[hvert]

I'm starting this thread because I know checking in on a regular basis helps me. If anyone else wants to check in, go for it

Two incidents last week gave me a kick in the pants to start getting better about keeping up with housekeeping. I visited a friend whose house is under construction yet 10x neater and nicer than my own. A few days later, a different friend of mine made some sort of joking reference to me being a hoarder. I'm not a hoarder - more like a pack rat - but I know that I am happier when I am not surrounded by as much stuff as I have at the moment. I had enough space for my stuff, but when my boyfriend moved in six years ago with all of his stuff -- well, there's not enough room.

Anyway. Today I decided to go through a pile of papers I had sitting on a table. There are about six gardening magazines my mother gave me, a newsletter from a nature group I belong to, an application to join a gardening group, a poem someone gave me, some papers from my gardening class, and notes for a trip I already took.

I tossed a few of the papers but put the rest of it in a pile. Then I stopped and asked myself what I was doing. The magazines went in the recycling bin. I read the newsletter and decided to save it because I may want to sign up for some of the events they are holding and there's some reference info. I'm also hanging onto the garden club application, although I am not sure I want to join. I put the gardening papers in with the binder I used to store the rest of the coursework from that class. I took a photo of the poem and tossed a few odds and ends.

What I am noticing about this is that I like to hang on to things for a later that never comes. The nature newsletter has some information about courses I might want to sign up for. I need to look at my calendar and either do it or not do it. This is a real pattern for me, finding things that look interesting and then dithering about them until it's too late to sign up. Fear of commitment?

Okay, back to tossing.

[Perna]

One thing is the amount of notice newsletters (and bills), etc. give us; it's like "Oh, I don't have to do this right now, I can wait a few days. . ." but then other stuff covers it up and you don't see/deal with it. I have my kitchen trash right "there" next to the hallway from my front door and I get the mail then stop at the trash can, before it gets into my house proper. Even stuff I would "like" to do, like the Purple Heart reminders that they're coming to pick up old clothes, etc. I get them "regularly" now so I don't bring them to my work table unless I am going to do it this month, I schedule and do it in that case (the night before is when I gather the stuff together :-) Magazines I page through and, instead of saving the magazine as I use to, I tear out the page/information I want and put it in a special folder to follow up on or file it, etc. If something gets on my work table, it doesn't leave again until it is resolved and I hate having too much stuff on my work table :-)

[hvert]

I ended all of my magazine subscriptions last year because they were stressing me out. I subscribed to 3-4 cooking magazines (cheaper to do it that way than just to get the one I wanted). I would stack the magazines for a few months and then have a recipe-clipping (online clipping) marathon. It was a lot of work! And how many recipes have I tried of the 700 I clipped? Probably 20!

I do the same thing with the mail - stand outside and dump most of it in the recycling bin. I try to go through my 'to do' paperwork basket on a regular basis, but I seem to only manage once every 2 months.

I only went through the pile of papers because I thought that was where I had put a check I need to deposit --- but I had the wrong pile

[music junkie]

We have this problem. We have way too much stuff and not enough space. It's terrible.

[hvert]

Music junkie, do you find yourself hanging onto the stuff because you think you will wind up with a bigger place someday? I do that. We're also both hanging onto stuff in case we break up (it's been six and a half years now).

[music junkie]

Originally Posted by hvert

Music junkie, do you find yourself hanging onto the stuff because you think you will wind up with a bigger place someday? I do that. We're also both hanging onto stuff in case we break up (it's been six and a half years now).

Yes! I know we're going to be buying a house & so I keep telling myself, well, there'll be more room in the next house, so why should I get rid of everything? Then the new house will be empty!

For the longest time I was keeping stuff in case we broke up, because I didn't want to be left without anything. Now I don't really worry about that as much, but I still have a hard time letting go of things. It really bugs me.

[unaluna]

Subcribing!!!

[hvert]

Yeah, I have a hard time letting go of stuff too. I just spent a half hour packing up all my wool into three large space bags. I should have taken the time to go through it and get rid of the stuff I don't want anymore (soooooo much is moth eaten), but I didn't... and now I am not sure where to put these bags since they are too big to fit in the drawers I took the sweaters from. Maybe I should have gotten the smaller bags!

So much of my furniture came from my dead grandmother's house. It's hard to let that stuff go. I still feel guilty about taking two chairs to the dump last year. I didn't like them at all and no one else in my family wanted them, but....

Has anyone gotten rid of anything today? I think I'm going to put away all my mothball/sweater stuff and take a walk to see if I can find more willpower to focus on cleaning again.

