2021 Declutter Stuff & Organize Your Life

[laterbloomer]

Oct 15, 2021 14:02:20 GMT -5 azucena said:

Just ran across this quote from NPR life kit - it comes to my email so I'm not sure how to find it on their website.

    Practice strategic underachievement: This one might be a harder pill for perfectionists to swallow, but a great tool for your toolbox nonetheless! Burkeman suggests deciding on a cyclical basis to “choose what to fail at” — maybe that means not keeping a squeaky clean home for six months or doing the minimum amount of exercise — so you can focus on the most important things to you. “Instead of constantly feeling bad about yourself when you fail to do an impossible amount,” says Burkeman, giving yourself some conscious grace and room for other things in your life “is a lot more pleasant because [...] you don't have to then keep beating yourself up for not doing something humans can’t do.”

I love reading stuff like this. It's what I do naturally and this makes it sound like I'm doing a great thing.

[toomuchreality]

Oct 15, 2021 11:22:55 GMT -5 startsmart said:

Quick Update before the weekend! 

I had a productive birthday yesterday including picking up new plants that I now need to pot and groceries so I can meal prep this weekend (thai chicken curry and shepard's pie). I just spent an hour in the backyard cleaning up, it was getting really messy out there and time to put things away for winter. The pool stuff is now stored but I still need to empty the pool, clean it well and then put down the sand base and rocks around the edge. Then figure out how to best store it for winter so it doesn't refill with snow or get damaged. 

I picked up some wood yesterday too so I can build out shelves in a small closet for games and puzzles, hoping that will be an easy project I can finish today. Then I can get back to the ongoing projects of my purple quilt and preparing my master closet for new shelves. 

Oh, and one of my kitchen cabinets is literally falling off the wall so I need to get it taken down before it falls down. 

((hugs)) to everyone going through rough work, moving or personal stuff. We are so lucky to have you here and are here when you need us. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY- late!
I LOVE Shepherd's pie! Yum! It's one of my favorites!

[TheOtherMe]

The garage door opener isn't where I thought it might be.  So much for safe spots.  Looks like I drive to my sister's house to pick up my extra garage door opener this afternoon.

[seriousthistime]

Oct 15, 2021 20:38:14 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

Oct 15, 2021 14:02:20 GMT -5 azucena said:

Just ran across this quote from NPR life kit - it comes to my email so I'm not sure how to find it on their website.

    Practice strategic underachievement: This one might be a harder pill for perfectionists to swallow, but a great tool for your toolbox nonetheless! Burkeman suggests deciding on a cyclical basis to “choose what to fail at” — maybe that means not keeping a squeaky clean home for six months or doing the minimum amount of exercise — so you can focus on the most important things to you. “Instead of constantly feeling bad about yourself when you fail to do an impossible amount,” says Burkeman, giving yourself some conscious grace and room for other things in your life “is a lot more pleasant because [...] you don't have to then keep beating yourself up for not doing something humans can’t do.”

I love reading stuff like this. It's what I do naturally and this makes it sound like I'm doing a great thing.

You can sign up for emails here:  www.npr.org/newsletter/life-kit

[debthaven]

Yes very happy belated birthday startsmart ! 

The spa refunded me for one of the massages with no problem. 

Welcome back TheOtherMe ! I'm sure you'll find the garage opener as soon as you pick up the other one. 

This weekend
- pre-op doc appt/Fri
- call about pre-op PCR/Fri
- work out Job 2 oral marks/Fri
- get Spa refund/Sat
- Zoom rehearsal/Sat
- mark 13 speeches/Sat 
- rehearsal/Sun

[startsmart]

Not as productive as yesterday but still getting lots done! I went to my PO box this morning to pick up a package, then to get a few more things at the grocery store I'd forgotten. At home I finally planted 6 shrubs in my front yard and chose a good time because the ground was dry but soft after the rain last week. I also started digging up the bricks lining the pathway that were totally buried and wonky. Those will go to the backyard and I'll use the space near the walkway to plant daffodil bulbs for spring. 

The indoor plants are just about done being potted, I have one more that I need to move because the pot needs repairing and then that will be done. 

I also got the wonky kitchen cabinet taken out (it was on the end) because it had been so poorly installed it was separating from the wall and the front frame from the box. That's going out in the trash but I've saved the hardware and shelves to reuse. 

Started painting the closet but need to add floetrol to the can because it is rather thick and I can't roll it on until it thins a bit. 

[TheOtherMe]

Sister brought the garage door opener she had over.  We both figure I will now find the other one because it has to be in the car somewhere.  

I'm happy the spa refunded you. 

After a shower, I am going to back up my computer.  It has been way too long since I've done this.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Oct 15, 2021 14:02:20 GMT -5 azucena said:

Just ran across this quote from NPR life kit - it comes to my email so I'm not sure how to find it on their website.

