# Unorganized Anonymous! (copied here from the family board-M)



## moosemaniac

Yeah, I had grandious plans yesterday. Did I get to them? No. So now it's time for some serious intervention.

Can we start an HT support group via this thread to cheer each other on in our cleaning/organizational efforts?

I'm going to try again tonight after work. 1 hour of sorting, tossing, and filing! Make me do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ruth


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## clovis

I would have to be the first to join!!!!
Clove


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## trixiwick

OK, here are my suggestions:

1) Make a big pot of coffee
2) Block out _at least _an hour tonight to do the job.
3) Throw away lots of stuff. You don't need even half of what you have in the house, and neither do I. Much of that stuff is just taking up space, getting dusty and causing problems. Pitch it!
4) Check out FlyLady on the web when you get a chance. Lots of good, common sense tips for cleaning and organizing. Someone here tipped me off to the site, and while it's way too cutesy for my taste, the take-home message is solid.
5) Put lots of things on a checklist so you can check them off as you do them and feel accomplished.  

Go to it! :drillsgt:


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## A'sta at Hofstead

I soooo have to get organized, my house is fairly clean, with all these kids and critters as clean as possible, but after moving here last Sept. I have yet to organize my kitchen cabinets, and the pantry I never thought I would have and thought I would so appreciate has become a catch all- there is a laundry basket of socks that need sorting, the new floor is only half down, and my mom, sis in law and her daughter will be here June 16th from Florida for a week, the sun porch where they will be staying is half done, I need to banish the kids and get to it NOW. TONIGHT. 

Ruth- we can do this, be merciless, throw out the junk and let's get to it!


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## moosemaniac

Thanks Twix. Another website. You know, I watch all the organizing tv shows, and I watch Clean House (there's a good one!), and I get so inspired....then I go play with the goats.

Ruth


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## Dente deLion

Perhaps an upbeat CD will help keep you going - most of them last about an hour, so it'll do double-duty as a timer, too.


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## barnyardfun

It's funny about the upbeat CD thing! When I was younger I knew it was cleaning time when my mom put on the Wilson Phillips CD. And still to this day if I need to 'get into the mood' of cleaning I just put on that CD (yep, she bought me my own when I set up my household!  )

I am really bad about decluttering stuff by just racking stuff off in a box and saying I will got thru it later......and later.....and later. Well you get the point. It is just a temporary fix with bad long term consequences!


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## Hears The Water

Hi, I'm Debbie and I am a messy! (_everyone say "Hi Debbie!")_ *giggle* No, really I am a messy. I am a cluttered messy. My kids are messies and pack rats to boot. Someone poste a couple of days ago about people just having too many things. For me, at least it is true. Because we have so little money, I think we are afraid to let go what we have...even broken things. This website that I am posting a link to, is what helped me to start working on my house. http://www.squalorsurvivors.com/ Why did it help me? Because I recognized myself in the list of degrees of sqalor. John's room that we just cleaned out was a 5th degree!!! It was bad. I am determined to not let the rest of the house get that bad. I thought I would share that with y'all in case it could inspire others as it did me. I am willing to participate in an accountability thread for getting our homes more organized! I need the support in order to stay strong! 
God bless you and yours
Deb


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## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> Thanks Twix. Another website. You know, I watch all the organizing tv shows, and I watch Clean House (there's a good one!), and I get so inspired....then I go play with the goats.
> 
> Ruth


dh laughs at me when he sees me sitting on my butt for an hour Sat afternoon (once in a blue moon) watching the organize shows on HGTV. He just laughs and laughs.


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## Wildwood Flower

CLUTTER BUSTERS UNITE!!! :bouncy: ONE DAY AT A TIME...one pile at a time. :hobbyhors 

I read FlyLady's site about 3 years ago...and I started. I got ruthless. My motto:
*"When in Doubt...Throw it Out!"*​
Get 3 Boxes & Label Them:

*KEEP

THROW OUT

GIVE AWAY

SELL*

I finally dispensed with the last one and just gave it all away. WHEW! What a relief! Just to see one drawer clean, one room, one closet.

I threw away stuff out of the refrigerator and cupboards that hadn't been used in a year, and toiletries out of the bathroom. My rule now: 1 bottle of shampoo, 1 rinse, 1 mouthwash, etc.... 

How many of you have drawers and cupboards so full of stuff you never use that there's no room for the stuff you do? So it sits all over the counters.

Get rid of it! 

I also started making DEPARTMENTS. If I can't put it away in it's Department, it at least gets in that general area for now (usually in a basket).

MAIL was another big one.... stacks of it here and there. Now I go through the mail at the Post Office. I throw away all of the junk mail there, it doesn't even get in my car. 

I phoned or emailed ever co. that was sending me stuff--AARP was the biggest culprit, plus credit card offers. I cancelled all magazine subscriptions.

BASKETS I love baskets. I have a basket beside each person's chair in the LR. I have a basket on the wall in my office (for the bills to pay). I have a basket for stuff my grandkids leave here. I have a basket for stuff I don't have time to put away at the moment. (I've picked most of these up at second-hand stores.)

TRASH CANS I have a small trash can in every room in the house--and some have 2. And I empty them every week. I've trained my grandkids to use them--not just drop things here and there. And they know my rule: IF YOU TAKE IT OUT--PUT IT BACK--RIGHT WHERE YOU GOT IT. :bash: 

And if they leave anything on the floor--they know I consider it TRASH, and I throw it away. It only took once or twice.

I cleaned out my closets. My closets and drawers were stuffed with clothes that were too small (I've gained weight). So I gave them all away. A lady I know from Weight Watchers lost weight and gave me her entire wardrobe--it was just like brand new, and it fit. 

I kept about 1/3 of it, and gave the rest away. 

MAKE UP ...I was never big on that, but some people are. How many bottles of cream and tubes of lipstick does one need actually? Now I have 3 or 4 things. I don't buy another til I throw one away or run out.

HOBBIES...another big one for me. I sorted out and got rid of tons of stuff I never was getting to. My policy now: If I don't have a separate place to do it and a place to store the supplies, I don't do get it, and I don't do it. Period.

BUILDING SUPPLIES & TOOLS I made a place for them and organized and labeled them. Then I started a quest to use them up--fixing things that were half done. My policy: USE WHAT YOU HAVE ...DON'T GO BUY MORE. Need paint? What colors do you already have? 

There's a show on HGTV (or DIY?) called *"Mission Organization". * It's fantastic! A real motivator. 

And finally...I don't buy things on impulse anymore. I think: Do I have a place to put this? I wait at least 1 day. 9 times out of 10 I decide against it. 

I've done the same thing with our FINANCES and BILL PAYING. Now I can save money, which I never could before. It all went here and there, and nothing to show for it.

The biggest rewards? 

A big black cloud lifted off of my shoulders. :Bawling: 

I don't feel overwhelmed and depressed every day. :badmood: 
I can accomplish something--easily. 

The house is easy to keep clean. :angel: 

I have more free time. :typomat: 

I have more parties--it's fun to invite the family over to a CLEAN HOUSE. And it's easy to accomplish--I also have a PARTY DEPT. with paper plates, cups, napkins, tableware, etc. And I even keep balloons and candles in there and a few decorations and a punch bowl! I can have a party on a day's notice. 

I am no longer afraid my mother-in-law will drop in. Or anyone else.

And if I die tomorrow....I won't be afraid of what my daughters will find in my underwear drawer, or under the kitchen sink. Hey, you never know.  

Good luck on the Quest! :hobbyhors It gets to be kind of fun. :dance:


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Hears The Water said:


> Hi, I'm Debbie and I am a messy! (_everyone say "Hi Debbie!")_ *giggle* No, really I am a messy. I am a cluttered messy. My kids are messies and pack rats to boot. Someone poste a couple of days ago about people just having too many things. For me, at least it is true. Because we have so little money, I think we are afraid to let go what we have...even broken things. This website that I am posting a link to, is what helped me to start working on my house. http://www.squalorsurvivors.com/ Why did it help me? Because I recognized myself in the list of degrees of sqalor. John's room that we just cleaned out was a 5th degree!!! It was bad. I am determined to not let the rest of the house get that bad. I thought I would share that with y'all in case it could inspire others as it did me. I am willing to participate in an accountability thread for getting our homes more organized! I need the support in order to stay strong!
> God bless you and yours
> Deb


I looked at some of those places and it makes me look neat! Thanks, I feel better now and I will organize my pantry and cabinets in good humor!


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## moosemaniac

It looks like we have the start of a support group then. Cool. First....what do we do with all the new paperwork we've generated from all the websites we've been referred to for help with organizing?

Ruth


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## LamiPub

Count me in...I have been spending the last two months "trying" to declutter and organize. While I have done some it just seems to be such a sloooowwwww process! Not to mention keep getting kinks thrown in like washer machine breaking down, mil doctor's appt, kids being stuck indoors because of all the rain, dh being laid off and being in my way every time I turn around etc.


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## Wildwood Flower

> It looks like we have the start of a support group then. Cool. First....what do we do with all the new paperwork we've generated from all the websites we've been referred to for help with organizing?
> 
> Ruth


DON'T PRINT IT!!!


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## moosemaniac

Wildwood Flower said:


> DON'T PRINT IT!!!


Too late. :Bawling: 

But it's all stuff they say you need, like organizer files and calendars and shopping lists and address books and stuff like that. 

Ruth


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## Peacock

How timely that I should see this message.

My cat JUST knocked down a bunch of stuff I'd stacked up in the corner of the family room while trying to clear out space in my office for new stuff I need for Scouts and Avon, and told myself I'd get around to sorting through it SOON. That corner is where everything we don't know what to do with is going, it's the Corner Of Doom.

(sigh)


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## moosemaniac

Wildwood Flower said:


> Get 3 Boxes & Label Them:
> 
> *KEEP
> 
> THROW OUT
> 
> GIVE AWAY
> 
> SELL*


Wouldn't that be 4 boxes?

Ruth


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## barnyardfun

moosemaniac said:


> Wouldn't that be 4 boxes?
> 
> Ruth


Maybe she said 3 because she said she doesn't use the SELL box anymore. It's just easier to give it away. :shrug:


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## trixiwick

moosemaniac said:


> Wouldn't that be 4 boxes?
> 
> Ruth


Three boxes and a giant trash bag.


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## Jan Doling

Count me in....when you look up unorganized in the dictionary, it has my picture next to it...or would have if I had ever managed to get the film out of the camera and down to the store to be developed!


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## Trixie

OH, dear.

Here I thought this was going to be a brag site. I thought I could come on here and talk about all my 'stuff'. I was going to join right up and quickly realized I was supposed to get rid of it. Oh, Goodness, no!!

Seriously, I don't think I can. It is the 'we might need it' and believe me there have been times. 

While I understand wanting a nice, neat house - it would pain me greatly to throw away a bottle of shampoo and then have to buy more in a couple of weeks - or whenever. 

I am not faulting anyone for clearing out - I admire them greatly.

I am trying to just not buy more. The price of gas has helped me in that department - no garage sales.

All of you neatniks - good for you!

(Just wish I could be there to go through your trash!!!)


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## Jan Doling

Trixie:
Let's start out gently with you....only toss the broken things and items that no longer fit or items that you have duplicates of. Maybe someday you can work up to a more agressive toss-out.


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## moosemaniac

Trixie...I'm sure not a neatnik, but it'd be nice if I could find the living room again. The old motto "she who dies with the most stuff wins" just doesn't do it for me anymore. I'm not going to get rid of my book collection or my mooses and goats, but I really need to cut the clutter and get organized. It's frightening when the barn is cleaner than the house.

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

Trixie said:


> (Just wish I could be there to go through your trash!!!)


I will be holding a yard sale this summer. Just got some beautiful real wood book shelves to replace the nasty cheap mdf ones that bow in the middle from the weight. That is incentive number one. Got some old furniture, an unused english saddle and bridle set, some of my books (I have 100's), various odds and ends, etc.

Ruth


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## rascaldaisy

How incredibly appropriate for my day! I just got off the phone with my realtor, and it looks like we may come to terms on negotiations of the sale of my place. The people want to move in July 31st!  *PANIC!!!* This means I have to get rid of a lifetime accumulation of unnecessary stuff, and decide what's necessary for my existance in 2 MONTHS! I've started, had one garage sale, packed a dozen boxes of "definitely keep", and thrown out 3 times that much, but I haven't even opened the door to the attic. 

Thanks for the websites, I hope they help, but I think what I need is someone to get in my face and say "You don't need that! Throw it away."


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## trixiwick

Sometimes you don't necessarily need to throw stuff out so much as figure out how to deal with it well. A project I intend to tackle this weekend is to reorganize my chest o' craft stuff to clear out one drawer and make room for some new quilting supplies. If you create a nice new place for specific stuff, then it isn't really clutter anymore.

I err on the side of being stupid-organized, usually. I keep a notebook (Happy Bunny, naturally) with EVERYTHING in it. Planting schedules, weeding schedules, approximate harvest dates, shopping lists, lists of everything I have in my freezer and canning stockpiles, chore checklists, craft projects, _everything_.


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## moosemaniac

Twix! Come to my house and help me!!!!!!!!! And craft stuff is important. It's a must keep. And sewing stuff. And books. And goat stuff. And mooses.

Ruth


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## Trixie

Oh, I understand wanting to have things organized, and neat and uncluttered. 


As I said, I will cheer you on, and truly enjoy your success.

While the mention of the garage sale sent my heart racing, gas prices won't let me. (Maybe I could go to NY again to see daughter and 'just swing by'-----)


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## trixiwick

moosemaniac said:


> Twix! Come to my house and help me!!!!!!!!! And craft stuff is important. It's a must keep. And sewing stuff. And books. And goat stuff. And mooses.
> 
> Ruth


  OK - sounds like fun! But I don't think you'll like me so much when I start tossing your stuff. :nono: 

Our lists of what to hang on to are very similar, though! Craft stuff and books are pretty much sacrosanct. And you don't even want to know how much bunny stuff I own. Really, you don't.


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## moosemaniac

trixiwick said:


> And you don't even want to know how much bunny stuff I own. Really, you don't.


I'm sure I can imagine. My living room is decorated in Ponderosa meets Northern Exposure, with the addition of goats, and, of course, piles of unnecessary clutter. There's a saddle on one of the chairs because I have no where else to put it -- even in the barn.

Ruth


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## farmergirl

moosemaniac said:


> Thanks Twix. Another website. You know, I watch all the organizing tv shows, and I watch Clean House (there's a good one!), and I get so inspired....then I go play with the goats.
> 
> Ruth


The next time you get the urge to watch one of those shows, turn the tv off and clean/ organize instead. Tv is a timesuck for sure.


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## moosemaniac

farmergirl said:


> The next time you get the urge to watch one of those shows, turn the tv off and clean/ organize instead. Tv is a timesuck for sure.


But then I couldn't procrastinate!

Ruth


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## farmergirl

And here we see the root of our addiction! LOL


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## A'sta at Hofstead

farmergirl said:


> And here we see the root of our addiction! LOL


Ok, get poor Ruth off the couch (therapist couch) and let's get her into the mess!


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## patnewmex

We need to find the best CLEANING AND PURGING MUSIC. 

I would clean to The Valkyrie by Wagner. (Or if you are familiar with Bugs Bunny, think "Spear and Magic Helmet". In any case, I think that is the name of that tune. Helps to have it going whilst you clean, throw, sort, purge, etc.

We had grandious plans as well and didn't get anything done. Tonight I have planned on small steps, small steps, but I need to keep making those steps.

If I succeed, I may see the floor of my home soon!

-----

How I clean:

Attack an area at a time
Have several piles boxes or bags for:
Give away (if an item is useful and you can't bear to throw it out)
Throw away (Haven't used it in a year? Toss it.)
Keep
Sell on eBay within one month, really.
Repair stuff

Then take photos and document things you want for sedimental value and then GIVE or SELL that piece and keep a photo instead. It takes up less space. 

There is a new organizing guy on the Oprah radio show and I like how he thinks. http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/home/housekeeping/home_20070430_clutter.jhtml

He's got a sensible plan too. Happy reading, purging and cleaning. Here is a bit of info from his website:

*F*ix a time and stick to it. Haul out any item that fits in one of the following categories:

*A*nything you haven't used in a year

*S*tuff that doesn't belong

*T*rash

Pat



Then what is left is organized


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## moosemaniac

Okay...quitting time soon. I'm gonna get psyched! 1 hour. That's all I need. 1 hour of uninterrupted organizational time. I'm going to do this!

Ruth


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## A'sta at Hofstead

*Ruth, Ruth, Ruth, Ruth,*!!!! You can do it! I think I'll go home and start on the pantry!


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## Paula

moosemaniac said:


> Yeah, I had grandious plans yesterday. Did I get to them? No. So now it's time for some serious intervention.
> 
> *Can we start an HT support group via this thread to cheer each other on in our cleaning/organizational efforts?*
> 
> I'm going to try again tonight after work. 1 hour of sorting, tossing, and filing! Make me do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Ruth


Can we get our own forum? Please please please??? I'm a hopeless mess. And we need to move soon, ugh.


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## moosemaniac

Organizing Support Group forum! I like it. 

Ruth


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## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> Organizing Support Group forum! I like it.
> 
> Ruth


Maybe aske pretty please and they will give us one! We can post our successes and failures and give each other cyber-hugs and high fives!


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## farmergirl

I tend to have all sorts of "this and that's", little chores around the house, that I never have a chance to get to. Proud of myself today cause last night I finally put up these adorable horseshoe bathroom hooks that I bought....gasp!....3 months ago! I had intended to put them up BEFORE my sister visited in April, but you all know how that goes. Anyhoo, they're hanging up now. Next, I need to re-organize my laundry room and pantry cupboards.....and the closets....ARGH! Did I mention that I'm married to a clutter bug? :help:


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## moosemaniac

FG, only 3 months? I've got stuff I've never put up that's been in storage longer than I care to remember. :shrug: I'm a mess!

Ruth


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## farmergirl

moosemaniac said:


> FG, only 3 months? I've got stuff I've never put up that's been in storage longer than I care to remember. :shrug: I'm a mess!
> 
> Ruth


I've been on a mission to reduce and recycle everything that we don't have at least two uses for. Bathroom hooks stay because they are 1) pretty and cowgirl-riffic 2) useful.


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## gracegarden

Okay. This is terribly embarrassing, but,
I actually get sick (a nauseous stomach and a bad pressure headache) when I think about having to clean up and throw away things. Sometimes I will just sit and cry.
Some stuff is very clean (we "raw-feed" our pets, so the kitchen is kept fairly clean and regularly disinfected, fresh hand towels, clean dishes, etc.)
But some stuff I just can't touch. If I can't do it "perfect" then I can't do it at all. (Sound familiar? -- I hear my horrible mother's voice>)
My pets are always well cared for, they always come first...but I get anxiety attacks (literally) about cleaning something.
Everyday I get worse. I'm so afraid I'm going to forget something.
I think about leaving the house to go somewhere -- something I might enjoy(library, sit in the park, nursing home, volunteer at shelter-type-thing) but I can't bring myself to leave my house. Sometimes I pull a chair up to the window and just sit and watch kids playing in the street, people walking dogs, jogging, etc. but I am afraid to leave the house...I just can't get out the door.
I don't even have decoration on the walls or table tops. No pictures, nothing. I just can't do it. It will have to match other stuff, it will have to hang perfectly straight, perfectly centered on the wall. No dust or fingerprints. 
Yet, I hate living in a big, plain box.
oiy!


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## zookeeper16

barnyardfun said:


> It's funny about the upbeat CD thing! When I was younger I knew it was cleaning time when my mom put on the Wilson Phillips CD. And still to this day if I need to 'get into the mood' of cleaning I just put on that CD (yep, she bought me my own when I set up my household!  )



This reminds me....My mom (Ardie, believe it or not!) used to play Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell album when we cleaned! It got us going!


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## Wildwood Flower

> Okay. This is terribly embarrassing, but,
> I actually get sick (a nauseous stomach and a bad pressure headache) when I think about having to clean up and throw away things. Sometimes I will just sit and cry.
> Some stuff is very clean (we "raw-feed" our pets, so the kitchen is kept fairly clean and regularly disinfected, fresh hand towels, clean dishes, etc.)
> But some stuff I just can't touch. If I can't do it "perfect" then I can't do it at all. (Sound familiar? -- I hear my horrible mother's voice>)
> My pets are always well cared for, they always come first...but I get anxiety attacks (literally) about cleaning something.
> Everyday I get worse. I'm so afraid I'm going to forget something.
> I think about leaving the house to go somewhere -- something I might enjoy(library, sit in the park, nursing home, volunteer at shelter-type-thing) but I can't bring myself to leave my house. Sometimes I pull a chair up to the window and just sit and watch kids playing in the street, people walking dogs, jogging, etc. but I am afraid to leave the house...I just can't get out the door.
> I don't even have decoration on the walls or table tops. No pictures, nothing. I just can't do it. It will have to match other stuff, it will have to hang perfectly straight, perfectly centered on the wall. No dust or fingerprints.
> Yet, I hate living in a big, plain box.
> oiy! *posted by gracegarden*


Hi Grace,
I'm glad you posted. It sounds like your mother gave you a really bad upbringing about housework especially. Becoming a perfectionist can be so debilitating. Like you are saying, you're afraid to even start for fear of not doing it perfectly. 

I would say it might be helpful to get some counseling and talk this over with a professional. If that is not an option, maybe just keep talking about it on here.

The good thing is that you spoke up and told what is going on. Take it easy on yourself and just do a little tomorrow. Hang a picture--and get yourself a bouquet for the table--that will give you a reason to go out. 

Maybe start thinking about something you could do to help somebody else a little--simple volunteering. When all else fails, helping somebody else can often lift one out of theirselves. 

I look forward to hearing from you tomorrow. Look for the good--especially in yourself--you will find it.


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## gracegarden

Thank you for your kind words.
I know I need some help, at this point I just don't feel I can leave the house to get it.
I did check out the website on squalor-something-or-other and it was oddly refreshing to know someone my age isn't alone in this.
I am thankful I don't really qualify for much more than 1st degree squalor.

One silly thing I recently did was clean out one bedroom. Totally clean.
Then moved in the bed, one chair, one chest of drawers, and Bradley's dog crate.
I am doing my best to keep it totally clean and decluttered. I feel foolish that it is all I can handle, but it is really all I can do right now. It does feel good to have one safe room though.
I am thinking of buying window curtains for the room -- its kind of exciting.

Thank you again for your kindness.


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## moosemaniac

Grace! Hold my hand. We can do this together. One hour at a time!!!!!!

I am proud to announce I did an hour last evening of sorting and tossing. I admit it didn't make much of a dent, but I did it and I'm proud of myself. I'm going to do it again tonight too!

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

Just gotta bump this....

Updates?

Ruth


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## trixiwick

Well, congrats on getting started! How many nights do you think it will be before you consider things to be under control? Did you throw a lot of stuff out? Did you still find time to play with baby goats?


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## moosemaniac

Big box of stuff went out in the burn pile!!!! Yay!

Under control....you mean that's possible?

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

Instead of a separate forum, what about a stickie?

Ruth


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Ruth I am proud of you! 
I never did get to the pantry- my dgs was competing for my attention and the kids had ball games so no one there to occupy him. I did sort the sock hamper, and have laundry going so when I attack it tonight there will be no laundry to work around. Tonight is the night, dh says he will lay down the rest of the linoleum tile for me too! It is half done, 1/2 old and 1/2 new tiles, nice look!


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## A'sta at Hofstead

*gracegarden-* you really need to take care of yourself and get some professional help - life is much to short to watch it pass you by. 
You have agoraphobia I think and it can be treated pretty well, my ex MIL had it - and she _did_ live in squalor not type I either, with medication and therapy I think she is 100% now.


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## moosemaniac

Another day; another hour. Getting psyched to do it again.

Ruth


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## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> Another day; another hour. Getting psyched to do it again.
> 
> Ruth


I will be with you in spirit Ruth, hitting up the pantry after we bring the goaties to be dis-budded! It isn't nice out so that's a plus!


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## RoseGarden

I have been trying to declutter and reduce the mess for a couple of years now. I had so much stuff, a lifetime accumulation of possessions, some mine, some my ex's, some my parents and some from a dear friend who has since passed away. I had one big garage sale and got rid of about 75% of what I consider expendable, such as clothes and shoes I would never have worn again, gift that never quite found the right spot in my home, and just general junk that seemed to good to get rid of. 

After getting rid of so much of it, I am left with what I thought was stuff that I needed to save. Of that, upon reflection and having it sit around the house another year, probably half of it is going to go. 

Some things I won't get rid of, like my excess canning jars, food saver, tools and duplicates of other homesteading type supplies. Those may well come in handy some day and with the cost of everything rising, it is more economical to store it than to buy it later.

I have this big walk in closet....  It's a catch all for tools, paint brushes, the vaccum, you name it. The other night I started cleaning it out, made a big dent in it. Went and bought a shelf for organizing, and will hopefully get it finished tonight or the next night.

Just do a bit at a time, keep chipping away at the piles and don't let it overwhelm.


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## patnewmex

Yesterday I did another load of laundry, picked up about 1/4 of the living room and actually SAW ENOUGH OF THE FLOOR TO VACUUM IT! :clap: :clap: (and so 1/4 of the liv. room is vacuumed and done.) Organized some of hubbies stuff enough so he can sort through boxes of stuff. 

I took two winter quilts and bought those airtight bags you put stuff in and vacuum the air out. 

Got hubby to put his shoes where the shoes go and hang up his clothes for the day, WITHOUT BEING A NAG!

Sorted through our closets to get all the loose hangers so I can put away 8 loads of laundry tonight.

I also cooked from scratch a nice tilapia fillet, mashed taro root--like mashed tades but with a nuttier flavor--and zuchini. 

TONIGHT:
More of the living room swamped out, enough so I can get back at my workout and weights bench (yes, I am a girl who lifts weights.) :dance: 

and I'm going to clean the guns out. We went to the sand pit on Sunday to get the lead out. (joke there...)

Figure out where to put the clean 8 loads of laundry I did last week. There is NO ROOM. That's going to be a challenge.

And, it feels good to get it done.

Pat


----------



## A'sta at Hofstead

Good for you Pat!


----------



## patnewmex

BTW, I think we need our own Form. Here are sticky threads that can go in the Organizationally-challenged forum:

*Problems Solutions* Thread for SPECIFIC problems so others can offer solutions. In addition to the technical side of specific clutter problems, this thread will encompass the emotional and/or relationship side of the problem of keeping EVERYONE in line, not only ourselves. (Children, spouses, and how we deal with situations.)

*Victory* Thread Just what it says! List your daily victory stories here. 

*General Organizational Ideas/Skills* Thread (boot camp?) Sharing of ideas, but NOT specific problems that individuals have. LIke the advice anyone can find on flylady.net and the like. 

*How to Keep the Success Going *Thread which is really important, and should be not only about how to organize, but how to adopt new _behaviors_ that must be in place for it to work long term. This thread should also help deal with the emotional/relationship side of things. 

*GOALS *Thread: Sometimes the mess is too much and extends throughout the entire property such as the yard and how work spaces are identified and used. (or split it into two threads, LONG TERM and SHORT TERM goals. i.e., I for one have to work on one building at a time and yet I have goals for my property at large.) 

Just for starters

Pat

P.S. I think because we are all homesteaders, that presents a challenge for those of us who do collect useful items. My husband just picked up metal shelving that someone was THROWING OUT! You don't want to pass that stuff up, but you don't want to drown in items either. So, I think we can build on others' ideas. :hobbyhors

PPSS. How about a *YARD & PROPERTY ORG* thread: How are your workspaces designated? Are they where they make the most sense? (Is the woodpile near where you drop off and split wood, etc.


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## moosemaniac

Maybe they'd go for the new forum idea if it was more of a housekeeping forum than just an organization forum. Maybe...

Ruth


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## suburbanite

On that site I'm a level one with occasional forays toward two. I have one room where cat poop becomes an intermittent problem, but that room is not cluttered. It is the room where the 21 year old cat spends most of his time and occasionally he can't get to the litter box fast enough because he is so old.

I do have a patch of trimwork behind the door in there that needs repainting, otherwise except for occasional cat-messes that room is clean.

My kitchen has been scary for about 6 weeks because I had all the seed packets scattered on all the horizontal surfaces and it was just *too much* so I finally cleaned all that up yesterday and now have the seed packets in a series of neatly sorted piles. I'll be buying a box for them at Staples today.

I also have a pile of receipts that need to be filed, and some newspapers to be stored somewhere. Why am I keeping the newspapers? Because they are good for starting the barbecue, and I've been barbecuing almost every evening lately.


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## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> Maybe they'd go for the new forum idea if it was more of a housekeeping forum than just an organization forum. Maybe...
> 
> Ruth


I know Ruth! We can call it Farm-Lady instead of Fly-Lady! Farm can mean ...
(I've got nothin'. F-A-R-M? any ideas?) (instead of FLY -finally loving yourself)


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## A'sta at Hofstead

suburbanite said:


> On that site I'm a level one with occasional forays toward two. I have one room where cat poop becomes an intermittent problem, but that room is not cluttered. It is the room where the 21 year old cat spends most of his time and occasionally he can't get to the litter box fast enough because he is so old.
> 
> I do have a patch of trimwork behind the door in there that needs repainting, otherwise except for occasional cat-messes that room is clean.
> 
> My kitchen has been scary for about 6 weeks because I had all the seed packets scattered on all the horizontal surfaces and it was just *too much* so I finally cleaned all that up yesterday and now have the seed packets in a series of neatly sorted piles. I'll be buying a box for them at Staples today.
> 
> I also have a pile of receipts that need to be filed, and some newspapers to be stored somewhere. Why am I keeping the newspapers? Because they are good for starting the barbecue, and I've been barbecuing almost every evening lately.


I roll up my newspapers and put them in a wooden barrel beside my wood fired stove- easy to grab and pretty neat looking.


