OC's rules

[raspberryglace04]

^Waaaahhh!!! Super guilty ako sis sa keeping paper bags as souvenirs. that's exactly what i do with most of my paper bags, yung mga pinaglagyan ng gifts ng asawa ko, etc. yung iba i keep lang talaga kasi super nice pa, kahinayang itapon.

i also have them in big paper bags, 1 for large & medium-sized ones and 1 for small ones. pero yun nga nakatago sa closet! dapat talaga ilabas ko para nga magamit at ng mabawasan. tutal lagi naman nadadagdagan kasi wala naman akong tigil sa kakabili. im the worse combination of a pack-rat and a shopaholic! 

thanks sis frenzied for the tip. pero ayoko ng bumili, for sure mapapagastos pa ako lalo. hilig ko yang mga organizers na yan. ang dapat talaga sa akin is magbawas ng gamit. tingin ko yun talaga solusyon sa problema ko sa kalat.

isa pa kasing hilig ko is manghinayang... hinayang na hinayang ako magtapon ng mga gamit na alam kong pwede pang gamitin, ke plastic container, paper bag or maski nga plastic bag ng grocery. buti na lang yung plastic bag ng grocery nagagamit na trash bag.

[marose17]

OMG!  Raspberryglace, you sound like my mom.  She keeps a lot of things because nanghihinayang siya itapon.  Perhaps you can give several to your helpers, neighbors, etc.?  I'm sure you will not be able to use everything you have kept.  You have to let go and detach yourself from the "keeper mentality."  Hope this helps.  Do not take it the wrong way ha.  I only mean well and sincerely wish that you find a solution to your concerns.   

[kaiz]

^^LOL. mom ko din u;timo lalagyan ng bucket meal sa jollibee ayaw itapon.. magagamit pa daw 

[marose17]

I found a book called House Detox (200 Ideas to Declutter your home, room by room) at Powerbooks Greenbelt for P429.00.  It has tabs and pictures. Sis Raspberryglace, you might find it useful. 

[raspberryglace04]

sis kaiz and sis marose actually namana ko ito sa nanay ko. hahaha! 

worse pa nga nanay ko kesa sa akin... as in yung mga gusto kong ipamigay na clothes ng asawa ko inuwi nya sa bahay nya kasi me pagbibigyan daw siya na mga nanghihingi like beggars, garbage collectors, etc. if i know nakatambak pa yun sa bahay niya!

she has a room filled with stuff! christmas decors dating back to my childhood days recently found it's way to our house kasama ng new ones she has collected. pero i mean kilala ko yung old decors, as in alam kong it was from our old xmas tree. kung di lang siguro nagkagutay-gutay na yung xmas tree malamang minana ko pa yun. 

kasi 1st time namin mag-asawa maglalagay ng xmas tree, mainly for our son. pero okay din kasi hindi na ako bumili ng decor. idinagdag ko na lang sa decors ko.

one time i needed coffee cups (mugs kasi meron sa house namin, eh yung yaya nalulunod sa mug ng kape), tsaka bowls. pupunta sana akong SM to buy, buti na lang dumaan muna ako sa bahay ng nanay ko. ayun dun ako nag-shopping! inaawitan ko pa nga yung mga kaldero and kawali sets nya na never pang nagamit since binili nya years back. grabe sa pagka-horder ang nanay ko. di ko pa nga naimbestigahan yung kwarto nya kung ano mga pwede kong iuwi at magamit sa bahay.

and yes, we keep yung bucket na lalagyan ng chicken or yun ngang lalagyan ng take-out sa north park, max, etc. kasi nga magagamit pa naman at nakakahinayang itapon! 

eh totoo naman kasi na nakakahinayang itapon di ba mga sis? parang nakaka-konsensya dumagdag pa sa kalat ng environment. sana nga me waste recycling centers na pwedeng pagdalahan imbes na itapon na lang.

kaya ayun, yung mga plastic containers nire-reuse namin talaga. lalagyan ng pagkain sa ref, lalagyan ng dry, sachet-packed items sa pantry para naka-group or hindi yung patumba-tumba o kung saan-saan napapasingit. yung containers ng ice cream ginagawang pakainan ng mga dogs.

pero yun nga sa bilis naman namin bumili ng mga nakalagay sa plastic containers na yun, nag-accumulate na. believe me mga sis, ang dami ko ng naitapon before.

sis marose naku binigyan mo ako ng idea... for sure hahanapin ko yang librong yan. isa pang "koleksyon" ko are books. i collect a variety na gusto ko sanang ipabasa / ipamana sa anak ko. wala na nga yung elementary - college books ko. yung natira sa akin kumbaga personal collection ko na, tsaka law books.

