Not quite a horder - decluttering
Comments
-
Bunkie, Good plan but do not touch the asbestos tiles. They need to be removed professionally. Nephew's neighbors did it themselves and were both diagnosed with lung cancer two years later. The masks you get at home stores aren't sufficient.
0 -
In fact, the law may require asbestos tiles to be removed by professionals. You don't want to do anything to mess up your future home sale.
0 -
I won't even be in the house when they remove those tiles. I will be gone for 2 months. I thought they were just regular tiles. My contractor schooled me.
0 -
I donated several boxes of stuff to my son for his yard sale. That got some stuff out of the garage.
We are now back from a two week stint at DS's to greet our new granddaughter.
DH bought me three new outfits to wear to work/interviews. He made some comment about "One in One out" so I went to my closet and found six items I haven't worn in forever and put them in a bag. They will go to DSs next yard sale. I really need to thin out more!
0 -
Ok May it is. Just tossed the last of my past due canned goods into this weeks trash for pick up. I can actually see in my cupboards now. I am not using as much canned stuff now days.
Time to start on my cook books again. I took some time off after going down from about 160 to 80 but still need more. If I could get a diagnosis on my wheat sensitivity I would toss almost all of them.
0 -
My decluttering has fallen off the last 2 weeks and I plead NO excuses. Well, maybe more surfing on net and BCO reading. Think DH is pi**ed with me and I need to get up off my a**. Thanks for the kick in the pants Bunkie and Teka. I wish we would have a lovely rainy couple of days and I might make some progress. Though I have been cleaning out old mags. The past couple of years I have not read hardly any and take wayyyy to many. BUT I do use them as entertainment value as we go out very little. Once DH gets home and he works every other weekend, he will not budge so even on his weekends off we stay home.
DD has given me permission to clean out her old room but she only had an hour or two to go through it. I think I will start lightly and work my way into stuff she might actually want. Clincher is it would have to stay here. She has teeny apt with one closet. My DM kept some of my things for years and love that she did. And we moved often every year or 2. So we are planted here so what would it hurt me to keep her stuff. She is a great DD, college grad, paid off student loans, good job, making car payments. Can you tell I'm proud?
Happy Wednesday to everyone. Are we having a May challenge?
0 -
luvmygoats - Do you remember my magazine hoarding? I had about 6 years of Paula Dean, Taste of The South and several other southern cooking magazines hidden under my beds and in plastic bins. I would get them in and thumb through them and stash them. This past winter I forced myself to go through every one and tear out a recipe I had to have maybe and I donated them all. I have very few back issues of any thing now. When I got done I had about 30 recipis and that was it. It was so freeing.
0 -
Wow, Bunkie, I am proud of you. I feel that the longer I keep a magazine, the harder time I have trying to let loose of it. Since it isn't new, I will procrastinate even opening it to see why I saved it. After all, I can always thumb through it tomorrow.
0 -
Meece - Thanks for the support. It was hard to do but necessary. If I am going to get down to basics in this house and get ready to sell in the next couple years...out they go. I ended up with a plastic shoebox full of recipes from all that stuff. When I moved from California in 04 I paid so much to bring all this syuff here and I have NEVER used half of it. Noit the clothes, furniture and junk. My basement flood helped me decide to clean up all of it. They need to work in my basement this fall and winter...sump pump, remove ceiling tiles and my stuff needs to be gone. Thinking about a small storage unit till they get done or a POD.
0 -
My place always had alot of stuff, but there was something about my dx that made me just keep everything--I couldn't even get rid of mail. I've been de-cluttering, slowly but surely for the past few months. At first it felt as if nothing was happening.I could take bags of stuff out, but the place looked the same. Finally it is beginning to show (slowly, slowly). I have given enough books away that the book cases are starting to have room in them. Right now I have 8 bags of clothing to take to a thrift shop. My goal is for things to look better by October and to get three or four bags of stuff out each week. I hope that is realistic.
Thanks to you gals for giving me an incentive to keep going.
0 -
Mandy that sounds totally doable! How about calling a charitable org locally and have them pick up those bags. Lots of organizations will come out to pick up.
Good for you that you have begun doing this. I have finally, after months gone back up to my beloved sewing room. My Onc told me it is not unusual to have lots of symptoms ;like this AFTER treatment. Who would have thought that. I expected to be out clicking my heels together and instead I have become an old toad sitting on the sofa.
