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
A neighbor down the street has decreed that her children are holding a yard sale a week from today. She has invited all the neighbors to join in. I think this is my opportunity.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I'm off to do the lounge bookcase.

Then I'll make a list of cupboards to tackle ...

Getting there!
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Why do I keep receipts? I shove them into my purse until it can hold no more, then I end up with piles of them in various places. Then I have a purge of them. I open and examine every one and then throw most of them away. Yet, when the question comes "Would you like your receipt?" I have said yes before I can stop myself.

What do other people do? [Help]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Pretty much the same thing, it's crazy but I keep on doing the same old things year in and year out.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My husband brings them home and immediately feeds them into the shredder.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I keep clothes receipts. Once my suitcase never appeared after a holiday and the insurance would only pay out for the clothes I had receipts for. So I keep them in a box - when it's full I throw the oldest away.

Other receipts I shred unless the item cost more than £50
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Aaargh! Receipts. Theoretically we keep them and I am supposed to check them off our online statement. What actually happens is that form little drifts, like snowdrifts, in some corner.

I prefer paying by cash, and refusing the receipt, precisely so that I don't have to check the bloody thing off later, but my husband prefers to pay even quite small sums by card, so that we have a record, and then dumps the receipt on my desk to check off.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
A neighbor down the street has decreed that her children are holding a yard sale a week from today. She has invited all the neighbors to join in. I think this is my opportunity.

... as long as you don't go home with more than you left with ... [Devil]

In the next week or so, D. and I will have to head back to St. John's to pack stuff up at the former Château Piglet before the movers arrive.

While we did a modicum of de-clutterment when we were getting the place ready for sale, I think there may have to be some more; the sort of house we're looking at here is going to involve some fairly substantial down-sizing, and I'm not at all sure what we can do without (or, indeed, how most profitably to dispose of it - we're only going to be there for a maximum of a few days).

[Help]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Aaargh! Receipts. Theoretically we keep them and I am supposed to check them off our online statement. What actually happens is that form little drifts, like snowdrifts, in some corner.

This is exactly the scenario. Very aptly put.

This receipt thing has turned into a saga. I had a conversation with Mr Nen about it and he was saying how important it is to keep an eye on the bank statement transactions and the easiest way to do this is online. A long time ago I registered myself for online banking for the account I manage (we have two, both in joint names but each of us deals with only one, which works well) so I found my login details and did it. Was then immediately locked out because the details weren't recognised. So I'll have to go into the branch on Monday and get them to sort it. I never did trust online banking... Still less now. [brick wall]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
A neighbor down the street has decreed that her children are holding a yard sale a week from today. She has invited all the neighbors to join in. I think this is my opportunity.

Are they selling off their kids?

[Eek!]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Would that they were. I actually did offer to sell the cat for $10 (she was cozying up to the customers) but instead offloaded quite a quantity of junk, clearing out the house somewhat. Alas, there is a law of physics that says that Stuff Expands to Fill Available Space.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
When the cat's away....

I dropped the NE Man off at the station at 6.30 on Sat morning. Apart from church, I haven't left the house since. The laundry is almost up to date (one bed left to strip). Technically, the NE Man does his own, but he works ridiculously long hours and falls behind. So I have done his, just to get him up-to-date.

The kitchen is tidy, clean, shining, and I've cleaned the fridge out properly.

The bathroom is clean and shining.

The living room is tidy, dusted, and was hoovered yesterday, but needs hoovered daily because our cockatiel spits millet husks everywhere.

(The NE Man was supposed to clean the cockatiel out before he left, but was too busy, so I did it, and I did it thoughoughly; all his mirrors and toys properly washed etc.)

The airing cupboard is tidy.

The porch is tidy and smells of scented candle.

The dining room and my study / bedroom are still grim. The NE Man's bedroom is Not My Problem.

I walked into the kitchen this morning and felt chilled and relaxed. Normally I walk into the kitchen and its a heartsink. I'd like to feel chilled and relaxed like this every morning. How do people do it?

It has helped that I haven't cooked at all; I've been living off oatcakes and cheese, hardboiled eggs and salad, fruit, yogurt and ...umm...chocolate. Obviously that is not sustainable.

There has to be a way that I can get to 9am every morning without feeling oppressed and depressed by the state of my house.

How?
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
That's what I'm aiming for NEQ. Tidy, a place for everything and everything in its place.

It IS doable. My parents house was always tidy and homely. Everything had a place but you didn't feel you were on an Ideal Homes set at all.

I am getting there. Utility, kitchen and lounge are all good. Bathrooms not bad. Bedroom and study - nope!

Every day is a step closer [Smile]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I'm darkly musing over how to offload my clutterers--at least for a week.

Every dish we own is piled in the sink (two chief cleaner-uppers both destroyed in bed with sinusitis). Two wee munchkins visiting over the weekend while their mother works overtime. One clutterer-in-chief being sympathetic and utterly No Help except to repeatedly offer to take us out to dinner--an offer accepted by the junior de-clutterer but I can't yet manage to pull myself out of bed and stay awake long enough.

Does anybody want a set of clutterers to complicate their lives for a week? Just till I recover and process the dishes, laundry, dog, etc.
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
Send 'em over. I'll put them in the attic room - which currently contains a little rubble and no real window pane (part of the gable end tried to fall down last week). Whatever clutter they create, it won't be noticeable.

Also, I'm cluttering well myself, since I'm back working in the lab. Last week I found two discarded planimeters - things of mechanical beauty - and, today in the skip, a small tent.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Heheheee. Incoming!
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
NEQ, how on earth did you train the North East Man to do his own laundry??? [Overused]

I think D. knew where the laundry equipment was in our old house (you could hardly miss it as it was in the kitchen), but as for actually operating it - not a chance. [Big Grin]

Having said that, I understand he did a reasonable amount of declutterment when he went back to St. John's to clear the former Château Piglet last week prior to the movers coming.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to be there long enough to dispose of the really big things, like the old (hideous) spare bed and a large and much-used but now a bit lopsided sofa, for which there really won't be room in the new place, but which have been packed up with everything anyway, so we'll have to get rid of them when we unpack everything.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Heheheh. Has anybody else got a spouse who carefully lifts up each piece of clutter and wipes under it?
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Piglet I trained son to do laundry. If it was in laundry basket in bathroom, I would wash it. If not, I did not look for it. They were caught out a few times in teens but soon learnt. I taught them to iron in their early teens. I do NOT iron.

Their father is a hoarder of anything an everything. I have no idea how he decluttered when our home was sold. Did anyone want several dozen of the small plastic tags which were used on bread wrappers? I was yelled at when I threw out a pile. He would have had more.
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
NEQ, how on earth did you train the North East Man to do his own laundry??? [Overused]

I think D. knew where the laundry equipment was in our old house (you could hardly miss it as it was in the kitchen), but as for actually operating it - not a chance.

I do all our laundry, that's been the case for years as she used to have to leave the house early while I "worked from home". And I like seeing a nice load of washing neatly hanging on the line - it gives me a sense of satisfaction.

We both hate ironing, so we each do our own (as little as we can get away with; summer is worst, with all those cotton things which crease).
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Shaking cotton things before handing out and when you take from line helps. If you fold carefully from line rather than piling in basket, ironing is reduced. Folding from line takes same time as folding later, but it cuts down on ironing and has to only be sorted when inside.
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
That's just what my wife says!

We use polycotton sheets and they never get ironed. My sister, on the other hand, irons socks.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
The kids did their own laundry from the age of 16. I did nothing for myself as a kid (Mum's standards were too high for me to do anything round the house) and it all came as a nasty shock when I left home for Uni. I was determined my kids transition to Uni / leaving home would be as painless for them as possible, and easing them into doing their own laundry was part of that. Obviously, there was quite a bit of give-and-take.

The snag with the NE Man's laundry is that he genuinely doesn't have time to do his own himself. I've just done ten days worth for him, to catch up, but he'll get back from his conference with a suitcase full of laundry. It's his lack of time to do stuff at home that is the issue.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My son would be an absolute slob, except for job pressures. He has to wear military uniforms, which must be relatively clean and adorned with the proper badges, pins, etc. And he has to wear suits for his day job, which are supremely expensive. Having paid for the costly shirts himself, he lends a ready ear when I point out to him that they must go into the wash if he wants them to appear again, clean and ready to wear, when he needs them. And the natty suits stay natty if hung up properly on a suit hanger, the seams of the trousers lined up.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
My sister, on the other hand, irons socks.

[Eek!] [Eek!] [Eek!]

I think you can get treatment for that.
 
Posted by Fredegund (# 17952) on :
 
I once knew of a young man who ironed his underpants. I gather he's now in the diplomatic service....
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Fredegund:
I once knew of a young man who ironed his underpants.

Speaking of underpants ... my wife has recently been going through our church archive and turned up an Annual Report from 1905. Turns out that they had a "Young Ladies' Sewing Circle" which was dedicated to making "healthgiving and durable undergarments for the children of Congregational ministers" . You couldn't make it up; and they (the undergarments, not the young ladies) sound as if they must have been very scratchy. By the time of the 1909 Report, which is the next one she has, the Circle had ceased to operate.
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
You comfort my soul. There is yet something to be grateful for in being a pastor's family in the 21st century!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Aberdeen used to have an Aberdeen Ladies Sanitary Association which made vast quantities of underwear for the poor. They did a "new for old" swap in homes affected by contagious disease to prevent poor people wearing hand-me-down infected underwear.

Isn't life wonderful in 2016, when our problem is decluttering because we have too much stuff, instead of not enough?
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
That was in the day when 'changing your linen' was supposed to avert all kinds of ailments, physical and spiritual. It was also in the day when everything was hand-made, usually by women. And so if you did not have a woman to sew or knit for you, you went without. (Hence all the knitting for soldiers that they would gear up whenever there was a war.)
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
... We both hate ironing; summer is worst, with all those cotton things which crease.

I can identify with that - I only iron that which is absolutely necessary. Having said that, our iron and ironing-board are currently en route and we've been without them since we moved. I bought a couple of lovely, but very crumpleable tops (one cotton, one linen*) when I was home on holiday, and I'm getting round the lack of an iron by hanging them up in the bathroom while I have a shower, so that the steam makes at least some of the creases fall out.

* At least with linen, you sort of expect it to be a bit crumpled.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I have one of those small steamers, and it does a great job.

Moo
 
Posted by sabine (# 3861) on :
 
I have started (last Saturday) to declutter in anticipation of perhaps moving in the spring.

I'm doing pretty well with the I might need it someday stuff but not so well with the this is just too pretty to get rid of even though I don't use it anymore stuff.

Finally decided to bless the latter, and also to bless the people who will find it at the thrift store. Doesn't make the task totally easy, but it helps.

Luckily, I am retired. So I have the option of putting a few things on hold (but not caring for my mother) so I can do a few days as if I'm back at work. Up, have breakfast, declutter, take a break, declutter, have lunch, declutter, break, declutter and then stop for the day at dinnertime.

How long I can do this remains to be seen, but for the time being it seems to be working.

I also noticed that the first phase is the OMG! This is overwhelming! phase, which is just now morphing into the will this ever end? phase, and then eventually become the light at the end of the tunnel phase.

At some point I want to invite a couple of trusted friends into the process for an hour here or there, no need to burn them out at this point.

I seem to be living on hummus and pita as well as homemade protein shakes.

Also, I now live for TV at night. [Smile]

sabine

[ 21. September 2016, 14:29: Message edited by: sabine ]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Calloo, callay! I have sorted through SIXTEEN long boxes of comic books, and am in discussion with a dealer about which ones he wants. All the rest have been steadily creeping up onto Ebay, and it is my hope that they will eventually all be out in the wide world.
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
Calloo, callay! I have sorted through SIXTEEN long boxes of comic books, and am in discussion with a dealer about which ones he wants. All the rest have been steadily creeping up onto Ebay, and it is my hope that they will eventually all be out in the wide world.

*sigh*How I wish we were in the same country, although my bank account would probably not have agreed.

I've managed to re-gift a new and lovely but entirely useless spice rack/carousel which takes up tonnes of counter space.

My clutter goes to clutter up other people's homes and so the cycle turns...
 
Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by mark_in_manchester:
Send 'em over. I'll put them in the attic room - which currently contains a little rubble and no real window pane (part of the gable end tried to fall down last week). Whatever clutter they create, it won't be noticeable.

Also, I'm cluttering well myself, since I'm back working in the lab. Last week I found two discarded planimeters - things of mechanical beauty - and, today in the skip, a small tent.

Oh, don't speak of attic rooms. Ours is fitted out with shelves, to hold Christmas decorations, past years' financial papers and spare china. Six years ago, I agreed to put my desk in there, instead of taking up space in our shared study. I have not been able to get to the desk in all that time. Now the builders are coming (mark_in_manchester, we have glass, but precious little window frame - is there scope for one decent window between us?). I have removed two camp beds, four folding chairs, ten cushions, twelve large filing boxes (empty), ten bags of jam jars, forty padded envelopes, a bin liner full of bubble wrap, four hi-fi speakers and at least eight empty boxes and I am only half way down the room. I accept some responsibility for the camp beds and the chairs, but I don't know where the rest came from. Daughter is coming to stay and we are going to the Charity shop and on to the tip before anyone can put any of it back.
 
Posted by sabine (# 3861) on :
 
I had one of those stools you use for a breakfast bar. Won it in a raffle when I lived in an apartment with a breakfast bar 15 years ago. Moved it to the new place, and thought maybe I'd re-purpose it (plant stand or something like that). Then I thought I might move into an apartment with a breakfast bar.

Well, I'm probably not moving until spring, and I've never re-purposed it.

So this morning I took it to the thrift store. When the employee came to my car to receive it, his eyes lit up. Maybe he has a breakfast bar. [Smile]

sabine
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I wish I'd known. [Big Grin]

The future Château Piglet has a kitchen island on one side of which is a space for breakfast-bar stools, but I can't remember whether there were any there (even if there were, the present owners will probably take them away).

In all honesty, I'm not wild about bar-stools; I'm vertically challenged, and I never relish the mountaineering aspect of getting on and off them. Then again, it might be as good a place as any for informal eating, which is the sort we do most of, and my plan is to turn one of the bedrooms into a proper dining room, as our dining table is too big for the allotted space in the kitchen.
 
Posted by sabine (# 3861) on :
 
If we had made arrangements to transfer the stool from my place to yours, would we have called it The Bar Stool Meet ???? [Big Grin]

sabine
 
Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
After a year of waiting to be dealt with, a bunch of baby stuff has finally been sold, several bags more donated to a local charity as baby shower presents for refugee women, and there are two piles waiting to go to the charity shop and tip. I have actually achieved empty boxes! This feels good.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
NEQ - I've been away so have just read your post about decluttering while the NEQ man was away [Overused] Would you like a working holiday in NZ? It's spring here so the right time of year for spring cleaning.

My brother has just moved into 24 hour care and I have just been up there clearing out his stuff. Whew! We contracted out the cleaning.

Huia
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Wise move, Huia.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We have bar stools at the breakfast bar, they are solid square ones from IKEA - not too tall and feel very comfortable and safe to sit on.

We eat meals there when there are three or fewer of us [Smile]

See my 'Room' blog linked to below.

[ 02. October 2016, 16:02: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I have two stools at my kitchen counter -- they're on the dining room side of the counter. About the only time they're used is by guests chatting with me while I prepare food in the kitchen. (My kitchen isn't really large enough for a second person to help me, so I appreciate the company -- and I can hand them things to put on the dining room table too.)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
The former Miss S has decluttered all the Intrepid Grandson's baby clothes up to 9 months, his first car seat, bouncy chair and play mat, and her maternity wear [Yipee] but only as far as our garage [Confused] whence it will go to the local clothes bank [Yipee]

Sadly I think this means no more grandchildren from that side of the family! Never mind, at one stage I wouldn't have bet an empty crisp packet on having even one (and he is gorgeous ) [Axe murder]

Mrs. S, tempted to rummage through for souvenirs [Devil]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Baby items enjoy a ready recycling; it's so expensive to tog out a child (just wait until they start doing sports!) that any tiny economy is good.
 