[blow_fish]

Mga Sis,na lukers ako sa pagbabasa, pero very helpful ang dami ko natutunan.

Thank's to Sis Aquacharly,dami ko natutunan. Kala ko OC na Ako pero hindi pala . At certain things ako OC. Keep it coming mga sis daming learnings.

[marose17]

Raspberry, lawyer ka din pala like me.   

I actually bought the book na.  It's very good ha - lots of useful tips.  May book din na similar sa House Detox (from the same publisher) called Household Hints and Tips.  It's what I was planning to buy talaga.  Both books are ring-bound, has pictures and tabs for ease of reference.  I was going to give to my tita who needs a bit of help decluttering her home but I really liked the book so I'm keeping it.  I ordered na lang another copy for her. 

[raspberryglace04]

^ sis frenzied ikaw na-haggard na, nagbabasa ka pa lang nyan. imagine ako, i live in our house with all the kalat!  poor lang kasi family namin, kaya my mom got this tipid-tipid-reuse-reuse everything vibe. alam mo yun... yung tipong dapat sulitin lahat hanggang hindi pa gutay-gutay o nagdi-disintegrate sa kaka-gamit. kaya we really keep everything. even the magazines i buy, i really keep. magaling akong mag-pack... yung mga pinag-tataguan ko ng gamit lahat ng space me laman.

ako yung type na pati bags na nasa storage me laman, para lang masulit yung space. yung bagahe ko before has my old clothes, yung malalaking bags has my smaller bags. kaya sabi ko sa 'yo i have a lot of organizers chorva. hobby ko umikot sa houseware section at hardware looking for new finds. sabi nga ng pinsan ko parehong-pareho kami ng nanay ko ng hang-out! 

pero nung magulong-magulo na talaga buhay ko at wala na akong closet or cabinet space. nag-dispatcha na ako ng gamit. first to go where where cosmo and other magazines. tinira ko na lang yung real living at good housekeeping kasi nagagamit ko pa yun as a housewife.

next were old clothes. ito yung tipo na i kept kasi umasa pa akong papayat ako. hahaha! pero ngayon tanggap ko ng pangarap na bituin na lang ito. kaya tinaggalan ko na ng laman yung mga kahon at bagahe ko. nakakatawa kasi most of the clothes have tags pa. mga binili ko para "ma-inspire" akong magpapayat. guess what they remained unworn! 

haaaayyyy this xmas break magliligpit pa talaga ako! haharapin ko na yung mga sapatos namin at bags ko.

parang me nakita akong similar recycling center sa SM North... parang kapareho nung ad mo yung nakapaskil sa wall nila. matingnan nga ng maigi. yung iba kasing kalat ko binenta na sa junkshop. i think me nag-post dito na nagbenta sila ng 3 extra large garbage bags sa recycling center tapos P100 lang daw nakuha nila. katawa! mahal pa daw pinang-gas nila. oh well, at least nabawasan kalat nila. 

sis marose naku hindi ako lawyer. i studied to be one... i finished all the subject, expect for a few ones na naiwan... tapos dapat review na ako, yung review subject na part pa din ng curriculum ha... yung pang 4th year. pero ayun, bigla akong tinamad. naisip ko mag-asawa na lang muna... or nung time na yun maghanap ng mapapangasawa kasi 31 na ako. nag-panic ba? 

[Frenzied]

^RASPBERRY - just keep a few then dispose off the rest.

Reusable plastic boxes/microwaveable - just keep, say 10 pcs then dispose off the rest. Don't keep na the chicken bucket, or just keep one if you really cannot resist.

As for the magazines, the last time I had general cleaning, I disposed off everything talaga (even my good housekeeping) and just saved the pages where there are recipes and compiled it in clearbook. The real living, I can't let go talaga. I put it in my magazine rack. The only magazines left are real living and condo living (i think), wedding mags and my hubby's FHM collection. The rest I got rid off na.
It' so hard to let go bags and shoes nga but I would always come to a certain point where I can purge na.

