Decluttering

That's the food cupboard cleaned and tidied, containing a few less out of date foods.

Honestly, it's ridiculous!
I could replace the out of date stuff, but I wouldn't, given a chance, because it's not stuff I'd particularly eat. 🙄

Yes, I think for those obsessive people, the large box is a more gentle way of tackling the problem than people coming in and putting it all in a skip.

To deal with the reasons why and how the person hoards, and "cure" them would probably take a whole season of programmes - for one episode, a box will do.

I’m quite obsessive about keeping my larder neat and tidy. But my dislike of throwing things away makes it very cluttered. I just started watching one of those obsessive hoarder programmes and realised that putting everything in large containers is only a short term solution. A sticking plaster job.

I bet that's a relief.
I need to clear out my food cupboard- some f in should be on the antiques roadshow, and it's all jumbled up in there.

I wouldn't mind, but I do clear and tidy it regularly.

I think I’ve got motivational tiredness. I just want to close my eyes and ignore the chaos I’m surrounded with. At least the boiler has been serviced and my car has passed it’s MOT.

Nothing achieved today.
Felt really unwell and was in bed
Sigh...

I am far too concerned that the computer systems will break worldwide, to leave things online.
Hence my troubles.

Decided today that if January is a quiet month, like it usually is, I am going to spend a whole two weeks on the subject.
I need a ruthless sort through, branch and something, whatever the expression is.

Doing it piecemeal, is just not good enough any longer.

Ruthless!

Tomorrow - make an optician's appointment and then throw out all the old spectacles around the house.

Doodledog

Allira

I had a good sort out of paperwork last week but still have far too much.

Weren't computers supposed to mean the ed of unnecessary paperwork?

They pretty much have for me. I do as much as possible online, so there is next to no paperwork here. The admin still exists, but it happens online, so nothing is lying about and nothing gets lost. I keep a council tax bill to prove we live here, but that's about it. Even things like letters from doctors are photographed and saved in a file labelled 'heath'. Same with receipts etc. It's so much easier.

We need to be ri0utless.

There really is no need for bank statements, credit card statements, all those letters from the bank, are there. I will have a shredding session.

Guidebooks on places we visited 30 years ago?
A very long print of the Bayeux tapestry anyone?

However, one thing DH has done is to type out a list of any bank and savings accounts, contact numbers for his pensions and put them with our wills.etc

Oh, yarn is my downfall. I have so much of it that I'll never knit it all up. On Ravelry they call it SAPLE (Stash Above Probable Life Expectancy).

I should get rid of yarn but have just ordered more. It is to finish a project and I was waiting for it to come back into stock 🤔

Allira

I had a good sort out of paperwork last week but still have far too much.

Weren't computers supposed to mean the ed of unnecessary paperwork?

They pretty much have for me. I do as much as possible online, so there is next to no paperwork here. The admin still exists, but it happens online, so nothing is lying about and nothing gets lost. I keep a council tax bill to prove we live here, but that's about it. Even things like letters from doctors are photographed and saved in a file labelled 'heath'. Same with receipts etc. It's so much easier.

I might start going through the lentils in my larder. It’s the Melbourne Cup tomorrow morning and I always stay up listening to Australian radio pretending that I’m somewhere in the outback listening to a crackly transistor radio. Note to self, when you look outside tomorrow morning don’t think the car has been stolen: remember you dropped it off at the garage this afternoon.

I'm starting to dread more paperwork arriving by post
I can now understand how people can let these things pile up and overwhelm them.

I had a good sort out of paperwork last week but still have far too much.

Weren't computers supposed to mean the ed of unnecessary paperwork?

Today another bedraggled plant has gone, along with the plant pot and the earth.

My No More Nails came by post, ready to fill the gaps in that horrible deep cupboard, too.
Eventually, I'll be ready to paint the walls, and then put down my new rug, which is currently taking up space in Brian cupboard.

There is a method in my madness.. somewhere.
I shall secure my rug in place, using one of my many double-sided tapes. (Also in Brian)

Oh yes, thanks. Doodledog.
That pic shows a few different options.