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## patnewmex

*F*armers (or farm families or just families)
*A*ccepting or (attempting)
*R*eorganization (or just Reorg)
*M*adness (or Methods)

??

(see my previous post about the form threads idea. I drastically edited it.)


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## moosemaniac

Oh, Pat, that's great!

Ruth


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## A'sta at Hofstead

*F*inally
*A*ttacking
*R*eorganization
*M*ethods

*FARM* LADIES


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

*F*ight
*A*ccumulation
*R*educe
*M*ass

or

:shrug: I got nuthin' too....

now for the good news~ I have:
washed a load of laundry
unloaded the dishwasher
put all of those dishes where they go (usually 1/2 of them are left on the counter)
cleaned off the table of last night's supper dishes (actually DD did this)
loaded the dishwasher with yesterday's dishes...for once in *forever* I have more space in the dishwasher than dishes!!!!
cleaned off 2 counters in kitchen
sprayed/wiped those counters
sprayed/wiped/scrubbed the stovetop....(not perfect but better than it was)
picked up all of the trash from the floor
tossed all the laundry found in the kitchen down the hall (socks, towel, etc)
vaccumed 
emptied trashcan...trashbag to outside dumpster

overall the kitchen looks pretty good~!!

Rachel


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## patnewmex

RachAnn in NW Okla said:


> *F*ight
> *A*ccumulation
> *R*educe
> *M*ass
> /QUOTE]
> 
> That gets my vote!
> 
> Pat


----------



## LamiPub

Thanks to JG (she let me come over and use her washer/dryer bless her heart!) I got six loads of my laundry done today! Of course we do go to a garage sale down the road and I bought a few items....but just a few! Two things I kinda wanted but I said "no, better not".


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## moongirl

I clean out my book shelves (my personal weakness) one book at a time. Have a box right outside the front door in the hallway. Once a month we see friends that take them all.


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## moosemaniac

Well, another day shot. I didn't find the time to sort stuff. Had a leak in the goats' waterer (old bathtub) that we had to fix. That took quite a while.

Ruth


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## patnewmex

Had a major breakthrough in laundry and clothes storage last night. I spent all night putting away all the laundry (8 loads that were recently washed but not put away). Added to the already bursting full closets, drawers and shelves. I got all the winter clothes out and in tubs that are marked Winter Clothes, and all items are organized and it all somehow FITS!!!!!! I never, ever thought that would happen. 

I put my dirty clothes hamper away from the far corner of the room where it was and put it near the door. If we threw our clothes into that corner hamper, it ended up all over in that corner. Bad choice. So, got it moved. That was a HUGE load off! Husbands work and play clothes are all sorted out, and I only have a very few mis-matched socks. When I do the very last load of dirty laundry, all those socks that don't match go out the door.

Sorted out summer from winter bedding and stored it all properly. 

Got it done so late that we didn't eat dinner until almost 9:45! But I'm happy to have that monkey off my back. 

How did the rest of you do last night? (Fixing goat water tubs is FINE BY ME and counts as work! Don't worry about it.)


----------



## moosemaniac

Bed by nine at my house. Got 46 goats to feed (milking 9), plus chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and a horse. Work 9 to 5 Monday through Friday. Finding time to breath sometimes can be a problem.

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

moongirl said:


> I clean out my book shelves (my personal weakness) one book at a time. Have a box right outside the front door in the hallway. Once a month we see friends that take them all.


You can actually give up books? I can't. I have hundreds!

Ruth


----------



## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> Well, another day shot. I didn't find the time to sort stuff. Had a leak in the goats' waterer (old bathtub) that we had to fix. That took quite a while.
> 
> Ruth


My day was shot too- I went to get the goats dis-budded and then talked for hours with the town's old goat guy who did them- what an interesting fellow, by the time dinner was on the table and cleaned up it was lights out. Rainy this weekend so there is hope!


----------



## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> You can actually give up books? I can't. I have hundreds!
> 
> Ruth


I have what we call the blue moon saloon in our barn and have bookshelves full out there, I do have about three in the house full too, I can't let them go either.


----------



## Wolf mom

Where was I when this thread began? 

I either work outside or inside, not both. Working again, there's even less time.
And Books.. that's my escape. my excuse is: "What if the electricity goes out, what'll I do?"

 You really know you're a clutterer when you pick up the livingroom & while vaccuuming, your child asks you "Who's coming to visit?'  True story.

I've decided not to have a garage sale, just give it to a thrift store. One less pile. 
I will not buy any more clothes without giving/throwing an equal amount away...
I have to think hard and long about this, but I think I spend too much time on the computer (here). That would really be major withdrawl...

When the children were little, after sorting sox, I'd give them a penny for each pair mated. When they got older - they had to do it. (I think they just dumped them in their sox drawer.

I just need a garage to stuff with stuff....


----------



## A'sta at Hofstead

So, what is on the agenda for this weekend? Me, as you may know will be doing the pantry, kitchen cabinets and the sun room. I will do it too.


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## moosemaniac

Picking up the new goat saturday...cleaning and sorting, otherwise. It's suppose to rain here for days and days, so I have no excuse to play outside instead.

Ruth


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## suburbanite

Ever have a pile of papers sitting somewhere for so long that when you finally clean it up, you keep being startled that its not there whenever you walk into the room?

That's what I'm going through in the kitchen now that I've boxed and stored my vegetable seeds after they've been on the table corner since mid-April.


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## Jan Doling

I tweaked one letter:

Fight
Accumulation
Reduce
Mess


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Jan Doling said:


> I tweaked ione letter:
> 
> Fight
> Accumulation
> Reduce
> Mess


Perfecto!


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## moosemaniac

I'm thinking.....

Start at the kitchen entryway. Clean the utility closet and entry. That's my weekend project. Then when you first walk in the door, something looks good. I can go on from there. If I get really inspired, maybe I'll do a little container plant area at the kitchen door. That's the entry we use most. I'll try to do before and after pics. Then, if I'm really brave, I may even let you guys see the before.

Ruth


----------



## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> I'm thinking.....
> 
> Start at the kitchen entryway. Clean the utility closet and entry. That's my weekend project. Then when you first walk in the door, something looks good. I can go on from there. If I get really inspired, maybe I'll do a little container plant area at the kitchen door. That's the entry we use most. I'll try to do before and after pics. Then, if I'm really brave, I may even let you guys see the before.
> 
> Ruth


I'm rooting for you Ruth. Try not to play with that little doeling too much now!


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## gracegarden

My husband is taking me to buy new sheets and cutains for my one clean room.
It is SO nice to have a (visually) "quiet" room in which to hide.


----------



## trixiwick

Oh, you have to spend some time playing with Twixie! C'mon...be reasonable!

Me, I'm going to spend the hottest/rainiest parts of the weekend gathering all of my fabric and floss and such around me, putting a good movie (or two) on, and not stopping until everything is labeled, alphabetized/numbered, and otherwise organized. I plan to throw away some stuff and consolidate other stuff. I've decided to start quilting, so obviously I need to start a collection of bunny fabrics, because OBVIOUSLY every piece I make needs to have a rabbit in it somewhere. So I need to create some space.


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## A'sta at Hofstead

trixiwick said:


> Oh, you have to spend some time playing with Twixie! C'mon...be reasonable!
> 
> Me, I'm going to spend the hottest/rainiest parts of the weekend gathering all of my fabric and floss and such around me, putting a good movie (or two) on, and not stopping until everything is labeled, alphabetized/numbered, and otherwise organized. I plan to throw away some stuff and consolidate other stuff. I've decided to start quilting, so obviously I need to start a collection of bunny fabrics, because OBVIOUSLY every piece I make needs to have a rabbit in it somewhere. So I need to create some space.


Well *obviously* Twix! You are so funny!


----------



## A'sta at Hofstead

gracegarden said:


> My husband is taking me to buy new sheets and cutains for my one clean room.
> It is SO nice to have a (visually) "quiet" room in which to hide.


That is just wonderful you are going out to do that- there is nothin' like clean new sheets to buoy a girl's spirits!


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## moosemaniac

trixiwick said:


> I've decided to start quilting, so obviously I need to start a collection of bunny fabrics, because OBVIOUSLY every piece I make needs to have a rabbit in it somewhere.


As I sort and organize my fabric stash, and it is substantial, I might have one or two . . . 

Hey! I can move my clutter to Twix's house!

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

gracegarden said:


> My husband is taking me to buy new sheets and cutains for my one clean room.
> It is SO nice to have a (visually) "quiet" room in which to hide.


You are inspiring me. Within one week, I *WILL * have a quiet room!

Ruth


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## littlebird

Can I join?

I promise to stand up right now and wash just one load of dishes.

Then I'll reward myself by coming back and reading HT for a few minutes before I contemplate tackling another load.

Okay, I'm going now.

Okay, now.

...


----------



## A'sta at Hofstead

littlebird said:


> Can I join?
> 
> I promise to stand up right now and wash just one load of dishes.
> 
> Then I'll reward myself by coming back and reading HT for a few minutes before I contemplate tackling another load.
> 
> Okay, I'm going now.
> 
> Okay, now.
> 
> ...


GO NOW!


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## moosemaniac

Wow! We are a growing group.

Wish I had a dishwasher though.

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

Can we get little membership cards or hats or something?

Ruth


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## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> Wow! We are a growing group.
> 
> Wish I had a dishwasher though.
> 
> Ruth


You do deserve a dishwasher for goodness sakes, ask on Freecycle, people are always remodeling!


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## littlebird

I'm back, I did it.

We should get membership *dishwashers*. I guess I'd settle for a hat or a card though!


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## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> Can we get little membership cards or hats or something?
> 
> Ruth


We have to just know in our hearts that we are part of something great! :hobbyhors


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## patnewmex

gracegarden said:


> My husband is taking me to buy new sheets and cutains for my one clean room.
> It is SO nice to have a (visually) "quiet" room in which to hide.


Can I steal the term you just coined "visually quiet"????? PLEASE????

Thanks!


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## patnewmex

Since I'm a graphic artist, I'll have to come up with our logo/mascot. Any ideas that I can bring to life? A goat and a chicken both wearing kerchifes on their heads and holding a mop and broom?

WHO DO WE TALK TO IN ORDER TO MAKE A NEW FORUM???


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## suburbanite

Conundrum:

If the closet is disorganized, there's no place to put the stuff cluttering up the room, so the room stays messy.

But

If you clean the closet first, then even if you spend the whole day doing it, at the end of the day, you can't see that you've done anything because the closet is closed and the room is still a mess.

And

If you clean the closet second then you'll reclutter up the room when you have to take everything out of the closet into the room to reorganize it. So its sort of like having to clean the room twice.

My motivation is flagging. Though actually today it is the refrigerator, not a closet, that is in question. Same basic conflict though.


----------



## moosemaniac

Hill Crest Farm said:


> We have to just know in our hearts that we are part of something great! :hobbyhors


Well, A'sta, you do such wonderful graphic work....guess who's elected for this job?

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

patnewmex said:


> Since I'm a graphic artist, I'll have to come up with our logo/mascot.


And then I read this post....you and A'sta can brainstorm this one!

Ruth


----------



## suburbanite

One issue of making a new forum for tidiness is that there would have to be a moderator or moderator. Is there anyone here with expertise in organization, or anyone here with time etc., who would want to be a moderator for that forum? If people willing to do it step up and say so, then that might make it easier for chuck or dean to decide to create a place.

I put a link to this thread down in the admin area so I hope they come up and check it out.

I most decidedly have no interest in being a moderator but I do think that people who might be interested should speak up, because the existing mods of other forums already have too much to do to take on a new area.


----------



## moosemaniac

LOL...most of us posting on this thread are here supporting each other's efforts to unmess our lives. I'm not sure any of us would qualify for moderator.

Ruth


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## Melissa

I will keep this as a sticky as long as it remains fairly active. Hope that helps!


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## suburbanite

Thanks Melissa, that will give it a chance to develop legs.


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## moosemaniac

Ooooh, Melissa you're the best....

In spite of the fact that I just scrolled up and down and up and down and on to page two looking for the thread before I realized...

Hey! It's a sticky! 

... I'm so disorganized.

Ruth


----------



## Melissa

Oops sorry Ruth! Someone sent me a message asking if I would make it sticky. I don't like to have too many sticky posts, but this seems to be a "hot" topic.

Actually my dream job would be to be an organizer. BUT the problem is that most people aren't really ready to make the change.


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## patnewmex

moosemaniac said:


> And then I read this post....you and A'sta can brainstorm this one!
> 
> Ruth


OOPS! I missed that too. (embarrassed grin) I will bow out if needed. But, I think it would be fun for everyone to come up w/ideas.


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## moosemaniac

You can come to my house and organize me Melissa. I'm not that far away after all. But I keep the books, the mooses and the goats!

Ruth


----------



## Kstornado11

Do you all think you could be of any help to my DH? He is the WORST pack rat in the state of Kansas. He has fits when it's time to organize & clean. I worry that when my nesting instinct kicks in,he'll go off the deep end. :help:


----------



## RockyGlen

I am generally a VERY organized person. I have one friend who comes to my house to cook because she always knows where to find everything here and she can't find things at her house. 

The only area I really stuggle with is........LIDS. I hate lids. I have baskets of small mouth canning lids, baskets of wide mouth canning lids, baskets for the plastic canning lids in both sizes, baskets of tupperware lids, baskets of rubbermaid lids, and a basket of lids for assorted things that don't fit other categories. 

I hate lids...they take up almost a whole cabinet and I am the only one who can apparently tell which lid goes in which basket and I have to sort lids at least once a month....I vote for a lidless society!


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## suburbanite

Rocky--I'd have a problem with lids too if I could find them under all the other stuff. 

Does anyone have a solution for the lid problem?


----------



## dmarie

I am reading "It's All too Much" by Peter Walsh. In the intro he writes that the self storage industry is around fifteen billion dollars and that there are more than forty thousand self storage facilities in the U.S. Don't know the Canadian stats but am sure it is oodles as well!
I was self employed as a cleaner/organizer/shopper for the elderly. 3 of the clients were "interesting" when it came to how they dealt with their things. 1 wanted me to clean in an hour so that I could chat and have tea, 1 had me clean the same closet each time simply shuffling the boxes of things from one room to the other. She had beautiful things never used or even opened, saying she was keeping it for company--she was well into her 80's. 1 had the basement so full of her adult kid's things, each time they got rid of something instead of dealing with it themselves, they took it to mom's, since she had a basement where they could "store" it. The basement was so full she did not have room for her own things. When she needed to sell the house and move to a retirement home, she could not find anyone willing to help her dispose of all the stuff! I had moved away by then!
Each time my dh and I have moved our home seems to get smaller. Older farmhouses tend to have little or no closet space, older cupboards with small shelves not suitable for some of the larger appliances such as a tall blender, so scaling down and getting rid of things and organizing has sort of presented itself without me even trying most of the time. 
My biggest challenge at the moment is not necessarily the house--but our barn. It was full of the previous owner's junk, then my husband's stuff (ever notice other people's stuff is junk and our stuff is stuff!) the fatherinlaw's things since he is now in a sernior's apartment, our son's snowmobile and 4 wheeler since he lives in an apartment and our daughter's, soninlaw's, and grandson's things since they are moving to a house with no basement or storage shed. Learning to say no is helpful of course, but easier said than done, when it comes to helping out family. All I can do is encourage and suggest ways of selling, donating or plain throwing things out and hope for the best!
Good luck to all with that organizing and decluttering! Am looking forward to checking in on your progress! Hugs, dmarie


----------



## littlebird

Melissa said:


> Actually my dream job would be to be an organizer. BUT the problem is that most people aren't really ready to make the change.


*I'm* ready to make the change. But I have to keep the books, the craft stuff, the tools, and all my plants. And that thing, I need that. Oh, and the other thing. I'll definitely find a use for that someday. And this is broken, but I can take it apart and fix it, I'm sure... :baby04:


----------



## 1/4acre

Ah ha. I knew I wasn't the only one, :help: I just didn't see this thread until today. Now that school is finally out for the summer I can tackle those things like closets and pantries that I have been putting off for what seems like forever. I have 2 weeks til summer school starts and I have to go back to work and once I'm back at work I know me, I"ll start putting all the house stuff on the back burnner again :flame: . Whan I need motivation I will just pop in here for a little or big lift. Great idea about the music CD :dance: get a little exercise in while I'm at the cleaning. I will try that too.


----------



## RoseGarden

Pat, I know exactly what you mean about the closet/room conundrum. Right now I am experiencing that. Plus trying to add some much needed baseboards to the hallway and a couple of rooms. 

Here is how it has played out over the past few weeks; got the baseboards cut, planed and routed (this is out of some lumber given me) but they still need to be filled, sanded, primed and painted before I can put them down and it's been too rainy to lay them out on saw horses to sand/paint them. So they are in the living room on the floor awaiting nice weather.  

To clean out my catch-all junk room I had to take EVERYTHING out of it. Put in a new set of metal shelves and got most of the useful stuff put away in an orderly fashion. Threw away a full trash can full of true junk, nothing even donatable. There is still some stuff sitting around that I don't know what to do with, but it's in a couple of boxes so at least it's contained. 

My sewing rooom isn't that bad, it won't take fifteen minutes to straighten, organize and put things in boxes that I am getting rid of. 

I am going to have about six or seven 24" square boxes of stuff after this is done. Maybe another garage sale?


----------



## Sumer

Whew. Found it finally, I also went looking all over for this thread till I found it right in front on the top. Sorta like how my keys are where they belong after I spent 15 minutes looking for them. So I guess I belong in this group also so count me in.
So far I only did one thing today to organize (besides going to work) and that was take the cat to the vet to get her fixed. Now she is home hiding under the bed. I say it counts as preventative type of organization accomplishment.
Me and my sis might do our garage sale tomorrow so that will help out a lot.
~~~
Sumer
.. yes it does too count!


----------



## Paula

Melissa said:


> Actually my dream job would be to be an organizer. BUT the problem is that most people aren't really ready to make the change.


I'm ready!
Sorta working on the worst of it though - DH is building me a dedicated tack room in the back room of our place at the farm. It's going to be wonderful - rough sawn pine floor and rough cedar siding. Right now I have tack everywhere.

Well, I guess even after all the tack has a home we'll still have "issues."

I have a dear friend who will come help me, but her method is to chuck everything out of a room and let me organize it as I put it back. If I could do that I wouldn't need help.


----------



## RockyGlen

Twice a year I decide to deep clean, right before we start school and right before we plant the garden. I tackle one room per day, two days for the kitchen. Every drawer, shelf, and cubboard gets emptied, wiped and refilled. Stuff gets put back or sorted into "garage sale" "garbage" or "giveaway" boxes. If it is going into the garage sale, I price it right then and there. 

If I want to buy a large item, I must know before I buy it where I am going to put it. And I generally try to stick to the rule of "If 1 thing comes in, 1 thing must go out"

I keep decorations either hanging on the wall, or to a minimum. Less dusting, less clutter, and I only have things out that I really love.

Every other year I pull out all the boxes that were marked yard sale and have one! All I have to do is hang signs around town, and set stuff out. I know ahead of time what the money will be used for (usually a vacation). Knowing I am having a yard sale, I walk around the house giving everything a visual check. If there are things the kids don't wear or play with, I ask if they would rather have money for something special, or that object. I post on freecycle that at Saturday night at 6:00, everything left is free. It is NOT coming back in the house.

When I am cleaning a really messy room (I volunteer with the senior center and do alot of cleaning for the elderly in town), I always start at the top - counters, shelves, or tables. It's amazing how much better a room can look if just the end tables are clutter free.


----------



## manygoatsnmore

I vote for RockyGlen for moderator, lol!

Wow, I can't believe I missed this thread - guess I've been too busy with dgd to spend much time on-line the last few days. :shrug: This is the thread for me! I seem to be on a continual quest for organization. Actually, compared to last year at this time, I am really a whole lot better than I was. It gets a little messy sometimes, but it's not a total disaster, lol! However, I do have some major "hot spots", as Flylady puts it. I have a LOT of misc paperwork, magazines, newspapers, and just plain junk - enough to fill several big boxes. That doesn't count anything that is actually already filed. I also seem to accumulate lots of odds and ends that don't fit neatly into any one category. There's another box or two filled with stuff like that. I have a storage room and it is so stuffed with "stuff" that it's really hard to get to what I want in there. and let's not get started on the barn, or the pile of lumber and other "assorteds" out back...I have a to-do list a page and a half long, mostly big projects that will take a week or so to do - each. That means my list is about a year long, without a break. :help:

The funny thing is, I love to organize - for other people. I like all the organizing shows, check out the Flylady and SHE sites regularly, and get a kick out of creating calm from chaos. I love it when my house is neat and clean, company ready. I love it when my flowerbeds are weeded, and the yard is mowed, and the place looks neat as a pin. So, why do I have so much trouble getting it and keeping it that way? Am I just lazy? I know there are a lot of days when I really just don't seem to be able to pull myself up by the bootstraps and get something done! It's like I have SO MANY things that need doing that I get paralyzed at the thought of doing any of it.

Am I the only one that feels like this? After reading the rest of the posts, I guess I'm not!  So, my goal for the day needs to be a simple one. Yesterday I assembled the pipe frame for a tarp shelter (those portable carports you see all over). I need to pound t-posts to anchor it, and then put the tarp over it and fasten it down. If I can get this done this evening when it cools off a little, I'll have done well. Bonus if I can get dd to clear the rest of the hay stall out and unload 54 bales of grass hay into it (both of us unloading and stacking).

Other than that, I had dgd here until about 2:30, so I worked inside where I could keep an eye on her and get something done. I swept and organized the master bath and started on my bedroom. Took a lot of little boxes of junk and dumped them all into big boxes (so I can sort them back into little boxes to go to where ever they really belong), swept the floors and got rid of all the cat hair hiding in the corners. (6 cats, one of them long-haired = a lot of cat fur!) Yesterday I hand-washed all the dishes, and cleaned the kitchen, mopped the floor. Today, I only have a few dishes to do before work tonight. I need to put away the rest of the toys from dgd's visit and sweep the livingroom and den (dgd's bedroom when she is here). Here I go again, getting a list too long to be manageable. I need to stop writing and start working! NOW!

someone please give me a swift kick to get moving???.....


----------



## suburbanite

One of my barriers to organization is medical. I start out the day with the best of intentions and then wind up with an exacerbation of my ankle problem or (favoring my ankle while trying to carry stuff to put it away) wind up hurting my back, and then I can't walk around anymore. So then I don't finish what I planned, then I get bummed out and daunted and just give up.


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

Jan Doling said:


> I tweaked one letter:
> 
> Fight
> Accumulation
> Reduce
> Mess


Even better than the original!!!!!!

see what can happen when many are thinking outloud!

Rachel


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## PyroDon

Have to ask is this a female only forum?? 
the reason I ask is Im the chief cook and bottle washer in this house .
My wifes only domestic quality is she lives in a house and does laundry . The rest is pretty much up to me .
Im trying to find the kitchen table but currently that has a saddle and harness on it along with various other things. The breakfast bar has a couple cans of paint,hose repair kits and lord only knows what else. 
The girls closet has a barrel full of close that are too small for one and too big for the other  
We are pack rats please forgive us :angel:


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

I have a "lid drawer" it is about 18"W x 24"L x 10"D when the lid drawer wont close or a lid gets caught, I go through it and mentally match with a bowl....if I cant remember seeing the bowl, the lid goes to the trash....butter/sour cream container lids go to the trash--I keep 1 of each


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## Cabin Fever

Oh hummmmm......yawn.....stretch.......

Why is this a sticky?


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## patnewmex

I also got tired of lids. Here is how I handle it. For plastic containers, tupperware, etc. put the lids ON as soon as both are clean and washed. You can't stack them as well, (you can't nest them) but the ones you have will ALL have covers. Throw the rest out, you don't need them.

Pots and pans lids, those all go on the pot, but upside down (concave) so you CAN stack another smaller pot on it. 

Mason jars and lids. Same deal. Just put the lid on it and store like that. 

*All lids go on the containers, and when you run out of space, you know you have enough containers--so throw the rest out.* That has solved my lid problem. 

Pat


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## littlebird

Good advice on the lids, Pat.

And it can't be a female only forum. I want DH to join!!!

I planned all my meals for the next week and did the shopping for them tonight. (First time ever!) We chose our favourite meals for the first week, and there's a lot of meat (we don't eat meat very often, maybe once or twice a week) but I was still suprised how low our grocery bill was. I only bought what was on the plan, so we'll see how it goes.

good luck to you all!

LB


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## suburbanite

Cabin Fever said:



> Oh hummmmm......yawn.....stretch.......
> 
> Why is this a sticky?


because it has 130 posts in 2 days.


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## PyroDon

suburbanite said:


> because it has 130 posts in 2 days.


That makes sense though I was thinking it might have been the spilled jam on the counter top  
Maybe thats just my counter top


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## Paula

Cabin Fever said:


> Oh hummmmm......yawn.....stretch.......
> 
> Why is this a sticky?


Because not everyone here is as perfect as SOME people


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## moosemaniac

Pyro! No gender discrimination here! Welcome.

It's Saturday! Anyone have plans?

Here are my plans for today:

Coffee and news
Set out four gallons of milk for a batch of feta cheese
Feed livestock
Milk goats
Shower
Continue with feta cheese
Grocery shopping
Drive to Salamance to pick up doe kid
Explain doe kid to DH
Clean/Organize kitchen entry - outside entrance - if time start on kitchen
Fix dinner
Feed livestock
Milk goats
Drop dead in bed


Ruth


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## trappmountain

my kids know I'm seriously cleaning when they here the best of grateful dead. Yes that is what keeps me going. it is fast and happy upbeat music. I started doing that shortly after I got married and it works for me. Just like celtic music and a long hot bath relaxes me.


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## RockyGlen

next weekend is our every other year yard sale, so I am going to go through the house and make sure I don't have any unwanted clutter. 

I have done the lids-on thing in the past, but in this house I don't have enough cabinet space. Maybe I will pack away half my containers and see if I have too many....

I also am going to finish sewing these summer dresses for the girls if it kills me! I want me desk back


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## trappmountain

Hill Crest Farm said:


> I have what we call the blue moon saloon in our barn and have bookshelves full out there, I do have about three in the house full too, I can't let them go either.



Me either I tell my husband they are MY diamonds I cannot part with them. I hate when ppl want to borrow them because I just know they won't return them and it upsets me so.


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## trappmountain

PyroDon said:


> Have to ask is this a female only forum??
> the reason I ask is Im the chief cook and bottle washer in this house .
> My wifes only domestic quality is she lives in a house and does laundry . The rest is pretty much up to me .
> Im trying to find the kitchen table but currently that has a saddle and harness on it along with various other things. The breakfast bar has a couple cans of paint,hose repair kits and lord only knows what else.
> The girls closet has a barrel full of close that are too small for one and too big for the other
> We are pack rats please forgive us :angel:




OK we are both already married BUT "will you marry me." I always wanted a man that could clean house! My DH clean anything HA! Never happen! BUT I love him anyway! I would love him even more if he and the kids would not mess up what I have done.


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## trappmountain

can u tell I just found this thread and read it all in one sitting! Now I have to try and find the kitchen table before it gets to hot in the house to do anything. It is already 85 outside won't belong before its that got in here.


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## PyroDon

trappmountain said:


> OK we are both already married BUT "will you marry me." I always wanted a man that could clean house! My DH clean anything HA! Never happen! BUT I love him anyway! I would love him even more if he and the kids would not mess up what I have done.


 :rotfl: I guess the question is will you change the oil in your car and shovel 4 ton of rock onto the driveway thats what she did last weekend while I found that we do have a living room floor.. 
Some how I doubt my girls would let me they are pretty fond of momma and daddy .
I will be trying to find the dining room today , have to get the old fridge that quit working out and put in the new restraunt booth we got at a sale . figure after 5 years its past time for someplace to sit down and eat dinner .


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## suburbanite

Well, my parents are stopping by later today, which should be a motivator to clean the house, but once they get here it is always a de-motivator, because my mother will find something to complain about. At which point I get utterly demotivated to address whatever particular item it is that she mentioned.

It's almost like I ought to create a deliberate pile of mess so that she can vent all her critical energy on that and leave the things I really do need to clean unnoticed, so that she doesn't cut off my will to do those things with her nagging.


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## A'sta at Hofstead

patnewmex said:


> I also got tired of lids. Here is how I handle it. For plastic containers, tupperware, etc. put the lids ON as soon as both are clean and washed. You can't stack them as well, (you can't nest them) but the ones you have will ALL have covers. Throw the rest out, you don't need them.
> 
> Pots and pans lids, those all go on the pot, but upside down (concave) so you CAN stack another smaller pot on it.
> 
> Mason jars and lids. Same deal. Just put the lid on it and store like that.
> 
> *All lids go on the containers, and when you run out of space, you know you have enough containers--so throw the rest out.* That has solved my lid problem.
> 
> Pat


I have always heard - and experience has shown that putting a lid on a container and storing it that way harbors mustiness and even mold. You just can't always get them entirely dry. I have a seperate drawer for my lids, and I go through the cabinet and drawer and make sure I have the matches. If I haven't used a container for a looong time, it does not have a lid and it goes to the barn for other usage. I need to do this this weekend.


----------



## patnewmex

Today I'll *plant 3 rows of seeds* in the places in my garden that are bare. 

I *Planted 6 milkweek plants* for the monarchs. more on that later. 

I will *plant Hollyhocks* outside the garden fence. 

Helped hubby put up *new garden fence*, just one more portion to paint and put up and it is done. I'll have pics when it is done.

Next I'll try and *locate the summer clothes boxes* from the studio and bring out the winter clothes tubs to store them. That should be fun. The studio is shoulder deep in boxes, tools, and there is barely a footpath through stuff. 

Once I get that done I'll come back and report. I'm sure I can pack more in. I'm not feeling well [TOM] But Ibuprofin and booze are wonder drugs (just kidding about the booze) and will get me through. I'm not sitting in bed on such a beautiful day!

I plan on *getting both duck and goose ponds sump pumped out * and fresh water in (140 gallon rubber tubs). Right now it is a green gooey mess. Yuck. 

We'll see if I get to those ponds today though. I need hubby's help for that and he just went to a gun show. 

Good work everyone!

Pat


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## patnewmex

Hill Crest Farm said:


> I have always heard - and experience has shown that putting a lid on a container and storing it that way harbors mustiness and even mold. You just can't always get them entirely dry.


I think I'm lucky that I live in arid New Mexico. Everything gets "bone dry" here. 

PS. I noticed your sig about geese. African Grey's are wonderful geese if you get a chance. I have one female. I also have a Tolouse and a Chinese Nob-nosed white if you want fertile eggs from them.


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## A'sta at Hofstead

patnewmex said:


> I think I'm lucky that I live in arid New Mexico. Everything gets "bone dry" here.
> 
> PS. I noticed your sig about geese. African Grey's are wonderful geese if you get a chance. I have one female. I also have a Tolouse and a Chinese Nob-nosed white if you want fertile eggs from them.


Oooohhh don't tempt me!


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## patnewmex

Hill Crest Farm said:


> Oooohhh don't tempt me!


We know a gal that runs an Ostrich farm and she ships eggs all over the world. I'm sure we could ship some eggs once they get off that nest!

They'd be a mix of the grey goose and the white knob-nosed, Mutts.


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## trappmountain

*PYRODON*-Normally DH and I do that stuff together. The only domain that is singularly maintained (and not the greatest) is the house, by me. I would much rather do the outside stuff. and usualy do.


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## suburbanite

Dang. My parents were here for 5 minutes before running off to lowe's to look at tile for their bathroom, and the previously clean kitchen looks like a disaster area.

Mom keeps bringing me cut out articles from the newspaper. She doesn't get that I read the news days before-hand on the internet. :sigh:


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## patnewmex

I got to the back bedroom of the studio while looking for and FINDING the rest of the summer clothes. Those are in the house and the winter clothes are OUT.

I have gathered 3 bags of clothes for the Goodwill. 

I have also organized that back bedroom in my studio that was FULL OF JUNK. I have thrown a bunch of stuff out and it feels good. It is by no means perfect, but I got a bug in my you-know-where.

Suburbanite--just put on a pot of coffee, or have some iced tea and spend 10 minutes on the kitchen. Put a timer on and some movin' tunes and spend just 10 minutes. Glad the folks didn't bring you down too much as you had anticipated. 

Then have a bit of chocolte as a reward. 

Pat


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## suburbanite

Pat they're coming back for grilled burgers later.


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## Sumer

When I get to cleaning I set the timer to 10 minutes too. It really works. Most of the time I try to get to at least 10 minutes a room. Sometimes I make it thru sometimes I dont. Sometimes I get so sidetracked getting stuck in the cleaning mode on stuff I didnt intend to to that an hour can go by and I wont get to anything else. Then there are days like today where I just didnt have the energy to do anything besides the basics. Mostly Laundry and dishes and because I spilled some popcorn I swept the kitchen.


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## suburbanite

Well, I just unshuffled some stuff I shuffled to give the illusion of tidyness when my folks were here. It is all piled on the kitchen counter now (well, half of the counter), with the plan of sorting it tomorrow. About 90% of it is paper, with a trio of binders, a couple of used plastic bags (for seed saving), and a paper bag full of acorns. Also a couple of pocket reference books. Since it all fits on the counter I suspect it will actually be all sortable/clearable tomorrow; it is not like sorting a truckload of stuff though it is too daunting to attack at 9 pm.


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## PyroDon

Ok you guys inspired me and I tackled the kitchen and dining room . 
I confess I still have dishes to do but I did manage to get the counters and floor all cleaned and install the booth in the dining area here are links to the before and after . Heck If I can do it I know you can  
dining area in the process of being cleaned 
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d170/Donf64/P0000057.jpg
kitchen counters before
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d170/Donf64/P0000060.jpg
Kitchen after cleaning 
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d170/Donf64/P0000061.jpg
Dining area with new booth in use by all my girls 
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d170/Donf64/P0000064.jpg

wore one sponge clear out and emptied the trash three times  

Also managed to get 2 silver eagle,2 gold eagles,2 morgan dollars,two walking liberty half dollars , a franklin half,3 barber quarters,a barber dime, a barber half dollar,1 indian head penny,and two walking liberty quarters


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## moosemaniac

Well, I blew it again. But today is another day. I did get the doe kid picked up thought. Just posted the "correct" picture of Twixie in the goat forum. They keep predicting rain here, but so far nothing. It's hot, humid and very difficult to do a lot of work. 

Today, rain or no, I am going to get something done!

Ruth


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## Sumer

Somebody a long time ago told me that a clean tidy home stays cooler when its hot outside. I think its true. Has anyone else ever heard of this? 

