Another week, another opportunity to reach a goal or two towards creating an ideal environment which nurtures you. All projects, no matter their scale, welcome here. Who's with me this week?

I thought I'd get the thread started. I hope everyone is doing well.

My house is still in semblance of order. Well, at least the living room and kitchen. The other two rooms are in desperate need of help.

I've still got some dishes to do.
The plan this week is to tackle the bedroom.
Try on clothes, get rid of the ones that are too big.
Dump everything out of dresser and re-order.
Maintain a decluttered living room and kitchen.

What are your plans for the week?

I was going to list the things I plan to get done today in the other thread for accountability as much as anything, but decided that is not the place to write it.

Slowly I am figuring out how to manage cleaning the house. Sounds silly I know, but most of the time I have relied on somebody coming in every week or every other week. I worked until 4 years ago, so I kind of felt like I deserved it. However, now that Maria is doing something else I really want to do it myself. It will be a big savings and honestly I have more than enough time.

I still haven't got a system down and I spend more time one day and not much another. Yesterday I cleaned the hardwood floors and washed the baseboards in the main part of the house (all but the bedrooms). I also cleaned the carpet vacuum. Took it apart and cleaned the part where the dirt goes. It was kind of dusty smelling when I vacuumed, but should be good now.

Today I will vacuum the bedrooms and area rugs and dust every room. I will also get the filing finished in the office and clean the surfaces in that room. Other than that a little grocery shopping and a Costco run for just a few things.

I'll let you know how I do.

Hey karenrn No need to be embarrassed here, or feel silly about what you share. This is a very non-judgmental place... a safe place. I found that out -- some who have posted are very honest re their situation, which made me feel very accepted because I have a mess. BUT -- I'm getting better! And that's the point. Sharing takes some of the power away from the mess ... at least it seems that way!

GREAT PROGRESS karenrn Keep up the hard work!

So, I still can see my living room floor and couch!! Amazing, it's been a week. I have a few dishes that need to be finished up. I look forward to the day that I just do them once I'm done eating, and then they'd be all done!! It only takes minutes then! Oh well... I did start going thru some papers by default because I needed to find a specific paper. I didn't find it, but the good news is, I filed the piles I made rather than throwing them back in the box to go thru again another time. Of course, I also threw some away - which is ALWAYS a great feeling. LESS really is MORE!

I didn't get in the bedroom and work with the clothes, as I'd hoped, and tomorrow I'm going to an event. But, I've blocked off time on my schedule for next week to be home and GET THINGS DONE!! Hopefully it will warm up a bit that always makes me more energized when I can open the windows.

So --- tonight I WILL finish up the dishes!!

to everyone on their goals!

QUESTION: Hey onebyone and nationalparker ... you seem to be folks that have been on this "declutter" thread for awhile. I was wondering would it be easier to make this a "monthly" thread vs a "weekly" thread? I'm sure there is a reason and thought behind why it is weekly - and I thought you two would know. Thanks

Beloved Warrior, onebyone started the thread way back and we thought that a weekly thread would make us 'just do it'. And it would be done. And sometimes it is! With a monthly thread, well, sometimes one just loses the thread!

Work etc is wall-to-wall here so precious little decluttering going on. Three achievements.

1. You'll be pleased to hear (esp onebyone as this is one of your special subjects, I think) that I have cut up a huge cardboard box that the SO's bike came in. I'm going to use it as mulch in the garden.

2. Also would like to report that the work I did in the garden room some weeks/months ago (for the painting that still hasn't happened) is paying off very nicely for work I'm doing raising plants for the garden. No greenhouse, unlike Debbie (and I'm envious)!

3. Have taken all the recycling etc in the back of the car to the tip. Have also ordered special new recycling cart from the council (this was about three weeks ago - no sign yet). Long story about why we weren't given anything the first time round.

And

Sorry to report that I was not the person who washed the floors the other week despite your applause and encouragement. It's obviously a block. Thank you for cheering me on. It's in my memory, though, for my next attempt.

