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Post by dtesposito on Dec 31, 2016 23:01:05 GMT -5
Please join in for a two-month challenge to get some projects done! They can be decluttering, maintenance, personal care, creative projects--whatever will make a difference in your life. Beginning date January 1st (or whenever you decide to join in) and end date February 28th.
Then come back frequently and report how you're doing.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
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Post by dtesposito on Jan 1, 2017 15:44:59 GMT -5
I have 2 projects that I want to do for sure in the next two months, and two that are maybes.
The 2 definite are taxes, and my 2nd bedroom.
The 2nd bedroom has changed function over the years, when I first moved to this place 20 years ago it house my adopted aggressive cat who could not be around my other cats. Then it became an orphan kitten room when I took care of orphans for the shelter I worked for. Then it was a bird room, then a book room. It's still a book room, and also a plant room--but ever since I moved the pigeon out a couple of months ago, and then took apart the shelving in front of the LP shelving, and then started a sort of the LPs so I could rid of most of them--that room has been a disaster.
The albums are sitting in bags, waiting to get rid of. I have the "sale" book shelf partly emptied because I'm getting rid of those books too, but I will need to fill that back up again with the trade books I'm keeping. There are too many plant items, I only have 2 windows so I can't fill the whole room with plants, ever--so I don't need all the extra plant containers--at least, not in that room. There are still some boxes of miscellaneous books and odd stuff that I stored in that room, under the two tables. I have too much packing material, it needs to be cut down.
Some days I have to move things around in order to walk, and now that I've gotten rid of so much clutter that's very annoying to me--I have gone backwards in that room, and now I need to go forward.
So my goal for the next two months is to go through everything, and ruthlessly purge the plant stuff and the odds and ends and the packing material. The books will stay, put neatly on the shelving units. I'm working on getting a charity to pick up the 10 bags of albums (as well as 10 bags of books) and if I can't make that happen by the end of January I will start bringing them in my shopping cart to some other charity.
It's a small room, and has a lot of stuff packed into it--which is okay, as long as I can walk around. Any storage bin or box has to be under the two tables, and they have to look neat, not messy. Besides the actual furniture, there will only be a few items sitting on the floor--a shredder, a vacuum cleaner, my space heater and possibly a stack of newspaper if I can't figure out another plan for that (needed for bird cages, so it'll be there permanently). That's it--nothing else on the floor. Everything else has to look neat, even if it looks crowded. Surfaces with plants by the windows have to be neat and clean.
The cleaning/straightening up part of this is easy, the letting go of things will be hard. This is the only room that still has extra stuff in it, as in, I haven't really concentrated on purging stuff like I have in all the other rooms. So that part will be what takes effort.
Now--the 2 maybe projects.
I have a skinny book case that has been sitting in front of a large bookcase in my entryway for the past...I don't know, 15 years or so. Both bookcases are full of my keeper books. I would like to move the skinny bookcase to the spot next to the tv where I had moved my "old" bookcase--an old case with all of my pre-1940 books in it. That "old" bookcase is a little too large for the spot, I don't really like it there. There is only one spot left where it can possibly go instead, and that is in the DR. But, if I move it there I have to clean out more stored books, ones that are part of the ongoing effort to either donate or give to the little libraries. I honestly don't know if enough of the books will be gone in 2 months to move the bookcases. It would be great, but if I can't do it I'll just move it forward to the next challenge.
The last goal is to get a little library for our building. I have already gotten approval from the other condo board members, and I have sent a couple of emails back and forth to the person who takes care of this in our neighborhood. If this works out, and it's not definite yet, I would have to put the kit together by the time the weather gets warm so it can be installed when they can dig a hole for a post. So, if this actually happens, I will have to work on putting the thing together, so that will be part of my challenge. This last one is up in the air.
So:
1. 2nd bedroom purge and cleanup 2. Taxes
and
3. Possible move of bookcase 4. Possible construction of little library
Diane
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Post by RoadRunner on Jan 2, 2017 9:53:05 GMT -5
Quick post of goals for the next 2 months....
Finish Taxes by end of January Clean out closets, dressers DSs room organized Hallway organized AG & BB Packed Away InDesign & Premiere Garage
I will have to come back later and blog a bit about each, @next actions ect.
Now halfway into January and I have still not updated specifics of my goals for the two month challenge. I have also not been very consistent at taken the next best action to met any of the task that I would like to complete. I need to be more specific in my goals the why and the rewards and what comes next.
Finish Taxes by end of January
This is still a very doable goal at this point, however if I do not get a move on I will miss my mark. Why -- To avoid penalties we have to file by March to avoid penalties, we usually file two weeks before April 15.