~~~
Sumer


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## suburbanite

Pyro! you can see the countertops!

Your dog looks worried in the last shot. Is it his shock over the clean kitchen, or is he (like many pets) distressed by photo flashes?


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## PyroDon

suburbanite said:


> Pyro! you can see the countertops!
> 
> Your dog looks worried in the last shot. Is it his shock over the clean kitchen, or is he (like many pets) distressed by photo flashes?


  Windy the dog might well have been in shock. she was a little disapointed I wouldnt let her beg food from the girls while they ate .
to be honest I was nearly ashamed of the kitchen I let it get way out of hand . 
wait til ya see the next project the computer room :help:


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## patnewmex

Sounds like everyone is getting things done, bit by bit. I did some more garden work and I did the last load of laundry. That in-and-of itself is a miracle. Now all clothes, winter and summer, is clean an put away, with the exception of the two loads drying on the line. 

Hubby was putting up free metal shelving we got and now is helping a neighbor with the use of our trailer. (My husband gets "lent" out a lot to neighbors so our own projects seem to get interrupted fairly often.) No big deal, it's a small community.

Our grand plan for organizing steadily marches forward, slowly but surely.

*It DOES feel good to walk into a newly organized, clean room!!!*


----------



## suburbanite

Well, I got part of the kitchen counter mess cleaned up, then gave up and bagged all the receipts in one bag and the remaining paper to sort into another. The task wound up carrying me into another messy room and partly having to tidy some of that up to make room for some of the stuff that was in the kitchen and belonged in there. I'd like to throw up my hands at this. But anyway I must have gotten something done because the paper recycling bin is now about halfway full when it had maybe two slips in it before.

basically I have 3.25 messy rooms. The kitchen (reduced now to a bag of receipts and a bag of papers), a bedroom that served as an office (but I no longer have office furniture so it is now empty--moved out and rented the house out for awhile, didn't need the office stuff in the apartment, now moved back), and a 'dressing room' between the master bath and the master bedroom. The 0.25 room is a pile of papers in the hall by the garage door when I had to clear out my car quickly to get to a car repair appointment on time about 10 days ago, and the vacuum cleaner which is sitting there instead of being parked in the linen closet 6 inches away. 

I guess I'll go put the vacuum cleaner away.


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## Cabin Fever

suburbanite said:


> because it has 130 posts in 2 days.


Well, so does the thread on "What race are you?" Maybe we should make that one a sticky too. Seems like the last two pages of this thread is private chit-chat between 3 or 4 individuals....hardly worth a sticky IMHO.


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## suburbanite

Well, it started out okay.


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## suburbanite

This is really strange...the kitchen and nook are uncluttered. Is this my house?


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

I have managed to maintain the kitchen (no small task at my house)

yesterday I picked up the living room floor and the dining room floor AND table....I just didnt vaccuum 

Today I managed to strip our bed and wash/dry/fold the sheets....I have more than one set but if I dont just wash/dry put them back on the bed, then I procrastinate the actual washing of the dirty sheets....now they are just waiting to go back upstairs tonight!

tomorrow is yard day.....gotta mow and straighten the yard.....I have yard envy and so we are trying to make ours REALLY nice.....we cut it last week so it only kinda needs it....and there isnt much junk to pick up or anything....just takes awhile to mow it all

tomorrow, I will also re-pick up the LR and DiningR and vacuum those rooms....while the vacuum is out and the kitchen floor is uncluttered, I will run it in there too

Hope for some laundry tomorrow....I need to hand some but that room is REALY cluttered with dirty clothes on the floor on one side, clean clothes in a pile on the other side, and an overstuffed rack of hung clothes that I have been too lazy to tote upstairs......as bad as it is, I have realized that I am avoiding that room!

Rachel

PS I think Cabin is too grumpy about this thread.....Melissa is the one who made it a sticky so I dont think it is fair for another Mod to complain


----------



## littlebird

I finally got caught up with at least getting my plants outside and transplanted. Got rid of another box of stuff, but it was the weekend, and Soooo nice here. I'll get back at it all tomorrow morning.

So the agenda for tomorrow is...

vaccuum, bathroom, sheets, just one load of laundry, errands, and *filing*. I have a stack of filing a foot high that has got to go away. I hate filing.

I'll let you all know how it goes. And keep up the good work! What a great job we're doing motivating each other. Definitely sticky worthy.


----------



## moosemaniac

Cabin Fever said:


> Well, so does the thread on "What race are you?" Maybe we should make that one a sticky too. Seems like the last two pages of this thread is private chit-chat between 3 or 4 individuals....hardly worth a sticky IMHO.


This is a hand holding, pat on the back, cheer one another on, talk me through it, support thread. I don't think anyone needs help determining what race they are. Cabin Fever, if your house is a perfectly organized castle, why do you keep picking on us?

I got a little more organizing done this weekend. Not nearly what I would have liked, but some, so I can't complain. What I need is a couple of days off work.

Ruth


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## Melissa

Yes, it is sticky because I determined that it was OK to do so for now. If it bothers anyone just ignore it.


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## moosemaniac

And we so appreciate that Melissa. It seems there are a lot of us here at HT that need all the support and encouragement we can get.

Ruth


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Pyro and everyone great job!
I emptied the cabinets in the pantry yesterday, and organized them! 
Now I have the bread machine stuff in a cabinet over the bread machine, all the veggies and pastas are sorted and there is a cabinet with just baking stuff. 
I took all the stuff pertaining to baking out of my kitchen cabinets and put them in the pantry cabinet! Now my kitchen cabinets are ready to organize, as they are almost empty! Doing that tonight.
It feels good!


----------



## A'sta at Hofstead

Melissa said:


> Yes, it is sticky because I determined that it was OK to do so for now. If it bothers anyone just ignore it.


Thanks Melissa! Any tips from the world's most organized woman? 
I say that with the greatest respect and admiration, you really are an inspiration to us all!


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## moosemaniac

Well, I wish I could borrow a couple of you more organized folks for a day or so.

Ruth


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## trixiwick

I did pretty good this weekend. Cleaned out my craft chest and threw out a lot of stuff I know I'll never use, so now there's plenty of room for my new quilting supplies, and I know where everything else is and what I actually have. I sorted all of my DMC floss and bagged and labeled everything while on the phone with a boring old friend, so I was multitasking also!  

The house is in pretty good shape, but the weeds outside are my real horrorshow. It just never ends - you weed conscientiously for a couple of hours (getting yourself a lovely case of poison ivy for your troubles) and you go outside two days later and it's like you never did anything. :Bawling: 

And I feel bad because I yelled at my 2-year-old wether yesterday, who got into a jealous fit and tried to horn the week-old buckling off my lap.


----------



## patnewmex

Cabin Fever said:


> Well, so does the thread on "What race are you?" Maybe we should make that one a sticky too. Seems like the last two pages of this thread is private chit-chat between 3 or 4 individuals....hardly worth a sticky IMHO.


If you don't have anything nice to say............ (you know the rest)

...and just for the record, there are 12 of us that, over the weekend, posted 36 replies. I think that's a sticky!  :hobbyhors 

Pat


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## Jan Doling

I put all my lids in zip-lock baggies (a large baggy for large lids, medium baggy for medium lid, etc.) They stay clean that way and I can have a look-see without having to open the bag. I did the same with the drawer full of kitchen gadgets. Now instead of rooting through the draw I have 4 see-through bags, from large to small and everthing is clean and ready to go. When I want to wipe out the drawer, I just remove the bags and pop them back in afterward. 

Please do not remove this sticky....it is my only hope!


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Really great idea Jan, I have the jumbo zip-locks for bread and casseroles, so even my big lids would be covered.


----------



## patnewmex

RachAnn in NW Okla said:


> PS I think Cabin is too grumpy about this thread.....Melissa is the one who made it a sticky so I dont think it is fair for another Mod to complain


Just had to add one more thing. This is the FIRST really *positive, motivating and helpful* thread that has ever come out of Homesteading Today (for me). People here who usually are pitted against each other in their opinions are actually having wonderful, supportive communications. It's a COMMUNITY for once! :dance: Why someone would come and grump about it for _any _reason is beyond me. 

Pat


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## suburbanite

Yeah that was rather a discouraging wet blanket to throw over a good thing. Kind of gratuitous too. What does Hears the Water think about that? I get the impression that cleaning house is primarily her responsibility (if appreciated) in your home?

You kinda blew your image as an ideal husband there, Cabin Fever.


----------



## moosemaniac

patnewmex said:


> Just had to add one more thing. This is the FIRST really *positive, motivating and helpful* thread that has ever come out of Homesteading Today (for me). People here who usually are pitted against each other in their opinions are actually having wonderful, supportive communications. It's a COMMUNITY for once! :dance: Why someone would come and grump about it for _any _reason is beyond me.
> 
> Pat


Agreed! 

Ruth


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## trixiwick

suburbanite said:


> You kinda blew your image as an ideal husband there, Cabin Fever.


No kidding! Is he a bigamist? Because last I heard, he was married to Wind in Her Hair. Bad CH! :nono:


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## A'sta at Hofstead

No kvetching ladies! Be like a duck and let it roll off your back!


----------



## Cabin Fever

Okay, okay Iâm sorry, I was a bit confused as to why this particular topic seems to be rated âhigherâ than the dozens of other topics that are introduced to Countryside Families on a daily basis. Give a guy a break.

I get it now, I understand that you are organizationally-challenged and are in the throes of de-cluttering and making your abodes ship-shape....right? So, in an attempt to make a positive contribution to this thread, I will offer the following advice that may help you with your clean-up endeavors.

1. Trim the time spent of the internet to only 15 minutes a day. This will give you more time to get organized and de-clutter.

2. Stop shopping, going to garage sales, and going to auctions for sole purpose of entertainment. This will serve three purposes. One, youâll save money, two, youâll have more time for cleaning the house and three, youâll stop accumulating more junk. 

3. For every bag of newly purchased stuff brought into the house, remove two equal size bags of accumulated stuff out of the house. 

4. Clear off everything that is sitting on a countertop, desk, end table, chest of drawers and/or dresser into boxes. Haul the boxes to the basement or garage. Every time you actually need something that is in one of those boxes go get it. After one year, throw everything remaining in those boxes away.

5. Similar to Item 4 above, remove everything from the floor of your house that is not furniture. Put this stuff in boxes and haul it to the garage or basement. If necessary, go back and get anything that you have found a need for out of the appropriate box. After one year, throw away the stuff remaining in those boxes.

6. Now that you know the routine, do the same thing as suggested in Items 4 and 5 above, with the stuff in your drawers and closets.

There, just call me "Mr. Helpful!"


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## suburbanite

trixiwick said:


> No kidding! Is he a bigamist? Because last I heard, he was married to Wind in Her Hair. Bad CH! :nono:


My fault. I got Wind in Her Hair mixed up with Hears the Water. :shrug: 

I agree we have to stop kvetching or this thread will lose its value.


----------



## moosemaniac

Cabin Fever said:


> Okay, okay Iâm sorry...


apology accepted




> So, in an attempt to make a positive contribution to this thread, I will offer the following advice that may help you with your clean-up endeavors.
> 
> 1. Trim the time spent of the internet to only 15 minutes a day. This will give you more time to get organized and de-clutter.


Nah, I only do that at the office when I'm paid to waste time.

Ruth


----------



## Cabin Fever

suburbanite said:


> Yeah that was rather a discouraging wet blanket to throw over a good thing. Kind of gratuitous too. What does Hears the Water think about that? I get the impression that cleaning house is primarily her responsibility (if appreciated) in your home?
> 
> You kinda blew your image as an ideal husband there, Cabin Fever.


WIHH has taught me to put everything back where I got it from. If I ever start making a mess she makes sure that I put it away before I go to bed that night. :frypan: In other words, she rarely has to pick up after me. So, I help maintain the tidiness of our place.


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## suburbanite

cabin fever said:


> 1. Trim the time spent of the internet to only 15 minutes a day. This will give you more time to get organized and de-clutter.


Point taken



> 2. Stop shopping, going to garage sales, and going to auctions for sole purpose of entertainment. This will serve three purposes. One, youâll save money, two, youâll have more time for cleaning the house and three, youâll stop accumulating more junk.


You're offending my inner feminist, as I do none of those things. Perhaps because I do not have a man around the house, my idea of 'shopping' is going to home depot to replace the drill bit I just broke. When I shop for something it is because I need it. For example I have a pair of jeans where the inner thigh is wearing out (common enough among those with weight problems). When the jeans are unwearable I'll go to the store to replace them, on that one targeted errand. If they're in stock it should take me all of 45 minutes to do that due to the drive to and from the store, which fortunately is only a couple of blocks from the hardware store so I can group errands.



> 3. For every bag of newly purchased stuff brought into the house, remove two equal size bags of accumulated stuff out of the house.


When you don't buy much 'stuff' this becomes hard to do. Most of my clutter is from junk mail, much of which I don't bring into the house in the first place. The routine is mailbox-->recycle bin-->house. The rest is receipts--some from food shopping, but most from things like the wood-chipper I just bought where I need to file the receipt for warranty purposes. A few things are technical sheets for future non-trivial purchases of legitimate stuff--like the dual-pane windows I need to replace because the seals busted.



> 4. Clear off everything that is sitting on a countertop, desk, end table, chest of drawers and/or dresser into boxes. Haul the boxes to the basement or garage. Every time you actually need something that is in one of those boxes go get it. After one year, throw everything remaining in those boxes away.





> 5. Similar to Item 4 above, remove everything from the floor of your house that is not furniture. Put this stuff in boxes and haul it to the garage or basement. If necessary, go back and get anything that you have found a need for out of the appropriate box. After one year, throw away the stuff remaining in those boxes.


I imagine this would include the unsightly power cables going to the TV and satellite receiver? Or the window blinds awaiting a mounting part to come in the mail before they can be re-installed over the window? Or the shoes in a neat row on the closet floor?

And then how do you suggest organizing the garage or basement so that it is not a disaster area and so that you can actually find said items? It is possible for something to go unused because you cannot find it.

I don't drink alcohol, so I don't use a corkscrew, and I don't host holiday parties every year. By your advice I'd throw mine away and buy a new one for each rare occasion when I serve wine. This makes no sense.



> 6. Now that you know the routine, do the same thing as suggested in Items 4 and 5 above, with the stuff in your drawers and closets.


You've oversimplified and trivialized the problem. Maybe if you actually were the one in ongoing charge of this issue in your household you'd have more respect for the task and the people trying to accomplish it.

I suggest you take all your tools and put them in boxes in a shed somewhere and then go out to dig them out of said storage every time you need to use them. And throw them away if you don't use them for a year--including nails or screws or other small consumables that come in a variety of sizes and shapes the specifics of which vary with project. That is essentially what you are suggesting people do here.

Your oversimplification here merely shows that you don't actually deal with the problem yourself.


----------



## suburbanite

add: Maybe you put things away back where they belong when you are done with them--but who determined where that place *is* and what containers/organizers you would use to store them? The issue here isn't merely putting things back where they belong but deciding how to organize where they belong so that a place to put them exists which makes sense among the balance of all the things that must go in within the household.


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## patnewmex

Dear Cabin Fever,

Thank you for adding something positive to our thread! We appreciate it! Now, I'm getting OFF the internet until I get home tonight and have put away lanudry, done a load of dishes and put away laundry, cooked dinner. Promise!

Pat


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## suburbanite

One of the rooms that I've included in my 'messy room' count is the equivalent of Cabin Fever's "basement". We don't have basements here due to (historically) high water tables that would float them out of the ground and because for houses going up the slope it might destabilize the ground and make it more vulnerable to those notorious California mudslides. So one bedroom has become a 'junk room', or basement equivalent. The garage is actually fairly well organized.

I am striving to have *noplace* that is just a 'junk storage' area.

Now I'm off to go shopping--I've discovered I need:
1) a business card file
2) an additional spice rack
3) another box for storing seed packets
4) more magazine storage boxes for back issues of professional journals (yes these do get referred to!)
5) file folders
6) plastic, bug-proof 'snapware' so that I don't have some varieties of rice and of lentils in flimsy, non-stackable plastic bags.
7) to see if home depot got in the lumber that they were out of that I need for a trellis repair in the garden.
8) a vented fruit bowl/basket so I can leave fruit outside the refrigerator without having it mold in a regular bowl's poor air circulation.

So you see it is all that sort of useless frivilous female shopping stuff. :flame:


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## moosemaniac

suburbanite said:


> So you see it is all that sort of useless frivilous female shopping stuff. :flame:


I do my best frivolous female shopping at Lowes, Home Depot and Tractor Supply!

Ruth


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## Cabin Fever

suburbanite said:


> ....more magazine storage boxes for back issues of professional journals (yes these do get referred to!)


Okay, you're gonna think that I'm kidding, but WIHH will colloborate my story. Right now as I type this response, my entire, full-size pick-up bed is filled with boxes of old professional journals (Agronomy Journal, Soil Science Journal and Enviornmental Quality Journal), county soil surveys, EPA manuals, college class notes, and all kinds of reference items. Guess where they're all going after work this afternoon? To the county landfill.....to be recycled of course!

Maybe that's the difference in us? I'm getting rid of stuff in an attempt to simplify and you're buying stuff in an attempt to be able to store more stuff.


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Cabin Fever said:


> Okay, you're gonna think that I'm kidding, but WIHH will colloborate my story. Right now as I type this response, my entire, full-size pick-up bed is filled with boxes of old professional journals (Agronomy Journal, Soil Science Journal and Enviornmental Quality Journal), county soil surveys, EPA manuals, college class notes, and all kinds of reference items. Guess where they're all going after work this afternoon? To the county landfill.....to be recycled of course!
> 
> Maybe that's the difference in us? I'm getting rid of stuff in an attempt to simplify and you're buying stuff in an attempt to be able to store more stuff.


I nominate CF to be the official back to reality mod of this sticky!


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## gracegarden

We have silverfish in some of our storage/file boxes. (We are in humid Austin, TX)
I realize a lot of people have silverfish in their houses, attics, garages, etc., but they are eating holes in books and papers and such.

I know there are many suggestions to erradicate them -- but does anyone have a "proven" solution? Have you actually tried something, then checked back to see that it worked?

I don't want to use poison since the books will be handled.

Thanks!


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## Melissa

I am trying to grasp the concept of a pickup truck filled with old magazines/journals. What prompted you to get rid of them? Was this thread inspiring? How long did it take to save that many? Come on now, inquiring minds want to know~ Now I will confess to saving my Countryside Magazines, but at 6 a year I don't think I could save a truckload of them in two lifetimes!


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## Melissa

One thing I try to do is several times a week I sort out some little spot, cleaning and organizing it. This morning I cleaned the cabinet by the computer where we keep our printer paper and computer supplies. It only took me about 10 minutes.


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## Cabin Fever

Melissa said:


> I am trying to grasp the concept of a pickup truck filled with old magazines/journals. What prompted you to get rid of them? Was this thread inspiring? How long did it take to save that many? Come on now, inquiring minds want to know~ Now I will confess to saving my Countryside Magazines, but at 6 a year I don't think I could save a truckload of them in two lifetimes!


I changed jobs a few years back or so. I had 30 boxes of stuff that I cleaned out of that office. I stored this stuff in our basement for the past four years without touching it. Presently, I work for the State and have a little cubicle in a regional office. The job I now have is fairly unrelated to the former one, consequently I do not have a great need for a lot of the stuff that I have accumulated over almost 30 years of professional employment. Besides, most of the stuff I'm tossing I can get on the internet.

We've kept over ten years accumulation of COuntryside and BackwoodsHome magazines.


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## gracegarden

Blessed is the wife who greetest each day with the thought âThis is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.â

Blessed is the wife who considereth her home to be a palace and not her prison.


I don't remember where I stumbled upon this, but these are the two I'm concentrating on at this time.

I'm hoping some "peace" will help my frame of mind, which will help to motivate me. (It doesn't seem to be working, yet.)


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## LamiPub

The part came in for our washer Friday and Dh fixed it so I am happily catching up laundry. Nice weather today so hanging it out to dry. I folded and got the kids to put away most (even matched the socks!) but I haven't gotten around to folding the bedding yet....ugh I hate folding the fitted sheets any pointers for that? I also got the checkbooks balanced and the bills paid. I went through half the files/paperwork threw quite a bit away but still have more to go! I was jealous reading of Moose's bookcase find I have been looking for a large bookcase or two for the last few months. After the books/paperwork, my next big project is finally getting all the winter clothes and bedding put away. After that I really want to get all my family pics and photos organized and framed etc. I think clothes, books, pictures are my three most daunting tasks. Not sure if I will get to the pics for awhile. Oldest ds graduation in two weeks (one good incentive for cleaning house...throw a bbque party!), middle ds bday next weekend, and the after that I will likely be out in the garden most days!


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## suburbanite

You're getting rid of things you no longer use. I'm buying stuff to store stuff I currently use. Not having the stuff properly stored so it is easy to retrieve is impeding my progress in doing things with the information. (or causing me to lose dry goods to bug damage)

I found a box of file folders so I didn't need to buy them, and the store near here doesn't have a spice rack to match the existing one (which I bought at a store farther away) so the spice rack is going to have to wait.

But I set off my ankle while out there today and so for me the day is done; mobility is down to hopping around on one foot so there's not much more cleaning going to be done today, nor possibly tomorrow depending on whether it chills or not.


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

for cleaning out bills and such----

I happen to not throw them away....I have *every* credit card bill since opening the account in '98....I have *Every* bank statement ever issued....I have at, bare minimum, 1 full year (maybe even more) of each one of our utilities....water, gas, elec, phone, car ins (monthly), cell, aformentioned credit cards, finally went paperless for the TV but I prob have old TV bills too...

My biggest question is how long should you save these???

How best to file them away?

I have thought about a 2-drawer file cabinet with hanging file folders...one for each account/utility....the bank statements use to go into a 3-ring binder....but the binder got to full to add any more.....

:help:

Rachel


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## manygoatsnmore

I think I read that you should keep most receipts for 3 years - or 7 years if they are for tax purposes. I'd keep the receipts for purchased items until the warranty expires on them, and then toss them (unless they are for tax deductible items), and grocery receipts can be tossed after the food is consumed and the purchase recorded!

I'm organizing my lumber pile - this is serving a couple purposes...I'm getting a handle on the mess and making it possible to find the lumber I need for a project, plus it counts as exercise for my weight loss project.  So far, I have the pole shelter up and tarped, and about 1/3 of the lumber pile sorted and organized.

As far as inside the house, I've been doing laundry today - 3 loads so far, and probably one more to go. I think I need to downsize my dd's clothes collection as it seems like it's her clothes that are causing the most laundry and mess. I did clean about 5 grocery bags of clothing out of my closet and took them to Goodwill. I still have plenty of clothes, and now I have extra hangers.  Now I need to find a place to sell my extra scrubs, and I'll get rid of at least an 18 gallon tote of uniforms in various sizes. Maybe Craig's List...

If I can just keep up with the laundry and dishes every single day, and keep dd picking up after herself, I can at least have friends over without being terribly embarassed.


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## suburbanite

Is your daughter old enough to do her own laundry? If so, that might encourage her to downsize her own wardrobe. Seems to me most kids of any age to choose would like input into what clothes get tossed, in any case.


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## moosemaniac

I think I broke my finger. Going to get it x-rayed. Geez! It's like the fates are against me in my efforts to organize. This affects my milking ability too. Thank goodness I have a machine, but I need my fingers to finish stripping the girls out.

OUCH!

Ruth


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## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> I think I* broke my finger*. Going to get it x-rayed. Geez! It's like the fates are against me in my efforts to organize. This affects my milking ability too. Thank goodness I have a machine, but I need my fingers to finish stripping the girls out.
> 
> OUCH!
> 
> Ruth


How the heck did you do that??? 
Poor Ruth, maybe you can get dh and ds to help a little more with your next project? My dh stayed home with my gs (had a bad cold) yesterday, he cleaned out the kids winter hampers (they were only bringing down clothes they will wear, not the winter stuff :shrug: )
He washed all of that and their winter coats to go in bins, he also started to finish the pantry floor tiles!!
He can be such a jerk, but can be and angel too. :angel:


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## moosemaniac

Hill Crest Farm said:


> How the heck did you do that???


Organizing!

No...seriously, I have no idea. It's been bothering me for weeks now. It's starting to hurt more and more and it's very swollen, so I finally went to the doctor. He said it's possible I broke it (chip or something) and never realized it. I guess I can play this one up though and use it to sit around ordering DH and DS to shift papers and other clutter around for me.

Ruth


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## mammabooh

Can I join at this late date? I did a bunch of de-cluttering and cleaning in the kitchen yesterday and it feels SOOO much better to walk in there. I love to clean, but I hate to put things away. My hubby and son seem to have the same malady. My hubby used to be very tidy, but I've rubbed off on him.

Ok...now I'm off to the bedroom to bag up clothes for Goodwill.

Good luck, All!


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## moosemaniac

mammabooh said:


> Can I join at this late date?


I don't believe we gave any cut off date. Welcome. 

Then come to my house...I need help!!! Badly!!!!!

