2023 Declutter & Organize Your Life

[Iggy aka IG]

Good job, TheOtherMe.

Yesterday, just as the last storm (for hopefully a while) hit, I went to the:
-Bank
-Liquor store
-Walmart where I returned a small item, and bought fresh produce for Saturday's Easter supper
-Mailbox

At home:
-Put away groceries
-Put the small WM refund into the penguin bank
-Made overnight oatmeal for DH and rinsed berries
-Juiced about 10 oranges.  Yum.
-Watered plants
-Set out fresh hand towels
-Coordinated Saturday's details with the neighbor gals

Happy Passover and Easter, everyone.  

[debthaven]

This weekend
- enter marks/Th
- gifts for DH/Fri
- gift for A's DGD/Fri
- Ikea for parasol/Fri

Today was expensive! We bought a new parasol from Ikea (ours was broken). I got birthday gifts for DH and a baby gift for A's new grandchild.

[snapdragon]

I managed to get the recycling out of the house and a bunch of shredding done!

I forgot about Easter. I don't celebrate it, so it just slipped my mind.

I managed to get to drapery rod down in my MB. I still need to get the anchors out of the sheetrock and spackle and paint. But, the window looks so much better.

Today is bedding and dishes. Possibility cleaning up some more in the DR and LR.

I'll see how it goes.

Take care everyone!

[seriousthistime]

I'm feeling unproductive, so I'll list the very minor accomplishments over the past few days.

-- laundry done, folded or hung up
-- light bulb for garage door opener replaced
-- fridge water filter replaced
-- vacuum battery replaced (it arrived on time, debthaven)
-- printer ink cartridges replaced
-- groceries purchased for Easter breakfast with the DS, DDIL, and DGS
-- trip to specialty building supply store for downspout and accessories
-- trip to city building for free 5 gal. recycling container 
-- trip to groomer's
-- branches picked up after the storms last weekend

Yet to be accomplished today/tomorrow:

-- trip to vet
-- make pasta casserole (ground meat is thawing)
-- load and run dishwasher
-- think more about moving the twin beds to the third bedroom (and possibly actually doing it)
-- plant perennials (received for free, plus some purchased at Costco)
-- figure out how to pick up 23 boxes of stone from Menard's (whether I can put them in the back of my mid-size SUV or whether it will involve renting one of their small trucks)

[startsmart]

Getting the house back in order and have a lot planned for the weekend. Making a list here for accountability!

To do:
Clean out the freezer and meal plan
Add dirt to garden beds
Plant all of spring bulbs
Touch up laundry room paint + start ceiling
Edge ceiling paint in living room

done: 
Clean up porch
Work on stripping stairs (need more sanding pads)
Quilt the blue quilt
Buy more batting for purple/black quilts
Wash dog blankets
Plant all varieties of sunflowers
Plant the rest of the homeless tulip bulbs
Organize shelves by back door
Wash my curtains

[debthaven]

I got an email from the retirement office asking me for my payslips from 2004. I sent them because I don't want to risk them stopping my payments, but WTF?! Thank goodness I saved them all. Obviously they're all digital now, but they weren't then.

[finnime]

That was lucky, debthaven.

[debthaven]

You're always told here to save all your payslips ... thanks goodness I did.

[TheOtherMe]

To go back to 2004, would be difficult for me for paperwork like pay slips.  Once the W-2 arrives, I toss them.

I hope to get through some of the boxes sitting in the living room waiting to be opened today.

I'm working on getting my house back to the way it was pre-blood clot.

[seriousthistime]

I kept a printout of every year-end pay stub, the first few paychecks of the year when the new COLA hit my paycheck, and any in the middle of the year when I got a raise.  So basically, anytime my income changed, and year-end to show all the deductions made. 

[debthaven]

Unfortunately there's no such thing as a W2 here. The Dec payslip is cumulative, but it doesn't show that I worked all 12 months. That's what the retirement office checks, since they count the number of quarters you've worked.

