It is easy to lapse into a false sense of security.  Over the past few weeks we have had end of term and friends staying and auditions and university visits and parties and surprisingly enough the declutter has taken a back seat.

I have taken much that has already been decluttered off to its new homes but the remainder of the house has been untouched.  I have a confession to make.  I cannot lay the blame completely at the door of all the other activities  going on around me.  I have decluttered as far as the AAGH zone.

We all have an AAGH zone.  Sometimes they are just one zone, commonly the attic or the basement.  In our case it is the outside playroom.  The place where “things we don’t really know what to do with” meet “things that we need to keep but not in the house” (tents, sleeping bags, tins of paint etc).  Back to the theory that stuff attracts stuff and it is not long before the AAGH zone has sucked in so much stuff that you probably can’t open the door (we can’t).

Sometimes there are little AAGH zones scattered around the house.  The “present cupboard” which does indeed hold presents for other people which you have seen during the year and know will be just perfect for their birthday in six months time.  But also holds those free gifts you got at the make up counter thinking you could use as a present but never have, because just as you don’t want them, neither will anyone else.  More magnetic stuff attraction goes on here too.

With regard to that free stuff.  Say no.  Really, you can do it.  Do you want a twee little washbag to go with all the other twee little washbags you have?  Do you want all those little plastic bottles of stuff you don’t use? No?  Then say so.

We have both types of AAGH zone and neither can be done in one fell swoop, hence the procrastination and use of excuses.  Tomorrow I am going to the wonderful Nichola for my weekly reflexology and chinwag session.  After that I will be more than ready to tackle the AAGH zone under the Victorian staircase.

What is your AAGH zone and what is stopping you stepping inside it?