onebyone, regarding a recipe, I looked in my "family" cookbook and looked for an easy dip (which would go great with and assortment of fresh veggies AND crackers/pretzels). When my mom was injured the lady pastor brought this over and it was fantastic. I suppose doubling it woud make it a nice size for an open house.
Makes one cup
Sundried Tomato Dip
1 med/large tomato
1 package fresh basil
1 heaping t minced garlic
2 T olive oil
1 C sundried tomatoes
dash of lemon juice (optional)
garlic salt

Blend first 4 ingredients in a processor or blender. Then add sundried tomatoes and continue blending. Adjust flavor with lemon juice and garlic salt.
Serve chilled, with veggies, crackers or sturdy potato chips.

Hi!
I had a NSV (weight related) success this morning. I have gotten rid of every single piece of clothing that is too big, acknowledging I am not going back, with the exception of 4 pairs of really nice "skinny jeans". One pair was from 1982 when I was pretty normal weight(then I gained) and 3 from 1989-90 when I lost. I believe 1992 was the last time I wore any of them. Well this morning I can button and zip them all! Note: I have more of a muffin top than I used to, but I'm working on it.
Relating to decluttering: I purged the too bigs and only kept what was reasonable, regarding the too smalls. I had some beautiful stuff that I ABSOLUTELY KNEW would never fit again. They are gone.
credit for being realistic.

I've had a busy morning. I took all my little lists from the past few weeks of decluttering/cleaning and put them in one little notebook. I then did a few things on the list. credit. It's taken a month to take my pencils down to the basement for sharpening but it's done.

I went upstairs to get a zippered bank bag that I had stashed so I could take my loose change to the bank. OUCH It was full of stashed clutter s**t. I ask myself why? Paperclips, barrettes, a watch from Canada, screws, buttons...you name it. Well credit for dealing with it. They are put away or thrown away. I imagine I'll keep finding these stashes for awhile.

Anyway, walking down the stairs after that, I said to myself:

My clutter is just like my weight loss....I need to persist...but it has rewards and it will get easier.

Off to the hot springs today.

gardenerjoy, I stared at your picture for a long time last night. I have those areas....I kept thinking (about my stuff) Why do I need all that?

Coaches, and I need my decluttering coaches today!

DH came home from work with a container of butternut soup, a divided container with two squares of lasagna in each section and then a second divided container with lasagna on one side and veggies/rice on the other side. He said this might happen when the new catered lunch room people started. They started yesterday and so he took the containers and it seems that pretty much every evening he will bring me stuff home. All high quality made from scratch (I think) stuff.

So, coaches, how do I deal with the unespected bounty? I want to freeze it as this will ease my cooking big time. DH suggests I can have these thigns for my lunch--but three squares of lasagna ar three meals worth of food so I have to throw them away or put them away and I'd liek to put them away.

Now, should I get freezer bags for them? Will that be good enough? I'm hoping so. But what about the soup? I vaguely remember reading about that somewhere. has anyone done this?

Otherwise it's been a tough day. I have this big to do list related to my shows now and it's stopped me dead. I did decide on a theme for the work for the first studio tour, and so am beginning a large canvas for it. This is a relief let me tell you, but I'll have to stop painting it tomorrow as the whole day is dedicated to getting ready for the opening.

And on that note I am off. I need to pick up supplies for tomorrow and then clean the kitchen up so I can cook in there in the morning. Oh, and on a note it was garbage day and the garbage man took away 4 black garbage bags + 3 white smaller bags + the garbage pail's contents. Awesome. That was all from last week's clean up (our garbage gets picked up every 2nd week--compost and recycling are weekly).

Anyway now I am gone.

Bye!

BBE and Gardenerjoy welcome back! I am with you both with everything you both said.

Great thought Lexxiss......"My clutter is just like my weight loss....I need to persist...but it has rewards and it will get easier".

OneonOne: I would do a cheese and salami tray with assorted crackers. I think people like to nibble. I also like to do a veggie tray with a spinach dill dip. Easy and you can make it early in the day and just grab and go.

GardenerJoy: That does look like a really cool vantage point. Where can your boxes find a permanent home? Are the things in them a must keep? What would you put in that space instead of the boxes?

