Today, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. (or, I'm breathing the air from the end of the tunnel?) I think I'm finally starting to kick this cold! It was the first time in 5 or so days that I had a phone conversation that didn't go like this:
me: Hello?
other person: Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?
Yes, I can hear you.
Are you on speaker phone? Cause I can hardly hear you.
No, no speaker phone. I'm sick.
What? I didn't get that. You must be in a spotty area. Are you in the car?
No, I'm home. I'm sick.
What was that?
I'm home. I'm sick.
You keep fading in and out. Are you holding the phone away from your head or something?
No, I'm sick. I have no voice.
You're what?
SICK! I'M SICK!
Oh, wow! That's not the phone? That's your voice?
Yes.
Ok, I'm hanging up. I'll text you.
I can actually sort of talk now. So it's good. I have a zillion things to do right now, most work related, but every time I sit down to do them, I get fuzzy headed and can't think straight. So next week is going to be busy.
Plus, that 30 workouts in 30 days thing? Not going so well. Either I'm doing a lot of doubles later in the month or its a lost cause.
But I AM still getting rid of stuff, which is going swimmingly. I was able to drag myself to the thrift shop today with two bags of stuff. Including:
another book, another shirt, a holiday tin that I had from last year that just isn't practical for using as gift wrap this year. A pair of running shoes went into the shoe recycling container at the running store. And I pulled out some craft materials to give to my oldest niece.
There just may be room in here for some new stuff come Xmas!
Today's Joy:
Saw the Harry Potter movie with my two best buds. It was good!
Showing posts with label simplify. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simplify. Show all posts
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thanksgiving purge
In addition to eating lots of turkey, being thankful, and being active I also spent my long weekend doing a little purging. This week, I got rid of:
While switching out the warm weather PJs for the cold weather PJs I filled the donation bag with:
1) flannel pants
2) flannel boxers
3) 2 T shirts
4) a pillowcase
then, I went through the bookcase and pulled 5) a book that I was never going to read and put that in the donation bag, too.
Pulled a couple more 6) magazines from the basket to bring to the gym.
And finally, on the bathroom shelf, I have a nice little 7) basket of lotions and candles. Its really nice, but I have so many lotions and scrubs and candles and such, I can't possibly use them all. Its fairly new and has never been opened. So...I'm re-gifting it as a Secret Santa thing for work. (making totally sure that this did not come from a co-worker!)
Feeling significantly lighter (despite all the food I ate on Thursday!)
While switching out the warm weather PJs for the cold weather PJs I filled the donation bag with:
1) flannel pants
2) flannel boxers
3) 2 T shirts
4) a pillowcase
then, I went through the bookcase and pulled 5) a book that I was never going to read and put that in the donation bag, too.
Pulled a couple more 6) magazines from the basket to bring to the gym.
And finally, on the bathroom shelf, I have a nice little 7) basket of lotions and candles. Its really nice, but I have so many lotions and scrubs and candles and such, I can't possibly use them all. Its fairly new and has never been opened. So...I'm re-gifting it as a Secret Santa thing for work. (making totally sure that this did not come from a co-worker!)
Feeling significantly lighter (despite all the food I ate on Thursday!)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Busy weekend, simplified
I had a fun, busy, exhausting weekend. It was really crazy busy in town! This should not surprise me. It's Plymouth, Massachusetts, the site of the original Thanksgiving Day celebration. And the weekend before is when the parade, festivals, concerts, etc, take place.
People come from all over. And yet, I'm still amazed. Really? You came all the way here to this little town on the water in the November cold for Thanksgiving? I live here and I almost skipped the parade!
Of course, not having the foresight to get there early, I had to park 2 1/2 miles away and had a nice little walk to and from the parade. Today, I did the Turkey Chase (freezing! I really should have worn more layers!), saw a bluegrass band, and went to the farmer's market. Overall, a good weekend. So why am I stuck in complaint mode, cursing the cold? Some people just can't be pleased, eh?
At home, I continued to purge. Its becoming a habit once, again; one I may continue through December. Just because I'm a typical American with way too many things and a preponderance to accumulate more.
So this week, I got rid of:
1) Two pairs of socks (donation)
2) A zip up hoodie I haven't worn in over a year (donation)
3) A bunch of sunglasses cases I don't even know how I got (donation bag)
4) A large storage tin with snowmen painted on it (donation)
5) Some holiday print cloth napkins -- don't know how I got those, either (donation)
6) Went through a few more magazines in the basket and brought those to the waiting area at work
7) Threw out a small bottle of lotion that looked a bit congealed.
At this rate, I should be ready for another trip to the thrift store next week!
Today I am grateful for:
1) warm clothes
2) comfort food
3) good books
4) good friends
5) the promise of a short work week ahead!
People come from all over. And yet, I'm still amazed. Really? You came all the way here to this little town on the water in the November cold for Thanksgiving? I live here and I almost skipped the parade!
Of course, not having the foresight to get there early, I had to park 2 1/2 miles away and had a nice little walk to and from the parade. Today, I did the Turkey Chase (freezing! I really should have worn more layers!), saw a bluegrass band, and went to the farmer's market. Overall, a good weekend. So why am I stuck in complaint mode, cursing the cold? Some people just can't be pleased, eh?
At home, I continued to purge. Its becoming a habit once, again; one I may continue through December. Just because I'm a typical American with way too many things and a preponderance to accumulate more.
So this week, I got rid of:
1) Two pairs of socks (donation)
2) A zip up hoodie I haven't worn in over a year (donation)
3) A bunch of sunglasses cases I don't even know how I got (donation bag)
4) A large storage tin with snowmen painted on it (donation)
5) Some holiday print cloth napkins -- don't know how I got those, either (donation)
6) Went through a few more magazines in the basket and brought those to the waiting area at work
7) Threw out a small bottle of lotion that looked a bit congealed.
At this rate, I should be ready for another trip to the thrift store next week!
Today I am grateful for:
1) warm clothes
2) comfort food
3) good books
4) good friends
5) the promise of a short work week ahead!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Another Week Of Simplifying
One more week of purging down...
I have to admit, I've been a little laxidaisical about it this week. Could be I'm tired from the time change (whenever we change the clocks, I have like 10 days where I can't fall asleep at nite, even though in the fall, I should fall asleep easier!), could be I'm still pretty overwhelmed. But then again, that's why I started this purging thing in the first place!
1) Under the sink in the bathroom, I had a tube of Biofreeze that had kind of...solidified. No use to anyone now! In the trash
2) Went through the basket with magazines. I pulled out any articles or recipes that looked of interest to me, and put the rest in my gym back to give to the gym.
3) Went through the pile of catalogs I had put aside and did a little Xmas shopping online. Then put the catalogs in the recycling bin.
4) Pulled out a pair of socks to put in the donation bag.
5) Since I am mailing a bunch of Xmas gifts directly to the recipiants (wrapped and everything. Love online gift giving!) I went through the supply of boxes I had put aside for shipping purposes and put a bunch in the recycling pile
6) After the Ruckus, I threw out socks, underwear, and gloves. Not really sure if I should count this, but I am.
