|
|
Post by zenamidievel on May 1, 2021 18:47:31 GMT
We are a group working to declutter our spaces. Please feel free to share your goals, projects, ideas, revelations or challenges facing you as you work toward your own goals. Also feel free to copy and paste this intro, use our "CLUTTERBUSTERS" Title for the day to start the thread if you don't see it started. Good luck Clutterbusting!
|
|
|
|
Post by michelle on May 2, 2021 2:55:41 GMT
Z, It sounds like things are coming together with the new house.
I spent today doing some homemaking chores--laundry, watering trees and so on. Then I spent the rest of the day doing my AAs job which is fine with me because the longer she is gone the more I have it figured out what to keep away from her so that I maintain my sanity and serenity. So I am happy to have the extra responsibility.
Tomorrow I am going to take the girls to their Rally dog obedience class. Buttercup got a very big glob of pine pitch on her forehead which I will have to figure out how to get it out of her hair before we go to class. She will put up with anything so I can scrub all I want. Thank goodness.
Hope you and your sister are having a fun evening!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by zenamidievel on May 2, 2021 6:40:54 GMT
Hello,
I hope the Rally classes go well, are fun, and you get the pitch out of the dogs hair!
Today I did boxing of stuff in the entry way hauled out from craft closet. IN all so far, 1 extra large box, three large boxes, 8 regular sized boxes, 3 smaller odd sized boxes, packed and entry way kind of cleared.
SIster was coming today, so then I stopped and cleaned both bathrooms, swiped floors, cleaned toilets, vanities, mirrors, filled soaps, new hand towels, swiped the tub. We went to dinner, I made cookies.
TOmorro I Have church sound and then me and sister are driving again to my mom's where I will spend two nights. MOnday we pick up another sister at airport in city of of new house, I show them all the house and my Aunt, we have dinner with my cousin, his girlfriend and Aunt and then Drive back to my mom's. I will return on Tuesday afternoon.
Showed my sister the issue/question with the tile, she didn't think it looks bad, so maybe it doesn't.
That's about it.
Z.
|
|
|
|
Post by zenamidievel on May 3, 2021 18:25:36 GMT
Hello,
At moms. Today we drive to pick up other sister at the airport, see house, have dinner then back to moms.
Today took care of ordering DD,s glasses via phone call. Also phoned to see how long if will take to get her photo cards for grad announcements once designed, they come quickly so that’s good. Goal is to have designed by end of week this week.
The second painter had a more reasonable bid s as c works alone, we will go with him and have booked him. Thus will start next week of week after. So that’s a set thing I caa as n help to keep focus. On cleaning and packing.
That’s about it, I’ll be back home tomorrow night. One thing I need to do is finish my friend’s college counseling custom grad cards done this week also.
Z
|
|
|
|
Post by michelle on May 4, 2021 3:14:50 GMT
Z, Great job getting the painting scheduled! Hope you are having fun!!!
I am kind of sidelined with a migraine. Tomorrow will be a better day!
Onward>>>>
|
|
|
|
Post by michelle on May 5, 2021 2:17:56 GMT
Better day for me today! I worked on two audits and got them both just about finished. I needed some more reports which I got this afternoon so I should be done with both of them tomorrow morning. Also possibly going to put an ad in for a replacement for my AA. Massive editing..... The afternoon I spent some time cleaning, vacing, dusting, window washing. The HBs showed up so I also have to start changing their feeders now which I got done. It isn't freezing at night now so I can leave the water in the the bird baths which make my life easier. Played ball with the dogs, walked them, drove three times around the property so BC could get her exercise in, played Cars twice, and just finished Dogorama. Trained both the girls this morning. These dogs like to have fun!
Time for Yoga! Hope you had a good day!!! |
|
|
|
Post by zenamidievel on May 5, 2021 15:13:47 GMT
Good Morning,
I hope your migraine has cleared. Good job on your chores and having fun with the dogs and with getting the audits done.
