2021 Declutter Stuff & Organize Your Life

[azucena]

Dec 14, 2021 10:51:38 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Dec 14, 2021 7:41:58 GMT -5 azucena said:

Theo - we all knew you were working hard, but the photos show just how hard.  Walking into those rooms must feel great now!

I only went in those rooms to add more Stuff.  Now I go in happily.  I really want mom's sewing machine gone.  It's too heavy for me to get out of there, but it has to go.

Of course, now the cats sit outside both rooms and ask to be let in.  

Is your sister going to want it back?  If no, call the local high school or community college and see if they have a student who wants it.

[startsmart]

I was up early today for coffee and work at the local shop. I am working on my business and may be taking on a new role at an existing company which is exciting.

I got word that my new windows are at the shop so those will go in next week! Then the whole west facade of the house will be done with 6 new windows total (3 went in this October). I do have to decide the next ones that are getting done since lead time is 16-18 weeks these days.

[moneysquirrel]

2nd try at updating -- lost the first one.  

Dec 12, 2021 21:49:23 GMT -5 moneysquirrel said:

This week:
Monday:  *Appointment morning   *Errands
Tuesday: *Zoom Exercise morning
Wednesday: *Zoom exercise (may have to cancel this as double booked) *Hair appointment *SG                        Class
Thursday: *Zoom exercise * Teach class * Craft class
Friday :  *Zoom with friend

Whenever this week:
* Finish Tree
* Christmas cards  - Started
* Outdoor wreath and "project"
* Finish with craft show unpacking, inventory and storing.
* List or renew 3 items on Etsy  -- Renewed 1,  spacing out the renewals
* Mail sales taxes for craft shows -- Half done -- State done, local not
* Mail property tax 
* Insurance premium -- May be one of the errands on Monday -- Placed on CC go get the points.  Will be paid asap as the money is in the sinking funds
* Pick up gift card for gifts and one other item

[moneysquirrel]

debthaven -- So glad that your son is with you and that he seems to be making progress. You need the rest as well my friend.

TheOtherMe -- You made amazing progress.  The rooms look so peaceful and serene now.  Definitely having the organizer to help with this project was the right move.

startsmart  -- Good luck with that potential new project.  Also you have made great strides in both your personal and professional life.

I will be sorting through my Christmas items.  There are several items that need to be donated.  When things calm down a bit I will go through the items that I did not use this season and start making decisions as to store for another year or to just let it go.  I am sure that I will have items in both categories.  Goal is to empty out an entire tote of items this year.

[TheOtherMe]

Dec 14, 2021 12:19:19 GMT -5 azucena said:

Dec 14, 2021 10:51:38 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

I only went in those rooms to add more Stuff.  Now I go in happily.  I really want mom's sewing machine gone.  It's too heavy for me to get out of there, but it has to go.

Of course, now the cats sit outside both rooms and ask to be let in.  

Is your sister going to want it back?  If no, call the local high school or community college and see if they have a student who wants it.

No, she has a fancy sewing machine for her quilt making and gave her older one to her daughter.

This is a plain Singer machine that is at least 20 years old, but I can try calling to get someone to get it out of there.  It is in a cabinet and that's why it's too heavy for me to handle.  It does have the original manual.

[azucena]

You might be surprised. Those older machines are so much better than today's.

[TheOtherMe]

I have had that since we split things up in 2014.  My sister doesn't want it.

Hopefully one of the schools will want it.  It would be great to have it gone.

[stillmovingforward]

Dec 14, 2021 21:40:17 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

I have had that since we split things up in 2014.  My sister doesn't want it.

Hopefully one of the schools will want it.  It would be great to have it gone.

You'd be amazed. Old 301 slants go for at least $150 around here.

[debthaven]

That's AMAZING progress TheOtherMe ! Money very well spent I think. 

DS3 arrived home last night. We went to get a tree on the way home from picking him up, and he and I decorated it. So that's done, and it's good to have the tree up.

Could the organizer help you forge a path to the things you want to go through in the basement? Or else perhaps your nephew can move things around so you can access those things? 

