I came back over the hill after a 2 day break. DH stayed over so I have some space for the next 4 days when I'll go back over. In the old days it was an opportunity to "do nothing" then go into high speed on the last day.

I've since recognized, through trial and error, that I am best served by a daily routine. I'll do my 3 Essentials today and work on the final pile of project stuff that came out of the car and into the house just as we packed the car to travel.

My next "challenge" will be doing the books for the company. It's tricky since DH tends to feel "left out" when I spend hours at the computer so I'm going to bring the checkbook over with me (from mom's) after work today and see if I can get started. I do believe I brought the books last Spring and caught up through March, which will certainly help now.
ETA-Darn...I just checked and it was last year that I got a head start with the books. Oh, well, more reason to get started now!

Take care all!

March 3: 10 minutes filing
March 4: 10+ minutes filing
March 5: 10 minutes filing
March 6: 10 minutes filing
March 7: 45 minutes filing
March 8: 10 minutes filing

I've made alot of progress today. I got some extra rest last night and set the stage this morning to get started on the books by completing my 3 Essentials. It gets tempting to blow them off when I have other things to do and DH is gone, but I know I feel better when they're done-and they are. Credit.

I started on the books early after I did a 10 minute pick up/filing in the office. I decided to work an hour then do something else for 15 minutes and it's working. The house looks better AND I'm through September in the checkbook. I know I'll encounter some challenges in the end months since we started the projects in October but that's ok. I'm going to take a break now and give myself permission to resume ONLY if I feel like it. I'm much further than I'd expected to be by now. Yay!

Yay for all that progress, Lexxiss!

March 3: 10 minutes filing
March 4: 10+ minutes filing
March 5: 10 minutes filing
March 6: 10 minutes filing
March 7: 45 minutes filing
March 8: 10 minutes filing
March 9: 10 minutes filing

Hello!

I'm not doing much in terms of decluttering while my sister visits. DH did a massive cleanup this week while I wrestled with my print submission so thanks to him the bathroom, her room, and the entry way are all half decent. The living room and kitchen need work and the dining room is improved yet impassable-except by the cat, who thinks it's fantastic for climbing up on stuff and eyeing the top of the bookcase, freezer and pantry. He's probably been up there already when we weren't around to stop him.

My energy is quite low today. Too much mom stuff in a row. Very wearing. A few more days yet and then level of intensity should drop.

Great job everyone getting at their tasks! The end of this challenge is in sight. (Hello Spring) and I am ready to set new goals and to complete old ones. This year I am focused on permanent change and it's happening.

Bye for now.

March 3: 10 minutes filing
March 4: 10+ minutes filing
March 5: 10 minutes filing
March 6: 10 minutes filing
March 7: 45 minutes filing
March 8: 10 minutes filing
March 9: 10 minutes filing
March 10: work on clearing up old laptop (I've had the new one for a year!)

My procrastination showed it's face this morning. I thought I'd have time to get all caught up with things so I could travel West after work today. I ended up with some paperwork which needed resolution so travel was postponed until tomorrow. The good news is that I came right home from work and made some phone calls which resulted in progress. I also took time to take care of some household chores I knew I didn't want to do at 3 am:
~took out compost
~loaded recycles into the car
~moved tools from the car and from the house to DH's shop since I needed to go up and lock the shop anyway.

In addition, I spent some time in the office making some new files so I could get the misc. piles off my desk. credit. It looks better already.

I'll be a step ahead when I rise in the morning. Now it's time to relax.

March 3: 10 minutes filing
March 4: 10+ minutes filing
March 5: 10 minutes filing
March 6: 10 minutes filing
March 7: 45 minutes filing
March 8: 10 minutes filing
March 9: 10 minutes filing
March 10: work on clearing up old laptop
March 11: finished clearing old laptop

Hi all,

Working on cleaning the kitchen and washing the floor.
Setting my timer and focusing on transitioning from one area to the next.
After the kitchen is done will move to the basement for 1/2 in my craft room.
Trying to focus on the value of "Ease" and just moving my body to make headway.

Found out I am hypothyroid and reworking my hormone levels. Lots of Vit D and feeling the blah's from this long stinking winter. I pray that I have a shift in my energy level and outlook. Sunshine and to be in Nature always helps…….

Just checking in here with a commitment to push to the end of this challenge.
We're close to the vernal equinox aka Spring and tomorrow I will see how far I have come to the goals I set for myself at the start of this challenge. I have made some major changes.

helping rachel How far did you get in your cleaning/decluttering plans? I am also vitamin D deficient and have been taking vit D since September. I also have a wonky thyroid-but mine's the parathyroid. It's throwing calcium into my blood but according to the expert not bad enough to do anything about--just watch for kidney stones and osteoporosis. So I was grateful to learn that. But i have to agree that a string of good weather would do us all good... let's really really hope it comes soon.

gardenerjoy How goes the decluttering in your office space? I have enjoyed seeing your list of accomplishments grow day to day to day.

