Not quite a horder - decluttering
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Direct lineage?? I enjoy tracking down cousins. I have a shell jewelry box that my great grandfather brought back from California. He had gone out there to his brother's wedding. I was able to track down the wife of one of his brother's descendants, and get more details on that. This great great uncle had worked in the cutting room of one of the movie studios back in the days of silent films!! Another distant relative in England had really dived deep into the genealogy there and I got lots of information from her work.
As for de-cluttering, I might end up taking photos of important papers and store them in the digital cloud.
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sunshinegal and Betrayal, your decluttering efforts are very impressive! Doesn't it feel great to get rid of unnecessary stuff?
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Divine: It is liberating to shed some of these items that are of no interest to our children and things we haven't touched or thought about for years. I regard this as a preliminary decluttering because we are retaining some items that still have a sentimental attachment but can revisit them later for culling. Sort of like clothing, if we don't touch it or use it within a year, it goes.
Mary: I am talking about the sharing same surnames but not able to establish any true relationship to the principals I am tracking from the late 1800's and 1900's. Everyone in the direct lineage had a passle of children and they moved more than one would expect so tracking them between PA and NJ was a challenge. I am also trying to ensure they are true relatives. I had written a whole bunch here and just lost it trying to submit. So I'll quit for now.
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I sorted through a floor to ceiling cupboard where I keep holiday decorations. The stuff I no longer use went into a big box. Dh is a maintenance man at a senior apt building.They have nook where you can put stuff you no longer need but someone else might want. Dh will take the box of unused decor over there next holiday season. I took time to box up the rest of my holiday stuff so it’s not all overflowing. It feels good to lighten the Christmas load. It doesn’t take much for my house to feel Christmas-y. Each year I put less decor out.
At the beginning of January, we bought a smart tv—I love it—and just got around to selling the old tv. Nice to get that out of here. Dh and I have been updating a spare room, painting, installing a new ceiling fan/light fixture and looking at new carpet. The color went from dusky peach to light, soft gray. Dh uses the closet and dresser in that room, and there’s a vanity where I dry and curl my hair. Dh sort of went thru his clothes but I noticed he stuffed a lot of them into another closet rather than get rid of things.I think he thought I wouldn’t notice. He retires in about a year, and maybe he will be more inclined to thin out more after that.0 -
DivineMrsM, yes! It has felt fabulous to let go of so much unneeded stuff. Since I last posted, I have decluttered my 4-drawer file cabinet and we're down to 1.5 drawers of color-coordinated, labeled documents that we need to keep. I also decluttered the kids' playroom and we're down to just the toys that they actually use -- with all the bins labeled to help kids know where things belong. However, it's another thing entirely to teach the kids to put their things away haha.
I've gained a lot of decluttering ideas and inspiration from YouTubers The Minimal Mom and ClutterBug.
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Love the Clutterbug and wish her show would return to HGTV. I took her course for certification (small fee involved) but just need to complete the last 2 modules. I don't plan on using the certificate because I am retired and after I finally get the last few rooms organized, I want to enjoy my free time. I just have the basement, which is well underway; the living room which needs to be restored before I can address it; and the guest bedroom which has been a major storage area for items from otehr rooms for the past 2+ years. Once they have finished restoring the upper hallway, stairwell and foyer, I will finally be able to debulk this room. The room needs a thorough cleaning since it is not possible now. I think I'd like to shift the furniture once again as well. We have boxes being prepared to go to Habitat, Purple Heart and the local school teachers co-op where they collect usable school supplies for teachers to share with their pupils. The teachers pay a small membership fee but receive hundreds of dollars worth of free supplies in return. Nice to know that they will be used.
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Oh, thanks for the tip about The Minimal Mom and ClutterBug! Never heard of them, so will check them out on YouTube!
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I finally had to jumpstart the effort to get dh to clean out and clean up the garage. We know a lot of people who keep everything EXCEPT their cars in the garage, but we always keep our vehicles in the garage. So it's not like it was crammed full to the rafters. Still, the inside perimeter is filled with shelving and pegboard which has a way of allowing too much junk to accumulate. It's mostly dh's domain, but despite my repeated requests for a couple years for him to declutter, it took me setting a specific date, last Saturday, to get rolling.
