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Post by ohblondie on May 15, 2014 9:07:55 GMT -5
OK...I want to jump on board. I have several eclectic goals that need to be accomplished at different points over the summer.
May/Early June: *Clear clutter behind kitchen island (about 10 boxes)Much of it is paper that needs to be filed. I have about 6 black filing crates that I was using. Much can be tossed only some will be saved. *Replace triple window in kitchen with sliding doors to the deck. *Get pool opened *Get back yard tidied...OK- dehoarded.
June 14th: DD graduates from grad school June 21: Grad school graduation party at house *Sliding door needs to be installed by then. *Pool clean and yard immaculate *Kitchen and downstairs needs to be presentable. We will find another venue in case of rain.
JULY/AUG/SEPT: Get upstairs 2nd bathroom empried (currently used as storage) Get upstairs hallway decluttered REMODEL BOTH BATHROOMS UPSTAIRS!!!!!
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Post by dtesposito on May 15, 2014 9:54:14 GMT -5
OnTheMend, how hot does it normally get by you in the hottest month? And how cold is most of your winter? I keep saying that I wish I could find a place to live that doesn't get hot--but the only places that don't get hot get to be 40 below for a good portion of the winter--and much as I love cold weather, that's a little too cold! And yes, I remember your catastrophe, because I remember thinking--that's why I avoid cleaning! Lucie, it's funny you mentioned interlibrary loan--we have a pretty good city-wide system, so I can get many of the books I want, but just recently I tried the interlibrary loan system, which I thought meant libraries outside the city. I requested two books through the system--one of the orders disappeared from my list with no explanation and no book ever arriving, and the other book did arrive, and the slip with it said it came from another regular city library. ?? So I'm not sure I know exactly how the system works--but the good thing was I didn't have to pay anything for the book that did arrive. Ohblondie, great to see you here! You have some major goals with the remodeling--do you have anything you need to do before you can have the sliding doors installed? As far as the filing goes, I know the advice is to handle everything as few times as possible, but have you considered just dividing the paper into file and out--then you can do the more time-intensive filing later. The advantage would be that you would be able to quickly get a large percentage of the paper out, that might give you motivation to finish the rest of it more quickly. And try not to divide your files into more categories than you need, that sucks up time. I have to catch up on regular stuff today, although I'm eager to start another category of purging. Maybe later I'll start looking at my hardware/household, or else the kitchen stuff. Diane
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Post by OnTheMend on May 15, 2014 10:19:21 GMT -5
Diana, warm welcome to move to Finland (pun intended!) but you might not like our winters The temperatures vary a LOT here, some summers are very cold and others are - what feels to me - almost tropical. I guess around 20 Celcius (68 F) degrees is pretty normal summer temp, but it can temporarily go as high as 30 Celcius (86 F) or a bit more, but those days are relatively rare. It's not unheared of to have 10 Celcius (50 F) in the summer either, but those days are also very rare. Maybe 17-25 Celcius (62.6-77 F) is the most common. Winters vary a lot too. Temps can be anywhere from +5 Celcius (or so) to -30 Celcius (-22 F), sometimes even more. Colder than -20 Celcius (-4 F) is relatively rare though, and usually only few days at a time. I'm guessing most usual winter temps are around -5 - -15 Celcius (23-5 F). Right now the temperature is about 8 Celcius (46.4 F) degrees. Our spring and falls are rather long, the year can be divided clearly into 4 seasons. Some say 5, if one would count the time between "real" autumn and "real" winter, where there are no autumn leaves or green anymore yet the snow hasn't fallen. It's so dark then!
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Post by sparkle on May 15, 2014 12:39:37 GMT -5
It was stupid. I deleted it. I'll post again later when I get my brain back.
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Post by ohblondie on May 16, 2014 7:41:18 GMT -5
OK. Window removal and sliding door install is set for Memorial Day Weekend. THat gives me a week. THis weekend I am busy both days but I can squeeze in some decluttering time.
first I will need to pack up my collectibles. I have a long shelf that runs over the window and I display my stuff there. I get many comments and compliments so that is going back. I will just need to take the breakables down and pack them up.
Next - I need to sweephe floor. SOunds pretty random but I would feel better if the floor looked better.
Cooler that my daughter used needs to get back in the mud room.
My kids have attacked the boxes of cereal and snacks on the island - so I can condense those into one box or basket
THere are a few boxes that never got uppacked when we put down the kitchen floor. THey will get hauled out and weeded through.
I have a really cool wooden ironing board that was in front of this window and was home to some plants. I will be losing that. I was down to one living plant so that is ok. Sadly this had become home to my boxes of Kcups. I will need to relocate them. We get big boxes at Sams Club. I do have a small bakers rack that holds some of my pampered chef stuff. maybe I can put it there.
I am keeping the ironing board. WHen we retire and move and sell this house - we are moving back to the two family we own. I know exactly where I am putting it. It is not a family heirloom - so if I change my mind in the next 10 years - I can get rid of it.
I have several black crates that I have filled with papers to be filed. I need to figure out where I am going to keep my filed stuff. Diane is right - I dont need to file it right away - but I do need to figure out where I am going to keep it.
