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I used to be a hoarder.

And by hoarder I mean someone who would surround herself with paper products. And by paper products I mean newspapers and magazines. And by magazines I mean any that featured cover lines like, "200 Fashion Tips for the Fashion Foolish," "101 Great Canapes" or "The Sexless Marriage: You Decide." All of which I was always this close to using in my writing and research as a journalist and magazine editor, which ultimately ended up being used. Not. At. All.

As a "perk" of my job, along with the seasonal makeup trend items from Chanel and Givenchy, I also received enormous comp piles of crap (thank you not-to-be-named manufacturer for the disposable "flushing" device, and cheers to the distributor who deemed me worthy of the health drinks made from the rarest of berries found in the rain forests of Costa Rica).

One time a guy I was dating came over for the first time to my meticulously clean home, and by clean I mean I tossed everything into my closet, even my dirty laundry that hadn't been touched washed in months weeks days. As we were leaving to go out to dinner, I looked for my keys, and to my horror realized that I must have tossed them in the closet right when I was tossing everything else I own in there.

So, I opened the closet door and everything came tumbling out, bras, panties, blouses, socks, random ripped-out newspaper clippings, unopened boxes (I owe my doormen and the UPS man from 2002 many apologies - the packages WERE delivered), books and, of course, lots and lots of magazines.

Unperturbed I jumped into the pile, with the enthusiasm of a toddler throwing herself into a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, shifted around a few bras, packages, papers and magazines, and triumphantly held up the keys like I had won the lottery, shouting "I found them." He looked at me as if I were holding up Lady Gaga from 2010's Meat Dress and I knew he found me hot (or was it disgusting)? Or both. Because isn't a Meat Dress both hot and disgusting?

Well, it took another boyfriend, he of the dour disposition coupled with the abilities of Mr. Fix It to avail me of my habit. As one day he forlornly watched me go through my piles of crap, his only sullen comment was, "Estelle, do you think you'd miss that?" in the tone of Henry Higgins trying to rein in an unruly Eliza Doolittle. My overly defensive response: "Yes, this 1995 Better Home and Gardens recipe for beef lasagna might be useful some day."

Here is the gist of our conversation:

Him: You don't cook, nor do you write about cooking, or edit a cooking magazine.

Me: I might one day.

Him: You never eat pasta.

Me: I might one day.

Him: Get rid of it.

Me: Um, ok.

And so it went.

Finally, my apartment was clean, about one year before I met my husband in 2003. And today, despite the presence of a very disorganized six-year-old, my home is clutter free.

And my subscriptions to magazines? They've all been cancelled. And by cancelled, I mean I read them, but at the manicure place. In fact I'm reading one now. And Lady Gaga is on the cover. But not in a Meat Dress. That would be messy.

- Estelle Erasmus

Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, writing coach, three-time BlogHer Voice of the Year award winner and former magazine editor. She writes the Practice in Parenting column for PsychologyToday.com. Find her writing on Salon, The Washington Post, Your Teen, Newsweek, Redbook and more. Follow her on twitter at @EstelleSErasmus and on Facebook. She shares publishing tips and tricks on her blog Musings on Motherhood & Midlife.