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I'm not managing to get here. I am getting things done but I just don't manage to get here.
Great work, everyone! |
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Lexxiss, wanted to ask, did the drywall guy respond to your carefully worded email? Yesterday was a surprise attack on another household heartache of mine! DH's abandoned work station. Thick, horrid dust on ever surface; computer, monitor, stacks of software discs from a decade or two (I found a floppy!!) TWO scanner/printers, and a rat's nest of cables and wires snaking and coiling through all. Do you know the frustration level when you track one cable from one end, uncoil/untangle it through a dozen others, only to find that it wasn't even attached to anything :devil: :rofl: anyway DH had promised Years ago to do this..I would have done it myself but I would have thrown everything out or freecycled. He got a large storage container and went through most everything, wiped it all off, and put a ton of stuff in the container (which I don't agree with, because now it's all in a container and someone has to deal with THAT) but at least it got the area cleared; then our son took a monitor and printer out to my car for freecycle; then I wiped/dusted/cleaned and now have a cleared center :carrot: a tip when you are cleaning a horrid dusty area, certainly wear a respirator or mouth/nose mask if you have one; I didn't, but I continuously drank water and i think that helped alot. this morning I sat at that cleared, cleaned area and it felt so good!!! |
VermontMom: great job getting the dusty job done. If you don't have a face mask, try a dampened kerchief tied bandit style. We use them for yard work, too, and they're effective.
Still filing! November organizing tasks log: 1. Organize writing stuff 2. Finish organizing writing stuff 3. Implement new scheme for time management 4. 10 minutes filing project 5. 18 minutes filing project 6. 10 minutes filing project 7. 10 minutes filing project 8. 10 minutes filing project 9: 20 minutes filing project 10: 50 minutes filing project 11: Winterize and bring home things from the cabin 12: Work with DH to organize travel supplies 13: Prep for cleaning crew 14: 10 minutes filing 15: 25 minutes filing 16: 10 minutes filing 17: clean up sticks from wind storm 18: phone calls 19: 10 minutes filing 20: 10 minutes filing 21: 15 minutes filing 22: 10 minutes filing 23: 15 minutes filing 24: planning & organizing 25: 10 minutes filing 26: 20 minutes filing 27: prepped for cleaning crew 28: 10 minutes filing 29: 10 minutes filing |
On Small Business Saturday, I bought plain white tea cups so we can quit drinking tea out of cups with cartoon characters on them. I feel so grown up.
Today, I intend to spend much of the day getting organized for the month. November organizing tasks log: 1. Organize writing stuff 2. Finish organizing writing stuff 3. Implement new scheme for time management 4. 10 minutes filing project 5. 18 minutes filing project 6. 10 minutes filing project 7. 10 minutes filing project 8. 10 minutes filing project 9: 20 minutes filing project 10: 50 minutes filing project 11: Winterize and bring home things from the cabin 12: Work with DH to organize travel supplies 13: Prep for cleaning crew 14: 10 minutes filing 15: 25 minutes filing 16: 10 minutes filing 17: clean up sticks from wind storm 18: phone calls 19: 10 minutes filing 20: 10 minutes filing 21: 15 minutes filing 22: 10 minutes filing 23: 15 minutes filing 24: planning & organizing 25: 10 minutes filing 26: 20 minutes filing 27: prepped for cleaning crew 28: 10 minutes filing 29: 10 minutes filing 30: bought new tea cups |
I got a lot of organizing done today and have a good plan for the week and a flexible plan for the month.
December log: 1. Organize & plan for month |
Back to filing:
December log: 1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing |
Hi!
Life just gets busier and I'm happy to have logged progress on my rental projects every day in November. One rental is being advertised in the paper starting tomorrow and the push is for completion of the second one. There is lots to do and I have NO CHOICE but to see it to completion, no matter how endless it seems. When I get discouraged I bring the word, EMPOWERMENT to my brain. It reminds me I CAN do this and I WILL do this. I think I won't keep a running log this month (too boring) but will focus on daily balance, keeping my home in running order while focused on all the external. Many moons ago, Tami(HelpingRachel) had asked me a question regarding responsibility for my home. I answered, that it was my responsibility. I must say that my DH has made major progress in taking on responsibilities at home....however.... Now that he, too, is consumed with the project his interest at home has waned. We got into a bit of a disagreement about it and I had to make a decision: While this project goes on I will go back to 100% responsibility at home. If, DH chooses to do something it's ok, but I'm not going to push for anything. So: this morning I: ~did dishes, laundry, made bed, picked up clutter around the house and took care of the pets needs. We will come home to a clean home. |
It's bitter cold here and snowing very hard. When I woke at 4, I grabbed some coffee and headed up to check the water. Thankfully, both places are flowing....we disconnected the water yesterday at the 3rd.