We now have a wheelchair in the kitchen.   When DS1 gets here, it can fight for space with DGD's stroller. (We have no garage.)

[TheOtherMe]

They have been told they have to sell their house before they can offer on another house.  Even here an offer with a contingency of selling your house in addition to getting a loan will not be accepted.  I really don't think I should be paying to move around their Stuff.  There is a lot of heavy furniture in their stuff.  Dressers, heavy couch, have wooden bed frames, etc.  I also don't know if they put things in certain order.  
After Christmas, I may talk to DN3.  I don't want to upset my sister any more than she is because it doesn't sound like DN1 is coming home for Christmas.  Of course, that is somehow my fault.  

We aren't done with the upstairs yet and in early spring we will tackle the garage.  I think that will cost double because she will bring her second person.

[mourningcloak]

Love this!!  I have definitely found that in the pursuit of pulling finances together I've also tried to simplify the rest of my life.  Little late to the party, but my goal for the rest of this year is to get my oldest son's bedroom organized.  We moved into this house a few weeks after he left for boot camp, so he has never lived in this house yet.  He'll be home for two weeks starting Sunday (this mama is so thrilled to finally see him for more than the few short hours we saw him at graduation!) so we are sorting through his boxes to figure out what he no longer has a need for, what he can't possibly part with/replace, and get it all organized so that his bedroom can be used as a guest room/game room when he isn't home.  His bed should arrive this weekend, so we will be busy!

[startsmart]

I am still working on goal #2 for December which is to finish reading Hamilton and I'm more than 50% done! Since I was able to work on the papers from the box quickly enough, the next mini monthly goal is to plan and complete the furniture switcheroo.

Basically, my new office window will be installed next week so I need to give the worker access to that wall and want to use the time to move a bunch of stuff around.

So far I've got: 

• Finish painting closet ceiling (last coat!)
• (deep clean closet floors)
• Move blue chair into closet
• Move temp clothing rack, tub of linens, shower curtains, purses and jeans into closet
• Set up backdrop, lighting and seating for video filming in closet
• (deep clean bedroom floors) 
• Move dog crates? 
• Move large desk from office to bedroom
• Move metal filing cabinet upstairs 
• Rearrange wood filing cabinet, bookcase, small desk, dresser and chair in office 
• (deep clean office floors)
• Set up fabric storage (closet? upstairs?)
• Leave space in office for window install 
• Put Christmas tree up in office 
• Set up computers on desks 

Hoping to get this done by the end of the year but since all the rearranging must be done before I decorate for Christmas, that would be nice to do earlier. 

[snapdragon]

I need to put my laundry away so I can do laundry over the weekend. I also want to clear out some clothing and I need a large clear surface to do that. 

I also need to make some peanut butter cookies just because they are really easy and make me smile.

[empress of self-improvement]

Debt, does the wheelchair not collapse? Usually you can fold them up to take up minimal room. Same with the stroller. May not seem like a lot of room but every last little bit helps, does it not?

[startsmart]

Well I finished painting the closet and started moving stuff in. It is SO spacious in my bedroom now, I’m really appreciating that. Tomorrow I intend to get the bedroom set up and, if I have time, move the desk.

[finnime]

In the wake of whole-room painting I need to spend today and tomorrow organizing/reorganizing the LR, DR, kitchen and bedrooms. Today or more likely tomorrow the bathroom will get completed by the contractor. Sunday and Monday need to finish up and clear out the basement for new carpeting to be installed on Tuesday, which day I also need to be prepping for major baking orders.

Have my BFF coming Saturday. She's had some health issues these past months. This will be the first time she's been here in close to a year. Instead, we've gone there, to her home. So Saturday is break day.

I cannot wait for the bathroom to get done. It needs the new medicine cabinet and lights installed, so an electrician; new sink installed, so a plumber, and to get painted Benjamin Moore's Glass Slipper blue. That should contrast well with the bright white trim and beige tiles. Then I'll install the new top down/bottom up shade in the window to replace the plantation shutters.

Hope you all have a great day today.