7) Pulled out a Tshirt I've had forever but never wear. But it reminded me of my neice. So I gave it to her today when I went over to visit.
And there we are. 7 things lighter this week, hopefully more energy next week.
Today I am grateful for:
1) Keeping in touch with friends who are far away
2) Xmas shopping early
3) I'm sore as heck today, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to feel that way!
4) That I get to visit my neices more easily now
5) And get to see my Dad. (and that my Dad is healthy enough to run in his own 10k while I'm Ruckusing away!)
I have to admit, I've been a little laxidaisical about it this week. Could be I'm tired from the time change (whenever we change the clocks, I have like 10 days where I can't fall asleep at nite, even though in the fall, I should fall asleep easier!), could be I'm still pretty overwhelmed. But then again, that's why I started this purging thing in the first place!
1) Under the sink in the bathroom, I had a tube of Biofreeze that had kind of...solidified. No use to anyone now! In the trash
2) Went through the basket with magazines. I pulled out any articles or recipes that looked of interest to me, and put the rest in my gym back to give to the gym.
3) Went through the pile of catalogs I had put aside and did a little Xmas shopping online. Then put the catalogs in the recycling bin.
4) Pulled out a pair of socks to put in the donation bag.
5) Since I am mailing a bunch of Xmas gifts directly to the recipiants (wrapped and everything. Love online gift giving!) I went through the supply of boxes I had put aside for shipping purposes and put a bunch in the recycling pile
6) After the Ruckus, I threw out socks, underwear, and gloves. Not really sure if I should count this, but I am.
7) Pulled out a Tshirt I've had forever but never wear. But it reminded me of my neice. So I gave it to her today when I went over to visit.
And there we are. 7 things lighter this week, hopefully more energy next week.
Today I am grateful for:
1) Keeping in touch with friends who are far away
2) Xmas shopping early
3) I'm sore as heck today, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to feel that way!
4) That I get to visit my neices more easily now
5) And get to see my Dad. (and that my Dad is healthy enough to run in his own 10k while I'm Ruckusing away!)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A week's worth of simplifying
I am a firm believer in the idea that your external environment has a direct relationship on your internal frame of mind. Since I have been feeling so out of control, overwhelmed, and overextended lately, I took a look around the Garaje Mahal and decided that it was time for some purging.
It's funny: I actively try to downsize and purge on a regular basis, as well as limiting the amount of new stuff that I bring into the house. Yet I still somehow end up drowning in stuff. What's up with that?
So this week, I went through the kitchen and found
1) a mini blender that I had gotten as a secret Santa gift from work. It's nice for making smoothies and protein shakes, but really? I have a full size blender and a shaker cup that I use more often. Into the bag for the second hand store.
2) Four plastic tumblers that came as part of a set for freezer containers. The containers I use for all the crock pot soups I've been making. The cups? Not so much.
3) A glass goblet I'm ashamed to admit that I swiped from a restaurant. It's been sitting on my counter filled with potpourri. That went into the second hand bag, as well.
4) While paying bills, I noticed I had two calculators. Plus, calculator functions on my computer and my phone. (Plus, the ability to do basic math skills in my head or with a pen and paper. That's a skill I really should use more often lest I lose it completely) So one of the calculators went.
5) Went through the bookshelf and pulled down two books. Another of my goals this year has been to systematically READ all the books on the bookshelf. But let's face it. Some books were just a bad decision and I'll never read them. So I'll pass those along at the second hand store, too)
6) I have a music CD that somebody gave me for meditation or yoga or tai chi or whatever. I've never listened to it. So into the bag that goes.
7) While changing the summer clothes for the winter clothes, I managed to pull out two bags of clothes that I don't need anymore.
I feel lighter and less burdened already. (And after the purging of the As We Change catalog, I found that I am apparently quite fetching to guys 10 or so years younger than me while at the bar seeing my friend's band. Or maybe that was the beer. I'm going with me.)
Today I am grateful for:
1) an extra hour of sleep
2) Advil
3) movies that you watch over and over
4) environmentally friendly cleaners that smell good
5) seeing friends find their passion
It's funny: I actively try to downsize and purge on a regular basis, as well as limiting the amount of new stuff that I bring into the house. Yet I still somehow end up drowning in stuff. What's up with that?
So this week, I went through the kitchen and found
1) a mini blender that I had gotten as a secret Santa gift from work. It's nice for making smoothies and protein shakes, but really? I have a full size blender and a shaker cup that I use more often. Into the bag for the second hand store.
2) Four plastic tumblers that came as part of a set for freezer containers. The containers I use for all the crock pot soups I've been making. The cups? Not so much.
3) A glass goblet I'm ashamed to admit that I swiped from a restaurant. It's been sitting on my counter filled with potpourri. That went into the second hand bag, as well.
4) While paying bills, I noticed I had two calculators. Plus, calculator functions on my computer and my phone. (Plus, the ability to do basic math skills in my head or with a pen and paper. That's a skill I really should use more often lest I lose it completely) So one of the calculators went.
5) Went through the bookshelf and pulled down two books. Another of my goals this year has been to systematically READ all the books on the bookshelf. But let's face it. Some books were just a bad decision and I'll never read them. So I'll pass those along at the second hand store, too)
6) I have a music CD that somebody gave me for meditation or yoga or tai chi or whatever. I've never listened to it. So into the bag that goes.
7) While changing the summer clothes for the winter clothes, I managed to pull out two bags of clothes that I don't need anymore.
I feel lighter and less burdened already. (And after the purging of the As We Change catalog, I found that I am apparently quite fetching to guys 10 or so years younger than me while at the bar seeing my friend's band. Or maybe that was the beer. I'm going with me.)
Today I am grateful for:
1) an extra hour of sleep
2) Advil
3) movies that you watch over and over
4) environmentally friendly cleaners that smell good
5) seeing friends find their passion
Monday, January 4, 2010
From decluttering to projects
Though I was absent from Bloggie Land for the past week, I was continuing with the decluttering goal. And since I like to have everything all neat and tidy and tied up with a little red bow, here's the LAST of the decluttering posts from 2009:
December 22 thru December 31:
1 pair of socks and a sweatshirt to the clothing donation bag
2 books that were given to me that I just am not going to read to a bag to give to my sister in law (she is prego once again and will be on bedrest as she was with her previous 2 pregnancies. She needs lots of books to get her through)
One more book I had that I wanted to give to Slacker Boy. I read it on the plane and passed it on
Then, I read one more book and left it in the airport with a note that said "Free Book" nice surprise for a fellow traveler.
I planned the toiletries for the trip so that there was very little left of a tinted moiturizer with sunscreen and body lotion. Just tossed the rest rather than carry back on the plane
Cleaned up the miscellaneous papers on the desk and fridge and put the un-needed in the recycling pile
Lastly, the zipper on my carry on backpack broke on the trip. I guess I got a fair amount of use, since I've been using this thing since high school! It has become the next clothing donation bag.
And there we are: 365 things in 365 days.
As I come to an end, I've found that I can't stop. I've gotten rid of two things in the 2 days I've been home! So, it's become a habit and part of a lifestyle, just as I had hoped.
