Cleaning!

Hi Maggie, how lovely that your daughter in law is helping you. My mum was a hoarder, but we didn’t really know to what extent until after she had passed away. The things we found! And lots of old bank notes, that she had been saving for a “rainy day”. I wish she had just spent it.

I throw things away too easily. In my mind, if I haven’t used it in 6 months, I don’t need it…..until I do, but then it’s too late as it is already at the charity shop. 

My youngest daughter, who is 22, must take after my mum. She will not throw anything away! She’s a “ you never know, you might need it” type of girl.

Let your daughter in law sort your cupboards if she wants too. Then sit back and enjoy the space she has created, for you to fill with more stuff.

Oh Maggie, I wish someone would help me to clear out, I too am a bit of a hoarder. I have actually STARTED clearing out but then I am too tired to continue, so I give up. I would love someone like your DiL to help so that it gets cleared properly once and for all.
Quite a long time ago I had to clear my aunt's house when she died and I've even kept some of her stuff. My thinking was, well if she kept it, she must have had a good reason, so I kept it too! Anyway, it is far too hot to do anything, let alone clean cupboards! Phew!
You know now everything is tidy, it will be much easier for cleaners to give the place a once over, if you decide to get them. Maybe your DiL will do it for you, she sounds lovely!

Good luck on 18th, you will be in my thoughts and prayers!

Hi Annette, I have already got a cleaner booked. She is actually a friend from church and is also my hairdresser! I arranged it after advise from you. It seemed like such a good idea of yours. She is a lovely person and I thought I would be more comfortable with someone I already knew. So thank you for the suggestion. 
I am very lucky I know to have Kat as a daughter in law, she has a good sense of humour, she needs one she has my son for a husband and me for a mother in law!! She has a lot to put up with, my granddaughters are almost 14 and 17, and she is a community Disability living nurse, she is very busy as you can imagine. My other son and daughter in law are lovely too, 

I have done quite a lot today but I have needed lots of rests. Still I have got a good few days left in which to complete it before I go to hospital, so with a bit of luck and help it will all be sorted in time. 
I understand where you are coming from with your Aunts house, a lot of stuff came from my parents house when they died and I just bought it home. I rediscovered all the photos and they were with all mine from when the kids were small. It was a real trip down memory lane. My younger granddaughter found one of her Dad as a five year old and has kept it! 
take care,

love and hugs

Maggie xx

Hi Chelle,

I think I will, she is so good at things like that. I am a bit weary after doing so much today, I have had lots of breaks in between but it has been so hot! Like your daughter I do find it hard to throw things away! As is obvious from the amount of unnecessary stuff. I think I do it because when I was younger there just wasn’t the money to discard things that you might find a use for in the future. Much to my kids horror now, I used to wash the small plastic sandwich bags I put their lunch in and reuse them. That was in the early 80’s! and put vinegar in the tomato sauce bottle to get the last bit out! How times have changed. I haven’t got too much left to do so with a bit of luck and help it will all get done before I go to hospital. Then when I come home I can just take it easy while I recover.

love and hugs

Maggie xx

Hi Maggie, That's great news you have found someone to do your cleaning for you while you need it. I know exactly what you mean about getting someone you know, or even recommended by a friend to help. In actual fact I did get a Cleaning Company to do a clean just before I went in for surgery but a friend of a friend offered to do it for me once I was home. She is a cleaner in the local Sports Centre and she now does it for me and it is great to be able to give her a key and not worry. 
So I'm interested in what you did with all the photographs you found. That is apart from looking at them and reminisce! Did you actually manage to throw some away or are you and Kat going to make up some albums with them? I too have loads but hate the thought of throwing them away!

Remember to take plenty of rest in the coming days to build up your strength, please don't go overdoing things!

Oooohhh great discussion!!  I know I have a "problem" with throwing things out and I appreciate it's inherited from my mum.  Thank you for showing me that there are others with a similar leaning!

I am having the summer off work and one of the jobs on the to-do list is to clear out the garage and the roof.  My youngest is just about to start Uni, so for those who I haven't told about the sh1tshow it's an opportune time to clear out the kids stuff.  Those who "know" I might say it's a driver.   Right now, let's just say it's a work in progress.  

Hi Mmum, Yes I think mine is also inherited from my mum and sister! I'm not sure what you mean by 'sh1tshow'!

Anyway this is to let you know our son lived at home while attending Uni, so we didn't get the chance to clear his things out until he got married. When our daughter got married just under a year before him, she moved all her things, and some of ours, all at once. Now our son has been married 9 years with an 8 year old son and we still have some of his things in our loft. We also have his golf clubs and bike in one of our sheds. His excuse is that our grandson has so many toys there isn't room for the rest of his things!! Now I say a bike but his wife and sons' bikes are also in our shed because if they are going for a cycle they park the car in our driveway and take the bikes to go down the path at the canal which is 10 minutes from our door. Where they live (less than 15mins away in the other direction) there are a lot of busy roads which are not suitable for our grandson.

My advice would be, get all the kids things cleared while you've got the chance. I am not sure but are we the only ones used as storage, or are there others out there who will admit this???

Hi Annette and Mmum, Mrs Tvman and I have 2 sons and a daughter. One son still lives at home and he doesn't hoard at all. Occasionally he will have gathered so many bits and pieces that he will have a clearout and sell them on the internet, so no worries there. 

Our other son lives in Aberdeen and has done so for around 15 to 20 years. He still has some items in our loft and a bicycle in our garage. Each time he comes to visit us he always comes by bus and as a foot passenger on the ferry, the cheapest way possible! Each time he goes back with something except the bike. 

Our daughter lives near Peterborough and has done so for around 15 years. She  arrives by ferry and car and has no room in the car to take any of her clothes or other possessions that are in our loft, cupboards or drawers because the car is full of items needed for a baby and/or a small child. This current visit by us to her house was done by ferry and car and my wife has been determined to return some of her clothes etc at the first opportunity. The back seats were mostly empty so a lot was loaded into the car, one item of which was her wedding dress that has been at ours for over 11 years! 

I wouldn't say that our loft is almost cleared now because we have moved some of our stuff up there for 36 years. Each time Mrs Tvman wants to go through our loft I can always persuade her to do it at a later date.

Tvman xx