Upon arriving home, DH was rising...grumbling all the way. I was amazed at my detachment from his emotional distress. I am accepting it's just the way he is and no amount of my peoplepleasing is going to change that. It relates to what I said yesterday....I acknowledge it's far easier for me to accomplish necessary chores in my peaceful way rather that expect he should be doing something, too, and then having to participate in his grumpiness. Credit. So I: made the bed, folded the laundry, picked up around the house and I'm going to sweep the hardwood floors upstairs. Back to my 1-2-3 :dancer: I noticed strong feelings of acceptance around my act of doing this every day. It's become automatic and the results are so gratifying. Project moves forward with more cleaning yesterday, electrical inspection and new plumbing started. Yay! |
Yay, Lexxiss! I love the sense of peace you've find in your home.
December log: 1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door |
Filing again:
December log: 1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing |
I emptied a file box today! The first of three (but the oldest is bigger) so I'm almost a third of the way through the project. In an odd way, I feel better about it. I've put this off for years because I knew it was going to take forever. Now, that it is actually taking forever (or six months whichever comes first), I feel justified. I'm always embarrassed when I put off projects and then it turns out that they are much smaller and easier than I expected.
December log: 1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 |
gardenerjoy, sometimes the hardest part of a project is starting. Kudos for your follow through.
I've been forcing myself to power through with the project. Still no end in sight but it will never get done if I don't keep persisting. It's miserable at -17 degrees but the cold streak has to pass. It was my last day off before I go back to the real job. I had intended to take some time for myself, however, I figured out that if I got all the supplies to the site that my helpers could work on it this weekend. I got everything we need for the next phase and it will be delivered tomorrow. That puts me almost 4 days ahead. It was worth it. I will read in bed tonight as a reward while DH watches dumb guy shows. |
Wow you folks are so industrious! I usually feel as if I've accomplished something just bringing a few boxes to Salvation Army every other month or so.
The big elephant in my living room (well, OK, in the garage) IS the garage. Most of the stuff out there is my husband's junk but I can't seem to get him to get rid of it. He always insists that he'd get rid of it if I would just get out there and help him, but even when I do, all he does is shuffle things around and re-organize them over and over again. The result is slightly more organized junk. And then it doesn't stay that way because there's just too much of it to keep it in any kind of order. The first time we need something from the bottom of the pile, the entire garage is back to chaos again. So, that's going to be my project for the New Year. |
December log:
1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 6. Shoveled snow 7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper |
Broke my streak. Oh Well. December was always going to be a challenge.
December log: 1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 6. Shoveled snow 7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper 8. 0 9. Packed up and sent away boxes |
The weather is really getting me down. It seems to be a worse than usual year, and the project hasn't helped.
I pulled myself out of bed, however, determined to move forward with the project. My helper had other plans...we set up for noon then she called from Denver and said lets go for 9am tomorrow. Oh, well....I can only do what I can do. I took a nap and took a drive for pup food. It got me out of the house, and to my favorite local health food store. When I got home, I was putting stuff away and had such a powerful moment..."My home is my only comfort zone right now". I can certainly see how that translates to my staying OP with my food. I found a moment of gratitude for persistence in achieving my goals. credit. |
December log:
1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 6. Shoveled snow 7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper 8. 0 9. Packed up and sent away boxes 10. Bought office supplies, especially packing tape |
December log:
1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 6. Shoveled snow 7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper 8. 0 9. Packed up and sent away boxes 10. Bought office supplies, especially packing tape 11. Straightened up for cleaning crew & packed boxes for book fair |
December log:
11. Donated the 1989 Volvo station wagon to a worthy cause. At 25 years old, it had served well; we depended on it for the occasional big job. DW loved it on long highway drives because it held the road like tank. I hated to let it go. But it was clutter in my life - so I give myself credit here. |
Bill, great job passing the Volvo on to a charity. My spare vehicle is a 1980 Toyota which sadly doesn't hold very much. It's technically my moms so I need to hold onto it for now. I look forward to the day when I can donate it. Lol
Sometimes my decluttering needs to be regarding the list in my head. I got to the project yesterday and was so agitated. I reminded myself that since technically I'm the boss I could take a day off. I went home and packed a few things and got in the car and drove over the mountains to check the other house. I made a stop at Home Depot in route to pick up a cabinet which I'd ordered, pick up project supplies and make a full set of keys to leave with someone who wild be willing to do a quick check if I needed it. I called a friend and ask if she could meet me at the pool. Not hearing back I stopped at the pool to pay my yearly dues and lo and behold she called and said she'd be right over. The house was fine I got a break I got a soak and I am driving back home a little renewed with a few things crossed off my list. Credit. |
BillBlueEyes: congrats on releasing the car to another place. We had a Volvo about that vintage but we didn't keep it running so long.
