raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Jul 14, 2012 13:16:43 GMT -5
My new years resolution this last year was to simplify our house, and as I look around I'm realizing that I haven't made any progress.
So what things have you done to simplify your life? Whether its activities, or home storage, or anything else. ;D
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Jul 14, 2012 13:40:08 GMT -5
Lone--I'm due for a big decluttering session. I even think I can get dh on board with it, although we really need some days off together to actually get it done.
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savecents
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Post by savecents on Jul 14, 2012 14:22:34 GMT -5
Automated bill pay/getting my statements online. Less shredding, less things on my schedule that I have to remember.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2012 14:46:49 GMT -5
I quit working for a client who lives in a house that's just too darned big and took way too much time. As a result, I'm not exhausted beyond belief every other Thursday And I think that in March next year I'm going to quit working for five clients who live on the other side of the county. Too far to drive. I'll use the freed-up time to fiddle around in the garden, communing with nature. Or something.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jul 14, 2012 19:01:37 GMT -5
Automated bill pay/getting my statements online. Less shredding, less things on my schedule that I have to remember.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jul 14, 2012 19:02:15 GMT -5
I quit working for a client who lives in a house that's just too darned big and took way too much time. As a result, I'm not exhausted beyond belief every other Thursday And I think that in March next year I'm going to quit working for five clients who live on the other side of the county. Too far to drive. I'll use the freed-up time to fiddle around in the garden, communing with nature. Or something. Good for you, Eleanor.
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seriousthistime
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Post by seriousthistime on Jul 14, 2012 19:23:43 GMT -5
I got a Roomba.
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Jul 14, 2012 19:46:02 GMT -5
In addition to handling as much of my financial stuff online as possible, it's also helped to get sufficient storage options in my house so I was actually motivated to declutter. Simple things like storage ottomans or a bench with storage under the seat to toss magazines or throws. I have a stand by the front door with one small drawer and one large drawer; important documents get tossed in the top drawer and other stuff that I don't need to look at immediately goes in the bottom drawer.
I HATE shopping so I subscribed to the CSA co-op so that I can have fresh local produce, eggs and dairy delivered. The freezer is well stocked, so I haven't had to go shopping at all this summer except for short trips to get animal supplies and toiletries.
I got rid of all of my houseplants. The animals always managed to knock one or more over, and the rest I would eventually kill and feel guilty about.
I got a Roomba-type carpet sweeper. It doesn't replace the need to vacuum, but it at least keeps the dust bunnies sucked up or pushed under the couch until I feel like dealing with them.
I gave up on trying to trying to have a garden. It was a lot of work and I'm just not good at it. I'm also considering either hiring a lawn service next year or reworking the front yard in some way that is lower maintenance.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jul 14, 2012 20:55:14 GMT -5
Perrineals or however you spell them. Perrenials?
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midjd
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Your Money Admin
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Post by midjd on Jul 14, 2012 21:06:10 GMT -5
Direct deposit, online billpay...
Coming up with a spot to keep my keys/purse so I'm not always running around looking for them at the last minute. I try to do a load of laundry/dishes every day so it doesn't always pile up for the weekend.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jul 14, 2012 21:07:46 GMT -5
Yup, the flowers. I hate annuals, they can take their all summer color and shove it. Gardenening sucks.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Jul 14, 2012 21:33:42 GMT -5
We had such a mild winter last year, all our annuals came back. Of course, now the drought has killed them
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simser
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Post by simser on Jul 14, 2012 22:19:00 GMT -5
Got rid of someone who just made things soooo much more complicated. And lots of command hooks- one to hold my phone and badge right by the door, with a hook for my keys underneath. Some more to hold all my remotes by my couch. Etc.
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Jaguar
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Post by Jaguar on Jul 14, 2012 23:18:13 GMT -5
Getting out of debt [July 31].