It's a PITA but what can I do?! It's damn near impossible to talk to a human there. It's easier just to scan and send them. 

However, the plastic folder that holds them is falling apart. Since it seems I may still need to access them from time to time, I should probably buy a couple of hard folders. 

PS I've also been culling my teaching files. It's bittersweet. I've gotten rid of a bunch, but not everything. I'm also keeping my remaining Job 1 binders for now, since they're in a single box at school, even though I may not use them all again. 

[laterbloomer]

I'm totally screwed if someone asks me for paperwork from 2004.

[TheOtherMe]

[TheOtherMe]

Plan is to finish dealing with the Amazon warehouse today.  Chewy warehouse tomorrow.

[startsmart]

Threw my curtains in the washing machine, they hang in my bedroom and the cats love to look outside so I’m trying to de-cat hair them.

Next up is the shelves by the back door which need organizing and labels.

The weather is nice so I want to get a bunch of bulbs planted since we may get rain tomorrow. Since I’m on a roll with the quilts I want to pin the purple quilt and make its binding so I can work on it this week.

For the quilts I’ve found that once it’s pinned I need an hour to do the quilting and an hour for the binding so if I stay focused I can get it done over 2 nights.

I still have to quilt:
1) purple
2) black white and gray
3) match quilt
4) ologies quilt
5) random quilt (king)

I have the batting for all of these but need backing for the king quilt. I’ll have that one done at the long arm quilter because my machine can’t handle it.

[moneysquirrel]

All of you have been busy.  I have not completed as much as I would have wished.  I did finish one project but the other two awaits for me to work on them.  Second one is almost finished and if I just plan an hour or two I can finish it.  That is one goal for this week.  Third one has more work to do but will be okay once I get back to working on it.  Took several days off because I had a lot of running to get done.  I expect that the next several weeks will be more of the same.  A have a to-do list a mile and a half long and will be attempting to get a few of those items checked off this week.  Some of them are last minute -- almost walking out of the door -- items.  None of them are hard but I can't work on a lot of them until later.  I did schedule a few appointments for the next week or two and I still have classes for two weeks as well.

Happy Easter or Passover to all of you. 

Think I will take a nap.

[startsmart]

I have been buying soft food for my dogs since they are getting older and their teeth are not so great. The boxes they come in are pretty sturdy so I took off the top flaps and covered them with duct tape and now they're holding all my tools by the back door. Super handy and free project and all labeled too. 

I organized my paint too and now need to pull some out for the laundry room touch ups and living room ceiling. Trying to remind myself to do these chores now when it's 70 degrees instead of waiting 2 months when it's 100 degrees and I'm cranky. 

[laterbloomer]

I put the new tiles up in the ceiling of GW's room. It took me 4 hours. The tricky parts were cutting around the vent and screwing it in through the tile and cutting around the breaker box. Considering it was the first time I've ever done it I'm okay with that.

Hopefully tomorrow I cut the baseboard for the bathroom.

[TheOtherMe]

Apr 9, 2023 9:40:29 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Plan is to finish dealing with the Amazon warehouse today.  Chewy warehouse tomorrow.

Moved Amazon warehouse to Monday and Chewy to Tuesday.

[debthaven]

startsmart and laterbloomer I'm always so impressed at how handy you both are!

It seems like I've finally found an affordable vacation rental for all of us this summer! Everyone is happy with it, so I am feeling MUCH better. 

Yesterday DH and I planted flowers in the planters in the garden. Today is DH's birthday, we're going to have lunch in the countryside (his request).

They are bringing the new windows tomorrow ... I hope they start this week. 

Work is quieter for the next three weeks, which is a Good Thing. I only have to go into school one day/week, the rest of the time I'm on Zoom.