Lexxiss: Good for you for figuring out what would work while taking care of yourself. I got back to my filing today. December log: 1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 6. Shoveled snow 7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper 8. 0 9. Packed up and sent away boxes 10. Bought office supplies, especially packing tape 11. Straightened up for cleaning crew & packed boxes for book fair 12. 10 min filing |
I am doing it!!!
Oh, wow, Beckmates, I had forgotten about this thread. I have spent the last two days getting rid of about 18 years of paper clutter..the stuff that needs shredding or burning...I estimate I am less than a quarter of the way there, but I will stay at it. One thing about winter, it does focus me indoors. It astonishes me how much I have just shoved into totes, but it is going away.
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Great to have you along, maryblu! We got a new shredder for my filing project -- the old one just wasn't up to the job.
December log: 1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 6. Shoveled snow 7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper 8. 0 9. Packed up and sent away boxes 10. Bought office supplies, especially packing tape 11. Straightened up for cleaning crew & packed boxes for book fair 12. 10 min filing 13. 10 min filing |
December log:
1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 6. Shoveled snow 7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper 8. 0 9. Packed up and sent away boxes 10. Bought office supplies, especially packing tape 11. Straightened up for cleaning crew & packed boxes for book fair 12. 10 min filing 13. 10 min filing 14. Shovel snow |
I've been having difficulty finding time for everything. The project moves forward at a snails pace and the needed progress is out of my hands, for now. This morning, not sleeping well, I've gotten up and am moving forward at home. I go to the "real job" at 630am.
I ordered a gift online I mended one of DH's shirts while the sewing machine was out I'll pick up the office and do my necessary filing. The office and my "head" will feel better when it's finished. credit. |
chugging along
Happy to report to my team mates, I spent the majority of my time today getting rid of ~18 years of old paperwork stored in totes...estimate I am 1/3 of the way done, and paying a huge time penalty for not following the simple "file, not pile" rule. Resolved to deal with paper coming in from this point on appropriately. Feels good to be gittin" 'er done, and do have a drop dead reach to be done date, so chugging along is good. I have always worked well under pressure.
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You're doing great, maryblu! I put off my filing project for years and, at this rate, it's going to take me months. I probably should have given myself a drop dead date a long time ago. But, it's too late now. This is working for me, so I guess I'll stick with it.
December log: 1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 6. Shoveled snow 7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper 8. 0 9. Packed up and sent away boxes 10. Bought office supplies, especially packing tape 11. Straightened up for cleaning crew & packed boxes for book fair 12. 10 min filing 13. 10 min filing 14. Shovel snow 15. Shovel snow |
Do you remember how I carefully took steps towards making marmalade a few weeks ago?
I've thrown it all away + some more Seville oranges in the freezer. I'm running out of road before we go away for a bit. The freezer had to be defrosted (one of those, like Bill's, which should do it all on its own but doesn't), I've had a phone emergency taking far too much of my time and then there are all the other things to do. Credit for realising I don't have to complete this task. Credit for contemplating that I'll probably not make any more marmalade or jam for a few years. If I make it, I eat it (at least a little) and that doesn't help my cause. Well done, maryblu and gardenerjoy! Paperwork can become overwhelming. And it all comes quietly into the house piece by piece. You turn around and there's a huge mountain of it. |
silverbirch: good for you for releasing a project to the wild when it became clear that it couldn't be completed (I have a hard time with that).
