2024 Organize & Declutter

[debthaven]

I hope you can scale back soon Sharon, even just a bit. 

[seriousthistime]

Aug 22, 2024 19:51:41 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Aug 22, 2024 17:51:02 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Lastly, most posters on this thread don’t post about the need to eat/drink/sleep/shower.

Sorry if that’s harsh but that’s very basic self care, and that’s not what this thread (which has been going on for many years) is about. Nobody here can help you with that.

I hope things get better for you, but I won’t engage with you again anytime soon.

I will add the employer (boss and HR) has every reason to question if there will ever be a return to the job.  It's not like there has been stellar attendance at this job or the previous job.

Usually if there are attendance issues, there are performance issues because the employee is not present often enough to do the job.

I'll also add that FMLA is for a maximum of 12 weeks per year (however they count it, whether calendar year or something else) and you must have actually worked at least 1,250 hours (i.e., leave periods are not counted toward the 1,250) in that year to qualify.  If someone is has a few extended FMLA periods it is easy to exceed the 12 weeks, or not have worked the 1,250 hours in that time.  If you exceed your 12 weeks of leave, they can let you go. It's perfectly legal.  (Some states have greater protections.)

The point is to give the employee time to handle their illness or that of specified family members, while protecting the employer's ability to have its business run smoothly.  So it is not open-ended. 

[seriousthistime]

Aug 22, 2024 17:51:02 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Lastly, most posters on this thread don’t post about the need to eat/drink/sleep/shower.

Sorry if that’s harsh but that’s very basic self care, and that’s not what this thread (which has been going on for many years) is about. Nobody here can help you with that.

I hope things get better for you, but I won’t engage with you again anytime soon.

The WIR Healthy Lifestyle Discussion thread is good for such topics.

ymam.proboards.com/thread/67381/2024-healthy-lifestyle-discussion

[Iggy aka IG]

Aug 22, 2024 18:32:19 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Aug 22, 2024 12:55:36 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

jerseygirl thank you!  I jotted down several of your tips, including the preference of where to eat for what meal.  I cannot wait to dine outside.

I absolutely second the bolded part!  DD and I went on a cruise a few years ago.  She lives in the port city and I was flying in.  I insisted on flying in the day before, and that was a good thing because there were storms in Dallas and I had to overnight there.   The next day's flights were delayed or cancelled due to the number of flights cancelled because of the storms. I never would have made it. 

DD and her DH once took a cruise to Alaska.  They misconnected in Seattle and the cruise left Anchorage without them.  They finally got to Anchorage and had to rent a car to drive down the Kenai peninsula to the next port of call. They made that one with minutes to spare. 

I visited DD recently and a tropical storm blew in.  It didn't hit her area too badly but so many departing and arriving flights were cancelled that I had to extend my return by two days to get rebooked home. 

Don't count on your flights running on time, or at all. These days it's wise to expect delays, and when things run on time it's a bonus.

Thank you, seriousthistime.  How frustrating for you, and your family members!  Yes, we plan on arriving at our port city two days prior so we're not rushed and hopefully we'll be able to enjoy the city a bit.  

[Iggy aka IG]

debthaven, some time ago you had a helpful suggestion of me doing laundry while I am WFH.  I am doing just that today and I am loving the multi-tasking aspect.  I didn't do the 2 loads I wanted to get to last night (as soon as I arrived home I hit the ground running and made a huge batch of goulash and took half to the neighbors who need a bit of help these days).  Today I got a jump start on this weekend's chore list:

-Had a leisurely coffee & breakfast
-Load 3 is in the washer
-1 toilet scrubbed
-1 trash can emptied
-Coordinated transportation for a friend/client/business trip in a few weeks

Work:
-1 sales call, next week's work to-do's lined out, and currently sifting through the remaining 150 emails from last week's vacation

This weekend:
-Additional laundry
-Tackle the procrastination list

Have a fantastic weekend, friends. 

