Do you hoard?

in my case it is haberdashery, fabric, embroideries etc.
I also have lots of pots but I do use them.
I also like nice writing paper, pens and inks.

You're not alone. My spare bedroom is terrible. Heaven forbid anyone opens the wardrobe lol. There's no one specific thing with me, more a general need to have a good clear out - although the smellies collection is getting silly.

I read Marie Kondos book The Magic of Tidying Up just before Christmas. There's some slightly mad ideas but I found it really helpful. Made a start but just don't have the time to keep it going. I keep attacking it in dribs and drabs lol (not really in keeping with the book). If you're interested do a Google search for the KonMarie method, there's loads of blogs and videos about it.

Perhaps it affects most those of us who were brought up in a time of shortages. We still keep anything that might come in useful sometime (and OH keeps stuff that I can't imagine ever coming in useful but that's by the bye...) I don't really like very very tidy homes anyway, they seem a bit antiseptic. Very hygienic rooms with no clutter anywhere make me nervous. But I do often wish I could walk through the garage without having to move something first...

you mean you can get past the doors of the garage???

Seaburngirl: I have kept my tapestry things and my cross stitch bits and pieces. I used to stitch a lot of my Christmas cards and items for the doll house. The latter were very small so were finished fairly quickly.

Steragram: I agree. I still stock food! Daughter is forever throwing out items past their use-by date! I like a house to be a home. My parents always had "open house". My mother even invited someone she was convinced was a German spy in for a cuppa! (I think he was a surveyor (?) checking for oil).

Samjp: Marie Kondo is responsible for this de-cluttering frenzy! Anything that does not bring joy is discarded. Hundreds of books have gone. We took about fifty in to a charity shop today and the Manageress actually brought out one from the inner sanctum and said "This is selling for £11 on e-Bay. Would you like it back?" I thought that was very kind of her but we didn't want it. I did advise her not to let them go for a song as a collector would know their true value.
It is amazing how "light" I felt as we left the shop!

Three bags of items go to the Guides Jumble Sale on Saturday.

I have a cupboard and draw full of tools drills saws all sorts in my kitchen I have had it cleared now and again would rather the tools than cluttering my kitchen with things you have to wash up?
I have lots of oil canvasses on top of my wardrobe for painting and 4 vacumes one washer and vac for upholstry and carpets cleaning one for up stairs one for down stairs one rechargable which light weight for easy whip round .

I dont hoard clothes as I hate buying them in the first place other than that my house is simplistic which it has to be but easy to keep clean .

Oh great, how are you finding her method? I only really did clothes (probably not very well lol) and made a start on the mountain of papers. I was finding it quite liberating, how much easier it is to decide what to keep. Such a good feeling getting the clutter out of the house. Just need to keep working on it now lol.

I've just noticed something! Our gentleman gardeners have gone very quiet! Are you pretending you don't hoard items in your garage or greenhouse? I know pots accumulate and we spent a few days one year sorting the terracotta ones from the plastic. I mentioned then that no one seemed to want plastic pots.

Thrupennybit: I have stopped buying clothes! Everyone seems to be into grunge these days and we all have a uniform of trousers, top, plus jacket. It's made life easier and the clothes I thought I would one day wear again are marked as give-aways.

Samjp : I gave away......wait for it....eleven sacks full of clothes to our daughter. She, in turn, gave away lots to friends. I was pleased! Marie K started with clothes ( a wise decision.) It's miscellaneous I find tricky: china, ornaments, photos, especially of old family members.

It's lovely to see SPACE!

Wow 11 sacks I'm impressed. I think I took 3 and that was despite a clear out a few months before. The one I found most difficult (so far was books). Especially gardening books and I may have left my ebooks off the hit list (oops).

I'm glad to see your finding the system to be good. Really must get going with it again (just need some time off I think). Must admit I'm dreading the photos - for a start I have thousands of digital pics, never mind the printed ones.

Hehehe I'm sure it's not just the lady gardeners with little hoarding issues around here. Any gentlemen willing to join the confessions?