Did a bit more work on shoes yesterday. Cleaned a pair and put away. Bought new laces and fitted them. Moved an empty shoe box (I now have a matching set of three empty lime green ones which would be "very useful" for something ... Free to a good home!) Organised the new shoe cleaning drawer.
The DB and the SO are impressed with how things are improving in the garden room. It prompted the SO to clean a pair of shoes last night.
Today's plan. Spray pair of boots with weather protector and put away. Tidy the working gloves and small garden tools drawer. Try to work out a sensible place for four old working coats (fleece jacket, wet weather, very wet weather and an old gaberdine of my father's).
*** The SO is away for three days next week *** Could I use that time to get ahead with painting the sitting room? That's the next domino to fall and would make a big difference. I'd have to reorganise work but it could be done.
I’m only about 10 fewer items in my email. Sigh. At that rate, it will take something like 250 days to get to empty. Of course, I’ve done better the other days that I’ve been keeping track. And, 250 days, while a very long time, is considerably shorter than “forever” (which is what I tell myself – this is going to take forever!). In fact, it’s not even a year.
Also, I need to give myself credit for getting caught up and staying caught up in the first three areas -- and that took less than a week! I was predicting "forever" for the Tickler, too.
Mail stack. Current state: empty. Goal: empty.
Progress: kept up
Tickler. Current state: today. Goal: today.
Progress: kept up
In Box. Current state: empty. Goal: empty.
Progress: ordered item, kept up
It's harder for me to get decluttering done leading up to the weekend. I am away Saturday and Sunday, working at the gallery on my paintings and DH is home and that always makes me want to not do a thing. And that's what often happens. I cannot let myself off the hook though.
The last few times I said I'd do the kitchen well I haven't. I have done other things, but not the kitchen and so now it is going to take "an effort" once more.
I don't know if I have it in me to be consistent. I suppose I shouldn't really dwell on that. What does I really matter what I did yesterday or what I could do tomorrow? I either do it today, or I don't. If I do, tomorrow will be easier. If I don't the burden of having to do it will be a bit heavier as things pile up. Quite predictable really.
DH is out this evening so I will have the whole place to myself including his back room. I will take time later on to declutter the futon in there. The cat likes to sleep there when I am away on the weekends during the day and DH is coding on his computer back there. I am secretly hoping my woodblock carving tools are under the stuff on that futon so that's added motivation to focus there.
I am going to start the dishes with hot soapy water in the sink right now and then at least one sinkload will get done. I will aim for one sinkload done but I may be moved, once I've started to just finish the job.
Got rolling early on my mission to remove all of the Christmas decor and now it's all done with the exception of boxes taped (need more shipping tape) and lights off tree/tree skirt up and room vacuumed. I will keep holiday dishes down through this month - and keep using them. Some of my previous storage spots are now used by stuff that cannot go in the attic (sleeping bags and other camping gear that would get moldy) and I want to work hard to figure out how to have them easier to get to.
Brother and SIL gave me a gorgeous handmade birdfeeder/house by a local artisan ... I would like to get that outside with birdseed on it so it can be enjoyed by the birds heading into this frigid -1 weekend. Bleh. But I hate to think of it not being as perfect as it is now - with the weather wear. But keeping things perfect cannot be my goal.
DH got a new $$$$ guitar as his big anniversary gift but he ordered it since i wouldn't have ordered this one - different tastes. Not sure how much he'll be invested in the projects today - I can understand that.
Things are still moving along in the garden room. Have decided not to jump the gun re painting the sitting room but to take the time to get things lined up ready for when the SO goes away again. That's so there's more space to move things around. It'll be the second week in February, I think.
Hope to finish sorting out two drawers (of three) in the small unit. Also to make a start on the big shelves. I still have no idea where to put the coats sensibly.
gardenerjoy, have you got a strategy for clearing your email? When mine backs up I sometimes go through deleting all those which are time-limited (offers, news etc). That makes quite a good dent in it and I feel encouraged. Then, every time I have to look at my email I clear one of the backlog, or sometimes all those related to the same subject. I've found doing it in date order is very depressing.
I was gifted a cold for my days off this week so I didn't get a whole lot accomplished. I did keep up with the dishes and laundry. I did two chores that were a bit time-consuming but really needed to get done. First, I hauled the expensive coffee maker over to Glenwood. I called the company, paid the $99 and got the shipping label. Found a box at the grocery, packed it up and shipped it off. Coffee making is a chore without it so it was best not to procrastinate. I also washed my car and took it to the body shops for estimates. My neighbor hit it on New Year's Day.