Posted by sabine (# 3861) on :
 
Well, well, well. I just cleaned out a shelf in the pantry that is high enough for me to have to used a stool (and I'm tall). I found a good bottle of wine. Since I'm not much of a drinker, it must have been left over from a dinner party back when (can't remember).

I think it will be great as a reward for my de-cluttering efforts--when they are done.

sabine
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Sadly I think this means no more grandchildren from that side of the family! Never mind, at one stage I wouldn't have bet an empty crisp packet on having even one (and he is gorgeous ) [Axe murder]

Mrs. S, tempted to rummage through for
souvenirs [Devil]

Mrs S my 3 brothers and I told Mum that her only Grandchild meant that she had quality. not quantity, and now, in his twenties he is still my favourite relation [Cool]

Huia
 
Posted by Tobias (# 18613) on :
 
I intend soon to paint my bedroom and my study and to have them re-carpeted. They are adjacent and have a communicating doorway - it was originally one large room - and are so configured that the two rooms must be done in one go.

Before the 'handiman' part of the project can start I have to get the contents out. I have been trying to declutter as I go, but the proportion of the clutter that I can easily get rid of is small compared to the many things that I have to do something about first.

I suspect I may end up with a beautifully tidy, new-and-shiny bedroom and study, and Haunted Mountains of Unsorted Stuff elsewhere in the house...
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
That's OK. What is absolutely fatal is if you have to hire a storage unit for all the stuff. Then, not only is the day of evil postponed, you are paying a monthly fee for it.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
That's OK. What is absolutely fatal is if you have to hire a storage unit for all the stuff. Then, not only is the day of evil postponed, you are paying a monthly fee for it.

It's what people who hire out storage rely on 🙂
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Unfortunately I don't have to hire storage, I have a garage and no car [Roll Eyes]

I am in the process of making lots of Christmas decorations. This was meant to cut back my needlework stash, as I am not buying more fabric or cottons, but have needed extra beads, dowelling and probably paint - sigh...

Huia
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
The sock drawer is SORTED!

[Yipee]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
The sock drawer is SORTED!

[Yipee]

That's my next project (well, it's on the list anyway). My sock drawer had come apart, but I had it repaired yesterday. So now there's no excuse.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
You have an actual, separate, dedicated sock-drawer? How exotic. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Not so much decluttering but re-purposing - I was whinging to myself about the dozen beautiful organza and satin ribbon bows I'd made for the pew-ends for Master S and the Lovely Girlfriend's wedding and had to leave behind in Wales, when I bethought myself of the 10 or so I'd made for Miss S's wedding and STILL HAD!

These were white (organza) and purple (satin) so I added purple and silver baubles and tied them to the banisters. They look superb, though I say so as shouldn't [Overused]

Mrs. S, speechless at her own ingenuity [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Tobias (# 18613) on :
 
They sound great, Mrs S!

Two months ago (!) I mentioned my project of painting and re-carpeting my bedroom and study. I did the painting myself and am very pleased with how it turned out. There has been a long wait for the carpet-layers, but (God willing) they will be coming on Monday. Progress with the decluttering is slow...
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I did it.

I took Mr Boog's 'everything' drawer, tipped it on his workstation and said 'sort that out'. My excuse - he'd put a cheque of mine in there and it got buried in the mire.

20(!) pens were in there among the rest of the clutter.

To be fair he doesn't clutter the rest of the house, that seems to be me and me alone [Roll Eyes] but I continue to work on it.

😎😎😎

[ 22. December 2016, 10:35: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:

20(!) pens were in there among the rest of the clutter.

Are you complaining that that is a high number or a low number?
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Leorning Cniht:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:

20(!) pens were in there among the rest of the clutter.

Are you complaining that that is a high number or a low number?
Suffice it to say I now know where all my pens went!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Mr Boogs, serial nicker of pens [Biased] .

Whereas I seem to be a serial buyer of them. I need to make sure there are always a few in my backpack so I don't buy them because I need one rightnow

I am looking forward to some quiet time after Boxing Day when I can do some serious decluttering - that is until the frame for working my latest needlework is delivered.

Huia

Huia
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I've just been reading through this page. I need to join in, I think, having seen what can develop from the basic, prehistorically useful, hoarding instinct when not under control. (That's what an academic in London said - about it having been useful in the past. I was wondering what our ancestors with the gene for compulsive hoarding did when there was very little to compulsively hoard. Could this explain all the rich grave goods - the offspring getting rid of Dad's stuff?)

Meanwhile, in the office, I have thrown out a collection of user guides for successive versions of DTP software - beautifully produced on glossy paper, but am I going to look at them again? Also removed the CD-ROMS from their packaging, and the paper inserts from the packaging, which joined the books in the recycling bag, while the plastic parts went in the household rubbish. But what to do with the CD-ROMS?

[ 23. December 2016, 01:17: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
CD-ROMs make excellent bird-scarers to protect your fruit trees or vegetable gardens.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Amidst all the rubbish of decluttering I have found some useful things including a NZ film Rain of the Children that I would have sworn on a stack of bibles I had sent to my brother in NY. So now he will get that along with Hunt For the Wilderpeople that I sent him for Christmas. The motive for sending NZ films is to make him sufficiently homesick to return [Two face] I am such an evil sister.

Huia
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Barnabas Aus:
CD-ROMs make excellent bird-scarers to protect your fruit trees or vegetable gardens.

I've a cardboard hawk on fishing line from the third floor up to the back hedge for that! And I'm not really keen on on them in a small garden. OTOH, do they scare cats? I have a persistent visitor who does not seem to be deterred by the expensive deterrence device, and has smashed through the plastic roof of the mini greenhouse.

Today I have cleared space in the garage so I can get the car in. This has not resulted in a lot of clutter being prepared for removal, though there is some. It won't go for some time, though, as collections are not normal at the moment.

[ 23. December 2016, 17:15: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I am now in an irritating state. I've done a quick tidy to clear the public spaces for visitors, and I don't know where anything is. (Well I do know - sort of. Things are in tubs and boxes in my study. But which containers?) This means days of reverse clearing to get back to working house. Hopefully I'll get rid of some stuff in the process.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I remarked casually to Mr S that we needed either a) more bookshelves or b) fewer books, and suggested a small area of wall, hitherto unused, as a site for option a).

Being Mr No Time Like the Present* as well as Mr S, he took me up on it, and in consequence we spent the afternoon removing The TV That No-one Watches, and The Stereo That No-one Listens To, from the fitments in the Former Miss S's Former Bedroom**, and replacing them with The Books That We May Or May Not Read At Some Point [Yipee]

* I know women who would kill for such a husband, but believe me, when you have spent all morning cleaning the store room at the local food bank and are digesting a slice of gala pie that weighed as much as your year-old grandson, you do NOT want Mr No Time Like the Present demanding your opinion on where this or that shelf should go!

** The Former Miss S has been married 3 years, and moved out at least 7 years ago, but the room in question has remained unquestionably Her Room - if only because when her brother moved out, and I use the term loosely, it took the pair of us 3 entire months to clear every scr*p of cr*p, redecorate, and refurnish! [Eek!]

Mrs. S, still reeling
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We have a large landing that houses an equally large chest of drawers which has sentimental value for Mr Boogs (his grandfather made it). I want the landing furniture free for a drying rack, so the drawers are moving to the spare bedroom.

Much decluttering of spare room to make space for said drawers.

This could take some time [Roll Eyes]

The incentive? An electric drying rack! [Yipee]

Mrs S - we still call it 'Boogielet2's room [Smile]

[ 29. December 2016, 14:30: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 
Posted by sabine (# 3861) on :
 
My decluttering efforts took a holiday during the holidays, but earlier I found one of those boxes that gets moved from place to place and never opened. It contained cassette tapes from the 80s!!

I listened to one just for nostalgia's sake, but decided that listening to more would send me in the wrong direction for the task at hand. Found out that my local recycling place would not take the tapes, just the plastic containers they came in. So I sat in the car and removed the tapes from the cases, recycled one bag and threw the other in the trash, sad to say.

sabine
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Magnetic tape does not age well -- the little magnetic bits tend to fall off. You might well have found the sound quality of the tapes poor, or they might have entirely refused to play.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Mr Nen got into Sorting Mode yesterday (it's an annual event around this time of year. Next up - Morose Musings on the Past Year and Life in General) with cases and boxes down from the loft. We really are determined to sort the house in the coming year. It's more than slightly daunting and I keep having to remind myself that it's a step at a time...
 
Posted by ThunderBunk (# 15579) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Mr Nen got into Sorting Mode yesterday (it's an annual event around this time of year. Next up - Morose Musings on the Past Year and Life in General) with cases and boxes down from the loft. We really are determined to sort the house in the coming year. It's more than slightly daunting and I keep having to remind myself that it's a step at a time...

I too am in annual admin clearance mode. Not my favourite activity, but at least it makes sure that the place doesn't gradually silt up. Or so I tell myself.

Living on my own makes decluttering an odd thing. Being an anxiety-prone hoarder, I have no-one either inducing me to do it or helping me to deal with the anxiety spikes it causes. This does not make it any easier.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
... we still call it 'Boogielet2's room ...

The small bedroom in Dad's house is, in my mind (and probably the minds of most of my family) still my brother's room.

He hasn't lived in that house since 1971. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I was looking after a neighbour's cat over Christmas. She came with a basket that she loved as a kitten, but is really too big for now, so I managed to declutter myself of a larger basket for her to sleep in when my neighbour came back. I used to use it to display wools for historical re-enactment, but I'm not doing that any more (the organisers of the group are moving to Scotland, and I'm getting too old to camp out).
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I have just gone and spent far too much money on a plush and cosy 'love seat' to go in the corner of my study. It should arrive in 5-7 days time. Which means I have 5-7 days to clear the study.

The love seat will be far too large, but I don't care. It is for curling up on with a good book in my luxurious, book-lined, perfectly ordered study.

Wish me luck.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That sounds like bliss, Cottontail - may you have health to curl up in it! [Smile]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I spent part of yesterday sorting through the smallest 'bedroom', looking for a knitting loom.

This is a bedroom smaller than a bottom deck cruise ship cabin, or a room in a mobile home/trailer. You can't fit a bed in transversely, so space use is tricky. However, I have a folding bed with a proper sprung base, and I had a set of cupboards fitted over where it goes, on a caravan/shipboard principle.

The idea is that everything that would be in the loft, if I didn't have a flat roof, goes in the cupboards, and the tiny corner wardrobe, and on a couple of shelves that will be moved if it is used for sleeping, so it's all neat and tidy. Hah.

I tend to open the door and put things in and shut the door. Anyway, it looked a lot better by the time I found the loom, hidden behind the side of the dressing table, which had become visible again. It's now clogged up again by the Arts and Crafts chair which I have to get out of the way when a visitor who might lean on it comes. (One of the chairs was damaged, and when repaired, the worker said the designer was 'brave' in making its parts so slender.)
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I've been clearing the study for three days now, averaging 5 hours a day. Books are stacked in the hall, papers still to sort are in three crates in the dining room*, and the photocopier has been moved from its prime seat by the window to make way for the loveseat.

Another day should see it cleared, and then the rather more fun job begins, of moving all the books back in. [Smile]


* (They will get sorted. The dining room is my paper-sorting area.)
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
We have a day, involving a demand for extended visiting, and catch up sleep, to reduce the clutter enough to access a zimmer frame before my friend's mother is discharged. My friend does not know where to start. I have suggested by the door and work back. He's run out of rubbish bags. As he hasn't used the rolls I have given him in the past...
Tomorrow I shall go over in my gardening clothes. With bags.
I shall set up a sorting station in my garage, with a large surface balanced on camping tables. I have boxes for stuff to go back.
We met staff who know about hoarding this time - last visit, when she had CO poisoning, they had no idea and thought her agency could be ignored, and work done without her permission, and blamed my friend for not doing so.

I need to do my own decluttering - just getting stuff out of the way for their Christmas visit has lost me things like my cutting out shears!

[ 03. January 2017, 00:20: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Apartment Therapy has started its annual January Cure project--a month of decluttering support and assignments to help you learn and do, and to get your year off to a good start.

It's pretty light-hearted, and worth reading.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
There is clutter, and then there is what I have been shifting. It is curious how, once moved, it occupies much more space. So you look at the bags in the boot (trunk), and think you have done well, and then at the space left behind, and realise you haven't.
I'm going to have a bath.

[ 03. January 2017, 19:14: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Penny--

Maybe it's like unpacking a suitcase? The contents expand, and you have an awful time trying to cram everything back in.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Yeah, there's a lot of air introduced in the process. Second session yesterday. Then the dear lady was discharged from hospital.
She explained, as if to infants, that it was no use having a major clear eight years ago, because it needed to be done every day.
Like picking up what you drop every day....!!!!
Money, food which would have been eatable, medication. Easy when I left it last time, clear down to the lino.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
The study is clear! After four years, I have a tidy bookshelves, a piano with nothing piled on top of it, and a vast expanse of carpet. [Yipee]

I even managed to sell a bunch of unwanted books for £50. That will help a little with the cost of the loveseat. [Disappointed]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
The study is clear! After four years, I have a tidy bookshelves, a piano with nothing piled on top of it, and a vast expanse of carpet. [Yipee]

Marvellous!
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Take a photograph, so that you can remind yourself of how it ought to look!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I'm still working on the Former Intrepid Miss S's former bedroom. I had forgotten quite how much Stuff a tidy and organised young lady can leave behind, neatly stowed in the drawers under the bed, by the desk, in the bedside cabinets, just everywhere [Help] and yet leave the room looking ready for immediate re-occupancy!

The children's groups at church may take some of the craft stuff off my hands [Yipee] but old VHS tapes?! Neither they nor we still have the wherewithal to play them to see if they need keeping [Roll Eyes]

I am not (yet) mean enough to adopt her MiL's technique of taking it all down to their (now extremely) overcrowded house, and saying innocently 'I don't know how much of this you want to keep...'

With the Dowager and her six wardrobes of clothes, however, I have adopted the opposite approach of 'well, it isn't doing anyone any harm there, is it?' - a technique I normally despise wholeheartedly, but I simply can't face the misery of watching her taking it all out, putting it in bags and then putting it all back again the moment my back is turned! [Mad]

Mrs. S, rolling up her sleeves for the next onslaught
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I have partly dealt with my utility room, which is also the passage to the garden. It had in it some boxes which had held various garden and downstairs purchases, some carrier bags from the garden centres, and a lot of dust on the floor, now swept up. Then I emptied a WPB which had been hurriedly filled with clutter from the hall shelf on which things are put when they arrive. There are some small electricals to go to the dump, and various flyers, plus things with my address for shredding, and instructions for various gadgets. All now filed properly, and a recycling and a non-recycling bag ready for collection. (Pity it was this morning.)

But it reminds me of something odd about my friend's mother's clutter. While clearing just inside the front door, I don't think I came across flyers or junk mail. Not many, if there were any at all, certainly not as many as I have. No pizza or kebab shops, blind fitters, double glazers, no charity envelopes from Barnardos or Crisis - zilch. Possibly they have been picked up and put somewhere else.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Is it possible that she's requested not to receive them? When we were in St. John's there was a whole bag of flyers that used to be hung on the door-handle every Friday and they tended to be filed immediately in the waste-paper basket, so we put up a "no flyers" notice in the window.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I have a sign on my letterbox and the people who deliver junk mail are really good at following instructions. So control of the paper mountain is in my own hands. I need to be more thoughtful about not picking up leaflets from the library and just reading information regarding new books. etc online. Fortunately the Council provided a huge wheelie bin for paper and other recyclables so I really have no excuse to have excess paper around.