Good luck, all!

Crazy week yet I was determined to keep up with my 3 daily's: laundry, dishes and 10 min of decluttering. Nothing exciting but I did it.

I thought things through because I had this unplanned rental project and DH returns home from his trip late Wednesday evening. I work Sun-Tues and did not want to have Wednesday be a crazy overwhelmed day for me.

I made a pledge to not start any new "projects" this week and instead focus back to 95% decluttered. I do believe that at this point 95% of my "stuff" has a place and the other 5% just floats around. LOL. I hit the office first because it's the hardest to deal with. Much of the clutter has a task attached. It's in pretty good shape-better than in weeks.

I've done some cleaning, too. Most procrastinated was carpet cleaner in pet/laundry room. I just did it and timed it. 10 minutes in my life I have procrastinated for a month. I see the difference every time I walk in.

I'm going to take it easy today. Just put things away. I'll take on a cleaning project every morning before work and might have nothing to do come Wednesday. (What a thought0

BelovedWarrier, I first got to Beck through onebyones thread. I later moved to BDS. It's a great fit for me and I recognize how much my environment affects my food choices. I have pushed through many painful times getting rid of carloads of "stuff". In the process I made a personal commitment not to keep hauling in "new". It has made such a difference in my life yet I still have to push myself not to go back to old ways. My mom was not organized and tended to keep everything so I have had to learn it all from others. Grateful to have taken it on. I used to post more regularly even though our threads were 4 per year; one for each season. I'm a firm believer in 15-20 minutes a day NO CHOICE. It adds up and I always try to make it fun. I enjoy finding new and better ways to do things.

Lexxiss thank you for sharing -- here is my process of thought while I read your post -- (kinda funny)!

Lexxiss -hmm I wonder if her name is Alexis (my sis is Alexis and goes by Lex)

"3 daily's: laundry, dishes and 10 min of decluttering" -- I should do that!

"other 5% just floats around: ha ha ha ... yup!

"10 minutes in my life I have procrastinated for a month." I KNOW! I remember when I timed taking the laundry from the dryer, fold it, put it away!! 4 minutes ... only 4 minutes!! Change sheets and make the bed -- again, 4 minutes! Why do I put it off? Wash dishes after supper --- 4 minutes!

"I see the difference every time I walk in." Yeah ... and it FEELS SOOOOO GOOD!!

"commitment not to keep hauling in "new"." I was pleased with my self - I purchased a new stock pot online. The old one I have is from the 70's (yup, that's not a typo). It's one of those orange ones. But, really the coating is coming off (ya think!) and I should get a "safer" one. So, the new one was delivered yesterday. I opened the box, and put the old one right in the same box and it's in the car to ship to Africa. I did think I should just throw it away, but maybe they can use it for something... (thoughts??) I'm hoping to go thru clothes and eliminate those that are too big. BECAUSE I NEVER WILL BE THAT BIG AGAIN!! (declaration ... not even with a wimpy "I hope" behind it! It is FINAL!)

"firm believer in 15-20 minutes a day NO CHOICE. It adds up and I always try to make it fun. I enjoy finding new and better ways to do things." I WILL make this a part of my day!! NO CHOICE!!

Thank you for your inspiration and for sharing!

silverbirch great beginning on the garden and mulching. It's a great feeling to be a part of beauty and life. I'm trying to figure what color I want in front this year (flowers). Thank you for the explanation -- I thought it might be something like that. Kind of like when you put a "motivational note" on the frig -- after awhile it's WHAT NOTE??

ENJOY the day, chickadees!
-Gail

I'm just going to report that yesterday I did vacuum the carpets once the vacuum parts had dried and I also did filing and flinging from the office. I have the back seat of my car filled with some items for the Goodwill. I did not dust and will do that today along with changing the sheets.