    Practice strategic underachievement: This one might be a harder pill for perfectionists to swallow, but a great tool for your toolbox nonetheless! Burkeman suggests deciding on a cyclical basis to “choose what to fail at” — maybe that means not keeping a squeaky clean home for six months or doing the minimum amount of exercise — so you can focus on the most important things to you. “Instead of constantly feeling bad about yourself when you fail to do an impossible amount,” says Burkeman, giving yourself some conscious grace and room for other things in your life “is a lot more pleasant because [...] you don't have to then keep beating yourself up for not doing something humans can’t do.”

This concept will take me a while to even process. 

I do appreciate you putting it out there/here though. 
I am giving myself permission to read a book today. 
In my head, that's failing because I *should* be doing something productive. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Oct 16, 2021 8:52:33 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

The garage door opener isn't where I thought it might be.  So much for safe spots.  Looks like I drive to my sister's house to pick up my extra garage door opener this afternoon.

Can you open it from the inside? I don't often appreciate that ours is just a barn door type garage door, but we cannot lose the opener!  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

For this weekend
three homework assignments, 
a list of work tasks that is overhwelming, so I'll probably pick three or four to tackle this weekend, 
grooming Bill the Dog
cleaning toilets
cleaning bathroom cupboards
setting up Halloween decorations
Sort & File the Pile
weekly account management
fertilize potted plants
consider how to do Christmas cards

[startsmart]

Succulents are all repotted and I have a bunch that I’m attempting to grow new roots.

I also tidied the upstairs bedroom I use as a greenhouse and have some more seed trays to put away before that’s ready for late winter.

I sorted all my sheets into two giant tubs by size which is a temporary measure until I get my closet system installed. Flannel sheets on the bed today and I started to bring down the heaters from upstairs.

The dog bed blankets need washing but I don’t feel like hanging out at the laundry mat today so they’re all going in the car for tomorrow.

[TheOtherMe]

Oct 16, 2021 14:23:43 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Oct 16, 2021 8:52:33 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

The garage door opener isn't where I thought it might be.  So much for safe spots.  Looks like I drive to my sister's house to pick up my extra garage door opener this afternoon.

Can you open it from the inside? I don't often appreciate that ours is just a barn door type garage door, but we cannot lose the opener!  

When I got home and realized I didn't know where it was, I had to unlock the walk in garage door and use the opener right outside my the door to the inside of my house.

Problem is solved as sister brought it over and I will now find the other one.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Oct 16, 2021 14:26:46 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

For this weekend
three homework assignments, 
a list of work tasks that is overhwelming, so I'll probably pick three or four to tackle this weekend, 
Started: grooming Bill the Dog
cleaning toilets
cleaning bathroom cupboards
setting up Halloween decorations
Sort & File the Pile
Started: weekly account management
fertilize potted plants
consider how to do Christmas cards

Going in to Sunday morning

[debthaven]

Rehearsal today from 1-6 pm. Rehearsal tomorrow evening and Thursday evening. Another hellish week of going in 4 days.  

How crazy is it that I'm sort of looking forward to surgery on Friday?! I'm only taking the following Monday off, but I'll be on a reduced schedule for 2 weeks, and online the first week. 

The good news is, I'm finally learning my lines! 

I feel like all I do these days is wish my life away. 

This week
- pharmacy
- pre-op PCR/Thurs

One day
- Shitepile
- DH Quickbooks

[toomuchreality]

Oct 17, 2021 11:48:35 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Rehearsal today from 1-6 pm. Rehearsal tomorrow evening and Thursday evening. Another hellish week of going in 4 days.  

How crazy is it that I'm sort of looking forward to surgery on Friday?! I'm only taking the following Monday off, but I'll be on a reduced schedule for 2 weeks, and online the first week. 

The good news is, I'm finally learning my lines! 

I feel like all I do these days is wish my life away. 

This week
- pharmacy
- pre-op PCR/Thurs

One day
- Shitepile
- DH Quickbooks

You're not wishing your life away, you're wishing stuff done. There's a difference. 🙂

[debthaven]

Knee Deep in Water Chloe you two both have SO MUCH ON YOUR PLATES!!! Even if you're planning to move, can't you PLEASE take your cleaner for another hour or 2 when she comes?! (I can't remember if she comes every week or every other week.)

Thank you toomuchreality . 

[startsmart]

Feeling sore from all the work the last 2 days but still moving on with my list. I planted 65 daffodil bulbs this afternoon and that’s maybe half of what I have. Still digging for the tulip bulbs which go in next.

Upstairs I emptied out a small closet and I think I’ll use it to store my boxes for computers, heaters and anything I need to keep. The moving boxes are slowly migrating upstairs to a storage bedroom so they’re out of the way.

I am not going to make it to the laundry mat today but will find a few hours this week to get the blankets and sheets done. Gearing up to paint later tonight since that room is well lit and I can do that after dark. Organizing upstairs is a lot harder with so few working lights right now. But it’s in the 70s and perfect fall weather for getting a lot done.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Oct 16, 2021 14:26:46 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

For this weekend
three homework assignments, 
a list of work tasks that is overhwelming, so I'll probably pick three or four to tackle this weekend, 
Started+did more grooming Bill the Dog
cleaning toilets
cleaning bathroom cupboards
Started setting up Halloween decorations
Sort & File the Pile
weekly account management
fertilize potted plants
Started consider how to do Christmas cards

Mid-day check-in

also did a face mask and read my book for a while. 