Lots going on here, it all has to happen, it's just not happening necessarily in order or with proper warning for scheduling.
New House:
-there was a problem with the bathroom back splash tiling. We did not pick fancy tile to start with, and it was to be laid subway. I don't know if the tile guy is new/in training or what but what happened is we ened up with tile at the outer end point being laid perpendicular to the rest, crazy angular cuts, pieced together like a puzzle, and it didn't even match on both sides. It was strange and because not high end tile to start with, then it looked even "cheaper" and poorly done. DH and do not like "busy" looking things, this is why we picked tile choices we did and simple subway layouts. So first time I saw this, this bothered me...a lot, DH not so much, the more I looked at it the more it bothered, etc. so I fianlly addressed it, none of it had been grouted yet, and they are fix what's been done and not lay any more of it out like that.
-light fixtures were in, LOVE the chandelier, island pendants and entryway light.
-I may have mentioned the stonework looks fantastic, no paint color is on the house yet
THis House:
-Yesteray I loaded the car with the boxed items in entryway and took it to the storage unit.
-this was good, because received call from painter that he would be coming Thursday, that's TOMORROW, and I was not aware that any of this was beginning THIS week. This painter had the best bid, works alone, so I like that but now I must have the formal living room cleared of all furniture as this has extra high ceilings, for him to be able to work. DH left town with DS and so I had to phone a friend and ask if her son and a buddy would come help me move furniture today, I will pay them, to clear the floor area of this room. THen I was glad I'd taken that other stuff to storage.
-storage, I almost think we need another storage unit, or stuff will have to start going in garage and cards can't be parked in garage, we're not quite there yet, so I'm sure this will evolve.
-in order to move some of this furniture, there's stuff that needs boxed from it,
Today TOdos;
-reclaim kitchen from having been gone, nobody does anything
-start boxing stuff from furniture in formal living room so it's ready to move when helpers arrive
-clear formal dining room table so I can set paper work on it from floor area from formal living room and start going through this stuff in earnest, it needs, purged, shred, pile, I'm not sure what all.
-banking errand
THere is a lot to do today.
Z.
|
|
|
|
Post by michelle on May 6, 2021 4:48:42 GMT
Z, It's great that you are on top of these types of problems so that they can be resolved before you move in. Is the painter going to do the whole house or just some specific rooms. You made me laugh when you said that "nobody does anything" but only because I could so relate. Also nobody has a brain either. Or cannot remember where anything is. Maybe another word for this is SPOILED--and not in a good way. What confounds me is that when I question these items I am met with profound stupidity LOL...... kind of. Busy day for me working on those last two audits. I planned to spend the entire day on them and kept running into problems. Glad I have those behind me. Tomorrow I am going to the office (Boo Hiss on that) I have tried to stay away knowing that I would end up with more stuff on my plate. The place is a big train wreck. So I will have to call the movers to transport the umpteen boxes to storage, get rid of all the old copiers, on and on. I am not even going to bother to try to rally the troops to work on this. I will just hire the movers and 1-800-Got Junk to cart off the dead copiers etc. I have managed to never go in there for nine months! So I feel like I have been victorius. However now I have, by default, been assigned to declutter and relocate desks, storage boxes, filing cabinets. I am not going to worry about maximum organization so that the movers only have to come once. I can probably get it done in a day or two so that isn't near the size of the projects you have been working on.
Hope you had a productive day today!!!
Onward>>>>
|
|
|
|
Post by zenamidievel on May 6, 2021 21:50:34 GMT
Hello,
Congrats on getting those audits behind you! I do not relish the office organization, purge, declutter that needs to happen.
Painting:
-boys came, I'd moved most things but a few, they moved remainder, disconnected umpteen electronic devices, I boxed those.