I think the thing I miss most a about doing the housework myself is that I just don't feel like doing the whole house at once so I don't have a time I can say, "Oh the house looks great, it's all done!" We are very neat and do the dishes after each meal, make the bed, etc. But I know not everything is done I am seeing things each day though and doing some of them, like cleaning and organizing the Tupperware drawer, cleaning the silverware tray, etc. In time I think I'll get the house cleaner, but it may not be all done at one time. I just need to get over it.

Karen, I relate to missing out on that feeling that everything is done and how nice it looks. Doing things myself there is rarely a time when everything is done but it's far better than the time when nothing was done. LOL

BelovedWarrior, thanks for your comments! Lexxiss, picture below, was my most beloved rescue dog I brought down from Alaska. Born to a purebred Australian Shepherd with a golden retriever dad, she was left to wither under a barn, barely a year old. I brought her home and she was the most incredible dog. Lexus was her given name which she answered to. I changed the spelling since her first owners didn't give her much other than that name. I lost her to cancer the first year I joined 3FC and have always kept the username. *smile* my name is Debbie. Feel free to call me either. I love rescue. It takes a while for a neglected pup to figure out the change of events seems to be permanent. Once that gets figured out, every day is a joy for all parties involved. LOL

Thanks for starting this off this week! I want to join in but honestly it is mainly going to be trying to keep my head above water in May. I got several loads of laundry done (for two people, we have a smallish washer so two days of DH's work clothes - jeans, tshirt, longsleeve shirt, socks, fill it up. Plus pjs, my clothes, etc., so there is always something agitating it seems.

Like you, Karen, I am not seeing our house ALL cleaned at once here lately. If we have DH's folks over next weekend for Mother's Day, I don't even know if it will be then. I'm debating - i need to get in a full work day on Sunday, so either we clean crazily then or we go there and are on the road for three hours and I think I'd rather end up with a clean house instead of just the drive to show for those three hours

Debbie - I don't know WHY I always call you Lexxiss even though I KNOW you're Debbie! Keep the memory alive, I guess. I still miss each of my pets that has passed with such a passion.

I want to come up with my plan for this week tomorrow morning - what to do when, so I can set the goals.

So I have 5 50 pound bags of soil sitting out in one car. I have a large bag of woodchips in a second car. I have three very heavy boxes which my husband's daughter brought here last night for storage. They are sitting in the living room. I was tempted to see if the neighbor boy could help but he's hard to find on a Sunday. I think I will use the same strategy or use with everything else. One small step move me forward. I will move at least one box to the basement before my dinner and if I feel like moving more I will.

This week's goals:
- Goodwill dropoff that I never did last week
- Keep kitchen clean each evening
- get mulch for front garden
- actually get the mulch spread in garden on top of some barrier (I hate using that bc it's a pain but need it here)
- Continue weeding on side garden (runs full length of house) ... even if a foot a day. (One small step - i like it. A foot/day will get me to the end before I leave for my event.)

WOW! Where’d the week go? I just realized it’s Sunday – so it’s the end of this thread… WHOOSH!

Karen: great job with carpet and papers. I love your saying “filing & flinging.” I’m gonna steal that one! Little by little … and it all looks better. Thanks for sharing ….

Debbie: Oh I’m sorry to hear about your loss, even though it was some time ago. What a beautiful puppers! I love the eyes! Have you since rescued another dog? I was going to call you “either” but it didn’t seem to fit with the seriousness of the post… YIKES! sounds like you’ll be hauling dirt for awhile!

nationalparker: It sounds like May is an extra busy month for you. I hope you can get things straighten up enough for DH’s fam. Trade 3 hours for driving for 3 hours of cleaning. See you in the next week’s thread! on this week’s goals!

Well, I didn’t get much accomplished this week. At least I don’t remember or think I did – which, most likely, means I didn’t. I have tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday at home … so, as long as I don’t fill the time up, I should be able to go through the clothes in the bedroom – purge/keep, and organize the dresser and closet. Keep kitchen and living room clean so that if someone dropped by I’d be comfortable. Maybe purchase the flowers for the front of house.