Hi declutterers!

Tired today but remembered my routine. Some days ARE tired but my "stuff" just keeps piling up unless I CHOOSE to act.

so...today

current clutter-hung two pictures I bought at thrift yesterday. I'm very selective these days and the two botanical roses in gold frames ($6 ea) are perfect in my formal dining room. I'll get the bed made, too.

old clutter-I DID work on the photos yesterday and have the laptop out where I can sort at least 10 more before I leave this morning.

clean-I did the pet room this morning...cat box clean waterbowls switched out....coffee maker trays switched/cleaned.

I KNOW I'll feel better when I return home later to my accomplishments of the morning.

Happy Valentines Day to my fellow declutters,


Thanks for helping me grow in so many ways these past few months. Shedding what isn't me and helping to support what is. Old weeds/habits pulled up and new seeds of organizing, cleaning and taking responsibility--planted. Growth has happened. I would not have the results that I have without your kind support.

Thank you.

Thanks, Tami, for the sweet message As I continue my journey of progress forward on my home front the support and friendship here is my foundation!

After a long day in Denver, I plopped the laptop on my lap and spent over two hours FINISHING the photos. This morning I loaded all 4200+ onto a joystick and completed the process of putting them on the photo frame downstairs AND persisted to get the time/date right on the device. CREDIT
This project 100% complete for now. I still have some reorganizing within the files but it is nothing that is necessary. I might do some reorganizing as I start to share some of these photos with family members.
SO: Old clutter-DONE

current clutter-picked up...noticing my procrastination again. Went to the tv room for something....looked at my dishes from dinner..."I'll do that later." Stopped....thought.....(CBT at work). Why would I not take them downstairs now if I'm going down anyway? I took them down. Went to the bedroom for something....my voice said make the bed now....I'll do it later....why not do it now. OK. NO CHOICE Washed the tangerines sitting on my counter so I could put them away. credit

clean-cleaned in the kitchen, took out the compost and cleaned the bowl.

I added two pictures....the first is how my 4000 photos look in the computer file. The second is a photo on the "slideshow" downstairs. It's amazing how it feels to have daily access to these physical representations of our family. This is a favorite of mine...dh with the pups.

Hi declutterers!

I sure added some current clutter yesterday and have made a noble attempt this morning to put some stuff away.
~washed the veggies from yesterday's shop
~sorted receipts and recycled
~made the bed even though it seems pointless since I'm by myself.

Clean??-after work

Old clutter-took time to sort all my vitamins that have been sitting on kitchen counter into the little weekly box...put bottles in the cupboard.

Small stuff today which still moves me forward.

I really thought about time management this morning as I was doing chores. I took care of work essentials before coming upstairs to check in.
~dressed
~smoothie/vitamins finished
~lunch packed
~dog stuff packed (pup goes to mom's today)

Happy weekend!

Lately I've been forgetting to

Lexxiss: WOW, you certainly have the mojo going. Way to go! I bet you are glad you photo project is done and in the frame.

I worked yesterday, made a pot roast, cleaned kitchen and read a book. I have to leave for work in 1 hour.....

Will clean out the kitchen sink of dishes from yesterday, spray it down with cleaner.

Kitchen floor needs mopped when I get home. Another snow last night has carried in sand and dirt.

I will work on files, late afternoon to prepare and organize all that is laid out on my son's bed. Like items are already with each other, just need to get them in file folders and in file drawer. Should take me 1 hour at best.

Hi declutterers!

I wrote this on a sticky yesterday before I left for work....it was on my mind.

"Taking time to look around..."

Before decluttering, I seemed to (exist..function..dysfunction) in our home space without ever really "looking" at things...rooms...tables...drawers...closets. I understand that for me it was a very effective avoidance strategy because I lived that way for years. The only time I ever looked was looking for the car keys...looking for a receipt....looking for a phone number.

Today is my one day off before I drive over and p/u DH on Wednesday. Today I am really going to look...in every room in every closet in every drawer. I'm going to make a new list with things to work on...projects to finish....places to declutter.

I'll report back....
today's dance:
old clutter-finished knitting a hat I started last week
current clutter-will work on today
clean-I already cleaned in the kitchen...wiped cupboards (not perfect), cleaned countertops, swept floor.