We cleared out one eight foot section at a time. I was surprised and happy with how much dh was willing to get rid of. Next week is clean up week in our city, so any bulky stuff can get tossed out then. Knowing this, people drive up and down the alleys in town all week looking for discarded “treasure". So we have a nice big pile of stuff that we will put out that others may want. We called it “the pickers" pile. What doesn't get taken goes to Goodwill or pitched. Had I realized beforehand the extent of what we had, I may have signed up for the city garage sale this weekend. But it's raining anyway, and I am wanting to get this stuff discarded.
I guess the forum currently isn't set up to post photos, or I'd show you a picture of the pickers' pile.
I cleaned off my workbench a couple weeks ago, and Tuesday I did ds's workbench and rearranged the tools above it hanging from the pegboard. The man is seriously lacking in organizational skills. But, I left a rather large pile of stuff for him to sort through which he did. He's also sold some items, like an air conditioner, the pool we used during the pandemic, some chicken wire and a tabletop grill. He has a few more things for sale.
He still has a section of shelving left with stuff like oil and transmission fluid. We have another pile for that kind of stuff considered “hazardous waste" which needs to be taken to a special drop off next month.
I am glad to be this far along in the clean up process and will be happy when it's all gone.
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DivineMrsM: Sounds like you have made great progress on the garage decluttering, congrats on sticking to your plan and deadlines seem to motivate DH's. Can't speak for everyone but my DH likes to keep things "just in case" which seldom happens. He also had items to list on ebay and was dragging his heels so I gave him an expiration date for when they became trash. Well, poof like magic they were listed and then gone and this was after them consuming valuable space for over 3 years.
We just had the hardwood floors in the family room and eat in area of the kitchen refinished and this will allow me the opportunity to declutter the drawers of a large chest and a smaller side chest of what is in the drawers. I will also thoroughly clean each item before it goes back into the room. I do think Purple Heart will be getting some new donations since I have a collection of throws given to me over the years and seldom, it ever, used. So if they don't go to Purple Heart, they may make their way to the SPCA. Have a Happy Mother's Day to all.
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Betrayal, my dh is another one who seems to need ultimatums to get it in gear. He's a “just in case guy" too.
I had a very successful day of getting rid of STUFF. This long weekend was the city-wide garage sale. It rained allll day Friday and Saturday (frustrating!) but today was nothing but sunshine. I set all my free stuff out nice and tidy with a big “free" sign, took a picture and posted it on the city FB page at about 8:30 am. The majority was gone by noon and all gone by 3. One woman said she felt funny taking so much free stuff. Dh said, "Take it! We don't need it!"
Dh had six items for sale. I had him put it out, posted a photo of it on FB and it all sold by noon. He made $50.
We still have plain old junk to go out later this week on garbage pick up day. Gosh, it sure feels good to unload!
Tonight I went through my pantry and several drawers in the living room so I have another pile I'll set out for free this week. I was so busy cleaning the garage, I never got around to inside the house. We had a large garage sale five or six years ago. I never dreamt I had this much stuff to get rid of since then!
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Great news to report Devine. Wish I could get back after it again.
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Saw a great T-shirt today. "It's not hoarding if it's books." Fits me to a "T".
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Hi Everyone,
I posted on this thread ages ago and have finally caught up. I have a gargantuan task on my hands but feel up for it. I’m in a bit of a different place than many as I live in a heritage home with my 91 year old mother and we love our antiques (including our china which I know most people don’t want but I’m not planning to part with until I have my last “dinner party”). I intend to be carried out of this house feet first so getting rid of everything is not the plan.
The challenge, we have soooo much stuff. My mom started hunting for treasures when my dad was sick as a hobby, doing the odd antique show, etc. That was years ago and there is excess still to be dealt with. In addition, she kept everything! We have family items from her side, my dad’s side and even toys from my childhood. While we have some junk, lots has value and, beyond the knickknacks that nobody wants, a lot will sell. (Hard to describe the weird selection we have - all over the map.)
