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Post by 1rarebeautifuldove on Aug 16, 2015 1:10:10 GMT -5
Carrie - yes I think we can all understand what to do with those things that are maybes, things we like, but aren't so sure we want or are ready to part with them. And yet we only have so much space... I got another plant in the ground. I think I am going to get morning glories and transplant my jasmine to another location... I got more trash ready to go out. The cardboard does make good mulch. angela - I think seeing myself as a person who is into physical fitness, likes to do those things, as someone who is into self care - I just heard that tonight about hygiene - hair, skin, nails, teeth. I remember a few months ago, perhaps, (hard to keep track of days - weeks - months, when they go by so fast it seems) I heard that taking care of yourself is one way you demonstrate love and respect for the people that you love and respect. That it's ok to want to get fit and quit smoking because you love somebody, be it a child, spouse, grandchild. I got my days and hours mixed up with the gym today, and kept thinking they were open til 10 pm. So I didn't get there today, but that's ok. I'll get there tomorrow or Monday. Baby steps! I can send trash off from my mom's house if I get it there tomorrow. So, I may stop there after I drop the trash off. Maybe. Not sure. Sunday afternoon is my favorite time for a nap. Naps are seriously underrated.
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Post by lucie on Aug 16, 2015 5:50:28 GMT -5
I weighted myself ths morning and no change. Well, at least I did not put any up.
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Post by angela on Aug 16, 2015 14:21:19 GMT -5
Sold 7 roosters last night.
Waiting to hear from a Freecycler about picking up some things today. Hope it works out.
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Post by 1rarebeautifuldove on Aug 17, 2015 17:24:07 GMT -5
Angela - great job on selling roosters! They can fetch a good price sometimes! lucie - good job on not gaining weight - maintenance is good!
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Post by phoenixcat on Aug 19, 2015 8:26:45 GMT -5
EVERYONE on all your progress!! I'm leaving town until the 31st so unless I do a big push when I get back for me - this may be the last of this challenge. My list for this challenge was - 1) finish hanging up all the pictures, plaques, tapestries, quilts, shelves, etc. - actually start and finish 2) about 20% of this project requires more than just a nail - some stuff has to be re-framed or framed in the first place. Or repaired. So, I'll throw that on the list as well. 3) Finally finish putting out my stuffed animals 4) Straighten out my desk - it has become a catch all 5) Work on taxes - home and office. Yes, I did put out all of my stuffed animals! I have built and put out all the furniture we have including shelves. I did reframe one big art piece and it is hung up. I did go through all my office filing. My mom helped me file about half. The rest is organized to file. So my office desk looks good. I still have 75% or more of things to hang. Right now I have a guest bed fully covered of pictures, etc. My home desk is very much a work in progress. And, my tax project will be picked up again first week of September. GOOD LUCK everyone on your final few weeks. I'll catch you on the fall challenge!! PC
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Post by ohblondie on Aug 19, 2015 8:44:22 GMT -5
Carrie..I would love a porch like that. A table and some cahirs for games/dinner. A sofa or futon, a light and some books..... I would live out there all summer long!
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Post by dtesposito on Aug 19, 2015 8:57:30 GMT -5
Phoenixcat, I think you did great, considering how busy you are and how those types of things hang on after a move--I never did put things up on my walls that I planned to when I moved in here and that was 17 years ago! So you did good. Have a good trip! Just under 2 weeks left to the challenge, let's make a last push and try to get something done from our lists! There are a couple more easy decluttering things I can do, and I did order a little stand to replace the ugly milk crate on my kitchen counter. It's white and will be clean looking and I think it'll make a big difference in how that room looks. Although I have now spent enough money for this season (I still need to get a new microwave) so replacement of the boxes next to my cat table or the storage bin ottoman will have to wait. One thing I could work on is altering my new jeans, although that's about as appealing as blind-cleaning to me! I've been getting along okay with 2 pair because I've been doing more small loads of laundry and will occasionally use the pay dryer in the basement (which actually heats!) But it would be very nice to get the other 2 done and have 4 pair of jeans that fit all at the same time--I don't know when the last time that happened. I'm already thinking about the next challenge--I've got two rooms that are getting messy (pantry and 2nd BR) and that need a lot of work. Diane
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Post by angela on Aug 19, 2015 13:57:56 GMT -5
phoenixcat, you really got a lot done! We all start with big lists and I think most anything done is a wonderful thing. Oh dtesposito, I've got a pair of jeans to take up, they've been sitting there all summer. I looked at the list I posted and I haven't gotten any further on that list. I've been working so hard on the sorting and decluttering. Which is good but the basic maintenance and refining of my primary living spaces has taken a back seat. I think I'll push through S's old papers then I'll take a sorting break and do some of those little areas that I just didn't get to my first round through.
