De-cluttering, still at it, still no end

There is nothing like an imminent house move to spur you on. We have done 2 Boot Fairs since Easter and another looms,

I am finding that I am putting more and more of my gardening tools and accessories into my allotment shed and keter storage box on my plot. I am just realising that no wonder my garage is looking more organised and neater. I inherited an empty shed and very badly overgrown and decrepit plot

I doubt I will ever bring anything back from the shed and the people up there will be welcome to all of its contents when I die. The magic of me getting space in my garage comes from that, not me waving a magic wand

No house de- cluttering done during the last few days, although I might well shift the bottom half of my heavy tagine out, the top went a couple of weeks ago.

madeleine i have a similar problem, in my mind I’m still in my 30s,fit and strong, wheras the reality is very different. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
The skip arrived this morning and so far I’ve put 6 old flowerpots and a lump of wood in it! My excuse is that I’ ve been awake since 4 o’clock this morning and am now tired. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I make it a rule to dispose of one thing every day. Sometimes I do more but my one a day rule is gradually making space and helps me to feel I’m making progress.

I second what Fancythat says. Many a time I only do a teeny bit, a drawer or a small shelf and I too find that a bite at a time works

Today I put an armful of old clothing out, collected a bit at a time over a week. To me that is another cubic foot of space as I did not put anything new back.

I think I would do small Madelaine45

As the expression goes, how do you eat an elephant? 1 bite at a time.
That method has worked for me on oaccsions.

My worst problems are the mismatch of intentions and ability to do things. So on a day when I feel up to doing some sorting out, am often physically struggling, so either cant do anything or very little. Of course on good days I try to do many things, mostly basics like shopping and cleaning up etc., so then too weary to even start sorting things out!! Gets very frustrating, and cant decide if I really do want to clear stuff or am glad of the excuse that I cant do it, to not even make an effort!

I used to decide to deal with one room and have a major day sorting, at the end of which I would feel shattered but pleased with my efforts. Now I need to scale it down to a cupboard or one drawer at a time, and be satisfied with that. But I need something to give me a push to start sorting things out again. At the moment, physically not able to do a lot, but even the thought of sorting a drawer seems too much. I always miss my lovely husband, but he was a great sorter out , and would be great at encouraging me to keep going to the end of something.

Not expecting anyone to come and stay either, which was always a great spur to tidying up and getting nore organised. Dont know how I change this as even aside from the cost I wouldnt be happy for someone just coming in and throwing stuff out without me going through it too, which rather defeats the object. !

That string idea is excellent Maybee, I will do that

I am jiggered, I always start doing things early, have already walked to a clothes bank, the salvation army was overfull so first bag is in the fire-station bank

Straight upstairs and I have now changed over all my clothes, winter to summer, still with gritted teeth though. I made some lovely cardigans from cabled fabric, when that was all the rage. They all fit me and are in lovely colours but are thick, feel too hot on me and polyester makes me spark. I did not wear any of them all winter. They are being released

Other stuff is going, including thick quilted body warmers and jackets, lands end and I never could resist a sale. The ones going, I have worn over and over but I have new unworn replacements and it is their turn. Another different cheap thick padded jacket is going today too, nylon and polyester, unworn for two years

I need a break and have not packed anything yet, I think 4 more black bags, each one entailing a walk and the weather is getting too hot for that

The 3/4 and short sleeved t shirts that I made, I was going to transform them into lace-trimmed knickers but they are all light french terry, too thick for knickers Stacked in a neat folded pile on my bed and I need to decide their fate overnight. I am not putting them away, out of sight is out of mind. I love their colours and their patterns but do not have any motivation to go on a strict diet just to neatly fit into those tops

Marie Kondo is still psychologically helping btw. My drawer full of layering tops is as neat as the day I set it up, took some out and added more this morning

Maybee thanks for the tip about tying string around vacuum bags. I’ve just ordered a set in the hope of corralling the spare duvets etc.

MayBee70

I’m at my partners till the end of the week. Now, he’s not exactly the tidiest person himself but every time I put something down he magics it away. Even when I’m cooking and will need something again later on. It makes me feel very uncomfortable and, to be honest, I can’t wait to be back in my own home.

😀

I've re-organised everything in our new kitchen but DH unloads the dishwasher so things end up in unexpected places. He just hasn't got the hang of the logical re-organisation yet.

