<p>Congrats TempeMom. </p>
<p>Got rid of two giant bags of junk mail yesterday. Also started tossing things from the garage and making giveaway bags. The 60 degree weather is a great motivator to work in the garage. </p>
<p>An article about what happens to our donations:</p>
<p><a href=āThe Truth About What Happens to the Old Clothes You Donateā>The Truth About What Happens to the Old Clothes You Donate;
<p>^I really enjoyed Clineās book, not least because it validated my sense of the what has happened to the wonderful dept stores of my youth. I thought it might just be rose-colored memories.</p>
<p>It did make me think I needed to really limit my clothing purchases, think about who was paid what for creating my garments, and wear them till they are in pieces and can just be used as dust rags and then tossedā¦</p>
<p>as part of 50 things to throw away.</p>
<p>VeryHappy: Love the website!! Thank you.</p>
<p>For others who may not have looked, hereās the website: <a href=āhttp://www.throwoutfiftythings.com/ā>http://www.throwoutfiftythings.com/</a></p>
<p>I have that book. And an embarrassingly large collection of similar ones, all neatly organized in a plastic storage box in the basement (making Martha proud), while the rest of the house . . . well, letās not go there, at least not yet. I have to say that for me, this thread has been more effective than any of the books.</p>
<p>While going through things recently, I have found enough Dust Busters, Dirt Devils and other items of the same ilk to stock a museum display, āDevelopment of Hand-held Vacuums Since the 1980ās.ā</p>
<p>I have also found dirt. Not the kind of dust-that-collected-in-inaccessible-corners dirt. No, itās dirt in a little glass jar. <em>Purchased</em> dirt! From a gift shop! A souvenir of the Mechās trip that included De Smet, where Laura Ingallsā family had their homestead. In fact, I have two jars. So far, I have not brought myself to throw them out. Surely some elementary school teacher or great-grandchild will be thrilled with these jars of dirt! (Expected reaction from other posters: You know, QM, you might be beyond our help.)</p>
<p>I took a whole minivan of stuff to the Electronics Recycling/Paper Shredding event today. H and D grumbled about having to load up the van, but I did all the work sorting it out and taking out the hard drives. It is really hard to get others excited for what is real progress documented here. There is no tangible result, like a cake resulting from a morning of baking. Therefore, I come here and celebrate accomplishment. I also agree that I am much more likely to buy things now. </p>
<p>We brought home three jars of beach rocks from France. I donāt think I can part with them, so QM, I feel you.</p>
<p>Given the number of LHOP fans Iāve seen here over the years, QM, you may have some takers! :D</p>
<p>I got my own small collection of rocks that Iām keepingā¦
I got rid of a bike just by putting it roadsideāgot picked up quickly.
Now what to do with old icky exercise equipment? Old gas grill (already been replaced)?</p>
<p>Some nights I lie awake wondering what the difference really is between hoarders and collectors. </p>
<p>In my opinion, the Little House dirt, stored appropriately, maybe with records of the trip and/or the books, becomes part of a collection - not clutter, certainly not just dirt. I have a shell picked up on a beach in 1963, pebble from a mountain stream in 1965. Buying these keepsakes in shops is probably a much better idea. My mother always said, āif everyone takes a pebble, there will be none leftā</p>
<p>I have a fear of collections taking over at my house.</p>
<p>There are some books and websites devoted to living with 100 items. The idea is fascinating to me.</p>
<p>ETA: Another congrats to tempemom!</p>
<p>I am so impressed by all the hard work the folks posting on this site are doing! It is really great to be heading in the right direction, even if some of us (like H & me) take a few detours along the way. The extra space in the closet feels GREAT and helps us continue to move in the correct direction. All this sorting, discarding and donating does make us more discerning consumers and reinforces our wearing clothes until they are unwearable. :)</p>
<p>āSome nights I lie awake wondering what the difference really is between hoarders and collectors.ā</p>
<p>Collecting is just a selective hoarding, isnāt it? 
I selectively hoard shoes and scarves. If I had a bunch more money, Iād be selectively hoarding purses, but thank goodness I do not make that much! 
