I have just been led to this rather fine tumblr, Unfuck Your Habitat. It's a sort of online personal trainer to get your living space in order, decluttered and clean, complete with shouty instructions and success stories.

I've been doing this for a while, partly because I am always swimming against the tide o' stuff in our flat, and partly because i suspect I am going to be Keeper Of The Family Papers after we get my sister moved from a big house into a flat, and my mother's stuff sorted out, so I will need to get rid of some of my shit before I move my late mother's shit in here.

The more I sort for sending away, the easier it becomes.

S'a good call - Sarah and I are unpacking into our new place now and it's a bit short on storage space, so we're having to be a bit creative. Lots of plastic storage crates abound

(incidentally you'll have to come with kidlet and watch more Who!)

You both busy on Monday?

Have you reached the point where you have to buy a filing cabinet. I hate all the paperwork you need as you get older.

quote:

Originally posted by Nemo888:
Have you reached the point where you have to buy a filing cabinet. I hate all the paperwork you need as you get older.

We finally caved and bought one last year. It's got tabs like "insurance" and "tax information." I try not to open it very often.

I bought a filing cabinet, then several years later gave it away, when I realised any file I put in this thing never ever came out again. I need to be able to *see* where stuff is, so swapped to ring binders and box files on shelves.

Perfect timing! Just last night I was looking at the contents of my living room floor and thinking I need to clean up. There are: one digital voice recorder & bits, four cat toys, one purse, one shoe, two pencils, sixty cents in change, two hair clips, one band-aid (unused), one brush, many blisterpacks of various & sundry drugs, five books (two Steve Berry, one on gravestone symbols, one Storycorps collection, and one inter-library loan on conducting oral history interviews), three magazines, one pair of socks (unused), four magazines, whoops-- one more cat toy, one netbook, one portable scanner, two legal pads, one napkin, one remote control, one bottle lid, and hey -- the other shoe! And I haven't even gotten to the end tables yet.

We've been purging our house in preparation for the baby. It's been a bit catharic for me. I had forgotten I had old birthday cards/letters from my Ex and cable bills from 2005. My poor little office shredder can't handle the volume. It felt good to clean house.

I think we are busy Monday Hive, but we're both off tomorrow and Friday and I'm off Tuesday...

Yeah, I want to do a load of this. Half of it going to be making the space we do have work for us more. So building shelves into nooks and such. I'm looking forward to it, I had a spazz out the other day because I need a place to do PhD stuff where there is no clutter

I love that blog! I also love Adulting, which is soley responsible for the fact that I now make my bed every morning.

I did unfuck the spice shelf, by putting all the duplicate spices (two peoples-worth, plus all those extras you buy at the shop when you can't remember if you have cinnamon already) into a box, the box out of the way, and when one runs out checking the box first to see if there's one in there before we buy new.

I think my Other Stuff is overdue a purge - especially as ebay exists and people will pay for anything

I currently live with HOARDING BOY who does not like throwing things out. Combined with my periodic MUST THROW EVERYTHING AWAY - I get panic looks

quote:

Originally posted by general punk, MA:
I currently live with HOARDING BOY who does not like throwing things out. Combined with my periodic MUST THROW EVERYTHING AWAY - I get panic looks

Oh gods, I live with a person who hates throwing things out as well. >.<

quote:

Originally posted by Green-Robot:

quote:

Originally posted by general punk, MA:
I currently live with HOARDING BOY who does not like throwing things out. Combined with my periodic MUST THROW EVERYTHING AWAY - I get panic looks

Oh gods, I live with a person who hates throwing things out as well. >.<

I *am* that person. Partially, it comes from my years with an amateur theatre group - you never know when you're gonna need something as a prop that everyone else thinks is a piece of useless junk. Like a bunch of giant zip ties, an Uzbek wedding robe, a preserved specimen of a human kidney...

Yes, I actually own all of the above. I am Weird.

I did some great unfucking last night while waiting for a friend to come over. Best inspiration for cleaning = someone coming to your house for the first time.

quote:

Originally posted by aitapata:
Best inspiration for cleaning = someone coming to your house for the first time.

Ha, yes! Only works a few times, then when they get to know you better they get a text before saying "flat's a mess, sorry".

In other news:

I took TWO FULL BAGS out of the flat this morning, to the charity shop: one of VHS plus a few DVDs (found a shop which still takes VHS, yay!) and one full of jackets I once loved but will never wear again.

Have sorted out ANOTHER FULL BAG of outgrown, decent but unexciting children's clothes, now sitting in the hallway waiting to go to a charity shop, and ANOTHER FULL BAG of outgrown really nice children's clothes which I am saving for a mate with a smaller boy.

I have unfucked a corner of kidlet's room, and about to sort a folder of random stuff what is next to my desk before I start reading short stories and browsing the internets.

quote:

Originally posted by Hive:
I have unfucked a corner of kidlet's room, and about to sort a folder of random stuff what is next to my desk before I start reading short stories and browsing the internets.

If you happen to sort out any of his Doctor Who toys, I really really really want a Sonic Screwdriver, Dalek or TARDIS and can't get them in shops here!

Ha, of course!

Wow, Ceridwen, I think you should make a list of the top ten weirdest things you own (or better yet, start a thread about the topic).

I don't think I own anything weird...boring.

quote:

Originally posted by His Noodle Girl:
Wow, Ceridwen, I think you should make a list of the top ten weirdest things you own (or better yet, start a thread about the topic).

I don't think I own anything weird...boring.

This from the woman who admitted to having four year old marshmallow peeps lurking on a windowsill.

I need to unfuck my yarn stash. Difficult when I keep buying new yarn. *sigh*