2022 Declutter & Organize Your Life

[finnime]

Hey all! My book is live now on Amazon!! Counting Tiny Dinosaurs  I took all the pictures I used in the book and am just happy. Getting first copies before Christmas.

[debthaven]

Oh that's fabulous finnime ! Congratulations!

It looks beautiful! I would like to order one for DGD but it's not available here yet. There's time, I'll get it for her birthday in May. 

[debthaven]

I FINALLY got my final exams. DH and DS3 did a huge grocery shop this morning and I marked 25/35 essays!!! 

DS1/DDIL/E/I arrive at 4 pm but now I have a raging headache so I'm stopping. Only 10 essays left! I feel much better about them now.  They're not due till 6 Jan. But I just wanted a clear head, you know?  

[finnime]

Good for you, getting so much done, debthaven. Enjoy your time with your family!

[Sharon]

finnime how exciting to have your book published.  debthaven enjoy the time with your family.

I have been working very hard to get a Christmas stocking knit for new DGD.  It is off the needles but I need to sew on the embellishments, weave in all the loose threads from color changes and sew it up. 

My travel trailer was finally done from taking it in for winterization and having a couple of items fixed.  They had it two months.  It has taken me a couple of days but it is finally home and in my driveway.  We have had very cold weather and I about turned into a popsicle while dealing with all this stuff.

The worst of the cold is coming in later today and into tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to going out and feeding the cows and making sure their water isn't frozen.  Thankfully DD got a stock tank warmer, which has done its job so far, but with a forecast high of 7 degrees it may freeze.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Good morning, everyone! 

finnime , Congratulations!


I accomplished a task that has been on the non-regular list for over a month: I had my annual blood work done this morning. I also scheduled my first mammogram. It's not until March, but at least I scheduled it. 

Here's my task list for today, some of which comes from my Winter Break project list. 


Hmmm...picture is not uploading. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

[Iggy aka IG]

startsmart, that is great news.

Congratulations, finnime!!

Excellent progress, debthaven.  Hope your headache subsides quickly.

Sharon, stay safe.

Good job taking care of you, Knee Deep in Water Chloe.

I mailed the remaining Christmas cards and went to the grocery store yesterday and stopped by the liquor store this morning for a last-minute gift.  L is ill so she cancelled and asked if she could reschedule for this Friday.  I'm off that day so we agreed on next Tuesday.  Plus, I don't want her over if she is still contagious.  I have a lovely box of locally made cherry cordials and a card containing her regular pay and bonus waiting for her.

Just a few more things to do here at the office, including installing that darn all-in-one, and then I'm off until next Tuesday.  Snow is expected to resume this afternoon, so I'll keep a close eye on the weather.  Family will come over for Saturday brunch, and neighbor family will be over that evening for appetizers and gifts.

Happy Hanukkah, happy solstice, and Merry Christmas everyone.  

[TheOtherMe]

Today was a good day as I got to see old friends from Colorado basketball and watch the Buffs blow out Creighton all while listening to a gym full of kids screaming.  It was fun.  I haven't been to any event this fun since a concert before Covid.  I was also pleased to see lots of mask wearing by the kids and teachers as well as the other CU fans.  

Hotel is fairly empty so I can stay here as long as I need to as a blizzard is headed this way.

DN3 got the cats set last night to be alone for longer than usual.  They have 4 bowls or water and I had him leave the toilet lid up (which I usually don't do) and 5 bowls of food.  Nobody may be able to get there until Friday or Saturday and I don't want them hungry.  I just hope they continue to use the dirty box.

[debthaven]

Glad you're having a nice break TheOtherMe !

Iggy aka IG I'm guessing the all-in-one is a printer/scanner/photocopier? They are indeed a huge pain to set up. 

Last week I asked DH how he'd feel about doing Secret Santa for our family. DH said, absolutely out of the question!!! Today DS1 asked us the same question ... and DH asked him what a Secret Santa was!!! LOL

Long story short, we all agreed to do that as of next Christmas. DS1 + DS2 also have to buy for my ex's family, DS1 has to buy for DDIL's family, DS3 has to buy for A's family ... etc etc etc. 

Apparently DDIL's family has been doing Secret Santa for years (for the adults). I'm very happy DS1 suggested it. 

I will probably "compensate" a bit for my kids'/their spouse's/partner's birthdays, but that's OK. I find it so stressful to have to find all these Christmas gifts all at the same time. (I know some people shop for Christmas all year, but alas, I've never been one of them.)

Spouses and kids would be excluded, so you'd have your Secret Santa recipient but you'd also gift your spouse, and any children (E and I for now).

