2020 Declutter Stuff & Organize Your Life

[debthaven]

Chiver, it actually fits into the existing open fireplace and makes it much more efficient, because it radiates the heat. (Don't know if you have a fireplace.)

That's a nice bunch of days off! I'm sure you'll get tons done. 

[chiver78]

ah, gotcha. I do not have a fireplace here, and there's no space to put one in. I'm thinking that I could put a freestanding unit under the built-in spot for the tv downstairs. I'm just not sure if it can be placed on carpeting, because that side of the room is carpeted. idk, need to research more. 

[wvugurl26]

I think my aunt had one on carpet before chiver. I'm struggling to remember and she's got a new house.

[debthaven]

I'm sure they could put a few tiles/a piece of slate on top of the carpet Chiver.

[TheOtherMe]

Dec 4, 2020 8:14:07 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Chiver, it actually fits into the existing open fireplace and makes it much more efficient, because it radiates the heat. (Don't know if you have a fireplace.)

That's a nice bunch of days off! I'm sure you'll get tons done. 

I put one in at a house I owned in the 80's.  The mail living area was a garden level room and stayed very cold during the winter.  The cool was great in the summer since the house had no a/c.

It kept that room warm and some of the warm air made it's way to the kitchen.  House was a split level.

[debthaven]

Thanks TheO! It makes me happy to hear that!   

The cool was great in the summer since the house had no a/c. Same here ...

[chiver78]

thanks, all! and yes, the cool was really nice when we first got here. looking forward to having that space for the pups to stay cool, while I can just open the windows next summer. I really hate A/C. 

[Iggy aka IG]

debthaven, congratulations on the upcoming new fireplace!  We have a propane gas fireplace and it is the best.  The ambiance and tranquility it provides is second to none.  It's perfect for morning weekend coffee, and relaxing after work.  I turned ours on as recently as last night, as it was 22 degrees outside when I got home.  Ours has a fan, which helps blow the heat into the LR. 

[debthaven]

www.raisstoves.com/stoves/rais-60-insert-wood-fireplace/

This doesn't look anything like our fireplace, but it gives you the idea. I've done a lot of research on this. Apparently you get 15% of the heat from an open fireplace. They say an insert gives 80%. Even if those figures are exaggerated, it should still make a HUGE difference! Now that I'm WFH all the time, I'm always freezing. We're supposed to go back to school in early Feb, but who knows?!

[finnime]

My youngest DB has heated his house exclusively with a wood-burning stove for a lot of years now. He lives in northern Massachusetts. He goes through a huge stack of wood each year but his home is always toasty when he wants it to be.

[startsmart]

I am losing my daily fight for productivity and I don’t know if I’m just exhausted or sick or it’s the cold. Today I managed to tidy up a dozen things in between calls but I still have 2 days of dishes to wash.

I brought in 3 boxes with pictures and mirrors and now I need to figure out where the extra mirrors will go for now.

Sheets arrived from target and I’ll get those on the bed this weekend.

All the tables I have are set up in my indoor green room and the grow light arrived today. Lots still needs to move upstairs over the next week as I get the first floor cleaned up again.

[debthaven]

Start, you are doing SO MUCH!!! It seems like you are fixing up that huge house all on your own, as well as working.

Maybe it's time to get a dishwasher? Or have you already already bought one and you're waiting for it? (Sorry I'm not sure.)

[startsmart]

Hey debthaven! I actually removed the dishwasher that came with the house (it wasn’t hooked up) and don’t plan on replacing it. Hand washing is fine if I stay on top of it. “If” being the key word lol

I am doing most of the house stuff myself, it may be a few months before I can move forward on the plumbing and electrical changes I need upstairs so I am impatiently working on everything else. Sanding pads came today so I can work on the wood floors upstairs.

I got more than half the dishes done and have been trying to clear the drain pipe on one side of the sink. It has a busted disposal and clogs up easily. I am SO tempted to get my tools and learn plumbing to take it out this weekend.

On the good side of things by moving 2 boxes into the house I was able to set up the storage shelf I bought for $11 and start deciding what will go in there. The boxes from the Harry and David gift set were super sturdy and fit there for now.

[TheOtherMe]

My poinsettia and Christmas flowers were delivered today.  They are beautiful and the flowers will be gone when they die.  I'm hoping to keep the poinsettia alive for a bit.

[debthaven]

Startsmart I grew up without a dishwasher, but I wouldn't be willing to give it up now lol. 

This weekend
- mark 19 final essays (Class A)/Sat 
- calculate/input grammar and vocab marks/Sat
- mark 12 final essays (Class B)/Sun

Very happy with today's progress! Should finish tomorrow morning. 

Ran and emptied dishwasher. DH went to the bottle bank. 

ETA: Can't shake this "marking headache". 

[nidena]

I got some laundry done and broke down all the boxes that were piling up in the living room--lots of Chewy and Imperfect Foods shipments the past couple weeks.  Swept the kitchen the floor and cleaned off the table in the dining room.

[TheOtherMe]

I still have Chewy boxes to break down from Lucy.  The birthday box I had bought for her is still sitting on my kitchen island.  There are just some things I can't do yet and because it's just me, I don't have to.

I have done a load of laundry.  

[debthaven]

OMG I am so freaking excited!!! I asked DS1 for DDIL's Christmas list. The usual very modest items, with one big-ticket item ... a Le Creuset dutch oven. (She's an AMAZING cook!) We wanted to get it for her but even on sale, it was too expensive.