Reward -- I want to get this monkey off my back so that I can focus on other task/goals....get rid of the dread I can go ahead and get this years tax stuff organized, and work on it monthly so that next year the work to be done in January will be minimal I will feel accomplished
@next once done -- Change recorded keep system...ie get rid of the piles and get organized
Clean out closets, dressers I will have to shoot for February for compilation of this task, however my goal is to work towards finishing the task 10 mins a day.
Why -- Clothes are out of control I need to declutter all the drawers and closets.....A Place for Everything and Everything in its place.
Reward -- Putting Away clothes will be less time consuming and frustrating I always put of things I would really like to do, so once I finish this clean out I will reward myself with a crafty task.
@next once done -- Project TBA -- Possible refinish dresser, crochet, sew
AG & BB Packed Away This task will also not be completed until the end of February. This has been an elephant in my house for over a year now, it is time to deal with it.
Why -- DD has out grown so it can be packed up for hopefully her daughter.
Reward -- Satisfaction of knowing that it is packed up and safe until DD is ready for it Clear up floor space in my dinningroom
@next once done Clean out bookcase and computer hutch DSs room organized DSs room is cluttered with stuff that is not his as well as his stuff
Why-- It just needs to be done
Reward-- Satisfaction of knowing his room is neat and tidy Help him set some routines to keep neat and tidy
@next once done Put together lego Star Wars Battleship
Hallway organized InDesign & Premiere Garage
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Post by dtesposito on Jan 2, 2017 11:20:37 GMT -5
next actions
Roadrunner, thanks for reminding me that we should get specific in our goals, I did want to have some smaller steps that I can aim for weekly so I stay on track. I considered keeping track of how much time I spend on my 2nd BR project this since I'm trying to attack it 10 minutes at a time, but figured that would serve no purpose and would probably be counterproductive, making me worry about deducting time if I get sidetracked, etc. So I nixed that idea.
I think a lot depends on when I can get the bags of LPs out of there, because they are obviously impeding progress. But there's still a lot I can do in the meantime. I'll break down some steps this afternoon.
Diane
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Post by phoenixcat on Jan 2, 2017 11:25:12 GMT -5
Two months: 1) Finish what I'm calling my "circle back" - going back through sections of the house - drawers, closets, etc. and re-organizing/purging. 2) Do the same thing at DM's - her first floor has regained a lot of the ground we won a few years ago 3) Hire handy person at least twice to help hang things and do some minor maintenance tasks. 4) Get a quote on re-doing the master bath - has water damage and we knew it was coming sooner than later. 5) Taxes - personal and business. 6) Start work on pictures during DM's visit 7) Establish daily/weekly maintenance tasks Good luck everyone!! PC
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Post by lucie on Jan 2, 2017 12:14:59 GMT -5
I have been putting a lot onto myself during the last 6 months and my body is letting me know this is not the right way by this cold I cannot get rid off, so my goals for this challenge will be simpler: clear out the kitchen for the new flooring (workers are coming this Wednesday) clear out the hallway and bathroom for the new flooring (workers are coming on January 13th) put everything back in place go to the office re homeowner tax. unpack the last box - the family documents
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Post by lucie on Jan 4, 2017 1:56:56 GMT -5
The kitchen is cleared out. The company is coming this morning to pull down the old flooring and prepare the surface for the new cover. The new flooring will be put down next Tuesday. clear out the kitchen for the new flooring (workers are coming this Wednesday) clear out the hallway and bathroom for the new flooring (workers are coming on January 13th) put everything back in place go to the office re homeowner tax. unpack the last box - the family documents
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Post by def6 on Jan 4, 2017 21:01:04 GMT -5
I want to get everything done so that I can goof off when it is beach weather
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Post by dtesposito on Jan 7, 2017 22:22:00 GMT -5
Hello phoenixcat!
Lucie, it sounds like you're nearing the end of the big remodeling, hopefully by now the kitchen flooring is installed?
Def, I don't know where you live, but here it's a long way from beach weather, so you can get a lot done by then.
I've been chipping away randomly at the mess in the 2nd BR, I still haven't come up with my baby step list, and I think that's because the bags of LPs are still taking up half the room (well, 1/4 of the room) so I can't even mentally "see" what I need to do. What I've done so far is tackle some of the miscellaneous piles of books that are in there--I have a bad habit of having a few books in a particular category (like, still have to check on computer, or, I want to look through one more time before donating)--but I don't label them because I think I'll remember what they are. Then I promptly forget, and have to look at them all over again. So I've been getting through some of that (and actually getting them into the donation pile or wherever) and then also getting rid of obvious garbage or recycling. The room looks a lot better already, but until I know when the donation bags will be picked up I feel like I can't really throw myself into this project. The main thing I have to purge are the excess plant items, and I can't even reach them right now.