Ruth


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## mammabooh

moosemaniac said:


> I don't believe we gave any cut off date. Welcome.
> 
> Then come to my house...I need help!!! Badly!!!!!
> 
> Ruth



Thanks!

Well, I just spent a few minutes and bagged up three garbage bags full of clothes...two of mine and one of our son's. I now have AN EMPTY DRAWER in my room. Son and I are also working on going through his books. I'm letting him decide which ones to get rid of and he's doing a great job. Next will be the toys in the basement, I believe. That will be the hard one for him.


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## patnewmex

suburbanite said:


> add: Maybe you put things away back where they belong when you are done with them--but who determined where that place *is* and what containers/organizers you would use to store them? The issue here isn't merely putting things back where they belong but deciding how to organize where they belong so that a place to put them exists which makes sense among the balance of all the things that must go in within the household.


That is what I'm dealing with at my property. Since we moved in 3 years ago and were hoping to build--and that hasn't happened yet--we didn't want to get too set in our ways. Now we are finding that there is no *designated space* for things and it is a total mess! Once that is configured (That's what we are working on now), we'll be in a much better space for putting things "where they belong" because they will actually HAVE a spot to exist! :0 Let's call it Divine Balance.


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## patnewmex

Now for the report card: Last night I did another two loads of dishes by hand. I have two more to do and then I'm caught up.

I have three bags of clothes IN MY CAR that WILL GO to Goodwill today. HORRAY!

Hubby continued on his shelf building for the "love shack" (It's a garden shed, don't get any ideas!), and he continued emptying out the car. 

I have also come up with some behavior modification ideas. *Get this*, if one of us leaves shoes where they do not belong, I actually TELL THAT PERSON to move them to the designated spot. Same with clothes. If this is done with a good spirit, and not nagging, it works wonders. So does thanking that person as soon as they have done it.  (giving a peck on the cheek helps too). How's that for pure genius? 

Pat


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## suburbanite

Sounds like a good plan, Pat. 

In my case with no human room-mates I can't use that though--telling the elderly cat to please put his poop *in* the litterbox instead of 3 inches outside it just doesn't seem to work. (He means well but just isn't fast enough to get to the box all the time anymore).


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## LamiPub

I have to say "thank you" for this support thread/sticky. btw (what exactly is a sticky?) Because of this thread I am getting really hyped and actually getting things done! :hobbyhors woo hoo! Of course there is SO much to do I am nowhere close. Still just doing something each day is better than nothing...baby steps. Now I need some advice (or really a good kick/push in the right direction). Two major projects I am doing one is putting away all the winter clothes and bedding. Now with five children from age 6 to 18 and a tight budget I have saved a lot of gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, neckwarmers, etc...Should I keep them all or toss some????? I mean with kids you know how easily they can lose or ruin things but then again is it really that much to buy new gloves or a scarf if needed one winter? decisions! decisions! :shrug: Advise, please! Next....scratched cds...can they be fixed? Do I toss any that skip? What would you do with them?

Thanks!

Ami


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## moosemaniac

Ami, I am getting inspired as well, but as to actually doing things.....I'm working on that. And now, I may have a broken finger, so I don't know what I'll get done.

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

Scratched CD's make great scare crows in the garden. Hang them up and let them fly around on a string. 

Ruth


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## trixiwick

That's a decent idea for the CDs, and I don't really think you can repair them. Everything's probably going to be on MP3 eventually anyway.

I'd hang onto most of the mittens and hats and such - kids do lose things a lot, and it's not like they take up that much room. Just create a compact box full of this stuff, label it clearly, and put it somewhere out of the way (that you'll remember!). 

My turn to ask a question: is there actually anything to be done about Shoes Everywhere? I DO want, within relatively easy reach: my bum-around-the-house slides, my barn shoes, my running shoes, and my waterproof slip-ons. And, of course, DH has his version of each and then some. Any clue how to control the shoestore look?


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## LamiPub

well a broken finger is atleast a REAL excuse...I am just a big procrastinator! Seriously I am sorry to hear about your finger. I hope it heals quickly for you. Will you have to wear some kind of splint? I remember last year while changing the blades dh dropped the mower deck on his finger and smashed it. Needed 13 stitches and broke it in four places. ouch! You wouldn't believe what it took for me to get that man to go to er or a doctor! Even then after one follow up visit he wouldn't go back and made me take the stitches out when they were ready to come out. Is there some sort of sorting you could do that wouldn't hurt too much? Just going through each room and separating keep/throw away/give away piles with someone's help? You delegating and them moving the stuff for you?


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## moosemaniac

LamiPub said:


> well a broken finger is atleast a REAL excuse...I am just a big procrastinator! Seriously I am sorry to hear about your finger. I hope it heals quickly for you. Will you have to wear some kind of splint?


Beats me. It's been hurting for weeks and weeks and swollen. Now it's worse, so I had the doctor look at it. I'm heading out in a bit to get it xrayed. To this procrastinator, the potential busted finger is a great excuse for more procrastination.

Ruth


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## LamiPub

well......shoes lol. I am in denial with my shoes so haven't brought them up. But what I am doing with our "easy access" shoes is putting them in these cheap cubby shelves I have and put next to the outside door. Have used a lined basket to throw them all in before but with four boys...well even the girl...and forty acres the basket go too muddy and crowded. Might work well for you though.


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## patnewmex

LamiPub said:


> Now with five children from age 6 to 18 and a tight budget I have saved a lot of gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, neckwarmers, etc...Should I keep them all or toss some?????
> Ami


If you have a few dollars in your budget, get one of those vacuum bags you can suck the air out of. Put all mittens, hats in them and suck the air out w/vacuum and it is way smaller and easier to store and have in one place. Home Depot or Lowes or Wal-Mart should have those. If you are shocked by the price, remember they are totally reusable year after year. 

I bought two for quilts and love them. They squish them down to almost nothing.

Pat


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## suburbanite

There are some kits for fixing CD scratches. You clean the CD's really well and then put a clear liquid plastic coating over the scratches, then buff off the excess. In many cases this restores the clarity of the plastic enough that the CD player can read the embedded aluminum pattern again.

For shoes...I have a shoe rack in my closet. You guys might want a boot brush outside the mud-room door and a boot-rack just inside the door (most of these have benches on top with boot storage underneath so you can sit to put your boots off and on). A lot of the TV shows on the home improvement channels show how to build these, my guess is that there's a lot online about it too so that you can build your own custom-made-to-fit version for your exact spot and storage need. Most seem to take roughly 6 hours to make (excluding waiting for paint to dry) if you have power tools.


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## suburbanite

Costco also has those vacuum bags right now.


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

we have a Skip Dr. for those scratched and skipping DVDs and CDs...

as for shoes I dont know....I have a pile in the LR, a pile in the Hall Closet, and a shoe shelf in the "train room" (huuby has taken over the spare bedroom for his model train set.

gotta get to some laundry today...I have been putting it off.

We have used the foodsaver for some storage....like we did some wetwipes....then took 2 diapers and the before packaged wetwipes and have a travel kit for the little one that can be left under the seat in the car and takes up minimal room I can see this working for hats/mittens/gloves/scarves/etc
Rachel


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## littlebird

I love this thread. I have read every post and it's so motivating! 

I finished all the things I said I'd do yesterday, I think it was the first time ever that I crossed everything off my to do list. Of course, I made it realistic (first time for that, too) and really thought about how long things would take me.

I also asked DH to mow the lawn when he came home, and I think becuse the house was so clean looking and dinner was ready he couldn't help but say yes. (there's tons of stuff in the cupboards, btw, but let's get through one thing at a time!) Then I treated us to cones at DQ for dessert. 

And today? *I Washed my Curtains!* Only three sets, and all white canvas, so easy to wash, but they're so nice and sparkly hanging out on the line now! With two dogs who like to look out the windows they get a little grungy around the bottoms. But this was the first time they were washed since I made them three years ago.

And I just got rid of a box and a garbage bag of stuff to go to goodwill.

I'm on fire! And it's all thanks to the support and motivation here.

Let's keep it up! :hobbyhors


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## suburbanite

littlebird said:


> I'm on fire! And it's all thanks to the support and motivation here.
> 
> Let's keep it up! :hobbyhors



Whee! :grouphug:


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## moosemaniac

The good news: Finger is not broken
The bad news: Now how do I procrastinate? Actually, what the heck is wrong with my finger anyway?
Home now...gotta fix dinner.

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

Speaking of organizing...

A'sta! Mailbox! The limit's 50 you know!!!

Ruth


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## manygoatsnmore

Thank heavens for this thread. I was just thinking about taking a nap instead of washing my dishes...I don't know if I've been inspired or shamed into it, lol, but I'm off to do my dishes. Until I get a new dishwasher installed, I think I'll be doing them all by hand as the old dishwasher is dying fast. No sense in loading the dishwasher when the dishes come out still needing washed.  While I'm at it, I'll get the laundry going and load the whites into the car to wash at ds/ddil's in the morning after work. 

Flylady is in the kitchen this week. www.flylady.net is the link for anyone who hasn't checked it out yet. You can read about organizing your kitchen there.


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## Laura

I was given the book, Clutters Last Stand. It got lost within 2 weeks.
I bought the magazine, Organize. I haven't seen it since the checkout at the store.


Cabin Fever gives good advice for those people who have a basement or a garage. I have neither, and I haven't had any for 16 years. Sweeping an arm across horizontal surfaces and knocking the crap stacks into boxes to stash somewhere else is nice, but when you don't have a somewhere else to stash it......well, you're stuck dealing with it, or not.

This is the method of decluttering my cousin, Susie Homemaker, uses. DH once made the comment about me needing to take homemaking lessons from her. I grabbed a box, swept my arm across the counter and dumped it all into a box, and said, "Here Honey, put this in the basement." 

Trust me, it is no help at all having closets jammed full of boxes that are one quarter full of crap!

I have to work slowly through the messes. Twice now, I've ended up in the emergency room with out of control blood pressure and either TIAs or seizures because of the psychological pressure to get things done before DH comes home. What kind of pressure? Once, I sorted 4 big boxes of books. One pile was school textbooks, one pile was keep, the other, get rid of. DH came home from town, said he was tired of cleaning and sorting and promptly dumped the books back into the boxes willy nilly, ignoring my pleas to keep them separated, and stacked them back where they were to start. THAT was a totally wasted afternoon!!!!


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## moosemaniac

LOL Laura. I do that all the time. Bring home a book or magazine and it disappears. Of course, I have hundreds of books, so that's not a surprise.

Today!!! I am going to stop at the dollar store on the way home and get three large plastic bins. Throw/Keep/Sell

Ruth


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## A'sta at Hofstead

moosemaniac said:


> Speaking of organizing...
> 
> A'sta! Mailbox! The limit's 50 you know!!!
> 
> Ruth


Oops- I always forget to clean it out! 
I washed some of the windows last night! I want to get one of those window washers with the micro fiber cloth they have on TV, it rated an A on GMA when they review TV products, I have soooo many darned windows! The 2nd to last people who owned this place were builders, they put doors and windows in EVERYWHERE. Mom is coming on the 16th.... :help: I still have to do the sun room, there are a total of NINE windows in there alone, plus a door with windows.
Any tips for making this a lil' easier?


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## LamiPub

A few years ago my only dd, she is 10 now, would say, "Mom, you are just like mrs tittlemouse, wanting everything all neat and tidy" (for those not beatrix potter fans...one of her characters). lol My problem is I WANT everything neat and tidy but I can't seem to keep up with it and HAVE it neat and tidy! I really am trying this week. Everything having a place and in it's place is my goal but so many EVERYTHINGS! I hope you all know how hard it has been for me to "ignore" my garden until after I have done 3 indoor projects. I would much rather be outdoors doing outdoor work but I am NOT giving up! Thanks to all the encouragement and support this thread has given.


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## mammabooh

Keep at it, Everyone!

This morning, the kitchen was sparkling clean when I got up. Wow...was that ever nice! I made sure everything was put away and clean before we went to bed last night.

Since the kitchen was already clean, I cleaned the main bathroom, started laundry, started cleaning the living room, and dusted in there. The family pictures that I normally display on the mantel had been heaped in a pile on my dresser since at least October...I had taken them down from the mantel so I wouldn't have to dust them during the winter (we heat with wood and it generates a lot of dust!). So, now the living room is looking more like a living room and the bedroom is looking less like a storage area. 

Play group got cancelled for today, so I get to continue cleaning up and throwing out! This is getting fun.


----------



## Jan Doling

I only had time to sweep and wipe 3 tiles on the kitchen floor (after I washed the dishes, wiped the stove, and made fruit juice from concentrate). Then it was off to work for me....but those 3 clean tiles made me very happy.
I have started in on the flotsam and jetsome by picking up items as I pass through an area. That way I only have to deal with a few things at a time and am not so overwhelmed. Of course, it could take years at this rate, but at least I'm getting started.


----------



## Cabin Fever

Today I'm going to arrange the wrenches in my tool box. Tomorrow I plan on arranging the sockets.


----------



## A'sta at Hofstead

Cabin Fever said:


> Today I'm going to arrange the wrenches in my tool box. Tomorrow I plan on arranging the sockets.


Make sure you polish them too.


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## patnewmex

Hill Crest Farm said:


> Make sure you polish them too.


Awwwww! Don't give him a hard time now! He's just started playing nice!


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## A'sta at Hofstead

patnewmex said:


> Awwwww! Don't give him a hard time now! He's just started playing nice!


I was being serious! Rust never sleeps.....


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## patnewmex

Last night we got the garbage all ready to take to the dump. We go about once a month and man does it pile up. We are devising another system so it is less messy, problematic. That is about all I did, but hubby had rented a movie and I took the rest of the night off. It does feel like we are making genuine progress though and that makes me happy. 

Pat


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## suburbanite

My kitchen is still uncluttered!!!


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## moosemaniac

Going home soon...stopping at Walmart for those 3 bins. I'm gonna do this!!!!!

Ruth


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## Patsy

About washing windows, something I have to do a lot of due to big dogs with big noses, if you know what I mean.....I have a window washer thing with a sponge on one side and a squeegee on the other. It makes for fast work. I think I found it at Walmart, but I'm sure you could find it elsewhere. I love it!


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## suburbanite

Noseprints!


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## littlebird

At our house we call them snot-smears. blech.


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## Trixie

I never thought this would have an effect on me - reading all your posts - but I did clean my refrigerator. It has been maybe 2 years since I did that. Before you get grossed out - we have been home maybe 3 months of that 2 years. Mostly what I had in there was staples I didn't want bugs to get into, etc. 

Decided to clean off the catch all work bar in the kitchen and move a old green enamelled bread box to the top of the fridge as it is really in the way. When I opened it, there were a dozen petrified croissants. They must have been there a year. Did I mention we are gone a lot?

I put them in the yard and the birds had a ball. They would get a piece of that hard croissant in their bill, fly over to the birdbath and dunk it, to soften it I assumed, then fly off to their nests. 

Also, decided I might just Ebay most of the 3 boxes of sewing trim - mostly trims for upholstery, pillows, cushions, etc., rather than clothing. That is going to take some sorting and deciding - but maybe I can let go. 

My DIL doesn't sew, my daughter does sew, but as things stand now, they won't be settled for some time to come.


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## Melissa

Hey, a few days ago I actually did arrange all the sockets in Cale's socket box. He has about 10 sets in one big tool-box and I put them all in the proper case by size. It is much easier to find them now.


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## moosemaniac

There's been a sighting!

My living room carpet. . . there's more of it!

Ruth


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## trixiwick

moosemaniac said:


> There's been a sighting!
> 
> My living room carpet. . . there's more of it!
> 
> Ruth


Uh-oh...now you've got a vacuuming problem! :help:


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## moosemaniac

trixiwick said:


> Uh-oh...now you've got a vacuuming problem! :help:


Geez, now what am I gonna do?

Ruth


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## Melissa

Today I straightened my kitchen cabinets. If it was just me doing dishes they would not get out of order, but since I have four kids who do dishes too, they often don't put things away exactly as I would. But I am not complaining when they do as many dishes as they do! So about once every few months I organize everything.


----------



## trixiwick

moosemaniac said:


> Geez, now what am I gonna do?
> 
> Ruth


"Hello, son! See that space on the floor there? This is a vacuum cleaner. Make it look nice, and you can have a cookie."


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Melissa said:


> Today I straightened my kitchen cabinets. If it was just me doing dishes they would not get out of order, but since I have four kids who do dishes too, they often don't put things away exactly as I would. But I am not complaining when they do as many dishes as they do! So about once every few months I organize everything.


I have to do the same thing when dh or one of the kids "helps" I just quietly re-migrate stuff, I still haven't been to the nether region known as the plastic storage container cabinet.... :help:


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## suburbanite

Hill Crest and Melissa, you need to teach your kids to do it the way you want it done. Don't think that they don't see you redoing their work. You're telling them by your actions that they are not capable of doing the job right, which is a very damaging message for wee ones to get.


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## patnewmex

I took my three garbage bags of clothes to the Goodwill and didn't take anything back out of the bags, and I didn't buy anything there although I was tempted.

We eat a lot of rice at my house. I mean we get 25 and 50 lb bags ever few months. I have a Thai black rice, a red rice, brown rice and two kinds of white rice. To keep all of this in check, my husband bought me some "pet food" containers that are tall and thin and can hold it all. They have a nice spout on them too and work wonders. NO mice can get in. You can also go to Home Depot and get a similar sized container that has "Kingford Charcoal" logo on it but costs way less. If you don't mind their brand name on it, it works great for storage of perishables. 

I also got another 2 loads of dishes done. Two more to go and I'm caught up. 

Next project is helping DH put up shelves in one of the sheds for more storage. 

We just keep marching forward, one step at a time! :hobbyhors 

I'm glad to hear of everyone having success, it is inspiring. 

Pat


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## A'sta at Hofstead

suburbanite said:


> Hill Crest and Melissa, you need to teach your kids to do it the way you want it done. Don't think that they don't see you redoing their work. You're telling them by your actions that they are not capable of doing the job right, which is a very damaging message for wee ones to get.


Oh, I have tried, in one ear out the other..... It is hard when you have your own system, don't forget I said dh too!


----------



## Melissa

Mine are teens and 20, so they know how to do it and they often get the job of straightening too. Many times it is just that we are in a hurry so things don't get stacked exactly right etc... Our pan cupboard is just one huge place and things tend to get thrown in there rather than put back exactly right. But that is OK, it only takes a few minutes to put it in order and often this is when I sort out things I don't want or that need deep-cleaned etc...


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

I 'cleaned' our hallway (3'x12') and the bathroom

~hallway~ 
1. picked up all the clothes that didnt make it to the laundry room...laundry room is at the end of the hallway and lots of times clothes are just flung down the hall hoping that they make it to the laundry!

2. picked up the dishes *eek* 1 plate, 1 small bowl, 3 glasses, several pcs of silverware *uhhhgggg* do these things just multiply in dark corners or what?!

3. toys...'nough said

4. swept all dirt and trash up....

This was good enough for me....I didnt mop, wipe down the walls or vacuum cobwebs...I dont care..it looks nicer than it did....if I can get a handle on everything else then next time I clean the hall, it wont be so messy and I can do those things!

~~BATHROOM~~

1. cleaned off the counter of everything...hairbrush, comb, toothpaste, blowdryer, paper, contact paraphanelia (sp), clothes......okay so we have a BIG counter with his/her sinks and "her" sink is always holding clothes that are still clean enough to wear again

2. ledge by the toilet---nolds a small cabinet full of 'reading material'....somehow there is always reading material left on the shelf instead of in the cabinet

3. swept

4. all laundry to the laundy room

5. emptied trash

This room looks a ton better than it did BUT I didnt scrub the toilet, wash the mirrors (kid prints), scrub the sinks/counter, scrub the tub, mop, dust or wash the cloth shower curtain......again if I can keep this room under control, the next time I really clean in there, I will do these things.....(the toilet will happen sometime before then...it always seems to be nasty!)

---------------

in addition to this I washed/dried 2 loads of laundry and ran 1 load thru the diswasher

Yesterday was pretty productive....sorry I am not brave enough to show before and after pics!!!!

Rachel


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## moosemaniac

You don't EVEN want to see the inside of my refrigerator. There are things living in there.

Ruth


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## suburbanite

I am washing the cat's baby blankets and cat-bed cover. I guess he couldn't get out of cat bed fast enough to poop in the litter box last night. (This is why his cat-bed is in the middle of a cheap $4 Ikea synthetic fleece baby blanket).

My next project should also be the hall, which I count as the 0.25 rooms in my 'messy rooms' count, since only a few feet by the garage door are messy.

With so much clutter off the floor I might rent a rug-doctor and shampoo the rugs.  I can never do the whole house in a day anyway because I run out of energy, so the fact that two rooms (extra bedroom/office, and 'dressing room' between MBR and MBath) remain cluttered shouldn't be an issue.

Eventually I'll have to do closets. The cat's room closet has some room-painting stuff in it that by rights should be in the garage. The 'office' closet is actually the only tidy portion of that room (which is in the messy room count). The master bedroom closets (which open onto the dressing room) need an overhaul.

I'm not sure if I need to include the family room in my cluttered room count. Right now it has blinds on the floor awaiting a part, and an old TV set and a microwave that need to be taken to the electronics recycler. But it is otherwise uncluttered--no papers, plates, half-assembled gizmos or crafts--none of the 'usual suspects'


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## moosemaniac

My goodness! You guys are good! Come to my house...please!!!!!!


Ruth


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## suburbanite

I suppose eventually I'll get down to dealing with 'hidden clutter'. Besides the closets, stuff that is *in* the filing cabinet, but not categorically filed, for example. Stuff that is in the proper drawer, but not sorted or folded or whatever.


----------



## 1/4acre

I just organized my dresser drawers. I have 37 yes 37 pairs of socks :shrug: .All in very good condition. Last night the man called from the Viet Nam Vets and wanted to know if I had anything for them they could come by and pick up on the 25th this month. Of course my answer was yes.They are going to be getting some nice socks as well as a few other things of mine. Now my mission is to go through DH's drawers. I will not ask him to do it as every time he say's yes but then forgets about it til the night befor the pick up and 1 or 2 old shirts go in the bag :grump: . Next day I look and wonder if he even bothered to open a second drawer. :flame:


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## moosemaniac

Maybe we could do "slumber parties" at one another's homes. Instead of jammies we bring dust rags and garbage bags.

Ruth


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## patnewmex

1/4acre said:


> I just organized my dresser drawers. I have 37 yes 37 pairs of socks :shrug: .All in very good condition. Last night the man called from the Viet Nam Vets and wanted to know if I had anything for them they could come by and pick up on the 25th this month. Of course my answer was yes.They are going to be getting some nice socks as well as a few other things of mine. Now my mission is to go through DH's drawers. I will not ask him to do it as every time he say's yes but then forgets about it til the night befor the pick up and 1 or 2 old shirts go in the bag :grump: . Next day I look and wonder if he even bothered to open a second drawer. :flame:


My husband must have over 200 work shirts, oxford cloth button down. He's really small, 14.5 neck size, which he can only RARELY find even in the teens dept. So, when he finds them, he buys them all.

He also has an entire drawer full of socks, I'd say at least 50 pair. OY! We could cloth all of China!

Pat


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## trappmountain

moosemaniac said:


> Maybe we could do "slumber parties" at one another's homes. Instead of jammies we bring dust rags and garbage bags.
> 
> Ruth



Actually that might be fun. I used to have a good time cleaning with others. I just hate it when I have to do it myself


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## Laura

moosemaniac said:


> Maybe we could do "slumber parties" at one another's homes. Instead of jammies we bring dust rags and garbage bags.
> 
> Ruth


When I was young, my friends and I used to tackle each other's houses as a team. It worked great for us. I hate cleaning kitchens, but I can create a sparkling, sterile bathroom. We had the same taste in stuff and wore the same size clothes, so decluttering was a breeze as we could see our stuff again at somebody else's house. That made it so much easier to let go.

I think as we get older, we are more possessive of our space and our useless stuff and more prideful, or shameful, about others seeing our dirty corners. Maybe it's because I no longer have friends who are that close anymore.


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

moosemaniac said:


> Maybe we could do "slumber parties" at one another's homes. Instead of jammies we bring dust rags and garbage bags.
> 
> Ruth


Oh Lord NO.....I am sorry but just the thought of someone (besides family) be inside my house nearly gives me an anziety attack!!!!!

since the Liv. Room is cluttered again, I will take some pictures....I had it all picked up (the floor anyway) just last Sat...I didnt do the 'higher-up" horizontal surfaces and I didnt vacuum last Sat but the next post will show my Liv room after 4 1/2 days of 27yo male, 2yo male, 28yo female being home this week!!!!

Rachel


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## moosemaniac

RachAnn in NW Okla said:


> Oh Lord NO.....I am sorry but just the thought of someone (besides family) be inside my house nearly gives me an anziety attack!!!!!


Me too, but I figure if we're all in the same boat we can't be judgmental.  

Ruth


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

A counterclock-wise view of the Living room














































feel very shameful for allowing others to see my house   
I just have never gotten a handle on how to keep a tidy house

Rachel


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## moosemaniac

Shoot Rachel, I wish my living room looked THAT good!

Ruth


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## suburbanite

Rachel, it appears to be 90% kid stuff. Do places exist to home all those kid items or are there more items than storage?

If more items, then one of two things must happen to start: buy more storage, or toss more stuff.

All the organizing shows I see talk about dividing the living space into zones--an adult zone and a kid zone. A work zone and a relax zone. Maybe that would help?


----------



## suburbanite

Rachel, to get a start that makes you feel better, maybe just grab a laundry basket ans walk around the room picking up and putting every small kid-item that fits into the laundry basket, just to get it off the floor. Then pick up the big items (the tricycle and the--rocking chair?) and line those up against the wall or in front of the futon. That will let you see how much actual kid stuff there is and decide which tactic you'll take for dealing with it.

The adult elements of the room don't look too bad. Is there a reason you need two desks? ( or is that three?)


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## patnewmex

Rachel, do you have a toy box that all toys can be put into? My father made a large box, probably 4x2x2 with a nice lid on it and he painted fun pictures on it. When play time was over, we put it all in the box.


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## suburbanite

I wish I could give you a DVD of the TV show titled "Neat". They have done two or three homes that look *exactly* like yours, and have several really cool kid-stuff storage solutions that were sometimes bought, sometimes home-made. It would give you such great ideas.

Let me see if there are episodes on the net somewhere.

add: here's their site, dunno if there are episodes there...

http://www.neattv.com/home.html


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## suburbanite

Well, you can't watch the episodes online--BUT--they do have pictures of the before and after--the after including the STORAGE UNITS they used or built. So you can check out their ideas. 

Episode 2 of season one is called 'avalanche of toys'...


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

we technically have 3 desks.....2 of them have a computer on each...those are on opposites sides of that area...the 3rd is itty bitty and holds the 2nd printer, and a wooden 'desk organizer thing'...and the storage door holds cables (computer, game controlers, etc)....then next to that is an upright piano....it can honestly go....it is severely out of tune and I am trapped by the CHAOS that I cant get someone to come tune it!!!!

we have a 2 story house....each kid has a large 3 drawer toy cabinet in thier rooms--usually the drawers are empty....she also has a huge lawn mower box for toys....he has one of those large laundry totes.....THEN downstairs they have a 4 drawer wire organizer that toys can go in...and the yaffa block tower thing also for toys....honestly both of those (wire organizer & yaffa tower) are usually empty!!!

that upside-down rocker is one of those game chairs.....it is always in my way!!! I never know where to put it!!!

I think that everything honestly has a place but actually getting it there is the challenge....the kids (hubby included) very seldom puts things back....

I cant think of what it was but DH had something in his hand and put it down where it didnt belong....it's rightful place was less than 3 steps away....I just looked at him pointedly and he had the nerve to say "what?" I said "is that where that goes?" and he looked at it like "I didnt put it there--how did it get there?!"

I need to purge the toys again....they have a lot of little bitty toys and/or peices

I have found myself as I am cleaning taking at least 1 thing and say "ya know I really dont like this" and throw it in the trash

we have freecycle and a woman's shelter but some of my stuff is worthless and the part that isnt would never make it there....it is just too much effort....for me it is best to just throw it out and release the pressure of the item!

Rachel


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

just read the replies to the pictures....can feel an anxiety attack coming....

ashamed that you guys have seen my house! 

have to walk away


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## suburbanite

RachAnn, I just wish I could send you a DVD of Neat. You'd feel better. Go look at the 'before' pics on their site.


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

Okay...spent 35 minutes straightening the room and here is what it looks like now (I still didnt vacuum--little one is sleeping!


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## suburbanite

Looks Great!

Ready to vacuum in the morning!


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

It is definitely a step up....sometimes when I pick up late at night and come downstairs the next morning I stop and think "who picked up in here?" LOL

nearly all of my rooms are picked up....I still have the laundry room to tackle but I have been working a bit each day in there.....I will prob devote Sat to doing it....next will be to do a bit of horizontal "zone" cleaning in one of the rooms....I quickly did the top of that piano....just tossed the obvious junk and left the rest in a stack for later...

after I posted the pics I realized that there is a Jiffy Trip soda cup under the couch....oh well

Okay Ya'll I posted pics and so did someone else (kitchen I think) I am waiting on the rest of you!!!!!

Rachel


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## suburbanite

Go to bed Rachel. You've certainly earned it.