-4 rooms/areas being painted: 1. Formal Living Room: needed calmed down from having been painted a step darker than other areas, painted same color as rest of house, entryway/hallways. 2. Kitchen & 3. Half Bath: both Tuscan Red, will change to light gray beige. 4. Adjoining Family room that is dark tan, will also be the light gray beige.
-so I had to clear the kitchen this morning as painter was working on first area because he said he'd do the other areas today and tomorrow, starting today, so that happened. WHen he finishes for they day today, we'll move items back into kitchen, I will box the kid kitchen hutch (this a family keep sake) and other kid kitchen type toys that we no longer need to keep.
Yesterday CB:
-put a LARGE box of donate into the back of my car and one grocery bag
-dropped an oversized sketch pad, unused poster board, new blank canvases, fabric paint, and new school supplies at my friends house who has a lot of kids.
-did tiny bit of rearranging in storage unit and picked up a few more extra large boxes and a gianter (cause I did have one already) roll of bubble wrap to wrap pictures in
DH arrive home, discussed some things need go into the garage now, not back into rooms, need to use garage area as storage until can be moved to new house as stager suggested the console table and large T.V. be removed from the formal living room. SO there's this, but there are also other things.
Appointment: I was over 5 minutes late to a Staples TSW precheck paperwork appointment this morning, my fault, and they said they couldn't do it now unless there was a no show. So, I waited through three appointments to see if someone would be late or a no show, which ended up actually happening, so that was able to be done! Yay!
Painter left, left instructions for what is to be clear for tomorrow's painting in kitchen and family room. He did some repair and painted the ceilings in these areas as as the formal LR.
Z.
|
|
|
|
Post by michelle on May 7, 2021 4:35:27 GMT
Z, It sounds like the painter is working out perfectly. Great job working on the decluttering again. I went to the office today and worked on my list of questionable items that pertain to work that AA did or didn't do. More progress made in the take over her responsibilities that she could not handle. Actually I am enjoying doing something different since my work is plowing through audits day after day. Also worked on the office decluttering, etc. I managed to get DH's office done, worked out a plan to get all boxes to storage on Monday and possibly the boxes of items to be shredded taken to the shredder. This is a big job. Figured out how to move some filing cabinets to create a room divider so we will get that also done. I can't get the movers in until I declutter office furniture and printers, tables, chairs. This is rather mystifiying because the printers all seem to sort of work and nobody knows what is going on. So I will schedule 1-800-GOT Junk for Thursday and if nobody has turned them on and tried them out they will all go away. These are not needed and have been replaced by more recent technology and nobody wants to use them anyway. Shudder.... However I almost maintained a pleasant demeanor through out this. Hooray me! The troops understand the battle plan for Monday so that will go smoothly and make a tremendous difference in how the office looks. We are having a little earthquake right now. That has stopped, thank goodness. Also we will be tagging the items that definitely are going to be taken out of the office.
Hopefully I can get the movers in within a few days after 1-800 comes. Actually it is going really well so I am happy about that.
Hope you are enjoying your evening!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by zenamidievel on May 7, 2021 15:18:15 GMT
Good Morning,
I'm glad you're finding positives in assuming some of the AA work. In regard to the office decluttering. I am curious about this cause you just moved offices a year ago or 1.5 year ago? So I'm surprised there is this furniture and equipment decluttering to do now and are you moving offices again? But I guess if there is other equipment and the defunked equipment is not being used, it must go. Good job with keeping a positive attitude! I hope the troops, even though they understand the battle plan, will rally and help!