Huia
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
We have a 'no unaddressed mail, no cold callers' etc sign on our front door and STILL we get tons of cr*p paper! [Mad]

Some of the people delivering it can't read English, I think, and some of those who can, can't be bothered [Mad]

What really pisses me off is the cold callers who admit straight away that they've seen the notice 'BUT I'm doing some work for your neighbour...' Half the time THAT's not true, either - they're working streets away! [Mad] [Mad] [Mad]

We keep threatening to collect up a month;s worth of junk paper and select a company from it at random, posting the whole lot back without a stamp [Snigger] but somehow we never do *sigh*

Mrs. S, who never orders takeaway pizza or fills charity bags
 
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 
In my apartment building there's a recycling bin underneath the mailboxes, just inside the gate, so it's easy to just toss unwanted stuff. The only accessible place to put flyers is on the gate, so whoever feels like it just grabs them on the way in and drops them in the bin.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
We have a similar bin here and it is very useful. I empty letter box, go through it and take back upstairs only what is strictly necessary for me to keep track of.

Unfortunately we also went through a period where someone used to drop bagged household rubbish in this recycle bin.I suspect it was dropped as they hurried off to catch bus and they did not want to take the time to take it down to garbage room and the proper bin. Fortunately they have either moved or seen the error of their ways as no household bags have been there lately.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
My junk seems to arrive via the proper post.

Meanwhile, a silly not-quite-decluttering story - I went down to the dump with my friend's bags and a couple of mine (somehow mislaid the small electricals, though), and came across a lady with a box of plates, scented candles and a coffee grinder and other useful stuff which the dump person thought should go into hard core. (Would building regs allow this? Shouldn't hard core be stuff capable of supporting a load?) So I ended up with it, washed the washable stuff in my boot, so none of it got into the house, packed it neatly in a polystyrene box that my sewing machine came in, and it's going to Oxfam tomorrow. The lady was moving to Northumbria, near her family, and they haven't anywhere to move to yet, so house clearance was in progress. Wall hung plates from all the places they'd visited, from the Eastern Med to Mexico. I am keeping one nice small earthenware bowl myself! And the government is going to pay a bit as well, because my donations are gift aided!

More bags tomorrow, I expect.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
In the US we have a group called Freecycle, where you simply post stuff you want to give away. Your load sounds exactly like Freecycle stuff.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
We have indeed an offshoot of Freecycle, which I have used. But this load looks saleable.

I despair at the dump sometimes - perfectly usable children's cycles, victorian marquetry table in good nick (the training and the skill that went into it to be shredded), gold plated radiator (??? but the men had that one, I think), load of usable cutlery, clean rugs. But you can't tell the back story, and how long people have to sort and dispose of stuff, and online disposal may not be possible.

I got a couple of IKEA wooden cubic boxes which slotted exactly into my study, apart from revealing that I could use another two - the new ones weren't of the same quality as those which would have gone into the timber dump.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
My town dump in New Hampshire had an area where you could leave reusable things that you didn't need anymore. You paid the dump attendants what you chose. I got a set of 5 Revereware pots with lids there once.

They also had books. One person kept dropping off romance novels in Finnish. I seriously doubt that anyone else wanted them.

Moo
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
There has been a recent BBC day time programme called Money for Nothing, probably still on i-player, where usable items were taken for up cycling. The presenter chooses three items, two for professional work, one she works on herself. She then tries to sell the final products and hand any profits back to the person dumping the object in the first place. The cost of professionally reupholstering a chair is eye watering.

There are a lot of things not worth bothering with and cutlery is one of them.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:

There are a lot of things not worth bothering with and cutlery is one of them.

Not quite the case down here. Years ago, op shops sold bone handled, broad bladed knives for 20-30 cents each. Now they are much closer to $10. Kept at counter in secure spot. They are extremely hard to find. I fortunately had quite a few. The blade sharpens well with a steel, handle is comfortable to hold and they are great for spreading.

My sister bought me a handful in a tiny interstate country town where no one had heard of Sydney prices for them. She tied a fancy pink ribbon around them and there was my welcome Christmas present
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Our town tip also has a room for unwanted stuff, not small things but furniture etc.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Chatting today at the other dump - the guy had redeemed a full Royal Albert teaset brought in by a widower clearing out his wife's stuff without looking in the box.

I wish our dumps had places for usable stuff to be swapped or bought. One does have a place for usable furniture to be donated.

[ 09. January 2017, 15:45: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
In St. John's (and to a lesser extent here) people quite often just leave unwanted furniture on the pavement outside their houses, for anyone to pick up.

One Boxing Day, we were on our way to see some friends and spotted a little 4-drawer chest of the type you might have in a shed or garage. All it needed was for the drawers to be cleaned out, a couple of coats of black paint and some smart new handles and it was perfect for our dining-area, as drawer space in the kitchen was practically non-existent.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I sometimes see stuff left out round South London, but I'm not sure how formal this is, or the legality of taking it - round here, there is some belief that once left out, it belongs to the council for collecting. They may have been paid for picking up a bulky item.

And the opposite of the people who dump good quality stuff, the people who 'donate' rubbish at the charity shops. A chat at Oxfam, who were happy to take my rescue stuff - though the scented candles drew the comment that they are the 'most popular unwanted gift' passed on there, revealed the depths of nastiness that gets passed to them. Not just rubbish, but deliberately planned rubbish. Details available but more hellish. a local cancer charity shop had to close because of the volume of stuff which endangered the volunteers sorting it.

[ 11. January 2017, 08:08: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
The Love Seat is here! [Yipee]

Gorgeous and plush and slightly too large for its corner - it is fab. I have plans for much reading.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Health to enjoy it, Cottontail - but remember you sometimes have to do some work ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Took four sacks from my friend's home on my way back from the dentist's - left a note as he was out, and took them to the dump, where it looked as if they weren't going to go to the energy generation plant, but to landfill, which I would prefer not to happen to it.

I have moved another container from my office and put the contents into proper places in my kitchen. That makes the fourth of the stuff rapidly hidden before Christmas to be properly sorted. Plenty to go, and not enough chucked out. Too much put on the desk for future sorting, too!

I also found a new corded phone bought for use in power cuts - which I had completely forgotten, and went out today to get another one for the same purpose!
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Bin day tomorrow....just gone for it and duped Loads of stuff....
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
My bin day, too.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Penny S:

I also found a new corded phone bought for use in power cuts - which I had completely forgotten, and went out today to get another one for the same purpose!

One of my core beliefs is that you will never something like that until you have bought another one.

Story of my life [Frown]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Alas, all too true! I found an old coffee grinder after buying not one but TWO new ones!
 
Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :
 
We have SNOW! forecast for tomorrow (with strong winds and/or showers, so a bit of a mix).

I intend to Stay Indoors, and to sort out my sideboard/dresser, which is crammed full of Stuff.

Of course, I shall have to go out into the SNOW! to put out the black bags, and to fetch in coal for the stove... [Help]

IJ
 
Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :
 
Upthread where it is discussed re free things, when I helped my daughter move to Kingston (the tragically hip one in Ontario), she bought a table at Value Village (charity donation resale store chain), free things from kijiji, and a church new2u place. That and 2 suitcases we flew in with to Ottawa. She keeps talking about living minimally. It is quite possible to furnish an apartment in 3 days for less than $40.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Our church has had a small table available, for the last few Sundays, to resell unwanted Christmas gifts in aid of our local food bank.

What seems to have happened is that people are decluttering Other Stuff [Yipee] and other people are paying for their clutter! Win-win [Smile]

Mrs. S, acquiring discount candles [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Now that is a dangerous practice. I used to make sure that I donated unwanted gifts from children (from the very cheap stall in the market, usually) to charity shops the other side of the country, to avoid embarrassment.

But reminiscent of Tolkien's idea of mathoms - given as gifts around the village until everyone had had them, when they went into the mathom house or museum!

I have been wondering, these last few days, if that is the origin of grave goods hoards. They'd been round all the notables in the area, nobody wanted them anymore, so leave them to the barrow wights.

And in a Barry Cunliffe lecture, there was something about bronze axe heads deposited in rivers, apparently in groups at regular intervals, presumably for religious reasons, or to make sure there were enough customers for the smiths. Maybe that was decluttering, as well.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Penny S:
...And in a Barry Cunliffe lecture, there was something about bronze axe heads deposited in rivers, apparently in groups at regular intervals, presumably for religious reasons, or to make sure there were enough customers for the smiths. Maybe that was decluttering, as well.

What a lovely thought - the local smiths get together and decide there are too many foreign imported axeheads about - and being foreign they must be inferior so gather them up and dump them to [artificially] inflate the local demand!

Get the local religious leaders on your side and the sky is the limit!
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
We appear to be shooting ourselves in the foot, clutter wise. Last January our village flooded. The flood waters stopped just short of us, but as the water crept along our street we were frantically carrying armfuls of stuff upstairs and dumping them any old how.

We decided to buy 20 stacking, lidded plastic boxes at £3 each from Asda, and store them in our garage. If we found ourselves in the same situation again, each box would be filled with one bookshelf or drawer full and moving stuff upstairs would become easy and ordered. It would also be easy to put everything back.

Since then, various members of the North East household have "borrowed" a box or two from the garage as temporary clutter storage. We now have plastic boxes of stuff dotted round the house. They are invidious, very easy to use as a quick solution, but little incentive to sort them out later. Bah!
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I've given away my boxes to my friend for sorting stuff. This means I don't have boxes to sort my stuff into - always need one empty one, like the missing space in those little puzzles with letters in a tray. But I have some Sainsbury's shopping boxes, and cubic bags from Lakeland which help.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Have moved on to decluttering the knicker drawer (bought some new ones, which just show up the 50 shades of grey currently available) and the jigsaw puzzles. I put the knickers in the dustbin, you'll be glad to hear, but I might be able to unload some jigsaws on to my SiL [Two face] before I'm forced to take them to the charity shop.

Mrs. S, wondering what else can go...
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
I might be able to unload some jigsaws on to my SiL [Two face] before I'm forced to take them to the charity shop.

The Senior Center near me happily accepts jigsaw puzzles. (It's probably time for me to make another trip over there with some.)
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Contemplating a house move with the next few years......is concentrating the mind Perfectly!
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
This morning I successfully decluttered most of the garage - my MG Midget has been rehomed to someone who will drive it more than I've had opportunity to and who was happy with the full asking price.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Quite a few spiders have been turfed out of their cosy homes.

My porch is now decluttered and cleaned [Yipee]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Sixteen long comic book boxes have now been downsized out of my life! There's so much room in my office now!
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I have given two wedge shaped cushions, all that was left from a divan that had to be dumped because it wasn't fireproofed, to D so she can be more upright in bed, which has left me with a gap a foot wide between my wardrobe and a blanket chest. I need something to go there to put things in. I have a small wooden box which might do to get more things out of sight, but I'd rather have something that opens forward so I can put things on it.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
i can't believe that the words "my MG Midget" have been used on a decluttering thread
[Overused]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
And I have found a stack of water hyacinth baskets in a wire frame, which enable me to do some tidying out of sight in the bedroom.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I'm about to try Give Back Box for the first time. I have lots of Amazon boxes (Amazon seems to be one of their partners), and some clothes and things to declutter, and my church is no longer having a rummage sale. I'll see how it works.

Unfortunately, this is only available in the U.S. now, with plans to expand to Canada.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Sounds like a good idea. But, after my conversation at our Oxfam shop, I have a horrid feeling that it would be used to dispose of stuff which would be better in a) the compost heap, or b) the dump.

They reckon only a third is sellable in the shop, and some isn't fit for recycling.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
I'm about to try Give Back Box for the first time. I have lots of Amazon boxes (Amazon seems to be one of their partners), and some clothes and things to declutter, and my church is no longer having a rummage sale. I'll see how it works.

Unfortunately, this is only available in the U.S. now, with plans to expand to Canada.

They don't recycle card in the US?

We re-use them in our small business selling hand made candle holders and lead hangers. Then the recipients will put them in the recycling.

[Smile]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
My large card goes on the garden in building up, lasagna style, layers of compostables, compost and soil into raised beds.

It may not be decluttering exactly, but I have just finished a job which has been hanging around (or rather not hanging) for ages, and this has definitely cleared some surfaces.

My bedroom had grey plastic venetian blinds under the previous owner. Hardly ever used them, as I like to see the stars out of the large windows at night, and when used, they make the room look like a clinic. Ages ago, I bought some track which I could curve round a corner so that, when drawn back, the curtains did not block the view, but it got into the when I get a round tuit mode.

Bye and bye, one of the blinds broke so that I could not adjust the angle. Then the other one's cords snapped. And today, I have somehow found the energy to sort it.

First, I had to unscrew the clips for the blinds, and see if the track supports fitted the same screw holes - which they did. But there was a problem. When I screwed the first support in, the screw was so long that it pushed the wall (which is of an odd construction) away from the window frame.

I bought some shorter screws, and replaced all the clips with track supports, and then added some more on the side wall (plasterboard, and thin). Hacksawed the track to length, after softening it in hot water (it came coiled tightly in a coil about 14 inches across), and fitted it on.

Then I have hung the original curtains from my last place so they hang against the wall, not across the window, unless I want to draw them across. The advantage of this is that my star view has been affected by the fixing of a security light on a footpath recently, which has shone on the wall and reflected about my room. The light will now be shining on a dark blue curtain.

Everywhere is neater. (But my spare room needs a new curtain or blind, in case anyone has to sleep there.)

I'm feeling proper chuffed.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
I'm about to try Give Back Box for the first time. I have lots of Amazon boxes (Amazon seems to be one of their partners), and some clothes and things to declutter, and my church is no longer having a rummage sale. I'll see how it works.

Unfortunately, this is only available in the U.S. now, with plans to expand to Canada.

They don't recycle card in the US?

Yes, I recycle everything I possibly can. My favorite way to recycle is to re-use something, and after these boxes have been re-used Goodwill recycles them.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Three venetian blinds duly dumped. But I have kept the plastic rods used to switch the angle of the slats in case they come in useful. (Probably holding something up in the garden.)
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I stopped by our City's Household Hazardous Waste drop-off today and safely disposed of two long fluorescent tubes, some dead CFL bulbs, a bunch of batteries (likewise dead), and some miscellaneous electronics. Not much, but if I dispose of an equal amount of stuff every week, I might make a dent in the clutter. (I did also get rid of quite a bit of old paperwork a few days ago, and shipped off a box of gently worn clothes to Goodwill.)
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Penny S:
... My bedroom had grey plastic venetian blinds under the previous owner. Hardly ever used them ...

Because you couldn't get them out from under the previous owner?

I'll fetch my coat ... [Snigger]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
My friend Hilary came round yesterday afternoon and took away three boxes of paper, beads, glitter and other craft stuff. She was - in Mr. S's inimitable words* - like 'a Kid Wot's Been Given a Fahsand Pahnds' Worf of Sweets' [Killing me]

Her husband was not so pleased when I dropped them off on her doorstep, but we placated him by saying they were for use with the church children's groups [Two face]

* first uttered as I charged up the steps of the Le Creuset factory shop in Coutances [Axe murder]

Mrs. S, disingenuous [Two face]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... as I charged up the steps of the Le Creuset factory shop in Coutances ...

I suspect that's a place I should never be allowed to go. [Frown]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Today I have discovered a problem with hurried decluttering. I reached out my hand for the rape seed oil to start the onions for a casserole, and it wasn't there. Nor were my bottles of olive oil.

I looked round everywhere on the kitchen surfaces. Nothing. I lokked in the cupboards, where I found an unopened bottle of another sort of oil which I used. But I was mystified.

Then I recalled moving stuff from the surfaces before the Christmas visit, and putting the stuff in a box somewhere else. I went down to the study, where a number of things were put. Nothing. And not the other things from the surface, either.

The box was in the garage (which I can reach from inside the house), with the bottles. I had, what with everything else going on, completely forgotten. If I had been able to put things back immediately, this would not have happened - but what on earth was possessing me to put foodstuffs out there?

Be careful with your decluttering!

[ 28. January 2017, 21:04: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... as I charged up the steps of the Le Creuset factory shop in Coutances ...