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## Sumer

Rachel,You did a wonderful job there! I thought it was funny that the before pictures had your baby up and playing and in the after pictures he is sleeping. That is sooo true as to how my house was when mine were little. They are such little destructo's arent they. 
You inspire me too. If you can do that much with a little one around I should be able to do as much when its just me here.

~~~
Sumer


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Great job Rachel!


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## suburbanite

Forgetting about budget for a minute, what would be the ideal arrangement for storage and use of the computers? It seems to me like you have a lot of desk for the actual amount of computer and storage (do you really need the ability to use both computers at once?) and maybe there's some other way of organizing all the computer related stuff that would be more compact and tidy.

If you can figure out what the ideal would be if money were no object, then that might help you decide out of real-world real-budget options whether there exists anything attractive enough for you to replace the three desks with something that does the same job in less space.

Then you might be able to use the piano again.

Is there an Ikea near you?

add: you might be able to garage sale the desks and cover part of the cost of replacing them with Ikea or other inexpensive brand of office furniture.


----------



## RachAnn in NW Okla

no Ikea nearby...we have Staples and a Merrifields Office Supply

really we dont have the need for both computers to be used at once....the older one is basically used by the 6yo to play on....she likes to go to www.starfall.com and use the paint program. that corner is where the DSL line comes into the house. 

The piano was a Freecycle rescue and really could be re-freecycled...we have had it 2 years now and never gotten it tuned!!!!!!!

the 3rd desk could be used possiblly in my daughter's room as a place to do school/art work....I guess I never really thought out of the box as it is an office/computer desk...

That entire corner is, for the most part ignored, cause we dont know what to do with it! It doesnt rate very high on the list of To Do's cause usually every room in my house looks like the before pics! once we used the corner for a toy area but it got out of control so I have tried to institute a "all toys belong upstairs in your rooms" that works better than a toy area downstairs! 

the biggest problem with having 2000 sq ft of living space is that it gets filled up! when we moved here I was like "where is all of our stuff?!?!?!" now I am drowning in stuff that is out of place and doesnt have permenent homes!

Rachel

PS still waiting on someone else to post pics of their house!


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## patnewmex

What are everyone's weekend plans for reorging/cleaning up?

I am going to put away the last of the huge mess of dishes that it took me a full week to wash. At least I will be all caught up with dishes. I AM currently caught up with laundry. Horray!

Hubby and I will see if we can finish putting up shelving in the smaller shack. If that doesn't take most of the weekend, we'll try fitting one more project in. 

We have to: Fix the irrigation plumbing, as it keeps breaking. Empty out the duck pond and refill it. The goose pond is done and has nice clean water in it.

I'm going to try and clear the area around my workout bench and weights IF IT KILLS ME!

I hope to pick up the yard a bit and burn some of that cardboard we have been saving for a bonfire.

I will take photos and post them so all can see the mess I'm dealing with and so Rachel isn't alone in this  Remember, I live in a SINGLE-WIDE. So, there is very little space to move in a place like that. It is over 30-years old and falling apart, but it is my home. 

Pat


----------



## moosemaniac

I've figured out my problem. I have to stop buying goats! I have to drive 3 hours (one way) tomorrow to pick up three new dairy doe kids. After that....use those three boxes to sort and pitch!

Ruth


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## moosemaniac

And Pat, I live in a single wide too.

Ruth


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

It took a lot of courage to actually post them.....I had to just do it....then after people commented on them I wanted to take them back.....

Today I start climbing Mt Washmore! LOL

Rachel


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## suburbanite

Why? You've posted a chronicle of success!


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## moosemaniac

Yeah, Rachel, you've got more guts that I do. I want to clean more before I post any before pictures.

Ruth


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

ha ha ha Ruth~ dontcha know that the before pics are supposed to be BEFORE you clean anything!? NOT midways through....

when the kitchen pictures were posted (sorry without looking back I cant remember who it was) I thought MAN is he brave or what!!!!!

I am actually very tired and thinking about a nap if I can get the little one to lay down and rest!

BTW I scrubbed the inside of the dryer yesterday.....apparently a purple crayon went through the wash!!! luckily it seems to be the underwear and socks that got it!

Rachel


----------



## Spinner

Have any of you heard of the $10,000 list? I read about it years ago and used it for many years. It kept me ultra organized. I quit using it and got extremely un-organized. I really need to get back to using the list. It's so easy, and it works! All you do is make a list of everything you need to do. When you first start, the list will be several pages long. Put EVERYTHING on the list. Then number the things by their order of importance. You never get everything done, but at least you get the most important things done. After using this method for a while the list will soon become just 1 short page. I always kept mine in a notebook. The advantage is that I always had a record of when things were done, such as mailing a bill on a certain date and things like that. 

Always make your list the night before. If you wait till morning you will be overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done. I always felt like having a numbered list ready was 1/2 the work. 

Today I'm going to set down and make my list. I'll do it on the computer so I can print it out. Then each night I will update the list so it'll be ready to start tackling first thing in the morning. Keeping it on the computer makes it easy to delete the things that were completed and add new things to the list.


----------



## TNHermit

I got a question. What do you do with all the paper work and boxes you HAVE to save. Everytime I buy a printer,computer or something if anything goes wrong your suppose to return it in the box it came in. I just had to send my MACbook back IN the original box. even had a sticker on it said to save it.
And if you want to get warranty or even talk to anybody about something you have to have all the paper work that came with it so you can find all the info they want. My garden hoses come with an 8 year warranty marked on the box. Same with the air conditioners. it dont say anything about warranties on the sales slips Running a small business will bury you in paper!!


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## suburbanite

That 'neat tv' site has a post about how to manage warranty storage.

I don't know about what to do with the boxes though.


----------



## Spinner

TNHermit said:


> I got a question. What do you do with all the paper work and boxes you HAVE to save. Everytime I buy a printer,computer or something if anything goes wrong your suppose to return it in the box it came in. I just had to send my MACbook back IN the original box. even had a sticker on it said to save it.


That's what attics are for. I even put in a set of those fold down stairs that makes it real easy to carry those boxes up there.


----------



## suburbanite

What about other ideas for boxes? Not everyone has a useable attic--folk living in trailers, for example, and those of us with houses built with modern truss-roofs, where the 'attic' space is cluttered up with boards going in various directions and blown fiberglass insulation that creeps into the joints of anything you try to put up there.

I have some elfa-shelves in my garage which are great--but really expensive compared to other options. The advantage is that since they're mounted to the wall you can leave the bottom 4 or 5 feet empty (or just let tool handles hang there since they hang only a few inches off the wall.) This leaves those lower levels open for cars and opening car-doors, where a floor-mounted shelf set would get in the way of the vehicles.


----------



## TNHermit

Spinner said:


> That's what attics are for. I even put in a set of those fold down stairs that makes it real easy to carry those boxes up there.


Nice if you got an attic 


My place has vaulted ceilings. Just have to build another building 
Thats the ultimate solution. If ya got enough buildings ya don't have clutter.


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

I always decide what the worth of my time and effort will be....like I just bought a new clock/radio/telephone....yeah it has warranty info...but if something goes wrong I will just go buy another....so out went the paperwork and box.....as for something like a computer....we have blankets stored in the one that our desktop pc came in


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## Spinner

Hermit, Building another building will not get rid of the clutter. :nono: I have 4 outbuildings, 2 are simply for storage, 1 is a 2 story barn that is about 50'x80'. The clutter lives on! :shrug: More room just means you get more STUFF. More buildings is not a solution, it only expands the problem.


----------



## TNHermit

Spinner said:


> Hermit, Building another building will not get rid of the clutter. :nono: I have 4 outbuildings, 2 are simply for storage, 1 is a 2 story barn that is about 50'x80'. The clutter lives on! :shrug: More room just means you get more STUFF. More buildings is not a solution, it only expands the problem.



You have to look at it as a retirement plan. Look at all the stuff you will be able to sell on e-bay as collectible. An easy income maker  And there is always the appreciation of your place with all them buildings LOL


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

well Mt Washmore lives another day....

a friend of mine is a newly single mother and she recently got a job....she had to work today and didnt have a sitter....evern other weekend is "daddy weekend" but of course she got scheduled for her weekend and the daycare isnt open on the weekend....so I am 'toddler-sitting'.....it is basically like having twin boys....and there is a reason God didnt give me twins!!!!

Rachel


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## manygoatsnmore

The rain kept me inside today, so I tackled dishes and the boxes of misc in my bedroom. I got a lot done! Dishes are all done except what's hiding in my dd's room, I got some laundry done, floors mopped, and a whole big box of misc stuff sorted and put away in the right places.  There's still a few more boxes to go through, but I'm 1/3 done now, and that's one more box than I had sorted this morning!


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## PyroDon

RachAnn 
your before pics look better than my living room which is why it hasnt been posted . I would try to do something with it tomorrow but thats the wife and I's movie date I try to take her to the movies at least once every five years or she gets grumpy . 
I'll try to post some pics of the library/computer room that should make you all feel much better about your clean houses


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## patnewmex

I just don't know how to POST photos. If someone would tell me how to do that, I'd appreciate it. I have a Before-Trailer photo. The After shot will have to wait a long while until I can tackle that project. It's about last on the list.

First comes the shelving units so we can have a place to put all the stuff. Most of the stuff on the living room floor belongs in a garage. We have a second trailer, 50' single-wide and that is the garage for us for now. We do have some shelves and cupboards up but it is yet to be organized and it is full to bursting with stuff. 

So, hopefully we will get something done today. I have to do more dishes. I have a dishwasher but I have to tote hot water to it, hold the hose up that ejects the hot water all the time it is running, and then after it all drains into a bucket, empty the bucket. I do not have hot running water at my kitchen sink so if I have to do dishes by hand, I have to either haul buckets of hot water to the sink, or haul the dishes to the bathtub and just do them there, then tote them back to the kitchen. Not an easy job no matter how you look at it. 

I have to also clean out my shotgun that we took out last weekend, make dinner in the crockpot for Monday dinner, make my lunches for the week in the pressure cooker, call 3 people and reconnect with them, each call will take about an hour, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

I'll report back Monday and hopefully have some photos uploaded by then.

Pat

KEEP IT UP EVERYONE! Moose--GET TO IT, put on some motatin' music, coffee and reward yourself with bon-bons when the job is DONE or the hour is done and you can see progress. I want a report first thing Monday Morning! :hobbyhors


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## LamiPub

I am not sure but I read "rumors" that Moose was banned from HT. :Bawling: This thread she started was one of the most inspirational one for me. I have really gotten back on track and am excited about getting things cleaned and organized. I hope I am wrong and she will be back soon. But right now coming on this thread kinda bums me because I am worried about her.


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## manygoatsnmore

Today I tackled the living room, dining room and the rest of the kitchen. I'm taking a break now, but then I'm getting back to work - the "guest" bathroom needs cleaned, and I need to ride herd on dd and her room mess. The laundry continues, and I'm making great progress on getting the goat registration forms filled out. It's getting better.

Flylady is headed into the bathroom and one other room this week.


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

Pat~I typed out VERY detailed instructions for posting pictures just before we left town today....I am now at my sister's house and see that I didnt POST it!!!!

I use www.photobucket.com for hosting my pictures online....I know that others like Melissa and Chuck use Flickr.com.......regardless you need to get them from your camera to an online place....then link or copy the image code into a HT post

Rachel


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## patnewmex

I'll have to research getting my photos online then, so they won't be online any time soon. Sorry about that! I was thinking it was going to be easier than that. 

We accomplished a lot on our shelving project for one of our outbuildings. I'll be able to find camping & fishing items, outdoor stuff, power tools, car stuff like washer fluid and oil and filters and all kinds of misc. stuff now that our shelves are mostly up.

*How did you all do on the weekend?* Let's keep this thread alive!


Pat


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## barnyardfun

I have been following this thread but haven't posted anything. Well, I did at the very begining...nevermind!  

Just wanted to say that I think it is sad that Moosemaniac has been banned.....I know that she caused problems here but she still needs our inspiration to get organized!! She started this all and now we have to go on without her! I wish she were allowed at least on this thread so she had the inspiration to keep cleaning!!

Oh well.....guess my opinion doesn't mean much.

You guys are all doing great! I haven't accomplished anything! I hate trying to get something clean and organized because I get it done and feel great for about 10 minutes then the kids and hubby come thru and mess everything up!! :Bawling: I am not exaggerating either.....when hubby comes home from work he will literally 'walk' out of his pants and wherever they fall is where they stay until I come thru and pick them up...same with the socks. And I can't tell you how many times I have twisted my ankle tripping over his size 13 boots! :grump: It just seems hopeless and a waste of my time to even try.


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## Melissa

There is a new forum listed for organizing. Do you all want me to move this thread there, or I can copy it? You are welcome to stay here or move there, whatever everyone wants to do.

link to new forum:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/forumdisplay.php?f=75

I am sorry that Ruth was banned. She got along pretty well here on the family board, I think it was other boards where she ran into trouble. Maybe she will be able to come back on sometime in the future.


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Melissa said:


> There is a new forum listed for organizing. Do you all want me to move this thread there, or I can copy it? You are welcome to stay here or move there, whatever everyone wants to do.
> 
> link to new forum:
> 
> http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/forumdisplay.php?f=75
> 
> I am sorry that Ruth was banned. She got along pretty well here on the family board, I think it was other boards where she ran into trouble. Maybe she will be able to come back on sometime in the future.


Mellisa, if you think it should be moved, let's move it, I like the way the C&C forum is broken up now, and when you are in the cooking cleaning mindset it might be nice to have it all together, but you do that here too, I dunno, move it or copy it, doesn't matter to me.
I do hope Ruth can come back- it is too bad really, I think she was a hot-ticket, though our views differed greatly we were (and are still) friends.


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## patnewmex

Moving the thread would be great! 


Even if Ruth is banned, she can still view the posts, just can't post anything, so we can still write with her in mind, if necessary.


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## patnewmex

barnyardfun said:


> ...when hubby comes home from work he will literally 'walk' out of his pants and wherever they fall is where they stay until I come thru and pick them up...same with the socks. And I can't tell you how many times I have twisted my ankle tripping over his size 13 boots! :grump: It just seems hopeless and a waste of my time to even try.


That is something we can all tackle together. Once "things" are organized and there is a usable system in place, behaviors MUST be the glue that holds it all together or it won't work. 

I have a problem like you describe. I have discussed it with my husband (hint) when I'm NOT mad about it. I tell him that it really helps me if he picks up his clothes, and in order for me to keep my sanity, I will remind him to pick up his clothes in a friendly manner. I told him I don't want him to think I'm nagging, but if we are going to live in a cleaner home, he must do his part. 

Part II of changing behaviors is: as soon as he commits an offense, GENTLY and politely tell him to please pick up his pants, socks, etc. and put them where they go. Make sure he has a place to put these things. We have a place for shoes and if Tom forgets, I say "Honey, I'm putting your shoes where they go, okay?" He'll usually say "Thanks, I forgot."

Just be on friendly terms, and don't scold him when you are angry. He's an adult and so are you so just keep the spirit of the conversations friendly and helpful, as if you are two team members (married couples are a team) who are fighting a common foe. He SHOULD view this as legitimate, especially if it makes his wife (you) unhappy! Most husbands are willing to make sure their wife is happy, and comply if told the truth. I hope this sounds right, it's kind of hard to explain. 

If you treat each other as PARTNERS without that "parent-child" relationship you now have, things should change. Just have a heart-to-heart with him on very friendly terms. 

Pat


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## Melissa

I am going to copy it to the new forum, unsticky it and leave a copy here.  That way people who don't always have time to visit every forum can still have the information available. Keep up the good work everyone!


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## mammabooh

This might not seem like a horrible mess to some, but the stuff has been sitting on the table since May 12th. The water jugs (in the cardboard boxes in one pic) belong in a closet that is literally 5 feet from where they are sitting right now. Hubby's music equipment belongs in the room that is right next to the closet where the water belongs. I hope to post "after" pics by this evening.


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## mammabooh

Well, that was pretty easy because some of the stuff just moved to the living room. I will be taking it to the basement, but I need to set up a storage area down there first. I have a nice table that is supposed to be my craft table, but I have covered it with all sorts of things that don't have a home. I'll post pics of that another day.


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## patnewmex

Good work!!!! :clap:


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## suburbanite

Yay mammabooth!

I just got back from Costco, so suddenly I've got clutter on my counter again--grapefruits, watermelons, blueberries--stuff that I don't have in my garden.


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## suburbanite

Well, all put away now.


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## mammabooh

suburbanite said:


> Well, all put away now.


In the fridge, or in your tummy?


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## suburbanite

A little of both. I at half a (mini) watermelon.


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## suburbanite

Well, outdoor organization now. I went around the back-yard with the edger, which was kinda difficult because my vegetable garden is the border of the back-yard grass and a lot of the crops are trying to spill over on the grass, right in line for the edger to cut them off. So I had to hold them back while manuvering the edger under them.

Gotta do that for the lawnmower sometime today too, but whuf! it got hot out there in a span of about 30 minutes! So now I'm wondering if I'll have the energy to do the mowing duty in the evening when it starts to cool down more.

Usually I mow on Thursdays because city compost pickup is on Friday with the trash, and since there are weedkillers in the (front only) lawn fertilizer I don't want to put it on my compost pile, which isn't consistently hot. Right now I have a burr clover problem in the back lawn so I'll probably put my clippings from both lawns in the city bin, so as not to put seeds into my compost bin. As I said I'm not confident mine gets hot enough to kill them. So, anyway I got off schedule last week with my pain syndrome acting up--the front lawn got mowed Sunday, three days late. So I'll probably mow it again tonight or tomorrow just so it isn't ragged next week, to get back on schedule, rather than skipping a mow this week.

I need to rent a rug-doctor, I think. Since it is getting too hot for outdoor work.


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## patnewmex

Tonight I'm going to try and organize my gardening stuff all in one spot. Same with irrigation parts and pieces, bird raising equip, camping and fishing gear. Well, that IS too much to take on for one evening. but I work full time and have a full hour commute each way. 

I have brand new baby ducklings at home too! Rather unexpected I must say. Check out my thread in the poultry forum. 

Pat


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## suburbanite

Pat, I suggest that, although you have an impressive list, you shorten it before you start. If you make your list too long you are setting yourself up for failure--you'll get all the gardening stuff in one spot and the irrigation parts, but fail on the rest and count yourself as 'bad' instead of congratulating yourself on getting the garden stuff and irrigation stuff sorted out.

Oh, btw, I discovered my mower is out of gas, and it is now approaching the Heating hours from 2-4 pm, so I'll not be mowing until this evening.

While out there edging I discovered I had enough beans for a nice raw green (well, purple and yellow) bean-salad for lunch again, and I think I'll have the earliest scarlett runners cooked for dinner. Sort of the outdoor equivalent of finding quarters in the sofa.


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## heather

suburbanite said:


> Does anyone have a solution for the lid problem?


Yes, as far as plastic tupperware-ish things go -

I have a set of these plastic bowl covers. They are washable & reusable. They are wonderful!
Instead of 100 lids, I have a few plastic covers.
Miles Kimball sells them in sets of 50, but I got mine at the dollar store - a set of 10. It's plenty to keep everything covered.


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## barnyardfun

I CLEANED LAST NIGHT!! :hobbyhors 

For some I got very motivated to clean! (I think it is because of you all! You are doing so great!)

I have not been able to see my sewing table in months! I have really had the itch to sew but wasn't even sure if my sewing machine was still under that huge pile or not!! 

So I removed all the clothes that were waiting to be hung up (set them on the bed so I could hang them in a little bit). Cleaned off the whole desk, arranged things, reorganized, swept, etc. Then I got on the computer for a few minutes to take a break......hubby decided to go to bed at that time. YEP! You guessed it....he threw all the clothes back on my nice clean desk!!!! :Bawling: :grump: By this time I was tired and just went to bed....very discouraged I might add. 

So today I am trying to get the Kitchen spotless and then I will hang the clothes! :dance: 

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can........


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## patnewmex

Suburbanite, thanks for the tip. I usually try and tackle way too much stuff. I got one thing done last night and that made me feel good. I have no dirty dishes in the sink. I also made dinner and cleaned and picked beats (very young) and spinach from the garden. 

Heather, good suggestion!

Keep this thread going gals (and guys). I plan on a good weekend. 

Pat

TONIGHT is laundry. Just 2 loads and that will do it, plus making dinner and picking and cleaning more greens for dinner. 



*Can someone help me post pics? I have flickr, but don't know how to post pics except for the link to flickr. I'd rather have the pics in the thread and don't see a way to do that. 
*


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## suburbanite

Eeek. I have the TV on in the background and they're scrapbooking; all those fiddly bits make me so claustrophobic I wanna scream.

Sitting down at the computer for a few minutes. Been steam-cleaning the carpets in the high traffic areas.


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## heather

patnewmex said:


> *Can someone help me post pics? I have flickr, but don't know how to post pics except for the link to flickr. I'd rather have the pics in the thread and don't see a way to do that.
> *


Pat, when you reply - look up above where you're writing the text.
The line starts with *B* _I_ U  
Further down the line you will see this image








Click on it & in the box that comes up you need to put the link directly to the Photo you want to include in your post (not the link to your Flickr page - just the link to the photo)

Try & let me know how it goes


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## patnewmex

I went to flickr, and went to the page with *JUST this photo on it*. It still does not show up in the message and only as a link. What am I doing wrong? I looked at the coding for other folks' uploaded pics and the same commands are used the







commands are there. 

It is not posted anywhere else on the interent and I don't think I can just upload from my hard drive, can I?

Pat

PS. that is my BRAND NEW BABY GOOSE! Less than 1-day old. :dance:


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## heather

Not sure exactly, but it might be a flickr thing -
I took off the ending of your link, so that it ended in .jpg
And it worked!

Beautiful photo BTW!!


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## patnewmex

Thanks Heather, you're a gem!!!

Pat


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## Sumer

Ok its Friday and I just got home from work. I dont have to go anywhere, and I have energy. Both of which havent happened at the same time in 2 weeks.
My house is Trashed! I plan on getting it all back in shape by Sunday night. Wish me luck.
Sorry but there is just no way Im posting before pictures. Its that bad. But I did take some just for my own feeling of accomplishment so I can see the difference _IF _ I get it all done. Im just going to have to be honest on how much I get done.
I have 2 buckets of aquarium water from draining the tank then getting too tired to finish on my living room floor. Just about every dish and bowl is dirty.
Every surface of every thing, chair, table, counter, doorknob, has clutter on it and there is a path down the hallway. The lawn needs mowing and I have a kitchen table on my front porch.
So far before work I did do a load of dishes.. all the silverware were dirty.
OK here I go.

~~~
Sumer


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

we went to Lowe's today and got the fixings for laying a new floor in my laundry room....

the dog had decided that the laundry room was a good place to poop runny poop......it is CARPET!!!

the water heater leaked a couple of yrs ago so that got in the carpet....the previous owners (maybe even the ones before that) spilled scotch gaurd on the carpet and that part is always sticky.....the carpet was installed in 1982 and has done it's job but is NASTY.....we dont have the money to replace it all.....last year we tried the hallway, a 12x3 area and that came out VERY well so we forked over about $150 for flooring materials.....

the laundry room is 12 x 10 1/2 with a water heater closet taking up some of that...I figured it at 110 sq ft....of floor space....

for those who have been following my saga.....Mt Washmore still exists....Wash and dry arent as big of a problem as getting it to the laundry room or fold/hang & put away.....SO I have about 3 baskets worth that need folded/hung, 1 card table full that needs put away and a metal rod worth that need to their respective closets....once that is all done it wont be to bad to empty the laundry room....just the deep freeze, washer, dryer and then minor things

Rachel


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## MicheleMomof4

I know its pages back but I wanted to suggest lid storage for those who didn't want to store the containers with the lids on them. One of my favorite and best organizing objects is dishpans from Dollar General. i think they are $1 or $2, the white ones. And I use them in my pantry and cabinets. I put all the lids in them. Once a month I have one of the kids see if all the containers have lids, the extra lids are tossed and lid-less containers are tossed. I use the dishpans to organize my dry goods that are small too in my pantry shelves.  
God Bless,
Michele


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## NostalgicFarmer

I couldn't help reading this entire thread. Glad I'm not the only one!

The decluttering is happening slowly. It's not so much rooms, but I have big tall boxes full of 'stuff'. Paperwork seems to be the most 'stuff', but as it's winter over here and I have a fireplace in the house, I'm finding a use for it!  

Does anyone else have a major problem with paper? I think it breeds :help: (and has really unusual offspring!) Mmm, might have to take a tougher stance with it.....:viking:


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## Sumer

I got a bit more control of paperwork in the last year. I did a major overhaul (it took weeks) and since then I have really tried to keep it under control. Im not perfect but one thing I managed to keep up on is one place and one place only to keep the bills that came in. I added up all the late fees I was paying for bills and it freaked me out so that was some motavation on keeping them in one place so I could find them and pay them on time.
Sorting thru the incoming mail as soon as get it helps with paper junk. I also made a place for shreadable junk like credit card applications. I still have the pile system but now I can at least find the piles. :baby04: 
I didnt get all that much done since I posted yesterday. Did some laundry, paid 2 bills, balanced the checkbook, dumped the buckets, made dinner and have leftovers for today, cleared off one table, and then I procrastinated and did some sewing repairs which didnt require much effort. 
I think its the heat. Its zapping me. Got a call and I have to work today so I dont know if I will get all I wanted to done this weekend. 

~~~
Sumer


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## Metagirrl

Rachel-
Here are some tips that helped me tackle MY Mt. Washmore. Actually, it was referred to as Mt. Saint Laundry, as I was pretty sure that it was going to BLOW at any moment.

1. Get rid of lots of clothes. I realized that we were only wearing a fraction of the clothing. Outfits and pieces were being washed and re-worn, while some lingered at the bottom of the pile for ages. You can identify the outfits that are being worn. Keep those, and toss, freeycle, goodwill the rest of them.

2. Get rid of extra laundry baskets. We pared down to 2 hampers for dirty clothes- one for my DD, and one for DH and me. Otherwise, we have two baskets. One for a load that has just come out of the dryer, and one small one for socks. At one time, I made the mistake of thinking that more baskets would help. WRONG. It just bred more baskets of sometimes clean, sometimes dirty clothes.

3. Hang it up if you can. All of our shirts go on hangers. Much easier to deal with, than drawers and baskets full of shirts. Pants are folded and go on shelf. Often, I hang all of the shirts, straight out of the dryer. Do it while they're warm, and NO WRINKLES.

4. The laundry room is a NO-PASSING zone. Loads of laundry behave and stay in line. Washer->Dryer->Basket->Hangers/Dresser. Wet loads of laundry NEVER jump into a basket to allow another load to "pass-thru" (this was one of DH's favorite tricks). If there is a load in the dryer, and it's done, but not put away, you must deal with it. (Not dump it on the bed for Mom to come home and deal with later). IF your favorite pair of jeans need washed, and there's a load in the washer and dryer, they'll have to wait their turn. 

5. There is a cup above the washer that holds all of the $$ that comes out of pockets. Funny thing, it' s usually enough to buy more detergent. 

Good luck with Mt. Washmore. I know it's not easy, but it feels so good to have slayed that dragon in my own life. You can do it too!


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## suburbanite

In terms of the folding and putting away part, how about *sorting* first into piles with different owners, then calling in said owners to do the folding and putting away parts in parallel with you. Call it 'quality family time'. Talk while folding.


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## suburbanite

I am paper challenged, and I think the main reason in my case is I have no shredder and keep intending to burn the stuff with too much personal info on it to toss (credit card offers etc.). I almost bought a shredder at Costco but it goes on sale in a few weeks and I think that will make a big difference for me in what accumulates.


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## patnewmex

Hi,

Nice to see that things are still hopping on this thread. 

I was feeling frustrated because I "felt" that I had 2000 jobs to do this weekend and not enough time. I hate that feeling of only just barely catching up each and every weekend and never doing something fun. (I work all week and have an hour commute each way.)

My idea was to take an hour to wake up, greet all my critters: my 3 day-old ducklings and my brand new baby goose, the dog, my cockatiel, doves, parakeets, and finches, and OH YEAH, my husband. (grin)

Then I took a list and a pencil with me and went around the house quickly and wrote down any problem area that REALLY bugged me and did the same outside. 

I have identified the few things that I can do for sure this weekend that will make me sane and have to do with organizing the place. The Great Re-Org is still going on and will probably go through the summer and late into the fall becuase I'm doing the entire property, not just the trailers and 2 sheds. 

I feel a heck of a lot better for doing those problem areas and have planeed to have a weenie roast and fire tonight if the winds will behave. I love summertime bonfires. It has been wet enough that we can burn yet so I'm thrilled! I have a ton of stuff to burn as well, mostly cardboard, NO plastic. (I have a neighbor who burns EVERYTHING and it stinks the neighborhood up to high heaven and, yes, we have called the fire dept and everything, he just wont' quit.)

SUBURBANITE: I have the same problem. We have paper "mulch" piles in the car, living room, bedroom, any flat surface. We got a paper shredder on freecycle and fixed it and low and behold it has disapeared into the SWILRING VORTEX that is my home. (grin) 

I'll try and locate it this weekend (scribbling on list again)

***

I call the amont of clothes we have THE LAUNDRY MONSTER and have to tame it occasionally. I had brough to the cleaners about 100 work shirts my husband has (he is a clothes horse). I swear he could cloth the entire nation of China. I managed to wash EVERY single article of clothing we own and sort out summer from winter and pack winter away, and hang up, put away or stow all others and it somehow all fits. I swear I will keep up with it from now on. Hope I can keep that promise. I also got rid of three huge garbage bags of clothes for the Goodwill.

In any case, you all keep at it and report in. It makes me feel good to connect with you all and I often think of my comrades in the war against clutter :hobbyhors as I putter about on the weekend. 

Pat


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## patnewmex

An idea I have for my home to post in large letters our new behaviors that we need to be mindful of. Such as:

Put things back when you are done!

Put shoes away when you take them off

Hang up clothes at the end of the day or put in hamper

Put all paper items in mail basket, file or throw, NO PILES

Put dishes in sink, rinse off right away

and such. hope it works.


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## suburbanite

Pat--if you and family are 'pilers', then a literature sorter works well for the 'piler' mind-set in handling papers. (according to tv show 'neat')


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## Ozark-Dew

Cabin,

indeed you are Mr. Helpful. Very sound advice. I am going to attempt it, at least part of it.

my problem is that my dh is the pack rat. I think it is to the point of illness. He can not bare to part with things - it throws him into a panic attack. 

I have to sneak garbage out in the wee hours of the morning on garbage day (the garbage collection is around 3am) I currently have a 55 gallon contractor type bag full, and another partially full - hidden, awaiting garbage day when I can stealthily make my way to the curb with them. I sneak out small bags of garbage when I go to town. 

I am not even making a dent in the problem though. I suppose an ultimatum is in order, but I am a coward to have to follow through with that. I mean, I vowed in sickness or in health afterall. I feel so bad for the guy, it must be terribly debilitating for him, I know it sure is for me!


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## heather

suburbanite said:


> In terms of the folding and putting away part, how about *sorting* first into piles with different owners, then calling in said owners to do the......putting away


I do this & my dds are 4 & 6
I have stored their clothes, so they can reach the most important pieces - they are able to get dressed & put away their own clothes


We burn our paper trash, so when I come in from the mailbox, I stand right next to the burning box in the kitchen & everything goes in there that is trash.
On the island in the kitchen (right near the burning box) is my daytimer, so all bills go in their appropiate month after I write them on my calendar.
Then I might be left with a couple magazines or something - I put them in the magazine box in the living room or bathroom.
On my desk I have a basket for checkbook, letters, notepads, etc.

Just some ideas for ya!


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## patnewmex

double post


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## patnewmex

Update: Duck and goose ponds and waterers full and swamped out. 
Irrigation system almost finished! (after 2 years)
garden totally weeded with that "hula hoe" thingy. It was a great time saver. 
Camping and fishing gear all in ONE SPOT! (new shelving unit in Shack #1 made this possible. 
Duckling and gosling living quarters figured out and completed. (minor adjustments to current duck and goose pens.)

I just have to finish up with some old clothes I found in Shed #2, winter stuff that a mouse got into and ate half of. (cringe) Most of it goes into the wash and then in a plastic tub and goes out into trailer #2 (that serves as our garage, studio, extra sorage space.)

Still got to hook up that swamp cooler, it's HOT here. 

Then we'll have a bonfire tonight. 

Pat

PS. As a treat, after getting mucky in the duck and goose ponds and stinky sweaty, I took the dog down to the river and we ran and splashed and then ran some more. The dog dries off by rolling in as much sand as he can manage. (huge grin) and then I took a shower. Am just cooling off and maybe I'll have a bit of lunch. it is 3pm after all!


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## manygoatsnmore

I thought I'd lost this thread! Haven't read through all of the last 4 pages or so, but had to jump in here NOW.

I'm in a panic today. :help: I called the credit union to see about refinancing my adjustible rate home equity loan to a 6.99% fixed rate (will save me major bucks to do this). It took me 30 minutes on the phone with the loan officer while I frantically pawed through the paperwork pile to find my most recent pay stub (other than the one I DIDN'T pick up at work last night  ). Boy is that incentive to sort and file or what! Very embarrassing, to say the least.

The word is that I have to have a new appraisal done to refi. A new appraisal means I have to really get serious about getting all the walls repainted, the exterior repainted, screens fixed and back on, the laminate flooring finished and trimmed out, and all the general clutter that is still hanging around boxed and stored somewhere! All this and finish reseeding the lawn, weeding the flower beds, barn cleaning, painting the chicken house, killing the weeds in the driveway and parking area, and the list goes on....and the whole thing needs to be done in the next TWO WEEKS!!!! 

Oh, yeah, this is all going on while we are getting ready to go to fair with a herd of goats next month and dd has to finish her (barely started) 4-H record book in less than 2 weeks in order to show at county fair 1st week in August.

Okay, major deep breathing going on here, trying to calm myself. Gotta go paint the guest bath - it's had one half painted wall, with the rest still needing painted, for over a year. For a major procrastinator, this is a true crisis!!!!!!!!


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

i know we have too many clothes part of my problem is that growing up I didnt have a lot so I tend to make up for it now....

the kids dont even really have any 'play' clothes....ya know the ones they can wear to Gma's cause Gpa lets them climb on the back of his work truck (oil field)

I have a lot of clothes myself in various (but really close) sizes/fits....hubby tends to wear the same ones over and over again but wont release any of his old ones

I dont mind the wash and dry...it is the fold or hang!!!! it is easier for me if I hang all the 'hangables' as they come out of the washer...I have 6 lines strung in the laundry room....when they are dry though instead of going to our closets, they go on the laundry rack (portable clothing rod) each person has an area on it.

right now there are towels in the dryer that need folded.....I did get the already hung clothes to the closets, and most of the hangables are hung....I gotta get to the rest of them though....we gotta get that floor done tomorrow...it is DH's day off

Rachel


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## Christine in OK

I made a list on the computer with detailed instructions of what needs to be done in each room (example: Living Room: clear away things that don't belong, dust ceiling, fan and walls, straighten books/magazines and sort, wash knick-knacks if needed, dust furniture, vacuum furniture, vacuum floor and spot clean, file papers, throw out trash). Then I printed it out, called the kids in and had each draw a room out of the hat (well, had the oldest two and assigned the 4 year old as helper for one of them). When they're all done with the whole house they'll get paid. 

I took the kitchen, I'm picky because I hate when things are where they belong. I'm also doing laundry and taking care of the desk area, for the same reason!

Edited to add: I don't always use this for the kids, I find it's a lot easier to clean the rooms when I have a list so I know where I'm at. Also, sometimes I skip parts - like dusting the ceiling fan, walls and ceiling. I don't need to do that _every_ week.


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## Sumer

Well I gotta be honest and say I didnt get all the things done that I wanted to by Sunday night like I planned.
I cant even say it looks any better in here. I got a lot of laundry done and worked a lot outside. But the dishes are all clean. I spent way too much time on that new forum laughing.  I did find a couple things that I have been looking for that got misplaced a month ago. (but then lost the TV remote) Had 2 unplanned things come up that zapped my time. Mostly Im just too tired. 
My energy level is just plane old off normal lately. My sons car died too so now I have to drive him to and from his work. :Bawling: 
Ill try again next weekend

~~~
Sumer


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## Christine in OK

EEew, I didn't get diddly-squat done today. Woke up with a headache and couldn't get myself motivated. Probably has to do with how busy we've been lately.

And then, having to stop at 5 and make an unplanned visit to the emergency room with son #3 didn't help matters. He smacked his face on the side of the utility trailer (there's a thread in the Families forum if you want the details :Bawling: ), and we were gone until about 8:30, counting the stop at grandma's to show her the marks.

I think I'll go to bed and start with a clean slate tomorrow.


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## Sumer

Hi Rachel, About too many clothes..
A few years ago my solid oak clothes rod in the closet broke in half. I figured it must have been a sign or something.  
So what I did after getting a new one was to sort thru everything while picking them out of the humungus pile to put back in the closet. I had to decrease the weight and made myself pull out around 1/2 and I bagged them up right then so I coudnt see them and put them in the car. Took them all to the Salvation Army.
Mabye doing something like that might help. Take everything or even 1/2 out and put it selectivly back in. Ya know what I honestly did not miss one thing even after its now been a few years. Just having them all out forced me to look at each thing and made such a difference because there were things in there that were so crammed there I never saw to even think to wear. Plus there were things that no way fit anymore.
I actually could do it again because its getting tight to hang things up again. 
~~~
Sumer
.....what do ya do with a rainbow sequin dress? Its really pretty, never wore it anywhere, probably never will.


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## patnewmex

I got so much done this weekend because hubby was studying.......I raked the entire fenced in area by the house. IT WAS A TOTAL MESS. I organized the building materials (wood, pvc pipe, metal scraps, etc) covered and straightened up both woodpiles. I also found one last (i hope) box of winter clothes and put them away plus I organized the new shelving unit in our smaller shed. 

I know it doesn't sound like much but it was a HUGE amount of work and it is the type of work where you can SEE results quickly! That's my favorite type of thing to get done.

NO time for a bonfire due to a "near death duckling experience" see my other thread. 

I'll keep it up tonight as hubby flies out to a second interview. *We hope he gets this job, it as been over 2 years!!!! *


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## patnewmex

Next project is a smaller fenced-in area that has: toilets, sinks that were slightly used that will go into our new home, lots of stove pipe parts, tons of empty wine bottles for wine making, old scraps of nylon cloth (yards and yards of it from when hubby was building his own hot-air ballon), and other junk, old bicycle, metal fencing stuff, wood scraps. *Where to store it all logically is my challenge. *

Next to this fenced-in part of our yard are two old appliances that I want to throw out or have hubby take the parts off of them that he wants. One is a wash machine and I think he wants the motor. The other is an old freezer and we were going to convert it to a smoker, but haven't yet and we can get one any time at Re-store for free. So, I'm suggesting OUT they go! The third item is a fireplace (not free standing) that will go in the house when it is built. 

I just have to think of a better place to store these "junk yard" type items that are not right by the house when you walk in. 

Wish me luck in figuring it out and *congrats to you all for putting in so much sustained effort!*


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## Sumer

Yeh!! I just got to the bottom of my dirty clothes pile!
Its 92 degrees outside and I just hung out flannel sheets from winter.
:rotfl: Im on a roll 

~Sumer


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## Metagirrl

Woooo-Hooo for you, Sumer! Way to tackle that Laundry! 
:hobbyhors :hobbyhors :hobbyhors :hobbyhors :hobbyhors


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## manygoatsnmore

I made great progress on the house today! Along with the dishes and laundry, I scrubbed walls in the livingroom, kitchen and hall (have lots more to scrub, but I made a good start), sorted through paint until I found enough to do the ceiings throughout the house, and painted the guest bath ceiling, installed the screen door on the front entrance, filled the gouges on the front door frame, scoured the door inside and out with fine steel wool and cleanser - got all the marks off and it looks like a new door - and just really got a lot of the house projects done.

The day before that I brought home dd's futon and picked up bookcases from my friend's. I spent the rest of the evening rearranging the furniture, including moving the hearth and wood stove across the room to the final installation place (I hope)!

I'm looking at the appraisal on July 6th at 1:30 pm, so I am trying to make every day count getting ready for it - and just incidentally, getting my house truly neat and clean. Nothing like a deadline to get me going.


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## Christine in OK

Good luck with your deadline, manygoats. I'm still battling the mud in the garden (and now the overabundance of bermuda grass too), so not much going on there. I am planning on getting out there this evening and digging potatoes, mud or no!

Otherwise, can't seem to get myself motivated. Lance is working a lot of overtime and it's so steamy outside I just don't want to do anything. Laundry and a little housecleaning is all I've accomplished in here in the last few days, but when I get off of here I'm headed to the sewing closet to pull out a few mending items. Wish me luck!


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## Just Me

Can I still join in? I need real encouragement.


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## patnewmex

Sure thing. Just be warned that this thread looks like it has lost its steam. 

Pat


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## Just Me

Me too I'm afraid. I need a cheerleader.


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## Jan Doling

Finally managed to get DD14 to clean her mess in the computer room....only by letting her work on it during commercials and me running the vacuum and supervising her doing the sorting (trash bag, kitchen box, book box, dirty clothes pile, etc.). She gets nothing done if left on her own. I think she actually enjoys my company when doing chores.


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## Metagirrl

Weelll, if this thread has lost its steam, let's heat it up again! :rock: 

I've been traveling WAY too much lately for work, so I've not been home a whole lot. Weekends have consisted of doing laundry and repacking the suitcase! 

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of working from my usual office, rather than the far corners of the state. I'm taking two days off next week, and plan to go through one closet each day. Turn up the music, and get 'er done!

:baby04: :baby04: :baby04: :baby04:


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## manygoatsnmore

I'm all for heating up this thread again! I haven't been on the computer much lately because I've been either working my for-pay job, or working on the house. I have the master bedroom and bathroom almost all done at last. Still have some trim painting that needs more coats, same with the doors to the bathroom cabinets, and the window casing in my room, along with the trim around the bedroom door and window. While I've been going through the rooms painting, I've also been sorting through all the "misc boxes" that seem to multiple. I've taken grocery bags for each room of the house, and sorted all the "stuff" into the appropriate sack, along with a garbage bag, a recycling bag and a donate to charity bag. I also have a box of project supplies and one for returns to stores. Sometimes I buy a couple different items when I'm not sure which one I need to buy, on the premise that I can always return the one I don't use - it's a long way to the store if I have the wrong one. Now I need to get serious about returning those items - I probably have more than $100 worth of merchandise to return. I can use the money more than these items, still in the packaging. As I've been sorting and moving out all these items, it's leaving me with a beautifully organized, neat and tidy room, all ready for the appraisal, and hopefully the start of being more organized.

DD has been cleaning out her room and painting the ceiling and walls. I haven't checked on her progress today, as I've been working too hard on my own, but I hope she's done well. We have 10 days to go, and I don't really feel like we've made the kind of progress I need to in order to be totally done, but I'll keep plugging away at it. Every bit that I get done is more than I would if I sat and did nothing.


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## Sumer

Way to go Manygoats!! Sounds like your making lots of progress. Keep it up your going to do it!

~~Sumer


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## 1/4acre

I posted days ago about my 37 pairs of socks and the Viet Nam Vets doing a pick-up, well they were supposed to pick-up yesterday and they didn't show :flame: ( this is the 2nd time it's happened) :flame: . So not wanting all that stuff sitting around til the next time they called I took it all to the Goodwill this morning. :hobbyhors It's nice to have that extra space in the closets and drawers. :dance:


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## patnewmex

I had a discussion with my DH Sunday about the clutter. It didn't go well at first, and then we decided to take some short-term measures to deal with everyday life. I might actually get HOT WATER in my kitchen! I have been without for three years now. That will cut down on time it takes to do dishes. We have set aside some space in our other smaller trailer to put all the extra clothes. Seems we are drowning in clothing. 

As I read through all the recent posts about folks getting things done, I thought how easy it would be if there were just me to pick up after. My husband admits to being a pack rat and very "differently" organized. If his tools, clothes, papers are in one huge pile a foot high, he can STILL find stuff! So, when I clean up I tend to move his stuff and then world war three starts. That can be frustrating for both of us. I always joked that he needed a BARN, and a normal garage wouldn't even be big enough. I'd love to have the space to give him what he needs. As it is we do not have a garage or workshop. 

In the past, it has been almost impossible to discuss the clutter and disorganization we live with because of our huge differences of opinion and style (if you will). And certainly it got off to a wobbly start, but we actually MADE PROGRESS that we were both happy with at the end of the discussion. 

Although this is not a huge leap forward, I'm excited at the prospect of things FINALLY changing after 17 years together. People can change IF they want to. I find it much less frustrating to know we are finally both heading in the same direction. I can deal with the clutter knowing we are chipping away at it. Does anyone else deal with this kind of frustration?

Very long story short, we moved to property 3 years ago hoping to build, hubby lost his job and we have 2 old small single-wide trailers to live in or store things in, have built a storage shed but never took the time to put things in order. There are no "designated" spots for tools, etc. but that IS changing!

Pat


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## Metagirrl

Good for you, Pat. Sometimes that first conversation is the hardest one..... I hope that you are able to continue to make headway.

My husband is a packrat too... I am too, but have worked really hard towards detaching myself from the clutter. If I don't use it or love it, I'm ready to freecyle it! 

It is sooo freeing. I'm ready to take it another level... that's why I'm going to do the closets. I have some bins that are full of things that I forget what's in them. Obviously, I'm not using or loving them, so I'm going to parse through them, and clean them out over the weekend!

Best of luck with your fresh start. Remember, you're not trying to "change" your husband... at least not fundamentally... just trying to help him start some new habits! 

Amanda


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## RachAnn in NW Okla

I will try to post my floor pictures on here tomorrow....I will start a new post

when we moved the dryer back something happened to it....it ran but didnt heat....took it to a repairman and had it fixed to the tune of $278.60 (ouch)....Lowes only had 3 models cheaper than that (my model was a $700 one)....and I got a matching set 1 and 1/2 years ago when I bought it....it will dry in the same time as my washer will wash (pretty close anyway)

anyway I will post tomorrow....be forewarned that it WILL be pic heavy....

Rachel

Rachel


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## manygoatsnmore

Yeah, Pat, I feel your frustration...I don't have a hubby, but I do have a dd who is, ahem, organizationally challenged. Actually, she just leaves a trail of destruction and mess behind her, lol. I would have a clean and organized home if it were just me, but adding dd to the mix makes it a real challenge. 

I have to say, I feel a little bogged down today. I'm still making progress, but it seems like it is awfully slow - only 8 days to go, and I'm sweating it. As I've been working in the master bedroom and bath, the kitchen and livingroom have gone to heck in a handcart. That's one of the projects for today - clearing the clutter and putting the main living areas of the house back together. I also have an extra queenbed cluttering up the hallway into the livingroom - being replaced in dd's room by a futon. I don't have the time to place an ad and show it this week, so I think I will be putting it in the back of one of the pickups (with a canopy over it) until after the appraisal! At least it will be out of my way. I don't want to donate it because I need the money from selling it, but I just don't have the time or energy to list it right now. 

I did take some time while I was on the phone today to sort through paperwork - threw away a whole bag of junk mail and filed a lot of receipts, manuals, etc. I am still working on trim paint, cabinet doors, etc, and I love how it looks in my room! Went through dresser drawers and straightened up, removed some clothes I didn't want or need anymore, and cleared the computer desk. I really want to build a corner cabinet for the TV, stereo, etc, and get rid of the computer desk - since we have laptops now, the desk just takes up way too much room and isn't needed. It's only purpose now is to hold up the TV!

I am touching up paint in the livingroom as well as cleaning in there today. Need to get to it, so....off to clean the livingroom and kitchen. Wish me luck!


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## heather

Ladies, PM me with your email address -
I have a free EBook to send you. (It's in PDF form & 1,404 KB.)
I received it for signing up for a newsletter -

Now, I realize that just reading a book isn't going to magically cure us  , but I thought it might give us some good ideas.

It's called "Neat and Tidy E-Manual" by Lorrie Flem

Here's her Introduction

_I am Lorrie Flem. My husband and I have 8 children from 19 to 3
years old. We publish a quarterly magazine for homemakers and
homeschoolers, TEACHmagazine.com.
I have a confession to make. My sister is naturally cleanâ¦Iâm not! I
approach this today not as someone who has it all together but as
someone who is trying. I donât share these ideas with you as
someone who has âit all togetherâ and is trying to help you. Rather, I
share them from the perspective of one mother in the trenches
alongside you. Keep on keeping on!_

Here's the Table of Contents:

Meet Lorrie 
Riding Vacuum Cleaners 
We Are So Blessed 
The Foundation 
Before Breakfast Chores 
Chores For Younger Ones 
Room Checks 
Count the Swats 
Room Guides
The Paper Monster 
First Born Overload? 
To Begin Organizing 
Books 
Love In The Home 
Closets 
Kitchens 
5 Biggest Organizing Mistakes
9 Tips to Maximum Productivity 
Chores for 5 Year Olds 
Chores for 3 Year Olds 
Sample Housecleaning Schedule 
General Storage Organization Tips 
Moving Mail On Out 
Phone Call Jobs 
Fix It 
Double Up 
Homeschool Organization 
What to do With the 3 Year Old 
Miscellaneous Storage Ideas 
Boys Toys 
Girls Toys 
Other Toys 
Clothes Tips 
Small Spaces 
Returns 
Road Trips 
Hooks 
5 Whyâs For Home Organization 
9 Simple Strategies for Organization 
Two Ways of Looking at Your Duties 
White Boards 
Preschool Centers 
The Child's Touch 
More First Born Overload?


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## heather

BTW, when I get my camera battery charged, I will share photos of our basement.  (I will?! Yes, I will) :1pig: :1pig: :1pig: 


We moved into our newly built house almost 1 year ago.
Of course when you move into a new house, you want it perfect.
No such luck...........
My parents & my MIL have both moved out of their houses this past year - somehow (because we let them :shrug: ) we've ended up with a basement full (and I mean FULL) of stuff from their houses. 

I recently took a girlfriend down the steps when she was over for dinner - she said "Oh......you need help"

I have been slowly going through things to take to the consignment store & to throw away. It is slow going. DH & I are both packrats - I readily admit that.......
While he's been away on some business trips, I've secretly thrown things away! Isn't that great for marital communication & all that?! :baby04: 
Really, he will never miss what I've thrown.......

Anyway, just thought I'd share my demons with you all and I'll share photos when I can

KEEP ON! :hobbyhors


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## Sumer

heather said:


> My parents & my MIL have both moved out of their houses this past year - somehow (because we let them :shrug: ) we've ended up with a basement full (and I mean FULL) of stuff from their houses.
> 
> I recently took a girlfriend down the steps when she was over for dinner - she said "Oh......you need help"


Oh you poor dear, that happened to me too years ago. My inlaws moved to a smaller place.. you know the rest. 2 years after my divorce I did have a really good garage sale though.
~~
Sumer


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## MTTMATSUA

Ooooo, you poor thing...I know the feeling...

In 2000, my mom sold our family place and moved into 'town' My dad had passed away in '95, she was 83 and it made me much more comfortable knowing she was closer to care if she needed it (and not bringing in wood each snowy winter to heat the house!)

Anyhow, she called up and said she was sending me a couple of things (We live in SD, she lived in NorCal) I thought some photos, doilies...uuuummmm, NOPE!!!!

A Mayflower Truck pulled up to front of our house about a week later. The guys were folks my DH had gone to HS with (we were late in life babies, both of us...), knew us and our parents and just laughed. I didn't know what to think. When I called my mom, she said 'o honey, well, I didn't want to move it...' Mind you my Mom was all of 4'8", from Arkansas, so I know behind it all she was laughing to bits!!! 

When she was ill and passed away in 2002, she let me know which neighbors got what things (O the poor young couple down the street could use these dishes...the guys next door just lost his wife and moved here, give him ___) She was amazing...

But all the stuff found a good home here and now that they are both gone, it's nice to eat at my childhood table and think of them.... (but I did pass on a ton to my nephew who is like a brother to me ... and the more 'boy' stuff for him and his sons...) While it does/did take up a ton of space and now with a big move on the horizon, we are def. 'going thru' stuff, each thing brings back a memory. Those we choose NOT to keep, get a photo and a description of what it was/meant for later on...

And yes, there was a lot of 'what the heck is this for?' and 'why did we keep this?' (ie, checks from 1981...HUH?!?)

Good luck with THE SORT.... I feel for you!!!!!!!!!

 Bonnie


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## heather

MTTMATSUA said:


> 'why did we keep this?' (ie, checks from 1981...HUH?!?)


LOL
Glad to know others have been there & actually SURVIVED!!!  

MIL is 84 & was clearing out from 50+ yrs of stuff -
We burned lots of checks from the 80s :angel: 
it was rough but we did it - got her moved into a nice little condo

Now our basement! :help: 
Today I got 2 more boxes ready for the consignment store.
I've been making enough $$ there to pay for my gas this summer, so I can't complain about that.


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## Christine in OK

Oh, but I have to confess that the cancelled check from the 1950s where my dad first bought the farm was just precious when we found it after he died. I don't remember what we did with it, but if it had been up to me...


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## heather

Christine in OK said:


> Oh, but I have to confess that the cancelled check from the 1950s where my dad first bought the farm was just precious when we found it after he died. I don't remember what we did with it, but if it had been up to me...


Yep, Christine, that would be a KEEPER!


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## patnewmex

Thanks for the kind replies. I"m a bit more settled with the idea and very supportive of hubby's change. I tell him a big THANK YOU when he does something I ask him to do, etc.

I did notice one thing about how we keep things: Every single flat surface has as much stuff as possible piled on top of it. I mean every single bookshelf, even if there are books on it, has stuff in front of it. 

I will probably go and take most of that stuff down and either throw or box it up. It was an eye opener to see things from that perspective.

Pat


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## heather

Did you all get your E-Manuals?


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## patnewmex

heather said:


> Did you all get your E-Manuals?


No, but I asked very late in the game. I PM'd you with my personal email address. 

Pat


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## patnewmex

Deleted by poster.


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## heather

patnewmex said:


> No, but I asked very late in the game. I PM'd you with my personal email address.
> 
> Pat



hmmmmm........I emailed it to you right after you asked.

Did anyone else NOT get theirs?

Pat, I just re-sent yours -


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## Pauline

ok i am going to join late i have now read all the way through the thread my main areas to attack are the basement ,garage , kitchen ,front room basement and garage are the areas like cabin mentioned where boxes and piles get shoved until later front room and kitchen are piles of paper, toys, dishes there are 6 in the house 2 adult pack rats 2 teen packrats and a 3 yr old mini pack rat wish me luck everyone


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## patnewmex

Thanks Heather! I got the e-magazine!

Pat


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## Jan Doling

I nearly keeled over last night when I came home to find DD12 had started sorting through the jumbled mountain of stuff on the porch and DD14 had cleared the kitchen bar (I'd forgotten what it actually looked like). DD12 also scoured the stove with bleach and found new homes for all the pots (except the cast iron skillet and Dutch oven, which are in constant use).

All this without being told...do you think I may have a critical disease and they know but haven't told me yet?


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## patnewmex

This Past Weekend:

It was HOT and I was miserable, but we managed to finish our shelving project in our small yellow shack. It made a huge difference! Now there is one less mess in the yard and we have a home for: Fishing & camping gear, car parts/oil/fluids, lawn chairs, gardening and planting items and assorted tools, bits of screen for windows, plastic tarps and sheets, dropcloths, backpacking stuff. 

It feels GREAT to have a place for these items, which previously were just stuck in a huge pile on the floor. The studio and Shed are on the list for needing a good re-org, and the list is LOOOOONG, *but we are making progress.*

Some day we will have time to enjoy a bit of each weekend instead of working so hard. 

Pat


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## Jenn

Can't read all of this but just wanted to note what I got from FlyLady- after exiting because of TOO much emails- I do keep a goodwill bag, and the library books in a special place so I won't lose any, and get stuff (libr bks, goodwill stuff, recycl, etc) into my car trunk when it's hitting critical mass and I will have a chance to get rid of it soon. 

I am not good enough to not lose papers so I never print out anything until I'm putting it into my suitcase/travel wallet for a trip (OK I have one space in a desk letter holder next to the checkbook for things like plane tickets), and as far as lists go same thing: 

While I do scribble a few words on my plastic storage tubs eg 'camping' or 'woolens' and attach an index card with a list to duffel bags eg 'go to war stuff' and 'boots, Jen's' for Army gear my actual list is on my calendar (diary in the British sense) in the computer. I have repeating reminders pop up every 3-6 months or when I'm likely to need that stuff saying eg 'Stored: Christmas stuff in green plastic crate in South attic' (pops up in December) 'Stored: DH's Army go to war gear duffel bag laundry room' and 'Stored: 8 yo girl clothes N attic' (pops up when she turns 7). I start each entry with 'Stored' so inbetween them popping up on my calendar I can go to the alphabetical list, to Stored, and look through each entry when I want to find something. Seems complicated but that way I'm not hunting for a text file I rarely use- I review the calendar at least daily.

BTW we do a pretty good job of 'getting ready to vacuum' and I even actually vacuum some of the times after this is done (it's my admonition to kids to clean rooms- their own, or when helping me in rest of house). Sadly this leaves a lot of clutter on most raised surfaces.... The next frontier....


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## Sumer

I got some TREMENDOUS MOTIVATION this last weekend to organize my house (and my life).
The next door neighbors moved. 
Itâs a long story (foreclosure) but they were totally unorganized and did not plan it out well at all. They had a year and Â½ to do this and still were hunting for boxâs and tape the day they moved. Two adults with no small children and they had so much to put in storage until they find a place to live that it was unreal.
They kept giving me stuff they couldnât take with them, (like I need more stuff). I'm happy to say that all they gave me either went directly into my car to take to my sisterâs garage where we are (still) having a garage sale or is still sitting out side waiting for the next load to go over there.
Watching them (and helping a little bit) pack up the most useless stuff to drag with them, hearing their complaints about how they donât know where they are going to put it all, and seeing the heaping pile of useless mess they left behind really really got to me. 
âReally got to meâ is an understatement. Since last Sunday I have been absolutely freaking out cleaning and sorting and donating and weeding and pitching and re-stacking my own house so much that I havenât really even been online much. I re-organized the garage at work. People are starting to like having me over their house. A friend invited me over last night to watch a movie and I cleaned his whole kitchen. I attacked my sister in lawâs house while babysitting the other day. 
All I can say is if you guys want some motivationâ¦ help someone move!

~~~
Sumer


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## NostalgicFarmer

Sumer, judging by the posts in this thread, maybe you could visit all of us?  
My place first!

I have decided to move again, and the thought is overwhelming. Have set a deadline of 6 weeks to sort though a garage full of boxes (can't remember most of what's in them), pack up house, and tie up a lot of loose ends in my life. Oh, and look for a job and house in another state. I think I am now certifably insane. I have drawn up an action plan, but I look at the junk in front of me and feel completely immobilised.

How are everyone else's houses going? The thread seems to be fizzling out.

Best of luck to all of you - may you all have the motivation I am currently lacking!


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## ovsfarm

Hi,

I'm new here, but would love to get more organized and decluttered. Is there a thread somewhere that deals with motivation? That's what I need most! I logically know the how's--a place for everything and everything in its place, etc., but I have trouble with keeping the momentum going.

I live in an old farm house with almost NO storage. I guess they didn't have much stuff to store when the house was built. I, on the other hand, have a bit of the Depression mentality about me and have trouble letting "good things that I might have a use for some day and don't want to have to go out and buy" go. We also homeschool, which means tons of books and craft supplies. And another strike against me, we keep sheep and I make felt, spin, knit and crochet a very little, and have recently been the recipient of 2 spinning wheels, 2 table top looms, and one big floor loom. Great stuff, but I am struggling with where to put it all.

