Craft Materials

[BetterWithLessParticipant]

Dear Readers,

I do have a note book to keep a diary of my clearing, but it also helps a bit to come here and just say what is going on.  I

2 bags of books to the charity shops today.  One shop took a few and then I had to find another.

Then had to get some vacuum storage bags (and I got some sherbet sweets to cheer myself up). Finally back home and went into the storage room….genuinely confused and did not know where to start.  I feel I can not give away any paints, paper or pencils….I may think differently in a day or so.   They are like treasure and I don’t want to part with them.

Back to the CBT book then….

B

 

[BetterWithLessParticipant]

So, I have to keep going while I have this period when I am not working full time and can spare the time and energy.

I am glad my other half is now getting with the programme….a lot of the books I took out yesterday belonged to him. I have to say it was like playing leap-frog in our sitting room at one stage.

Now he that buys news papers will have to recycle them.

She that must be obeyed has spoken

I have formally given up buying papers….no good to buy them as I never read them and then I couldn’t throw them out because I had not read them.

The same goes for magazines

B

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by BetterWithLess.

[BetterWithLessParticipant]

So….onwards…once I have had another cup of tea and watched a ‘funny ‘ on the tv.

All good wishes

Wishing everyone compassion and kindness today….

B

[BetterWithLessParticipant]

No clearing today….too hot.

[OddsocksParticipant]

Good that posting here helps! (if you see an unhappy emoji it was a mistake I’ve since spotted!)

* so agree about treasure*! Somehow craft materials seem more precious? Their use to do something positive and creative. Lovely colours and materials.. Fortunately they take up less space than yours, but I do have lots of stationery..! I did use some wool and needles at a knitting group,making blankets for babies (dont be impressed- main motivation was the social contact) but the rest is untouched.

Where to start; hear various options. One is just to start next the door and work your way round. Getting rid of bigger things makes more space than little things. Doing ones that are easier to start with…..

Rather than getting rid of all of something, could you decide a proportion to keep? For example, I cant really imagine knitting more than 6 balls of wool for the blankets so could donate the extras to others to knit.

The brisk probably CBT approach is to challenge yourself if you are actually going to use everything. The rest is just taking up space. Personally I can see that is true but cant face actually taking that action….

A whole full room to do in 2 weeks sounds like quite a tricky challenge?

I found stopping buying papers saved a lot of space and time. Easy to be tempted to keep something.. Also time- spending time reading things I wasnt necessarily particularly interested in. As with lots of other things, there is a vast amount of news coverage online.

Isnt it hard when a charity wont take the things you want to donate? You’ve had the courage to remove things from home and want them handed over. Selfishly, I also want the staff to be grateful. I took 2 full bags to Oxfam bookshop and they werent taking anything! There was no other option so they ended up back in my flat, after having  decided with difficulty to donate them. Since then I have emailed the shop to ask if they had space first.

Cup of tea and comedy on TV sounds a very good tactic for relief!

Absolute permission to not work on things when its very hot- just want to be sitting somewhere shady with a cool drink! Its not lasting long.   (I dont know what that emoji actually mean- its that the shades look relevant!)

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by Oddsocks.

[chaosqueenParticipant]

STS has lots of input on why it is so hard to part with the crafting materials. So. Is there one specific project you have in mind that you actually see yourself doing in the next 4 weeks? I think creating boosts energy so you could start a creative project, use some materials and probably come across some you really don’t need. I finally tossed a craft project where you buy the whole craft and assemble it that one of the kids got for their birthday. I think it’s individual pieces have been all over the house giving me a pang of guilt every time I saw them. Every time I find yet another piece and throw it away I feel yet another pang of guilt, but eventually they will be out and hopefully the guilt goes with the last piece.

I put a no buying craft materials order in place away. I can only buy more if that particular item is used up. I sometimes still do, but a lot less.

[BetterWithLessParticipant]

Dear Queenie, (hope you don’t mind the nick name),

You have no idea, my dear

I have heard that people that tend to board are often creative types, who can see a use in things that others may discard.

I am grateful For your ideas in this area.I

Who or what is sts?

B

[BetterWithLessParticipant]

To Oddsocks,

Dear Oddsocks,

Thank you for your post.  I think I have found a home for some of the yarn and some pattern books and knitting magazines: a church group that knits items and raises money for various causes. I looked them up on the Google and phoned them.  They are not open.yet but hope to be going again come September.

Have also dried lavender and fabric for lavender bags, this would be a nice little task, especially since I have spied a few moth in the house.

The fabric hearts I cut out went in the bin

Some women’s weekly magazines also in the bin, can’t really pass them on in.this time of covid.

It’s all good.  Hope all well with you.

B

Yes we must give ourselves permission to live our lives and have a nice time…and chill…..

I do like this emoji

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by BetterWithLess.

[chaosqueenParticipant]

I used to be Queenie a long time ago on this board. Then new people signed up and my nickname was turned to CQ. I am fine with both.

My heart aches for your hearts and I am thinking couldn’t you have and decided to zip it hahahahahaha Yes. Seeing use in EVERYTHING is a blessing and a curse and I think a lot of us on the board totally get it.

STS is short for “Shed the Shame” and she is one of our lovely board members.

So. First project. Lavender bags! I find it interesting that you have picked a project that is “useful”. You know, as in there being an end result that has purpose.

Well done on binning things. In the long run this is a crucial ability in my opinion. Practice makes perfect!

I think this emoji is my favorite one   or one of these 2

[BetterWithLessParticipant]

Dear Queenie and Oddsocks and all,

I miss you guys, I guess people are busy with living and all that entails.  Things are a bit bearable now that I have fewer books and I will not be card making, so no odd bits of shiny paper.

I am.keeping it simple in the garden: just runners, potatoes and tomatoes and I have found a few knitting projects that I would like to finish.

The problem would arise from taking on too much.

Really thinking about how much I can comfortably and what I really enjoy.

B

 

[chaosqueenParticipant]

Very important insights there. When we take on too much we either can’t give everything the attention it needs and all things will suffer, or we will leave no time for us and we will suffer, or we will focus on a few and the rest will be forgotten.

No matter what we most likely end up feeling like we failed, no matter how much we accomplished.

Making sure we balance that is a very important step in my opinion! I am learning to say no and I am getting better at it.

[NanaParticipant]

I decided to offer some yarn for sale and filled a few bags – I did not sell all of it, brought about 1/3rd back home, but it brought in almost £100 in only a few minutes.

Now I am not sure it was a good thing, as confirming that my stash has value and is desirable isn’t really doing me any favours – but I will probably take another half dozen bags next time, as long as it is allowed.

[OddsocksParticipant]

Oh yes, definitely a hurdle discovering things have value but still removing them from the house. Well done persisting! Hope that you sell more. You could maybe donate things you cant sell?

Think about what you can do with the money and space (ideally keep it empty!)

[chaosqueenParticipant]

Oh, I am thinking VACATION MONEY! or a SPA DAY? Depending on whats possibly. I would just be excited that I sold it and didn’t trash it. Sell it all and become rich! Maybe considering it payment for clearing out the hosue will help?

[NanaParticipant]

My husband has made some rather unwise and rash decisions about money recently – well more than just recently, but I only found out about them being risky recently – I need to start to rebuild reserves just in case nothing can be recovered.

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