2024 Organize & Declutter

[empress of self-improvement]

I was a slug yesterday so today is the day I'm paying bills and pretending to clean my desk. Mostly just shifting stuff around. I have a minor dilemma. In the name of decluttering, I got a pretty sterling silver Tiffany keychain from work for my 5 year anniversary. It's nice but useless to me. I keep my keys on a shoelace that I keep on the door so I don't forget them. Which doesn't always work as I slammed out of the house without them about 3 weeks ago. At least me sister was able to come and let me in. Anywho, I just looked up the value of the keychain on Tiffany and Holy Jesus, $275.00 for the thing. I'm all for selling it but not sure how I would do it safely. My big issue is to do it safely. It's nice but my bank account could use the cash more than my house needs the box. Anyone know how to sell something like that online safely? I feel nervous about going on Next Door or Facebook Marketplace. Which I will fully admit I have no idea how to use.

[jerseygirl]

Sell the Tiffany keychain on eBay
Or use it! Better than a shoelace !

[moneysquirrel]

Ava -- Happy Birthday!

empress of self-improvement -- Sorry I don't have any suggestions.  

debthaven -- Glad that you are getting around a little better.  Hope you find a great frame for your new specs!

TheOtherMe -- Thanks! I am getting better. The bruises are fading and I can walk a lot better than last week.  Foot still swells if I am on it too long so I have to force myself to prop them up. (Bruises are on the top of the toes so they are not in the best walking condition.)


Finished another load of laundry today.  Contractor is scheduled for tomorrow morning and as the repair is behind the machines I don't know how many days that they will be unusable.  I can go several days without doing laundry so I should be ok.  I will be running the dishwasher tonight so those will be clean as well.  Since I will be home tomorrow I will be putting on a pot of beans to cook.  That should also provide several meals to go into the freezer.  

Take care all!

[debthaven]

moneysquirrel I'm glad you're feeling a bit better. I meant to say ... have you tried Arnica/Witch Hazel cream or gel? It really helps! (You can't put it on an open wound, but it's great for bruises.)

empress of self-improvement there are websites that are specialized in second-hand luxury goods, but I don't know any specific names.

[moneysquirrel]

Nov 24, 2024 16:12:13 GMT -5 debthaven said:

moneysquirrel I'm glad you're feeling a bit better. I meant to say ... have you tried Arnica/Witch Hazel cream or gel? It really helps! (You can't put it on an open wound, but it's great for bruises.)

empress of self-improvement there are websites that are specialized in second-hand luxury goods, but I don't know any specific names.

I have been using arnicare which is a bruise gel.  It has been helping with the bruising.  Thanks for the hint.  I will be picking up another tube of it on my next Walgreens run.  I think I have enough to last for this situation but I like having it on hand.  At times I am a bit of a klutz and then there are bruises I don't even know where they came from. 

[snapdragon]

Well I managed to get the bed done last week and then lost steam.

So some laundry has been put away today and more is going to be generated.

My post box post has failed and with the help of the neighbor next door we are replacing it. I have gone to the lumber yard and got the post and concrete. Also got an estimate for the cost of the replacement decking that needs to happen. It's good for 30 days so I might end up picking it up. 

In the meantime, it has started to rain again so I'm not sure if we will be digging this afternoon. 

I grabbed the mini tree for the living room. The artificial realistic w/o lights tree I ordered back in August still has not arrived so not sure when that will happen. But I have my small tree so that works.

[Iggy aka IG]

Happy belated birthday, Ava!  I love your list!  I have a question.  In your post last week, you mentioned that the things to do twice a day aren't getting done.  Did I miss what those are?  I am the same way as you with needing at least one weekend day to relax and decompress.

debthaven congratulations on the reimbursement and things slowing down at work.

Excellent job decluttering, startsmart.

Glad you are feeling better, moneysquirrel.

I'll write more tomorrow.  

[debthaven]

We finally made it to the mall today, after PT. My insurance answered the optician right away, so I ordered new glasses and sunglasses. I get them in two weeks.

November list (updated):
- order new glasses/Tues
- Xray + surgeon appt/Thurs

[Iggy aka IG]

TheOtherMe did I understand your earlier post that the newborn had to go for an interview for passport purposes? 

That's great news regarding your new glasses, debthaven!

I am going to reschedule my cataract surgery for early next year.

Snow has arrived.  We'd received a dusting here or there over the past month, but it started snowing overnight and has continued throughout the day.  Our road was hazardous, several people were stuck, and the plow/sander truck was delayed.  I thanked the universe I set up my home office for just this reason.  I am WFH today and soon I'll go outside to shovel.  I'll report back what the cats think about their first major snowfall experience.