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Post by 1rarebeautifuldove on Aug 19, 2015 15:06:22 GMT -5
dtesposito I agree --- just a couple weeks left, a lot can get done in a couple weeks! angela I totally understand maintenance taking a back seat to sorting and decluttering. I tend to do the same thing. Which is why I took that thread to heart about Maintenance being the real true goal here. And that there is no time like the present to begin to learn new habits and have them be a part of you. I'm trying to do maintenance, or something that falls in that category first each day. Vacuum the floor, wash the dishes, or dust something. Today for example, I came on to post in WITs - I had a morning appointment at the gym. I began to type "made bed" - then I paused and thought "did I?" So I went and looked, YES I did make my bed! Was it perfectly made? No but that's ok. On less hurried mornings, I can work on making it perfectly to make that a habit. Now that I'm doing it, I can do it better. I feel like I've made a lot of progress, maybe I'm not all the way there yet... but that's ok. I keep taking steps, no matter how small. I've started working on my garden. I still have plants to get in the ground. I will get a couple more in today. And as a reward for going to the gym, and getting a personal trainer, I bought a baby princess tree. Each trip to the gym won't warrant flowers, but today was special. It was to wish myself success. I can tell that I have grown, personally. I am beginning to see me from a different perspective. I'm looking forward to seeing how much I can get done this next two weeks.
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Post by Serendipity on Aug 19, 2015 19:36:30 GMT -5
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Post by dtesposito on Aug 20, 2015 19:13:41 GMT -5
Serendipity, I'm big on dividing things down into little steps, that would work well for your bathroom. SO much easier to talk yourself into doing a tiny step at a time than the whole job at once.
Today the small two-shelf storage cube that I bought for the kitchen arrived. It looks really good in the corner where the milk crate was, and the box that holds my spices fits on top so that the very tiny counter in front of it is totally clear. It really does make the kitchen look so much neater, I was inspired to declutter and clean surfaces and sweep as soon as it was set up. There are just a couple of other easy decluttering things on my list, I'm going to try to do those before the end of the month.
Diane
SUNPORCH
Get rid of two bins I have by the windows. Get something that looks a little nicer than the bin in front of the loveseat.
LIVING ROOM
Main desk has two paper holders on it that look a little messy
I have a pile of books on one bookshelf that are going to the little libraries, it's gotten too tall and looks silly DONE There are two bags of CDs, one behind the desk, one in plain view under a small stand, that are extras that I can't decide what to do with
My bird supply basket is overflowing DONE Get rid of book bin by the fireplace. Replace the two boxes that form part of the steps up the little table next to my computer My computer desk has a holder on the side for paperwork that is in progress. It usually has too much stuff in it and looks messy and overflows
ENTRYWAY
Look through and get rid of 2 shopping bags on the closet door DONE
One bookshelf has books put in every which way and looks messy DONE
Purge/organize glove basket on table DONE
HALLWAY
Completely redo "books to be read next" table. DONE One of the book cases has books going every which way and needs to be straightened up
DINING ROOM
Move dollhouse? Partially purge two book baskets which hold books I'm keeping and waiting to put away in the correct place. Figure out what to do with junk in corner: 2 large framed prints, and behind them, a pumpkin decoration, a shopping bag full of...I think, shopping bags? a large pot that I'm not sure I'm going to keep, and my exercise mat Some of my book storage boxes are leaning to the side and look really bad
Take trunk down to storage unit DONE--out to alley
KITCHEN
Replace storage milk crate with something that looks better DONE
Total purge, cleaning and reorganizing of under sink area, including finding storage containers that fit there DONE
BATHROOM
Replace shower caddy thing hanging over the sink Replace CD player? Or remove rust?