[finnime]

I just calculated totals and we're getting an almost entirely new bathroom for roughly $3000 without doing the work ourselves. We are not replacing or redoing the toilet, tile and shower curtain rod. Everything else, though.

Now if I could just think of a way to redo the kitchen cabinets without a lot of expense and work. The prior owner refaced the cabinets, doing it himself, and they're starting to fall apart a bit.

[Sharon]

TheOtherMe and Iggy aka IG did you survive the winds okay.  I'm not sure if anyone else is in the area of the recent wind storms.

[TheOtherMe]

Thanks for asking Sharon.  It was a rough evening and night.  High winds for this area and lots of rain for about half an hour.  That ended about 10 PM but I lost power about midnight.  It came back on about 4:30 AM.  It's still windy but nothing like yesterday.

There were several tornadoes around and the news says one person in the state was killed.  Lots of people without power.  Sounds like one small town was pretty much destroyed and they are asking for help to clean up today.  The tornado destroyed their water tower so it will be a long way back and small towns always struggle financially.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Just found this in my morning coffee browsing.
www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/cleaning-and-organizing/you-re-probably-ignoring-these-things-in-your-home-that-need-to-be-cleaned/ss-AAOtW84?li=BBnbcA0#interstitial=3

[debthaven]

empress of self-improvement yes they both collapse/fold but they still take up a fair bit of room in the house. 

DS2 is being absolutely monstrous to me. To be fair, he thinks I'm being monstrous to him. He says I'm old and lazy and not used to making any efforts for anybody anymore. So I've cried a lot over the past 3 days.

DS2 decided to take an Uber tonight to see his friends in Paris (even though two have come here, and we've cooked for them). On crutches. I just can't anymore. 

Also, you may remember that we told DS3 that if we could disassemble his single bed (with the trundle bed underneath) we'd put it in the basement and get him a double bed, once the couch was out of the basement, and there was room.

The couch ISN'T out of the basement, so there isn't much room. But DS3 did it, singlehandedly, and shlepped everything to the basement by himself. So now I need to go to Ikea with DS3 to get him a double bed (which DS3 is very happy to assemble). I found a gorgeous bed on a used furniture website but the woman isn't responding. (Not the mattress, I won't buy that used.)

Even DH was impressed with what DS3 did. DH kept saying No way! Not now! We have enough on our plates! We never promised that for Christmas! When DH saw what DS3 had done, he said, hmm, if you and your mom can pick it up or get it delivered, I'll help build it. 

DH went to my surgeon today. I was indeed right, he has a stress fracture, and needs to stay off his leg as much as possible. 

I am having a hard time. And I've BARELY started Christmas shopping, and my exams only come in next Tuesday. 

[debthaven]

The good news is, I got my schedule for next semester. It's a VERY long semester (23 weeks) but I have 3 weeks off during that period!!!

I have just ONE week of 4 days/week at school, the overlap with Job 2's summer term. 

Other than that, I'll be working 2 or 3 days/week, plus the professor/staff classes, and interviews for prospective students in the spring and summer. 

Also, my cleaner got her booster on Tues and was too sick to come on Wed. So DS3 vacuumed, and I changed a ton of sheets in time for DS1 to arrive last night. It was great to see him! 

Good times. 

[TheOtherMe]

I think you need some   debthaven


You are not old and lazy and you are not a nurse.

[laterbloomer]

Dec 16, 2021 4:55:28 GMT -5 finnime said:

I just calculated totals and we're getting an almost entirely new bathroom for roughly $3000 without doing the work ourselves. We are not replacing or redoing the toilet, tile and shower curtain rod. Everything else, though.

Now if I could just think of a way to redo the kitchen cabinets without a lot of expense and work. The prior owner refaced the cabinets, doing it himself, and they're starting to fall apart a bit.

So how did you swing a new bathroom for $3000?

[debthaven]

Tomorrow is the monthly bulk garbage pick-up. I only realized that today. 

I was hoping somebody would stop by and help DS3 get the couch out of the basement. Of course that didn't happen. But I brought up 4 of the 5 old dining room chairs, plus another chair, and an old night table. So at least those should be gone by morning. 