BBE: I had to chuckle about where your motivation came from....wifely requests can be that push needed sometimes.


Had a busy day of doctor appointments. Finished all wash and took pictures of 3 areas that I would like to see change. I have a 7am-6pm day tomorrow so will have to wait till Friday. I may post a picture of master bedroom as it makes me very happy that this area is clutter free and staying in great shape. Same with closet.

Lexxiss: I needed to hear your reality check process with clothes. I could easily let go of 1/2 my clothes in a second closet. My goal is to have 3 boxes for goodwill on Friday late afternoon. Will report later on the letting go part .

Hi everyone!

We traveled over to our other house this morning and I realized after 3 months of serious work on the East side that I choose not to live here like this. Too much stuff. I took a nap earlier and then started in the kitchen...recycle, compost, pitch.

Came to check in here, after going through the refrigerator and two freezers and read onebyone's post...my initial thought, "that would be my nightmare right now."

onebyone, I'm interested to hear how your food situation evolves. I'm wondering how much DH will bring home. I store things like soups in yogurt containers and put masking tape on top where I write the contents and the date. If I'm freezing something like lasagna sometimes I'll slice it into portioned pieces then freeze the pieces on a tray before putting them in freezer bags.
BTW-great job with all those bags to the trash!

Rachel, glad I could be a little inspiration to you today. The last time I went through the closets I thought, why didn't I do this all the last time around. Best wishes on your next step.

On another note, after being isolated in my little town for weeks I got over here and had a mission for the thrift store. I was looking for 2 or 3 of those wine/water carafes for work. All but one have been broken this summer.
I went through one thrift store, then another, then bed bath and beyond, then Target.
Wow! After all this decluttering I still have urges to take things home because they are neat, pretty, unique.....the list goes on. It was almost like Dr. Beck has us eat a planned and small portion of trigger food. I had to resist all but what was planned. I came out with only one thing other than the 2 carafes I bought. It was one previously unopened puzzle for $1.00. Credit. I like puzzles for food distraction now that i have room for a table and I have been 100% about finishing them then donating them to the puzzle area at the local library.

Lexxiss: I can relate to your thinking pattern and shopping. It is kind of like not eating on plan. I went to Target to return a shirt and got caught in the 75% section buying birthday gift bags...30 cents each and then it lead to boxes to deliver homemade cookies...30 cents each and then to file folder holders....30 cents each....My hoarding and bargin shopping kicked in. Kind of like free samples better get them when I can. Anyhow, spent an additional $20 on supplies that will I use or not use....to be determined later.

Off to file and clean Extra room.

Cleaned oldest son's room that became catch all for all the leftover college stuff. 3 boxes to goodwill. My house is definitely overweight. I donated electric cars that he had since 4th grade and model cars to goodwill. Good news. I worked out by purging stuff and then headed to gym and did 1 hour workout with steam room. Life is good.

Rachel, yay for numerous boxes to goodwill!

My DH seems to be catching the bug. He completed a repair upstairs yesterday and is working on another one now.

My time over the hill was a success. I dropped a box at the thrift store, pitched stale/outdated food items and did some reorganizing. It looks much better. I had 3 or 4 items that needed to be dropped off at individual locations to complete the recycle and I did all but one.

Back to my primary home and I have almost unpacked from the trip. Kitchen is done. My task this morning is to seal several storm windows which we had open during the summer. Last year there were several I never did. I started downstairs with the hardest and then reevaluated. I'll start upstairs with the easiest. The hard one may need a more complicated fix.

I have so much I "can" do to make progress that I try not to get stuck on the ones that aren't moving.

I brought a box of stuff over. The unpacked box is going upstairs where I'm going to ask DH to help me fill it for donations.

Lexxiss: I like your attitude to focus on what you can do....not getting stuck in what you can't.

My goals are simple this week. Maintain a clean kitchen. Try to fill 5 boxes to goodwill. When we went yesterday, we were behind 6 cars.....fall cleaning must be in the air. I have childhood knickknacks in the attic that may make that process pretty easy.

I have lots of work to do this week with my job. I have my 30 minute timer out so I can't use the excuse....I don't have time to clean and declutter.

Here's to an "On Plan Week" to make our spaces clean and functional.

Hello!