That means this coming week I'll try to do something about my other project, the taxes--I can check the IRS website and see if the new forms are up, and I still have to write neat, permanent copies of my income/expense lists.
One whole week of January is gone already...how does that happen?
Diane
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Post by creativechaos on Jan 8, 2017 1:03:54 GMT -5
ok. there are 4 - #3 will be ongoing. the others will hopefully be done relatively quickly. then i will add two more. don't want to try for over 4 at any given time.
2015 and 2016 taxes. do 2015, start 2016. apply for medicare clean up for inspection sometime in Feb (date unknown yet) fill out rest of recertification papers and finish recert by 1/20.
ongoing: continue in desqualoring and dehoarding efforts.
oops. another i forgot: Q 4 2016 state taxes!
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Post by lucie on Jan 8, 2017 10:55:17 GMT -5
Diane, the new flooring in the kitchen will be put down on Tuesday. That stuff under it needs to dry properly first. After this flooring challenge there will be just two things left to do: new windows and new kitchen counters. Sometime this year...
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Post by dtesposito on Jan 10, 2017 11:05:22 GMT -5
Lucie, okay, so there is more to do...the windows will be a big project. But you'll save a lot in heating/cooling costs once that's done.
I managed to download all the tax forms I'll need, so now it's just waiting for the other documents I need. I'm still chipping away at the 2nd BR, I did clean and move out a bird cage that was blocking access to the plant stuff and have gotten a look at what's in that corner. It's all partial bags of various potting soils, containers and utensils for digging. I know this fits under the category of "life I would like to lead". I would love to have plants at every window, especially in the sunporch which is all windows. However, as long as I have cats, that's not going to happen. My cats are 15 and 18 years old, they will not be with me forever, but if I ever decide not to have cats after they pass on, I can always get more plant containers. That's one thing I find in alleys all the time while dog walking--I have no fear of not being able to get plant pots.
So...what I need to do is get rid of most of the containers, throw out the cheap, insubstantial ones, and maybe put one small pile of them in my storage area, if I can make room.
There is one place where I can have plants that the cats won't reach, that would be hanging from the sunporch windows. But, I can't afford to go out and buy fully mature hanging plants, and I don't want to have baskets up there with a few pitiful plant pieces, waiting for them to grow. Maybe I can find a couple of hanging baskets and try to start some plants in the 2nd BR, and if they ever look good, bring them out to hang up. I know someone who has spider plants and I'm sure she would share cuttings. I'll think about that.
In the meantime I have to let go of the idea of being in a lush forest--nice as that would be, I love my cats more than the plants. So the next part of this project is getting rid of plant stuff.
Diane
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Post by imamess on Jan 10, 2017 11:14:50 GMT -5
I've been thinking about this challenge for a week now and I really don't know if I can get it accomplished since it really depends on the weather. I finally moved the chest of drawers from the bedroom into the living room for two reasons; 1 to give me room to move a bookcase so that I could have heat in the bedroom and 2 to stage it to be easier to put in the truck and take to dd's.
The next step is emptying the matching dresser and taking them both to dd's house. This is very weather dependent. After that I want to purchase and put together some tall narrow cabinets like the ones in the sewing room, position them where the dresser is now and turn that area into paper and craft storage.
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Post by dtesposito on Jan 10, 2017 11:21:37 GMT -5
Ima, do you have anywhere to stash the dressers until you can bring them to your daughter's? If your house is small I can see where that would be hard. Is everything in the dresser now going to go into the new cabinet that you buy, or will some have to find a new home? I hate when I get enthusiastic about a project and then it's delayed by something that I can't control. Diane
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Post by imamess on Jan 10, 2017 12:03:38 GMT -5
Ima, do you have anywhere to stash the dressers until you can bring them to your daughter's? If your house is small I can see where that would be hard. Is everything in the dresser now going to go into the new cabinet that you buy, or will some have to find a new home? I hate when I get enthusiastic about a project and then it's delayed by something that I can't control. Diane No, I don't have anywhere else to put the furniture. That's what is so frustrating. DD really wants the pieces, but winter is not really the time to start this. The dresser is sitting full and has two drawers of 'stuff' that doesn't really go into the new cabinets. Well, at least I've got a plan and know exactly what it will take to accomplish it. The piles in front of the dresser are decreasing and that's helping a lot.
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