Frequently during 2009, I came across something that was less of a declutter and more of a project. Sometimes, I got around to the projects, but more often than not, they ended up in the project box, waiting for me to get around to it.
2010 is when I get around to it!
My simplifying goal for 2010 is to address all those projects that were unearthed in the decluttering. I'm aiming to complete 52 projects in 52 weeks.
Also, since I still feel like I'm drowning in books, I'm aiming to read 52 books in 52 weeks. (I reserve the right to keep the book when I'm done, though)
And also, just a a way to try to live with less impact, I'm aiming to aquire NO plastic bags from shopping (I still sometimes leave my reusable bags in the car, but this year I'll go back and get them before I reach check out) and use NO disposable plates at work (I bought a plate and bowl that I keep in my desk at work, but also sometimes forget to bring them to the cafeteria. 2010, I gotta turn around and go get them)
Lastly, in trying to recycle even more, I'm aiming to have no more than one bag of garbage per month. I'm sure I can do it.
as Thoreau said...SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY
December 22 thru December 31:
1 pair of socks and a sweatshirt to the clothing donation bag
2 books that were given to me that I just am not going to read to a bag to give to my sister in law (she is prego once again and will be on bedrest as she was with her previous 2 pregnancies. She needs lots of books to get her through)
One more book I had that I wanted to give to Slacker Boy. I read it on the plane and passed it on
Then, I read one more book and left it in the airport with a note that said "Free Book" nice surprise for a fellow traveler.
I planned the toiletries for the trip so that there was very little left of a tinted moiturizer with sunscreen and body lotion. Just tossed the rest rather than carry back on the plane
Cleaned up the miscellaneous papers on the desk and fridge and put the un-needed in the recycling pile
Lastly, the zipper on my carry on backpack broke on the trip. I guess I got a fair amount of use, since I've been using this thing since high school! It has become the next clothing donation bag.
And there we are: 365 things in 365 days.
As I come to an end, I've found that I can't stop. I've gotten rid of two things in the 2 days I've been home! So, it's become a habit and part of a lifestyle, just as I had hoped.
Frequently during 2009, I came across something that was less of a declutter and more of a project. Sometimes, I got around to the projects, but more often than not, they ended up in the project box, waiting for me to get around to it.
2010 is when I get around to it!
My simplifying goal for 2010 is to address all those projects that were unearthed in the decluttering. I'm aiming to complete 52 projects in 52 weeks.
Also, since I still feel like I'm drowning in books, I'm aiming to read 52 books in 52 weeks. (I reserve the right to keep the book when I'm done, though)
And also, just a a way to try to live with less impact, I'm aiming to aquire NO plastic bags from shopping (I still sometimes leave my reusable bags in the car, but this year I'll go back and get them before I reach check out) and use NO disposable plates at work (I bought a plate and bowl that I keep in my desk at work, but also sometimes forget to bring them to the cafeteria. 2010, I gotta turn around and go get them)
Lastly, in trying to recycle even more, I'm aiming to have no more than one bag of garbage per month. I'm sure I can do it.
as Thoreau said...SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY
Monday, December 21, 2009
December decluttering
HAPPY SOLSTICE EVERYONE!
I'm looking forward to longer days and more sunshine, albeit cold and snowy days.
I've been lax on updates on the decluttering, but I assure you, the decluttering continues. It's been a good year, getting rid on one thing a day (or more). It seemed to be a better fit for me than just going through a giant clean sweep once or twice over the year. Now it feels like a habit; I find myself looking at things differently and letting go more easily. I've also reassessed my buying habits and I'm not buying things unless I really need them.
Plus, I've come up with some different projects for the course of 2010. (more on that later)
Week of Dec 1 thru 7:
I got rid of 4 books: 2 meant something to me during a different time in my life but no longer seemed necessary. 2 were books I had started and haven't finished a few times. This week, I thought: "why do I have to finish them? I don't even like them!" Into the donation bag they went. I also put a sweatshirt, a t-shirt, and a pair of socks into a clothing donation bag.
Week of Dec 8 thru 14:
Getting Xmas gifts together to wrap, I pulled out the rubbermade container of things set aside for re-gifting! Four gifts pulled out and re-gifted! Plus, I was able to wrap all my gifts this year without buying wrapping paper, tissue paper, or ribbon. I pulled out the gift bags, leftover wrapping paper, tissue paper, and ribbon from last year and reused it all this year. I went through all the papers on my desk and pulled the papers I didn't need anymore to the recycling pile. Finally, the quickest turnaround of all: I got a gift card in a birthday card from a friend. Though I really liked it, there is somebody in work who really really needs a gift card like the one I just got. So I passed it on.
Week of Dec 15 thru 21:
I got a new jacket as a present. So I got rid on an older jacket. And while I was at it, a fleece, a pair of jeans, a hat, some gloves, and 2 pairs of socks. Into the clothing donation bag. I know somebody out there needs these more than I do.
Monday, November 30, 2009
decluttering is spreading
Oh miracles of miracles...my de-cluttering project has spread! My mom, the world's greatest shopaholic and almost as great packrat, has found some inspiration in the decluttering. She has started her own decluttering project! And wonderfully, she has uncovered a number of Christmas presents that she bought last year (or maybe even earlier) and decided to wrap em up and give them this year.
"I don't have to do nearly the amount of shopping I thought I did" she told me.
Good for Mom!
As for me, I found myself back in the bathroom this week. Even though I said the bathroom is in maintenance phase, it's been looking a little...sloppy lately.
Nov 24: I have a decorative bowl in the bathroom that I had a bunch of corks in. Last year, I saw a message board made with old corks from wine bottles. I liked it and thought that I would make one. Well, I've been saving wine corks for about 15 months and I have -- four. (It takes between 30 and 40 to make the message board) I'm more of a beer girl. I will never make this corkboard. So I threw out the corks.
Nov 25: Same bowl, I had a few coupons for toiletries. They expire soon and I don't need to buy anything new for a while. Put those in the recycling.
Nov 26: I had a giant bottle of shampoo from Costco that came with a pump handle. When I finished the shampoo, I kept the pump handle for...something. Now it's being recycled.
Nov 27: I went through the things under the sink and pulled everything out of the packaging so it fit better. The packaging went in the recycling.
Nov 28: I have a bag with a bunch of beaded necklaces. Pulled out a couple I will never wear and put them in the donation bag.
Nov 29: Put a couple more magazines in the gym bag to give to the gym.
Nov 30: Dropped the donation bag in the drop box on the way to work today.
One more month left!
HELPFUL TIP:
Don't get rid of your old cellphone. Keep a backup. Wish I had when my cell phone snapped in half this weekend. You know those free phone offers the cell phone companies have? They go right out the window if you are not at the end of your two year contract! Fortunately, I have a pack rat friend with about 4 old cell phones who was more than willing to give me an old one. Lesson learned.
Don't get rid of your MP3 player, either. If your ipod acts up, you may need something when jogging while your ipod gets serviced!
"I don't have to do nearly the amount of shopping I thought I did" she told me.
Good for Mom!