A.M. Tadas & CB:
-up early, starting migrating items from family room to the hall and formal living room as painter will work in there today and the kitchen. Instructions were to move all and move the furniture to the center of the room, done. He is here working now. I'm updating as day progresses....11:30 AM...a lot is happening
CB:
-I have about 4-6 more books with creative art/craft things to drop at friends house
-8-10 sofa pillows which will not be used at new house will bag and load in car to donate
-4 giant pillows will go to donation
-kids globe
-large vase
-large decorative globe (was parents)
-25 plus more of "my" books from den book shelves
-1 shopping bag full of DD's old, LARGE, SAT prep books to recycle bin, emptied
-3 large black garbage/contractor sized bags stuffed with pillows to go to donation
-christmas card basket recycled of cards
-dense bag full of DD's college prospect mailers, tore off all names, recycled rest, names I'll take to shredding
-another basket and a smaller box full of cards, envelopes, leftover envelopes from grad announcements sorted through. I think they can use the envelopes for "Letters Against Isolation" and I will drop them at my friends house.
-large glass flower vase
-purged approximately 60 national geographics found in cupboard
-pulled all photo albums from same cupboard so s empty
-removed all photo picture frames from family room bookshelves
-tried to "Style" said family room bookshelves with items more appropriately spaced, colorful book jacketed books, and to add "color" to the shelves. Stager will probably ream that whole situation
-pulled all DVD's from another lower family bookcase cupboard
-got rid of another old stack of christmas cards found in cupboard
-moved a shallow box of items to donate pile from cupbaord
-got through 2-3 random sacks of carp
A good plan for me today would be to sort through piles of paper to file, recycle, and shred piles in the den. There are many piles, boxes, bags of paper, everywhere and bits of paper to address. THere is not reason this can't be done and it would be an excellent use of time as the paper piles are causing me anxiety/stress. Basic packing, wrapping, boxing of items is easy. Addressing paper clutter is probably my largest challenge, most difficult. In fact it might be a good idea to force myself to address all the paper before I start packing boxes, wrapping pictures. I will really, really try. I am purging all the college mailer items received this past year now while watching hoarders....lol.
But, since I will be going to the donation place I will see if I can grab some larger items from kitchen cupboards and garage shelves I no longer want. I know there's a large picture out there that can go and a couple of other items from garage shelves and make a trip today.
Z.
|
|
|
|
Post by michelle on May 8, 2021 0:31:28 GMT
Z, The amount of boxes that have to be dealt with is phenomenal. DH quit doing individual income taxes this year so that's 400 clients records in boxes that have to go into storage. The audit files for 90 audits--maybe two per box have to go so that's about 45. The current incoming client boxes for audits in progress--think 60 clients who have given us records so far times one to three boxes per client and then it starts to make sense. The old office had fantastic storage but this one is more cut up into smaller offices and I have to edit out the AA stuff. Ohh, don't forget the year to date general ledgers that seriously take 3 or less to a box and the box situation gets totally out of hand. So now I have to get rid of all furniture, tables I can so that I can store this stuff out of sight. It is everywhere!!! I haven't been there once in nine months so I had no idea that this had occurred. More AA stuff..... editing.
Wonderful decluttering list! We are both lost in a sea of paper at the moment LOL. We will overcome!!!
I spent today working on the scheduling for the audits. I am now on top of it and know exactly what is going on. I used to be really fast and accurate at this work but haven't done it in years. It will take me a week or two to get back up to speed. Hooray!!!
My latest mantra-----> My life is not attacking me. My life is not attacking me.
Onward>>>>>
|
|
|
|
Post by zenamidievel on May 8, 2021 2:18:12 GMT
Yikes! That is a lot of boxes! I added some more "TadAs" to my list today. Things are in major disaray here but stuff is getting accomplished. I feel pretty good about how today went. The painter will come back in the morning to put the second coat on the once red half bath, and then he is done. He said there will be enough of that gray paint to paint the pantry so I will do that with the leftover paint before May 28th. TOld DH I will remove my garage remotes from car and will start parking in driveway as we need start using that by for storage of furniture items that should not go back into family room and formal living room. The stage said not to put the T.V. or the the big console table it sets on back in there.
THat's it, I'm not sure if I will do anything else tonight.
Z.
|
|
|
|
Post by zenamidievel on May 9, 2021 4:37:59 GMT
Hello,
Today was an odd ball day.