I suspect that's a place I should never be allowed to go. [Frown]
Similar thoughts about me although I have passed on a couple of really large ones to sons with families. Not much use to me basically cooking for myself.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
We were lucky to be given two Le Creuset casseroles (one round, one oval) and a roasting dish as wedding presents from my sister and b-i-l, and I supplemented them later with a set of saucepans and a smaller round casserole when they were drastically reduced in a sale in Debenham's in Belfast.

I can predict with reasonable confidence that they'll outlive me - and they certainly won't be decluttered when we move into our new house. [Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Oh yes, they become heirlooms - Miss S has two, which we passed on to her from her grandmother when we were clearing out Grandma's belongings. It's very sweet, in that every time Miss S uses them, she remembers her Grandma! [Angel]

Mrs. S, feeling soppy
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I have a thick breadboard that is a slab of kahikatea ( NZ white pine) that was given to Mum's Aunt and Uncle as a wedding present in the early 1900s as a wedding present which I acquired when helping their daughter clear up the family home when she was moving into care. I also have our family bread board, a wedding present given to my parents by one of Dad's workmates who cut it in the shape of a pig with pokerwork eyes and curly tail.

To complete the set, a friend has just made me a bread board to fit into the slot where many 1950s houses had a pull out bread board.

It's lovely having the reminders of people that I have loved.

Huia
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
We have two cheeseboards in the shape of pigs, known affectionately as "the large cheese piggy" and "the small cheese piggy".

And no - they won't be de-cluttered either.
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I have three bread knives for those few occasions when I need just one. My grandmother's does a really good job slicing and I regret that the board which went with it was old and thin and broke when I dropped it. [Waterworks]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I have two small Le Creuset casserole dishes, and my mothers' much too big one, and another of hers which I intend, at some point, to use in a haybox made of an old coolbox plus some polystyrene beads in a remodelled duvet cover. Another when I get round to it job.

I don't know if sorting the freezer counts as decluttering, but I have worked through three drawers this morning while still in my pyjamas. There are a surprising number of unlabelled things in zip bags. I have found a fish pie which had escaped being written on the blackboard on the door, and replaced it with the pork mince and apple, labelled. In theory, I am moving things up the freezer to fill up the drawers as I go, but oddly, though I have been eating things from there, there is not a lot of space. I was hoping for enough to fit the icecream maker bowl in.

(Really silly thought - could I run soup through the ice cream machine and have a savoury ice?)
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Absolutely agree re: not finding stuff.

Why were the red onions under the spare bed?

( mind you, why is the spare bed in the study?....but that is a whole Other discussion!)
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
???
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
We have "The Da Vinci Code" under our bed - it is just the right height to substitute for a missing foot, and it's the right place for it anyway.

Busy decluttering prior to forthcoming mood. Lots of stuff has gone, yet the house looks just as full as ever. Perhaps "stuff" swells to fill a vacuum?
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Finally -- a good use for "The Da Vinci Code"! And here I never thought it was worth the paper it was printed on.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
It did get me to change my PIN number. Silly me, thinking Fibonnaci was obscure.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
We have "The Da Vinci Code" under our bed - it is just the right height to substitute for a missing foot ...

When D. was giving organ lessons to a bloke who was a good bit taller than he is, he used four copies of Common Praise* to prop up the organ-bench to the right height. [Big Grin]

* It's the "modern words" (i.e. badly messed-about-with) hymn-book in the Church of Canada.

[ 31. January 2017, 21:34: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Got a lot done today. [Smile]

Good luck to all of us!
 
Posted by Tobias (# 18613) on :
 
I have four bags of unneeded clothes tied up and ready to go.
I went through all the pockets, hoping to find a winning Lotto ticket or some $50 notes, but all I found was a slip of paper that said, "I have personally inspected this garment and attest that it is of the highest quality. Quality tester number 6."
Still, it's good to be making some progress.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I have just deposited my recycling bin of the footpath for emptying tomorrow. It's the nearest its ever been to full [Yipee]

Huia
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I've been dealing with a little bit every day. I have a houseguest arriving in a few weeks, which is always a wonderful incentive.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Us as well.....it Always helps!
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm hoping that some serious declutterment will happen in a couple of weeks' time when we get our Stuff out of storage; there's no way that all our furniture will fit into the new house, so something's gotta go!

This'll be when I discover just how much editing D. did when he went to pack up the Stuff before the movers arrived ... [Paranoid]
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I have just deposited my recycling bin of the footpath for emptying ...

I'm intrigued to learn that your local authority has special bins in which residents can place the dug-up remains of their footpaths ... [Devil]

[ 05. February 2017, 15:36: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Having had to hang up the hall runner in the garage to dry again (not sure exactly why it was wet before I washed it - there's what I fear, and what I was told), I took the collection of stuff from the kitchen - several clean jars to the utility room, and the rest back to its proper place.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I have just deposited my recycling bin of the footpath for emptying ...

I'm intrigued to learn that your local authority has special bins in which residents can place the dug-up remains of their footpaths ... [Devil]
I shouldn't post when I'm wearing the wrong glasses [Hot and Hormonal]

Actually after the quakes I put broken bits of footpath and driveway into the red (rubbish bin). I am more careful what I put in the recycling bin as people have to hand sort it.

Huia
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
Yes, and I think that people often forget that. My wife has the habit of tearing up pieces of paper (non-confidential articles etc.) that she doesn't want before putting them in the bib, I tell her not to for that very reason.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making progress. [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Yay Golden Key

- me too.

I put 3 NZ history books on the local freecycle, one person was only interested in one so I left the post there for the other two. Two weeks later another man from out of town posted asking if the books were still available as he was coming to Christchurch forsa few days. In the course of our emails back and forth he said he loved NZ history, so I gathered up 8 more [Yipee]

These books were my Dad's and I rescued them from the family home knowing they were too good to just dump, but not wanting to fill my shelves with them, so they have gone to a good home [Smile] .

I have also collected up old towels and mugs depicting cats to go to the SPCA op shop [Yipee]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Yay, Huia!
 
Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
I have, in Mr C's absence, turned the kitchen upside-down. The crockery is now in the top cupboards and the food in the lower, which should mean I don't drop so much when I rake around looking for almonds or cocoa powder or whatever. I've been to the hardware shop and bought storage trays which should keep the flour and canned food tidy.

The kitchen looks exactly the same, but I feel better. And it's fun watching Mr C open all the cupboards looking for things. In the process of emptying everything out I took a car full of stuff to the British Red Cross shop. They have a policy of using everything they are given which I like.

Cattyish, eyeing up the other cupboards.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Well done Cattyish! [Overused]

I can't actually find most of the kitchen at the new Château Piglet yet as it's buried in boxes, but I will eventually get there.

I'm not yet sure how I'm going to organise things; being somewhat vertically challenged, I rather like the idea of the crockery being in the lower cupboards (specifically the ones closest to the dishwasher), but the upper ones will have to be used for something. I put some wine glasses into one of the upper cupboards the other day (mainly to get the box they were in out of the way), but I'm not sure whether they'll stay there - most of them are ones we don't use all that often, so they may be relegated to the really inaccessible top shelves.

I may need to get one of those little step thingies ... [Killing me]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I would do this. Contemplate where you would store it when it's not being used. They sell ones that collapse flat.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
My two step stools were commandeered by various cats over the years. Patchy liked the one wher the steps flipped out so the padded top was the last step, but as they get older they aren't as stable as the ones where you flip the top up to use the steps.

I have both kinds, neither of which were new when I got then, and I don't feel really safe on them so I now use a stepladder which I bought second hand. It has obviously been owned by a painter. [Biased] The advantage of this is I don't need to climb on the top step, which is a bit more dangerous and it is totally solid being recommended for weights up to 150kg (which gives me a considerable margin) [Razz]

My next project, more for sorting rather than decluttering, is my needlework cottons [Help]

Huia
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I continue to decluttered the landing - it's a very slow job, but I think I'll be there by April. Another bag went to the charity shop today.


[Smile]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I would suggest the sort that have a handle that projects well above the top step, for future proofing.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Penny S:
I would suggest the sort that have a handle that projects well above the top step, for future proofing.

Yes, you can stabilize yourself by pressing your shins against the handle.

Moo
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Thanks for the advice about step thingies - TBH I was only half-serious. D. is just short of 6 foot, so he can get things from high places. There's a pair of cupboards over the corner of the counter-top to which he's laid claim ("those'll be my cupboards, as you can't reach them"). [Big Grin]

With any luck our Major Declutterment (a bed, sofa, chest-of-drawers and one of those cupboard units that stand over the lavatory cistern) will happen soon; we had an e-mail from the lady who does the Cathedral drop-in and she's found someone who would find them useful. [Yipee]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
[brick wall]

On Wednesday afternoon I realised that my Fitbit One was no longer clipped to the waistband of my trousers. I figured it had to have fallen off in either my study, the hallway, the bathroom or the kitchen and would be lying in plain view somewhere.

On Thursday, I figured that it must have fallen off and been kicked under a piece of furniture, so I checked.

On Friday I started looking inside shoes, in the fridge etc.

Today the North East Loon downloaded an app which identifies nearby bluetooth items. According to it, there is a Fitbit One in either the bathroom, the dining room, or my study. The best signal is in the study. We have spent hours searching for it today. We have moved furniture. I have emptied drawers. Bob2 the Roomba has had to be emptied three times as it hoovers up the dust from behind and from under furniture. [Hot and Hormonal] We have tried moving boxes into a different room to see if the signal changes. I have decluttered an impressive amount of paperwork. But the Fitbit One remains elusive.

[brick wall]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Have you tried food? Sacrifice? Have you asked your cat?
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I know I sound like a besotted Cat Lady, (because I am [Hot and Hormonal] ) but sometimes when I'm searching for things Georgie-Porgy seems to go and sit right next to the object of my search.

She hasn't found my favourite glasses yet though [Waterworks]

Good luck with the fitbit.

Huia
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I'm told that if you walk around the house calling "Here, Fitbit! Heeeeeeeeerrreee, Fitbit!" you will find it.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
NEQ--

Do you have any kind of vents near the floor? Might it have fallen in? Do you have pets? Sometimes, they hide things. Any visitation by mice? Is there any place where a creature might be able to put something in the walls? Do you have a basement? Maybe the FitBit is there, directly beneath the strong signal place.

And then there are St. Anthony and St. Jude. One prayer for St. Anthony is "Dear St. Anthony, please come round. / Something's lost, and can't be found".

YMMV. Good luck!
 
Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
One of my fitbits was found under the sofa, many months after I'd lost it, and two days after I lost the replacement.

The replacement turned up months later, down a crack in the car... I, too, worked out its location on the house but didn't think it could be outside the house in the car...
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Our only pet is a cockateil, which is confined to one room.

No vents. Pretty sure no mice. No basement.

It's remotely possible that Bob2, the Roomba, could have nudged it some distance, but he wasn't in the study at all (as the amount of dust he's now picking up confirms) and we have checked under all the furniture in the rooms he was in.

I was quite relaxed when I realisaed it had come off because I'd spent the previous couple of hours in the study, only venturing out to the kitchen for coffee, and to the bathroom. As I thought it copuldn't be far away, I didn't look straight away. I'm now regretting that!

I've now dug out the flat duster for dusting behing radiators and can confirm it's not there. Bob2 is dealing with the resultant fresh influx of dust bunnies. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I definitely wasn't in the car, and I don't think I left the house, but I've just checked the path which runs behind bathroom / dining room / study and I can't see it there.
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Surely anything called aFitbit is off the Devil and shouldn't be found under any circumstances!

[Two face]
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
You may have a point, WW!

The North East loon suggested I might have dropped the fitbit while taking a book from my bookcase, then pushed it in when replacing the book.

So, make absolutely sure, I've worked my way down my bookcase, shelf by shelf, removing books, dusting, polishing and replacing. I've found two misshelved books I'd been looking for, and a lot of dust, but no fitbit.

Bob2 is back on duty, hoovering up more dust.
 
Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Ferigen!! Thank you! The North East Loon went out to scan the garden and he found it! It was in mud next to our green cone. I must have popped out to put something in it, and forgotten I'd done so. I was sure I hadn't been out of the house.

Despite being muddy, and having been out in quite heavy rain, it seems to be ok!

And my study is much cleaner!
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Very good!
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
We have been very busy decluttering prior to a move to a much smaller property. It's just amazing how much stuff one amasses - of course it spreads to fill the space available. Despite our son having collected all his stuff, oodles of stuff going to charity shops, furniture being prepared to go to the local Furniture Project, and many trips to the dump, there STILL seems to be too much stuff!

Where on earth did it all come from??? And when did it breed?
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
We have seen in our church family too many people wresting with their stuff, when they have to move or downsize. Often this is for age or health-related reasons, making it doubly and trebly more difficult to do the work. Every time we help an aged couple move a desk that weighs as much as a small car my husband comes home and find something in our house to throw or give away. Get ahead of the wave now, because you can't hold back the tide.
 
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
NEQ, could it all have been an evil plan on the part of the Fitbit to increase your step count?
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Surely anything called aFitbit is off the Devil and shouldn't be found under any circumstances!

She looked under all the circumstances. It wasn't there. [Big Grin]

Major declutterment chez Piglet accomplished! [Yipee]

The lady who's relieving us of our furniture turned up today with a friend, an estate car and a trailer and the bed (complete with hideous pink padded head-board), sofa, chest-of-drawers and over-cistern-thingy have all gone, so arrangement of remaining Stuff can proceed.

happy piglet [Yipee]
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Hooray, Piglet.
 
Posted by Tobias (# 18613) on :
 
I've managed to give away five big boxes of books!

In my part of the world 'Save the Children' holds several large sales of second-hand books each year. Over the last few years I have bought rather more books than I have read, and my collection of unread books has grown and grown, until I was regarding it not with anticipation and pleasure but with alarm and dread.

Far too many books were of the sort that I "will enjoy reading some day". But I realised that I will keep finding other books I want to read more, and that 'some day' will never come. So I went through the unread books, at first with grim-faced determination, and then with increasing pleasure: those that stirred up joyful anticipation were kept, the others were boxed up and given away. It felt wonderfully liberating.

I have given the unwanted books to 'Save the Children', so I will probably see them again when I go to the next book sale. But I don't think I'll be buying them all back again. I was pleased to notice that, once I had made up my mind to part with each one, it had lost its hold - it was just a thing, something to be fitted into a box, and better off with someone who will appreciate it more than I do.

I hope that the experience has also taught me to be more discriminating - I think it has. Is there really any danger that I will run out of reading matter because I haven't stock-piled it?
 
Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Tobias:
Over the last few years I have bought rather more books than I have read, and my collection of unread books has grown and grown, until I was regarding it not with anticipation and pleasure but with alarm and dread.

Far too many books were of the sort that I "will enjoy reading some day". But I realised that I will keep finding other books I want to read more, and that 'some day' will never come. So I went through the unread books, at first with grim-faced determination, and then with increasing pleasure: those that stirred up joyful anticipation were kept, the others were boxed up and given away. It felt wonderfully liberating...snip...

once I had made up my mind to part with each one, it had lost its hold - it was just a thing, something to be fitted into a box, and better off with someone who will appreciate it more than I do.

I hope that the experience has also taught me to be more discriminating - I think it has. Is there really any danger that I will run out of reading matter because I haven't stock-piled it?

This is so helpful. I have been putting off dealing with a quantity of books that I feel I should read but probably never will. I will tackle them now.
 
Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :
 
A suggestion, Thyme - when realising I'd got to that stage, I started to jot down interesting titles in a notebook instead of buying the actual book. So, whenever someone gives me a Book Token as a present, I have a list of books I'd like to buy. But otherwise, they don't actually get bought until I have time to read them.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:
A suggestion, Thyme - when realising I'd got to that stage, I started to jot down interesting titles in a notebook instead of buying the actual book. So, whenever someone gives me a Book Token as a present, I have a list of books I'd like to buy. But otherwise, they don't actually get bought until I have time to read them.