All serious suggestions welcome!
Lori


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## Sumer

Like I said help somebody move.. Ok sorry.. seriously.. I sometimes just dont have any motavation what so ever. Like now. My house is somewhat trashed. That spurt I had 2 posts above I think was an anxiouty attack aimed in the right direction. :help: 
Sometimes when I lack any motavation I have just had to trick myself into doing only 10 minutes of cleaning and organizing. I set a timer, Once I get going sometimes it gains momentum and keeps going. Just making yourself start is the hardest part. 
Me and my sister have invented different cleaning methods to get thru the drudgery of it all. Like I said there is the 10 minute method. ( we have various versions of that one) 
Oh they get totally lame too. Like the commercial method where you clean as much as you can durring TV commercials.
There is the pretend your ~Insert panic producing person ~boyfriend, mother in law, minister, will be there in 30 minutes method..(workes better when this has actually happened a few times to ya). This one also has physic drawbacks and will sometimes actually produce the person your panicking about.. yes I sware it does. Its freaky.
Me and my sister should right a book. But then we would have to be organised to do that, and were not.
Why not keep posting your progress , good or bad, back here  We cant let this thread die out!

~~~
Sumer


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## Sumer

Well I got to cleaning up yesterday. Once I forced myself to start it snowballed and I actually got the place lookin pretty decient. Got it to where I could vacuum the floor. 
Has anybody noticed when you remove clutter more things become apparent that need working on? I noticed the walls need washing. I guess I didnt notice it before because my eyes were drawn to all the odvious stuff that needed doing.

~~~Sumer


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## ovsfarm

deleted by ovsfarm


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## ovsfarm

deleted by ovsfarm


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## heather

ovsfarm said:


> I am struggling with where to put it all.


I purchased under-the-bed boxes for all of us -

The girls' boxes contain toys that they aren't playing with right now or some of their baby items that I can't seem to get rid of

My boxes contain knitting needles & yarn, etc.

You can buy the plastic ones at Walmart that have wheels on them & they open from both sides, so you can pull them out from under the bed either way.


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## heather

My kitchen is clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :dance: 

Check it out
WAIT, special note*****See how the towel over my stove handle is even folded in thirds?!?! :hobbyhors


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## Sumer

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: 

Way to go!! 

Love the folded towel  , your kitchen is beautiful


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## Queen Bee

Love your kitchen and you can now move on to my kitchen and help me clean it! For three weeks, I have been canning and my floors are danmp mopped every nite and still look dirty. SO, if you could come on over and mop the floor----  ! I love your ceilings...Thanks for sharing..QB


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## YounGrey

I'm glad I'm not the only one


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## Peepsqueak

Another new member for Organized Anonymous. Every little bit helps. 

Heather your kitchen is beautiful!


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## Sumer

Today is Saturday. My plan is to clean till I drop. Lets see how far I get.  

~~Sumer


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## Sumer

Man can I ever get sidetracked. I went into the attic which I have been trying to clear out box by box for months and found 2 box's of kids toys. Now I have teenage mutant ninga turtles, hot wheels and various pieces of stuff scattered all over my living room floor. Found my sons old wallet which had his old 1oz. silver dollar in it. He knew it was somewhere here but he didnt know where.
Looks like Im doing more sorting and organizing than actual cleaning today.

~~Sumer


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## manygoatsnmore

*Sumer*, sorting and organizing counts, too!!!

After being almost too busy to post for the last few months, I am pleased to say that the appraisal went really well, although it was postponed for almost a month for one reason or another. I got the appraisal results on August 1 and the loan was closed about 2 weeks later. It's nice to be done with that. Of course, I'd done enough getting ready for the appraisal that the rest of the house looked dingy to me, so I've been continuing to work on the house a little at a time since. I've replaced the kitchen floor with new tile, and continued the floor into the nook and around the corner into the utility room. Pulling up the vinyl flooring in the utility led to the discovery of a big area of rotten subflooring, so I've fixed that and put down the tile over it. Still have a dip in the floor under the washer, so when I pull it out and take up the flooring, I'm hoping I won't have to replace subflooring there, too. The area under the washer and dryer is the last bit of flooring to be replaced in the whole house! Yay!

Other than the construction and remodeling supplies here and there throughout the house, my house is actually fairly neat and seems to be staying that way. Even dd is cleaning up after herself a little better. I'm riding herd on her daily to pick up the clothes, dishes, food and trash that accumulates in her wake, which has been very helpful. Now I need to just go around and finish up the little things left on the list for each room - small spots that need touched up, a little piece of trim here and there, etc. 

Then it's time to finally tackle the back bedroom we use as a storage room. I've been putting it off because I need to pull everything out of the room, prep and paint all the walls and ceiling, finish the floor trim for the laminate floor, and build the shelving units to store the totes along the walls in there. In the meantime, I'll have all that STUFF back in my living room after I've worked so hard to make it neat, tidy and de-cluttered in there. I don't think I"m quite ready for that.

I am still thinking about painting the kitchen cabinets white, too. I did it in the bathrooms and it really looks nice.

Other than that, I'm working to eliminate some of the more aggravating problems in my home. I have been having trouble with my DISH reception for ages, and finally called for a repair - the repair person is supposed to be here in the morning, woohoo. It's a little thing to most folks, but a big deal to a procrastinator like me! I'm calling Sears today for a repair call on my washer and dishwasher, and I'm going to see if they can fix my water filtration system while they are here. If not, I'll start calling numbers until I find someone who will. I'm tired of orange water and having to haul my whites to my ds's to wash!!! Those are 4 things that have really been bothering me and it's time I dealt with them. Wish me luck. 

*Heather*, you have a beautiful house! And your kitchen looks super.


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## Sumer

Wow you have been very busy havent you. I am glad the appraisal went well. I bet that is a relief. 
I am still at it but I am slowing down fast. I washed laundry then actually folded them and put them all away. I have one garbage can now full of stuff to toss. Washed one wall, had to cause I accidentally wiped it while tackling a shelf and the cleanness streak was too obvious. Scrubbed the bathroom. Took some laundry off the line that has been there all week. Picked tomatoes. 
Spent more than an hour sorting thru Legoâs, plastic army guys, ninja turtles, hot wheels, games and pieces. Put them in separate boxâs and all- I should have done this 10 years ago but I just shoved unsorted boxâs in the attic. Most are going in my next yard sale and to my nephews. Some to save for my someday future grandchildren.
And I just noticed that my surviving houseplants were about to wither away so I watered them. I think I can vacuume the hall (living room is still full of toys) and then go vedge out and watch TV.

~~Sumer


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## heather

thanks for the compliments everyone - i've been gone for a while

so, now that you're all impressed  ..........
today my counters are covered with fresh-picked tomatoes, squash, peppers, a waffle maker, used coffee cups, cds, books, keys, a stapler, scotch tape and there's also a ladder leaning against my island.......hmmmmmmmm, I guess I should be straightening up instead of sitting on my derrier!  

we just got back from vacation in michigan
and you know that saying "i need a vacation from my vacation" ?
well, that's how i feel -
i just want to sit & do nothing

BUT, we have company coming this weekend!!! :help: 
So, I better get a move on!


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## menollyrj

I stumbled on this thread today and it is so nice to know that I am not the only one who feels overwhelmed by housework. I HATE cleaning house, and with a full-time job, kids, graduate school, and volunteer work (Cub Scouts), housekeeping takes a back (waaaayyy back) seat. I have clean laundry piled on the loveseat, papers all over my desk, toys strewn everywhere, fabric (my quilting addiction) tucked in strange places, and a perpetual pile of dirty dishes. 

Today, I spent all morning sorting through bags o' stuff that a friend picked up for the kids at Goodwills and thrift stores over the course of the summer - 12 bags. Between stuff that we didn't need, wouldn't fit, or didn't like, and the clutter already in my bedroom, I bagged up 5 large trash bags of stuff to take to Goodwill this week. And I still have a pile of clothes in my room that I have to decide whether I really like it enough to keep it... On the good side, I did manage to find (and store in my closet) enough dress-up clothes to make DD a dress-up chest for Christmas, and at $0 for the clothes, the price couldn't be better...

The downside is that although I made some progress in our bedroom, I still feel like the rest of the house is a disaster area. I really like FlyLady's attitude that progress, not perfection, is key, but I'm getting tired of all the e-mails and I think I'm going to unsubscribe... How do you all carve out time in your day for housework? How do you convince yourself that you'd rather be cleaning?

-Joy


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## manygoatsnmore

*Heather*, I know what you mean, gf! I now have a washer and a new dishwasher sitting in the kitchen and nook, and dirty dishes all over the counters. DD is supposed to do the dishes everyday, but it's not happening. With starting back into a new year of homeschooling, we've been shorter on cleaning time, too. I really need to read the instructions and get the new dishwasher installed, then Freecycle the old one. The "old" washer, only 3 years old, needs to be cleaned up and sold - with the disclosure that it has a leaky door if you don't get it closed just right and/or put something heavy against the door. I really want to be able to walk through the kitchen again without having to maneuver around extra appliances...not to mention, I hate having all those dirty dishes in the kitchen. 

*Joy*, I hear ya on the Flylady e-mails - I think now you can get them in digest form, so they come all at once instead of all day long. I unsubscribed because there were just too many e-mails and they were too hard to get through with dial-up. I do go to the site about once a week to see what area is being emphasized, and to read some of the inspirational essays, etc.

I guess what I do is start with the "clean sink" in each room. Like having the sink shining in the kitchen seems to lead to clean counters, which leads to a clean stovetop, which leads to a clean microwave (inside and out), which leads to.....

It's just easier for me to take a few minutes every day to keep the already cleaned areas under control than it is for me to have to dig out from under yet another mess. I have to keep telling myself that, and even then, I'm not always good at following my own advice (hence, the kitchen mess right now), but it does help me get up off my Frannie! 

So, keep the areas you already cleaned up looking good each morning or evening, or both, and spend that 15 minutes a day working on the next area. When it's clean, add it to the quick pickup you are currently doing on the first area, and move on to the next 15 minute pickup. While you are doing it, make sure you have your boxes ready - one for put away in another room, one for give away, one for trash, one for long-term storage, and maybe one for things you're not sure of. As each box gets filled, empty it into the proper receptacle. Take the put away in other rooms box around and just place the contents in the proper rooms for now - don't worry about getting it in just the right spot unless you already have a designated spot in that room (you'll find yourself sidetracked in the wrong room, otherwise). Long-term storage goes in a tote, labeled with contents and taped shut, put away wherever you have designated as a long-term storage area. Take the donations to the car right away so you can drop them off the next time you are in town, and put the trash...well, in the trash.  Don't try to do more than you have time or energy to tackle at one time. Remember the progress, not perfection part. Your house didn't get messy overnight (even though with kids, it sure CAN), and it's not going to get clean overnight - not without total burnout!

After a while, you get so encouraged by the progress you've made, that you find yourself WANTING to tackle another trouble spot. Getting rid of clutter is really key. Flylady says you can't clean clutter, you can only get rid of it - and she's right. When I'm surrounded by clutter, I feel sluggish and yukky - as I get the clutter tossed (sold, donated, traded, etc), I find I feel better, more energetic, and more willing to spend 15 minutes in the morning cleaning up the house. In 15 minutes, I can straighten every room, start a load of wash, finish loading the last dishes in the dishwasher and run the load, and have my house looking good - if I do that 15 minutes every single day. Miss a couple days and I'll spent a couple hours getting the house caught up again. It actually saves me time to do the daily stuff.

Oh, and when I have one of those days (all too often) when even telling myself all that doesn't work to motivate me, I turn on BBC America and catch the show "How Clean Is Your House?". Kim and Aggie are a hoot, and they find the dirtiest houses I've ever imagined - like houses that literally have not been cleaned in 20 years. Even at my worst, which was really, really bad, my house has never been as bad as the houses they show on that show - it gives me a laugh, and a little inspiration to tackle the housework!

Hope this helps.  We're all in the same boat - we all want to have a nice home, and we don't HAVE to LOVE cleaning, to love our home and family. Keep posting your successes and your trouble spots - this is a good support group for the "organizationally challenged".


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## manygoatsnmore

*Sumer*, sounds like you're making great progess on the sort and store end! 

My DISH now has good reception, and I found out I was right about it costing more to fix the dishwasher and washer than I wanted to pay - I ended up buying new appliances instead. I'm still trying to find someone to service my filter system, and I'm putting a whole house filter in as soon as I get up my nerve to crawl under the house to the shutoff valve and cut the pipe to insert the filter. Even after the filter system is fixed, I'll want to add the extra filtration, so it's worth doing. I have to fix my washer hookups - found out the faucet for the hot water was leaking at the stem and had to redo my new floor (argh), so I think I'm going to add filters there as well. I bought them, now I'm just figuring out how to install them so I can reach them to change the filter cartridges. If I can just get this figured out, I'll be able to wash my whites at home again - saving me more time - and I might not even need to haul home town water to drink.  More projects - just what I need, right?

Along with that, I'm still painting trim on the exterior, and weeding out the gardens and flowerbeds. I'm leaving on a 2 week vacation next week, and I have so much I want to finish before we leave. I don't want to come home to a mess or a ton of projects that still need major work. I also want to get the installation kit for my woodstove ordered so it will be ready for me when I get back. Looking forward to wood heat this winter!


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## PyroDon

Well our house had become a total mess this summer with me working 14 hr days and the wife working 12s house cleaning had been ignored for a couple months   .
The computor/library was to the point you couldnt walk with out stepping over something, the living room you didnt dare go barefoot in, The Kitchen well it was scary. Yesterday I got started , filled the vac bag in less than 10ft, so rigged the shopvac to the upright vac and kept going , carried out 6 bags of trash.
Through out two year old up opened mail ( a 50 gallon barrel worth  ) and swept up enough pet hair to stuff a matress  . 
Got most of the dishes and counter tops clean about 4:30am 
So I have the three major rooms done now comes the three bed rooms and OMG the bath rooms , Have to remember where that hazmat suit is  
At least its starting to look like hum,ans might live here again. 
When Im done inside it will be time to attack the Jungle of horse weeds in the back yard that the goats havent got down. Thank heavens the mini horse mows the grass in the front yard or we'd be waist deep to get in. 
Sure doesnt take long for things to get out of hand.


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## Cntrygrl

Hi, all. I just found this thread tonight, and boy am I glad that I am not the only one dealing with this mess (no pun intended![prophead]). It is so true that it gets so daunting. DH is off tomorrow, so I won't really be able to do anything til Tuesday. While I do my best to keep a reign on the front rooms, it isn't always easy with a three year old and a four year old underfoot. I mainly need to keep my kitchen under control, and get all my laundry done (including what is in the garage and my back junk room). While I am proud of the progress I have made(it used to be REALLY bad), I am glad that I have found someplace to come for support and recognition.


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## Cntrygrl

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men....*sigh*. We got a call this morning that my uncle in Denver passed away, so it looks as if I will be out of town for the rest of the week for his funeral and all.  This is the fourth death in my family in the last five months.......NO MORE!!!!!! Anyway, I guess I will have to start when I get back.


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## manygoatsnmore

*Cntrygrl*, my condolences on your loss(es). 4 in 5 months! That doesn't hardly even give you a chance to grieve before the next hit. Travel safe and come back to us when you can. (((hugs)))

*Pyro*, I read the tightwad tips where you described how you converted the vacuum cleaner - very cool! Sounds like the house is starting to shape up again.  Just don't get so burned out that you let it go again after it's clean...that's where I struggle...I've let things go over the last few days, and I already have a backlog to clean up today. When will I learn!? 

With trying to get ready to leave on vacation, it seems like I'm having more trouble just keeping up with the daily stuff I know I need to do. I really don't want to come home to a mess, so it WILL be done over the next few days. With the neighbors looking after the place, I'd like it to look nice and orderly as they will be here off and on all day for 2 weeks.  That's incentive for me. Guess I'd better get back to it - my mini-break to check my favorite site is turning into a mega-break, lol.


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## Cntrygrl

manygoatsnmore said:


> *Cntrygrl*, my condolences on your loss(es). 4 in 5 months! That doesn't hardly even give you a chance to grieve before the next hit. Travel safe and come back to us when you can. (((hugs)))
> 
> Thank you so much. You are right, I haven't had time to grieve. Add a vacation from you-know-where and trouble with my teenage daughter---WHEW!!!! :help: Housecleaning is starting to sound like therapy!!!! It looks like I won't be leaving until Friday, so I might actually get something done this week after all. I have actually gotten some laundry done this morning (only two loads so far, but the day is young....and, hey, two loads is really good for me!!!!). While those are washing and drying, I am gonna tackle the kitchen. I just wanted to drop in and leave a little tip (I don't know if it has been mentioned in here yet or not). I have a timer, and it helps me to get work done, especially on days like today when I have to get two (or more) things done at a time. I simply work for one hour on one task, take a twenty minute break, and then get to work on the other task, going back and forth til all is done.


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## treehugger24

Wow! I just found this part of HT and I'm sooo glad to find you all. Maybe I'll save the grim description of my place for another day, cause I'm INSPIRED to get cleaning right now. 

You guys are like the supportive friends I need to deal with all this stuff.

Cntrygirl, God bless you and send his healing spirit to you in this time of losses.


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## Cntrygrl

Got the kitchen done yesterday!!! YAY ME!!!! :dance: Now I need to get the living room done and finish the laundry. That will leave me the rest of the house when I get home Sunday. Thank you for all you prayers, I really appreciate them.


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## treehugger24

:clap: You go Cntrygrl!!

Lasy night I got all the dishes washed (even the ones from the fridge holding that last spoonful of veggies...)

Today I'm going to try to catch up all the laundry and actually get it put away  I also need to organize my stuff-to-be-scrapbooked which has taken over my desk, as well as ds now empty bedroom (he got his own place this summer, but I didn't want to change his room thinking he might want to move back home) and various portions of other rooms in my house.


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## Jenn

All right folks, the household economics thread in CF made me realise (especially Sancraft telling her hour a day cleaning routine) I ought to change JUST A LEETLE BIT! So, now in addition to my weekly (on my calendar anyway, not necessarily done every week- my calendar program has this great move it all to the next day function) toilet scrubbing I will add a monthly vacuuming and bathroom scrubbing. And maybe even an hour a week prettying up the kitchen and a semiannual scrub off the refrigerator interior. That way at least I know when I think gee it's about time that it hasn't been a whole YEAR or anything.

Thank you for your support.


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## menollyrj

OMG, Jenn, you sound like me!!! Now, if I could find the carpet in the living room under all the toys and kid debris, I would vacuum... And the top of the refrigerator is covered with all the toys that make annoying noises (usually purchased for the kids by my mother...). 

DH (and I) DID make the kids clean the living room and bedrooms earlier this week, and they have stayed reasonably clean. I need to tackle Mt. Washmore, which lives on the loveseat in the living room, but I'm lacking motivation... Tomorrow I'm going to try to vacuum before bed because the kids have scattered dog food near the back door. Gotta love it when kids take care of the critters! (Actually, how will they learn responsibility without taking care of animals, but they sure do make a mess, both the kids and the critters.)

-Joy


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## greenboy

keep is not a box you just keep it....


moosemaniac said:


> Wouldn't that be 4 boxes?
> 
> Ruth


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## greenboy

I wonder if somebody have a weekly/daily cleaning schedule. I do...


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## treehugger24

Greenboy,

Perhaps you could share your cleaning schedule? I am a sometimes visitor to Flylady.com where she has posted a zone of the week, a "hotspot" , a detailed cleaning list for each area in the house, and a "mission" which is sometimes those places you would like to forget exist (like under the sink).


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## Cntrygrl

Anyone have any ideas what to do with a three year old and a four year ols while you are trying to clean????????????????


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Let them help! Give them a cloth and have them dust, give them baby wipes and have them go to town on the bathroom or kitchen cabinets, give them a scrub brush and soapy water and let them scrub the shower or bath (and maybe swim suits!) You could also give them baskets and play a game of who can keep their basket empty the longest-if you put a toy in their basket they have to run and put it away as quick as they can-or if you are worried about a fall maybe bribe them with m&ms or something small and yummy for each trip they take. Or make them carry the thing to be put away in some kookie way-balanced on their head, or set on thier back, or under thier chin. 

If they can wear an apron or some special cleaning garb, like big rubber gloves they will like it more. They may get bored quickly with each job, so just let them help on that section knowing you will have to finish it. My kids used to clean, they were so serious as they went about their big jobs. I would tell them when we were done they would get to pick a game to play or something for helping so well. 

Or you could duct tape them to the wall, but usually people frown on this. Dog crates are great too-and mine when they were 3-4 year olds used to camp out in them. 

(that was being silly, in case anyone is about to call dss on me!)


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## menollyrj

My kids made their own dusters at Vacation Bible School. They were just felt cut into strips about an inch wide and rubber-banded the strips to a foot-long section of wooden dowel rod. My kids were the biggest dusting helpers this summer because they made the dusters themselves...

-Joy


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## Cntrygrl

Thanks for the ideas....especially the duct tape!!!! LOL  J/K Really, those were great ideas!!!!


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## gracegarden

BiscuitQueen - that was so funny!  
My son used to curl up and read in a dog crate, he would also nap in one. 
I know what you mean about CPS though! Luckily, we were in the dog show curcuit/grooming end of things so it wasn't terribly uncommon...
But occasionally we would have a guest stop by and they'd see Jonathan asleep in a dog crate - not good :nono:


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Hey, as long as the crate was large enough for him to stretch out in and you limit it to a few hours at a time it should have been fine!  

I always got a kick out of people who would frown upon the kids playing in unlatched dog crates but they used play pens.......aren't those basically dog crates with no lid?


We are funny animals, aren't we?


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## Sumer

Cntrygrl said:


> Anyone have any ideas what to do with a three year old and a four year ols while you are trying to clean????????????????


 One thing I usta do when my kids were that around that age, and mabye a bit older, was to clean their room first. Get all their toys organised where all the pieces were together and they could find them all. Clean a space enough so they could spread them out again. It would take a whole day but after that it was like they had new toys because they hadent played with the ones in the bottom of the toybox in so long. 
That would keep them in their room and occupied long enough for me to get a lot of other cleaning done.

~~Sumer


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Anyone ever make a list, do something not on that list, then write it on the list just so you can cross it off?

Or am I the only one who does that?


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## Sumer

TheBiscuitQueen said:


> Anyone ever make a list, do something not on that list, then write it on the list just so you can cross it off?
> 
> Or am I the only one who does that?


ROFLMAO.....guilty

It give you a feeling of accomplishment doing that dosent it. LOL


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## Sumer

This last week I am in a notorious list phayze. I am hopeing it will help me get more organised. So far it sorta has. I keep forgetting where I put my list though. So I would make another one. Had too many going at the same time so I made a master list of stuff to do on my computer so I could print it out. I even put the list as my background on my computer screen. 
Then I bought some sticky notes. 
Those are wonderful little things. I got them stuck everywhere now. 
Mabye in another week I will get more things done.
~~Sumer


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Sounds like me....spending more time organizing how to organize than actually doing it!

Why is it so hard?????

I would like to know what gene causes that neat-nic trait, then invent a virus which would destroy it so that all the neat people would suddenly become slobs and know what it is like! Muhahaha!


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## Cntrygrl

BQ---You are SOOOOOO bad!!!! Need funding?????? LOLOL


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## TheBiscuitQueen

We could do fundraisers...."Dig deep in those couch cushions....pilfer that pile of laundry.... delve under the car seats.....donate to Messies for peace NOW!!


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## Cntrygrl

BQ---I hereby offer my dh as the first, ah, um, trial specimen. LOL I wish he COULD know what this is like!!!!


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## TheBiscuitQueen

My mother too......Then they treat you like they are morally superior and you must just not care enough...if only you just applied yourself....

I took genetics last semester...I need to sneak into the lab some evening.....put my diabolical plan into action!


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## manygoatsnmore

And here I thought I was the only one who added things to lists just so I could cross them off, lol! There are at least three of us willing to admit it. I confess, I've often felt that making the list was almost as good as actually doing the jobs. 

I'm really trying to do better. I even have a sign that says "Spend less time planning to do and more time just doing it!"

I managed to get the dishwasher and washer installed before going on vacation, left a mostly clean house and didn't even leave home without anything important - in fact I brought TOO much again. Packing up every morning is forcing me to be neat.  Only 4 more mornings to pack the car before we are back home, if all stays on schedule from here on out. (Yeah, like that's gonna happen!) 

Then it's back to trying to get the water system clear, the wood stove installed, the storage room shelves built and all the stuff organized in that room, and then there's the barn and gardens to deal with...."I'll think about it tomorrow, tomorrow is another day" (Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With The Wind)....one of my favorite lines, lol!


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## Christine in OK

TheBiscuitQueen said:


> Anyone ever make a list, do something not on that list, then write it on the list just so you can cross it off?
> 
> Or am I the only one who does that?


And then leave the list out where your husband or mother-in-law can see it?

No, never...


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## manygoatsnmore

Christine in OK said:


> And then leave the list out where your husband or mother-in-law can see it?
> 
> No, never...



hehe!


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## manygoatsnmore

Well, we got home last night about dark, and it really was nice to walk into a neat house - at least until I packed in 6 boxes of fruit and all the luggage, cooler, and other stuff from the trip.  Got up this morning and unpacked everything, put it all away, and even sorted out the personal care items that I would need for another trip and put them in the zippered bag, ready to throw into a suitcase. Now, I'm not planning any more trips any tme soon - too broke and too tired to think about it right now, but I try to always have a few "essentials" packed in case we do need to go somewhere on short notice. Handy for a BOB, or, God forbid, a hospital stay, as well as trips.

Then I scrubbed down the kitchen sink and the countertops with disinfectant. 6 cats having the run of the house without humans telling them to stay off the counters, and with a kitchen faucet that drips, means coming home to a counter covered with little kitty paw prints. I love my cats, but I know where those feet have been! Ugh.  Since I'd emptied the fridge before I left, all I had to do was put the contents of the cooler in the fridge, and there was plenty of room for everything.  I'd washed all our clothes, but jeans as we went along on the trip (took dishwashing liquid, works great for washing out cotton shirts and underwear, then rolled the clean clothes in a few towels and stamped on it to squeeze the water out, then hung them to dry overnight from the pants hangers in the hotel rooms - dry by morning and ready to wear again). That meant no laundry that urgently needed doing when we got home. The dishes had been done and the dishwasher emptied before we left, so today all I had to do was make sure dishes were loaded into the dishwasher after use - not enought to even run a load tonight. We ate leftovers from the trip and leftover pizza from last night today, so I didn't need to cook either. Made for a very easy homecoming. 

Now in a couple days when the peaches and nectarines are ripe, I'll be busy again, canning and freezing fruit for winter. Mmm.

I'm trying to keep up each day with the shiny sinks and clearing hot spots, taking some time each morning to sweep floors and straighten the whole house, running the laundry and dishes regularly, etc. It really is easier to do that than to play catch-up again...


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## Christine in OK

My house is finally coming to heel (slowly, like our old dog - no wait, scratch that, she just looks at you with that "yeah, right" look when you tell her to heel).

I've just about conquered the laundry monster, all the bedrooms are clean (had to take all the middle child's stuff away since he won't clean up after himself and I'm sick of spending hours hunting for homework and spelling words), and I'm working on the laundry room today.

I'm getting really good at making lists. Well, schedules, actually. The kind that tell me when I need to leave for each activity, since I'm spending half of every day in the car now. I need to get a 3-ring binder together with my different calendars in it. I either need one that will fit everything, or I need at least two - on for meal planning and one for activity planning. Plus maybe one for cleaning...

I had a planner that I'd bought last year (didn't get one this year, but I might for 2008) that is from the "motivated moms" site. Here's their site: Motivated moms . It's pretty neat, and not too overwhelming.


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## tab

Great thread, didn't take the time to read the whole thing, hope this isn't all a repeat. Another good site is Children of Hoarders (my mother, 4th degree squalor). 
After cleaning part of her house again, I decided I was getting there myself. I know all the reasons, animals, work (three jobs at times), family, "thrift" (very false, better saying it the way it is, denial), depression etc. Bottom line, I want to be able to have someone stop in and be able to have them come in the house (not stay in the barn) and feel comfortable, the way I used to keep a house. Over the summer I made progress. Out of seven rooms downstairs, four are pretty good. It can be done and once you start it can become contagious. It is soooooo easy to maintain but sooo hard to catch up. I love coming in the computer room and NOT having CLUTTER! It really is a mindset. It can be really hard to change into the mindset you want but it can be done. It makes me feel better about most everything and I don't think I will feel guilty at all for getting the animals next spring that I want because I know the house will still be taken care of. :baby04:


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## TheBiscuitQueen

It IS a mindset, and it is tough to change that mindset. I struggle all the time with it. I have changed my mindset as far as what I see as clean, but getting everyone else in the house to change too, as well as developing the habits which allow neatnics to seeminly effortlessly keep things clean takes a long time. Also, I think neat nics tend not to have things in their life which make it harder, like indoor pets. 


I too love having spaces with no clutter! I followed the fly lady a while, and instead of my sink I used my bed as the space to start from. WHen my bed looks great, then my bedroom gets in shape, then I start my day in the frame of mind I want to keep-calm, uncluttered, and in control.


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## Christine in OK

I printed out the boys' chore lists yesterday, for the first time in months. Then I took three small jelly jars and put $5 worth of quarters in them ($2 for the little guy). At the bottom of each chore list, I put a note that said any time I have to do one of the chores on the list, or any time I have to pick something belonging to you up out of the floor, one of the quarters becomes mine. I explained it in person to the little guy, and he'll get reminders more than the other two.

I expect them to have not much money in those jars for a couple of weeks before they get a clue!


