De-cluttering, the never-ending process

I’ve got a shelf that I bought a few years ago but it was grey and I decided I wanted to paint it black ( to go with the picture frames). Then the pandemic hit and I didn’t have any black paint. I’ve got some now and I’m going to get it put up. The plan is to use it to showcase my collections of stuff and change it over regularly.

MayBee70

So, I’m back home and need to resume my decluttering. However, something happened to me when I was away. I made friends with someone who invited me back to their house for a coffee. It was a very old house, lots of tiny rooms and every one of them filled with delightful eclectic items. It was magical. And it made me think a lot about my magpie tendencies. What I realised is that I live in a seventies box of a house that doesn’t lend itself to clutter. It should be full of MCC stuff. And the problem with my collection of stuff is that I love it and think it’s beautiful but no one ever sees it. Of course, the main point of this thread is to get me to throw out my vast collection of size 12 pants that I’ll never fit into not necessarily my old tin or Ladybird book collection.

A few months back, someome asked me if I watch the Stacey Solomon Sort Out Your Life programme. At least, I think that is what it is called.
I barely knew it existed and didnt think I would like it. But thought I had better give it a go.
I have found it very helpful in my decluttering process.

Part of it deals with things that people have that they love. And sentimental items.
I cant say I took much notice of that part as that barely applies in my case.
But if you are able to see it, it might give you some ideas. How to display and so forth.

I can hardly begin, now my husband has died, as there is no room anywhere to gather different piles- for recycling, for the homeless charity, for selling, for giving to specific people.

I’ve spent another two hours going through my husband’s papers. Shredded non essentials. Added to the growing pile of sentimental I can’t part with at this time.

He has been outside working most of the day in case I put him in the rubbish 😂😂😂
Keep moving, Mr Y!

When we redecorated and had new flooring downstairs a few years ago, I left it looking minimalist for a few weeks but things did creep back.

I agree Callestimon it never comes in useful and I never lose enough weight to fit into things.
We, ve come back from a lovely self-catering holiday.
DH says he is never taking me again.
It was lovely to be in such a stylish minimalist house.
30 day challenge here I come again.
Window sills are now empty except for two jugs of flowers and all mementoes put away.
I have started on my winter wardrobe and anything I have not worn is going.
He has been outside working most of the day in case I put him in the rubbish.
I have found an egg in the dry stone wall that was missed at Easter. Feeling sorry for myself I ate the chocolates and didn't share
As I am 64 said and Karmalady has found it's a tough journey to do for someone else like I had my mother. I will never leave my house for my DD's to work on like I had to.
Sorry for your loss Karmalady, nobody knows what it is like until they have to do it. It is a rough, tough journey and I am going to learn from it.

Most of my clothes are piled up in a spare room because we're decorating.
I thought I had a clear out a while ago but when you find clothes you forgot you had, it's time to start a huge clear out! 😲

Forget "That might come in useful" or "If I lost half a stone, I'd get into that" !

So, I’m back home and need to resume my decluttering. However, something happened to me when I was away. I made friends with someone who invited me back to their house for a coffee. It was a very old house, lots of tiny rooms and every one of them filled with delightful eclectic items. It was magical. And it made me think a lot about my magpie tendencies. What I realised is that I live in a seventies box of a house that doesn’t lend itself to clutter. It should be full of MCC stuff. And the problem with my collection of stuff is that I love it and think it’s beautiful but no one ever sees it. Of course, the main point of this thread is to get me to throw out my vast collection of size 12 pants that I’ll never fit into not necessarily my old tin or Ladybird book collection.

our charity shops do a wonderful job, not just in raising money but in enabling people to do something of value and also to meet other people. I was thinking about their major role last night, a conduit for people to release items that were once cherished from their own homes and from maybe clearing a loved-one`s home. In the process, we help others and a load is lifted from our shoulders

Davidal, good to know that that there is another repository for usable clothing. Same as salvation army does in their work and I have used their convenient donation bins here

I haven't read all eight previous pages of posts so apologies if this has been mentioned already. It's my understanding that Centres which provide support for the homeless are usually pleased to receive warm clothes, especially men's. Socks, boots, shoes, jumpers, underwear, trousers, & coats are especially welcome, as are towels & toiletry supplies. Also sleeping bags. In my experience most towns have a Homeless Centre with a phone number, so you can check when they're open & what they might be able to take/store.

Thanks karma, it really is. I’m not on a journey 🌞. I got fed up with the term when endless new managers used it to dismiss concerns about the organisation. When my husband was diagnosed I had to accept an unexpected difficult path lay ahead and I couldn’t avoid it.
I’m on a pilgrimage. I need faith, i meet people along the way, most of them are kind, sensitive and like you karmalady, recognise it’s tough

Iam64

It is a tough old journey

I’m still working my way through my husband’s ‘study’. I’ve re-homed thousands of beautiful books. I’m on his research papers from the books he wrote. I’ve kept copies of his published books. There are hundreds of original paintings, cartoons and copies of his art work. Some will go to friends and family. Doing this alongside grieving is exhausting but - I don’t want to leave our adult children with all this. The unexpected diagnosis and speed of his death reminded me we have no idea what tomorrow brings
I’m also trying to live the best I can -

Oh yes I do empathise with you Hetty58 and it is painful to be getting rid of stuff, so much accumulated from younger and happier times. This getting old malarky is no fun at all and at times it really is hard to go with the flow, to see ourselves as others now see us