As for me, I found myself back in the bathroom this week. Even though I said the bathroom is in maintenance phase, it's been looking a little...sloppy lately.
Nov 24: I have a decorative bowl in the bathroom that I had a bunch of corks in. Last year, I saw a message board made with old corks from wine bottles. I liked it and thought that I would make one. Well, I've been saving wine corks for about 15 months and I have -- four. (It takes between 30 and 40 to make the message board) I'm more of a beer girl. I will never make this corkboard. So I threw out the corks.
Nov 25: Same bowl, I had a few coupons for toiletries. They expire soon and I don't need to buy anything new for a while. Put those in the recycling.
Nov 26: I had a giant bottle of shampoo from Costco that came with a pump handle. When I finished the shampoo, I kept the pump handle for...something. Now it's being recycled.
Nov 27: I went through the things under the sink and pulled everything out of the packaging so it fit better. The packaging went in the recycling.
Nov 28: I have a bag with a bunch of beaded necklaces. Pulled out a couple I will never wear and put them in the donation bag.
Nov 29: Put a couple more magazines in the gym bag to give to the gym.
Nov 30: Dropped the donation bag in the drop box on the way to work today.
One more month left!
HELPFUL TIP:
Don't get rid of your old cellphone. Keep a backup. Wish I had when my cell phone snapped in half this weekend. You know those free phone offers the cell phone companies have? They go right out the window if you are not at the end of your two year contract! Fortunately, I have a pack rat friend with about 4 old cell phones who was more than willing to give me an old one. Lesson learned.
Don't get rid of your MP3 player, either. If your ipod acts up, you may need something when jogging while your ipod gets serviced!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Unorganized chaos
Thanksgiving is this week, but it seems like the holiday season started last week! Suddenly, the whirlwind of activity had begun. I went to see the Tran Siberian Orchestra on Thursday with a friend. Then, I did a little Xmas shopping Friday and saw Santa Claus at the mall. Saturday, after a long run, I went to the movies with my friend and her teen aged daughter to see New Moon. Sunday was a Turkey Trot, the Thanksgiving festival at the waterfront, and watching the Patriots game with Dad. Fortunately for me, I have spent the last year decluttering, so everything went smoothly and easily from one organized moment to the next....Not!
I was late finishing laundry on Saturday which meant I was a little late to start my run. I had just enough time to shower and quickly dress to get to the movie theater. Except that the steam from the shower set off the smoke detector. So I started waving a towel over my head to clear the air under the smoke detector. And the towel accidentally hit a wooden sign hanging over the bathroom door that says "Imagine". The imagine sign fell off the wall and hit a big spider plant I have between the bathroom and the front entry way. Then the spider plant flipped off its stand and spilled water and potting soil all over the floor. The pot landed on my shoe basket and knocked a few shoes out. The shoes bounced down the stairs and right into my recycling pile, knocking aluminum cans down the rest of the staircase.
I couldn't have orchestrated that chain of events if I had planned it for months in advance.
Apparently, I still have too much stuff in my apartment.
So this week, I got rid of:
Nov 17: I went through the papers on the fridge and put all the expired papers in the recycling.
Nov 18: I went through the medicine drawer in the kitchen and got rid of an expired inhaler.
Nov 19: I put I book I finished into the book donation bag.
Nov 20: Changed the sheets today. I have some scented linen spray I spritz the mattress with when I change the sheets. It smelled...off. Very alcohol-y. Not very scent-y. So it got tossed.
Nov 21: Returned a library book.
Nov 22: I had a pair of sunglasses that got cracked. I figured, "I can fix this." So I did. With a dab of glue. But then the lens popped out. And I thought: "I can fix this." SO I did. And then the earpiece fell off. And I thought: "I could take an eyeglass kit and fix the hinge." But today, I just threw them away. Because, really, I can just buy another pair.
Nov 23: Finished another book and put it aside to give to a friend.
Now....how an I accident proof my life?
I was late finishing laundry on Saturday which meant I was a little late to start my run. I had just enough time to shower and quickly dress to get to the movie theater. Except that the steam from the shower set off the smoke detector. So I started waving a towel over my head to clear the air under the smoke detector. And the towel accidentally hit a wooden sign hanging over the bathroom door that says "Imagine". The imagine sign fell off the wall and hit a big spider plant I have between the bathroom and the front entry way. Then the spider plant flipped off its stand and spilled water and potting soil all over the floor. The pot landed on my shoe basket and knocked a few shoes out. The shoes bounced down the stairs and right into my recycling pile, knocking aluminum cans down the rest of the staircase.
I couldn't have orchestrated that chain of events if I had planned it for months in advance.
Apparently, I still have too much stuff in my apartment.
So this week, I got rid of:
Nov 17: I went through the papers on the fridge and put all the expired papers in the recycling.
Nov 18: I went through the medicine drawer in the kitchen and got rid of an expired inhaler.
Nov 19: I put I book I finished into the book donation bag.
Nov 20: Changed the sheets today. I have some scented linen spray I spritz the mattress with when I change the sheets. It smelled...off. Very alcohol-y. Not very scent-y. So it got tossed.
Nov 21: Returned a library book.
Nov 22: I had a pair of sunglasses that got cracked. I figured, "I can fix this." So I did. With a dab of glue. But then the lens popped out. And I thought: "I can fix this." SO I did. And then the earpiece fell off. And I thought: "I could take an eyeglass kit and fix the hinge." But today, I just threw them away. Because, really, I can just buy another pair.
Nov 23: Finished another book and put it aside to give to a friend.
Now....how an I accident proof my life?
Monday, November 16, 2009
declutter update
This week, I moved into the living room area for decluttering. I started in the magazine basket and that turned into a giant project. See, the magazine basket has become a bit of a catch all area. So in the past, there was no problem getting 7 items right out of the top without digging all the way to the bottom. This week, I went digging!
Nov 10: Started with the catalogs. I pulled out ALL the catalogs and put the expired catalogs in the recycling. Then, I took all the catalogs that I'm ordering Xmas gifts from and placed the orders. So I could put those in the recycling too.
Nov 11: Pulled out any magazine that I was done with and put them aside to give to the gym.
Nov 12: Then, I went through the magazines I kept and ripped out any articles I wanted to read. Put THOSE aside to give to the gym.
Nov 13: Ok, now I was left with a giant pile of pages from magazines. Some I had saved for a web address or to look up a particular person. I pulled out all those and looked everything up. (It's much easier to just keep the web address in my favorites than to keep the entire magazine page) The pages went into recycling.
Nov 14: Then the rest of the magazine pages: they were either filed in specific file folders for different subjects or read and tossed.
Nov 15: They are collecting food at the gym for a food pantry for Thanksgiving. Went through the cabinets today and pulled out a bunch of canned food to donate.
Nov 16: Went through the other two baskets under the coffee table today (thank goodness they didn't take as long as the magazine basket!) Pulled out any unneeded papers and put them in the recycling.
Back to the kitchen next week!
Nov 10: Started with the catalogs. I pulled out ALL the catalogs and put the expired catalogs in the recycling. Then, I took all the catalogs that I'm ordering Xmas gifts from and placed the orders. So I could put those in the recycling too.
