Not quite a horder - decluttering
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lucy88, I have computer software that I think was for computers that were "new" in 1996! Why have I saved them? I think they went to the old 386(?) machines. Well, they are going in the trash right now.
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I am preparing to teach a course on pharmacogenomics this fall, and wanted to confirm the Y chromosome thing: it has the fewest number of genes on it in the entire human chromosome: 70-200, and the lowest density of genes per million base pairs of DNA at 2. 3. The X chromosome has 900-1400 genes, and 7.4 genes per million base pairs of DNA. I think that explains A LOT about men!!!
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Patoo, I know what you mean. What did I think I was going to do with that Windows 95 disk after the following Windows programs became obsolete? Do we think some kind of Windows 95 emergency will come up? I don't understand how we think about the accumulation of stuff.
n3ypb,This gene thing does explain a lot. Men should have never been given the vote!
This may explain that never wanting to ask directions thing. My husband hoards empty bottles of deodorant, empty tubes of toothpaste, etc. He just puts the empties back in his cabinet.My 22 year-old niece came over so she could help de-clutter and maybe take home any "vintage" fashion I was throwing out. I came across two pair of hideous shoulder pads--as in the 1980s Dynasty TV show. My niece asked me what they were and why would anyone wear shoulder pads. Did I think I would wear them even if they did come back in style? I threw them out but I had a twinge. They were almost brand new. LOL.
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Spent - er, invested - 12 hours with a paid helper this week, and I now have 3 rooms that are fully functional: studio/office, exercise room, guest room. Got rid of tons of stuff, condensed some things into single boxes, and pulled some of my "memories" out of boxes and am actually displaying them as a decorating touch. I have never been much on the Martha Stewart decorating, but it was kind of nice to see some of my most treasured possessions rather than just stashing them away in a box somewhere.
Also got rid of the hair/wig stuff - donated to the local cancer group.
About that outdated computer stuff.... well, that is another project for another day! Thanks for the reminders Pattoo and Lucy88!
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Going off on our vacation tomorrow! I de-cluttered and cleaned 5 shelves in the kitchen and am emptying the fridge and the freezer. Anything not eaten by tomorrow needing refrigeration will be thrown away! Figure we need to cut our carbon footprint in the house while we're away (not that we can compensate for all the flying).
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Sold more stuff at a flea market on Saturday so got rid of more things. Was with a friend who was not happy that I was practically giving stuff away. As far as I am concerned it's just stuff sitting around, cluttering up space and it has no sentimental value. Much of it I also did not pay for as it came from my aunt's estate (QVC buys). And there's still lots left over. I've decided on maybe 2 more garage/yard sales or flea markets and then whatever is left gets packed up and off to Goodwill, the Salvation Army or some other charity.. My goal is to have it all gone by the end of October.
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Nice going, Patoo!
My organizer helper is coming today for 4 hours. We made good progress last week, are putting everything I need to "think about" or "consult with DH' on before moving it out into one room that is "in my face" so it will be the last area to get finished, and the one that will not get ignored!
Today we will tackle "my desk." Ugh. And maybe the kitchen and dining room. How many sets of dishes is one person allowed to have???? I just LOVE my various sets, but cannot see why I "need" so many, but each really DOES have a purpose I tell myself!
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My organizer didn't come today.
So I tackled my utility room and got the food pantry organized. Just ran out of steam when I got to the other cabinet where I store cleaning and laundry supplies.
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Ya'll are all doing so well; I keep plugging away, one shelf, bag or box at a time. I still haven't tackled my shed.
One hint for the things you keep or want to pass on to your family someday, things that are of sentimental or familial "value" -- if you write a few lines about the object and put the note with the keeper-item, then those that come after you will get its meaning. We have done this in my family for generations, so that some items now have several women's handwriting on their accompanying note/s as things pass through hands over the years. It has been one way to connect the generations with a sense of family history. The youngsters are generally fascinated by "the old handwriting" if nothing else...