[raspberryglace04]

^ naku pareho tayo! i really can't part with my real living magazines! yung mga back issues na nga lang binibili ko para naman half the price. pero i really love that mag. dun ako nangangarap na someday maging ganun bahay ko... parang hotel! sabi ko nga ke sis aquacharly kahit half-star hotel lang okay na ako. 

yung good housekeeping at working mom, i re-read over and over. ni ayokong punitin kasi ang cool ng pics at articles. malamang yung FHM collection na lang ng asawa ko dispatchahin ko! hahaha! away itow! 

[raspberryglace04]

^ grabe sis sumakit ang ulo ko sa 'yo.  parang nai-imagine ko mga ginagawa mo sa araw-araw. bigla din akong na-confuse pero na-enlighten naman ako sa bandang huli. hahaha! 

ako kasi has the same habit... gusto ko nakaharap ang labels or kung paano ko inayos yung mga gamit, dapat ganun pa din sila always. kaya alam ko pag may gumalaw ng gamit ko.

hirap din akong mag-delegate kasi mga me "standards" ako in doing things. kaya ang ending ako gumagawa sa bahay while the yaya takes care of my son. 

pero hindi kaya "hypochondriac" ka and not a true-blooded OC? kasi parang galit ka dumi. 

pero tama ka... hindi lahat ng OC ay malinis ang bahay. naku isa na ako dun. di ako lagi naglilinis kasi when i get started kahit madaling araw na hindi pa ako titigil hanggat di ko malinis lahat. pero kahit nung dalaga pa ako, ang priority ko is organized ang bahay ko. dapat lahat nasa tamang ayos at lugar. tambay din ako ng hardware at houseware section ng malls, looking for the latest invention for organizing stuff. 

kanina lang sa banyo, nakita kong hindi tama ang paglagay ng toilet paper... pa-under yung takbo ng roll... naku hindi pwedeng hindi ko ilagay ng pa-over. ilang times na ito... sa iba siguro no big deal basta me toilet paper sa banyo pero ako dapat tama ang paglalagay. 

ewan ko madalas nako-confuse na ako. me days na para talagang sinisilihan ang pwet ko sa pagka-OC pero may days din na i just let everything slide. pumipikit na lang ako. 

[Princess Anne]

ako certified OC, minsan napapraning na nga si hubby and mga ka work ko sa akin  . One day kelangan ko na ng rehab, i think! Ako naman OC ako when it comes to hygiene, organizing and routine. Mag start tayo sa routine, sa bahay dapat before ako matulog check ko ang door 3 times ko ichicheck kung naka lock na ba talaga, then pupunta ako sa kitchen to check kung naka off ba ang oven, kung ilan ang switch ng oven dapat bibilangin ko yun. Saka ako matutulog. Before ako umalis ng bahay, ill lock the door, then try to open the door while counting 1 to 10, to make sure na locked na talaga yung door. MInsan nasa car na ko, babalik pa ko to check again.  Sa work, i work in a dental office as a dental assistant, ako yung unang una dumadating sa clinic, so i turn on the suction, run the lines, and run the suction with hot water etc. Then i have to disinfect all the things that i touched, and then pag nagulo yun, like may nagmamadali or may pinagawa yung isang dentist na urgent or yung isang assistant ginalaw yung ginagawa ko, my day will be crushed, like super init ng ulo ko tapos feeling ko kadiri na yung clinic etc. There were days na hindi ko nabubuo yung routine na yun, honestly my day will be affected, totally! In terms of organizing, in our clinic, i want everything in order and ayaw ko may makikita kalat sa laboratory/sterilization namin. Since i got there, i put label on everything, diagnosis papers should be in a folder dati kasi walang ganon, so nong ginawa ko yun, naging okay naman but i have to train our new employees na dapat mag comply don. One day yung new assistant tambak ng tambak kung saan saan, that time i became so bitchy! As in i suddenly snapped, and the trash talking began. Simple lang naman ang gusto ko eh, kahit magtanong ka ng magtanong sa akin i won't mind, just keep everything in order. Then pag ako na lang ang natira sa clinic, i will lock the door then again try opening it while counting 1 to 10. Sa bahay, all our bills or documents should be kept in a folder with labels. The winter gloves should be kept in a basket sa may tabi ng winter boots, jackets etc. There are rags for the kitchen, rags for the toilet and rags for the bath tub. And they should be kept on their respective baskets. In my cupboard, may organizers din ako don, may times na si hubby basta tambak na lang ng tambak so minsan yung chicken bouillon andon sa mga soup mix, shempre maiinis na ko non. And everyday, the knobs, the drawers, the table should be wiped with lysol. It's not nice actually to have a disorder like this, because may times na yun na lang lagi ko iniisip. 