Nov 11: Pulled out any magazine that I was done with and put them aside to give to the gym.
Nov 12: Then, I went through the magazines I kept and ripped out any articles I wanted to read. Put THOSE aside to give to the gym.
Nov 13: Ok, now I was left with a giant pile of pages from magazines. Some I had saved for a web address or to look up a particular person. I pulled out all those and looked everything up. (It's much easier to just keep the web address in my favorites than to keep the entire magazine page) The pages went into recycling.
Nov 14: Then the rest of the magazine pages: they were either filed in specific file folders for different subjects or read and tossed.
Nov 15: They are collecting food at the gym for a food pantry for Thanksgiving. Went through the cabinets today and pulled out a bunch of canned food to donate.
Nov 16: Went through the other two baskets under the coffee table today (thank goodness they didn't take as long as the magazine basket!) Pulled out any unneeded papers and put them in the recycling.
Back to the kitchen next week!
Monday, November 9, 2009
back to the stoarage area
It's funny...I had been dreading that storage area until I finally got down there and really CLEANED it. Now, decluttering there is easy, because I know where everything is. (or maybe it's the rubberized floor mat so my feet don't have to go on the cement) Whatever, the case, decluttering in the storage area was super easy this week:
November 3: Gave a sweatshirt that is too big for me to K
November 4: Fleece vest that I no longer wear in the donation bag
November 5: Fleece pullover that I no longer wear in the donation bag
November 6: Two-for today (since I was away on Sat)
Scarf to the donation bag (scarf with a story....stay tuned)
Hat to the donation bag.
November 8: Wallet that I no longer use in the Goodwill bag
November 9: Laundry day...two pair of socks that I just don't like in the donation bag.
That donation bag is filling up! Next up...the living room area.
November 3: Gave a sweatshirt that is too big for me to K
November 4: Fleece vest that I no longer wear in the donation bag
November 5: Fleece pullover that I no longer wear in the donation bag
November 6: Two-for today (since I was away on Sat)
Scarf to the donation bag (scarf with a story....stay tuned)
Hat to the donation bag.
November 8: Wallet that I no longer use in the Goodwill bag
November 9: Laundry day...two pair of socks that I just don't like in the donation bag.
That donation bag is filling up! Next up...the living room area.
Monday, November 2, 2009
decluttering the office
Today started out as a beautiful fall day and eventually gave over to rain. It was weirdly nice to watch the weather turn outside the window. The light changes were fascinating. I guess you're wondering how I could have been working while I was paying so much attention to what was going on outside....I'll tell ya, I'm an amazing multi-tasker!
And I'm also an amazing de-clutterer!
Last week, I was back in the office area.
October 27: In the desk drawer, I found a pen-again. It's a uniquely shaped pen that you hold differently. It was designed to be more comfortable, I guess. People with Parkinson's disease, for some reason, tend to have an easier time writing with a pen-again than a regular pen. So I took the pen into work and donated it to the Parkinson's group.
October 28: I had a stack of business cards in the desk of people I clearly needed to contact someday. Of course, I have no idea who any of the people on the business cards are anymore. So the cards went into the recycling.
October 29: I went through the three drawers in the file cabinet.
October 30: Any paperwork I no longer needed went into recycling or a shredding pile.
October 31: I also compiled a project pile. Go figure.
November 1: Hanging on the bookshelf was a name badge holder that I have had since I was a student on internship. A head injured patient made it for me. I have been carrying that thing around with me ever since. I could never throw it away, because somebody made it for me. The thing is, it's really trashed. It's completely falling apart. So I took a picture of it, to preserve the memory, and threw the actual name badge holder away. I'll make a scrapbook page of the picture or something. (great. Another project)
And I'm also an amazing de-clutterer!
Last week, I was back in the office area.
October 27: In the desk drawer, I found a pen-again. It's a uniquely shaped pen that you hold differently. It was designed to be more comfortable, I guess. People with Parkinson's disease, for some reason, tend to have an easier time writing with a pen-again than a regular pen. So I took the pen into work and donated it to the Parkinson's group.
October 28: I had a stack of business cards in the desk of people I clearly needed to contact someday. Of course, I have no idea who any of the people on the business cards are anymore. So the cards went into the recycling.
October 29: I went through the three drawers in the file cabinet.
October 30: Any paperwork I no longer needed went into recycling or a shredding pile.
October 31: I also compiled a project pile. Go figure.
November 1: Hanging on the bookshelf was a name badge holder that I have had since I was a student on internship. A head injured patient made it for me. I have been carrying that thing around with me ever since. I could never throw it away, because somebody made it for me. The thing is, it's really trashed. It's completely falling apart. So I took a picture of it, to preserve the memory, and threw the actual name badge holder away. I'll make a scrapbook page of the picture or something. (great. Another project)
Monday, October 26, 2009
clutter vs. projects
As October draws to a close, I'm left thinking that the year is almost over. And my decluttering journey is heading that way, as well. Three weeks ago, I came to the conclusion that the bathroom is pretty much decluttered and merely needs maintenance. One week ago, I came to the same conclusion about the kitchen. This week, I discovered something similar, but slightly different about the bedroom.
Oct 20: I had an old stuff sack from camping by the side of the bed. The liner is pretty much trashed and leaves bits of all over the place any time I put something in or take something out. So I completely trashed it.
After that, I realized that I've already gone through the clothes, the bedside tables, under the bed, the three drawer dresser. The clutter is gone. What is left is ... projects. Things I still want to work on, but will take a bit of time to accomplish. Projects may be my big goal for next year.
On the other hand, I still have plenty of clutter in the office and living room area!
Oct 21: I have a pile of catalogs that I had put aside for Xmas gifts. I went online and ordered everything from those catalogs I needed and put the catalogs in the recycling.
Oct 22: Then I went through the magazines and pulled a few to give to the gym.
Oct 23: The pile of charitable donation requisitions sitting on the coffee table was the next thing to attack. I decide which I was donating to, wrote out a check, and put the rest in the recycling.
Oct 24: Then I went through the pile of financial info I had, filed what needed to be filed, shredded and recycled the rest.
Oct 25: Next were some packets of literature I had on some work related topics. I read through them and decided that I didn't need to keep them at home. I put them in my work bag to share with everyone at work.
Oct 26: Over the weekend, I finished another book. I thought a friend of mine from work would like it. So today I brought that to work, too, to give to a friend.
SO next week, I'll be back decluttering in the office. Clutter be gone, projects await!
Oct 20: I had an old stuff sack from camping by the side of the bed. The liner is pretty much trashed and leaves bits of all over the place any time I put something in or take something out. So I completely trashed it.
After that, I realized that I've already gone through the clothes, the bedside tables, under the bed, the three drawer dresser. The clutter is gone. What is left is ... projects. Things I still want to work on, but will take a bit of time to accomplish. Projects may be my big goal for next year.
On the other hand, I still have plenty of clutter in the office and living room area!
Oct 21: I have a pile of catalogs that I had put aside for Xmas gifts. I went online and ordered everything from those catalogs I needed and put the catalogs in the recycling.
