hello, my name is ... and I'm a hoarder!!

[summersun]

Superhoarder me .... but i know where it comes from... As a child i lived in several different countries and the rule for me and me alone was I HAD ONE SUITCASE AND EVERYTHING I WANTED HAD TO FIT IN THE CASE BUT IF I COULDNT CARRY IT ... IT DIDNT GO. so most of what i wanted didnt go.... but my mother and father had different rules. So i suppose i am making up for it now.

Six years ago this March coming we left the big city lights of London to move back to Monaghan, we rented for 3 and a bit years and built a home which we have been in just over 2 years and in my attic are loads of boxes that still havent been opened since London, but i cannot bring myself to let go.........

Memories memories memories.... that's why my husband would love to do a wife swap with super "Linn"... she is ruthless, nothing is safe around her, LOVE YOU LINN REALLY, wish i was more like you, maybe in my next life ,he dreams of opening a cupboard or wardrobe and nothing falling on his head ha ha or no toys on the floor, he should have stayed a batchelor

Erica, you could do a fab job for me, but if i was honest i would probaby be chasing around after you with an excuse to keep 3 out of 4 items...

So i am a "super hoarder" but at least i can admit it and i am happy, so i dont think i will ever change, but jt is helping me at least i can pass some things on to a new home..


Summersun

[Pia Gone Bang]

Or if you want to get something back for what is 'clutter' to you - at least clothes-wise - you could try to swap clothes at:

http://www.swopshop.ie/about-us.php

Disadvantage is there is a service charge, but it seems this is just €5-10 on like for like swaps which is not bad considering you can inspect and try on clothes prior to swapping or parting with anything, the absence of which for me personally is the big disadvantage to the online sites or 'e-caveat emptor-bay'!!!!

[Lily75]

I'm finally despairing of my clutter. It's so bad that I've mislaid both the USB cable for my phone and the charger for my camera. When I find either, watch out JT !

[TIGERT]

Hi JENNIFERALEN i LIVE IN LIMERICK AND CAN TRAVEL TO GALWAY DAILY NO PROBLEM. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING IN THE PHOTOGRAPHIC LINE.
THANKS

[mrsmouse]

There's a fab website for coping with such things: www.flylady.net

Best of luck! (from a fellow OCD with hoarding leanings)

[jenniferalan]

That website has really good tips, thanks!

"How to Declutter
Taking 15 minutes each day to declutter an area, using the 27-Fling Boogie, and clearing your hotspots are among some of the most powerful tools you can use to create a more peaceful home. Remember: You cannot organize clutter - you can only organize the things you love!

I've included my tips on how to declutter. Put your home on a diet. If this is difficult for you, try reading one of my favorite books, "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston.

When to Declutter: Decide how often you are going to declutter a zone. Do a little every day - use a timer. But be warned - this can become compulsive! Once you get started you will want to clean like a banshee! Don't burn yourself out! Only do small amount at a time. The house did not get dirty overnight and it will not get clean overnight. When you set the timer you can only do two sessions at a time. This goal may seem unattainable right now, but you can do it in little pieces. In a couple of months, the whole house will be decluttered.


Decluttering Equipment: You will need garbage bags, boxes, magic markers, and a dust rag. Label the boxes "Give Away", "Throw Away", and "Put Away". Line the "Throw Away" box with a plastic garbage bag.


Set your timer: for 1 hour (or 30, 15, or 10 minutes - it does't matter how long). Just do the job as fast as you can and do not pull out more stuff than you can put away in that length of time. This means just one drawer, one closet (or even one shelf in one closet), one magazine rack, or digging under just the furniture in the zone. Not all of them at once!


Start at the entrance to the room: Then, work your way around the room clockwise. Do not skip a spot. Whatever happens to be next, just do it.


Declutter Away! With boxes at your feet and dust rag in your waistband, start off by cleaning out and getting rid of the things that do not belong in this room. Put garbage in the "Throw Away" box, donations in the "Give Away" box, and stuff that goes somewhere else in the "Put Away" box. Don't worry that you do not have a place for everything right now. By the time you finish you will. That's a promise from FlyLady!


What to declutter? Things to ask yourself as you get rid of your clutter:
Do I love this item?
Have I used it in the past year?
Is it really garbage?
Do I have another one that is better?
Should I really keep two?
Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it?
Or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item?

Cleanse this room of everything that does not make you SMILE.


Sing this song: "Please release me, let me go" as sung from the stuff's point of view. It needs to be loved by someone and if you don't love it - GET RID OF IT!


Get rid of the garbage! When the "Throw Away" box gets full, pull out the garbage bag, close it, and put it in the trash can, the pickup truck, or wherever you keep your garbage. Put a new garbage bag in the "Throw Away" box and keep on Flying until the timer goes off.


Donations: When the "Give Away" box gets full, seal it off, and put it in your car. The next time you are out, you can donate to the area thrift shop. Do not save your clutter for a yard or garage sale, you will be blessed by giving it away. The value can be deducted on your income tax. Remember you are trying to get rid of clutter - not relocate it somewhere else in your home. Now, grab another box, label it "Give Away", and get back to work.


"Put Away" Stuff: When the "Put Away" box gets full, take the box in your arms and run around the house (good thing you have shoes on - right?) and put the items in the room where they belong. If they have a place, put them there, if not put them in the room where they logically belong. By the time you have finished you will have a place for everything and everything will be in it's place.


Timer Goes Off: When the timer goes off, you have to put away all the boxes, but first you have to empty them all. Go as fast as you can. "

[minnie pal]

I very badly need to declutter, it is 'doing my head in' I want a sparse space because I believe in the quiet mind is reflected in the home. but I love stuff. Yeh, stuff. Not a lot of it is of value but it is quirkey or aesthetic. I am thinking of ways to help declutter by having say, my cd/dvd in a very tall tower instead of all over the place.
Corner cabinets to display, repurposed and creep up walls instead of onto valuable floor area where it can all get messy and hazardous.
I think in each room ONE wall should be blank with a small item on that.
The more cupboards and chests of drawers you have, the more room to stuff stuff!
Any clothes you have not worn for three years recycle.
the worst things are soft toys and ornaments, especially the ones I find in charity shops.
weak spots, lovely mugs, books, ceramics, glass, scraps of material.
x minnie pal

[minnie pal]

needing to declutter in a big way as only living in three rooms, I 'bagged' EIGHT bin bags of old artwork, drawings, sketches and scribbles, from Art College days to today, 30yrs on. Some of it was quite good, but I was ruthless. I have not a clue what I binned that day but it was a mighty good feeling really, things had got SO out of hand.
minnie pal

[TallStanley]

Sometimes I still feel something like that (need to save/leave for later/etc) but once I just tried to hand the things that weren't in use for long. I've found hints that are helpful in letting things go. For example, every time when I have doubts I recall a thought that in someone's hands it may be more useful, maybe someone is in need of this right now and searching for affordable offers. This way I learned to make charity donations either. Feel better every time now.