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2012 23:27:55 GMT -5
I gave away a ton of stuff that i have accumulated over the years. When i no longer use something, i pretty much try to get rid of it. Decluttering and traveling lighter makes me feel so much better. I also have am careful not to allow my kids to get overscheduled. They always want to sign up for everything. I didn't allow the kids to join any leagues that require traveling out of town. They can do that in HS but they don't need to do it when they are 10, I also have decluttered my life. There are some hobbies i have given up because it takes too much time and seems pointless. I have refocused my life on my spouse and family, have let other things go and have really focused on our home, cooking good food, making a better diet. I have also been exercising and make time to do that. I get up early and allow myself some free play internet time, then i set about doing a list of chores and overall the home is running much smoother and happier.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2012 4:46:36 GMT -5
Rae (and anybody else) we have a "decluttering" thread on WIR if you want the inspiration / accountability. I am very good about giving things I don't need / use away. DH, not so much. I made / make the kids go through their clothes / toys / objects every year and give away the things they no longer want or use. I used to store them in the basement waiting for the neighborhood garage sale but now I just give them away to get them out of the house ASAP. I usually do the clothes in the summer and the toys in the fall (before Xmas). I go through my own clothes once a year too. I don't buy storage containers because I feel that if it doesn't fit in closets / drawers / shelves, there's no room for it. By the same token, I refuse to store things under the bed. As a general rule, I didn't let / won't let my kids do more than two regular activities per school year (here activities go for the whole year). I keep only two sets of sheets per bed. Ideally, I try to keep on top of the paperwork. I get behind sometimes but it's all in a nice basket on the desk so nothing ever goes astray. With four kids and a job, I used to run this house a bit like a military academy LOL. As a result the house is pretty clutter-free and well-organized. The basement storage area (mainly DH's and his late parents' stuff) is another story. Most of it is now neatly on shelves but despite years of trying, I can't make him go through the boxes and I won't do it myself. It used to really bug me but I've come to terms with the fact that it allows the rest of the house to stay clutter-free. I do a big basement purge (of my / the kids' stuff) every couple of years in the winter. (The five of us have half the basement shelves, DH has the other half).
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rileyoday
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Post by rileyoday on Jul 15, 2012 8:33:48 GMT -5
I got the idea to reduce our belongings from this site. Recently my wife travelled for ten days. I reduced a lot. She has not asked about anything yet. I did move furniture to throw her off the trail. Im happy.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2012 9:06:27 GMT -5
Nasgurl - Well said!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2012 10:26:02 GMT -5
I got the idea to reduce our belongings from this site. Recently my wife travelled for ten days. I reduced a lot. She has not asked about anything yet. I did move furniture to throw her off the trail. Im happy. I've been getting rid of crap around my house for a while now. I do it in spurts. When I go on one of my binges, I'm amazed that I have so much stuff in this little house. I go by 2 theories, if it stays it must be something I love and/or something that's useful (and actually used). The other thing is I have to have a place for it......... a place for everything and everything in it's place. That part gets especially challenging. I have an attic, but I only store Christmas decorations up there. I have a garage, I can't put much stuff in there or my car won't fit. I also have a shed, it only has lawn equipment in it. I've found I really do feel better when I'm not looking at a lot of stuff around my house. I don't like having to look for items when I need them, and I'm more likely to put things away if I don't have to figure out where I can stuff them. I started sprucing up my wardrobe, then got mixed feelings about it because nice clothes have to be taken care of.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2012 10:31:29 GMT -5
One thing that impressed me was that my kids had NO interest in all the gift shops at Disney! They know that if they buy more stuff, that is more stuff for them to take care of and clean and so forth. So, maybe i am doing something right!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2012 10:34:36 GMT -5
You rock! I bet you are a master with dryer lint! ;D
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drivingaround
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Post by drivingaround on Jul 15, 2012 11:57:56 GMT -5
De-cluttering and organizing! I hated wasting time not being able to find what I needed. On a small table next to the front door go keys, badge, wallet and purse and NOTHING else - no mail, water bottle, pet leash - NOTHING! This ensures it doesn't become junk drop spot.