Oct 22: Then I went through the magazines and pulled a few to give to the gym.
Oct 23: The pile of charitable donation requisitions sitting on the coffee table was the next thing to attack. I decide which I was donating to, wrote out a check, and put the rest in the recycling.
Oct 24: Then I went through the pile of financial info I had, filed what needed to be filed, shredded and recycled the rest.
Oct 25: Next were some packets of literature I had on some work related topics. I read through them and decided that I didn't need to keep them at home. I put them in my work bag to share with everyone at work.
Oct 26: Over the weekend, I finished another book. I thought a friend of mine from work would like it. So today I brought that to work, too, to give to a friend.
SO next week, I'll be back decluttering in the office. Clutter be gone, projects await!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday's decluttering
It's Monday, and that means its time for decluttering update. This week, I found myself back in the kitchen, and I decided to attack the under-the-sink-area. That has been the disaster area that I have been avoiding. But you know what? Once I dove in and started decluttering it, I found that it wasn't as bad as I thought. It just needed to be neatened up. So...like the bathroom, I think the kitchen is officially in maintenance mode.
Oct 13: Threw out a couple sponges that were looking like they've seen better days.
Oct 14: Went through the papers on the fridge and took out all the outdated stuff. Put them in the recycling bin.
Oct 15: Went through the food cabinets and consolidated everything. Took out some cardboard storage containers and put those in the recycling bin.
Oct 16: Took the clothing bag down to the donation center today.
Oct 17: Took the book bag down to the used book store and exchanged those for some store credit.
Oct 18: Put a pair of socks in a new clothing donation bag!
Oct 19: Went through the cleaning rags under the sink and pulled out some stained rags. I gave them to a friend who works at a vocational school to be used as shop rags.
Onward to the bedroom next week!
Today's Awesome: I'll tell you what. I didn't feel awesome today. I was exhausted. I was trying to eat more healthfully and failed after my cottage cheese that I packed turned out to have turned. (blech) I walked into the waiting area to get a patient and heard a woman say to her husband: "Doesn't she look tired?" Yeah. Thanks. I wanted to just come home and go to bed after work. But I dragged myself to the gym. And felt better. And made my favorite awesome squash and spinach salad with pomegranete seeds for dinner. It turned out to be quite an awesome day.
Oct 13: Threw out a couple sponges that were looking like they've seen better days.
Oct 14: Went through the papers on the fridge and took out all the outdated stuff. Put them in the recycling bin.
Oct 15: Went through the food cabinets and consolidated everything. Took out some cardboard storage containers and put those in the recycling bin.
Oct 16: Took the clothing bag down to the donation center today.
Oct 17: Took the book bag down to the used book store and exchanged those for some store credit.
Oct 18: Put a pair of socks in a new clothing donation bag!
Oct 19: Went through the cleaning rags under the sink and pulled out some stained rags. I gave them to a friend who works at a vocational school to be used as shop rags.
Onward to the bedroom next week!
Today's Awesome: I'll tell you what. I didn't feel awesome today. I was exhausted. I was trying to eat more healthfully and failed after my cottage cheese that I packed turned out to have turned. (blech) I walked into the waiting area to get a patient and heard a woman say to her husband: "Doesn't she look tired?" Yeah. Thanks. I wanted to just come home and go to bed after work. But I dragged myself to the gym. And felt better. And made my favorite awesome squash and spinach salad with pomegranete seeds for dinner. It turned out to be quite an awesome day.
Monday, October 12, 2009
awesome decluttering
I'm winding down what, for me, was a four day weekend. I slept a lot over the past four days, averaging 8 to 8 1/2 hours of sleep per night. Which is good. Because I feel like I've been fighting something for the past week: headaches, slightly queasy, very tired. Not enough to feel sick, just enough to feel a little out of it. And I'm feeling better this evening.
The other thing on my list this weekend was winterizing: moving the furniture from summer configuration to winter configuration, putting away the tank tops and shorts while pulling out the sweaters, and cleaning out the storage area to put down a rubberized mat.
And, of course, decluttering:
Oct 6: It was a very wet summer here. And the storage area at the bottom of the stairs is unfinished; there is a cement floor. It's been cool and damp there, hence the rubberized mat idea. (It might make things a bit warmer in the winter, too) But as a result of the wet summer and cement floor, I had an unpleasant surprise while cleaning the storage area: two pair of leather shoes were MOLDY!! Gross. They went into the trash.
Oct 7: I also came across three cardboard boxes that were moldy. Trashed them, too.
(incidentally, those discoveries just about doubled the cleaning time as I was disinfecting up a storm, as well as sweeping, organizing, and cutting rubber mat to size)
Oct 8: Pulled out a sweatshirt I don't wear. Put that aside for my friend, S, as she was just commenting last week that she wanted a white hoodie. I'll give that to her tomorrow when I see her.
Oct 9: Finished a book: Losin' It by Valerie Bertinelli. Was a nice little trip down Van Halen lane for me. I put that aside to give to S when I give her the sweatshirt.
Oct 10: While going through the summer clothes, I pulled out 7 items and put them in the donation bag.
Oct 11: Then, while pulling out the winter clothes, pulled 7 items out and put those in the donation bag, as well.
Oct 12: Finally, I went through my work pants. I've been noticing that some of my pants have been bagging around the waist and hanging weird. So I tried on all the pants, pulled out all the weird fitting pairs, and put them aside. J and S get first dibs, anything they don't want are going in the donation bag.
And now...this weekend's AWESOME-NESS:
Oct 9: a nice, long, restful sleep!
Oct 10: A fantastic workout at the gym, followed by a crisp fall bike ride.
Oct 11: Renaissance Fair. Fun, and I think I'm past the point of going to Renaissance Fairs.
Oct 12: Saw my brother, sister in law, and 2 nieces for a visit. Had a great meal of turkey with all the fixin's .
Short work week coming up....awesome!
The other thing on my list this weekend was winterizing: moving the furniture from summer configuration to winter configuration, putting away the tank tops and shorts while pulling out the sweaters, and cleaning out the storage area to put down a rubberized mat.
And, of course, decluttering:
Oct 6: It was a very wet summer here. And the storage area at the bottom of the stairs is unfinished; there is a cement floor. It's been cool and damp there, hence the rubberized mat idea. (It might make things a bit warmer in the winter, too) But as a result of the wet summer and cement floor, I had an unpleasant surprise while cleaning the storage area: two pair of leather shoes were MOLDY!! Gross. They went into the trash.
Oct 7: I also came across three cardboard boxes that were moldy. Trashed them, too.
(incidentally, those discoveries just about doubled the cleaning time as I was disinfecting up a storm, as well as sweeping, organizing, and cutting rubber mat to size)
Oct 8: Pulled out a sweatshirt I don't wear. Put that aside for my friend, S, as she was just commenting last week that she wanted a white hoodie. I'll give that to her tomorrow when I see her.
Oct 9: Finished a book: Losin' It by Valerie Bertinelli. Was a nice little trip down Van Halen lane for me. I put that aside to give to S when I give her the sweatshirt.
