Cat tunnels for catio wanted

[Lesley]

My flylady is in the polytunnel - I'm seriously considering ensuring that any visitors are only allowed in there and the veg gardens

 

Well done on all the clearing Emma - I'm terrible at moving house.....I pack everything

[The Dogmother]

Moving is wonderfully cathartic, isn't it?

 

Got back from hols and had a bit of a clear out as I was washing and putting clothes away. Two more sacks off to the charity shop. I've never been one for hoarding things and find that all that stuff causes stress, so I don't buy what we don't need, or won't use immediately and anything that doesn't get used, or no longer fits gets recycled, sold or given away.

[lillybettybabs]

We have managed to dispose of four old shed pannels that have been hanging around (other half thought he might need them one day) He has been able to keep a very good fence pannel for a bit (not sure why he needs it) as long as he puts it to good use. He has three sack barrows still in their original boxes that i have my eye on, I'm not sure why he needs these or where they came from - they might be in the free to a good home section soon

I need to sort my clothes out big time!

[The Dogmother]

Do shout if he's ever throwing out any more fence panels Karen - I break them up and use them for kindling

 

Two sacks went to the charity shop on Saturday, some of Rosie's old books went to the girl next door, who is younger than her.

 

We did some reverse Flyladying too as a neighbour who has finished her PhD was jettisoning some surplus books - Rosie hoovered a whole load of them up and gave them some eggs in return.

[Plum]

Well I've made a start at last. Four bags of books to Oxfam, 1 bag of novels for shelf in dining room at work and one book to Clare. Some books I can't bear to get rid of and some I reread many times like my Thomas Hardy.

 

Love seeing lots of books but so many I never read again and I'm struggling to move. More are winging their way from Amazon at this moment You lots fault you keep making recommendations

[Sheilaz]

Well done Plum, that's excellent! I have been decluttering but became disillusioned with this thread, thanks for bringing it back to life.

 

Books are really hard to get started on if you love books, but taking that first step is liberating and it becomes easier.

We used to keep all books, and will always enjoy having hundreds around (including my Thos. Hardy's too!) but now I enjoy passing on ones that I'm not going to ever read again.

 

This week I have been mainly working on the 2nd floor, 2 sacks of toys to Oxfam, and I can now see some carpet on the landing.

 

I did throw out a piece of pizza that Time Team reckoned to be over 3 years old, and a bottle of cola circa 2002.

[Plum]

My boys are 27 and 31 and I still have lego, train sets, brio and wooden jigsaws

 

Don't get me started on out of date items. My YS goes through my cupboards chucking stuff out! Everyone knows that Worcester Sauce improves with age and even if my mixed spice went out of date in 2001 it doesn't mean it isn't as good as new.

 

We're sorting Kitchen cupboards next week just before new boiler goes in and all the upheaval. I'm going to have a battle to keep things with OH helping, he's worse than YS. He can't see the point of keeping baking powder let alone bicarbonate of soda. Tell me it's going to be therapeutic

[The Dogmother]

That's all good news.

 

I have popped another bag of Rosie's old books round to the 9 year old next door - Cathy Cassidy and stuff like that which Rosie won't be reading again. I have started another bag of stuff for the charity shop too; did I tell you that I saw someone wearing one of my old dresses the other day? It was very distinctive s one of a kind and it really suited her - made me smile to myself.

[Sheilaz]

Oh that's brilliant about the dress, Claret. Well done on books too.

Plum, I know just what you mean about the cupboards, Clearer-outer people are just too thorough for me. There was nothing wrong with the curry powder DD1 threw out a couple of years back. I bought it when we got married, in 1978.

 

Be assured, I have still kept lots of toys, I only told you about the ones I'd cleared out.

[The Dogmother]

that made me laugh about the curry powder Sheila, do you remember a thread aeons ago about Camp Coffee? Lesley and I both have bottles of it well past their sell by dates.

 

I have a few old mementoes in boxes but like to keep stuff in regular use so that they remind me of the people who gave/left them to me. My Italian grandparents were goo cooks and I have some of their old pans and other kitchen utensils which remind me of them every time I use them - it's sort of comforting and enriching at the same time.

[Plum]

At least you still use the pans Clare, I've still got the boys babygrows Peter looked so cute dressed as a ladybird

[The Dogmother]

*snorts* I have a few unused things boxed up... my wedding dress for one I also have an old baby dress which I have mentioned on here before; my grandmother hand made it for my mother, she and I were both pictured wearing it at about 6 months old, I also have a photo of Rosie wearing the same dress. It is kept for the next generation.

 

 

That's Rosie, not me by the way.

[Olly]

Ahhh! Now that IS worth keeping - what a lovely dress (and wasn't she a beautiful baby )!

[Plum]

Aw Rosie she's so lovely.