December log: 1. Organize & plan for month 2. 10 min filing 3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door 4. 10 min filing 5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1 6. Shoveled snow 7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper 8. 0 9. Packed up and sent away boxes 10. Bought office supplies, especially packing tape 11. Straightened up for cleaning crew & packed boxes for book fair 12. 10 min filing 13. 10 min filing 14. Shovel snow 15. Shovel snow 16. Christmas letter |
Hey Becksters!
I saw this thread before but didn't stop in to add my two cents. I have been working on decluttering for a couple of years now. I spent the entire afternoon yesterday going through all of my seasonal "stuff". Believe it or not, that was the end of last year's "project" and when we put up our tree this year, I decided "no time like the present" so I spent the entire afternoon yesterday going through all of that. I want to reduce 7 plastic bins down to 3. My DH and I are planning on moving in 2014 and I do not want to take anything with that I won't really need. Question: how long does a person really have to hang onto receipts? Pam P.S. I don't know if you found a way to hang a wreath on a metal door yet, joy, but there are two possibilities that I use frequently. Hobby and craft stores sell a metal hook thing (I don't know the proper name for it) that is flat at the top so it fits over the door (part of it on the inside of the door and part of it on the outside of the door) and then you can hang anything on that or 3M makes this removable hooks with this goo on the back that is safe and comes off easily when you want to cease hanging a wreath there. |
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At the end of the day, I believe preserving mental health wins over almost everything. Now in London at my friends' house which is extraordinarily clean and tidy. I've known them 40 years and this is a first. But the landlady and estate agent visited today so perhaps that's why! I must ask them if they've got rid of things. It certainly looks like it and the house is better for it. |
I am still working on reorganizing my seasonal decorations. Whatever I decide is going to the garbage, I put near the front door for my DH to take with him when he goes out for his work each morning. I feel that is absolutely key in keeping things from being moved from one part of the house to the other.
I am also tackling a lot of our shared books and boxing those up. It has the added benefit of keeping me preoccupied right before the week of Christmas and my mind off of what I won't be eating this year; a real different approach for me. We are moving in 2014 so I feel that since I have arthritis in my spine and it really hurts for me to do much of anything that involves using my back, that now is as good as time as any in boxing up things that we don't use now (like most of those books) and getting a jump start on our pre-moving packing. silverbirch: last week I cleaned up my community garden plot. Since we are moving to another area and we no longer qualify as city residents to use this organic community garden, I had a deadline to remove our winter garden contents and prep it for the next "resident". I find that having any kind of deadline, provided that it is doable, really motivates me and keeps me moving on any organizational project. I love orderly interiors. Period. Pam :comp: |
I did it! I cleaned my desk! Only took me four hours. :carrot:
I filled two tall trash can bags with papers. Papers I had saved for a whole year. OMG! I hate snail mail! |
Great Job, georgia, I too am in the middle of a project that just started out as going through my seasonal decorations and now has morphed into boxing up books for a 2014 move.
I hear you about papers. They can be "neverending". One thing that I have learned to do with junk mail is try to unsubscribe when I can (and that is not always possible since a lot of it is unsolicited) but also as soon as the mail arrives, I immediately go to the trash container and go through the mail, tossing as I go. I get a lot of catalogs so that is another problem. I have a separate basket that I toss only those that I want to review. The other ones go in the trash. The thing that bothers me the most about all of this is that the cost of printing all of these and the ecological impact it has. I have to do something more pro-active about that in 2014. Pam |
Pam, I persisted with the junk mail for several years. I'm happy to say the only junk I get these days is local. It makes me very happy and makes life easier for me. No decisions....If I need something from a "catalog" it's all avaliable on line these days...and since I'm focusing on decluttering I don't buy much anyway. It's a win win.
Kudos, too, for going through things in preparation for your move. Doing some of it now will make it so much easier down the road. I'm still stuck in my whirlwind between rental projects, work and keeping my home in order. Good news-rental #1 has a tenant to move in Feb.1 (their date). We'll hold it for them with a work trade-he's skilled and is willing to tile/paint the bathroom. At my real job I met the foreman for our local highway project. He said he'll have lots of workers looking for places and to let him know whenever I have an open rental. He passed my # on and I have an appt. to show #3, which is ready for occupancy. Yay! My home stays organized with daily attention and it's nice to have a little holiday cheer with a tree and outdoor wreath. I commit to keep moving forward. Credit. |
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!
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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! |
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