Is it just me or is exercise equipment some of the hardest stuff to toss? I bought one of those steps at Goodwill 2 years ago. I used it 2-3 times. Why am I keeping this?????

[hvert]

I've been slacking on the cleaning/declutter front. The house was passable for a few days, but now it's back to trashed. SIGH.

I bought a few things that I absolutely had to have right then this week and still have not used them. The mulch is sitting outside, waiting for me to spread it. The device that will let me make digital copies of my VCR tapes is sitting on the couch, all spread out like.

Okay, typing that paragraph made me feel ashamed enough to take ten minutes to pick up the room I'm sitting in. Now at least I've done something

[unaluna]

I can see the top of my foyer table. I had mail 2 years old on it! Go me! I will start again once the power comes back on - it is getting warm up in here.

[hvert]

Awesome! Isn't it nice to see clear surfaces?? I hope you get power back soon -- it's hot here, too.

I spent a ton of time this morning trying to eradicate cat pee smell. It seems one of the cats has been peeing over the edge of the box I threw that box out and now need to find another with higher walls-- I've found using large plastic containers with a hole cut out of the side works well.

I also need a new kind of cat litter -- the amount of dust all over everything in that room is very discouraging.

Back to work... stay cool!

[hvert]

I have been a wicked slacker and did not do any decluttering or cleaning this week. The couch is full of both clean and dirty laundry (bad, bad, bad).

A friend offered to stage an intervention -- which would be nice if I felt like I could get the place in shape enough to let her in. She's very, very clean and would be horrified (only fellow slobs are permitted entry at my house).

Maybe I will do something today. I hope other people have been more productive than I have.

[music junkie]

I have not been very productive. I've been trying to do laundry but our washer is not working right, so I'm not certain the clothes are 100% clean

Today is a holiday so I'm not going to do any cleaning. What I do need to do is get all this insurance paperwork organized so it's not monopolizing my couch anymore.

Other than that, I've just been trying to stay on top of taking the trash & recyclables out of the house.

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by hvert

I have been a wicked slacker and did not do any decluttering or cleaning this week. The couch is full of both clean and dirty laundry (bad, bad, bad).

A friend offered to stage an intervention -- which would be nice if I felt like I could get the place in shape enough to let her in. She's very, very clean and would be horrified (only fellow slobs are permitted entry at my house).

Maybe I will do something today. I hope other people have been more productive than I have.

Do they understand that there is no room for another person to actually sit? Except maybe the terlet? Or okay, there is the dishwashing stool, and the exercise stool, and the shower stool...

Power is back on, i better get to work! Theres a Hopalong Cassidy movie marathon on today that is distracting me...

Eta - good thing about being messy and out of shape - cleaning house is aerobic exercise!

[hvert]

I'm glad I'm not the only one using the couch as a holding area -- I'm usually pretty good about clearing it off quickly, but that pile of laundry was sitting there for a few days. Music Junkie, I hope you got the insurance paperwork taken care of.

I did clear off the couch and guess I will go wash some dishes. It needs to be done and I've been moaning about being bored all day (gotta love hurricanes/tropical storms on holiday weekends). Which, actually -- I really SHOULD do the dishes in case we lose power later--- thank you for the reminder, Hankster!

I like cleaning to movies --- I listen to them while I am doing whatever. It only works if the movies aren't that good, though

[hvert]

I'm realizing that it takes a ridiculous amount of time to keep things clean. I spent over two hours trying to clean the burners on the stoves (an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure).

But then just keeping up with stuff regularly takes forever. I swept and washed the floors last week -- I already have to do it again?????

[SeekerOfLife]

I know how all this is. I do not save stuff for someday. I dont declutter because I dont know where to put stuff. And depression makes everything 100X harder.

[hvert]

Yes, depression makes it harder -- and having all the stuff hanging around can make the depression feel worse -- it's a vicious circle.

[unaluna]

I didnt do much - i just moved a little bookshelf on Saturday - but it had been in my exercise area, so on Sunday i actually stretched for an hour during a Tom Hanks movie - "That Thing You Do!" -like you said, not a GREAT movie! - on Sunday. And ate properly. Progress not perfection.

[music junkie]

Originally Posted by hvert

I'm glad I'm not the only one using the couch as a holding area -- I'm usually pretty good about clearing it off quickly, but that pile of laundry was sitting there for a few days. Music Junkie, I hope you got the insurance paperwork taken care of.

I finally did pick up all the insurance paperwork yesterday & put it in a folder, but it made me really depressed doing it. I think I've gotten too used to the clutter around me, & when I actually have to deal with it, it sucks me down into despair.