My goal from now until I leave:
To get all my chores done today and leave everything in place every single day until I leave Wednesday morning. I am TRYING to eliminate the current clutter for just two days...Mon. Tues.

Off today .....23rd anniversary......church then taking my DH out for a late lunch......don't know if I will focus on specific tasks. Separated shoes that are in baskets at end of steps to be sent upstairs. Done......

Lexxiss: I love that you reward yourself for the "feeling and order" of your house upon return. I get that.....

I will be posting new lists on Monday......in need of focus and a committed action plan.

Hi declutterers!

Happy Anniversary (belated), Tami! Yay for planning for a new list!

Me: did well making no new clutter yesterday. credit. I continue to find myself more organized and am getting packed up for my trip over.

Today:
old clutter-picked up an old knitting project and put a few stiches on. Good, because it means I'm now committed to finishing it. It's been sitting in a basket in the living room for at least two years now.

current clutter-worked on it this morning...noticed how nice the dining room table looks when I keep it clutter free.

clean-cleaned a few veggies that were in plastic bags and cleaned the downstairs bathroom.

While I was cleaning/organizing this morning I reflected on a few of my best NO CHOICE items which help me so much
~washing/rinsing stuff in the kitchen that gets stuck on and PITA when I leave them...specifically my smoothie knife/cutting board and blender I use every morning.
~folding laundry right out of the dryer and putting it away...not leaving the pile somewhere.
~ continuing to say NO CHOICE and doing something every single day(no matter if it's seemingly small).

Enjoy!

Busy day. Worked till 4. Dinner made, cleaned kitchen. Put away my daughter's clothes as it she had all the baskets in her room with clean clothes. Told her 30 items had to go by Friday as she has T-shirts/clothes that are 5 years old-too small. Worked on floors-credit. Preparing for next 2 days as we may have 12-15inches of snow coming in. That will change my work schedule for the week.

Lexxiss- Hope you have an enjoyable trip. I loved hearing that you are completing a knitting project that is 2 years old. You continue to pine away--love that.

Hi declutterers!

Tami, I think it's great that you are nudging your DD to do her own decluttering. I wish I'd had a bit more guidance in that area early on. That sounds like alot of snow! I know we're supposed to get it, too, which is why I'm leaving today. I'll deal with coming home Friday...well after I get over there. lol

I'm pretty much ready to go. I don't usually do much after work but yesterday I made the effort to get the cat box cleaned and to outside trash, got recycle ready and outside and got the dishes done. credit. I already have the bedroom shut down (no kitty barfing on carpet while I'm away.)

Even so, I remembered that my routine is important.
Current clutter-finished picking up in office and addressed/stamped an envelope for mailing instead of dragging it over with me.
Old clutter-put the old knitting away for now.
Clean-cleaned the upstairs bathroom (down to about 3 minutes now) and got down on hands and knees to wash the spot under the sink (kitty related, I'm sure).

Have a great day everyone!

Declutterers, hello.

Whatever I wrote the last time I wrote everything is still the same on my end. DH did some cleaning up and some keeping it clean in the kitchen while I as away. I'm actually away at an artist residency starting March 14th, so the spring deadline for this particular part of the challenge comes early for me. I need to re-think what I'd like to accomplish.

First, an update. My cats have no discovered the box toer in the dining room and each of them has taken to climbing it to the top. Dangerous as the boxes are apt to tip over. They aren't all solid and the tops of the bookcases and the pantry here they are heading to (the absolute tallest objects in the whole apartment) are not secured to the wall and I am just waiting for them/some of them/all of them/all of them in the middle of the night to come tumbling down.

This *should* spur me on to get at those boxes and bring my tower down but I just ignore it.

And with that I will go make a short list of what I am willing to do today. I do have dishes soaking in the sink to keep up the kitchen that DH has been maintaining.

Bye for now.

Glad you checked in- Sending you a gentle hug and am glad that you are still connected with us. Sending compassionate vibes just to do what you can to make your day more peaceful and grounded. No pressure here to get things done. Are you looking forward to your art residency in March? Do you have any creative ideas regarding this? You are very talented in areas that I couldn't even begin to do. That is what makes you SPECIAL.

Hugs to your heart and creative soul.