[sheluvsmemon]

have you been an OC since youre younger years? Because i just started being organized when i started working...little by little...

[kaiz]

^me naman sis, when i drink water from a glass, kelangan yung last lunok ko, si CERTAIN PERSON ang nasa mind ko. since high school ganito na ako. now that i have a baby, si baby lang nakabreak nun. kelangan ngayon last lunok ko, si baby nasa mind ko. don't know why but in case sa last lunok ko, ibang tao bigla ang pumasok sa isip ko, kelangan inom ulit ako. minsan sumasakit na tummy ko sa kakainom kapag distracted ako and hindi makapagconcentrate sa baby ko. weird noh? di ko kaya i-give up eh. natatakot ako. i have in mind kasi na mamalasin ako pag iba ang nasa mind ko sa last lunok ko.

before, thankfully na overcome ko na to, kapag naghuhubad na ako ng slippers, kelangan nakadiagonal, pag hindi kelangan ko bumalik para ayusin yun. eto pala ang OC? kala ko kasi pag OC yung super malinis lang

[marose17]

Kaiz, natawa naman ako sa slippers kuwento mo.  Ako naman, kailangan yung slippers ko nasa baba ng bed bago matulog at nakaayos - magkadikit dapat sila at pantay yung alignment.  Hehe.

I think OC is now being loosely used to describe certain irrational or inexplicable behavior with regard to organization, arrangement of things, etc.  Yun bang for a person there is a specific way of doing a specific thing and that person will go nuts or will not be satisfied unless it's done in that specific manner.

[milkchocolate]

grabe, iba iba pala ang klase ng pagiging OC.

^i had the same problem with my slippers din before pero i think naovercome ko na. gusto ko lagi silang pantay pag hinubad ko na sila.

nung bata pa ako, i remember that whenever i walk sa flooring na nakatiles, as much as possible, ayoko tumapak sa grouting nya. gusto ko sa loob lagi ng tiles yung step ko. i will be upset pag lumampas yung paa ko sa tiles. naiinis nga mom ko sa akin kasi bakit daw ako lagi nakayuko kung maglakad. ang weird ba?


eto, till now ganito pa din ako.... whenever i leave the house, i checked 2-3x all appliances esp sa kitchen kung unplug at naka-off lahat. pati yung doors ilang beses ko din chinecheck.

sa gamit naman sa bahay, ayokong may naiiba ng ayos. gusto ko pantay pantay lahat. pag may konting tabingi, di na ako mapakali. inaayos ko agad.

[kaiz]

lagi akong nag aayos but according to hubby lalo lang daw nagugulo

[MissJanelle]

my grand aunt is really organized. everything in her house is in order and in the right place even if she has a lot of stuff.

she doesn't have manuals or any fancy household book and she's not obsessive at all [in the crazy sense]. i don't know how she does it but she manages her time really well that she can still write snail mail, manage an orchid garden and crochet.

i guess some people just have that gift, i could only hope that i can manage my house like she does hers.

[marcy1]

You want to know the secret of my organization skills?
It has nothing to do with age, nor money.

I agree sis.  Your posts are very inspirational and has helped motivate me to really keep an orderly and clean house.  I'm a full time career person and basically my house is run on a trial and error basis. Kaya during the weekend when it's time to rest I'm so stressed out since that's when I notice lahat ng kapalpakan ng maid. In my case, I have no time to teach and I wasn't brought up rin doing household chores.  Kaya, I'm very grateful, for all the sisses who share in this forum. I've leaned so much. This long vacation, I was really determined to have an orderly household. Kaya, the first thing I did was to throw away all the junk at home.  I also bought my maid the Good Housekeeping Maid Manual...it's okay for a start. 

Wishing everyone a clutter free New Year!

[Frenzied]

To all OCs out there: How do you keep track if you're missing clothes or if the maid damaged any of it?

Just recently I found out that our helper has been getting our clothes (lots of them) -- found tons of our clothes in her luggage on her last day (before going back to her province).

When I look for clothes, she would always tell me hindi pa napaplantsa so I thought totoo nga, yun pala tinatago na niya unti unti so she can bring them home to the province. Despite all the things we've given her nakuha pa niya magnakaw!!! We trusted her so much that's why nashock din siya when I decided to check her stuff before leaving.