I have an amazon.com Wishlist that's about a mile long. When I need something to read, or have an amazon.com credit, I go through the list. Sometimes a book is deleted from the list when I realize it's something I'll probably never read after all.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Goodreads is also good for this. You can list books in a To Read shelf, and when you've read them move them over to Books Read. There is also a provision for you to review them, which I actually use to remind myself of what I have read. This keeps me from forgetting, and accidentally buying or checking out a book I've already read.

The other superb thing about Goodreads is that, at the bottom of each entry for a book, there are tabs that you can click to buy the book, or to see if it's in libraries near you. Never buy a book if you can borrow it.

[ 07. March 2017, 19:32: Message edited by: Brenda Clough ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
D. said that he'd done a modicum of book declutterment when he was packing up the stuff at the former Château Piglet, but we've still taken a heck of a lot with us.

Having said that, I rather enjoyed arranging the bookshelves in the sitting-room with big coffee-table-type books and other sundry non-fiction.

I'd forgotten just how much I loved my holiday job working in a library when I was a student ... [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:


The other superb thing about Goodreads is that, at the bottom of each entry for a book, there are tabs that you can click to buy the book, or to see if it's in libraries near you. Never buy a book if you can borrow it.

That's why I bought a tablet. In NZ only the most expensive kindle can be used to borrow library books, besides the exchange rate is horrendous.

I decluttered a lot of books after the Feb 2011 quake here as access to my front door was blocked by books, and, in a triumph of culture over crass commercialism, another bookcase took out the TV [Biased] . Now both my large bookcases are bolted to walls.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
My next major project will be my bedroom closet. My handyman is going to be repairing the doors, which will create much dust, so all contents must be removed. My plan is to take things down, cull out what I don't wear (to donate), and then dump what I'm keeping on my guest room bed. When the closet is ready, everything will have to pass muster once more before being put back into the closet. This will involve clothes, shoes, and handbags.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
This might also be the moment to add more shelving, rods, hooks etc to the closet so as to maximize its space.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
That would be a good idea, Brenda -- if I had the space to add more space. I have two rows of shelves at the top, and shelving for shoes at one end. There's not room for more shelves or another rod. Basically, it all just needs to be thinned out. (I do want to try to figure out if there's a way to add a light and need to talk to my handyman about that.)
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I have seen battery powered lights that can be hung ( by a hook) in wardrobes or other cupboards and was thinking of getting a couple as they would be cheaper than re-wiring.

There were 2 styles, one like a bulkhead light and the other like shaped like a lightbulb at a 45 degree angle.

I must say I like the idea of screening clothes to keep twice, it gives you a chance to be more ruthless.

Huia
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I have seen even better ones -- LEDs that are flat (taking up no space) and motion-sensitive. The light goes on when you open the door, and shuts off when you leave. They have to be wired in, however, so you should indeed ask the handyman. The best place for this sort of light is directly above the door on the inside of the closet -- a space you are unlikely to use for storage. The light cast from there will illuminate all the contents.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Thanks for the suggestions, Brenda and Huia. The people who lived here before me a had self-adhesive battery-operated light in a place where it shed no useful light. It was dead before I moved in, and while it might just need a battery, it's worthless where they put it. I need to do some thinking and experimenting... and of course once I've cleared out some clothes, it will be easier for the light to penetrate.
[Smile]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I tried one of those sticky-on LED lights, but it was rather more fally-off, and in the end I just left it on a shelf beside the wardrobe and used it like a torch if I needed to.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
It's better (particularly if the workman is there anyway) to wire it in. Then it never falls off, with luck, and you never have to wrestle with batteries. Nowadays they make the LEDs with bulbs with a lifetime guarantee, so if you do it right you will =never= have to do it again, from now until when Christ returns in glory. Think about it, the Risen Lord stepping up to your closet and opening the door and bing! the light still goes on!

[ 09. March 2017, 23:04: Message edited by: Brenda Clough ]
 
Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I shudder to think what the Lord would find to wear in my closet.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
The wiring would probably be very easy to reach since it's not far from my ceiling light/fan. Then again, he installed a ceiling light in my living room that was not near anything else electrical, and then put in a wall switch for it that, again, was near no other wiring. He'll have some good ideas, I'm sure. I just have to face the emptying, decluttering, and replacing stuff in the closet. Compared to that, his part of the job is a piece of cake!
 
Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
Thank you, lovely fellow de-clutterers. All this talk of maximising closet space has given me an idea for storage of files I really need to keep, until I need to shred the contents, but don't necessarily want on view in my bedroom, where I've got slightly more storage possibilities.

Will report back later.

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I've started on the household paperwork - hurrah!

I've bought a lot of box files and folders to put in them.

So far I've sorted -

Tax
Pensions
Payslips
Utilities
Certificates
Car stuff

Now to wade into the banking and finance documents.

Getting there!

[Yipee]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Boogie [Overused]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I managed to persuade D. (after mentioning it only once) that it would be a good idea to have a basket at his side of the sofa for storage of magazines. He has a collection of musical periodicals of one sort or another going back to the year dot which he flatly refuses to ditch, but at least this way they won't be making the place look a mess.

eta: this is obviously only for the ones he's reading at any given time; the vast majority of the collection is in the room we've designated as the library, where at the moment they are making the place look a mess ... [Roll Eyes]

[ 11. April 2017, 21:38: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 
Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
We possibly have too much space such that, when a friend came to see me a week or three ago, he took one look in the Upper Hall and asked if it was a warehouse!

[Eek!]

We also have a floor tile problem in there AND I want to convert it into a new bedroom/bathroom for me so I am planning to hang fire with the floor tile problem until I have the cash for stud and dry wall stuff and then get it all done together then Himself will HAVE to clear it! I'll also buy him a couple of big steel cupboards to hide things in, tidy or not it will be his problem!

[Snigger]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
We possibly have too much space ...

What do you mean, too much space? [Confused] Is there really such a thing?

We're still working out the most sensible use of the space in the new house; there's a lot of cupboard space, but how we use it is still at the "work in progress" stage.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
By devious methods, the contents of two whole bookshelves have been relocated to other appropriate places.
.
This leaves JUST enough room for the contents of a very ugly plastic box that contained sentimental family stuff (...that is gradually being claimed by Various members of our extended family.
.
In turn, that has freed up enough space to seriously consider shifting LOTS of furniture around. Thus providing the possibility of what has been a furniture-jammed-room for years...turning into merely a slightly cluttered room.
.
I cannot explain what this would mean to me, were we to be able to pull this off.
.
.
.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Banking and finance documents weeded and filed.

Now for the 'sentimental' papers - boat plans dog stuff etc.

I'm not even looking at the two huge boxes of photos yet!

We are both 60 in July and hosting a big party for 100 people at the cricket club, a nice venue, with Mr Boogs cover band playing. Six are coming from Germany and staying here, so I want the upstairs sorted.

Help - a deadline, I don't do well with deadlines!
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Mind you, at least if you have a deadline, it's an incentive; I feel as if we could do with one to get D. to sort out the study and get the computer set up!
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
We started at 9.30 on Wednesday at A Famous Scandinavian Furniture Store, buying storage units for the study*, plus some further ones to match those displaced from the study into the garage IYSWIM.

*25 years ago when we moved here it was described as 'spacious' - the cat when we had one always gave it a wide berth, from which you may infer that the builders' idea of spacious did not chime with ours. Also it had one (1!) electric point!

Two carloads of cr*p have been taken to the dump - sorry, the Household Amenity Recycling Point - and the garage has been tidied. When, or do I mean if, we get rid of the 5 boxes of books/DVDs/vinyl that Master S has foisted on to us till he buys a house, why then, all manner of things will be well.

The study, on the other hand, only looks tidy because Mr S, whose domain it is, has just stuffed Stuff into every available drawer, cupboard and storage box - and will now have to take it all out again and organise it. Preferably on Monday when I'm visiting the Dowager [Devil]

Even then it won't be finished, as we'll have to take everything out again and decorate - and that will be down to me (the decorating, not the moving everything out) Oh happy day.

Mrs. S, definitely no longer as young as she used to be [Eek!]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Still shredding - the cardboard recycling bin is full!

[Yipee]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Good work Boogie!

Today I found:

My favourite top which I thought I had left in Wellington,

My other pair of walking shoes, which means I don't have to buy more for winter (this is unusual because normally I wouldn't have found them until after I had bought the replacements.

A rather nice shirt that only needs the buttons on the cuffs to be taken in and it will be wearable.

It was like going on a spending spree - without it costing me anything.

Huia [Yipee]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I am charmed to report that someone on Freecyle has posted a plea for pieces of lumber. Oh, honey! Do I have a gift for you! Busily gathering a box full of lumber for her.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I love freecycle. I've found someone who is very thankful for the NZ history books I gave my Dad and another who has relieved me of all the WWII ones. They get first refusal on any that turn up as I go about decluttering.

It feels so much better giving them to people who are enthusiastic about a give topic than just dropping them off at the Op shop.

The local SPCA shop collects old sheets, towels and blankets for use with dogs, so even the most disreputable bedding can be useful to someone.

Huia

[ 27. April 2017, 20:46: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Our Shed has almost been emptied....was tidied up all day.....and is now resplendent in organised wonderfulness.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Yes, old linens and towels are always needed at vet offices and pet facilities. The Freecycler came and took away half a carload of odd bits of wood. The only difficulty was prying them out of my husband's hands.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I'm glad Freecycle works for someone - round here it seems totally populated by timewasters! [Mad]

Mrs. S, less than gruntled
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
My friend has just decided to walk to the church before lunch, which gives me time to do a spot of sorting in the garage, which is holding a large number of bags of detritus from his mother's house. Sorting other people's stuff is so satisfying, as it is totally without any sentimental value to me!

I have a number of large cardboard boxes which have inside them large plastic sacks for a) recycling, b) dumping, c) clothes needing washing, d) shoes, e) stuff in good nick for personal sorting and some boxes of paperwork, which I did sort initially but got overwhelmed by.

Rubber gloves and radio at the ready, I'm off.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'd be scared of sorting somebody else's stuff in case I dumped something that looked knackered but had bucketloads of sentimental value.

I'm even wary of sorting anything of D's, because what I'd call a load of scrap paper, he'd call an invaluable reference tool ... [Roll Eyes]

Having said that, someone's set up a "library" - a little covered cabinet for book-exchanging - beside the bank of letterboxes at the top of our road, so we might be able to offload a few excess tomes.
 
Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
Especially over the last few years, I have a hard and fast rule for decluttering. Much of the hard work is done, but in the last week I managed to declutter and surplus one large dresser and a lot of stuff of sentimental value only to me. My decluttering and rearrangement of other pieces have brought to light two items which are packed for a family trip this weekend. It is amazing how much easier my bedroom and study are to move about now, Pictures have been re-positioned, one fairly sturdy end table has been re-purposed and one end table from the 30s has been rehoused.

Some more things to do still, but for sure my surviving family will not be faced with a mountain of clutter.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I have antennae for the stuff which may look like junk but has sentimental value. Things have been said in the past which are intimations. I wouldn't chuck, for example, a paper with the marriage of Chas n Di in it. Some things kept to pass on to relations may have got out, but I suspect they will have been forgotten. And, if not, nice printouts can be obtained from the source publisher.
It is a problem that things to be kept (a book I lent, for example, now back on the shelf) have been bagged in precisely the same way as empty cans.
And every little scrap of unintelligible handwriting is kept even if it just looks like a shopping list.
I forgot about food items going in a bucket to be put on the compost heap (the mouse I startled in there last week must be delighted.) And though I empty jars, I draw the line at out of date tins with dirty outsides. I am not going to open them to compost the contents and recycle the metal. Though it hurts. I don't have the time.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Every once in a while (unfortunately, not often enough) I get an "urge to purge." This past week I have had one of those. I took a large box of clothing (all better stuff) to a rather "upscale" thrift store that supports a lot of good causes (and I think almost entirely by volunteers). Another larger box is on its way to Goodwill. I'm putting aside non-clothing items for our church auction; and books, CDs, and DVDs for the Library book sale. And I want to keep going.

So why hasn't this made more room in my closets and bookshelves?
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
It's a variant of Boyle's Law: like a gas, one's Stuff will always expand to fill the space allotted to it.

edited for stupidity

[ 04. September 2017, 23:29: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I borrowed The life-changing magic of tidying up out of the library - and promptly lost it in the wilds of my bedroom. [Roll Eyes]

Huia - a hopeless case.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I borrowed The life-changing magic of tidying up out of the library - and promptly lost it in the wilds of my bedroom. [Roll Eyes]

Huia - a hopeless case.

[Killing me] :


I continue to declutter, about 15 minutes a day. What a slow process but I promise to come here and report when all is complete.
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Reporting back in: We have a self storage unit! Gloriously NOTHING is allowed into this unit unless we want to keep it + we are emptying the house, shelf by shelf, cupboard by cupboard, room by room.

Excruciating. And not cheap either! But it's working
[Smile]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
I decluttered six or seven mugs that were constantly needing to be bleached - put them straight into the dustbin [Yipee]

They were however replaced by new ones...not sure that's what decluttering means!

I also went to the Household Amenity Recycling Point (aka the dump) with a bootful of stuff from one of the storage cupboards at church. Sadly the more storage you have, the more cr*p appears to fill it [Frown] Also - tangent - how come children have so many coats these days, that six can have accumulated at the back of church and no-one feels cold?

Mrs. S, puzzled [Confused]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Huia--
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I borrowed The life-changing magic of tidying up out of the library - and promptly lost it in the wilds of my bedroom. [Roll Eyes]

Huia - a hopeless case.

IME, sometimes the best way to do a lot of clearing is to lose something and try to find it--especially something for which you have to pay fines, or desperately need.

Good luck! And you're not hopeless. (From Unf*ck Your Habitat--and that's spelled out, so maybe NSFW.)
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... They were however replaced by new ones...not sure that's what decluttering means ...

Perhaps you need to repeat Declutterment: Module 1. [Devil]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thanks Golden Key, I had come across that in the past, but had forgotten it. I love the idea of making your bed first so it's there to collapse into. It's much friendlier than FlyLady who is a bit rigid and, I feel could probably command a battalion if the Army ran out of Officers.

Huia
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Huia--

LOL. Yes, I'm not into Fly Lady, either. Looked over her site, years ago, because Shipmates found her helpful. But she didn't really allow for (or believe in?) disabilities--even those of her own mom, whose disabilities she blamed on clutter, and not the other way around. (Clutter certainly can impact health; but health problems and disabilities can make it extremely difficult to manage housekeeping and clutter.)

BTW: The author of the UYH site to which I linked used to have a hard time understanding, too, and that's reflected in some of the earliest articles. Author thought in terms of laziness, including their own. Then they gradually learned better (e.g., depression can cause clutter), and some site users taught the author further. In the "Life Matters" section, there's an article about doing all this with chronic pain or illness.

Just FYI. [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Today it was beautiful and sunny so I decided to declutter the lavender planted along the drive of the weeds strangling it instead of working inside. There are plenty of rainy days coming up for inside decluttering.

Besides which working in the early spring sun lifts the spirits more than being inside.

Huia
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Huia, I think I need to visit you for your summer and then you are welcome to come here for ours. I'm trying to make the most of each minute outside without heavy clothes on. We've been enjoying warm temperatures but winter will be right around the corner.

I came here to find this thread because I just found myself automatically clearing off the dining room table instead of adding more clutter. That's the first time in a long time. I'm going to take it as a sign of health and maybe try to clear off some other surface that has gained extra items lately.

I generally have to make routines or be like FlyLady and be rigid in my intentions to tidy or nothing gets done. I think "normal" people must have a gene that I am missing whereby they actually notice things out of place and tidy automatically. [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by lily pad:
I came here to find this thread because I just found myself automatically clearing off the dining room table instead of adding more clutter. That's the first time in a long time. I'm going to take it as a sign of health and maybe try to clear off some other surface that has gained extra items lately.