Do any of you use this system? How do you find it?

This week (maybe?)
- mark 6 35 essays

(I marked 4 more essays very late tonight.)

[debthaven]

I finished all my marking. 🥳 (I did it during naptime.)

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 22, 2022 8:55:36 GMT -5 debthaven said:

I finished all my marking. 🥳 (I did it during naptime.)

[Iggy aka IG]

debthaven, yes, it is a printer/scanner/fax.  A few months ago, I thought we could do without a fax at the office, but I needed one within the first week.  I know there is such a thing as e-faxing, but I am not yet savvy to the process.

Regarding Secret Santa, yay!  Glad your family is going to implement it next year.  My sister discovered drawnames.com years ago and we have been using that service since.  The organizer may set the spending limit (this year it increased to US$50), and participants can fill out their wish list, post in the group, and ask anonymous questions.  On or around Christmas Eve, depending on when the weekend falls, we gather at my house.  Similar to last year, this year I bought the 1 3/4-year-old grandnephew his own gifts.  Adults also each have our own stocking for others to fill.  Stuffers can get pricey, and my mom tends to go nuts quantity wise, so I try and be conservative, lol.  This year I bought small jars of French jam, birthstone crystals for the women, and single serving size bags of popcorn, Whisps crackers, and pistachios.  Per my design suggestion, DH made a two-tiered "hitching post" out of material for our land from which to hang the stockings.  I named the post the Holiday Hitch.  

DH and I celebrate solo Christmas Day involving brunch, stockings and a few gifts.  Santa comes for DH after he goes to bed, and for this night owl before I wake up Christmas day.

[debthaven]

Thanks Iggy aka IG that’s very helpful! And it sounds like a lot of fun. 😊

[startsmart]

Finnime - congrats on the book! That is such a big accomplishment and you should be so proud!

Well, I made it through the worst of the storm today with snow blowing in horizontally from the north, whiteout conditions, 30 mph winds and a wind chill of -24°F.

The dogs are NOT happy and my older pup has been in pain a lot today so I’m watching him closely. I carried him out to use the bathroom inside the greenhouse and it was still too much. Kittens are happy and warm and in bed for the night.

So far we’ve kept electricity and mostly warm thanks to the gas fireplaces but it’s still chilly. I am “off” work until Tuesday but might get ahead on some projects while it’s quiet.

[debthaven]

Everyone went to the mall, I stayed behind to put in my marks (and also to enjoy the quiet lol). All done!!!   I'm excited to have much less marking in the future! 

DS3's gift arrived a day late, but it arrived! Whew! 

[Rukh O'Rorke]

so cold!

Climbing up from -9, my house is so chilly. I have 3 space heaters in action but we are at the limit of the system at these temps. A bit of sun out there and up to -4 so I'm hoping we can catch up a bit before the sun goes down. In the kitchen where I have 2 of the space heaters, in sweater with hood up and cup of coffee and still chilled.....praying the systems keeps going! Hope this is it for negative temps for the year (given not even January, a slim hope indeed)

House got into ok shape for DD's arrival. Not great. Wasn't able to put out any of the decor items I'd been purchasing the past 6-8 weeks! new pillow cases for the throw pillows, curtains and rods for the downstairs, not even able to set up DD in her old room, need to move a matress and that just hasn't happened yet. DD and DS will have to do that cuz of my back and they have not been around at the same time much. Hopefully today it will happen. DD has been sleeping on the couch. and it is super cold in there. Right under a large picture window......single pane, at -9. Also praying the window hold, lol! Hopefully, the last winter that I am on tenterhooks that the bandaids and bubblegum hold the house together!

But DD made it! She was on the last day before flights were impacted by the weather.....and her plane was out on tech issue. Could not be flown. Was delayed, 1 hour, 2 hour, 4 hours, then 12 hours! They had a plane coming from hawaii that they were going to put them on, but no one at the gate knew if the crew would be cleared to fly , and it was coming in at like 8pm so likely that crew was not going to be cleared for another flight due to work hour limits..........

She was able to get on a standby


So her being here is all that matters!

As long as the boiler holds!!!

Will try to do some tidying up, but honestly it is a snuggle under covers kind of temperature inside right now.


Die immediately temp outside......

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

DD#1 and I re-set the pantry yesterday.
Before left side

Before right side

After left side

After right side

[debthaven]

What a fabulous looking pantry Chloe!

Yay for DD arriving Rukh!

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Never got much heat…..Still 0 out….

nothing to do but shiver and hope the heat keeps going…up to 12 tomorrow and just trying to hold out….