I’ve been picking around the edges for years but now that I have stopped working I am seeing much more progress. The hardest part is dealing with my mom who gets bogged down in pricing and finding “just the right person or organization ” to give stuff to. We, quite frankly, don’t have time for that. I think I’m making her see sense and then… it’s the depression era child thing. She had so little that it’s tough. We just need to pick our battles - not fiddling around to sell something for $2! Thankfully sentimentality is not a problem as there really isn’t anyone for the family things to go. May look for cousins if possible for a few things
Despite treatment fatigue, made some awesome progress lately. Three boxes of books to a local book drive (books are impossible here - the little free book boxes all over town mean the days of reading a book and then selling are gone). Two boxes of items went to a homeless shelter yesterday. I have a box started for a church thrift shop and sold a few items on the weekend. My mission for this summer is to empty the basement. Wish me luck!
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Sadie, that's great you've been making progress in your whittling down some of your possessions. It always feels good to visually see progress. Maybe you could try to sell a few items now that you and your mom agree you're ready to part with, I found that when dh started to sell a few things, it seemed to give him incentive to see what else he had that he could sell.
Overall, cleaning out the garage and a doing a quick buzz through a few places in my house took about 10 days and now I'm pretty much done with “spring cleaning". Thank goodness. I really pushed myself to keep going. It was hard on my body so today was a day of much needed rest.
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Oh, there is no shortage of items we agree to sell or incentive Divine. Price is often the sticking point as mom’s head is back when antiques and collectibles were bringing better prices. I’m of the mindset that if we set the right price it will tempt the ones that are still trying to flip items while still providing great buys for the collectors out there. I do okay on local selling sites but it’s such a time consuming process posting, dealing with buyers, etc.
Great work on the garage! And happy you gave yourself a break. My energy bank is limited these days so I just try to carve out an hour here and there around everything else going on.
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What helped me was having the deadline of getting this major task complete by the time it was Clean Up week in town. It was the kind of incentive needed for both me and dh. We knew people would be in town for the city wide garage sale last weekend and we could unload some free stuff. That saved us from having to haul it to Goodwill or ending up in a landfill. And we got some eyes on the items we had for sale and people bought them.
This week everyone in town is setting out all their big trash items: furniture, lumbar, old windows, etc. and the city sanitation dept will pick it up. There are many pick up trucks going up and down the alleys to see if there’s anything good. Some people collect metal. We had a very old washing machine to get rid of. Dh called a guy who hauls it and when he came and got it, he said he’s been incredibly busy all week.
You’re right, Sadie. Dealing with buyers can be a pain. Dh would advertise on FB marketplace and people would say they’d come buy something and never show up. One guy wanted dh to take the item to his town 40 minutes away! I told dh, “ We’re not Amazon Prime!” People are goofy.
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We finally did it! Cleared, cleaned and moved out of our 4 bedroom house with lots of stuff donated, big furniture sold and some very well worn/broken items off to the dump. Two small/midsize storage units hold what will go in the cabin and shop/garage when those are completed but it was a big downsize. I’m sure there will be plenty more as we unpack, that will go to the local thrift store which benefits the animal shelter. Funny how huge a house feels when it empty.
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Wow!! That was a huge job! Congratulations on finishing it.
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Saddiesservant— my world is similar. My mom’s mom saved everything. My mom kept as much as she could. While I don’t live in my parents house, I am only a few miles away. Mom passed a few years ago, right before I was diagnosed with MBC. Bone mets and compression fractures make it harder to go thru things than I would like.
Mom’s house has lots of her things from the depression area. My house has my toys and my daughter’s toys. Hard to just throw out.
My attitude about being emotionally attached has slowly changed as I realize there isn’t any family to pass things on to. Now I look at things wondering if they have barter value should we go into a recession or worse. And other items, I take a digital photo of to “keep” and donate the item
Lots of work needs to be done. Like eating an elephant— take it one bite at a time
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Illamae, I am truly impressed. We're trying to clear this house out too and it's a momentous job. It must feel really nice to have it done and over with. Photo from your new place was so calming and peaceful.
I think microwaves over stoves are really dangerous. It would be so easy for something to slip and spill or crash. I would add another one on the counter rather than use the one over the stove. That position was obviously thought up by tall men.