I am happy to hear you are moving ahead to get your space to what you want it to be. I have a vision for my sewing room. Two houses ago my sewing room was small, about 12 x 12 but it was just right. I had everything just where I wanted it. I would like to get back to something approaching that state.
Love Ginger
0 -
Gingerbrew, it sounds as if your sewing room has been a haven for you in the past. I know that you will really love getting your sewing room back to the way you like it. Imagining it is the first step.
I don't have any imagination about what to do--I am just literally going through stuff (old kids clothing; excessive baking pans, you name it, I probably have it) and when I find something I don't need, I bag it. If it is a remarkable item, I try to send it to someone I know who will enjoy it--for example, I had some fabulous children's books that I sent to a friend for her children. Otherwise, I just take it to a local charity thrift shop. Perhaps it is not the best but I had to begin someway.
Thanks for your kind words.
Mandy
0 -
I just contacted a Commodore computer user group about donating three Commodore computers, with some peripheral devices, software and hobbyist magazines. I couldn't find contact info for anyone in the local User Group, so I sent an email to the club in Portland OR asking them to put me in touch with the club up here, or forward my email. But if I can't get in touch with the club in Seattle, Portland isn't all that far away. I'd rather drive there and have the computers go to people who will enjoy them than just throw them away or send for recycling.
0 -
Still working on the de-cluttering but feeling a bit overwhelmed. Just before my diagnosis, my dear sister died and left me all of her possessions. Although I gave away two small moving vans of furniture and household goods (about 14 foot trucks) to Habitat for Humanity, and gave 35 bags of more stuff to Goodwill as well as gave to people who helped, I ended up with much too much---family heirlooms and things I want for my kids. So I am trying not to be too hard on myself and to take things one step at a time. But today is one of those days when it just seems to be standing still. I have an acquaintance from Bermuda coming to visit in the fall, who has never been to my house, and I am petrified that I won't be ready for her---thanks for listening.
0 -
Thanks for your thoughts Teka. I got rid of the junk when my sister first died...the stuff I have is actually valuable--a jade statue, my great grandmother's tea set. I don't mean that they are worth millions but maybe a few thousand which for me is real money. The problem is that I have to get rid of all of my "junk" to either display this stuff for my own pleasure or to have a dealer come over to see the pieces I'd like to sell. E-bay is not an option for me. That is why I am going through stuff and working on getting rid of the stuff that I don't mind just donating to the Salvation Army--to make room for the stuff I want, which is packed up in my basement.
I don't know how not to put this woman up in my home. She is traveling to my home town to do the Komen Three Day Walk which she views as helping her breast cancer friends, ie, me. She basically invited herself and at the time it seemed ok. I also had a young woman helping me one day a week with my decluttering but she has decided to move to Costa Rica and soon--leaving June 7--which I think is part of why I am not sure I can get things ready enough. I guess I need to stop worrying and see where I am in August--I can write to my Bermuda friend and explain about the clutter--I am doing well in making inroads, but I had become a pack rat and it will take a long time to have a pristine environment. I had too much stuff but during chemo, I really got messed up in the house and I am still trying to organize. I am hopeful that I eventually will find a place for the antiques and get rid of my junk.
I really appreciate the support of this board.
Mandy
0 -
When my mom passed away I thought she had so much antique stuff. As I looked at her priceless vases, pictures and furniture it was a surprise. The vases had all chipped and she glued them, the pictures were copies and the furniture she had painted etc so it was no longer of value. At least that is what they told me. I donated some to friends of hers and still have some but not sure if I love it or hate it.
My issue now is getting through probate and trying to sell this run down home that is bleeding me dry for repairs. If housing values would come back up I would not be in such a hurry but at this rate I am loosing 4,000 a year and putting 8,000 into it. I am not looking forward to renting again but the simplicity of it all sounds good. When the basement flooded I looked at my stuff still in plastic bins and have to wonder when I will ever use it. Guess I need to start donating again.
0 -
Thanks for all the tips girls. I am doing spring cleaning this weekend, it is good to know I am not alone! So far I have three bags of clothing for goodwill, and some nice suits for WEAVE, that don't fit me any longer but will be good for someone else to enjoy. I have accepted that I will never be a size six again!