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Linda, I can see being attached if they are sentimental, passed down as Lost_Creek wrote but if not, if you just have them because you like them then it begs to answer your question of how many sets are enough? Why not one everyday and one "special" occasion? Or do you have a set for different holidays as well? Someone sonewhere, sometime, I read I don't know where, said to use your "good" stuff everyday because you deserve it. Wear your best perfume to Walmart because the cashier's can appreciate a nice fragrance. Wear your good jewelry to the supermarket - tomorrow is not promised. So I no longer hold any possession as any more 'special' than other items and use/wear them whenever I darn well please. JMHO.
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Patoo, you are so right! I do have holiday set that I just have for fun. I have melmac set (from 1960) that my mom used every day, and it doesn't break if you drop it, so I use it for eating outdoors. I have a sort of dual set for everyday, each has 4 place settings, and it seems we use all of them before I run the dishwasher! And I have one 4-place setting that is just plain pretty and I like it, it does NOT go into the dishwasher, and I use it about twice a year. And I have the set that we got as a wedding gift, not a pattern either of us would have chosen, but it was given to us by my DFI, and it is tough to part with because he chose it for us, and I use it about twice a year. And finally, I have the gorgeous china from my DH's grandmother - and I never use it. So I either need to use all of these, rotate them or something, or find them a new home. *sigh* I truly KNOW what I should do, and cannot figure out why it is so hard for me to get rid of dishes. I do much better with clothes and furniture.
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Found my desk today!!!!!
Decided to not worry about the dishes right now - they all have homes and the paper clutter was making me crazy, so today, 4 hours later, my desk is neat and tidy, and I can find everything I need to work there!!!
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I've been so busy that I haven't been able to do too much in the last few weeks. However, I am so proud of myself. My walk in closet has had CRAP all over the floor and under the hanging clothes for (I'm so ashamed to say this) 10 years! I spend all afternoon (in the horrid heat - air conditioning doesn't reach up to our bedroom very well) and threw away a huge amount of crap. The closet looks so nice. I still have half to go but when I walk in it looks beautiful. I also sweated away about 5 pounds! I love Lost Creeks idea of writing a little something about what the special items mean and who they've been handed down from. I am going to try to do that!
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Just found this thread and so need to be here. I'm not an emotional hoarder, more unorganized. Some terrific ideas on here. I'm also going to get a copy of the hoarding book. Thanks for all your suggestions.
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Welcome CherryIH! Ladies on this thread have excellent tips and suggestions! Teka, I understand wanting to be outside. I had chemo during the summer of 2009 and have never enjoyed summer as much as last year and this year!
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Thanks for the welcome. I pledge to do an hour (15min work, 15 rest, repeat) three nights a week. I don't wont to be too optomistic and jinx it. I'll report my results. It helps to have someone to be accountable to, and supported by.
Have a good evening everyone.
A new adventure begins tomorrow.
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Cherry: Congratulations! You have a great plan. Good luck tomorrow!
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Tonight was my first night working towards de-cluttering. Made good progress in the kitchen. I can now see most of the dinning room table. Baby steps!!
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Yay Cherry!
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Just got back from vacay in Yellowstone. We did see moose, Teka! Keep up the baby steps, Cherry. DH just got rid of a lot of old clothes. Baby steps for him.
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Me Too! It must be some male jean-etic thing in their DNA. I was just thinking the same thing as I look at DH's treasured pile of a dozen pairs of really truly worn out jeans and I mull "what next." Weeding, sifting, sorting, organizing...
Planning a jaunt to the local farmer's market this a.m., and will drop a big box or two of stuff at the volunteer fire dept thrift store. Whether it's trash or just overflow, every time I get rid of a cubic foot or more of superfluous "stuff", I feel lighter. Little things, baby steps.
I have now established several "steamer trunks" for my children & family, and am in process of putting keepsakes, family treasures/etc into them. I've also bought some acid-free tissue & boxes for fragile linens, old photos, and papers. This is stuff I don't necessarily want to display or have out, but that has some family history or meaning and "needs" to have a home, but with boundaries (i.e. the size of the steamer trunk!). While I'm at it, I'm writing little notes or adding to documentation about some "stuff."