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illimae, congratulations on getting your house cleaned out! That is a hell of a lot of work. It looks fantastic. I like how you were able to divvy up the possessions and give them their proper send off either trashed, donated, sold or save. Great organizational skills. You gotta be feeling pretty good about it.
Dodgersgirl, even if people have kids, so much of the stuff everyone has these days is no longer wanted by the younger generation. Tastes change, a lot of stuff has little value and it’s a lot easier to buy cheap things. Back in the so called good old days, items were not as accessible. Women couldn’t get their own credit cards. Thrift stores like Goodwill were not so prevalent. When I was first married, I bought a lot of old furniture and painted it. I still have some of it even tho I can afford to buy new. But I love painted furniture, and it looks great! This was long before Pinterest. I was just saving a buck.
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wrenn: I totally agree with you about microwaves over the stove. I understand that you can't even just buy one and plug it in, it has to be specially installed. My main issue is -- it is way up there. Mine is counter height. I can pull the dish straight out or peek in -- give it a stir. When I remove it for serving and such - straight out and carry away. I would have to stand on a stool to peek inside an over the stove microwave. I would have to stand on the same stool to carry it out safely. I am 5'2". I would be afraid of dumping the contents on me while getting it out and down. I figure it was done that way to save the tiny amount of counter space a lot of kitchen have. I'd use the empty hole for a few seldom used glassware or dishes.
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Mae - congrats. MAJOR accomplishment!!!
I on the other hand am 5'9" (athough I have now shrunk some as I age) and LOVE my microwave over the stove top. And I'm sort of a fanatic about not having appliances sitting out on countertops. I know... that makes me weird.
DodgersGirl - I too have the accumulation of generations of "savers". But I have no one to pass it along to since my only son has chosen not to have children. And I've found most of the younger generation just doesn't want the kind of stuff we treasurer.
Divine - I furnished all my houses with "left-overs" that I refurbished, painted or stripped & stained. That started when I was first married and all we had was a bed and a card table and a 10" TV on an aluminum TV tray. Our landlady gave us a chair that her cat had shredded & I painstakingly covered it with fabric that I pinned on so we have somewhere to sit besides hard card table chairs. Interestingly - I still have that REALLY comfortable chair, although I have had it professionally re-upholstered & re-covered twice over the last 50 years.
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Hi all, I continue to make progress chipping away at things. I think I’m either wearing my mom down or, let’s hope, she is starting to see the method to my madness. Box of items and a few bulky extras went to the church thrift shop today. 👍🏻 Mom already had some of it ready (had to negotiate the church as she originally wanted it to go somewhere else but they don’t seem to be collecting stuff now) but I was able to add quite a bit that I tried to flog with no success. Once we hit a threshold, I’m not fiddling around for a buck or two. We just have too much of higher value to focus on.
Interestingly, it seems the pendulum may be swinging back the other way on folks wanting quality items. It’s early days yet but apparently, with inflation and supply chain issues, people are starting to look at the older furniture with a new appreciation. I find it amusing as the IKEA crap that has been all the rage falls apart in no time. Having said that, reupholstering is sooooo expensive. We have a few pieces that, while lovely, we will never get our money out of given the cost. Those items can go when I’m gone so that I don’t have to know. LOL
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Very strange re-upholstery job. It was probably a nursery rocker, and the re-upholsterer decided to fix it. I saw it and burst into a full five minutes of hysterical laughter.
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And I go to bed tonight with the silliest grin on my face.
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I have a similar rocker that belonged to my great grandmother. It had springs and horsehair and the seat part was separate. She used to sit in it and tell me stories of growing up on the frontier (she was born the year Lincoln died). It was like having Laura Ingalls Wilder living with us.
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I also have a similar rocker in oak that had been passed down to my grandmother - springs & horsehair & the seat popped out. I had the seat re-upholstered in 1975 and refinished the oak myself.
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So the springs are tied down, and when they pop out, the person doing the restoration thinks that is how it is supposed to be?
Or am I wrong, and the chair is supposed to look that weird?
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No, they just did it wrong. It does look ridiculous.
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