Rachel, it's a busy week for me, too. Yay for a simple goal to haul out 5 more boxes. I'm getting DH off to our other house again and will try to regroup here again after work. My sabotaging thought was that it's ok to blow it all off for a week. Instead, I choose to continue to move forward. I hauled the recycle up this morning and will make my bed and fold the clothes on it before I head to work. That's always a good maintenance step for me. I have one empty cardboard box that I will fill with reusables for the thrift store after work.

Hi Lexxiss:

Mantra today, "Small steps do help". Values are chosen directions. I would like an organized house, so there are lots of behaviors that I can choose to move in the direction of this value. Trying to be open, defused from my "let's just not make a decision self" and fully engaged to move toward what is important to me.

I have zero credit card debt and was so proud of myself as I had about 7 things that I needed to return. These items have rode around in the car with me most of the summer. Yesterday, I finished returning the last item. I traded a pair of shorts that didn't fit my son, for a new skirt for my daughter. I was so happy to have my recycle/return bag empty.

I have to be "aware" of my decisions that I am making everyday to move toward my values. When I "check out or emotionally avoid" what is important to me, I tend to get stuck again. Weight comes back on in house and on my body. That is why I like Beck and the CBT truths. It is important to pay attention to what appears cognitively to try to derail my efforts. Me-- Noticing what comes up and deciding if those thoughts are workable for me. Do they align with action that will take me toward my desired goals/direction/values. We are certainly complex human beings and it seems simple but is not.

Hi

I can say that I do maintain one half of my double sink clean and clear at all times now. *credit for that*
Also, the work I did on clearing the floor in the living area remains clean and clear. *credit for that*

I do have an overflow of dishes to wash once more.
My workspace is still not working for me.
I still have too many clothes and I still have that large box 1/3 full of donations and have not made any more progress filling it up.

We did tackle the kitty litterpans *credit for that* and their food bowl area is more manageable now too.*credit. *credit.*

I'm reluctant to say "This is it. This is about all I can do." But, for now, that's how I feel. I am either working full steam or at a full stop. It's how it goes for me in the fall/xmas/end of market season. All but my work is at a standstill.

That's my full report.

Oneonone

It looks like your observable truths have several credits by them. Credit you especially for your kitty litter pan area. Progress was made. If your busy season is around the corner, tend to what is most important to you. I have a long list of things that still need to get done, but if I wrote that list out, I don't think I would get out of bed.

Our values are like a diamond, we shift the prism and light may focus on new areas for different reasons in different seasons. I worked hard to prepare my boys for the move for college, I wish someone would show up and help me. Not going to happen, but I can try to move forward each day.

Hugs sent your way.

I

Hello!

onebyone, I, too, saw many credits in your post. It was great to have an update.

Rachel, thanks for a very thought provoking post. I relate on many levels. I value a clean, decluttered and organized home. This is still new for me. I try every day to do something to move forward.

I had plans for yesterday after work. They (mostly) did not happen and I finally connected that "after work" is not the right time for me. I woke up this morning with a better plan.

I had a morning to myself and accomplished a few procrastinated projects, reminded by FL of Anti Procrastination Day on Wednesday.
I:
~found/and completed a way for my AOL email to be free (I'm not too techno)
~ordered parts for my kitchen faucet
~determined that an undersink tray which I have desired to install since 2004, does not, in fact, fit where it was designed for since my sink is very large. I was agitated when I pulled it out because some hinges had gotten rusted but now it's a moot point. I am going to throw away/recycle parts. This was made for my cabinet...it doesn't fit AND it has rusted parts.
WHEW! Those decisions are hard for me.

I accomplished paying some bills, instead of putting them in a pile.

I did FL 15 min declutter, 5 min. shine up and decided I would do the task of the day, tidying up my 2 medicine cabinets.

This is hard work for me, but I notice (like in the medicine cabs) that I won't have to be so rigorous next time since I am decluttering in small bits. credit.

I'm going to try and enjoy a little time off today. It's important for me to acknowledge the baby steps I take and not get into the overwhelmed mode regarding all the things I "haven't done".

Have been lurking on this thread for some time. It's great whenever I need a boost to tidy up!

But feel I shouldn't be here as not familiar with Beck - will check out the book from the library. Soon as I find my library card. It's here . . . somewhere . . .