[debthaven]

finnime and moneysquirrel who are both going on cruises soon ... you probably know this, but I would take two pairs of good walking shoes (and break them in before you leave) so you don't have to wear the same pair for every excursion.

[moneysquirrel]

Apr 10, 2023 4:26:58 GMT -5 debthaven said:

finnime and moneysquirrel who are both going on cruises soon ... you probably know this, but I would take two pairs of good walking shoes (and break them in before you leave) so you don't have to wear the same pair for every excursion.

Already on the list.  I have spent enough time in Europe to be aware of the cobblestone streets.  Also dressing in layers and to have rain gear.  I usually also pack OTC meds. 

Thanks for the reminder.  Any other hints will be welcome as well. 

[busymom]

Apr 8, 2023 7:53:49 GMT -5 debthaven said:

You're always told here to save all your payslips ... thanks goodness I did.

     I probably do hang onto too much old paperwork, but have always hung onto certain paperwork, like my Dad's paperwork when he got an honorable discharge after serving in the military after WWII.  I also have death certificates, etc. from different relatives, because I've needed to provide papers during situations when I didn't think I'd need it.  Our nearest military cemetery lost a LOT of paperwork they'd had on file for years, so I was thankful I had what I needed.  

     So glad you had your old paperwork when you needed it!  

[laterbloomer]

I am the proud new operator of a miter saw!!!! It is ridiculously easy so this isn't going to impress a lot of people but it impresses me 😊😊😊😊 most of the baseboards in my house are going to be replaced soon. Along with a few door frames! 😊😊😊😊😊

[debthaven]

It impresses me laterbloomer lol. Enjoy!

[Iggy aka IG]

Nice accomplishments, ladies!  I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend.

Saturday, I made an Easter ham dinner with trimmings for several neighbor families.  The children were adorable while discovering their hidden baskets.  The bunny left them indoors as our ground is covered in mud and a few remaining piles of snow.

Yesterday:
-3 loads laundry
-Emptied and refilled the dishwasher on Saturday and Sunday respectively
-Did quite a bit of handwashing as almost all of our pots and pans were used Saturday
-Scrubbed two toilets
-Cleared off the main counter
-Refilled the ice trays and Keurig twice
-Put the few Easter decorations back into storage
-Extra unopened non-perishables from the dinner were relocated to the back pantry
-Started taxes
-Finalized this week's grocery list
-Meal planned

[debthaven]

You got a lot done too Iggy aka IG ! You are such a fabulous friend and neighbor. 

I think I've mentioned before that everyone and their mother from NY (where I'm from) has suddenly decided to come to Paris this spring. I was extremely stressed about it but things are under control.
- My niece decided they'd rather stay in Paris, so we're meeting up for dinner and possibly another lunch (mid April). I think it's ridiculous to stay in a hotel the whole time because money (they can't afford it), but hey, it makes my life easier
- My college roommate S and I are having lunch (late April)
- My college friend E and her partner and DH and I are having dinner (mid June)

So only two of the many visitors this spring are staying with us!

We are travelling for 5 days with 2 other couples from college (including one of my best friends and his wife). The other couple and his wife are staying with us for a weekend (early June).

DS3, A and A's mom are coming for a weekend too (early June). We're thrilled to finally meet A's mom! 

So happy it's all working out!  

[Iggy aka IG]

Thank you,debthaven.  And I am glad your visitors will be "spread out" vs an all at one barrage.  

[snapdragon]

I just tried to get tickets to something I want to see in HI and I missed out. Hopefully the next time they are available I can grab 1 fast. Otherwise, it's just the regular PH tour for me. Not an issue per se, but I would prefer to be out of the heavy crowd. 

There are only 25 tickets available at a time and my timing was off.

I need to buy spackle, I believe that I threw the old one away. Or, it's hiding somewhere and I will find it as soon as I open the new container. 

[finnime]

My house is clean and in order. That is one of several good reasons I host a holiday here and there. Plus, leftovers!