[Overused] [Overused]

Having been rained off, (as they say here for sports matches) I have now come inside and am not at all interested in the decluttering, but it's Sunday and the recycling and rubbish bins are emptied tomorrow so, following lily pad's excellent example... sigh...

Huia
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
I decluttered the linen cupboard at the weekend.

I. DECLUTTERED. THE. LINEN. CUPBOARD.

I feel purged. Also, we can now find all the sheets and towels we actually use because they're not tangled up in an amorphous mass of things that we don't use or need.

Next job: decluttering the garage... where all the things we don't want are currently residing.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
That's a real achievement, Jane!

Can I offer you one suggestion that I SO wish someone had given me, while we still had a use for both single and double bedlinen? You sort all your linen into sets - duvet cover, bottom sheet, and appropriate number of pillowcases, and then you put each complete set into one of the pillowcases!

How clever is that? No more unfurling sheet after sheet to find they are all doubles when you need a single, or foraging for two matching pillow cases that have dropped down behind the hot-water tank [Overused]

Also, it makes stacking them on shelves much neater [Big Grin]

Mrs. S, who snaffled that idea from the Telegraph years ago
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
That's a clever idea, but I'm not sure a set of kingsize bedlinen would fit inside a pillowcase... not without creasing, anyway. We have them in three piles: single (for Daughter), kingsize (for our bed) and the double-sized things for the spare room are on the top shelf which is too high to reach comfortably, so they are unlikely to get mixed up with the others.

We had a small fit of nostalgia when we found Daughter's pink fairy curtains. Not enough to want to keep them, though (she's a horse-mad teenager now and Does Not Like Pink).
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Another fifteen years or so and she might have a daughter who wants pink fairies ...

I'll see myself out. [Big Grin]

[ 18. September 2017, 23:20: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
Or a son who likes pink fairies, why not? But she will have to buy some new pink fairy curtains for him, because the old ones are gone now.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I will add that if you have unwanted sheets or towels, take them to your vet. They always need linens for the animals, and will accept your donation with tears of gratitude.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
I have a large bagful of old towels to take down to the local RSPCA (animal shelter) later, in fact. I'll ring them up before I go and see if they want the old sheets and duvets as well.
 
Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :
 
It's even better than I thought - they want the old duvets as well! [Yipee]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Yes, every time I have to take the cat to the vet I declutter some linens.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Or a son who likes pink fairies, why not?

Why not indeed.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Here's an interesting take on decluttering: as a gesture to your heirs. I will say that my parents were very good at this.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
My dad made a (very) half-hearted attempt at this a few years after my mum went into hospital (where she remained for 10 years before she died), but as far as I know it didn't really get beyond dividing her jewellery between me and my sister.

As I've said on this thread before, what we're going to do with the wardrobe-sized cupboard that's full to the brim with photographic slides of 50-odd years of holidays and VCR tapes of all Dad's favourite television shows, Heaven only knows. [Eek!]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
Here's an interesting take on decluttering: as a gesture to your heirs. I will say that my parents were very good at this.

Washington Post won't let me read that, but I assume the gist is to declutter now, rather than leave a mess for those who come after you.

My sister died unexpectedly, leaving me as the only remaining member of my family. She lived across the country from where I do, and when I arrived to deal with her funeral, legal stuff, and cleaning out her stuff, I had less than a week, thanks to my boss who couldn't understand why I needed more than a couple days off! Her apartment was wall-to-wall stuff, in no order whatsoever. As soon as I got back home I started organizing (especially paperwork), and decluttering. There won't be any family to deal with this when I die, so it's up to me. (It will also be a help to me when I move to senior living in 8-10 years.)
 
Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
When we cleared up my mother's chaotic stuff after she died (a few years after my father) I swore I'd never leave our kids to go through a similar experience, and have been gently chucking stuff out at intervals since - and trying to keep things tidier.

Now we are clearing out MIL's flat after she went into a home. She still has all her marbles but has lost interest in stuff. Everything was tidily put away but with no order or logic: in a way, more difficult than clearing Mum's things. And of course we worry that she will suddenly want something we've just recycled/binned. So our spare room is full of things she may need some time: not the ideal decluttering process!
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
My parents steadily downsized themselves in the last few years of their lives. The big jump was moving to assisted living; they had to shed most of their furniture. It was then that I hauled all their rugs home. They also had the sense to digitize all the albums and family photographs, and then ditch the originals. That was hard.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Heard about this, and thought it might be helpful for those clearing out after family members, and/or those wanting to avoid causing someone else to desperately clear out after *them*:

"Everything you need to know about 'Swedish death cleaning'. It's about so much more than dusting and sorting." (Country Living UK)

It's about the book "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter".

YMMV.
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
Our possessions were returned to us a week or two ago following house repairs after bushfire damage.

My wife and I have agreed that no box or bag will go back into a location unless it has been opened, checked and unwanted items disposed of.

So far that has led to two car loads of items to the parish opshop, bags of ballet costumes and other clothes to be given to studios and amateur theatre, and quite a quantity of stuff to be dumped.

Compared to previous efforts at decluttering, this is major progress.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Heard about this, and thought it might be helpful for those clearing out after family members, and/or those wanting to avoid causing someone else to desperately clear out after *them*...

Thanks, GK. I glanced at it and bookmarked it to read later. Sounds like what I've been doing. (Maybe because I'm 1/4 Swedish!)
 
Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Death Cleaning....

So THAT's what we are doing! [Razz]
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Trying to get going on this again. [Help]

Receipts are bad enough, but what do people do with those annoying offers that come out of the tills - save £1 the next time you spend £10, that kind of thing, all with a fairly short life on them? Mine generally simply clog up my purse until I get round to sorting them, by which time they're out of date.

And receipts... what do you do with them? When my brother died his partner had to deal with carrier bags full of the things, so hoarding them is clearly genetic. I've just folded up the latest wadge and tucked them into a small cash bag. I know this isn't a longterm solution. [Hot and Hormonal]

And filing systems. Lever arch? Boxes? [Ultra confused]
 
Posted by Zoey (# 11152) on :
 
I used to spend (/waste) time matching up individual receipts to entries on my bank statements. I've now come to the view that errors on my bank statement are likely to be rare and life's too short. When my purse is too full of receipts, I sort them - petrol receipts get stapled together in case my employer ever wants them to support my mileage claims (every few months, a new wodge of stapled petrol receipts replaces the old one); big-ticket item receipts are filed in case I want to get a refund or claim while the item's under guarantee; all other receipts go in the paper recycling without too much worry or fuss. I skim bank statements to check that they still consist of my normal direct debits and transactions I vaguely recognise from the past month (e.g. there might be over a dozen uses of my debit card at Sainsburys, which I'm going to assume are correct without checking the exact amounts against receipts, but shopping at Waitrose is not my normal routine so I should remember the trip there if it's on my bank statement). I'm starting to come to the conclusion that most of the paper vouchers from supermarkets are not worth my time (the ones I get tend to be worse value than £1 off £10 - more like 20 nectar points (worth 10p) if I spend £6 on tinned fish). I skim those when the checkout spits them out and leave the ones I don't want on the checkout (I use the self-service checkouts unless my shop is unusually big). The supermarkets are the ones trying to foist these vouchers on me in an attempt to keep my custom, so I figure they can have the hassle of recycling them rather than me carrying them home and putting them in my recycling.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Trying to get going on this again. [Help]

Receipts are bad enough, but what do people do with those annoying offers that come out of the tills - save £1 the next time you spend £10, that kind of thing, all with a fairly short life on them? Mine generally simply clog up my purse until I get round to sorting them, by which time they're out of date.

And receipts... what do you do with them? When my brother died his partner had to deal with carrier bags full of the things, so hoarding them is clearly genetic. I've just folded up the latest wadge and tucked them into a small cash bag. I know this isn't a longterm solution. [Hot and Hormonal]

And filing systems. Lever arch? Boxes? [Ultra confused]

I’ve spent twelve months sorting out the paperwork. It used to be in big filing cabinets which we just kept adding to. So now we have A4 boxes with A4 plastic files inside them (the ones with a popper). When the box gets full the bottom papers are shredded.

It works [Yipee]

I’ve put a photo on my ‘room’ blog.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Every so often (usually just before I go on holiday or occasionally just after I come back) I'll go through my wallet and handbag and ditch any receipts that are lurking there.

Vouchers get binned unless I think I can use them before the expiry date*, but even then they get forgotten in the aforementioned wallet/handbag.

Like Zoey, I keep receipts from Big Things (especially Big Things that might go wrong), along with instructions and/or guarantees, although TBH they're just chucked into what we've christened the Important Things drawer.

* Last time I was home, I bought something in Boots that earned me a voucher for money off their make-up. As I quite like it, I treated myself to some eye-shadow, which earned me another voucher ... not an awful lot of use when I live several thousand miles from the nearest branch.

I think I ended up giving it to my sister or one of my nieces.
 
Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Thanks, everyone, and the filing system looks great, Boogle. Something to aspire to. [Smile]

Meanwhile, I've been struggling to clear my breakfast bar (which attracts paper like a magnet) for weeks now and must have handled the same pieces of paper dozens of times. I'm going to seek out some plastic folders and make a determined effort to get it clear this weekend.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
[QB] [QUOTE]Originally posted by Nenya:
[qb] Trying to get going on this again. [Help]

And receipts... what do you do with them?

I bank with HSBC, and my bank statements give the payee of any card payments. Cash and cheque transactions are so rare, nowadays, that the bank statements are themselves the equivalent of receipts, and are recognised as such by my accountant.

Of course, for purchases of THINGS which come with a guarantee, such as a new stoves, we still need to keep receipts.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Today I have decluttered (temporarily) some of the family photos, prior to putting Chateau S on the market. I feel bereft! [Waterworks]

Next step is to get rid of the GIN Museum - it's all right, Piglet and Pigwidgeon, the GIN Museum contains only empty GIN bottles! But, they are unusual ones like Twisted Nose, Star of Bombay, Copper House and so on. I shall be sad to see them go, but it will provide an opportunity to start emptying a selection of *new* empty GIN bottles [Big Grin] for a new GIN Museum when we do finally get to move, if ever that happy day comes!

Mrs. S, sadly stacking empty bottles
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Having donated so many clothes over the past few months, the empty hangers have been multiplying and are threatening to take over the house. So I was delighted to learn that my favorite Thrift Shop will be happy to take them off my hands (I know some places are equally overwhelmed with hangers and won't accept donated ones). They'll be heading to greener pastures this afternoon.

In a couple weeks I'm having my bedroom closet re-done, so I'll be moving the contents to the guest room during the process. NOTHING will be allowed back into the bedroom closet without careful consideration.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Wait, wait. Does the S household empty these gin bottles before adding them to the collection? should I come over with vermouth and some lemon peels?

There are a class of items which are difficult to sell on ebay -- bookcases, let us say. I have discovered that Facebook Yard Sale allows you to sell items to people within driving distance of your house. Shed a bookcase and an apple peeling machine yesterday, and am looking forward to getting rid of boxes of oddball Xmas ornaments today.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
... the empty hangers have been multiplying ...

But of course they have - leave two coat hangers in one place and they'll breed like rabbits.

Having said that, when we moved (without our belongings - we didn't think we'd be without them for as long as we were) we only took the clothes that we could fit into two suitcases and an overnight bag, and coat-hangers didn't occur to us, so we actually had to buy some ... [Eek!]

Needless to say, they started multiplying as soon as we got our stuff back. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
You do realise, don't you, that paper clips are the larval form of metal coat-hangers?

Not sure where the wooden ones come from - although there is a great hatchery which goes by the name of "IKEA" (even available in Piglet-land, I see).
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
You do realise, don't you, that paper clips are the larval form of metal coat-hangers?

[Killing me] [Killing me] [Killing me] Quotes file!
quote:
... "IKEA" (even available in Piglet-land, I see).
Sadly, Piglet-land is a Very Big Country, and the nearest IKEA is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which is 4½ hours away. There is a collection point here, but that's not as much fun as actually going to the shop (and you don't get the gravadlax or meatballs).

One day we'll get round to visiting the Halifax or Montreal branch (Montreal's 8 hours away).

At least the modest dimensions of the Pigletmobile should put some limitations on our spending ... [Big Grin]

[ 01. November 2017, 00:19: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
Declutterers might find some motivation in this: The Minimalist Game. The idea is to get rid of one object on Day 1, two on Day 2, and so on. By my calculations, that would be 465 objects over 30 days!

Could be good for a New Year project, though I am starting now, as I will be away for a couple of weeks in January. Today, I threw out a cheap and nasty 'kangaroo's tail' from a dressing up set. [Smile]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
You do realise, don't you, that paper clips are the larval form of metal coat-hangers?


The Paperclip Game

Play at your peril and don’t blame me for time eaten!
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I would so love to play the Minimalism Game with D's ancient collection of periodicals about the organ, but if I even suggested it, I suspect I'd be the one that would get de-cluttered.

[Eek!]
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
Yes, attempts to declutter organists are highly dangerous.

And don't even think of trying to Sort Out The Choir's Music Cupboard.

[ 10. December 2017, 15:20: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
D's been working on Sorting Out the Cupboard* ever since he arrived in the job - it was in a bit of a mess, and he actually rather enjoys doing that sort of thing (his mum's a retired librarian, so I suppose it's in the genes). I'm not averse to spending the odd hour or two helping out; I'd say by the time he retires he'll probably have it set up the way he wants it. [Big Grin]

* including a fair bit of disposal of (whisper it) illegal photocopies ... [Help]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I wish I'd found the minimalist game at the beginning of the month. I think I've probably got rid of more than enough stuff but I haven't been counting. Having finished the Job, I have decluttered several rooms, to recycling, charity shops and the bin, and I'm still working on it. I stopped last week to declutter a fair amount at my daughter's flat as I packed her up, and we're still shifting stuff as we keep tidying - and disposing of stuff that is irretrievably impregnated with the pong. Currently I have a bag of old sheets and towels waiting to go to the vet tomorrow, assuming they are open.
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
D's been working on Sorting Out the Cupboard* ever since he arrived in the job.

Ah, but is licenced (or even expected) to do that, unlike us Lesser Mortals.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:

* including a fair bit of disposal of (whisper it) illegal photocopies ... [Help]

Not the legal approach I know, but a workmate once said to me, "Copyright, means I have a right to copy it."

I think he was joking.

Huia
 
Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Each time I go into the roofspace i try to bring something down that won't return there. Last time it was a box of toys from my childhood, including 2 baby dolls that are still in good condition so I'm helping Santa's elves out by passing these on to 2 neighbouring children (I checked with their mum first) at Christmas. Knitting a few extra items for the dolls is also decluttering my wool stash [Smile] Putting them into nice boxes is also decluttering my box stash [Smile] [Smile]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Another cupboard decluttered and tidied - the evidence is on my ‘Room’ blog [Angel]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Another cupboard decluttered and tidied - the evidence is on my ‘Room’ blog [Angel]

Good job!
[Overused]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
We are driving to Atlanta, GA, to visit my daughter and grandson for the holidays. And we're hauling along six or eight big boxes of books, which are going to Vintage Atlanta, the best used book store on the east coast. Their great virtue is that they adore my books, and have many books that I adore. So we roll in with our 8 boxes, and come back with perhaps five books in exchange. Books we don't want are turned into (many fewer) books we do! And this has liberated two or three bookcases, which instantly go out the door as well. I have my eye now on the largest bookcase of all...
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I started the Minimalism Game worried that I would not find 465 items to discard. Now I am at Day 17, and I am worried that 465 items will not be enough.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
To the Atlanta bookstore today, and garner nearly $200 in bookstore credit! With the most assiduous application we were only able to find $90 worth of books to take away again. So now we have a large store credit there, sigh. Must come back and find more desirable books...
 
Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :
 
Last year we brought the Christmas things down from the attic, leaving the attic completely empty forever, because we only kept the amount of Christmas decorations we could neatly fit on the top shelf of our all purpose closet.