I too have lots of wood and very many tools, mainly for wood carving, which I started after I was widowed. I used his tools to start with and added very many more, heyho what was money for, that was my thinking then. So now I have all these tools and am keeping all those expensive gouges tidy and safe under a bed. The rest in the garage, together with dust extractor, sander, sharpener, scrollsaw etc. Lots of good wood in my keter shed, safe and out of sight. I want the strength of mind to sell it all but cannot do it, that would be too much of a psychological break

I cannot really say what was/is easiest to let go of but I think it has to be crockery and clothes

DH has been decorating the porch, kitchen and dining room the last few days, my contribution is cleaning out all the kitchen cupboards.
It has been the impetus I needed to have a cull. Surplus crockery, glassware, odds and ends of stuff I have been hanging onto and not used for years.
Already got a large plastic box full ready for a summer car boot sale, (we try and do one a year).
If things don’t sell, they will go to the charity shop, not back in the cupboards.

😇

Hetty58

MawtheMerrier:
'We want stuff, buy stuff, inherit stuff, get given stuff, give stuff away, get rid of stuff.
What is the big deal?'

For me, it's upsetting. I'm face to face with the harsh reality of getting old. I have to recognise that I have various 'stuff' that I'm storing - for no good reason, as I'll probably never need or use it again.

Will I ever upcycle more furniture, just for fun? Will I make more birdboxes and wooden wigwams for the kids? Perhaps I'll continue painting the inside walls of the garage - if I have a really good day and some energy?

Maybe I'll paint those flowerpots, mortar the cracks on windowsills - or ride my bike this summer? Probably not, though - and that's depressing.

Nobody else wants this junk, yet, it somehow represents my previous life, before the back injury, limited energy, lack of concentration and limited strength I have now.

Of course I'm not thrilled about having a clearout if it's preparation for death - who would be?

Oh Hetty: that sums up just what I’m feeling. I’m currently at my partners but going home next weekend and the decluttering is there waiting for me. I’m feeling stressed about it already. Mind you, my ex husband is retiring in a few months time andI’m hoping that we can go through the contents of the house together and maybe get our son and daughter on board.

I’m sorry, TapestryFrog, that’s a hard thing to deal with.

I have loads of knitting needles, too, some from MIL which were still in their original brown paper packaging. I weeded out some old plastic ones and put the rest into an attractive glass vase so they’re both a work of art and close at hand.

A visit to the dump will be in order this week as we’ve accumulated a lot of cardboard, for some reason.

MawtheMerrier:
'We want stuff, buy stuff, inherit stuff, get given stuff, give stuff away, get rid of stuff.
What is the big deal?'

For me, it's upsetting. I'm face to face with the harsh reality of getting old. I have to recognise that I have various 'stuff' that I'm storing - for no good reason, as I'll probably never need or use it again.

Will I ever upcycle more furniture, just for fun? Will I make more birdboxes and wooden wigwams for the kids? Perhaps I'll continue painting the inside walls of the garage - if I have a really good day and some energy?

Maybe I'll paint those flowerpots, mortar the cracks on windowsills - or ride my bike this summer? Probably not, though - and that's depressing.

Nobody else wants this junk, yet, it somehow represents my previous life, before the back injury, limited energy, lack of concentration and limited strength I have now.

Of course I'm not thrilled about having a clearout if it's preparation for death - who would be?

karmalady, my old cycling helmet now lives upside down - inside the hedge - as a platform for the blackbird's nest. The bike, though, sits sadly neglected in the shed. I really should think about selling or donating it, soon, as I don't think I'll use it much now.

I don't know why I worry so much about exactly where things are going. The main point is - at least they are going (slowly). I put things outside (when the weather is dry) for others to take, usually with great success.

There's a bin out there too, for odd bits that need to be taken to the dump. I use the clothes recycling bins now, rather than take longer trips to the charity shops.

Still, I find it quite painful to part with stuff, whether potentially useful or not. I have a real problem with reducing my store of wood. I can make new things from old bits of wood (although I may never, ever, get around to it).

I did my knitting needles last year, the straight needles. I have a beautiful full set of lantern moon needles collected over years. I am keeping those for now but have not used them since I discovered interchangeables and circulars. I may well sell those lantern moons in a couple of years

I also had all the needles collected over my whole lifetime, all those long metal needles, from 1960 onwards. I found it hard to let those go, there were a lot of them so I compromised and kept one full set, all in the old uk numbers. I put each set in a cloth roll and that is how they are now stored. I gave all the spares to my local cs

I thought that I'd take an innovative take on using up my wool stash by knitting a few things! Just as I was starting to feel a little comfortable with my declutter journey an acquaintance " gifted" me with three huge boxes of books to sort, take to charity shop etc...

I've just given away a big bag of yarn, it's stopped me worrying about what to do with it!
There's still more than enough to keep me going.

Yes, I should take the needles to the craft group.

Callistemon I understand your sentiments entirely. My collection has come from diverse sources: I knit for charity and occasionally ask for wool on Freecycle and it invariably comes with needles where someone has been decluttering(🤣)a relative’s home.

Greenfinch

I have just finished sorting my duplicate knitting needles to give away. It was not as easy as I thought as I have a mixture of metric and old sizes and so had to look up a conversion table. Not much of an effort at decluttering really!

As well as various sizes of the wooden ones I like, I also have my Mum's, my MIL's and GMIL's knitting needles - metal, wooden, sizes varying from about 14 to what look like poles!
I've given away a few pairs that I had bought but for some reason can't give away the inherited ones.