Originally Posted by hvert

I'm realizing that it takes a ridiculous amount of time to keep things clean. I spent over two hours trying to clean the burners on the stoves (an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure).

But then just keeping up with stuff regularly takes forever. I swept and washed the floors last week -- I already have to do it again?????

I agree with all of this. I feel like nothing stays clean, so why bother! I get so frustrated.

Originally Posted by seekersinking

I know how all this is. I do not save stuff for someday. I dont declutter because I dont know where to put stuff. And depression makes everything 100X harder.

Originally Posted by hvert

Yes, depression makes it harder -- and having all the stuff hanging around can make the depression feel worse -- it's a vicious circle.

The depression was tough on me yesterday. I do feel better today, & I'm going to try not to let it get me down so badly today. I don't know why my resistance was so low yesterday. It doesn't usually affect me that badly.

Originally Posted by hankster

I didnt do much - i just moved a little bookshelf on Saturday - but it had been in my exercise area, so on Sunday i actually stretched for an hour during a Tom Hanks movie - "That Thing You Do!" -like you said, not a GREAT movie! - on Sunday. And ate properly. Progress not perfection.

This is what I need to keep telling myself!

[Achy Turtle Armor]

Originally Posted by hvert

I'm starting this thread because I know checking in on a regular basis helps me. If anyone else wants to check in, go for it

Two incidents last week gave me a kick in the pants to start getting better about keeping up with housekeeping. I visited a friend whose house is under construction yet 10x neater and nicer than my own. A few days later, a different friend of mine made some sort of joking reference to me being a hoarder. I'm not a hoarder - more like a pack rat - but I know that I am happier when I am not surrounded by as much stuff as I have at the moment. I had enough space for my stuff, but when my boyfriend moved in six years ago with all of his stuff -- well, there's not enough room.

Anyway. Today I decided to go through a pile of papers I had sitting on a table. There are about six gardening magazines my mother gave me, a newsletter from a nature group I belong to, an application to join a gardening group, a poem someone gave me, some papers from my gardening class, and notes for a trip I already took.

I tossed a few of the papers but put the rest of it in a pile. Then I stopped and asked myself what I was doing. The magazines went in the recycling bin. I read the newsletter and decided to save it because I may want to sign up for some of the events they are holding and there's some reference info. I'm also hanging onto the garden club application, although I am not sure I want to join. I put the gardening papers in with the binder I used to store the rest of the coursework from that class. I took a photo of the poem and tossed a few odds and ends.

What I am noticing about this is that I like to hang on to things for a later that never comes. The nature newsletter has some information about courses I might want to sign up for. I need to look at my calendar and either do it or not do it. This is a real pattern for me, finding things that look interesting and then dithering about them until it's too late to sign up. Fear of commitment?

Okay, back to tossing.

This is a great idea for a thread. I just wanted to share that I just cleaned up a large pile of mail and other stuff. Feel good about it but not so good that the dates on stuff went all the way back to 2012!

[music junkie]

Originally Posted by Achy Turtle Armor

This is a great idea for a thread. I just wanted to share that I just cleaned up a large pile of mail and other stuff. Feel good about it but not so good that the dates on stuff went all the way back to 2012!

I remember going through my mail the first time I let it really pile up around the house. I was amazed at how old some of that stuff was. Bills for credit cards we didn't even have anymore (not unpaid bills)...it was crazy!

Mail kind of pisses me off nowadays. We get so much crap in the mail, & most of it is credit card offers & insurance plan stuff that just has to be shredded. So annoying! I waste so much time doing this.

[Achy Turtle Armor]

Yes exactly. I was kinda grumpy when ripping my address of every blooming piece of paper. I said, "I hope the post office goes bankrupt if it would make this stop." My H scolded me because "people need those jobs."

The best part was the application for a Visa Black card. I'm still laughing. It has to be because of where I live, NOT how much money I have.

[hvert]

Everyone is making so much progress! Having space to exercise and sit is good, as is getting rid of piles of paper

My mother works for the post office, so I can't say anything about the mail. She tells me not to throw it away in front of the mailman so I don't hurt his feelings

I did some dishes today and put away laundry. Yesterday I recleaned the floor that was already dirty even though I had just washed it last week. I am so glad I am not the only one who gets irritated with how often this stuff needs to be done!

I also get overwhelmed with this stuff. The worst for me are home renovations. I started redoing my stairs six months ago and still haven't finished washing off all the glue from the old linoleum. I try to do baby steps, but even the idea of doing them is enough to make me want to lie in bed. Thankfully cleaning/decluttering doesn't do that to me.

[Pikku Myy]

Need to declutter here.....