[startsmart]

100% of the daffodils are in! 155 total along the front yard pathway. I also was able to get a lot of dirt off the pathway and will need to string trim to clear it all.

Dug about a 10’ narrow trench for the tulip bulbs and will get those in the ground this week. Thankfully it’ll be in the 70s all week and no rain.

Upstairs really got a lot done this weekend - the greenhouse room is ready for seedlings. I just need to restock dirt in a few months. All my the boxes I need to save fit into the small closet and that is so much tidier. I am continuing to move the moving boxes upstairs - 3 more trips at least there.

I have just about filled up my trash cans for the week and still need to take out the kitchen cabinet that had to come down. The back yard looks SO GOOD all cleaned up.

[toomuchreality]

Oct 17, 2021 20:12:26 GMT -5 startsmart said:

100% of the daffodils are in! 155 total along the front yard pathway. I also was able to get a lot of dirt off the pathway and will need to string trim to clear it all.

Dug about a 10’ narrow trench for the tulip bulbs and will get those in the ground this week. Thankfully it’ll be in the 70s all week and no rain.

Upstairs really got a lot done this weekend - the greenhouse room is ready for seedlings. I just need to restock dirt in a few months. All my the boxes I need to save fit into the small closet and that is so much tidier. I am continuing to move the moving boxes upstairs - 3 more trips at least there.

I have just about filled up my trash cans for the week and still need to take out the kitchen cabinet that had to come down. The back yard looks SO GOOD all cleaned up.

Yay!

[stillmovingforward]

I got my little spare room cleaned up today. Then cleaned my room really well as my allergies have been acting up (still have a couple of boxes under the bed though. Don't tell CG2 🤫). A few items were moved to the spare room, like suitcases and such. All items for the thrift store are in a pile in the living room. I'll put them in DH's truck this week and he can run do them off for me.
I'm impressed with how much I got done! I haven't been able to work that much in a long time!

[toomuchreality]

Oct 17, 2021 23:43:18 GMT -5 stillmovingforward said:

I got my little spare room cleaned up today. Then cleaned my room really well as my allergies have been acting up (still have a couple of boxes under the bed though. Don't tell CG2 🤫). A few items were moved to the spare room, like suitcases and such. All items for the thrift store are in a pile in the living room. I'll put them in DH's truck this week and he can run do them off for me.
I'm impressed with how much I got done! I haven't been able to work that much in a long time!

That's awesome. Good for you!

[debthaven]

Fabulous progress startsmart and stillmovingforward ! 

[finnime]

In fits and starts we are making progress toward eliminating clutter. This is part of the plan to prepare for house sale and move, which goal seems unreachable at times. I have instituted a practice of discarding one large thing every week. Today it was a metal rotating display rack meant to hold cards. It was gone from the curb minutes after I put it out. Didn't even have time to schedule bulk scrap metal pick up.

Today I am getting rid of an oven/stove, to be replaced this morning with a new range. The old one got stuck in a half-locked door position when I tried to start the self-clean cycle. Ah, well. I did get a lot of use out of it over the past 13 years.

We're still waiting to close on a HELOC so we can do some major painting and a number of repairs. When those are done, including hauling away the old hot tub, then I'll feel more in control of the selling process. Right now it is still overwhelming even to plan.

[plugginaway22]

Finnime, our 18 year old hot tub, which we used a lot, was taken away by a junk man this past Spring and he charged only $300. He actually had to saw it into 4 pieces to get it out of our fenced back yard, but it was wonderful to gain that space back beside our deck/garden!

[TheOtherMe]

Today's plan is to go through all of the non-important mail that accumulated while I was gone.  

I went through what looked like important stuff the day after I got home.  The letter from Social Security was the best letter in the mail.

[debthaven]

My last class (an admin class) was cancelled today, so I got home 1.5h earlier than usual! She's working from home so she wanted to do the class on Zoom. We postponed till Thursday afternoon when I'm at home on Zoom anyway.

So now I'm catching up on laundry ... in my pjs!

[Iggy aka IG]

I've returned from 5 days off, and need to catch up on a few pages.  Checking in to say hi.  

[anciana]

So, instead of continuing with the room that I started earlier, last weekend I had DH's help, so we took a look at the garage that's been a bit of a dumping ground.

I want to clear the space for an additional car but need to figure out what to do with some of the big stuff we store there. We managed to get rid of a lot of the stuff by giving it away (there's still more) and just junk that went to trash. There is nothing we can do with the lawn mower, and table and chairs that get stored there over the winter. DH wants to buy a shed to put in the back yard, which would require a place to be cleared for it, and rock brought in, and leveling that needs to happen.

I am not sure if that's all doable before the winter with how busy (and tired) he's been. So, I want to try and figure something out, if I can, to make it happen even without the shed. That's something to work on this weekend, even just hatching a plan in my mind. And the usual household chores. And maybe the original room 

[debthaven]

Sounds like great progress anciana !