Thanks Debbie for the tips. I will certainly consider them. I think I will contact some of these companies and ask them to not send me their catalogs even though I have lines of credit with each of them. I agree. I do all of my shopping online anyway.

Great News for you and your rental properties. I do hope some of the busyness you describe will lessen. It sounds like you are always going full speed ahead. I would find that exhausting at some point.

Pam

Apparently, I'm taking a solstice / Christmas break from this project. I'm making it official that this is a break, so that I'll be of a mindset to get back to it!

I did not take a break from household chores but paperwork had certainly fallen behind.
Back On Track
I've been having to negotiate around the fact that I used to get up early and accomplish lots and now, it seems, no matter how quietly I try to exit the bedroom, my DH wakes up and wants to go downstairs with me to sit and drink coffee. I do enjoy the time we spend together but it's certainly cut into my most productive time.
This morning I managed to sneak out....

I decided to do the opposite of my usual, which is to stay downstairs and pick up.
This morning I headed right to the office and I've accomplished alot...My main success being to tally project hours/paychecks into the computer for the project. It's very helpful to be caught up when someone wants to get paid.
Now I can go enjoy more coffee and work downstairs.

I haven't shared the news...I met with the perspective tenant on Saturday and he signed the papers Sunday and started moving in! :dancer:
He is clean and organized and it's such a relief to have one unit resolved. The place looks beautiful and I'm so grateful! Since this tenant came from my new contact at work, I believe I will not have a problem with the final unit, once we get it renovated.
We continue to work on #1, which had been occupied for 20+ years....lots of damage and and also plain ol' wear and tear. It's rented as of Feb. 1, so we must keep moving forward...still lots to do.
I head back up this morning.

Lexxiss Just returning from the wilderness to see your great news about someone moving in, another unit rented in a few months nad as ever moving forward. So great to read. Kudos x 100 to you.

Everyone Hello. I went away to Florida at the beginning of the month and came back in time for the ice storm which knocked out our power and then it came on before my mother's did and my MIL's did so we had them over and I have been out of power since their stay. MIL was SUPER critical of our home, and said so. It started with the ever familiar start of these types of conversations "It's none of my business but..." and you know you're going to get it *whack*. So, she thought the bathroom was disgusting-we thought it was pretty clean. So when she was out on a smoke break from us all I said to her " You may be here until the weekend so tell me what I need to do so you will be comfortable having a shower in my bathroom." My mother was here as well so I got her involved cleaning the small things that sit on this small bathroom cabinet. Then I got so everything was done but the floors-hands and knees scrubbing required I was told-and my DH said "You have to come out here now. Your mother is talking about leaving." My mom has alzheimer's and as she had already stayed over for the night (one long terrible amost sleepless night for me sharing a bed with her...) she was starting to get very disoriented. With her, it's worse as her routine gets disrupted longer and longer. So I had to tell MIL I can't do the floors. My mom needs me to sit right beside her to calm her down. So that's what I did and thankfully we got the call that the residents of her home had their power back and I could bring her back too. DH, by this time, had exited the apartment. He was about to throttle his mother. SO we all waited anxiously for him to get home. My mom fought me all the way back to her place that I was just dumping her somewhere. I know/knew it was the disease talking but it's tiring. While we were gone, MIL called her "reliable neighbour" NOT who said, oh yeah, her power came on early that morning. Gee should have called you I guess. DUH So once I got back they were ready to go and then we made plans to have xmas afterall. I LOATHE xmas. It gets worse every year. So xmas is today. Mercifully it will be only a few hours as we are bringing my mom to MIL house for the 1st time and it turns out DH's aunt and uncle will be there too. I have no clue how my mom will be through this. I was supposed to make cabbage rolls but couldn't do it, so we bought some at a local Romanian deli. I'm half Hungarian so these cabbage rolls are similar. We had to go back and get more when we found out we'd be having two more guests. Wow. Sorry to be going on and on so. I guess I am really stressed out. Anyway, all this to say I felt and still feel, hurt by my MIL's reaction to my place and I guess I need to get over it now/soon and just keep moving forward. To our eyes, we are doing much better and we have been maintaining our spaces and we have more usable space than when I started this challenge. It's all in your perspective I guess. BTW DH told me that MIL once got a maid and would clean before the maid and then complain that the maid didn't clean properly and she would then clean after the maid had cleaned as well. ME thinks her standards as skewed equally as mine, but in the other direction.

onebyone, glad you are back with us and I'm sorry this last month has been so rough. One day at a time....:hug:

Yesterday was a day off at the restaurant. I would have loved to stay home and do nothing yet I keep reminding myself of the tenants who want to move in as soon as this place is ready. I did, however, find a way to negotiate (with myself) New Years Day off and we'll head over the divide for a day at the pool. That will sure be heavenly!

In the meantime, I'm busy today fulfilling all my chores (clean kitchen and laundry, and p/u clutter) and am getting packed so we can leave right after work tomorrow. Several trips ago I didn't take time to get things in order before I left and I remember being quite agitated when I returned. It's a good reminder of how much I've progressed and just how much I enjoy my new clutterfree way of living....still not perfect and won't ever be....but comforting and worth my daily effort.

Happy New Year declutterers!

closing out the year
 

Decluttering Coaches

Two more days left to this challenge and so my goal is to move the small table from beneath the window in the dining room into the kitchen area. My hope is to be able to sit at the table and have coffee or read a newspaper. It may not be possible, as the space may be too small/awkward for a table and chairs, but I want to try it. This has been on my mind for a while.

Steps to reach this goal:
1) clear space in kitchen DONE
2) turn one pantry 90degrees to the left DONE
3)move small table under window to get at larger tableDONE
4)move boxes from off of table and from under tableDONE
5)move table into kitchenDONE
6)move chairs into kitchenDONE
7)restack boxesDONE
8)try out table and chairs-decide if it works or not.DONE NOTE: I'm reserving judgement on this. The table kind of sort of fits in the kitchen. The chairs sort o go with it maybe. I have an urge to paint the table lime green. I've alos cluttered up the hallway again. Oh well.

BONUS: I moved a cabinet from one side of the dining room to the other side. This allows me to move another cabinet (they're really pantries) from the kitchen to the newly vacated space. DONEnote to self: I need a buffet/sideboard thingy.Maybe. Credit for this work done today.

one final push.
 

Declutterers, hello!

Final day of this decluttering challenge! Have you made progress??

Today I'm going to tackle the pile of clothes and whatever else in the bedroom. It's doubled in size since I came home. I want to make a tshirt quilt for our bed in 2014 so as I remove the pile I'm going to start sorting my drawers as well. Donating stuff and setting stuff aside for the quilt and tossing what is too worn.

I'm also committing to doing all the dishes and putting them away.

Bye for now!

UPDATE: I have some new furniture coming on Thursday!!! Very exciting. One is a chaise lounge-a dream piece of furniture for me. The other is an extra long sideboard/buffet. All extra storage. Very exciting. Very happy I bought it today. I'm keen to open some more boxes-maybe all my boxes marked "books" I can focus on. I have space even now to put them out and I think I can even let go of some old furniture with the new stuff coming. This is the first new thing I have bought in years. I am feeling very lucky.