I’m at my partners till the end of the week. Now, he’s not exactly the tidiest person himself but every time I put something down he magics it away. Even when I’m cooking and will need something again later on. It makes me feel very uncomfortable and, to be honest, I can’t wait to be back in my own home.

Allira

I have found that vac packs give up after a while. Perhaps I bought the wrong ones but you can put a duvet in a vac pack away in an under-the-bed drawer then find, when you take it out months later, it's expanded and you're having to haul it out of the drawer using muscles you never knew you had.

I do find that that happens but I tie string round them which limits how much they can expand by.

fancythat knowing them it may well be later!! I have the skip for 2 weeks, so they could come the following weekend if absolutely necessary.
I never managed to get the vacuum packs to actually go flat.

I have found that vac packs give up after a while. Perhaps I bought the wrong ones but you can put a duvet in a vac pack away in an under-the-bed drawer then find, when you take it out months later, it's expanded and you're having to haul it out of the drawer using muscles you never knew you had.

Vac packs dont work that well for cotton bedding

Thanks for the tip.

Allira - oh no!

I keep thinking the same when I cannot find something Allira

Vac packs dont work that well for cotton bedding, I used to put the bedding into a pillowcase for each bed. Vac packs worked really well to keep wool of any sort safe from moths and duvets compressed

I did get the oomph thank goodness and have a black bag full of new, wishful thinking, leggings and trousers. If they were ever going to fit, it would be now but they don`t and they are going

I did find my warm leisure outfits but it wasn`t cold enough this year. They are nice and comfy and are now packed away. I have roughly done round one, only trousers, leggings and skirts though. Layers need to remain, it could still become cold

Well, better than disposing of it like I must have done!

Eeks!

I have more or less decided I am going to have to use those vacuum packs.
Others around me use them. For some reason I am not at all keen.
But I have now got fed up of at times, having surplus bedding hanging around between visitors.

Well, I'm making up beds for visitors but can't find at least three sets of sheets! Hoping I hadn't decluttered too far when I cleared some bedding out last year. 🤔

Hope they come earlier than that Redcar.

You are talented karmalady

I feel as though I have been forced into clothes de-cluttering this morning I needed some cool clothes and could not find anything. I put a skirt on that I enjoyed making and is made well but it does not suit me and neither does the colour, I have no tops to go with it

Maybe later today I will have the impetus to carry on, at least I found the cool slinky slip nightdresses and my cool cotton dressing gown

I make all of my own clothes, properly and well and they were made to fit. One of my hobbies. Every new pattern is made in a toile, as if it were the final garment, very wearable. Then followed up in a very good fabric like linen or a good pima cotton etc. It is the toiles, they need to go if I have followed up

This is hard to face

My family said they would help clear the garage this coming weekend as I have a skip being delivered. It now seems as though they’ll be with me on Sunday afternoon! No doubt I’ll end up doing most of the clearing myself.
Some years ago we spent many weekends helping a friend declutter her large house prior to putting it on the market. They were both hoarders, we had to climb over piles of stuff to get anywhere. In the end most of it ended up being stored in shipping containers at a storage facility. After she died, her family had to clear it all.

Oh MayBee , I can relate to your story about your parents. Mine threw everything of my childhood away, including all photos.
My one consolation is that no one can see the dodgy fashion choices I made in my teens.

We sorted through some clothes yesterday………anything not work for two years has gone in the charity bag which was full to capacity when we had finished.

fancythat

Norah

Redcar

My parents downsized when I was 17, my mum was a bit of a hoarder and we lived the house she moved to when she was 6. It was a big house with plenty of space to keep things. My dad gave a lot of my outgrown clothes and all my toys and books away. He had a bonfire in the garden for weeks, burning old encyclopaedias etc.
I’ve lived in my house for 43 years and have accumulated a lot of stuff in that time. As my daughters have moved out, they’ve left stuff behind. I have a skip coming next week, my daughters and families are coming to help me clear the garage and some of the loft! Wish us luck!

Good Luck!

As each daughter moved out another moved back. I believe we're almost through -- my husband has their stuff in his buildings now. At least stuff is out of lofts and garages and ready to burn later.

Do his buildings have some sort of heater in them?

Yes, people work in all seasons.