[finnime]

Iggy aka IG , I and DH went on a cruise last year for 2.5 weeks around the British Isles and ending up in Norway. We started in London.

Taking a couple of extra days on both ends of the cruise was definitely a great idea.

The Walk of the Penguin Mich suggested and I followed up on buying a collapsible hamper. It folds to basically nothing in a suitcase and comes in very handy. Amazon sells them. Also, the magnetic hooks mentioned earlier, are a godsend.

Take advantage of the spa. You'll be happy you did.

Bring plenty of OTC and rx meds with you, because you don't want to get caught short.

I bought a pouch just big enough for my passport and a credit card plus a few bills. It came in handy and still does.

Get small bills in local currency for tips on excursions in advance.

Have a wonderful time!

[moneysquirrel]

Aug 23, 2024 16:06:22 GMT -5 finnime said:

Iggy aka IG , I and DH went on a cruise last year for 2.5 weeks around the British Isles and ending up in Norway. We started in London.

Taking a couple of extra days on both ends of the cruise was definitely a great idea.

The Walk of the Penguin Mich suggested and I followed up on buying a collapsible hamper. It folds to basically nothing in a suitcase and comes in very handy. Amazon sells them. Also, the magnetic hooks mentioned earlier, are a godsend.

Take advantage of the spa. You'll be happy you did.

Bring plenty of OTC and rx meds with you, because you don't want to get caught short.

I bought a pouch just big enough for my passport and a credit card plus a few bills. It came in handy and still does.

Get small bills in local currency for tips on excursions in advance.

Have a wonderful time!

My last cruise started in Rome and ended in Amsterdam.  Also planned a few days at each end of the trip.  Definitely the small bills in local currency.  I was able to get some from my local bank prior to departure. Ask for small bills -- you might not be able to get them in as small  as you like but small businesses don't want large bills.  If overseas and using CC they will ask if you want the charge in local or US total -- choose local.  That way you may only get charge "exchage fees" on one end.  If you choose US you may be charged over there as well as when it hits your bank.  Some cities are almost totally cashless.  In Amsterdam,for example, I had to use credit or debit for everything. 

[moneysquirrel]

Today was busy:

*Service appointment
*One load of laundry
*zoom with  a friend 
*started new project
*scheduled appoint for medical test
*last monthly bills done

[snapdragon]

Yesterday I pulled out several pictures and I got 4 put up around the house. 

Did several banking things this morning including paying a bill.

Was able to weed for over a half hour and then I turned into a red faced sweaty mess and had to stop. 

Swung by several stores and the library. I got a few decor items to put on top of the kitchen cabinets, I already put them up and I am enjoying the bit of change it's made. 

[startsmart]

While I have some work commitments in Sept, I feel like I am finally through the busy season at the new job.

I may be out most of tomorrow for some errands but I’m definitely home Sunday and need to tidy up and declutter the last few kitchen cabinets + install the last few drawer pulls.

That’s it, the only thing on my to do list for the rest of the month is the drawer pulls.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Aug 21, 2024 13:42:37 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Speaking of traveling, has anyone here been on a cruise?  I've been researching for a few weeks now and have jotted down numerous packing ideas.  I'd love to hear your input.

I just saw this.  I have suggestions since we cruise quite a bit.  We have only cruised with Viking, which tends to cost more, but has more things included.  

We started bringing a collapsible hamper.  They are about $7 on Amazon and an easy way to both corral dirty clothes and haul laundry to the laundry room.  Viking costs include machine use and laundry detergent, but if it’s not included in your fare, laundry sheets are useful.  

We usually bring a USB hub to charge our electronics.  Between the 2 of us, 2 phones, 2 iPads and 2 kindles we had lots to charge.  

Magnetic hooks can be useful.  So can a small white board.  We used this on our world cruise to write down reservations, or to leave messages.  