Long story short, I got a generous gift voucher from Job 1. Went to choose something from their website and and lo and behold, they had a sale on Le Creuset! With my gift voucher, it came to exactly what we are spending on each kid. DH said, but that's YOUR bonus! I said, I know, and I can't think of a better way to spend it!!!

 

[bean29]

My neighbor called yesterday and asked if they could borrow DH’s truck to take a sofa to the . DH said he would take it. DH worked this am, and one of his customers asked if the sofa was good enough to sleep on, could he bring it to a family that lost everything in a fire. DH said it was in Very good condition, so he took it to the south side of MKE and gave it to his customer’s relative. He figured they could have gotten $80 for it. They offered him $20 for gas, he turned them down.

[debthaven]

That's so kind of your DH Bean. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 4, 2020 7:27:07 GMT -5 debthaven said:

We just signed to declutter a lot of money. Our house is always freezing in winter. The LR has a cathedral ceiling, and a lot of single-glazed French doors. It would cost about 18K euros to replace the doors with double glazing, which is just unaffordable. 

So instead we are getting a wood-burning fireplace insert! We signed the contract this morning. It should be installed in mid-January. It would have been nice to have it before Christmas, but hey. We are very excited! We went with the company recommended by the place we buy our firewood. It should make a HUGE difference!

Does anyone here have any experience with them? We have friends who got one two years ago, they love it (they're also in a very old house.)

Christmas Gifts
DH
DS1/DDIL/E
DS2/P
DD/M
DS3/A

I just ordered another 3 gifts online. I'll need something else for DS2+P, but it's a good start. 

Is  it for gas, pellets, or logs? I have had one woodstove insert as a child, one as an adult, and two fire places as an adult. We currently have a free-standing wood stove All were log-based though.


Okay, I see the link you posted now. What is the flooring surrounding the fire place?

[Sharon]

Today I defrosted the freezer.  I had been putting that job off for way too long.  The Christmas tree is also up but doesn't have any ornaments on it yet.  I went fake for the tree last year because it was just getting to be too much to try and get a live tree, get it home and set up into a stand by myself. 

This weekend I have a 4 legged house guest.  DD and the family went to the town where they will be moving at some point so the dog is staying with me, or as my coworker says - my grand-dogger.  DD said the last time they were there they looked at all the farm fields etc but she said I didn't see where to buy groceries and where to buy gas and where is the doctors office.  They will be home sometime tomorrow, after they finish helping to sheer some sheep. I won't change the bed until tomorrow because my house guest likes to sleep with me. 

[saveinla]

I started cleaning out my fridge too. I threw away a couple old packages - cooked up some mushrooms, a cauliflower and some greens. I still have a couple more vegetables. I may cook them tomorrow or day after. I also used up and threw away a couple of spice bottles that were lingering for a while now.  I am planning to cook a few things tomorrow, so I will have stuff for the week. The next 2 weeks are going to be crazy at work, since we are closed for 2 weeks (last day is Dec 18th and going back on Jan 4th) this year for the holiday break.

I also went shopping for a few things and flowers today before the official lock down starts tonight. Wrong day to be in the store - since it was packed. I have not see so many people in one place since March .

[nidena]

It appears that I've decluttered Christmas gifts right off the list this year.  Last year, I was in Iowa and bought presents for the (now former) BFF--Pioneer Woman cooksbook four pack from Costco, her husband--lounge pants and slippers, her DD1--a heated blanket from Costco, DS--a music book and shave kit, DD2--a weighted blanket.  Then I flew to my parents house and got presents for my parents, my bro and SIL and their DD1, and my bro's first kids.  All told, I spent between $500-$1000.  I'm not sad that I'm not spending that this year.

I do need to go get cards and small-$-amount gift cards for my family.  Don't have to get anything for anyone in Iowa this year.  lol

I look around my office and really wish I could unpack these boxes and put things away but that's not gonna happen for a few more months.
1) New carpet in the office
2) Murphy bed office system
3) THEN I can put stuff away.

[debthaven]

Knee Deep in Water Chloe it's a traditional stone/brick fireplace, it's not built in the wall like in that photo. The LR/DR floor is terra cotta tile. The insert, like the fireplace, uses logs.  Were you happy with your insert?

This weekend
- mark 19 final essays (Class A)/Sat
- calculate/input grammar and vocab marks/Sat
- mark 12 final essays (Class B)/Sun 

I'm only working 2.5 days this week. I get 35 final reports on Wed. Happily the computer is marking my 47 first-year finals at Job 2, not me! 

This week
- dentist/Mon
- Ikea?

[bean29]

Dec 5, 2020 17:29:49 GMT -5 debthaven said:

That's so kind of your DH Bean. 

Yeah, my husband hates throwing perfectly good stuff away. Two years ago our other neighbors gave him a nice futon & some bedding for our tenant.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

The shelving we ordered for the garage (because we remodeled the garage) arrived this week. DH installed it on Friday. I can finally move the last of the stuff stored in DD#1's room back out to the garage. She'll be home this coming weekend, and she will not appreciate the golf clubs sitting in there.

I have my three final projects due this week for my college classes, so that will take most of my time.  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

debthaven, yes, both wood stove inserts worked well. I would get another one if need be in a future house. 
The only caveat is finding and storing "good" wood. Do you have a plan for that? Both this house and the previous house had ample space for woodsheds. 

[debthaven]

Chloe we already have a covered woodpile behind the house. 

[wvugurl26]

ADD brain struck yesterday. I found a half unloaded dishwasher this morning. I unloaded and reloaded the bottom. Forgot to unload the top rack. I have zero recollection of stopping.