Craft:
-still was needing to complete my friend's college counseling cards, things went wrong with this, she sent me a compressed logo to start with, was smudgy, then the printer found a good one on line but distorted it and made wrong color, it was a bit like the thing that wouldn't die. Then they printed them off center which hasn't happened in a long time, etc. But it's done now and I'll be delivering these tomorrow. But part of this is she needs to go on Etsy and do something which allows me to create a private listing, then it will show as an order and a sold item which she can also review. People will click on "sold" items to review what types of things a seller has actualy sold vs. what types of things are in their shop. My sister finally put in her order for the two items, one of which was a one off, and this was important so I can set aside for her, but she can also review the items, which will hopefully help when I reopen as they both bought a matching game.
House:
-painter showed up, painting is done, the color is nice, plain, lighter, but IMO not necessarily "better" than my red and tan, I liked those colors and enjoyed having them and looking at it makes me appreciatef my other whole house color a bit more, because at least it is a more of a "color" even if it goes a little too green.
-friend texted me a name of place I could go get free boxes, so I did that
-my car was completely full of stuff to take to Goodwill, which was open today, so I dropped that stuff off.
-stopped at storage place and got 25 more boxes, mostly small, two large, one extra large.
-unloaded boxes to garage from the random place, brougth others in.
-vacuumed part of the family room, put part of the furniture back
-unloaded DVD's from builtins and boxed with rest of video game carp
-Had DD look at her photo cards to approve the order and ordered them, I am late with this.
-asked (told) DH no more gun cleaning in the house is to be done.
-removed my remotes from vehicel as it must not be parked in driveway to accomodate carp that needs to be stored in that bay of garage. We do have car break ins, but at least they won't get the remotes!
Boxing:
-I have three boxes of DVD, T.V. cord/boxes/cables/game consoles boxed
-there is two more boxes worth of this same carp needs boxed
-was told "nothing" needed to go with the cable box to company.....then..oh...yes...there were cords that are supposed to go back with the box turns out, asked DH to please find them and attach them. I'm glad this was discussed further prior to my taping that box shut and hauling to storage.
Interesting:
-DH told me that DD was surprised to hear that we'd be moving in June! I said, well, no wonder, I am surprised, because....WE ARE NOT MOVING IN JUNE!!!!!!!!!!! OMG. This has been discussed many times. We already bumped up our listing date to mid June, and yes, some STUFF can start to be moved in June, if our house is done, but we are not moving, all the way, for good, for final, all belongings in June! We will list our house, ideally get a 30-45 day closing and then ask for rent back situation for August, then worst case scenario, it's a hotel or extended stay place for a few more weeks until DD goes to college and then we will move/move the last part of, or mid August. Now, there is a lot going on here, and I in no way have it together, but there is some memory stuff, like this, that gets said that blows my mind. This has been discussed repeatedly because I refuse to make DD leave this area when it's her last summer here with her friends. It is not happening, which is why I didn't want to list until later July in the first place.
Z.
|
|
|
|
Post by michelle on May 9, 2021 4:59:18 GMT
Z, You are doing fantastic!!! So much is getting done. I miss the crafting posts so I was glad to see one today! One Hawaii trip we did a tour type thing to go to some falls and swing out like Tarzan and fall in the water. I don't advise this as that water was absolutely frigid. But anyway the reason I am talking about this is because the tour guide said if he locked the doors to the van they would break the glass while we were out hiking to get in so he just left it unlocked with nothing in it and that way nothing happened to the van. Just chatting...
I worked on a complicated audit today until I was no longer able to think and then took the rest of the day off. I just sat and read my book which I could hardly put down, so I didn't. Tomorrow I will take the dog's to their rally class. I have been doing good at training them almost every day so that makes it more fun for me.
Pat's on the back for being a really good DM to be so thoughtful of your DD!!!
Time for yoga.
Onward>>>>>>
|
|