Whether or not you get the drink package depends on what is covered and how you drink.  On Viking, we could bring bottles of wine on board, and we did.  Viking covers wine, beer and soda at meals and coffee and tea all day.  Most rooms also contain a mini fridge with soda refilled daily.  Because of this, we don’t get the drink package, but many do.  You just need to do the math.

Cruise Critic message boards have tons of information, and you might meet others online on your particular sailing under your ship’s roll call.  
Viking seems to cover our sweet spot.  No kids, no casinos, no photographers and less than 1000 passengers.  It includes an excursion in every port, and offers additional ones at a cost.  We usually do the included and maybe 1/3 the ports an optional if there is something that interests us.  They do have a reasonable drink package, but both in the cabin need to get it.  To break even, you need to have3 drinks/day and their drink prices are not outrageous.  

So far this year we have done a Northern Lights cruise (11 days), Bangkok to Vancouver (54 days) and will be doing a Bordeaux River cruise next month.  River cruises are a different, but equally enjoyable cruise too.  This will be our second one of these.

[wvugurl26]

One thing I saw recommended for cruise excursions is to set a timer for when you need to be back. This way if your phone changes time it won't matter.

While a passport is not required for some cruises, I would recommend it. My coworker had to get off a cruise last year when her mother got heat stroke and it would have been much more difficult if they did not have passports.

Also I've been able to find Facebook groups for my cruises. There are generally people who have been on the boat before and can answer questions.

[Opti]

Just cleaned out my main drawer of my desk to search for some errant stamps. Found some, so I am happy since I am low on funds for a couple weeks.

In cleaning out the drawer I found stuff from a bank account I just recently closed because I needed the small money that was in there. I'm not going to toss the folder, just thinned it out, as it is a good emergency choice for me locally. If and when I get more flush, I will reopen it due to lessons learned during Sandy the storm that made life in most of NJ interesting for days.

Which gives me more space in the file cabinet so I can file more things waiting to be filed. Not a lot of progress on the declutter front, but I am glad to be making some at least weekly. Hope to rinse out my small bottle and empty out a big lotion bottle in it so I can recycle that thing. Finished up the lotion from the other big bottle, so it will be nice to have this one out of my place too.

Need to look at my email and see if the videos from PT made it to me. I now have more exercises to do on the days I am not at a PT appointment. I really want to be stronger than I am, so I am planning them into my day. I think having to wait to replace my commuter sneakers until money was available did make me do some stupid compensating things when I walked. So now I am relearning to walk normally again which is a bit humbling. But necessary, so onwards.

[debthaven]

I did a lot of weeding in the garden yesterday and today. 

DS1 & Co arrived! They'll be here till Fri. They'll be WFH while DH and I watch the grandkids, so I just plan to keep up with the kitchen and laundry, except for a couple of local errands. They're having lunch with DS1's dad (my ex) on Monday, so I'll do the errands then.

Next week
- pharmacy
- e-liquid

startsmart which drawer pulls did you end up buying?!

TheOtherMe is your bedroom finished now?!

[seriousthistime]

I got stuff moved into the new bathroom vanity. That clears stuff out of the storage closet.  

Double win. 

And the new rug for my bedroom finally arrived, and all by myself I took apart my bed, set the rug down and centered it appropriately, and put the bed back in place. Changed the sheets while I was at it.  It looks great!  

www.birchlane.com/rugs/pdp/rifle-paper-co-x-loloi-laurel-cream-area-rug-rpcl1231.html?piid=93809876

[TheOtherMe]

Aug 24, 2024 16:38:32 GMT -5 debthaven said:

TheOtherMe is your bedroom finished now?!

The guy left about 3 hours ago.  So it's done as far as the repair.

Now the moving furniture guys need to come back and then the organizer comes after Labor Day.

[snapdragon]

Today was busy - 

I was up early making cookies for the neighborhood potluck - I had fun and met some more neighbors. 