We don't have a basement and our three car garage holds three cars so there's only room for a few garden tools, a mower, one bike and a ladder along one side. We are now officially on one level floor and all the rooms except for one are in a very clean, minimalist state. Except for that one.

That one is my grown son's room and, "his to do with what he wants". (Twilight repeats to herself over and over.)

A relative got him an exercise machine for Christmas so he and I just rearranged his room to fit it in beside his large double dresser and queen size bed. Out of his smallish closet came, eight large watercolors done by his grandfather, three "paintings" by his grandmother, a dozen more paintings or wall decorations showing his father's families "coat of arms," and several wall hangings we could not actually define. His shelves also had fishing poles and other sporting equipment he hasn't used in 20 years. The collections of years worth of five different magazines, hundreds of books, a baseball cards sorted in large notebooks, a huge electronic dart game and other such gifts never opened.

Here is my point, if I have one. Most of these things came from older relatives, now deceased. Thus they all have great sentimental value for him, plus, art work or homemade quilts all represent creative work they have labored over and so he feels like it would be wickedly wrong to dispose of any of them.

Where does it all end? How many generations must bear this load? Is there a reasonable balance somewhere between the sentimental hoarder like my son and the cold-hearted disposer like myself?
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Twilight:
... Out of his smallish closet came, eight large watercolors done by his grandfather, three "paintings" by his grandmother, a dozen more paintings or wall decorations showing his father's families "coat of arms," and several wall hangings we could not actually define. His shelves also had fishing poles and other sporting equipment he hasn't used in 20 years. The collections of years worth of five different magazines, hundreds of books, a baseball cards sorted in large notebooks, a huge electronic dart game and other such gifts never opened.

All in a "smallish" closet? I've lived in apartments that wouldn't hold that much stuff.

Perhaps he could be persuaded to declutter the not-used-in-20-years sports equipment and the gifts that have never been opened or used? They wouldn't have the sentimental value of the creative work of his ancestors.
 
Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :
 
Thanks, Pigwidgeon, that's exactly what he did with all the unused, unopened electronic games, and waterpics. The fishing pole stayed, though. I guess hope springs eternal for that idyllic day on the river bank.

After I jumped in and cleaned the closet we managed to put everything back in like it was a preplanned puzzle. The room is cleaner and more organized right now than it has been in years.

However. In true hoarder form, he did go out to the trash and retrieve a few items that were already making him feel guilty.

I can only laugh. There's something very sweet about you sentimental folk.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
FWIW: some people need a physical connection to their memories, feelings, heritage, etc. So it's important to them to have their things around them, or easily accessible. If their things are easily visible, the people can look around and *see* their lives, and the things they cling to to get through it. And that shores them up.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thanks Golden Key - I think I am one of those people [Hot and Hormonal]

Huia
 
Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
FWIW: some people need a physical connection to their memories, feelings, heritage, etc. So it's important to them to have their things around them, or easily accessible. If their things are easily visible, the people can look around and *see* their lives, and the things they cling to to get through it. And that shores them up.

That's so true. I've seen these tangible memories be really important to older people. If they have to go in to some sort of assisted living space, it helps so much to be able to take some of them along.
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
I think I have posted this before, but I do find that taking a photograph of things that I need to get rid of does help. Some of those large paintings he has might do well at a nursing home or school where the art would be appreciated and he could have one framed photo on the wall that incorporated all of the donated items. It has helped me so maybe it would be an idea.
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Decluttering here continues, some involuntarily. The pile of funky-smelling possessions that came home with my daughter has been sorted and much reduced. Not all has been decluttered as some things have been replaced - such as card cases, covers for phones and tablets and Tunisian crochet hooks.

For anyone who has to do this, the smell of cannabis can sometimes be removed by using citric cleaning solutions, cables which could be cleaned required surgical spirit (rubbing alcohol) and WD-40. Vodka is also supposed to work, but it didn't clean the anorak that was washed three times and still stank. I've also had documents sitting in bicarbonate of soda. The DMs were cleaned over several days using cleaning solution, sitting in the open window to air, Arm and Hammer toothpaste*, being sat in bicarbonate of soda, surgical spirits and WD-40.

* Baking soda toothpaste may be traditional, but there's a reason it isn't used so much nowadays, it tastes very salty. However, it makes a good cleaning product.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
...it didn't clean the anorak that was washed three times and still stank.

IME hanging things outdoors for several days will get rid of odors. Obviously, you have to make sure they don't get rained on.

Moo
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Curiosity Killed--

Maybe try soaking the washable things in a borax solution? (I don't know if borax has another name where you are. Here, the brand is 20 Mule Team Borax.)

If the item is clothing, make sure you rinse it really well afterwards. Borax is alkaline, and can bother sensitive skin.

But it's really good for clearing odors. I have chemical sensitivities. When I bring home something that might give off chemicals (and badly smelling ones, at that), like maybe a vinyl shower curtain, I soak it in borax, then rinse it very well--and that tones down both the chemicals and smell.

FWIW, YMMV. There's online info about using borax.

[ 30. December 2017, 02:44: Message edited by: Golden Key ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Huia--

quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Thanks Golden Key - I think I am one of those people [Hot and Hormonal]

Me, too--at least to some extent. I don't think it's bad. But it does make it difficult to get rid of stuff.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
It has it's upsides too though. I found a really loving card that a friend had sent me right at the time I needed to hear the word she wrote [Yipee]

Huia
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Yup. I keep cards and letters, too. (Which is traditional, and some people forget or don't know that.) Handy for shoring up, as you mentioned. Also for keeping track of the history of a relationship. And good for reminding yourself "Yes, I really did confront so-n-so about what they did, and neither of us died, and I did good".
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I managed to clean all the clothing but that waterproofed coat and another coated fabric by washing, including backpacks. Most of what has gone is paper (including books, patterns and games), leather or has a rubberised surface that seems to have permanently absorbed the smell - cables, cutting mat, handles, ... Airing did not help, believe me, I tried. It was so pervasive that anything something impregnated touched had to be cleaned too.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Yup. I keep cards and letters, too. (Which is traditional, and some people forget or don't know that.)

I think that depends on your tradition. I keep very few letters, and almost no cards.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Yup. I keep cards and letters, too. (Which is traditional, and some people forget or don't know that.)

I think that depends on your tradition. I keep very few letters, and almost no cards.
My tradition is obviously to keep some letters as I have just come across one written to Mum by her older brother. Both of them are now dead
[Tear] but the occasion of the letter was Mum's 21st birthday. It was lovely to read it, but it's definitely going into the discard pile, although I may first ask the family genealogist if she's interested.

Huia- claiming back my house - one item at a time
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
My tradition is obviously to keep some letters as I have just come across one written to Mum by her older brother. Both of them are now dead
[Tear] but the occasion of the letter was Mum's 21st birthday. It was lovely to read it, but it's definitely going into the discard pile, although I may first ask the family genealogist if she's interested.

Huia- claiming back my house - one item at a time

Have you thought about scanning it so that you could keep it without it being clutter?

(Hmmm... maybe I could do that with a few letters and such.)
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
[QUOTE]Have you thought about scanning it so that you could keep it without it being clutter?

It's a good idea but we technopeasants* don't do scanning [Hot and Hormonal]

Today, I had planned to stitch the
Thank-you card I designed for my optometrist. I had decided to use my favourite purple (DMC 550 for anyone who is a thread addict), but I couldn't find it. I knew I must have some and I was determined not to buy anymore.

The upshot is I have totally reorganised two rooms and am still in the middle of putting things in their new places. No needlework done, but I did find the cotton I wanted and I have also filled the rubbish bin for tomorrow's collection and the recycling one isn't far off it.

It will probably take me a week or so to finish, because some of the needlework things haven't found their "forever home" yet and I think I have more decluttering to do - anyone interested in a large chart graphing Nefertiti in cross stitch?

Huia

* one of my favourite words - Thanks Uncle Pete
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
It's a good idea but we technopeasants* don't do scanning [Hot and Hormonal]

I believe there are places that will do it for you at a reasonable price (or perhaps a friend?).
quote:
Today, I had planned to stitch the Thank-you card I designed for my optometrist. I had decided to use my favourite purple (DMC 550 for anyone who is a thread addict)...
Ooh! I love DMC 550 -- one of my favorite colors! (I do very little stitching these days -- something I'm considering as a resolution for 2018* -- but some of the color numbers are still in my head.)

*We have over an hour of 2017 left here.
 
Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Many printers are also able to scan, you may know someone with one just sitting there waiting to be used. I find it really satisfying to have a copy of things that way. My library also has a scanner for use and, in a pinch, a photo of the letter may be useful too.

No decluttering done here lately but the dish mountain has moved from the "dirty" side of the sink to the "clean" side. [Smile]
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I'm on Day 24 of the Minimalism Challenge, and have so far cleared 300 items. The scary thing is, the house doesn't look less cluttered at all. Though some of my drawers are pretty clear.
 
Posted by Zoey (# 11152) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
Declutterers might find some motivation in this: The Minimalist Game. The idea is to get rid of one object on Day 1, two on Day 2, and so on. By my calculations, that would be 465 objects over 30 days!

I missed this the first time round. Anybody fancy joining me in a January version of the challenge? (I know what I will be throwing out as object 1 for 1st January. Tomorrow I will need to identify 2 items for 2nd Jan, 3 for 3rd Jan and 4 for 4th Jan and then I'll go day-by-day as intended.)
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
We're still throwing huge quantities of stuff out and have lost count. I'm not sure if we managed 465 items for December, but I suspect so: it's easy when things go out in sets of a dozen Tunisian crochet hooks, a set of 16 cutlery pieces.

The local vets have had three bags of sheets, quilt covers, pillowcases, towels and fleece blankets, or was it four? Another bag went this morning.

I delivered a bag of clothes to Cancer Research yesterday and there's another bag of clothing in the bathroom plus a bag of computer and education stuff for a local education charity by the door. Today I binned a pencil case and the contents of working pens, pencils and rulers, plus some other stuff because it reeked. There's another bag I hoped to take tonight full of clean good enough stuff for tombola prizes and/or lucky dips for the next fundraising, but we postponed that meeting.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
... the house doesn't look less cluttered at all. Though some of my drawers are pretty clear.

How about putting some of the remaining clutter into the drawers?

And the prize for Stating the Bleedin' Obvious goes to ...

... Piglet! [Devil]

I'll see myself out.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Laundry room decluttered - hurrah!

This job has been hanging over me for months.

Where does the junk come from? Two huge bag fulls to recycling/rehoming/tip [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
I have 4 plastic carrier bags of paper recycling in my study (from when the paper recycling bis was full). The plan was to take then to the recycling centre ourselves. Hasn't happened yet...I am still stepping over them every time I want to get near my desk. Maybe confessing all to you might make me do something about this...

However, I did make a start on my "jumper drawer" on Tuesday. It is now a thing of beauty, with all the jumpers neatly folded and rolled. I actually wore a wooly jacket I had forgotten I had yesterday. And he unkept items have already been taken to Oxfam, where I hope they will be found by someone for whom they will be treasure.
(I still have a massive ironing pile, though...and still nowhere to put said items once they have been ironed. So still a work in progress.)
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
On a smaller scale, I decluttered the church Christmas tree decorations this morning [Yipee] If I've thrown out something very dear to someone's heart, I shan't be here when they find out it's gone [Two face]

And whoever thought two-inch high glass Christmas trees might be a good plan for decorations in church - you were wrong.

Mrs. S, feeling smug again [Smile]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
On a smaller scale, I decluttered the church Christmas tree decorations this morning [Yipee] If I've thrown out something very dear to someone's heart, I shan't be here when they find out it's gone [Two face]

And whoever thought two-inch high glass Christmas trees might be a good plan for decorations in church - you were wrong.

Mrs. S, feeling smug again [Smile]

I too have decluttered ornaments! At my office the boss decreed the office tree was too sad-looking, and went and bought two big boxes of matching shiny red balls with glitter on. To make room for them a number of the shabbier balls have to go, and I set them aside to give to Goodwill. But now I have a new idea. I am going to make pussyhats for them, and they shall enjoy a new life in this American election year. If I sew them out of pink tee shirt material it won't take a jiffy.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I think I will investigate the scanning, but will do it when I move on to sorting the photos and family stuff cleared from my family home. I'm planning on making cards from some of them to send to my brother with Parkinson's (I send a card a week to keep in touch and these are memory joggers he can discuss when our youngest brother visits him).

Today however is a declutter free day and I am stitching my card as a reward for what I have achieved so far. [Yipee]

Edited to add - Mrs S - love the 'declutter and run approach.

Huia

[ 04. January 2018, 20:10: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Laundry room decluttered - hurrah!

We're rather lucky: our laundry isn't a room, it's more a cupboard. It looks like a built-in wardrobe in the hall, and you open it to reveal the washer and dryer.

This means that apart from the shelves above the appliances, which contain detergent, boxes of Christmas decorations (currently still empty), spare light-bulbs and a few otherwise unallocated teddy-bears, there isn't actually any space to put clutter, so there isn't any.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Having left my home in a pre-Christmas disarray, I am now ploughing through the declutter and organise process.

First, tidy the bedroom. In the wake of a successful 12 weeks with Slimming World this involved three mighty rubbish bags of clothes going to the charity shop. Then downstairs, where a medley of Christmas presents and wrappings, books, stuff brought in from my my mobile office and wardrobe, aka the car, almost blocked access.

Cleared the three-shelf wheeled trolley from its place between two armchairs to the hall, where it provides much of the shoes, boots, scarves, hats, gloves, and swimming stuff with a new home.

The piano stool, a basic box on legs, is actually too tall for the piano unless you have legs like sticks of spaghetti and approximately the same length. That, covered with a cloth, now makes a small coffee table between the armchairs, and a dining chair with cushion suffices at the piano.

The books, bits and sewing materials sort is ongoing, but I can get into the hall!

Time for a break. [Biased]
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
Declutterers might find some motivation in this: The Minimalist Game. The idea is to get rid of one object on Day 1, two on Day 2, and so on. By my calculations, that would be 465 objects over 30 days!

In that case I'm ahead of the game so far, I think. At least 40 items of clothing and a dozen or so CDs. ....according to the plan, tomorrow would be a total of 37, so I should be ok till Wednesday at least. [Biased]

Now, giving away one of my tea sets would be 21 in one go - if the process is sustainable till the 21st... [Ultra confused]

(No, I would not give it away in tranches - all or nothing.)

[ 07. January 2018, 16:13: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Surely if you're getting rid of it all in one go (of course you would), it just counts as one thing? [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Well, the small advantage of this forced decluttering is that my fabric stash is being decluttered by being made up into clothes, fast. I made a pair of pyjama bottoms last night (out of cotton winceyette).
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Piglet:
Surely if you're getting rid of it all in one go (of course you would), it just counts as one thing? [Big Grin]

Nope.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making progress.

{{{{{all of us}}}}
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
As I'm still working - retirement is a date which recedes as I approach it - I have a wonderful lady who cleans for me. Came back to find all my decluttering/tidying had somehow acquired the gleam of cleanth* which made it look very good indeed.

Now for the rambunctious sewing corner.

* As opposed to filth.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Cool, jacobsen! [Smile]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I'm not sure about all this decluttering. One of the art supplies I found was Jac paper - which is like a sheet of double sided sellotape. I though about biffing it and put it in the possible pile, now someone has suggested I get some for a block mounting some photos.

The point is the block mounting is something I've never done before (I just want to do a few family photos). So now I'm wondering what I may got rid of that I may want in the future. I know I can't allow for all possibilities, but I'd kick myself if I had already passed it on.

Huia - trying not to be paralyzed by lack of clairvoyance.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I'm not sure about all this decluttering.
- snip -
So now I'm wondering what I may got rid of that I may want in the future. I know I can't allow for all possibilities, but I'd kick myself if I had already passed it on.