Both were jobs much easier accomplished in Glenwood where the needed facilities were close by. If I left those chores for the side of the mountain I would have an hour drive round-trip. Credit for saving time. For me, every thing I can figure out a way to save time for frees up time for something else.
I get rid of a lot of my unimportant emails that keep stacking up using my phone. iPhone provides a pretty simple way to do it and for me I can combine the task with some moments of rest. Let my thumbs do the work.
I procrastinated on getting started with the paperwork in this morning. Just don't feel that great. I may get a little done when I get home from work.
ETA
After I posted I had the thought that I could do one month of paperwork before I headed out this morning. Reevaluated and decided it was more important to do my 10 minutes of daily chores. I cleaned out the cat box and hauled The dump bag down to the car. Emptied my compost bin and cleaned off my kitchen counters. I'll feel so much better about things when I get home.
So, if I worked like I did yesterday on this, I'd probably have all these goals met in a week. I'm not sure I want to devote the next week to that (although it's tempting), but it's good to know. If I can make progress every day plus more progress on Saturdays, it won't take me too long to get there.
silverbirch: Good ideas, thanks! I keep forgetting that I don't have to do this with date order. It would be much faster to get rid of all the weather and allergy reports first. Working smarter is better than working harder.
Mail stack. Current state: empty. Goal: empty.
Progress: kept up
Tickler. Current state: today. Goal: today.
Progress: kept up
In Box. Current state: one bill to be paid. Goal: empty.
Feel good in that dining room table has been cleared off and reset with pretty place setting and using dishes in new ways for new "look" every few days. I put candles on cake stand and they coordinate and look peaceful for the table as well. I took out all dishes from one small cabinet with glass doors and restocked with all of my white or mostly white dishes and WOW it looks so much better than the hodge-podge of colors I had in there. I have two smallish cabinets that fit the small areas well, but are not quality. They serve the purpose now and have for 15 years, but I worry that their shelves will collapse.
Tree is still awaiting DH's help with the light removal. He put them on "his" way and I think I'm going to just take off myself. He has entrenched himself in shredding - something he really enjoys. I do it as I need it and he runs over and says he'll do it, so I now leave it on top for him. One time he shredded a credit card of mine that had slipped to the floor, and he thought it slipped off his "stack"... no major loss - he was worried I'd flip out. Few things are irreplaceable.
Goal for rest of the day is to finish evening with no boxes in living room - all decor in garage, and LR vacuumed and reset for a cold winter night. Have redone the mantel with birch twigs and greenery and it looks winter peaceful. I think that's always what I seek in January/early Feb., before the warmth of winter reds are added into my home. Peace after the holiday rush.
gardenerjoy's posts prompted me to work on cleaning out email boxes. I started during a slow time at work and continued while I sat with the football game on. I will work on the process of dealing with many of the saved recipes, etc. Going through the backlog prompted me to deal with several items. I messaged a cousin about Kirks Denmark trip, I sent a picture and update to the rescue group in Kansas and I sent off a request for an estimate on tree trimming. All tasks move me forward. Kitchen is clean and laundry in it's process. I have 15 minutes before my final cup of coffee before work. I will move forward with paperwork....at least one more month will be finished before I leave. Credit.
Taking a strategic approach to email (thanks, silverbirch!) netted big results! And, in much less time than I spent on Saturday.
Mail stack. Current state: empty. Goal: empty.
Progress: no mail on Sunday! Or today, for the holiday, so this will be easy.
Tickler. Current state: today. Goal: today.
Progress: kept up
In Box. Current state: empty. Goal: empty.
Progress: paid bill, ordered a new yogurt cheese maker because the old one had a loose wire that poked me in the finger when I washed it. DH insisted that if something makes me bleed, it's time to replace it.
Since I never start a thread, I'm going to defer to OneByOne or another brave soul to restart our next week and will still post here. I don't know if I can repost others' posts from today (?) in the new one. Anyway, all holiday decor is boxed up and out in the garage in neat stacks, tape was bought and finally all was closed up. I decided to guilt-free keep my snowmen, snowflake and wintry plates out another few weeks. So I've reminded DH several times to keep the heavy bin down. We shall see.
Am frustrated with my lack of a regular schedule for the weekly cleaning. I need to make it and post it on the fridge and then hopefully when DH is back on days, we can both work toward keeping up to where there are no "big" cleaning jobs. Things now get done as i see they need to be done or as I have time, rather than my mom's monthly schedule that also included silver polishing since she treasured the few family pieces she received, starching and ironing each week, etc. I want to come up with a method that works but that doesn't fall all to me. I need a working plan and then I've no need to vent.
Decluttering "lite" today.