Striped the bed and remade it with new linens

3 loads of laundry done

2 excursions outside for weeding in the front yard.

also did a mile walk this evening.

[debthaven]

Beautiful rug seriousthistime!

[seriousthistime]

Buy Nothing to the rescue! I posted a hanging shower caddy, bathroom tissue holder, and shower head and got lots of responses. So they are gone.

Also, someone on Buy Nothing posted they were looking for a drip coffee maker.  I'm using my Nespresso so I was more than happy to downsize my drip machine.  Also had a vacuum sealed bag of coffee, a bunch of paper filters, and a metal filter.

And I dropped off extra tiles and other materials from the bathroom project to ReStore. 

And made returns at Home Depot and Target.  Going into those stores is risky.  I tend to leave with more items than I bring in. 

[startsmart]

I traded in some duplicate books at the used book store this weekend and got a couple more I was missing in a series.

I did not downsize my fabric collection but I am doing my best to iron, cut and organize the fabric as soon as it comes in. I am working on several quilts at once right now and the quilt shop that does my long arm (for large quilts I can’t quilt myself) has a 3 month waitlist so that was good info to know.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Aug 23, 2024 15:32:24 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

debthaven, some time ago you had a helpful suggestion of me doing laundry while I am WFH.  I am doing just that today and I am loving the multi-tasking aspect.  I didn't do the 2 loads I wanted to get to last night (as soon as I arrived home I hit the ground running and made a huge batch of goulash and took half to the neighbors who need a bit of help these days).  Today I got a jump start on this weekend's chore list:

-Had a leisurely coffee & breakfast
-Load 3 is in the washer
-1 toilet scrubbed
-1 trash can emptied
-Coordinated transportation for a friend/client/business trip in a few weeks

Work:
-1 sales call, next week's work to-do's lined out, and currently sifting through the remaining 150 emails from last week's vacation

This weekend:
-Additional laundry
-Tackle the procrastination list

Have a fantastic weekend, friends. 

I prefer the two-rotations-per-day approach. DH prefers the one-weekend-day-while-watching-football approach. As NFL is about six months per year, we split the laundry based on the calendar. 🤪🤣

[Iggy aka IG]

LOL at the split approach, Knee Deep in Water Chloe !  During NFL season in addition to other chores, I like to get the laundry all done Saturdays, so it frees up game day.  It doesn't always work out that way, though.

Thank you everyone for your cruise feedback.  I've transferred it to a word document which I will add to the plastic file folder with snap closure I started yesterday.

Rounding out last weekend:
-On Friday, I ended up doing 4 loads of laundry total.
-3 more loads Saturday
-Scrubbed two more toilets
-Set out fresh towels
-Refilled napkins, ice trays, and PTs
-Meal planned
-Made two lasagnas and brought one over to the neighbor along with chicken fried elk steak
-Processed mounds of dishes
-Kitten time
-From the procrastination list:  I finally remembered to ask DH to help with two things

This week:
-Lunch appointments tomorrow and Friday
-Set two doctor appointments
-Hair appointment
-Begin passport application process

[jerseygirl]

Well the books I put on Amazon are not sellling. I’ll just leave there until posting expires . Probably give to goodwill cause our library is so disorganized about accepting anything

So need to think of something else to declutter

[Iggy aka IG]

Aug 27, 2024 15:22:13 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

Well the books I put on Amazon are not sellling. I’ll just leave there until posting expires . Probably give to goodwill cause our library is so disorganized about accepting anything

So need to think of something else to declutter

jerseygirl, that's good to know.  I have a few stacks I was considering selling online, but I don't want to bother if it's not worth it.  Luckily, our local library appreciates donations.  (I've posted before about how I saw one Goodwill associate tossing a book across the room into a bin or wherever so that's not an option for me.)  This gave me an idea.  I just posted in our neighborhood group asking if anyone would be interested in starting a book exchange.   

