Hi, everybody, such a delight to see all of you posting again! I'm not up for individually addressing you today, but consider yourself hugged and coffee clinked :::clink:::

Bright, sonny day today...first sun in quite a while. I miss the blue skies and sun of the south.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Karl 🙂
Wishing you all the best in your new residence. (((hugs)))

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
Every January I get myself a calendar with daily squares that are big enough to write in.
I write down important things on it and keep it hanging on the side of my fridge.
I also use sticky "Post-It" notes bought at the Dollar Store almost daily as reminders of stuff I want/need to get done.
I keep the notes stuck on the table where I will see them all the time to remind me.
It feels very good when I can finally rip a post it note in half and throw it away because whatever it's for has been accomplished.
I used to write big and little "To-Do" lists and they would get scattered all over and sometimes get lost but most of all they would just depress me to look at them because there was too much demanding my attention.
Three or four sticky notes is a do-able amount of "Must-Dos" and I am more motivated to do them. 🙂

Hi Roxie 🙂
"CLINK!"
Wishing you all the best in this new year. (((HUGS)))

Finally, he's gone back to work after all this time off for the holidays! 😀
I need to get back into my usual daily/weekly schedule.
Still can't do laundry until the daily highs get warmer than the 20s.
My new Blu-Ray player has a lot of fancy features factory installed.
There is a button to play YouTube videos on the tv rather than watching them on my laptop.
Also, there are other apps with hundreds of other videos and movies to watch and music and radio to listen to and games to play.
I spent almost a whole day looking through the apps and still haven't found everything this 50.00 Blu-Ray player can do.
Dangerous time waster!

Wishing everybody all the best this fresh new week in this fresh new year all the best the world has to offer!
😀

WAY TO GO!!! Dave 😀
So very, very happy the deceased rabbit no longer resides with you!

Somebody somewhere has a copy of everything ever written.
Scary! :0

Moved into new home today!

Thanks, Tillie - since I do have OCD (ask any of my friends, they'll tell ya, LOL) I'm not always sure if I'm carrying the details too far! I can overthink just about anything. I guess the fact that I felt good and righteous over the plan suggests that I am indeed on the right track with that.

Today, though, I'm struggling a bit - there is a lot of "incoming" - things to remember, events, things to catch up on. I'm feeling extremely mentally overwhelmed. At the risk of labeling things too much, this time I will say it's my ADD that's being a pain in the butt. I'm going frantic trying to jot down ideas and things to do before I forget them. Last year I bought my android tablet and was going to get away from little notes on scraps of paper. But the thoughts and chores and events and inspirations and what-all are coming in so fast, I feel bombarded, and I'm back to little scraps of paper.

I do enter the scraps of paper, and throw them away, though, at least most of the time. So that's something anyway. But I'm feeling stressed. Wanting to keep on top of things in the new year is my driving force but I have to figure out how to do it without feeling my blood pressure rising with the frantic overwhelm. So any prayers, encouragement, etc. are most welcome. And I hope you all are feeling a good flow and not feeling overwhelmed. So glad to have you here and know that we're all in this battle and we're gonna win, gotta keep believing!

Just a copy?
Someone we know has copies!

Re: dead flat cats!
I've ruined my budding image as hoarder.
I threw away my dead rabbit.

Magazines and newspapers are nice first or early step items. In my experience, (although this violates the OHIO rule you spoke of, after I made a first pass and cleared out a bunch of those, the next time I had to look at things because I really wanted to make some space, I found that some books I couldn't part with before could now be parted with. Just recently I cleared out some more old magazines that "had" to be kept 3 years ago.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
No, that's not really OCD.
Writing lists and mentally preparing for what you plan to do is a very good way to manage your future plans.
WAY TO GO! on doing all that other small stuff too! 😀
The small stuff really adds up to make a big improvement.