LexxissWhere are you at with your books? I think you've made significant progress in so many projects during the span of this challenge! Would love to see your list of accomplishments!

silverbirch any sign of Spring on the other side of the pond?? How are your projects faring?

Here are the relevant parts of the first post I made for my goals at the start of this challenge:

1. I removed a bookcase for donation and replaced it with a pantry with doors. I moved the pantry from the dining room to the back bedroom. great. I needed the space for two new buffets that I need to assemble. Since I can't find any screwdrivers (incredible) I am forced to delay the buffets until I have some.

2. BUT all the stuff that was piled up is now shoved into new spaces so I have to keep on this until I empty out boxes and actually reduce that pile.

PROGRESS

For #1 The buffets are assembled, in place and full! *credit*
For #2 I no longer have a pile--just a scattering of boxes, and bins and now DH has his books over top of them since he had to move his stuff out of the back room for my sister to stay in. Now it has to move so I can get to the one layer of boxes, already looked through and set aaside for another day which has arrived. *credit*

MORE PROGRESS

#3 I freed up the dining room table, which is small, and is now a kitchen table. My sister and I sat at it for lunch. DH and I have used it for dinner. It is a really useful space for doing dishes and unloading groceries. Love my table there.
#4 I have a storage space for art supplies which has freed up my studio. I can now walk in and make things.
#5 My studio is getting sorted out and is loosely organized.
#6 I have put up a shelf and my clothesline in my studio to keep very useful things at hand and to be able to hang and dry my prints. I also got a welcome mat and installed a foam tile floor for my own comfort.

TO THE END OF THIS CHALLENGE
Back to sorting the stuff in the dining room, specifically I have two large rubbermaid bins. They've been a catch all and I need to see what's in them and where to put them. I also want to make a decision about the extra small bits of furniture floating around: 3 end tables and table I love with wings that cover a drawer. These items have no home right now. Also on the radar is that pile of clothes by my dresser. I never got to it. Actually, I may make that priority#1. You know, I am going to move that table into my locker as I need to put something with height in there anyway and it could be useful in my locker. I will do that later today or tomorrow.

onebyone, such good progress! I am enormously impressed.

Spring is here and has been since the beginning of the month (which we think of as the beginning of spring). Glancing out of the window, I can see about a dozen lambs, mostly twins, mostly creamy-white and also one or two black ones. They are all running and chasing in a big gang along the hedgerow.

I am sitting by the pile of files that I've told you about. I've moved it from under the clothes rail to the window ledge in the sitting room. One or two have been processed which I'm pleased about. More are in my future. The past month has been very busy as the weather has warmed up, the garden is growing and calling, and keeping things going is quite a challenge.

I'll do another file after I post this!

Thanks very much for checking up on me.

to all.

Hi all!

ONEBYONE, Wow, so happy for your progress, I see you are already experiencing the fruits of your decluttering efforts.

Silverbirch, thanks for sharing what you are viewing outside of your window. The description makes my heart smile thinking of the lambs being so playful.

GardenerJoy: Love how you continue to tick away giving time everyday.

Lexxiss:Wow, reading and reflecting on your projects these past few months shows me how taking each day at a time and doing what is needed will get the project done.

Off to the basement office…….. To start a long to do list.

Very happy with what I did get done in the kitchen and 1st floor rooms. These places in the basement are my catch all or what I call my "clutter cemetery:. Time to make decisions and let go……

Hi everyone! I've been so busy AND trying to get back into my regular-post projects routine. Things are finally shaping up and seeming more normal at home. My great success during this challenge was keeping our home in pretty good shape the entire 5 months we worked on the rental projects. My current project is turning the bad side of my front yard into a "backyard garden". We hauled a giant ceramic pot over from our other home last week and yesterday we brought the small rototiller up from the basement and erected a sweet pea fence, a large gate I brought home from the dump many years ago. It already looks like a great work in progress and I'll plant the seeds today after work. It still isn't light enough in the mornings but when it happens I'll recommit to my 20 minutes of gardening every morning. It really helped me make progress last year....

Work calls!

I've done another file. It was my exercise file from 2006-08 so that was interesting. Some things I know don't work for me, some things I've outgrown - thrown away. And the lighter, properly labelled file put in its alphabetical place in the filing cabinet drawer.

I'm going to do another one today!

Debbie, I'm trying to do half an hour or so in the garden every day. Sometimes I end up doing a fair bit more. It's all adding up. Sweet peas are quite lovely.