Meal planning made the weeknights way more manageable. We've never done take-out/fast food routine but still struggled with walking in the door hungry and although plenty of options to choose from still needed to choose. My brain was fried navigating the damn commute! So now keep a fridge list with 3-5 meals and make whatever works depending on time/mood. Also make lunches the night before, right after dinner since we take leftovers, so morning just grab the bag and go. I hated pawing thru the fridge in the AM trying to plan a complete meal (produce, protein, grain) and inevitably would forget something and end up raiding the vending machine.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2012 16:30:26 GMT -5
I am NOT great at meal planning, and I don't much like cooking, although I do plenty of it! I've gotten bad at it lately but for years I was good about cooking double portions and freezing the rest. My kids aren't great about leftovers. When leftover lasagne is sitting in a pan in the fridge, it's leftovers. When some of it is immediately put in the freezer and taken out a week or so later, it's not leftovers, it's lasagne! LOL! I'd do the same for chili. I was much better at it when we had three or four kids at home full time. I've definitely gotten lazier about it now that there are only two. The other thing I try to do in terms of cooking is to buy meat in bulk and freeze it in smaller portions. Bulk being a relative term, of course. I mean on sale from a local supermarket in a six-portion package, I don't mean buying half a cow.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Jul 16, 2012 7:21:54 GMT -5
We hired a cleaning service. No more spending Friday evenings house cleaning - now it's take out and a movie night.
I've been going through closets and discarding. DS is moving out to his own place soon, so I spent part of the weekend going through our kitchen cabinets and removing kitchen items to pack up for DS to take with him. I found a whole hidden stash of coffee cups - mostly the kind that people give you at trade shows - we must have had 60. I picked my 3 favorites, DH picked his, we kept 4 for guests, and packed up the rest for DS. Did the same with our cooking pans/mix bowls.
It's amazing how much useless crap you can accumulate over 28 years of marriage. It feels strangly good to get it out of the house.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jul 16, 2012 8:09:04 GMT -5
Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower cleaner. You'd have to pry it out of my cold dead hands. It makes life so much simpler, all you do is press a button and boom, clean shower.
I just got the Chlorox disposable toilet wand, the one that you don't have to touch anything but the handle. AWESOME. No dirty toilet brush begging for a toddler's attention, no having to touch the toilet or anything that has touched the toilet. Then I use the scrubbing bubbles toilet gel that you stick on the inside of the bowl so it keeps it clean every time you flush
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2012 8:15:11 GMT -5
just "discovered" Lysol/Clorox Wipes. Best... thing.... ever. Cuts my cleaning time in half. Now if someone can please tell my ILs to stop buying crap for DS, that would be fantastic!
If I get this promotion/raise, I am soooo buying a Roomba!
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Jul 16, 2012 11:59:10 GMT -5
I'd like to get 1 roomba for every 4 legged creature in the house. At least it would cut down on me vacuuming every day! It will go on the wishlist.
How does the shower cleaner work with a bath tub (or does it?) In the tub I would worry about a residue that I don't care about on the walls.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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"How you win matters." Ender, Ender's Game
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Jul 16, 2012 20:11:24 GMT -5
Stay away from trends and the latest and greatest. Go with items (clothes, food, tools, etc.) that have a proven track record. Some of the new trends will eventually fizzle out and some will prove themselves useful/effective/classic. Buy them then ONLY if you really need them.
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jeffreymo
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Post by jeffreymo on Jul 17, 2012 8:33:56 GMT -5
House cleaner. Iphone. It has simplified many tasks that I take for granted.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jul 17, 2012 8:45:29 GMT -5
How does the shower cleaner work with a bath tub (or does it?) In the tub I would worry about a residue that I don't care about on the walls.
We hang it on the shower head and then it does it things. The cleaner runs down the walls, down the bathtub and into the drain.
I was concerned about it too but it looks great! We have a 40+ year old bathtub and it looks brand new whenever we use the cleaner on a regular basis.
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