Hi Dave 🙂
WAY TO GO! 😀
For getting rid of the things you no longer want or need.
That is how is goes for everybody.
We declutter and organize an area and later go back and find even more things that we are now ready to let go of.
I am still holding on to my copy of Merriam Webster's dictionary because sometimes I am not online and might want to look up a word. 😉

The temperature here this morning was down in the 40s today, and that was inside the house. :/
Outside, it was 5 degrees.
Not a good week to hang wash out on the clothesline.
I can hang clothes in the house but don't have room for bigger stuff like bed sheets.
This is why I have extra Wintertime bedding.
No place to go and only some usual daily stuff to get done today.

TTYS 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂

We all know that the decision making of decluttering and organizing causes a lot of anxiety and stress.
This is why we say to start with small easy and quick little projects.
They will still cause anxiety but it will not last long, honest.
As we work through projects we will start to notice that the anxiety and stress levels will become lower and last for shorter amounts of time.
We say to start with the easiest decision making tasks like bagging up anything that you know is obviously garbage like empty food wrappers and used tissues.
As we progress to more difficult areas our tolerance levels for the stress and anxiety are much higher.
It is a lot like planning to run a marathon.
First we start with short walks and gradually work up to longer walks, even going up hills at times.
Then we start jogging a bit and work our way up to actually sprinting.
We need to build up our decluttering, decision making and organizing muscles the same way.
Slowly working through the anxiety and stress and being able to see all our successes along the way.
Just like training for the marathon, there will be bruises, sprains and strains along the way but try to always keep the finish line in sight.
(((hugs)))

I hope this isn't too OCD, but I think it'll be a good thing if I can keep from getting perfectionistic about it. I just like to think and plan, especially with big confusing things, so . . .

Made a file in Word to make a list of the stuff I have and hope to keep. Since the majority of it is in the storage unit at this time, I am relying on my memory at this point. But it's pretty good.

Then I'm making a list of the items I would like to obtain if and when I am able to move to a place of my own. That will be quite awhile, but I'll need things like a bed and a few pieces of furniture. The reason I'm listing these is so that I can think about how much can reasonably fit in a given space. A few years ago I was renting a small apartment and in trouble with the landlady because of having too much stuff. So it's kind of a reality check - X amount of stuff will fit in Y number of square or cubic feet, and don't forget you'll need to allow for Z, and that any excess violates certain laws of physics. 😉

When I get out to the storage when the weather is decent I'll be able to pull out things to get rid of and list more things that will be kept. There will also be a process ongoing of storing these "keepers" neatly instead of in a jumble as they currently are.

So anyway, this feels really promising, like some kind of breakthrough. Lest anyone think I'm only dealing in abstracts, I'm also currently going through magazines and stuff to get rid of here at the house. And other small things as Tillie suggested. 🙂

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Everybody 😀

Way down at the bottom of the main page in
"Hoarding Safety"
Sue has an announcement that you may be interested in.
😉

(hope this isn't duplicate post - had tech difficulties again...)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Good luck with those kitties! At least they are mousers. Some just want to bring the mouse in and let it go.

I found out some information that might help me with some anxiety issues that aren't directly related to hoarding but that would be a relief to be able to know what I'm dealing with and brainstorm better ways of coping. My overall stress level would certainly diminish if I could attack my panic triggers at the roots.

So that's a hopeful thing going into the new year. As regards the clutter, wanting to see if I can learn to do the "OHIO" (Only Handle It Once) rule more.

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
YEA! that the government form has been turned in! 😀
Good Luck with all your plans this week.

Hi Dave 🙂
Wonderful to "see" you.
Great advice you have to give.
Wishing you all the best this New Year has to offer. (((hugs)))

Sorry I was away for so long.
Somebody gifted me with a nasty virus, head cold type misery.
Feeling a little more human today. 🙂
Yesterday Marty (the cat) caught a small mouse in my garden and after tossing it around for a while, killed it.
Then he waited for me to tell him what a wonderful big brave kitty he is and get some belly scratches.
The other day Twinkles (another cat) was playing with a mouse in the grass.
At night when I turn on an outside light you can see dozens of mice scurrying around.
We are over run with these plague infected rodents because the snakes are hibernating until Spring.
Every day I check to make sure none have made it past my barriers and gotten inside the house.
Unfortunately, Scooter (another cat) keeps trying to remove the steel wool I have packed into the holes where the plumbing enters the house.
He wants the mice to come in so he can play with them.