I took the opportunity to talk with my daughter recently about some of the items she might like to have eventually - although it was awkward for her, she did open up some, and I learned she was attached to things that I use every day and hadn't even considered...
Nice vacation Heidi! Yellowstone and surrounding area is beautiful.
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I tried another tactic this week: Run Away!!!!
Am at the beach with family, thoroughly enjoying the sun and surf, putting the clutter completely out of my mind for a bit. Will face it later.
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I know this will make some people sad , but I know I can tell it here and all will understand. My Dh passed in aug2010. We both had CA at the same time. I felt after a few months it would be good to declutter. Living in a home for 18 years stuff builds up. Used to have the attitude that a good box should be saved and also an antiquer/collectible type. I have almost never thrown out a card that someone has sent b/c I felt they took the time and thought to do it. All that know me , know I'm bad in the reverse, I don't send cards. They are saved from eons .
Decluttering the gift wrapping box, I found an old anniversary card from my DH. Why it was in that box , I have no clue. This was hand written under the card sentiment " I can't conceive of my life without you". That ended decluttering.
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SAS, I have a box of memories and refuse to toss any of them. I have a box of get-well cards from a childhood hospitalization when I was 4, along with the stuffed animals my parents got me to keep me happy (or at least less unhappy) every day I was there. I keep the cards from family, all my holiday cards from the last 40 years. My old roommate died a couple of years ago, and I went back through my holiday cards to get some clue as to what had been going on in her life as I cried, realizing that on the surface of her cheery greetings there was a lot of pain that we didn't see until too late. While we need to get rid of stuff that clutters up our lives and makes us crazy, we need to keep the reminders of those we love and who have loved us. Thank you for sharing your story.
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Thanks ny3pb----- Sorry about your roomate, I know you still feel the pain of her loss. Namaste
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SAS, you are right. Decluttering is good but some things just have to be held on to and your DH's card fits in that category. We do understand. You would not have found it though had you not started decluttering. What other treasures are buried waiting to be found when you release the other "stuff".
n3ypb, I did that last week, lounged at the beach so now have to get myself back into the mood to continue decluttering.
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Patoo, you are also right about that "finding those treasures" during decluttering. I don't know if I posted earlier, but as I was cleaning out my "treasures" I ran across a huge box stuffed with packing paper, and I found the only doll I ever wanted, pulled it out, placed it on an afghan that my grandmother had made, put them on top of my cedar chest in the guest bedroom - a very decorative touch, nice to actually SEE my mementos and enjoy them!!!
And I tossed the box, gained a huge space in the closet, and my doll is not just stuffed away for "someday" but rather is being enjoyed NOW.Ah, yes, the vacation ends tomorrow and I will have to face the mess again soon... and luckily, it is less of a mess than when I started!
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Teka, I think it's great you are using those cannisters... retro is "in" anyway! And it's even better when the articles are authentic and have memories. I love actually USING things I am attached to rather than sticking them away into storage. I have a couple of old cups and saucers that are mismatched, don't belong to any of my dishes (OK, yes, I am still working on that one) but I use them for my special coffee breaks when I am alone and meditating or painting or doing something special for myself.
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On the hoarder sites they usually refer to such finds as treasure, and the whole sorting and sifting business a treasure hunt. Once people have one or two good finds they can use the thought of it as an incentive to start work early on their treasure hunt and keep returning till they find new treasure. Then they've earned a good break to enjoy their find.
The more people focus on their new found treasures and the newly tidied area, the more rewarding it becomes. Positive rewards work so much better than negative I find. Thanks for the reminder.
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n3ypb, I think it's important to use the things we treasure, not just store them away (having your doll now on display is 'using' it). Everyday is a special occasion - we woke up - so let's enjoy our treasures today; tomorrow is not promised.
Have a busy weekend so will not do much decluttering for a few days. Do have a couple of pieces I can put out by the curb for trash pickup tomorrow so piece by piece it goes out.
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