I am excited. THis is going to be a very manageable chunk of work. Small bites, baby steps, you know. I will take pictures.......
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Post by Jannie on May 16, 2014 7:45:39 GMT -5
I can't join in on this thread, as I already have a project that's gonna take me to the end of the year. But I'm cheering everyone on!
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Post by sleepymom on May 16, 2014 11:05:45 GMT -5
Diane, sounds like you`ve made good progress with your holiday collection. Even when you don`t pare it down as much as you had hoped, it seems like it lays the groundwork for more, next time you get into it. I`ve used Freecycle both for getting rid of and acquiring things. Our local group recently changed to a more awkward format though, requiring people to log into a webside rather than just getting emails, so I don`t think to look at it often. One thing you could do, if you don`t want people coming to your home, is arranging a time to meet at a nearby parking lot, as long as your items aren`t too bulky to carry with you. The description of your kitchen makes me wish I were closer, I`d come over & put a new sink in for you! I`m sorry it`s all so non-functional. Our refinance paperwork was signed yesterday! We should be getting a check deposited next Tues The first step is going to be setting up a separate account for that money to rest in. Otherwise I can see it quickly disappearing into our regular spending I am going to have to arrange new estimates from the companies we talked to 2 years ago, and start getting the work scheduled. I do work, afternoons, 5 days a week, which is going to make scheduling anything a bother. Last summer, when I first started working at this preschool, they ended up laying me off most of the summer because the number of kids who had signed up didn`t end up staying. Having a paying job is so helpful, but right at the moment, I feel like I could use the free time more. I can probably schedule a few days off here & there when I need to. The painting, I`m planning to work on the prep work little by little, then take a long weekend, maybe, to get it done. I`m not in a huge hurry about any of it yet. Still feeling pretty good about all the work we`ve done the last month or so. I even managed to send a bag of books to donate to our library`s spring sale!
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Post by dtesposito on May 16, 2014 11:16:04 GMT -5
OnTheMend, your weather really looks perfect for me--I don't mind cold, I just wouldn't want it to be way, way below zero for an entire winter. I wouldn't mind periods of decreased sunlight either, I don't have the issues that some people have with getting depressed in winter--I'm the opposite, I get depressed in summer!!
Blondie, excellent work getting the window work scheduled already--you're not wasting any time getting started! I hope you do take pictures, at the very least I would love to see the end result.
Jannie, why don't you join in for the summer part of your project? If not, cheering is appreciated too!
Yesterday I hadn't intended to work on my goal but couldn't resist looking through some of the cabinets that have hardware/household stuff, and my kitchen things. I was listing places things were stored from memory, so when I actually went to look, I was surprised that there were some things in the cabinets that I didn't remember being there--one little drawer that I thought had hardware had rags in it, and I already have a bag of rags in my storage unit, so I moved them down there. I also had some more linens in my kitchen cabinet--and I had thought the linens were all in place. Some of the linens were more old towels that I had put aside for cat use, and I really have enough of those, so I moved those down as rags also. I moved a few things into my actual linen cabinet, because there was SPACE there, and I put a crocheted afghan out in the DR to think about. I love the way it looks, but I never use it. So it's on my list of things to contemplate. Another item to contemplate is a stuffed bear that I've been carrying around for about 20 years. It was given to me by someone I cared very much about, and I have never been about to let it go--and yet, it was sitting in a cabinet that I never look into anymore. So these two items either have to find a reasonable place here (which means getting rid of something else in their place) or else I have to let them go soon.
So I didn't really sort anything, and I only got rid of a few pieces of linen (I don't count the rags as being gotten rid of because I just moved them from one place to another) but I know what's there now, and I do have a whole empty shelf in the kitchen item cupboard where the linen was.
But then I went to two drawers in the built in cupboard in my bathroom, and purged some things from there. These drawers held a lot of miscellaneous household stuff, and now one drawer is completely full and organized, it holds disposable gloves, cleaning brushes and sponges, and some hair dryers. I had multiple hair dryers because I fostered kittens when working at the shelter, and they would need bathing and immediate drying. I'm getting rid of one hair dryer now, and will ask the people I know who still foster if they want the other extras. The second drawer is now 2/3 empty, it holds some small empty containers, and my bug kit. (Clear, see-through plastic bowl and sturdy piece of cardboard, used for taking bugs out of the apartment when necessary.) I also found some other things to get rid of and will eventually list them on the 2014 thread.
There is another area in the bathroom that has household cleaning products, plus a small kitchen cabinet too. Those shouldn't be too hard. After that is the actual hardware, which is going to make another big mess because I won't be able to know what to get rid of until I have it all spread out in one place. I will try to do the easy parts today, but save the big mess part for Sunday.
Diane
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Post by dtesposito on May 16, 2014 11:21:34 GMT -5
Sleepymom--YAY for the refinancing going through! And very wise of you to put it into a separate account. Yes, if you're gone every afternoon it's going to be more challenging.