It's snowing again/still.
I need to get some food, so I will have to brave the snow and go to the grocery store.

Everybody stay safe and stay warm this last day of 2015. 🙂

Wanted to wish you all a happy new year!

Good to see you, Dave! (WTG, Marty!)

This is a repost, more or less...I think the first version didn't go through.

Well, I missed posting yesterday; I was helping my roommate with a project and had errands to run. This morning I had to go turn in that govt form and they're only open till noon but I made it. Later though I think I'll do laundry, which has been neglected too long, and that'll help me feel better and also clear a bit of space.

Good luck everyone with whatever you are tackling today too.

Hi all, stopped by briefly, hope you are all well and having a pleasant holiday season.

Critical Mass,
read down a few posts and noticed your comments about papers. You can also sneak up on the "ginormous stack" from behind by preparing a few critical 2016 file folders to catch the new year's papers. Critical depends on individual situations. For me that's files for Health Ins bills, Income tax receipts and a few banking and property insurance records. If there are pre arranged accessible buckets; the papers don't disappear into a pile when they leave my hand. (and I'm down to about a day and a half to get to the file folder box!)

I was thinking something along those lines too, Dave, thanks. 🙂 Moving in a hurry this year and ending up shoving important papers into bags along with unimportant has been beyond annoying. I need to find the things I need to find in the Ginormous Mountain 'O Papers and yes, file those neatly and where they're easy to find.

I'm back, and this time one way or another I'm going to do more than just breeze through. In fact, I'm going to try to post something each day. As some may know, this has been a rollercoaster year for me and whether up or down, super busy.

I had a form to fill out and that made me have to try and find other papers - know the feeling? That caused me to have to confront the Ginormous Mountain of Papers and Stuff. I fear that if I don't get more serious again about decluttering I'm going to backslide. The first step is just facing it mentally. Right now even that is like, ugh.

But. Not facing the problem is not going to make it magically disappear. So here I am! It's good to be among those who understand, and all of us helping one another out.

Good Morning Everybody! 😀

Hi Roxie 🙂
A relaxing rain check dinner sounds very nice.
Make sure to do that! (((HUGS)))

Hi LR2014 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Staying in with the boyfriend is a wonderful way to pass those really cold days. 😀

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Thank you (((hugs)))
"CLINK!" a Martinelli's toast! 😀
Your desk sounds absolutely beautiful!
WAY TO GO!!!

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
Mentally facing the challenge is and has always been the very first step of decluttering and organizing.
The second step is to then break it down into smaller, more do-able tasks.
We get so overwhelmed when we look at EVERYTHING that needs doing.
Smaller bits are very do-able though.
This is when a timer set for 5, 10 or 15 minutes really helps to get things started.
Another good way to start is to tackle one small area, even a foot square to begin with.
Since you have so many papers to sort out and organize perhaps just doing 5, 10 or 15 pieces in a session would help.
We are all here to cheer you on and celebrate with you all your successes large or small.
(((HUGS)))

Hi to everybody 🙂

My posts arent making it on the board?!?
Ive been trying to say 'Happy Holidays to all!' and that im glad everyone is enjoying themselves! Its been so bitter cold here that both my boyfriend & i have had to take time off work & that has been really nice cuz weve spent so much time together!
Tillie, i laughed so hard over your friend saying the gifts were from her cats, not her! ha ha That sounds like something id say!
I hope everyone continues to enjoy their progress & keeps making new progress to enjoy!!!~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Happy Birthday, dear Tillie! Oh I love that sparkling cider. I will pick up a bottle before New Years and will toast you!

This way, you have someone to share it with, yet you won't have to share.