[saveinla]

Dec 23, 2022 19:55:29 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

Never got much heat…..Still 0 out….

nothing to do but shiver and hope the heat keeps going…up to 12 tomorrow and just trying to hold out….

Stay safe Rukh O'Rorke and everyone else who are in the cold weather areas.

[moneysquirrel]

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate.

Spent yesterday with DS and family and did our Christmas early.  Will spend tomorrow with DB and DSis and their families.  The few gifts are wrapped (we are only gifting the littles).  Cookies are made and will take some to them.  I somehow messed up my attempt at fudge and ended up with syrup instead.  Will make another attempt but not today.  Today is a quiet day for me.  Started a pot of soup as even in the deep south we are having unusual winter weather but nothing like a lot of you are experiencing.


finnime -- Congrats on the book.

Knee Deep in Water Chloe - pantry looks great.  Remember to rest during this break.

TheOtherMe -- glad you are safe and not on the roads.  Happy you were able to see your team and get together with old friends.

startsmart -- Continuing to send prayers and good vibes to you and your mom and family.

debthaven -- Glad that you have finished with all things completed with marking and grading.  Welcome to retirement or semi-retirement.  Glad you will have some time to decompress.

Rukh O'Rorke-- Glad you have family with you.  Hope your weather conditions improve.

Til later.

[startsmart]

We got a little more ice and snow last night so I’m staying in today. Hope y’all had a good holiday!

[TheOtherMe]

Going to fill up both the trash and recycling bins for in the morning.  Wasn't home last week for the trash.  

Placed order for grocery pick up tomorrow.  

A large box wrapped in Christmas paper was on my counter when I got home yesterday.  It was a beautiful blanket with all of the Beatles lyrics on it.  It was from DN, DN2 and DN3.  Very pleasantly surprised, but it's another box that has to go.

I also left a week's worth of trash in the hotel room since I took most of my own food.  

[nikiz628]

I hope everyone had a great Christmas yesterday. It's been below zero for days in Indiana (-40 the other night, I have NEVER seen it get that cold in my 36 years here). Surgery at the beginning of the month went very well! I struggled the week after because I ended up with a cold. It took everything out of me. I couldn't stay awake for anything- the smallest activity, like washing myself on the side of the tub, resulted in me needing to take a nap. The wrist and elbow though never gave me any pain. The stitches came out last Monday, so now I am just on lifting restrictions for 6 more weeks. The incision sights look great- better than my right arm! 

Right now I am working on enjoying Christmas break with my kiddos and getting the house cleaned up. I plan to do my big room by room 360 purge once they return to school on the 5th. I am so ready to downsize in many areas. I might even do the 2,023 items in 2023 challenge this year. I haven't done it in a couple years. 

[nikiz628]

Dec 21, 2022 5:34:19 GMT -5 finnime said:

Hey all! My book is live now on Amazon!! Counting Tiny Dinosaurs  I took all the pictures I used in the book and am just happy. Getting first copies before Christmas.

This is AMAZING! I think some of the littles on my Christmas list might end up with this book next year! 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Hi everyone! 
I have seven tasks on my list for today. It should be about six hours worth of time. 
I've crossed a lot off of the Winter Break task list. I have the remainder of this week at home. 

[Iggy aka IG]

So glad I did four loads of laundry last Friday.  With company all day Saturday, and the unwillingness to do it on Christmas, all I had to do was one miscellaneous load yesterday.  I also emptied, reloaded, and ran the dishwasher at least 3 times over the long weekend.  I gave my kitchen quite the workout and warned L when she arrived this morning, LOL.

I'm having neighbors over for games and appetizers NYE, and DH and I will have our annual crab leg feast on NY day.  After that things should get back to normal, whatever that means.    

Happy New Year, everyone.  

[TheOtherMe]

finnime I have a copy of your book coming that I will take with me to Toronto in March for the Toddler's 3rd birthday.  He is a planet guy so I figure if he isn't in to it, his dad will be as he was a dinosaur kid.  

[moneysquirrel]

Managed to get two loads of laundry done today and I started the process of going through the house in order to get rid of more things.  I was able to re-home several items and I also threw a few things away.  Several more items were added to the donation box.  I don't have enough to call for pickup as of yet so those items will not be in this years' total.  I did add the 160 items that I sold this year to the declutter totals as those items are no longer with me.  

I am taking a little break from my beading but have a long list of items to make that I will start work on next week.  I finished all of the projects that I started so far including all of the kits/patterns I purchased this year.  I will need to order some supplies as I am out of some of the materials I need for some of my more popular designs. But I have enough on hand to get started on the list once I begin again. 

Trying to get a few additional things done daily so that things are not overwhelming.  Baby steps.