Hi Everyone

Today I am removing items from the guild's porch that have to do with our mosaic sign project. It will not be easy gathering up the broken ceramic but I am going to complete that today and transport the material to my studio which is where it needs to go. I am buying some garbage bags (extra strong) or some heavy duty re-usable grocery bags for this task and bringing my snow shovel to shovel the pieces into the bags. I look forward to seeing the different colours and shapes people have tossed in the box so I can start to envision our new guild sign. Much reserch to be done on this yet and we have time to do it too.

Also at the guild, well, this is lesson I needed to learn. In my guise of wanting to be helpful (ie. MAJOR people-pleasing phase I was going through--it's passing thank goodness) I volunteered to buy the craft gallery (attached to the tea room I manage for the guilds) some display stand for the work the weavers do (flat things/shawls/table runners/blankets) and there was a department store closing selling all their fixtures so I picked up three lingeries displays which worked perfectly and then I saw three iron sign displays. Big rectangular metal things-just a rounded corner rectangular shape with welded feet and two hooks you can hang things off of. $5 each. OMG. I wanted them for me, for shows, for the farmers' market this year for my display then I offered them to the guild as I am not 100% sure they will fit in my car and I could really see them as useful for new signage. Well, I was the only one who could envision that. People/members just see them as too big, awkward and no one wants to move them and no one wants to deal with them if they are stored in the back room. So I was asked to take them away. Hopefully, they will fit in my car today. If not someone will have to get them to my studio space for me or will, I guess, just put them on the curb.

In my enthusiasm to please others I messed up here. Lesson learned. Again.

Other clutter to do today is to get on the road with starting/finishing a ceramic project for someone. It's not a tough thing to make but I am replicating someone elses' design and I have been resisting this so it's taking up valuable brain space. Must just get it done and oh! Take another lesson here: I don't replicate other people's work anymore.

And for myself, since I am in the ceramic room today, I am going to create at least one newspaper form that will be the inner support for a figure made of clay. You ball up the paper and push it/add to it/take away from it until you get a shape you want to drape the clay onto. I use masking tape to hold the newspaper the way I want it. Not sure if I am making an animal a bird a fish or a human. Don't think it matters. Just want to make something bigger than usual. I have my clay at home so I think I will work on the clay part here.

helping rachel Thanks for your kind words of support yesterday. My March art residency is with my drawing group. The three of us will be sharing one large studio together and staying in three separate bedrooms for a whole week. We're going there to see if we are going to continue to work together and if so how. Things are much different for us since I moved away--but I think we still all get value out of coming together as a group. Anyway, that's what we are going there to find out.

Have a great day everyone.

Hello

I get Flylady emails and while a lot of it sings to me, I haven't ever been able to just follow her system BUT in this post she lays out a gentle, effective strategy that can be personalized and I thought it worthwhile to post a link to it. Any tools to help us get a handle on decluttering are welcome.

Someone asked:

Dear FlyLady,

I have been procrastinating because I don’t understand how it all works together. What is a Basic Weekly Plan, Morning Routines and Before Bed Routines. I don’t know why I procrastinate.

Overwhelmed FlyLady

But my favorite part of her answer was this:

My BRAIN gets cluttered with doing this, that, and the other thing until I feel so overwhelmed and so hyper-aware of how much I need to do that ANYTHING I start/finish seems meaningless. I have never done a writing like that on this specific topic. I have done it for artwork and for getting redy to do artshows, but never for decluttering/tasks around the house.

Anyway just thought I'd share.
Full answer to ths question is here:
And this was the answer: http://www.flylady.net/d/br/author/a...m_medium=email

OnebyOne, I like the 15 minute list. Sounds manageable and doable. It reminds of Julia Cameron's morning pages from artist way. She suggests that when you get up in the morning, write 3 pages to clear your mind and express your thoughts.

Perfectionism and Procrastination are both types of critics. Both can freeze a person from doing what is needed.

Just got back from grocery store. It was wild and crazy. You would think we have never had a snow storm before. I wanted to get fresh fruit and ingredients to make fresh salsa. The bread and ice cream aisle were almost empty.
Finished mopping kitchen and foyer, laundry done, and now getting ready for my night class.

Lexxiss: Hope you have an enjoyable time 'over the hill".