And DS3 asked for a night table ... we had one he wanted in the basement. So that came upstairs too. 

[anciana]

Dec 16, 2021 16:05:50 GMT -5 debthaven said:

The good news is, I got my schedule for next semester. It's a VERY long semester (23 weeks) but I have 3 weeks off during that period!!!

I have just ONE week of 4 days/week at school, the overlap with Job 2's summer term. 

Other than that, I'll be working 2 or 3 days/week, plus the professor/staff classes, and interviews for prospective students in the spring and summer. 

Also, my cleaner got her booster on Tues and was too sick to come on Wed. So DS3 vacuumed, and I changed a ton of sheets in time for DS1 to arrive last night. It was great to see him! 

Good times. 

Oh, no, no, no, debthaven, your DS2 doesn't get to complain after you and DH have taken him in after the hospital, taken care of him, rearranged your work and personal lives to be there for him. I bet he in in pain and restless but that doesn't give him the right to complain like that. Not one bit!

Woo hoo for DS3 and his willingness to to what it takes on his own to get the bed situation sorted out!

Glad that you got your work schedule figured out, I know it's been stressing you out. Hopefully this will help now that you know what's coming up.

[toomuchreality]

Dec 16, 2021 17:06:06 GMT -5 anciana said:

Dec 16, 2021 16:05:50 GMT -5 debthaven said:

The good news is, I got my schedule for next semester. It's a VERY long semester (23 weeks) but I have 3 weeks off during that period!!!

I have just ONE week of 4 days/week at school, the overlap with Job 2's summer term. 

Other than that, I'll be working 2 or 3 days/week, plus the professor/staff classes, and interviews for prospective students in the spring and summer. 

Also, my cleaner got her booster on Tues and was too sick to come on Wed. So DS3 vacuumed, and I changed a ton of sheets in time for DS1 to arrive last night. It was great to see him! 

Good times. 

Oh, no, no, no, debthaven, your DS2 doesn't get to complain after you and DH have taken him in after the hospital, taken care of him, rearranged your work and personal lives to be there for him. I bet he in in pain and restless but that doesn't give him the right to complain like that. Not one bit!

Woo hoo for DS3 and his willingness to to what it takes on his own to get the bed situation sorted out!

Glad that you got your work schedule figured out, I know it's been stressing you out. Hopefully this will help now that you know what's coming up.

Agreed!
Hugs ♡

[countrygirl2]

I need to get back down to the basement and work tomorrow, I hope.

Got the upstairs pretty neat today, mopping done.

Need to make ham salad tomorrow, then baked beans, will heat the mac and cheese with it.

So that frees me up from cooking a long time.

So back down there to sort and load up more stuff. Neighbor will take things for a church yard sale, they can have it.

[finnime]

Sorry your DS2 is being such a pill, debthaven. He and you are having trauma responses, when thinking is disordered and emotions are in upheaval. I'm sure you realize that as horrific as his "accident" was it could have been worse--and then what?


 to you. You are a wonderful mom. Lazy is a laughable concept for you.

[finnime]

Dec 16, 2021 16:39:25 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

Dec 16, 2021 4:55:28 GMT -5 finnime said:

I just calculated totals and we're getting an almost entirely new bathroom for roughly $3000 without doing the work ourselves. We are not replacing or redoing the toilet, tile and shower curtain rod. Everything else, though.

Now if I could just think of a way to redo the kitchen cabinets without a lot of expense and work. The prior owner refaced the cabinets, doing it himself, and they're starting to fall apart a bit.

So how did you swing a new bathroom for $3000?

Let's see.

$850 for painting and contractor work including plumber and electrician and supplies such as paint and caulk
$1050 for new sink and P trap to replace pedestal sink; mirrored medicine cabinet, lights, tub and shower trim (all from Builder.com)
$700 to resurface tub, which now looks brand new
$50 for shower curtain
$80 for top down, bottom up window shade to replace plantation shutters
$40 for new trash can
$75 for new towel bars

The bathroom has a very large built-in cabinet in the corner by the door, so don't need or want a vanity. I do need to replace the cabinet door knob.