This morning:
-Took out the garbage
-Walmart
-Approved graphics for a sponsorship campaign for next month
-Yesterday my friend had to reschedule today's lunch for next week
-Attempting to make a dang appointment for new signage installation and it's becoming a thing.  You know how I feel about things becoming a thing.

[debthaven]

We took the grandkids out for a Grand Day Out today. It was a lot of fun, but also a LOT of walking for me.

We'll be staying close to home tomorrow so hopefully I can change our sheets. Every time I think of doing laundry, DS1 beats me to it LOL. 

Our cleaner usually comes on Wednesday but she'll come Friday instead since DS1 & Co leave VERY early Friday morning. 

I moved my hairdresser appt forward from next Fri to this Fri. I decided I can go into school either limping or grey, but not both. 

I still need to go to the pharmacy.  

We are both exhausted. The kids leave very early Fri. I go back to school on Tues. Frankly I'm DONE. I wish I didn't have to go in at all. But I'm also thankful it's only 1 day/week at school with the rest on Zoom.

[TheOtherMe]

My bedroom is getting the furniture back where it belongs on Friday and the organizer comes a week from tomorrow.  I can hardly wait for her visit.  

[moneysquirrel]

Greetings friends,  
     Things have been ho-hum for me.  Classes have begun this week and my routine will stabilize again.  My friend and I have scheduled 7 craft shows for this fall.  So that will also keep me busy.  Hoping to continue to use my stash to create a few new ideas.  Need to work on the Etsy shop more -- I don't have a lot of traffic there but I do need to be a little more active than I have. All monthly bills and activities have been done.  I may use the next few days to get started on a few September projects.  Also thinking about another pilgrimage which will declutter some $$$ from my bank account  -- but at 74 how many more years will I be able to travel like this.  

Grateful that today is calm.  Rainy but calm.  August 29th is tough on those of us in this area.  Katrina was 19 years ago and Ida was 3.  Still houses in the area with damage and fighting with insurance. (Still at least 6 weeks before I can relax while watching the weather forecast.)  September is usually pretty active in the tropics so I won't be fully at ease until later.

[soupandstew]

Aug 29, 2024 17:23:35 GMT -5 moneysquirrel said:

Greetings friends,  
     Things have been ho-hum for me.  Classes have begun this week and my routine will stabilize again.  My friend and I have scheduled 7 craft shows for this fall.  So that will also keep me busy.  Hoping to continue to use my stash to create a few new ideas.  Need to work on the Etsy shop more -- I don't have a lot of traffic there but I do need to be a little more active than I have. All monthly bills and activities have been done.  I may use the next few days to get started on a few September projects.  Also thinking about another pilgrimage which will declutter some $$$ from my bank account  -- but at 74 how many more years will I be able to travel like this.  

Grateful that today is calm.  Rainy but calm.  August 29th is tough on those of us in this area.  Katrina was 19 years ago and Ida was 3.  Still houses in the area with damage and fighting with insurance. (Still at least 6 weeks before I can relax while watching the weather forecast.)  September is usually pretty active in the tropics so I won't be fully at ease until later.

I understand what you are saying.  As a Gulf Coast resident most of my life, the dread is so real.  We just passed the anniversary of Harvey which changed the Houston area forever.  We survive these things, but they leave their mark on us forever.

[debthaven]

DS1 and Co left at 6.30 am. I couldn't get back to sleep so I'm washing their sheets and towels. The cleaner comes today so she'll help me remake the beds.

I still have to go to the pharmacy. I don't have complementary health insurance in Aug (I'm between contracts) so I may wait till Sept. Such a PITA to get it reinstated. I'm dreading it. 

I go back to work on Tuesday ... I've been off for seven weeks! 

Friday
- bank
- bottle bank
- haircut

[seriousthistime]

Seven weeks!  That would give you an idea of what full retirement would be like.  I hope you keep scaling back.