It is so much easier to see what is in my closets now - Almost like going shopping, since I found things I had not seen for awhile, at least before my diagnosis last year. I havent done much serious cleaning since then.0 -
Mandy 1313: Emotional stuff is always the hardest for me to get rid of. I have/had lots of antiques, collectibles,but didn't have a place to display them. I decided I wanted my house to be usable and not a museum. I'm still working on it. A couple of things my daughter wanted me to let go of I just couldn't. I've settled on a few keepsakes and it's taken me about 3 years. Keep up your efforts. I also wanted to 2nd teka's suggestion.
Here's a shout out to all of us who are going to declutter this weekend. Keep it up.
0 -
Mandy, It is really hard when you inherit. I have a few decorative plates that belonged to my great-grandmother. I'm the last person in the family who knew her and I'm pretty sure neither of my children will want them. So I'm deciding whether to remember her by those or something else. I inherited them from my other grandmother who raised me.
0 -
Yesterday I was dizzy as usual so I got really mad and cleaned out another closet. That was the last one. To be honest I thought I was done but this time I made sure I put on every item. You know as we age we may weigh the same and wear the same size but it looks different. I was always tall and thin so I thought I knew how to dress my body. Now that I am older I am thicker in the middle...still thin but just thicker. My legs look like toothpicks I swear. I will be glad when skinny jeans go out of style. So I am donating another bag of stuff to someplace.
0 -
I am so tired of my weight not responding to my attempts to ditch some of it. I think I should go into my closet and see what absolutely won't fit. If I clear all of that out I might be more motivated to fit what I had to take out.
0 -
I've heard that decluttering helps losing weight. Perhaps that's only for semi-hoarders? I lost weight and can't find anything to wear. I'm neither the age nor build for 3 inch zippers and pants clinging (hopefully) to my lower hips. Discouraging, but at least I know how to sew.
0 -
Wren - I agree. If I see one more add for jeggins or skin tight jeans. What the heck is a jeggin anyway. Makes me crazy. At 60 I do not want to look like I am trying to be 30 BUT I am not trying to look 90 either.
0 -
Bunkie, jeggings = jeans leggings
Hate to say this, but have you gone shopping and seen women (usually a little larger women, I'll be polite) who have super skin tight jeans and wonder how they can move so unrestricted in something so tight? Probably the jeggings. On others, they look like tight jean pajama bottoms. On some, it looks like they're trying to stuff 10 pounds of potatoes into a 5-pound sack. IMHO, they may look great on some, but on many they shouldn't leave the house wearing them!
0 -
2nd time - Yes I have seen them. Not a pretty sight. I am too tall and skinny for that style. I look like a toothpick but others wear them well with a tunic top. I can not imagine being comfortable in a jean that snug. Yikers!!!I was watching HSN the other day and there was a designer that makes jeans for us older women. Diane somebody. Anyway she was selling jeggings also. She did not look bad in them but I will pass.
0 -
Shopping. Ugh. Actually I loved to shop and had a job to support it, but not any more. Macy's seems to be my choice of stores these days. I so rarely find anything at Ross or any other super discount store I just stopped going there. I'm 57 and wear XL sometimes 1X and I'm 5'8" I found a pair of capris & 2 great pairs of pants recently and they cost , $22.59 clearance, $27.99 every day value not on sale, and $26.00 sale plus extr 20%off. My shape seems to change evry year what a hassle. Got rid of 3 pairs of pants to follow 1 in 1 out rule. Still looking for a pair of shorts.
0 -
Teka, Shapeshifter, good one! You hit it right on the mark.
Me, I have to be careful that shirts or tops aren't tapered in at the midrift. I used to love a nice fit, now one that doesn't acentuate the middle is my preference.
0 -
Gingerbrew - I have the same problem. I am really thin but thick in the middle.
0 -
I took a big ole bag to Goodwill today. Could hardly lift it. Feels great. I am going to start another. It feels much easier to start one and go through my closet every week. I put a few items in there every week.
0 -
I started cleaning up my sewing room AGAIN! I tend to stack things in there with the intention of putting them away soon. Then I get sidetracked (Which is easy for me) and I just put the next pile in there. I really want to get things cleaned up and organized.
0