Oct 10: While going through the summer clothes, I pulled out 7 items and put them in the donation bag.
Oct 11: Then, while pulling out the winter clothes, pulled 7 items out and put those in the donation bag, as well.
Oct 12: Finally, I went through my work pants. I've been noticing that some of my pants have been bagging around the waist and hanging weird. So I tried on all the pants, pulled out all the weird fitting pairs, and put them aside. J and S get first dibs, anything they don't want are going in the donation bag.
And now...this weekend's AWESOME-NESS:
Oct 9: a nice, long, restful sleep!
Oct 10: A fantastic workout at the gym, followed by a crisp fall bike ride.
Oct 11: Renaissance Fair. Fun, and I think I'm past the point of going to Renaissance Fairs.
Oct 12: Saw my brother, sister in law, and 2 nieces for a visit. Had a great meal of turkey with all the fixin's .
Short work week coming up....awesome!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Well, this week, I had planned on going back through the bathroom in the decluttering marathon. But, nicely, the bathroom is actually pretty much the way I want it. The rest of the apartment, though, looks like a giant paper-and-book-bomb exploded. My projects are in various states of completion all over. If I'm really serious about decluttering, the bathroom was not where I needed to be this week.
Sept 29: ok...in the bathroom...there was an old swim cap from a race hanging on the doorknob. threw out!
Sept 30: went through all the paper scraps on the computer desk and organized. Everything I still needed went in the proper project folder, anything I didn't in the recycling
Oct 1: Went through the project folders today and organized those. ANything I didn't need also went in the recycling
Oct 2: I had a goodie bag from a golf tournament fund raiser that a patient of mine had. In the bag were lots of dog related items (the fund raiser was for seeing eye dogs) Since my Dad loves dogs (especially yellow labs) I gave him all the doggie stuff inside.
Ok, now that the apartment was looking a little less chaotic, I could head back to the bathroom. And yeah, I did find some things that could go
Oct 3: I have some zip lock bags under the sink I keep for traveling toiletries. But a couple were looking a little gross. I rinsed em out and put them in the recycling
Oct 4: Did you know that lip balm expires? Well, I have a tube that has an expired date on it. throw out
Oct 5: Oops, my vitamins expired, too. I put the vitamins in the compost. Can vitamins be composted?
Next weekend is a four day weekend for me....I'm attacking the storage area!!
Today's Awesome: It was a perfect fall day, weatherwise! Yeah, I was at work, but I still enjoyed it. And my windows are open tonight. And no more rooster to contend with! AWESOME.
Sept 29: ok...in the bathroom...there was an old swim cap from a race hanging on the doorknob. threw out!
Sept 30: went through all the paper scraps on the computer desk and organized. Everything I still needed went in the proper project folder, anything I didn't in the recycling
Oct 1: Went through the project folders today and organized those. ANything I didn't need also went in the recycling
Oct 2: I had a goodie bag from a golf tournament fund raiser that a patient of mine had. In the bag were lots of dog related items (the fund raiser was for seeing eye dogs) Since my Dad loves dogs (especially yellow labs) I gave him all the doggie stuff inside.
Ok, now that the apartment was looking a little less chaotic, I could head back to the bathroom. And yeah, I did find some things that could go
Oct 3: I have some zip lock bags under the sink I keep for traveling toiletries. But a couple were looking a little gross. I rinsed em out and put them in the recycling
Oct 4: Did you know that lip balm expires? Well, I have a tube that has an expired date on it. throw out
Oct 5: Oops, my vitamins expired, too. I put the vitamins in the compost. Can vitamins be composted?
Next weekend is a four day weekend for me....I'm attacking the storage area!!
Today's Awesome: It was a perfect fall day, weatherwise! Yeah, I was at work, but I still enjoyed it. And my windows are open tonight. And no more rooster to contend with! AWESOME.
Monday, September 28, 2009
keep on decluttering
ok, so I've calmed down a bit since yesterday. I had a ridiculously productive day at work (though still left a giant pile of paperwork on the desk unfinished) and completed two assignments from my online class. I think that maybe in my decluttering, I need to declutter my commitments? Anyhow...
Last week I didn't post, because I was at a U2 concert!! But I DID get the decluttering done in the front hallway.
Sept 15: broke down a few boxes and put em in the recycling bin
Sept 16: went through a milk crate of my grandfather's stuff-- put some writing aside for a later project, put some towels in the laundry, repurposed some decorative boxes, and put some stuff into a pile to bring to work
Sept 17: put a sweatshirt into the donation bag
Sept 18: finished a book and put it into a book donation bag
Sept 19: a few more magazines to donate to the gym
Sept 20: pulled a book from the front bookcase and put that in the book donation bag
Sept 21: cleaned off the bulletin board and put outdated stuff in the recycling pile
Then, I moved onto the bedroom. The bedroom is actually looking quite good, its more in a maintenance phase, as well.
Sept 22: Went through the drawer in the bedside table. I threw out some papers that I didn't need any more.
Sept 23: went through the "missing socks" bag...threw out any sock that had been in there for way too long.
Sept 24: I had a decorative candle on the bedside table... aside from almost being gone, it was melted not from burning, but from the one week of hot weather we had in summer. Threw that away
Sept 25 - Sept 28: Ok, sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and get it over with. Opened each drawer in turn and pulled one or two items of clothing to put in the donation bag.
Moving along, moving along, moving along.
Last week I didn't post, because I was at a U2 concert!! But I DID get the decluttering done in the front hallway.
Sept 15: broke down a few boxes and put em in the recycling bin
Sept 16: went through a milk crate of my grandfather's stuff-- put some writing aside for a later project, put some towels in the laundry, repurposed some decorative boxes, and put some stuff into a pile to bring to work
Sept 17: put a sweatshirt into the donation bag
Sept 18: finished a book and put it into a book donation bag
Sept 19: a few more magazines to donate to the gym
Sept 20: pulled a book from the front bookcase and put that in the book donation bag
Sept 21: cleaned off the bulletin board and put outdated stuff in the recycling pile
Then, I moved onto the bedroom. The bedroom is actually looking quite good, its more in a maintenance phase, as well.
Sept 22: Went through the drawer in the bedside table. I threw out some papers that I didn't need any more.
Sept 23: went through the "missing socks" bag...threw out any sock that had been in there for way too long.
Sept 24: I had a decorative candle on the bedside table... aside from almost being gone, it was melted not from burning, but from the one week of hot weather we had in summer. Threw that away
Sept 25 - Sept 28: Ok, sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and get it over with. Opened each drawer in turn and pulled one or two items of clothing to put in the donation bag.
Moving along, moving along, moving along.
Monday, September 14, 2009
decluttering and maintaining
One of the things I am discovering in the decluttering process is that some parts of the house merely require maintenance, while others require full fledged shit-slinging!
The living room area is in the maintenance phase.
Sept 8: Under the coffee table, I have a basket with exercise DVDs and equipment. I had the packaging to my "jungle gym" which I had been saving in case I wanted to return it. Except: I LOVE IT!! So today, I threw out the packaging.