Not to worry, Huia. It'll come in handy even if you never use it!
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
I'm not sure about all this decluttering. One of the art supplies I found was Jac paper - which is like a sheet of double sided sellotape. I though about biffing it and put it in the possible pile, now someone has suggested I get some for a block mounting some photos.

The point is the block mounting is something I've never done before (I just want to do a few family photos). So now I'm wondering what I may got rid of that I may want in the future. I know I can't allow for all possibilities, but I'd kick myself if I had already passed it on.

Huia - trying not to be paralyzed by lack of clairvoyance.

I’ve still got a sheaf of blotting paper I bought in 1973. It’s survived every declutter and is still in its original packing.

[Big Grin]
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
My sewing corner has been whipped into shape, and I can see the dresser at last. [Yipee]
 
Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
I've decided this year I'm going to take decluttering more seriously, but not get too obsessive about it. I've tried 'room at a time' kind of things before and it's not worked for me, so this year I'm just going to commit to do at least one decluttery thing a week. Last week I sorted a bag of clothes from my wardrobe for the charity shop. Not sure yet what this year's will be, but I'm thinking possibly about sorting out a bag of stuff for shredding.

Having said 'room at a time' doesn't work for me, though, the fact remains that I do have a "room of doom" (it's a spare room, my office, drying clothes space and general dumping ground). So separately from the 'thing a week' decluttering, I'll also do a 'thing a week' specifically for that room. A big priority is to dig out the scanner and get it working, so I can scan all the articles I printed out for my PhD and then put the actual articles in the recycling. That will make a ton of space.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
As we're actually at the stage of getting Memoranda of Sale both for our sale and purchase, I took a slightly horrified look at all the STUFF we own (regardless of the fact that much of it has been pushed into cupboards etc just to get it out of the way for viewings, there's still an inordinate amount).

Cue decluttering of the easy stuff, i.e. clothes. All my evening clothes, only worn this many a year to MC the annual concert - men have it easy, a new bow tie and everyone thinks they're Beau Brummel [Killing me] All my work suits - like, 3 of them, one over 25 years old but still in good nick. Two wetsuits, one Miss S's and one mine.

And boots. And handbags. And - even easier - jigsaw puzzles. Not even scratched the surface!

Praise the Lord, our vendors are leaving the wardrobes [Overused]

Mrs. S, wringing her hands
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
... Praise the Lord, our vendors are leaving the wardrobes ...

You mean you're just going to relocate all your STUFF to your new house? [Devil]
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
No, definitely not!

On the subject of decluttering, the last two Januaries our church has held a sort of bring-and-buy sale after morning service, for unwanted Christmas presents. It takes no work from anyone - people bring stuff along and other people buy it.

This year, £200 has been banked for the local food bank/city mission; what's left goes to their charity shop [Yipee]

Has to be the best and easiest way of making money from old tat, ever!

Mrs. S, wondering if it shouldn't run all year round [Devil]
 
Posted by SusanDoris (# 12618) on :
 
What an interesting topic! I have never looked at
it before, but have just browsed through the last two pages. I throw everything away - probably too much!!

[ 22. January 2018, 18:13: Message edited by: SusanDoris ]
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
The equipment and materials I have been saving from the work skip, and playing with / saying I'm going to sell for charity - have started to be sold for charity. But gosh, it takes some time. Thank goodness for the local vegan wholefood cooperative (!) who offer their cardboard to customers for nothing. Between them and Hermes, things are happening.

Anyone (UK) have a church in need of a big PA amplifier - 150W (morning service) or 800W (fairly serious disco) - which they'd consider buying for a Christian Aid donation? [Smile]

I need to get moving - at work they're talking about knocking our building down. The waste will be monstrous, and I'll be helpless in the face of it. Got to make some room in advance!
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I have discovered a previously hidden "treasure trove" of junk in my spare bedroom. (the cat hid under the divan when I needed to take her to the vet so I removed the drawers). Amongst other stuff there were several rolls of brown paper, two unused. I put one unused roll on freecycle and within hours had 5 replies!!!

I wish all my decluttered objects were in such high demand.

Huia
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Mark, do they have Facebook Yard Sale in the UK? (To check, go onto your Facebook page and put the phrase 'yard sale YourTownName' into the search window.)
Or do they have Craigslist? How about Freecycle? Those are the places I'd go to sell/give away stuff without stress.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
First lot of clothes to a charity shop this morning, regardless of the fact that it was tiddling down with rain [Yipee]

Also, a box of books sorted for onward transmission; and a bootful of stuff actually to go to the dump [Yipee] [Yipee]

Mr. S has decimated (at least!) all the computer stuff he keeps for mending Other People's Computers, and I have sorted an enormous batch of Stuff for the jumble sale [Yipee] [Yipee]

Maybe we'll be able to afford the removers after all [Two face]

Mrs. S, getting into practice for the Dowager's house
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:

Mrs. S, getting into practice for the Dowager's house

Other people's houses are easier in my experience - unless it is your childhood home - then it's a total nightmare. [Two face]

We found DDT in my mother's cousins' place [Eek!]

Huia
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
A set of golf clubs and trolley, and a second load of clothes and bric a brac to the charity shops; a car load of genuine cr*p to the dump. We're making progress, but sadly unearthed another load of Master S's STUFF that he's squirrelled away in one of our lofts [Mad]

Also have sorted through the under-stairs cupboard *hallelujah* only to discover two saxophones and a guitar that aren't ours [Mad]

Mrs. S, who feels that attics should be abolished
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I traced the faint smell of cannabis in the kitchen to a real stench inside the cleaning cupboard, which has now been thoroughly decluttered. I will even be able to fit the vacuum cleaner in there. (It's one of those taller usual kitchen cabinets, the vacuum cleaner more or less fills the cupboard.) Lots of gardening stuff going to the charity where I am currently working (where a slight whiff of cannabis will not be a problem).

That one irritates me because we guess it's all picked up the smell from the environment, nothing has been put in there, no reason for anything smelling and it was fine when I got a folding chair out a month ago.

Sadly another pile of stuff out my daughter's wardrobe, some of which is being washed, again, but the scarves and belts are going to benefit the charity shops. She is currently making trousers so she has some to wear.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Decluttering continues apace here at Chateau S. We made another trip to the dump, but now Mr. S has had the bright idea of putting up lists in church of things we need to get rid of (the sale or wanted board is part of our eco-church credentials and is worth having, at last!). So far we have decluttered

Next up - two ladies' wetsuits!

Mrs. S, becoming obsessive
 
Posted by Zoey (# 11152) on :
 
During a recent period of leave from work, I did more loads of laundry in a short space of time than I might otherwise manage in 6 months or so. As a result, I have realised that I own dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of pairs of black tights.

I can think of two possible explanations:

1) Whenever I am due in court for work, which often occurs after a generally hectic period when I'm not particularly up-to-speed with my laundry, I go grocery shopping and think to myself, "I'm in court tomorrow / on Thursday / next week. I must make sure I have some decent tights." And I therefore buy a couple of packets of black tights not realising how many decent and serviceable pairs I already have at home.

2) The black tights are secretly breeding in their storage box under my bed.

Given just how many pairs I now find I have, I'm not convinced that option 2 is much more bonkers than option 1 as an explanation.

My plan to tackle the black-tights takeover shall be as follows:

*) Any holey, laddered or uncomfortable black tights to be immediately banished to the Old Tights bag for use as dusters, gardening equipment, etc.

*) No more black tights to be bought until I can vouch that I definitely have less than 14 serviceable pairs already in my possession. Given that this may take some months or years to achieve, I am expecting to save some pennies on the black-tights buying front.

Are there any other items which can result in such large but accidental and unobserved stockpiles? I don't keep excessive supplies of toiletries, loo rolls, etc, and don't seem to have as much of an issue with tan / nude tights compared to black ones. But how have I gone all this time and only now realised that the number of pairs of black tights I own is bonkers and far beyond what I need?
 
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Zoey, I am sure you are correct in choosing option 2 from your possibilities.

The problem is the bed. They breed under the bed in tha dark where you can’t easily see them. How do I know? I have boxes of sock yarn and another of lace weight under my bed. On the few occasions I open the boxes, there is always some I do not remember.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I am sorry to report that I have on occasion bought a book that I already own.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I declutter a cupboard in my mother's cousin's laundry and found a huge collection of rubber gloves. She was really embarrassed until I mentioned my equally large number of light bulbs [Hot and Hormonal] .

Now that the eco friendly bulbs last much longer I only keep two spares.

But we won't even mention my needlework stash...

Huia
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
We found what at first looked like a lifetime's supply of light bulbs when we moved into our house, but it turned out that most of them are the large-size ones that you get on multiple-bulb bathroom light fittings. That's fine and dandy, as we have two bathrooms, but the bulbs that have blown since we moved in have been ones that fit other lights. Murphy's Law, eh?

At least, when the bathroom ones start to blow we'll be well prepared.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Following a rat invasion in my loft, I've hardly ever been up there to see what I'm still hoarding. The rats were got rid of, but the aversion remains.
 
Posted by Fredegund (# 17952) on :
 
My problem is washing up sponges. They get pushed to the back of the horrible cupboard in the Futility, where they join forces with the elderly mildew-cleaner and the linseed oil. It isn't pretty
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I try not to have more than one washing-up sponge on the go at any one time; when it gets beyond a joke it gets binned and a new one takes its place.

They tend to last a long time in our house, as everything that can go in the dishwasher, does.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Do you also cook whole salmon (duly wrapped in kitchen foil) in the dishwasher? I'm told it works well.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
So I've heard, but D. doesn't like fish (apart from F&C), so it's not really something I'd cook at all.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
I've lost my wool stash! OK, so I did tidy up, to enormous self-congratulation. But where did I tidy the wool? In a small house it should not be possible to lose it.

Borrowers, beware
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
How -large- was the stash?

Knitters plagued with moth can kill the pests by loading all the yarn into plastic bags and tying them up tight. Then you either put the bags out in the cold (if it's winter) or the sun (in hot climates). You need to do this for three weeks or so, so that all the eggs and larvae freeze (or bake) to death. The grave danger is that some kindly family member will put all those garbage bags out for the trash collection! I hope that no one has accidentally thrown your stash away.
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
Brenda

Three weeks of consistent weather cold or warm enough to do that in the UK is the stuff of legends. Oh the joys of living on an island in the Gulf Stream

Jengie
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Jacobsen, it's a little known fact that there is a thriving colony of Borrowers that migrated here some years ago. It's the only explanation I can find for things disappearing into a black hole on a regular basis.

Good luck with finding the stash.

Or you could always go out and acquire more [Two face]

Huia

[ 13. February 2018, 17:12: Message edited by: Huia ]
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Huia, dear, go and wash your mouth out with soap. This is a de-cluttering thread, not a re-cluttering one.

[Devil]
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
The Black Hole into which things mysteriously disappear would make an interesting decluttering project, if one could only find it.

If anyone does, please could I have my wool stash back? [Waterworks]
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Humble apologies Piglet. I was really describing how I frequently fall from the path of righteousness [Hot and Hormonal]

I have discovered an op shop that sells needlework material, so now I have somewhere to declutter to, and the local ambulance service will benefit. A win all round. The biggest obstacle will be organising myself, but the Easter school holidays will give me some time to do that.

Hope you find your stash Jacobsen.

Huia - penitent backslider
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
This week's decluttering has included my wardrobe, chest of drawers and "jewellery" drawer. There are things that have picked up the funky smell that come into the category of don't wear, not bothered, probably should have been decluttered sooner. Others are very irritating: I really would like one of my (2) swimming costumes to come clean, in the same way that I would have liked to have kept more than one of my bras and not be washing brand new, not worn knickers and socks.
 
Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Is it possible that your bathing-costume might lose the whiff once it's done a few lengths of a chlorinated swimming-pool?

Just a thought.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Probably the whiff off chlorine is just as bad.

Even better than decluttering; today I managed not to buy some even weave material for a stitching project and came home and found a piece that is even more suitable that the material I was considering, and it's exactly the right size so no wastage [Yipee]

As far as the material in my stash goes, the Library is organising "The Great Stash Swap" in which crafters bring items from their stash and can take items others bring. No money changes hands.

First swap is over the other side of town, second will be at my local library. I intend going to both - wearing a blindfold if necessary

I figure I will be able to dump stuff and run.

Huia - phantom stash dumper [Biased]
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
If you see my wool stash, do let me know. [Biased]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Ah well, neither swimming costume survived*, nor have a couple of pairs of work shoes, my slippers, flip flops, most of my belts or 90% of my arts / crafts stash (paints, brushes, acrylic and cartridge paper, any unframed acrylic paintings). I did manage to save a few photographs. They were in stacking crates without lids, mostly under my bed - 5 crates down to about 2 half crates that I will probably be able to pack away into the filing cabinet later. It's a pain as I was planning to make cards from the saved recycled paper with Guides next week and that collection has gone.

My summer clothes went - stored in a case on top of the wardrobe, case and contents had all absorbed the whiff and nothing came clean when I tried.

Next source of horrors is the filing cabinet. I cleared out one whiffy drawer last night partially, because, whether it smells or not, I need my birth certificate. I have another funky drawer to tackle this morning.

Bored now, very, very bored now.

*one may have come clean swimming in a chlorinated swimming pool but I would not have been well as a result. I stopped swimming when I started reacting too badly to chlorine. When I'm trying to get the flat clean enough for my daughter to stop reacting to the weed in the atmosphere and give the 4 x recommended dose of anti-histamines and steroids she's on a chance of working, I'm trying to get stuff clean or out fast.
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
There comes a time when the labor of trying to clean an item is not worth it. Cheaper, faster, easier, to buy a new swimsuit.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
You are right, Curiosity. Speed is the priority here before you go quite mad. Saving yourself hassle is a worthy aim.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have a deep shelf in the study which I haven’t looked under for four years - time to face the clutter!

[Eek!]
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I now have a powerful motivation to declutter. My son has announced that he is deploying, with the US Army Reserve. This means that we will have difficulty staying in this house, without a strong young man to do the snow-shoveling, leaf-raking and other brute labor chores. My goal is to persuade my son to hire a storage unit and move everything he wants to keep into it before he leaves the nest. We will dispose of some of the remainder and move the rest into a smaller place. I believe I have one year to accomplish this.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Good grief, Brenda - that's a pretty drastic way of getting motivated to declutter!
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
There is stuff I'm quite glad I'm decluttering. The sofa that went last week I've wanted to get rid of for a while. And I needed a boot up the backside to go through paperwork and get rid of out of date stuff.
 
Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well, we've just been out in a snowstorm (or what passes for a snowstorm down here in the soft South). We identified a load of electronics from the loft and offered them on the church 'For Sale and Wanted' board - but the person who said they might want this small stereo system kept not turning up, so we put it on Freecycle. Same thing happened again. Twice.

This morning the Church office sent out an email from the Mission to Seafarers, asking among other things if anyone had a CD player surplus to requirements. One phone call - and a short but exciting trip into town - later, and the stereo is theirs. Must have been Someone's intention all along, I think.

Mrs. S, happy to see it go to a good home [Yipee]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Bookshelves - OK so I started with four tall, two small bookshelves and piles of books, which probably doesn't sound extreme to anyone here, but it's usually what people mention when they come into the flat. The current method of decluttering means far more than I would necessarily have chosen is going out and I *should* be able to fit everything on the bookshelves. I reduced the books on one bookshelf from three shelves to one yesterday -
but it means I can put the maps away together (full shelf of maps). Two big bags went out to the charity shop yesterday, plus a few really tatty books into the bin. I have another three bags in the bathroom from last night's going through one of the big shelves (one to go to the church, another full of books suitable for one or other of my previous work places and a third for the charity shop or throwing away) and another pile I would like to keep stacked up to have a go at cleaning. And I still need to go through another two bookshelves. It is surprising how many books can be stacked in a bookshelf having had them out across the floor.

I did pull the bookshelves out and cleaned behind them. I had my daughter's school creations on display on top of one bookshelf. The pottery had absorbed the funky whiff so is being binned to cheers from my daughter.
 


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