PANTRY
Figure out something better for the food shelves than what I have now
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Post by 1rarebeautifuldove on Aug 20, 2015 19:51:22 GMT -5
dtesposito great job on your list! You have a couple areas "DONE" that is super wonderful!!!! Plus I like that as soon as the kitchen was done, it inspired you to keep it that way! I think that's the best part! Here's my list from before with what I've achieved on there noted. The living room has and needs - Christmas Mountain needs to be put away and donated
- the treadmill desk - cleaned and books put away
if the horses go to their retirement home, so will the rest of their stuff (much of their stuff is already gone to their new home), the lady came but they wouldn't load on the trailer, I think the horses being here is related to some mountain of clutter, not sure which one- hang the picture of the hotel on the wall next to the piano
move the loveseat from master bedroom to the living room donated along with family room sofa that matched it
- 5 boxes of things by the hutch where I keep my music
- music books put away
- bring harp from craft room to living room, it was moved in there last summer so no harm would come to it when they did work here
- it would be nice to order the rosettes and buy molding for the doorway between living room and family room/kitchen
- I hope my brother will pick up the bag of drywall stuff that was going to go on the columns, we just decided to paint them
- put wallpaper for faux caps and bases on the 3 columns
The family room - dining table cleared
- end table donated
- clear shelves on top of dresser that I use as a hutch
- clear make shift counter island (desk top on a wooden crate)
Make progress and or clear away entirely the following mountains of clutter: - Red Carpet Range in family room
- Mysterious Mountain in craft room, necessary to access the harp
- Procrastinator's Hills in smaller closet
- Secret Mountain - in larger closet
- Shower Ridge
- Sawhorse Hills in master bath
Odds and ends: - hang drapes in Master Bedroom
- hang curtain rod on other window
- paint columns in bedroom
It would be nice to get a good start on the hummingbird and butterfly garden as well. And de-vine the pigeon aviary. And along the fence. That wild vine smells for me. I don't mind the vine coverage. I mind the smell. I don't like if climbing my oak as it will likely kill it. got a good start on the hummingbird and butterfly garden find charger for video camera - I really am not that fond of snakes but I had a garden snake visit my front garden area yesterday. He was the funniest snake I have ever seen. I would have really liked to have recorded him as he went about exploring all my plants. planted 3 shrimp plants planted 2 Indian Hawthorn planted all 5 altheas planted 3 butterfly bushes, 2 little ones, one big one planted 2 sapphire showers skyflower trees de-vined a good chunk of the fence pulled 3 bags of weeds today planted princess tree planted coral honeysuckle - 2 planted cape honeysuckle - 2 planted powder puff bush planted 2 bottle brush trees planted hamelia patens 1 planted firework plant 1 plant pale pink rose bush plant hot pink rose bush separate and plant 3 blue salvia plants - one pot into 3 plants separate and plant crepe myrtles - 5 pots into however many plants keep weeding keep devining as much as is possible Self Care Goals and Achievements joined a gym start increasing speed for time intervals on treadmill at home, I've been at < 1 mph with that being the fastest. Even if I go up for 2 min at a time to 2 mph it would make a difference. had assessment with personal trainer - signed up to work with personal trainer - I will meet with her twice a week, in addition to me going in to use their equipment on a 3rd and possible a 4th day my main goals are posture, functional fitness and lost 40 pounds
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Post by dtesposito on Aug 20, 2015 22:09:56 GMT -5
Vyaspigeon, you've checked off a lot of things from your list, especially gardening--I'll bet your yard looks good. I notice you have a Christmas mountain--are these decorations? You know, you'll need them again in just a couple of months! Diane
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Post by angela on Aug 21, 2015 0:08:34 GMT -5
Oh good Heavens, look at those checked off to-do's! You guys are awesome.
I think I am really a fail at this challenge, given that I got so sidetracked off into the Doom Room and the book sorting. So much else got neglected.
Today, I kept myself from more sorting in the living room and tried to get some basic maintenance things done. Did a little bit, including laundry. But I've really let things slide, I need a couple solid days to get things back in order maintenance wise.
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Post by dtesposito on Aug 21, 2015 9:36:14 GMT -5
I think I am really a fail at this challenge,
So pretend that you had put the doom room and the books on the challenge, which means you were an amazing SUCCESS on this 2 month challenge!
Diane
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