Sept 9: In the magazine basket, I gathered all the catalogs. I ordered the stuff I was saving the catalogs for (X mas is only 3 months away, eh?) and then threw those out, too.
Sept 10: Today, I pulled out some magazines to bring to the gym.
Sept 11: I had a couple shoe boxes that I had set aside for...some reason. Seeing that I can't remember the reason I was saving them for, I felt pretty ok putting them in the recycling.
Sept 12: Brought the bag of clothes to the donation center today.
Sept 13: Went through all the piles on the coffee table: paid the bills, filed the filing, returned everything that needed returning, and threw out anything I didn't need.
Sept 14: Cleaned under the sofa and threw out a bunch of old cards I had in a box under there.
Just keeping it all under c0ntrol! Next week onto the front hallway.
The living room area is in the maintenance phase.
Sept 8: Under the coffee table, I have a basket with exercise DVDs and equipment. I had the packaging to my "jungle gym" which I had been saving in case I wanted to return it. Except: I LOVE IT!! So today, I threw out the packaging.
Sept 9: In the magazine basket, I gathered all the catalogs. I ordered the stuff I was saving the catalogs for (X mas is only 3 months away, eh?) and then threw those out, too.
Sept 10: Today, I pulled out some magazines to bring to the gym.
Sept 11: I had a couple shoe boxes that I had set aside for...some reason. Seeing that I can't remember the reason I was saving them for, I felt pretty ok putting them in the recycling.
Sept 12: Brought the bag of clothes to the donation center today.
Sept 13: Went through all the piles on the coffee table: paid the bills, filed the filing, returned everything that needed returning, and threw out anything I didn't need.
Sept 14: Cleaned under the sofa and threw out a bunch of old cards I had in a box under there.
Just keeping it all under c0ntrol! Next week onto the front hallway.
Monday, September 7, 2009
the decluttering continues
Labor day weekend is coming to a close. Once again, I'm gearing up for another week of work feeling spent, a little sore, and completely satisfied.
One of the reasons is that I finally cleaned off the piles of books on the sofa. It looked like a book and paper bomb had exploded in here! So now everything is neatly filed away and put back on the shelf. Plus, I moved into the office area in full decluttering mode!
Sept 2: Went through all the scraps of paper that were littering the desk top and put all the un-needed paper in the recycling bin.
Sept 3: Went through the desk drawer and got rid of two dayplanners that I never use. Put those in the book donation bag.
Sept 4: Went through all the stuff under the desk: put the papers for classes into folders and filed, put all the cards back into a card box, organized the printer paper, and put all the miscellaneous paper that I don't need into the recycling bin.
Sept 5: Over to the top of the filing cabinet: put all the check stubs and paid bills into the files, and got rid of more papers I don't need (more recycling)
Sept 6: Onto the book shelf: Put a book I'm done with into the book donation bag.
Sept 7: An old name tag from an old job was hanging on the bookshelf. Threw that away!
Back tomorrow: Tuesday's bad dates. And continuing next week: decluttering in the living room!
Happy back to work, y'all!
One of the reasons is that I finally cleaned off the piles of books on the sofa. It looked like a book and paper bomb had exploded in here! So now everything is neatly filed away and put back on the shelf. Plus, I moved into the office area in full decluttering mode!
Sept 2: Went through all the scraps of paper that were littering the desk top and put all the un-needed paper in the recycling bin.
Sept 3: Went through the desk drawer and got rid of two dayplanners that I never use. Put those in the book donation bag.
Sept 4: Went through all the stuff under the desk: put the papers for classes into folders and filed, put all the cards back into a card box, organized the printer paper, and put all the miscellaneous paper that I don't need into the recycling bin.
Sept 5: Over to the top of the filing cabinet: put all the check stubs and paid bills into the files, and got rid of more papers I don't need (more recycling)
Sept 6: Onto the book shelf: Put a book I'm done with into the book donation bag.
Sept 7: An old name tag from an old job was hanging on the bookshelf. Threw that away!
Back tomorrow: Tuesday's bad dates. And continuing next week: decluttering in the living room!
Happy back to work, y'all!
Monday, August 31, 2009
getting back on track
Hey all!
I am back from a fun (and expensive) weekend in New York and New Jersey and back to work, exercising, trying to eat right, and decluttering. August is drawing to a close and so is my wave of debauchery. I drank way too much and ate way too poorly during the second half of August. (Not to mention injuring my foot) Ah, yes; time to clean it all up.
This week, I found myself back in the kitchen, where it all began.
AUG 24: I went through a bunch of race fliers I had stuck on the fridge and got rid of all the race brochures I wasn't entering. The recycling pile is huge now!
AUG 25: While I was at the fridge, I went through the time off and continuing ed slips that I keep clipped on the side. Got rid of all the outdated slips and put those in recycling, too.
AUG 26: Finally, I went through all the coupons in the little coupon bin that magnets to the fridge. Threw away all the expired coupons.
AUG 27: Went through the cabinet with all the food storage containers. I had saved a bunch from microwave meals to put soup in. But really? I'm not sure if reheating food in these containers is safe. So I put all those in the recycling bin.
AUG 28: Before I hit the road, I went through the food drawer and got rid of some chex mix and cereal that had gone stale, put some other stuff in zip locks so IT won't go stale, and consolidated everything else, pulling cardboard boxes out for recycling.
AUG 29: I gave Isabella the box of books and CD's I had set aside for her.
AUG 30: Back from the weekend, I turned to the scary under-the-sink-area. I pulled out a bunch of the grungier cleaning rags. Half I repurposed as car wash rags, and the other half I donated to K's high school's shop class.
And on to cleaning up myself this week!
I am back from a fun (and expensive) weekend in New York and New Jersey and back to work, exercising, trying to eat right, and decluttering. August is drawing to a close and so is my wave of debauchery. I drank way too much and ate way too poorly during the second half of August. (Not to mention injuring my foot) Ah, yes; time to clean it all up.
This week, I found myself back in the kitchen, where it all began.
AUG 24: I went through a bunch of race fliers I had stuck on the fridge and got rid of all the race brochures I wasn't entering. The recycling pile is huge now!
AUG 25: While I was at the fridge, I went through the time off and continuing ed slips that I keep clipped on the side. Got rid of all the outdated slips and put those in recycling, too.
AUG 26: Finally, I went through all the coupons in the little coupon bin that magnets to the fridge. Threw away all the expired coupons.
AUG 27: Went through the cabinet with all the food storage containers. I had saved a bunch from microwave meals to put soup in. But really? I'm not sure if reheating food in these containers is safe. So I put all those in the recycling bin.
AUG 28: Before I hit the road, I went through the food drawer and got rid of some chex mix and cereal that had gone stale, put some other stuff in zip locks so IT won't go stale, and consolidated everything else, pulling cardboard boxes out for recycling.
AUG 29: I gave Isabella the box of books and CD's I had set aside for her.
AUG 30: Back from the weekend, I turned to the scary under-the-sink-area. I pulled out a bunch of the grungier cleaning rags. Half I repurposed as car wash rags, and the other half I donated to K's high school's shop class.
And on to cleaning up myself this week!
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