de-cluttering the home, as well as body & mind

[joyfulspirit]

hope this is the right area for this! -mods, fell free to shift it if not
Along with my new, modified eating and exerceise habits, i'm trying to get my house cleared out, i'm a clutter nut
working from home, for my dh helps and hinders in equal measure i think, since i'm always in and feel i should be on top of this by now!
i also find that my house directly affects/is affected by my mood, and likewise, my cravings for food!
when it's messy in the house i feel itchy and down, and am more likely to pick at bits of snacky food during the day. i'm also less likely to pick up after myself/the kids etc
i think it's all tied up in my self worth, self acceptance, self image
so i'm going to try and tackle one area at a time, and chuck out everything i don't need, deep clean and re-organise.
Along with the 30 day shred, i hope to end up with a more open, airy atosphere to live in!

so having said that - i'm of fto do the dishes!

 

[joyfulspirit]

grief! apologies for my rubbish spelling!

 

[yummymummy75]

i do this too..i find i'm agitated if my house is un-tidy.i just can't realax until it's done,,i'm so much happier when i can sit down with a cuppa and look around and everythings clean,,my mood just feels lightergood luck with the dishes

 

[joyfulspirit]

well the downstairs is cleared up a fair bit - but i have to do the cupborad under the stairs (no room for an orphaned wizard in mine...) and the dining table is cleared of paperwork and adorned with two fruit bowls full of shiny fruit (and avocados - where else do they belong?!)

my kids and dh have started joining me in the great fruit munch-along so somethings working!

 

[SilverSlimmer]

I am a compulsive tidier and organiser so any clutter totally freaks me out. Of course I am going to say that sorting everything out will make you feel better because I really believe it will. Think of the sense of achievement if nothing else. Being busy also keeps your mind off food!

Keep up the good work,
SilverS

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

Gosh i need to de clutter myself here! Trouble with me is keeping stuff i need just in case i may need it. Then i get bogged down under a mountain of stuff anyone got any tips for de cluttering? I so love my house when it's all clean, tidy and airy. Hard work with 5 kids in a 3 bed house, but i'm willing to try. If i can figure a starting point....

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins *5st of me gone since 03/01/2011*

 

[joyfulspirit]

i did my bedroom/oh's office today - cleared out under the bed and al the wardrobes. did a ton of deep stretching and lifting and worked up a healthy sweat! so clearing out is good for me!

 

[girlygirl1]

I am a hoarder. Not on the scale of those poor people in the TV documentares, but a hoarder nonetheless. To be honest I only recently came to recognise my hoarding behaviour for what it is.

This thread is very interesting. Just lately I find myself less and less willing to clear and sort clutter. I have to get on top of this before it beats me!

 

[mommyB]

Totally agree that I feel better when the house is clean and tidy and tho I hadnt particularly noticed i probably do pick at food more when it's not. I am between a rock and a hard place right now cos after 8 years we have finally started on our bathroom and there are signs that it's going to look good-the flip side is that everything out of there is boxed up and all over the rest of the house !! I just keep telling myself that you cant make an omlette without breaking eggs and one day it will all be right !!

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

It doesn't help when u forget u have bought stuff either!lol foe example

I keep thinking i need fabric conidtioner, cleared out the kitchen cupboard and found um about 40 litres i'd collected.....

25 bottles of shampoo

20 tubes of toothpaste

40 showergels

And 30 things of horns n halos wash for the babies.....

Looked like an episode of extreme couponing!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins *5st of me gone since 03/01/2011*

 

[mommyB]

OOpps-well at least you wont need to buy any for a while !!

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

Lol true!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins *5st of me gone since 03/01/2011*

 

[joyfulspirit]

that's so funny! i keep picking up loo roll, at one point i had packets and packets in the bathroom cupboard!
went to the tip today with 4 black sacks and old trampoline and kids water play table thing. feel great to walk around my house nad graden and see space, i feel lighter. been more postive which is helping me make good choices because i'm an emotional eater and when i feel down i eat more and worse choices.
today i feel great, chooosing water and salad

 

[sillykitten]

Great thread! I am a firm believer of a clean house = clear mind. Like right now my house is just a tip but I've been going through some stuff in work the last few days that can only be described as ridiculous its not hard to see that the two are connected.

I used to be a hoarder, kept EVERYTHING and there was no order it was just shoved in every where. Every room was full of junk then two months ago we moved into a new place and it was the perfect opportunity for me to just switch off emotional attachments to completely inconsequential stuff and I had sooooooo many bags of stuff to get rid of, the charity shop were sick of the sight of me I'd say! And I dont miss any of it, memories are in your mind not shoved in a drawer!

Plan for tonight is to sort out my kitchen (god help me if the landlord decides to drop by we'll be evicted lol) It looks like we had a major party and the place got thrashed but no, its just been a few dinners and the cats have knocked stuff off the counter because we havent cleared up. The sitting room will take 30 minutes but it'll be worth it to sit down in front of the fire (yeah I'm still lighting the fire in the evening, when is the summer gonna kick in?) light some candles and some incense and just chill and work through what all the junk in my head, work shall be a distant memory for a few days.

Enjoy the weekend every one!

 

[joyfulspirit]

sounds like an excellent plan sillykitten, i might have a fire too tonight (so chilly again!)
i find renting lends a sort of accountability, the house is not mine therefore i need to take extra better care of it. the last flat we lived in we left far better than we found it!

good luck with your kitchen and sitting room! ^_^

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

Oooh will check that out!

I've taken my first step.......


A roll of 40 binliners! Let the decluttering commence!!!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins *5st of me gone since 03/01/2011*

 

[joyfulspirit]

oh yay! flylady! i was a flybaby for a few years - i still have a 15 minute mantra "you can do anything for 15 minutes" and i defineitely find having the kitchen and bathroom clean when i wake up very uplifting (and a sinkful of dirty dishes very depressing!)

 

[Harriet101]

a good way to attack clutter is tell yourself you have 5 mins and 5 mins only - now go! at the end you won't want to stop

 

[girlygirl1]

Great thread! I am a firm believer of a clean house = clear mind. Like right now my house is just a tip but I've been going through some stuff in work the last few days that can only be described as ridiculous its not hard to see that the two are connected.

I used to be a hoarder, kept EVERYTHING and there was no order it was just shoved in every where. Every room was full of junk then two months ago we moved into a new place and it was the perfect opportunity for me to just switch off emotional attachments to completely inconsequential stuff and I had sooooooo many bags of stuff to get rid of, the charity shop were sick of the sight of me I'd say! And I dont miss any of it, memories are in your mind not shoved in a drawer!

Plan for tonight is to sort out my kitchen (god help me if the landlord decides to drop by we'll be evicted lol) It looks like we had a major party and the place got thrashed but no, its just been a few dinners and the cats have knocked stuff off the counter because we havent cleared up. The sitting room will take 30 minutes but it'll be worth it to sit down in front of the fire (yeah I'm still lighting the fire in the evening, when is the summer gonna kick in?) light some candles and some incense and just chill and work through what all the junk in my head, work shall be a distant memory for a few days.

Enjoy the weekend every one!

Gosh I so identify with what you have written. I have a houseful of cluttered 'memories' too and it can be painful and labour-intensive to deal with the problem.

But I really do need to x

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

Well decluttering my room is going well after re arranging 5 kids in to different rooms the space is great! But the load of stuff for the tip just keeps on building up. Hopefully my oh will get it all taken down this week. Does feel so much better though.

I also like closing the kitchen junk draw without hacing to give it a worthy shove!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins *5st of me gone since 03/01/2011*