 

Yes I remember now the ladybird is a heirloom and if any babies come our way they will wear it

 

That dress is gorgeous. All that lovely smocking

[The Dogmother]

I wish my Nonna was still here for me to pass on your comments; it is all handstitched in the finest cotton lawn, no machined seams at all, and she used to smock a lot. She made us wee dresses out of my Nona's shirts when he'd worn the cuffs and collars out and she'd turned them once; the body of the shirt would make lovely smocked frocks, especially the brushed cotton ones. She was a recycler par excellence.

[Plum]

I can see it's really fine fabric. My gran used to turn the sleeves of shirts and collars as well. I'll let whoever picks up our old clothes do that now Oh for the time and patience. Modern deodorants wear out the fabric now or at least bleach it. Wonder what my gran did about deodorant, doused herself in lavender I guess.

[The Dogmother]

I remember that Nonna had a cream deodorant.

 

That's a lovely photo of you and wee squidgy-pops, Plum.

[Plum]

Wish I looked like that now Aw my little squidgy-pops.

 

Without me reading back through all the threads. What do Flylady Omleteer style do about magazines? I'm looking at a shelf of patchwork and quilting magazines and a pile of Practical Poultry. I know it'll be traumatic to get rid of them and I only look through once in a blue moon for something. Would be nice to have more shelf space

 

Another problem is I'm clearing out my old clothes. Dresses from the 80's and consequently my fabric stash is growing. It's just moving from one room to another. I have got a good collection of ribbons and buttons now.

[Olly]

One option is to tear out any recipes, patterns, advice that you want, and put the rest in recycling. The trouble is, you have to read (or at least flick through) them first ... time-consuming and dangerous because you'll want to keep them whole.

 

I'd offer them on FreeCycle or similar - someone might love a bunch of Practical Poultry. Ask yourself - how often have you referred to them? Is there anything in them that you can't find online? If you did need advice or information, how long would it take you to go through them all to find the bit you need? Chuck 'em out, and use the space for your fabric stash instead!

[Plum]

Right Olly that is Prac P sorted but I'll have to fish out some patterns from my quilting mags and will just keep the Australian ones, they are just too good for looking at. I could be gone a long time, might be back for some support.

 

On a more positive note OH has blitzed his room and all sorts have gone. Even the big furry hedgehog he gave me in 1973. That was tough but it's so manky now and has earnt it's keep. Been to tip/recycling centre with a car load today.

[Sheilaz]

That's brilliant Plum, I was going to reply this morning and realised that I had no idea how to tackle those piles! I was stumped, no help at all.

Great tips from Olly. I also like the earlier tip of "does it make you smile?" and use that when the keep or throw decision is difficult.

 

Magazines take a while as some scrutiny is involved. I found 3 yesterday that I kept for recipes when MIL died 9 years ago. Nearly chucked them, then decided to keep them for a winter's evening recipe project and then throw them out after that. Only 3 though, I threw out lots of other items.

 

The more I clear, the more enjoyment I get from the kept items, I hope you find that too, fellow Omletflies.

[abwsco]

We've been in the loft today.

 

Took numerous quilts to the local animal sanctuary, been to the tip with some recylable and non-recyclable stuff and filled the car boot with things to be taken to the charity shop tomorrow.

 

Can anyone tell me why I thought it was worth holding onto a double size german feather duvet (that was so heavy you could hardly change sleep positions when you were under it) that was 28 years old and why on earth we brought it here with us when we moved 17 years ago when we have a king size bed

[Sheilaz]

We've been in the loft today.......

That was brave!

In answer to why had you kept the unwanted quilt so long, I think we must be related.

 

Well done, that's great progress, you've inspired me to get going again this week. I still feel overwhelmed by the enormity of my task. To stop the panic, I tell myself to just do 15 minutes, as Flylady does, and it really helps to get me started, as 15 mins is better than nothing.

 

Does it feel good to have decluttered those items, Anne?

[abwsco]

We've been in the loft today.......

That was brave!

In answer to why had you kept the unwanted quilt so long, I think we must be related.

 

Well done, that's great progress, you've inspired me to get going again this week. I still feel overwhelmed by the enormity of my task. To stop the panic, I tell myself to just do 15 minutes, as Flylady does, and it really helps to get me started, as 15 mins is better than nothing.

 

Does it feel good to have decluttered those items, Anne?

 

It does Sheila We weren't that brave really though as the loft is quite organised - see earlier pics on this thread.

 

There's still some things in boxes to go through though but I get too emotional about some of them. Knitting patterns that were my Mums, boxes of old photo's just to name a couple and then I feel stupid

 

Oh, and we cleared out under the stairs yesterday as well

[The Dogmother]

I took a roll of bin bags and a shovel to Rosie's room last night - got rid of loads of stuff to the charity shop. She's hawking her old books out among her friends, you can now actually get in the door and onto her bed