My desk looks beautiful with my new lamp on it. Not sure what else I'll put on it. I do work at this desk three days a week so I can have things on the sides. Right now it just looks so pretty. I put my beautiful new lamp on a vintage silver tray and a glass bird on the tray with it. Stunning.

Let's see what I can do with the coffee table. Shall I start by dealing with the papers? Good idea!

Much holiday love to all.

Good Morning everybody 🙂
11:30am here, still morning.

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Hoping you had a wonderful time! (((hugs)))
Having a photo or mental image of what we want a space to look like is a great way to stay motivated and makes it a fun challenge getting there. 😉

Hi LR2014 🙂
Hope you had a wonderful Holiday (((hugs))) 😀

Decided this year that I would take several days to just kick back and enjoy my birthday.
Been celebrating it since the 23rd and will continue through to Monday.
Good news is...
I do not have to share my Martinelli's sparkling cider with any body.
Bad news is...
there is nobody to share my Martinelli's with.
Plus I get to eat all my homemade chocolate cupcakes all by myself.
Oh Well.........
Anyways, the high for today will be 29 degrees.
Not planning on going anywhere. The stores will all be insane with all the after Christmas shoppers loading up on holiday stuff at half off prices.
Also, I don't need anything right now since I laid in a supply of essentials to get us through to the end of next week.

Wishing you all a peaceful and safe weekend. 🙂

HI Roxie! 😀

We cross posted.
(((hugs)))

To those of you who celebrate it: Merry Christmas!

And to those who don't: Have a wonderful day today, whatever you choose to do with it!

Barb: Great to "see" you!

Barb, Tat, Tillie, LR and all others, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and I hope you are making some fun and/or relaxation for yourself.

I took a rain check on Christmas so I'll take my bro out for dinner sometime, instead. Just too tired, time going by too fast!

Don't worry, be happy.

Good Morning Everybody! 🙂

Hi Barb 🙂
Happy you have found a method that is working for you. 😀
Everybody responds differently to different plans/schedules/methods and that's why there are so many different "How To" books/websites/videos available today.

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WAY TO GO! for taking the time to take care of your self and washing your hair.
For me, getting myself cleaned up always improves my self esteem.
Bet making the ginger bread house was fun. I have never made one.
Wishing you a wonderful time tomorrow evening. (((hugs)))

Slept in today. Felt good sleeping till I was no longer tired.
Not even 10:00am yet and I have all my daily tasks completed.
Cats are fed, litter boxes scooped, bed made, floor swept, etc.
For the Winter Solstice celebration I put out treats around the evergreen tree for all the creatures that visit my garden.
Then the cats and I watched as they all came to eat.

Wishing you all and the whole world
peace. (((hugs))

Hi 🙂

Been a busy day here today.
Marty (the cat) went to the veterinarian this morning.
Came home with pain medicine and an appointment for blood work next Monday.
He needs some dental surgery. 🙁
This afternoon my friend came by and we had a nice little visit.
She always disobeys my "no gifts" rule, she tells me the gifts are from her cats and dogs who I always baby sit.
She always knows what I like and gave me lavender potpourri and a lavender scented candle.
Earlier today the snow flakes were tiny and swirling all around in different directions.
Then the snow flakes got very big and fluffy and quickly covered everything.
It was beautiful. 😀

Wishing for Peace on Earth.

Have a picture of how I want my desk to look. That means I will be putting away some treasures to de litter it and make it look the way I want my whole house to look. Will do tomorrow, Christmas Day.

Although past 11 here on the East Coast (and nearly 70 degrees), we have another stop to make so we are heading out for a few more moments of cheer.

I haven't posted in a long while. Hope everyone is doing well.
I recently joined this Facebook group. It is really helpful after you have done the initial decluttering blitz and want to keep at it. There is a calendar that breaks everything down in daily 15 min. blocks. It helps you get unstuck if you start to get bogged down.https://www.facebook.com/groups/declutter365/
Merry Christmas! Barb