[debthaven]

I’m very glad you can WFH when it snows Iggy aka IG ! If it's not too personal, why did you decide to reschedule your surgery? My good friend had it done and could see much better immediately.

[NastyWoman]

My Xmas decorations are up and while doing that I set aside another lot of items that I am ready to let go of. I am now waiting until I have light again (my electric control panel is being replaced) so I have light to take a clear picture to put this on FB Buy Nothing. I want it all gone by tomorrow night

[debthaven]

You're a woman on a mission NastyWoman !

[NastyWoman]

Nov 26, 2024 15:11:20 GMT -5 debthaven said:

You're a woman on a mission NastyWoman !

Indeed I am - catching the slow train to Europe

[seriousthistime]

I got birthday and Christmas gifts mailed to my daughter and granddaughters today. Should arrive by December 2. 

I'm feeling slightly smug about being organized.    

And I got the lights up on the tree.  I had to buy more and rehang them. Looks good. Tomorrow, ornaments and decorations.  

[TheOtherMe]

Nov 26, 2024 14:42:38 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

TheOtherMe did I understand your earlier post that the newborn had to go for an interview for passport purposes? 

He didn't have to go in person for the newborn but he did for Global entry at age 4.  They asked him some questions.  He didn't know the answers much past his name and age and who his parents were.  He told them he had been to the US and Austria.  Beyond that the parents had to answer the questions.  It's crazy that he had to come in for an interview.  

He was born March 31, 2020.  They already had accepted the job in Toronto.  They knew he would need a passport.  Dad took his passport photo when he was 2 days old.  His eyes are closed.  It's an adorable picture but he doesn't look anything like that now.  It's pretty funny.  

He does pipe up to talk to Border Patrol.  Mom and dad have to shut him up or they would never get through.  He is so used to talking to adults that he thinks they are talking to him.

[TheOtherMe]

Many cats do not like to walk in the snow  Iggy aka IG   Will be interested to see how your kitties do.

[debthaven]

Passport rules change, but my four all had to go in as newborns! Then their passports were renewed by mail until their first "adult" passport. They had to go in again for that. 

ETA: I did their US citizenship papers at the same time. Maybe THAT'S the reason they had to go in?! Dunno, since I did both at the same time.

[TheOtherMe]

J was born in the US so that was taken care of with his birth certificate.  

They didn't get the passport because of Covid delays until July and put the house on the market the day they received the email that it was on the way.  Got everything in motion and were gone in a week.  Had his birth certificate sent here.

[debthaven]

seriousthistime I'm jealous lol. I haven't even started Xmas shopping. 

[TheOtherMe]

J's Christmas present has been sent.  His mom responded within minutes with gift ideas.

I'm still waiting for a response from DN3 on what to get his kids.

[NastyWoman]

The Xmas decorations I set aside were photographed, posted, and picked up within 1.5 hours after my electric was back on. Another 30+ items gone. 

I also am just about done with my Xmas shopping. I don think I can handle any of this without my computer anymore. Amazon.de has delivered enough packages to DS2 by now that his office (my bedroom when I am tbere) is probably a disaster zone by now. All I still need is coffee for DS1 who loves the better European stuff and some for DIL who asked for gourmet coffee for her French press coffeemaker. Those I will jyst buy in the store once I am there. No need to pay the Amazon sellers' markup which can be pretty hefty.

Now to decluter my bank account and pay the hefty charge I incurred today to get that panel switched out and then I am done for a bit - unless I run unto something else before I leave in a few weeks of course

[finnime]

I'm awed, NastyWoman.

[seriousthistime]

Nov 26, 2024 19:07:44 GMT -5 debthaven said:

seriousthistime I'm jealous lol. I haven't even started Xmas shopping. 

Well, DGD has an early December birthday.  So rather than send one box with her birthday gifts and another with the Christmas gifts, I did it all at once. 

Amazon made it easy to buy everything, but I didn't want to burden DD with all the wrapping so I had it all sent here, wrapped it, and shipped it.  It was pretty efficient. 

I have a good friend who HATES Amazon.  Mostly, she hates Jeff Bezos but also she hates the impact of online commerce on the small mom-and-pop stores.  But here in this town, most all of the shopping for the things I need or want is at corporate store chains (which I do patronize).  I recently drove 40 miles to do some real shopping (at a Von Maur, a small retail chain) and bought nothing.  There are some small mom-and-pop shops here but they are pretty much specialty shops and they don't have the stuff I'm looking for. 

[snapdragon]

Nov 27, 2024 9:30:45 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Nov 26, 2024 19:07:44 GMT -5 debthaven said:

seriousthistime I'm jealous lol. I haven't even started Xmas shopping. 

