FORT Koffee Klatch

[MRD]

I am the box queen and the shopping bag queen. Nothing like those big shopping bags. I don't know why, but I love them and boxes.

Hubby laughs at me if we get something in the mail and I'll say: that's a "good" box, we have to save it. But he doesn't laugh when we need a box and I have one.

My grandmother (who lived during the depression) would save wrapping paper and iron the wrinkles and creases out of it. She also saved bread wrappers, foil and the little tins that pot pies came in. Egg cartons and glass bottles that contained fruit juice, etc. She had QUITE the collection let me tell you.

[Missyboxers]

My grandmother (who lived during the depression) would save wrapping paper and iron the wrinkles and creases out of it. She also saved bread wrappers, foil and the little tins that pot pies came in. Egg cartons and glass bottles that contained fruit juice, etc. She had QUITE the collection let me tell you.

Sounds like my grandmother. When she moved into assisted living, we spent the summer after my freshman year of college cleaning out her house on the weekends. In the basement, we found a few stacks of those green plastic "boxes" that strawberries used to come in; in the attic we found a couple boxes of the plastic eggs that Leggs pantyhose used to come in, and so it continued. Stacks and stacks of old newspapers and old documents, and random old stuff. Finally we had to have estate sale planners come in--that was way too big of a job for the three of us (my sister was at camp).

Ever since then, I've become a lot better at weeding out and throwing away. Especially when my dad joked that spending a college summer cleaning out a house was a family tradition-- it's not one I intend on passing along to my grandkids!

[buglover]

I've been taking a look at my own habits as well. I tend to keep all mail in the "to be shredded" area and then only get around to shredding it a few times a year. Boxes and bags are in every cupboard. My mother's storage unit is still filled with boxes of stuff that does not need to be saved. This caused me to really make a mental note to start getting rid of anything that isn't needed.

[Critical]

I moved into a much smaller house about a year ago and I had to change my habits with respect to paperwork/mail. I just don't have space for more stuff, so I have to shred and throw things out frequently. I also am more selective about what I buy because I don't have much space to store things. I think I'll be doing some spring cleaning and making at least one trip to the Salvation Army in the next few months. Once you start getting rid of things, it becomes addictive!

My parents' house is overrun with paper of all kinds - magazines, bills, etc. My mom just isn't good about throwing things out. When I go to visit, I have to suppress the urge to start a bonfire in the backyard!

[buglover]

I used to get so mad at my mom for having drawers full of receipts and bills and here I am doing the same crap!

[Critical]

I used to get so mad at my mom for having drawers full of receipts and bills and here I am doing the same crap!

I do the exact opposite! My mother will accumulate mountains of catalogs (with good reason - she gets at least 4 or 5 every day!) and it practically takes an act of congress to get her to throw them out. When I get a catalog, I go through it and, if I know I'm not going to order something, I shred the back page and the order form (with my address) and throw it out. I have a little house, so if I don't keep the clutter under control, I'll be buried in it!

[buglover]

My mother's parenting skills were lacking big time so that is what I concentrated on changing with myself. Mom would go to business meetings *cough* until all hours of the night, go on trips with friends, etc. all the time so I decided that wouldn't be my mode of operation as a parent. Her career and her friends were the most important thing and I could honestly care less about my job other than it pays my bills. Family is what matters to me. Clutter, well I must have never tried to change that because we are peas in a pod when it comes to that! I've got time to change my ways though! Mom was 32 when she had me and I'm 35 now. She didn't actually start holding on to everything until she was in her early 40's. I'll get onto this bad habit soon and knock it out!

[Amy Lee]

So, apparently my mom is jealous of my cat.

[Muduh]

Your discussion about hoarding things reminded me of when my foster mother died. Her coat closet in the hall was crammed FULL of large brown grocery bags. They were neatly folded in order to make ever inch count. One huge bedroom closet was full of toilet paper and paper towels. Not only was the pantry full of can goods, another bedroom closet was also. That borders on some kind of sickness in my opinion. I have a much milder case myself.

[buglover]

You want sickness, you should come visit one of our tenants. He keeps all plastic bags and paper bags. He has folded boxes from floor to ceiling and refuses to cook at any time. If he cannot eat it out of the can, he won't eat. He washes his clothes in the sink and does a "hooker" bath in the sink instead of ever using the tub or shower.