Sometimes I know what I need bit I don't know what it's called to look it up.

The thing I saw has a shelf that pulls out to reveal another shelf, at a different angle, but I'm pretty sure space is wasted on the workings parts.

And of course, I believe that may be a Ben job too.

Thank you for the suggestions.

DH deals mainly with the bills.

For my "stuff", I did buy a 12 slot compartment thing. Which works well.

Was going to write some more. But my brain is unsure what my problem is.
Well it is that I write just about everything down[bad memory for some things]. And then dont deal with my scribbles.

I have a suggestion for paperwork which has worked for me.

A folder with separate compartments, which you can label.

Then any paperwork that comes in - bills, appointments, whatever, can just be put into its compartment- without even opening the envelope, if its "one of those days".

At least then you know where to find the letter or bill you need.

Now I have a question. Which is my table covered in paperwork?

We are all making progress, which is great.

I am bogged down by paperwork.
I was doing well these last few months until this.

Oh well. I will get there.
But didnt want to have to spend so much time on it.

I cant just throw it all away.
I know there are details in it that I need.

I may be spending too much time catergorising. Not sure.

Something like one of these?

I saw something else that might work, but might also need someone (Ben? ) to fit it. It was a sort of tray on runners that went near the top of a drawer to add a separate layer (like a shelf within a drawer) and you lie the pan lids on that.

Been not Ben.
If only I had a Ben to come and paint it!

I've made a start on my kitchen cupboard.
The horrible one with dusty old airbricks in that you have to virtually climb into.

I already have some mouse mesh, to put up over the airbricks and, of course, my 95 rolls of various sticky tapes to keep it in place.

I am wondering the best way to store saucepan lids, because they are taking up a lot of space in that cupboard.

Any suggestions?

There is a contraption thing you can buy for cupboards like this, but they are really expensive!

Need to carry on in the kitchen, as I've been decorating it for two years now, and still not a lick of paint has Ben put on the walls- it's all repairs, and bodges, so far, which need to be done.

This is all sounding like progress. Keep it up, everyone.

We are to-ing and fro-ing a bit until the end of the week, but will be home for a long while after next weekend, and I am going to really go for it then.

The house is tidy, but needs organising ahead of Christmas as I said in the OP. There is a wardrobe in my daughter's room that needs a further sort-out - I did it last Christmas when we redecorated all of upstairs (never again!) but there were a few 'unsures' that made the cut, but need to go out as they've never been worn between then and now. I also need to sort out what we call the 'towel cupboard' which is a large linen press at the top of the stairs. I think I've already said this, but there are bags of hand-knitted jumpers in there that were part of las year's big sort-out, but are just taking up space now. I need to be ruthless, but they took so long to knit I'm reluctant to unravel them and start again.

If I get that lot done, I can move on to . . .drumroll. . . the new kitchen cupboard! It's supposed to be finished by Christmas, but who knows. Anyway, I am having the shelves removed and replaced with drawers of various sizes, to store food and appliances like the air fryer, slow cooker etc, and not have to reach them down from on high. I also want shelves on the back of the doors, (like giant spice racks ) for things I use regularly, so I can get at them easily. That will obviously involve a massive clearout too. The cupboard is huge - probably ten feet high by about six feet across, so there is a lot in there, but I can't reach a lot of it, which is why I want the drawers. I like cooking, and have a lot of herbs, spices, condiments and various things like fancy vinegars etc, as well as the more mundane stuff such as cornflakes and tins of chickpeas etc. I'm both dreading having to sort it all out and looking forward to it being sorted. There could be dinosaurs at the back for all I know .

That's excellent progress!

I've stopped decluttering Brian the cupboard, owing to the fact that I didn't actually do any decluttering in there.

I gave 2 carrier bags of unused medication to my friend, as she was going to the chemist.

Doing that has meant I was able to utilise the basket the meds were in, and it now contains my huge bag of Yorkshire tea bags. (The more you buy, the cheaper they are)

It's sitting neatly on top of my kitchen cabinet, now, and has freed up some space in Adrian cupboard.

I also threw away a plant pot, and the earth, and the draggly old plant that was in it.