Well, DGD has an early December birthday.  So rather than send one box with her birthday gifts and another with the Christmas gifts, I did it all at once. 

Amazon made it easy to buy everything, but I didn't want to burden DD with all the wrapping so I had it all sent here, wrapped it, and shipped it.  It was pretty efficient. 

I have a good friend who HATES Amazon.  Mostly, she hates Jeff Bezos but also she hates the impact of online commerce on the small mom-and-pop stores.  But here in this town, most all of the shopping for the things I need or want is at corporate store chains (which I do patronize).  I recently drove 40 miles to do some real shopping (at a Von Maur, a small retail chain) and bought nothing.  There are some small mom-and-pop shops here but they are pretty much specialty shops and they don't have the stuff I'm looking for. 

Right there with you on the stores. For me to do some real/actual shopping the nearest bigger town is 40 min. Otherwise I need to drive 1.5 hours to get to a Target etc. Amazon has been a huge time and gasoline saver for me in many instances. Virtually nothing I order arrives within 2 days. Typically, it's between 3-7 days of ordering. 

I am not a huge Bezos fan but he figured out a way to make things much more reachable to millions of people. 

[snapdragon]

Well the new box post is in the ground and firming up. My neighbor is wonderfully sneaky. When I went out to help dig the post, he had already dug the hole and set the timber. All I needed to do was unlock the truck for the concrete to be dry poured. Holding the pole while tamping was done, and everything was plum. We are waiting for a few days until we transfer over the cross ties and platform. 

Yesterday I armored up and entered several stores for foodstuffs, household supplies and food bank donations. I got it done and by the time I got home and dealt with everything I was beat. I ended up getting into bed early and I am fairly sure I was asleep before 8:30. 

Been up early today so have done the following - 

1 load of laundry drying another in washer
Updated my bills and checkbook
Ordered a few things so they can arrive in early December and I won't need to remember to pick them up.

I am going to attempt to get up a few outside X-mas lights on the house. I realized that I can back my truck up and have a ladder in the back of the bed and get better reach of where the lights will go. At least that's my plan for the front of the house anyway. Still working on the hanging hooks the lights are attached too but, I have a decent start on them. Fingers and toes crossed I can get a string of lights up today.

[snapdragon]

I am beat.

I got 3 strings of lights up. I used a ladder instead of the truck. More maneuverability. 

By the end I was a tired and sweaty mess. So, I will live with 3 strings and maybe put up a 4th later this week. 

A shower has been taken and I'm thinking about watching something this afternoon. 

Laundry in the washer has been moved to the dryer too.

[startsmart]

Yesterday I rearranged furniture in my bedroom to be more spacious and I really like the results! I’m also bringing the small tv back in so that changed things too. I bought a new larger tv on a Black Friday sale and will pick that up today.

In other good news, my grant was funded so I have guaranteed funding through June 2026 which is very good news.

[jerseygirl]

Great news on grant funding smartstart!

[Iggy aka IG]

Thank you for the passport information, everyone!  I learn something new every day.

debthaven, I'm rescheduling due to timing. That is, if the scheduler calls me back from yesterday....  

Excellent job decluttering, holiday prepping and arranging, everyone.

The cats each behaved just as I thought they would.  My boy Charm had blast and kept an eye on me as usual.  His litter sister stayed on the step, then went around the corner, discovered the garage door was closed, then went back to the step and yowled at me to let her in.  Their shelter tortie sister accepted the "challenge" and dug in the snow and happily hopped around in it.  She and Charm supervised my snow clearing job, LOL.

Another WFH day today.  It continued snowing throughout the night and there's a foot on the ground in places.  I love days like this, as long as I don't have to drive in it.  The dishwasher has been emptied, the dishes done, ingredients for pie making pulled from the pantry, the ice cube bin is full, and I stored the couch throw pillows which will be replaced with Christmas pillows.  I'm hosting my neighbor family tomorrow.

Take care everyone. 

[Rukh O'Rorke]

I need to start digging out of this mess for the holidays!

gardening neighbor came and knocked on the door asking if I wanted leaf clean up so I said ok to that, I needed to do it quick and I was dragging anyway.

Got all my thanksgiving shopping done Tuesday, plus the tree which is still in the car  .

got a  bunch of recyling and garbage out, floors half cleaned. May try a bit more tonight, and the big push tomorrow before the cooking starts.

Just keeping pushing and see how far I get. I got a good start but wow - I was really snowed under there! Well most of tomorrow is virtual, going be online with DD, DS will be here (and helping with cleaning and cooking) and then the infamous virtual family game night with occur.

So tired! but need something to eat for sure!