Maybe there a chance they'll lay you off again this summer? Feels funny to be hoping for that, but I know what you mean. I'm sort of in the same boat, I really do need the money from my pet care jobs, but now that I'm feeling enthusiastic about purging I feel like I need to take advantage of that because I don't know how long it'll last. So I would like to not get a lot of extra work right now, but feel ungrateful when I say I hope no one calls me for extra jobs!
Diane
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Post by dtesposito on May 16, 2014 20:23:31 GMT -5
Today I worked on the kitchen items in the cabinet in the DR. I came up with a dozen or so things to get rid of, which isn't as much as I had hoped for. I was thinking, as I was trying to figure out how much of the cabinet to dedicate to these items, that it would really make more sense to put all of it on the top couple of shelves of the pantry, since it's food related. Of course, there isn't enough room for all of it now, because I still have too much food. So do I put some of it up there now (there's a little bit of room) and more later, or do I separate it permanently, or do I just leave it where it is now, especially since some of it is packed in very neatly and fits perfectly.
The cabinet has 4 medium sized shelves, one deeper shelf, and one shallow drawer. I've emptied one medium shelf and the deep shelf. I think I'll just leave it the way it is now, maybe if I ever really empty out the pantry I'll reconsider.
I'm coming to realize that I'm not really deciding on an amount of space and reducing to fit--yet. For this category, I just reduced as much as I could. I think I'll have to get farther along before I look again at spaces and how much I have to divide between the different categories.
I'm going to post in the 2014 items thread now with today and yesterday's items.
Diane
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Post by dtesposito on May 18, 2014 16:13:36 GMT -5
I've not gotten a whole lot done on this project lately, I got involved in moving a bookcase out of my closet and made a big mess that I'm still dealing with. However, in doing so, I did make room in my bedroom for a small stand that will hold my most used clothes--both freshly washed and anything that I've worn once but can wear again. So that's a small step towards my goal--eventually I'll want to do something better, but it's an improvement over leaving the dry laundry in the DR.
I've added a few purge items to my piles to get rid of because of the closet rearrangement.
Diane
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Post by ohblondie on May 19, 2014 11:39:26 GMT -5
OK....weekend was jam packed so very little got done at home. But I am fired up to get thru by this weekend.
We had our town wide parade and day long festival capped off by fireworks. I was responsible for manning two booths....I did a total of four hours. Did not feel well so I skipped the fireworks. THere was also a block party on my street - but I was not feeling well so I was sacked out on the sofa. Hubby was doing some work in the back yard and called me out to help him...(so I can call him for help when I am working inside?) Had a HUGE pile of scrap trim from inside the house when we did our painting and stuff last August/September. Got is all cut into smaller pieces and stuffed the pieces into dog food bages (we get the HUGE bags of dog food) These bags are sturdier and can handle the nails. THey are headed to the dumpster. Getting rid of them cleaerd off two chairs from the back yard. I did sweep the floor but you can hardly tell....will have to steam mop it tonight.
Did wake up to a random pink bike in the front yard - might have to walk it to the neighbor who planned the block party.
Sunday was a bus trip to the Yankee game...we went as a family. Fun but tiring.
Tonight is a meeting - my last for the month.
Tomorrow I will kick into high gear. I need a deadline. My daughter just came home from college so she is helping with some chores. SHe is responsible for getting the cooler out of the kitchen. And unloading the diswasher. And making dinner tonight.
I will get my son to mow the lawn. And to take our old fire pit for scrap. I will have him move some stacked pallets behind the woodpile.
I will concentrate on the kitchen and this weekend do some gardening.
I will take tons of pictures....I am so excited. It helps to focus on one project at a time and not be so distracted by 100's of projects.
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Post by dtesposito on May 19, 2014 20:37:13 GMT -5
Blondie, good work getting the family to pitch in!
I decided that even though I was distracted by the bookshelf thing, it can also count as part of my project, because the area it's being moved into is the one that has my fiction series books, so in going through them I'm purging a little. I should have the book rearranging done by tomorrow, and then I can start cleaning up the mess I made with this side-track project. Today I was out literally all day, although I might work a little bit before going to bed tonight.
Diane
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Post by dtesposito on May 21, 2014 10:22:21 GMT -5
In keeping with wanting my bookshelf project to count towards my summer goal, I decided to start going through and purging my fiction series books. I'm about half way going through them and I've come up with around 40 books to get rid of, which is okay considering I purged them about a year ago. My fiction series and also fiction authors who have a lot of books, are allowed the bookcases in the hallway, and boxes that fit on one dresser in my bedroom. When those spaces fill up it will be the one in one out rule. When I finish purging there will be room on the shelves (partly because I cheated by increasing the shelf space) and some room in the boxes too--so I will have some leeway. My other fiction is in boxes in the DR, and my nonfiction is in shelves in the LR and in boxes in the DR. It's the nonfiction that will be the biggest challenge, because the boxes/shelves are full, and I have new books overflowing the storage space. I purged those last year too. So whenever I get around to that purge it will be really hard.
When I finish with my fiction series books I'll have to go on to something non-book related, like finishing the household/hardware category.
Diane
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Post by lucie on May 21, 2014 11:08:48 GMT -5
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