Donated an old coffee table this week. Yay!</p>
<p>Four more bags ready for pick up on Tuesday. Two bags of garbage. Four purses going to a charity for a purses for profit event and a stack of magazines heading to a friend. My husband got into it and even cleaned out his dresser. Progress continues!</p>
<p>My bag for Monday is almost full! Iāll add a few old cookbooks, and Iāll be all set to go!</p>
<p>Took two bags of books to the library for donation yesterday. Have some AP and IB prep books that are going to S2ās HS, as they are having a test prep book swap. Large stack of Cobblestone books are going to S2ās elem school for other history buffs.</p>
<p>Filled the trunk and donated a bike, pots and pans, dishes, books and clothes over the weekend. QM, I also have sand and shells from various vacations that are displayed in glass cylinders and make me happy when I look at them. I collect mugs and favorite books and shoes but thatās about it. I canāt speak for other hoarders and collectors but in my familyās case, the hoarder has absolutely no selectivity of items. Every little scrap of everything is saved - and 2-4 feet deep in every room.</p>
<p>^ yes but how much is how we experience the world? What is the true difference between a cupboard filled with antique creamers and a yard filled with empty milk cartons? What if the empty milk cartons are a āfutureā art project? Hoarders I know seem to enjoy the environments they have created for themselves. Collectors, too. To an OCD minimalist friend, both environments look uncomfortable and oppressive.</p>
<p>Of course when your house is damaged from your stuff, that seems a clear problem. OTOH I have know couples whose books cases couldnāt really be removed without installing pier posts because over the years they had become integral to the structure and no one thought of them as hoarders.</p>
<p>I am going to throw away 50 things this morning. Starting with the empty milk carton on my counter.</p>
<p>Wow, it is really interesting to me that you know hoarders who enjoy their environments. My familyās hoarder was quite anxious in that environment but equally anxious as it was cleaned up (and just a little bit cleaned up). I agree that a bunch of milk jugs could be used for an artistic purpose. I canāt personally see 2 feet deep papers, junk mail, containers, wrappers, etc. all mixed in a jumble covering a 1400 sq ft house with no visible carpet or flooring as being an environment that could be enjoyable. I truly canāt understand the mind of a hoarder. Maybe all the hours Iāve spent sorting through those never ending paper piles has me irritable. Lol. Believe me, it is a thankless job. </p>
<p>Iāve been irritable for years. I know the house you describe. But more than twice the square footage and a failing roof, broken HVAC, etc. Plus at least 10 acres of milk cartons,rubber maid containers, and other assorted trash. I am trying my best to distance myself emotionally. She is seemingly happily entertained organizing and cleaning even if nothing is ever accomplished. Every single day she starts over getting cleaned up. As far as I can tell this just means moving stuff from one spot to another spot. When she asks for help and we take a bunch of stuff away, she immediately goes out and gets more stuff to put back in that spot. I can only assume clear surfaces make her uncomfortable. It is a whole lot easier if the hoarder doesnāt have to share your personal living space - as you describe happening with you psychmomma. I really feel for you dealing with this. Perhaps some dig themselves into this hoarding situation unintentionally and it is too difficult to get out. My sister could definitely get out of the hole if she decided she wanted to. She doesnāt. I am trying my best to understand the mindset. I have a whole lot more stuff than I need. I add stuff pretty regularly. However none of it is in the middle of the floor. That definitely makes me uncomfortable. To my sister it looks temporary. I see a house so full itās a fire hazard. She seems a picture out of Southern Living magazine spread work in progress. She is grounded enough in most peopleās reality not to let anyone in if she can help it. Probably though just because she is tired of getting fussed at.</p>
<p>haha, yeah, I spent years with weekly phone calls that included the phrase, āWell, Iām working on it!ā lol. Working on what? I know in my case, dementia has been added to the post-stroke, kid-of-a-depression-era-mom mix, so the new phrase, āI just need to get my head on straight!ā pretty much says it all most days. </p>
<p>I will say, our personal problem was getting a ābigā house - bigger than we probably needed, and throughout the years it seemed we added to it slowly, but now I am ready to head the other direction and get rid of as much as possible. Itās very easy at this point to get rid of many kid-related things. I saved lots of stuff from the first two, so Iād have it for the third. Now that he is almost out of the house, Iāve been able to go through cabinets and containers and give away freely without any regrets. Itās actually been very fun. I love the idea that I will never have to look at that āthingā, whatever it is, again, and make a decision about it. </p>