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## Cntrygrl

BQ----How far _*have*_ you advanced on that, uh, science experiment?? Did you really try it out on my DH?  Because he sure did help me with the kitchen tonight!!!! :dance: *Looks outside to see if snowclouds are building up* Nope, no snow, so it must have been you, BQ!!!!!!! LOL :hobbyhors


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## Christine in OK

I doled out the quarters Saturday morning. Little guy had 75 cents, he was happy. Middle child had about $2.25, he was alright with it. Big guy had $1.75 and was thoroughly disgusted - I picked up 2 pair of shoes, a deck of cards and his big trapper-keeper school notebook after he went to bed Friday night and he lost $1 overnight! Not a happy camper!

We had a serious talk about attitude too, since he tried to give me some. I have enough of my own, thank you!


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## vtfarma

About 2 years ago I hit the "wall". I had gotten sick with lupus and was struggling with cleanign and keeping up. It seemed all I did when I cleaned was pick up something and move it to a new unorganized place. That does not even take into account the kids rooms. They couldn't walk through them and they are teens! 

We pulled in a huge dumpster right next to the porch and under the teens windows. We spent one week ditching everything that was broken, we didn't want etc. If it was too good to be thrown we put out by the road with a free sign if it wasn't gone by the time the dumpster left in it went. I now have a house that I can keep up with usually - with the kids help. Though the cellar is a bit cluttered again... mostly farm stuff. 

I was merciless, and have been since, don't give us junk we can't use or don't want because you don't want it in your home. Throw it out or bring it to the salvation army. 

Now I need to go clean up the kitchen table - I haven't found it for a week because I have been in a flare and the groceries are still sitting there!
Sad

Laurie


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## manygoatsnmore

Boy, your kids did really well, *Christine*. My dd would have lost all her quarters the first day and then given up. I'll bet as the weeks go by, they will be getting more of their quarters at week's end.

I'm trying really hard to keep things up in the house. I've been in a bit of a funk in the last week or so - post-vacation letdown, fought off an infection, the days are gloomy, wet and getting shorter, I tend to have more problems with depression in winter, etc, etc, yadda, yadda....who knows. I really need to up my Celexa and get outside in the light everyday, no matter what the weather. That keeps my energy level up and helps me keep on track with the house.

I've also decided that I need to downsize by one horse and 2/3 to 3/4's of my goat herd. Part of that is financial, but part is just being spread too thin and not feeling like I can keep up with all the goat chores and everything else around here, too. I feel like my screen name should be toomanygoatsnmore! I am a single mom, homeschooling a special needs teen, working night shifts, and trying to do all that needs done on 6 1/2 acres of fairly rough land. There is a limit to what I can do and do well. I am definitely not superwoman. Now, if I can get myself out to take pictures of the goats and the horse for sale...in between rainstorms.


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Oh, I have been mixing a little of that...a little of this....

First a few husbands....next...the world! Muhahahaha!


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## TheBiscuitQueen

> *We pulled in a huge dumpster right next to the porch and under the teens windows. * We spent one week ditching everything that was broken, we didn't want etc. If it was too good to be thrown we put out by the road with a free sign if it wasn't gone by the time the dumpster left in it went. I now have a house that I can keep up with usually - with the kids help. Though the cellar is a bit cluttered again... mostly farm stuff.


WOW..what an awesome idea! Just shovel it out the window!


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## Sumer

This morning before leaving I neatened up the house.
After work I came home from work and totally surprised myself because the house was clean ... cause I forgot I had cleaned this morning.
 <-- me


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## Christine in OK

Sumer, that's too funny!

I brought up a box of old taxes from the cellar - we'll be moving quite a few things out of the cellar, and moving a few more things around down there in the next couple of weeks as we get everything that is supposed to be in the new shop actually IN the new shop. Anyway, I brought up this box of taxes that spanned from 1995 to 1999. Some of the stuff was pretty entertaining. I shredded and shredded and shredded. We used to have employees, so I wanted to make sure I had everyone's SSN shredded and not leave anyone's identity floating around out there.

But geesh - 12 year old taxes! Like I needed those :nono: .

I also brought up a box of trophies - guess I'll dispose of those too. I did pull out my April Fool's Day trophy (how many people actually get a trophy for lying?), and a couple from college - a gavel from the group I was president of and a little pen holder for the desk. I might actually put that on the desk or something. I will be getting rid of the three or four pageant trophies, three from 4-h, and a couple from academics in high school. Also Lance's baseball trophies from when he was a kid. I figure if they've been down there 9 years and we haven't missed them...


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## Sumer

I wouldnt pitch the tax's. They say keep them for 7 years but they really mean forever. I still have mine from the 80's cause ya I needed them once from years ago. Ya just never know.


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## Christine in OK

My accountant told me 5. I shredded all the receipts, but kept the actual forms. I have complete records for the past 6, and the basic 1040s and Schedule Cs for 12. They take up very little space, so I see no need to get rid of them. The receipts, however, take up quite a bit; so I'll ditch them when the time comes.

I don't expect to ever get audited anyway - but just in case.


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## manygoatsnmore

Paperwork is always my nemesis! I just hate sorting and filing, for some reason. I need to go through the receipts from past years (I save all my receipts) and throw out the ones that aren't tax related or warranty related. I'm looking at a pile of papers now that I need to tackle...

On the bright side, I did get my kitchen thoroughly scrubbed yesterday, and today I waded into dd's room and started sweeping everything to the door. There is now a pile in the hall for her to sort through, and I found enough dishes to finish out the dishwasher load, which I've run and put away. The bathrooms are almost done - was working on them until I took a break - need to get back to them in a minute, and the living room is nearly done, just need to sweep and mop. So, most of the inside of my house is in order again. Now if only the outside looked so good. Our dog got into the neighbor's trash and hauled it to our house yesterday. DD is supposed to be cleaning it all up, but I don't think she's gotten very far on it.


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## ihedrick

I just have to share this as an extra incentive to others to get cleaning. Here at my place the field mice have started making their migration indoors...inside my doors! One night, I heard a gnawing on a tall wooden cabinet by my bed. A quick smack against it sent the critter scurrying along. The next night, I figured I'd check the top of the cabinet to see if the critter had chewed some stuffed animals that was up there. 
I had a sheep skin laid over one of the stuffed animals. I went to lift off the sheep skin and found a black snake...and the mouse! I had a friend over who got the fireplace tongs and tried to catch the snake. The snake slipped out of the tongs and fell to floor and quickly went between the bed and headboard. Needless to say, the bed and all was moved away until we finally caught up with the snake and "evicted" him. I must have interrupted his dinner as the mouse was dead but not eaten yet.
I had no problem staying up all night doing a thorough cleaning of my bedroom that night to make sure there was nothing else that had moved in.


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## TheBiscuitQueen

I would have left the snake.......he IS doing you the service of ridding the house of mice! :hobbyhors


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## manygoatsnmore

*Iris*, your story makes me very happy that I share my house with 6 cats, lol! Haven't seen a mouse since right after we moved in.


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## A'sta at Hofstead

Just wanted to check in here, I was in on it in the beginning, but now I have made some real progress, dh and I have been picking away at my problem spot - pantry, it is AWESOME! We are so organized in there at least!
I woke up at 6:00 this am (not 7 as usual) and cleaned the fridge! I felt so good to get something more than just dinner and dishes and basic chores on a work-day! Yay!
I now vow to work one hour each evening in my room, finish the summer/winter conversion and make my dresser, etc SHINE!! On-ward HO!


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Asta, awesome work! You should treat yourself to something special. 

So what are you going to do to KEEP it clean? I ask because I can get my problem spots clean, but then a week later they are trashed again. Any idea how to keep the fire out rather than keep putting it out?


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## manygoatsnmore

Woohoo, Asta! Good job. :clap: BQ, may I answer your question? Hot Spots. Gotta clear them off everyday as you go along, more often if necessary. I have several major areas where stuff just seems to appear. I have to make myself actually SEE the area and NOTICE that something is where it doesn't belong, then make myself ACT to put the misplaced items away. Disclaimer: just because I know what I need to do, doesn't mean that I always do, but like ddil and I were talking about today - I'm getting a lot better than I was just a few years ago.

My success story for today is that I sorted out a whole paper grocery bag full of papers I don't need - I'll burn them when the wind dies down again. I managed to get a lot of papers sorted and put away. I still have more to do, but I made a really big dent in the pile.


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Good point, I get so I don't even see the mess in some places. This weekend we are all going to pitch in and clean up. I guess I need to add hot spot removal in a daily schedule. I am really good for a few days, or even a few weeks, then things slide. I am not sure what is so hard about routines. 

I was a stay at home mom for many years, and now I am in school full time. Everyone has had trouble with the transition.


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## TheBiscuitQueen

OK, I made a big mistake. I started at one corner of my kitchen, and started cleaning. I started really LOOKING at the dirt, and the more I cleaned, the more dirt I found. I have just spend the last day and a half cleaning my kitchen and front florida room. Wow. I am not even done yet. 

Windows, glass doors, behind piles of shoes, front of appliances, behind glass jars on counters.....under trunks and rugs in the florida room....I even have washed all the area rugs!



I feel like the 6th sense kid - _I see diiiirt...I see it all the time_

Wooo am I getting tired! But in a good way.

Nice thing is I still feel like continuing! It is almost a high to see things just start to sparkle. 

I have to remember to take breaks, since I can't eat solid food the low blood sugar sure creeps up on me. 

But the nice thing is, my kitchen looks great! and having one room under control is making me feel more in control of my very hectic and stressful life right now. 

I just thank God for the little things.


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## A'sta at Hofstead

BQ... Good for you! 
So true you don't even see it until you really start to clean. I am waking up an hour early most mornings and tackling my hot spots. The pantry is still good! It is pantry/laundry, and we tend to hide stuff in there. No more. I have my bread maker/baking cabinet so organized, I could practically make a loaf in the dark!
ps, what is your condition where you can't eat solids? That is horrible.


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## manygoatsnmore

Yup, the hot spots have to be tackled frequently or they get out of control like a SoCal wildfire. I have trouble with routines, too. I can do it for a while, then I start to let things slide and have to consciously remind myself to get back to making things nice again. Between a dd who leaves a trail of destruction in her wake (I know every parent says that, but this girl really, literally does, even at nearly 16), and my own ADD issues, I do struggle with this. I have to also remind myself that it is a process, a goal to have a home that is comfortable and welcoming (and neat!), and that the goal is NOT perfection, which is impossible to attain/maintain, but just good enough!

BQ, isn't it fun to see a room that is truly clean, with windows that you can see through and clean walls and floor? I just really do get a kick out of it. I'm trying to keep up the swish and swipes in various rooms so that the walls, floors and windows STAY presentable, rather than having to continually see the mess/clean it up/let it get cluttered and dirty/see the mess/repeat! It's a work in progress.

I was reading the Messie's Manual the other day, and the author was talking about the difference between being task oriented vs. goal oriented. If you are task oriented, you are more likely to put off doing a job because you are just ticking of an item on a list...for example, sweeping the floor in the kitchen. You can do it at 9am or 9pm because you are just looking at getting the task done. Goal oriented folks see the goal of having a clean kitchen floor to walk on and a pretty, tidy room, so they are more motivated to get that floor swept right away and to keep it cleaned up when they see that the floor needs a little extra attention. That really hit me for some reason. I tend to be a list maker, so I think I am maybe too task oriented and not enough goal oriented. Although my GOAL is to have a neat home, I've been going about it from a TASK oriented angle. Maybe I need to work on changing my MINDSET, not just my CLEANING HABITS.  

Lightbulb moment? Maybe so!


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## TheBiscuitQueen

> Goal oriented folks see the goal of having a clean kitchen floor to walk on and a pretty, tidy room, so they are more motivated to get that floor swept right away and to keep it cleaned up when they see that the floor needs a little extra attention.


Wow, what an interesting thought! Yes, it felt wonderful to have a cup of tea in my sparkling kitchen. I have read many things which say having that vision in your head will make it easier to do things. That is so true-my expirience with the veg garden at school is bearing this out. I work hard at my vision of what I want to see there, and things are happening fast. 

I am so glad I spent all that time cleaning last weekend, with the extra company, the 6 goats I just got plus a full week at school, it tided us over the week. I am planning on cleaning like that in the morning again. 

Oh, and...sit down....my husband did laundry! WHoo hoo! :dance: I said last week when he was looking for clean undies and not finding any that I am not going to feel guilty because he knew how to run the washer, and I am equally as busy as he is now. I said it more to myself so I wouldn't get up and find him some, and not unkindly. I have to remind myself that this is not my job anymore, and he wanted me in school full time. 


Oh, I have Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMJ as well as an abscess, and a dead tooth. I am starting to eat some foods, and just started antibiotics. I am looking at several thousand dollars worth of dental work in the next few months. Add in my thyroid has to come out (have the appt with surgeon on Mon) and I feel like I am falling to pieces! 

But, that is three big things, so I should not have any more medical problems. Unless all the mouth stuff counts as one....oooh, knocking on wood :bash:


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## ovsfarm

Be sure to do a bit of GENTLE massage on those poor TMJ muscles, and that may well help decrease the pain and increase the joint mobility for the time being. Ask your Dr. if they can recommend any special types of massage for you to do. I used to be a massage therapist and often worked with TMJ patients.


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Really? My dentist wants to do $1200 reconstruction of my teeth, plus a $400 bite plate for night time (even though it feels better in the morning, and when I had the temp plate I chewed it all night and felt worse). I have an abscess in that corner, need a root canal, and I up until now spent several hours a day with that side of my chin propped in my hand as I sat in class. Now of course THOSE things cannot possibly be the problem. 

I would be interested in hearing more about the massage, since I have decided my dentist is money mongering. Is there a web site, or can you discribe it to me? I have done a little massage on my dog, but that is about it. Thanks!


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## barnyardfun

WOW! That is a lot of money. I think I would be tempted to get a second opinion. I got a bite guard from the dentist and it cost $60. Fits comfortably and has helped a lot. Now if you really want to save some money there is people who say you can go to most any store and they have the mouth guard things there for like $20. I don't know how well they fit or how long they last but it is a thought. I just really have to watch what I eat, etc to keep my TMJ from really acting up. Stress is a real bad thing for me because the more I am stressed the more I clench my teeth. Dentist told me on my bad days to wear the guard during the day too (of coarse I stay home so it wouldn't be that big of a deal, now if I went out someone would probably think DH gave me a fat lip!  )

Good luck! OH! And the message does help!


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## TheBiscuitQueen

I know, isn't that rediculous?

I got the 20 dollar mouth gaurd and it made me clench my teeth all night. It kept waking me up, the clenching itself and my jaws were tired the next morning, which tells me that I normally do not do this. I think he just does not believe me when I tell him I don't clench. He just assumes I do. I tried to tell him that if I spend as much time leaning on that jaw as I would if I were a nighttime clencher that it would do the same damage, but I can fix that one for free. 

I can't afford a second opinion, so I am doing what I do to the vet. I tell them I will do the easiest, cheapest option first. (eat soft food and stop leaning on jaw). I will take care of the obvious problem first (abscess and root canal). Then I will wait and see if the jaw gets better. 

Why should I have to do this? DO I act or look like I am made of money? I dress in Salvo clothes and drive a 10 year old car! :shrug:


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## Murron

Okay, here goes... I too also read Peter Walsh's book, and then went down to the basement. DH and I renovated a year ago, moved in, and basically threw everything down the stairs into the deep dark basement-y abyss. Really, I was making "habitrails" just to get to the washer and dryer. One day, I sat down, and just *looked* at all of the "stuff" I have carried around with me for years. Most of it being things that my parents (both have passed) had, and I hadn't been able to let go of. Well, it was time to go. The basement was basically storage - and one third of our mortgage was paying for this "storage" fee. 

Literally, we dumped almost all of it. DH rented a dumpster!! What a guy. But it was one of the most emotionally painful things I have done. Sorting through my past, and my parent's past as well. We tossed the trash, donated the useable, and kept a few keepsakes. I photographed a lot of items that were sentimental to me, but had no real monetary value. Then I cried. And cried. And after the tears, I realized how relieved I was that I was letting go, and moving on with my life, and that I didn't need to keep twenty stuffed animals that were my dad's. One is enough. Or that I didn't need to keep my mother's beautiful crystal wineglasses in a box in the corner. I washed them, and use them daily. I don't care if they don't match anything else I have! 

And DH didn't make it out unscathed, either! He had a lot of his past hanging out down there as well. He was previously married and lived there with his (ex) wife, so there were a lot of... leftovers, ahem. (Hence the renovation when we married and I moved in!)

Well, it took three *full* days of work, but we pulled it off. DH put together an actual laundry room for me, with a sorting/folding table, ironing board, and drying racks to boot. All from items we already had buried in the nooks and crannies! (He even found a place for the kitty litter box!) He reorgnized some shelving to store what was left, and then turned the rest of the basement into his workshop/ manly project (or so he thinks!) area. I broke down and got him a nice tool cart to organize all his stuff, too. I mean, he was such a trooper when I cried so many tears about my dad's stuffed animals. He never said a word - just smiled and hugged me. :kissy: 

I still can't believe we did it. It looks like a whole new space down there. And... I actually fold the laundry now!! Woo Hoo! 

If I could just get the rest of the house to look as good! LOL!


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Murron, great for you! What an experience. My husband keeps wanting me to get a dumpster, but I am too afraid. Part of it is I hate wasting things, so if we can recycle them or reuse them all the better. But if it is all just sitting there....

Congrats on your bravery and accomplishment. :dance:


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## manygoatsnmore

*Murron*, that is SO AWESOME! I'm so proud of you!  I know how hard it can be to get rid of "stuff", when it has an emotional attachment. Taking pictures of the items is a great way to preserve the memory without having to hold onto the item. Your hubby sounds like a keeper, too - so many guys just want to fix it, instead of having the good sense to know that the most important thing they can do for us is to give the emotional support we need to fix it ourselves! And now you have a useable space for the two of you. How cool is that? No more paying a third of the mortgage for storage...boy that appeals to the frugal person that I am.

I was looking at the storage room and thinking how so much of the stuff in it really needs to just go away. I'm building custom storage shelves to hold my Rubbermaid totes and other storage totes for seasonal items, etc, and as I go through it all, I need to make up my mind that if I haven't cut all the pieces of sheets into quilt squares by now, I probably won't, and if I have more canning jars than I will ever use, I need to gift them to someone who really needs them, etc. I keep as many as I need to put all the freezer contents into should the power go out for too long, plus what I need to put up food from the garden and extra goat milk...if there is more than that, I don't need them, do I? There is just such a balance between preparedness and packrat, lol!

*BQ*, I'm a clencher, too, not when I sleep, but when I drive or am under stress. I've cracked and broken most of the molars in my mouth! Lots of crowns and a few root canals. A night guard doesn't do anything for me, either. I do have to really think about keeping my teeth slightly apart, especially when I'm in a situation that I know can lead to clenching. At least I'm nearly out of teeth to break! 

It sounds like your hubby may just be a keeper, too, now that he does laundry!  My xh never did figure that one out while we were married, even when I was going to nursing school full time and trying to raise 2 hyper little boys. I hear he's come a long way over the years, but I don't want him back now, lol!

I finally got out the fall decorations yesterday - partly in preparation for any trick or treaters that got lost and found my house (no one did), and partly just because I really enjoy how my house looks with all the fall decorations out. I try to get them put out between Labor Day and the first day of Fall, but it just didn't happen this year. We were packing for and then on vacation, then I was sick when I got home, and with one thing or another, it just got pushed back. Besides, I'd have to go in the dreaded storage room that I was supposed to have finished organizing in October (didn't happen, unfortunately)...about killed myself getting the right totes out yesterday! 

In about 30 minutes I had my house looking so pretty, full of the beautiful fall colors. I figure I'll still get to enjoy them until Thanksgiving, when the Christmas decorations come out.  I wish I hadn't put it off - it wasn't a big deal once I got going on it.

Why is it that some of these easy, easy things that make a house a home are the things I build up in my mind into BIG, BIG jobs, and then procrastinate so long before I finally do them?

Speaking of big jobs - this one really IS a big job - since I didn't make the storage cubbies for the totes last month, I'm starting on them today, actually cutting the boards and starting to paint them! I'm doing a whole wall about 10 feet long, and cathedral ceilinged, custom sized to fit the large Christmas decoration totes on the bottom row, and then all the Rubbermaid totes all the way to the ceiling, with a space to store the step ladder so I can climb up and take down the top totes. No more stacking the totes 6 high, having to move all the totes to get to the one I want (always the one on the bottom  ), and having the bottom totes eventually crack from the weight of the other totes. I have to pull all the staples out of the wall and paint it, then install the cubbies and finish them up with trim boards to hide the rough edges. The cubbies themselves are being built as 4 sided boxes, open to the front and rear, angle bracketed to the studs at the rear, and screwed to each other to form a sturdy wall unit. Using 1/2" plywood scraps from building sites, the major cost for the whole unit will be the trim strips, unless I manage to find some of those in a scrap pile, too. Subdivisions being built are a great source of free wood for everything from small projects like this, to sheds, to firewood.


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## Murron

manygoatsnmore said:


> Why is it that some of these easy, easy things that make a house a home are the things I build up in my mind into BIG, BIG jobs, and then procrastinate so long before I finally do them?


OMG! OMG! :baby04: I thought I was the only one who thought this! I kick myself when I think about it! LOL! .... Gee, I really should organize the filing cabinets in the office closet, but then I would have to clean out the closet and move stuff into the bedroom, but the dressers there are already full of stuff, so I guess I'd have to then clean out the closet in there too, but the spare bedroom is a mess and lord knows if I try and stuff anymore books into the bookcases in there they will ultimately fall over and crush me..... Now I'm really in trouble!!

(Sorry for the previous deletion - I double posted by accident!)


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## manygoatsnmore

*Murron*, I TOTALLY get where you are coming from! 

Now, what if you ONLY cleaned out a drawer in the file cabinet? Sure, you would still have a messy closet, a bedroom that doesn't need more junk in it, and a spare bedroom that threatens to bury you in books....but you'd have a clean file drawer! I think we tend to build the little jobs up into huge undertakings when we really could just do the little bitty job and have one more thing done! 

I know for me it's perfectionism...if I'm going to do a job, I want to do it right! FlyLady says that housework *imperfectly done* still blesses our home. I really need to remind myself of that often. Perfectionism leads to procrastination or to biting off more than I can chew, or both!


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## Murron

manygoatsnmore said:


> I know for me it's perfectionism...if I'm going to do a job, I want to do it right! FlyLady says that housework *imperfectly done* still blesses our home. I really need to remind myself of that often. Perfectionism leads to procrastination or to biting off more than I can chew, or both!


Ditto. I just this moment relaxed about it. I am not as crazy as I thought. Thank you! (And "blesses" being exactly the word I was searching for.)


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## Cntrygrl

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I broke my wrist this past weekend trying to reclaim my youth (should have listened when my sister tried to talk me out of it!). Now I am going to be useless for cleaning.


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Well, sounds like you did reclaim your youth....went out and did something stupid that got you hurt! Sucks being young!;-) (BTW, you are not the only one who does these things!) Prayers are sent your way. 

I have to say, this board does me a world of good. WHo would think that so many of us are stuck in the same bad cycles. I too make mountains out of molehills. Those lovely chains of negative thoughts which immobilize you...

Yes, my husband is definately a keeper, was long before he did laundry. He is pretty cute too!

MGM, I do the same thing. WHen I am stressd, I think about music and clench to the beat, or I just find myself clicking my teeth. Why are dentists so sure they know everything? I will bring all this up to him, and see what he says. So did you have to have tooth reconstuction? He wants to go orthadontry on me, which is NOT happening, hate to break it to him. I am working on the stress thing....definately NOT easy to do.


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## Cntrygrl

I have good news and then really good news.....first the good news---they re-xrayed my wrist Friday, and it is not broken, only badly sprained!!! YaY!!!!! :dance: Now for the really good news...I finally got my fall garden planted, WooHoo!!!!! :hobbyhors I am on a roll!!!! Now to conquer the giant that is my family's laundry........I WILL get it done this week!!!!!


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Darn, girl, you are goood!

I ended up with the flu Saturday, then had to spend all day Sunday catching up on a supposedly group power point presentation for school.


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## Christine in OK

Well, today I'm sitting here instead of cleaning..... :grump: 

But I did get a good laugh out of the thoroughly cleaned bedroom due to the snake - I guarantee I wouldn't have slept a wink!

We had a halloween party for the boys last week, and it came off well. I did get most of my halloween decorations out and up about a week before, and the house was clean, if not quite as clean as I wanted. They were outside 95% of the time anyway, it turned out beautiful that day. Now all the kids (and parents!) are planning on what we're going to do for next year when we'll have more time. I also had several volunteer to help for next year, I think the moms and dads had nearly as much fun as the kids! I see an annual tradition getting started...

But I'd better get off of here - I still have halloween party leftovers scattered about and I'm going to try and at least get the game room straight today, and conquer the majority of the laundry. Popcorn ball, anyone? I have plenty left over (I don't like them - but they were fun to make!).


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## manygoatsnmore

*Christine*, I'll take a popcorn ball! I love the things, even if I don't need the calories.  If only I were closer, lol. Sounds like the party was great. 

*cntrygrl*, so glad to hear it was just a sprain and not a break! Dare we ask just HOW you were attempting to recapture your youth?  Congrats on getting in the garden. Good going!

*BQ*, hope you are feeling better? No tooth reconstruction here, just crowns as each tooth broke...<sigh>. I am seriously thinking about getting the Invisilign braces to correct my cross bite - I'm tired of biting my cheek! I need to find out how much work it'll take on the crowns to make my bite level if I go that route. I really have to keep my mouth relaxed - not easy, but I'm trying.

*Murron*, so did ya clean out just one file drawer?  I had another thought. What if you started at the other end of the list and sorted out books in the bookcases - keeps, give away, keep elsewhere, and not worth keeping OR donating (that's the one for outdated textbooks, etc). Give the keeps a good dusting, wipe down the bookcases, and organize the books on the shelves in whatever fashion fits your needs. Put the throw out stuff in the recycling, take the give aways to the car to be delivered on the next trip, and take the books that go somewhere else to the place they need to be. Then work backwards up the list a bit at a time until you end at the file cabinets! Before you know it, the whole house will be.....







wait for it..............











ORGANIZED! :sing: :sing: :sing:



For today, I've cleaned the kitchen, gone out to feed and water all the critters, gathered 2 whole eggs (my hens are on vacation), and moved a lot of goats around so we can reconfigure their pens. I have laundry to fold and if it ever clears off and warms up, some painting to do outside. If it doesn't, it's cubbie building this afternoon. I even got dd to clean the bathtub and neaten up the bathroom mess she left behind last night! At least the house is staying fairly well picked up with daily mini-cleaning. I have a messy bedroom and the den needs picked up...more jobs for tonight. Oh, boy.


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## Cntrygrl

manygoatsnmore said:


> [/b]cntrygrl[/b], so glad to hear it was just a sprain and not a break! Dare we ask just HOW you were attempting to recapture your youth?  Congrats on getting in the garden. Good going!


I went down the SuperSlide in KiddieLand at the fair. :nono: I think I will start listening to people when they try to talk me out of doing things.


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## TheBiscuitQueen

> I went down the SuperSlide in KiddieLand at the fair. I think I will start listening to people when they try to talk me out of doing things.


:dance: 


No way man, keep it up! You may have to grow old, but you never have to grow up!

I would rather break something than stop having fun. Seriously. I am really sorry you got hurt, but wasn't it fun until then? I very nearly broke my ankle just walking out the front door (I stepped on a jacket with a boot under it, and cranked my ankle) Doc said it would have been better had I broke it, as it took over 6 months to heal. If I had a choice to break it going down a cool ride, or being cautious, I would go hooting and hollering all the way to the scene of the crash. 

Don't change. It is really cool you went down the giant slide at the fair.


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## Murron

MGnM-- Oh boy... I had a revelation. No, really, I did! I swear I am not trying to wiggle out of the towering-ly full bookcases... 

I had another one of those "sit down" moments with myself. And I realized something... This is our home, our homestead. And with it goes the the grass on the floor, the dishes in the sink, and little parts of our day to day life that end up on the counters, chairs and other flat surfaces. And you know what? For the first time in a looong time, I'm okay with that. It doesn't have to look "perfect" all the time. 

So, every day now (or for at least the past few days!), I just do a little bit here and there. And I find that it is much easier to tackle the cleaning projects that I put off. (Behind the fridge, washing curtains, etc) No more "saving it up" for a marathon day of cleaning once a week! Now, I will bet that a lot of folks do this already. It just took my silly self forever to figure it out! Now I feel goofy.... And I *still* haven't organized my file drawer! 


GC - glad the wrist is doing better!


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## Christine in OK

Cntrygrl said:


> I went down the SuperSlide in KiddieLand at the fair. :nono: I think I will start listening to people when they try to talk me out of doing things.


No Way! That's our favorite part of the going to the fair every year! Everybody has to go down at least once, the kids generally go twice.

Not to give you heart failure, but we went rock climbing and rappelling over fall break here - guess we're just a family of daredevils! You ever see a 4 year old climb over a 50 foot cliff? Not on his own, of course - really dad just lowers him down on the safety rope, but he has no fear.

I'm sitting here again, and I have to get up and do something - son #2 is bringing a friend home from school, and there's no way I will let his mom in my house to pick him up until I have the kitchen clean!


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## manygoatsnmore

*Murron*, that's the way! Baby steps - do a little at a time, frequently, when you see that something needs done. Marathon cleaning sessions are okay when you're in the mood for them, but setting your timer for 15 minutes and just working on a project for that long, every day, will get the job down without making it seem so overwhelming. And it's okay that you don't have the house company ready all the time as long as it is clean enough to suit your particular comfort level (and your house isn't ready to be condemned by the health dept  ). Quite often, my house is reasonably clean and neat, but there are lots of times that building projects are underway in the living room! It's the biggest area of clear floor in my house, I don't have carpet so I don't have to worry about the sawdust, and since I don't have a shop, I use what I have. When the weather is icky rainy, which it frequently is in the PacNW, that's the only way to get things done here.

And you'll get to the bookcases AND the filing eventually.


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## Sumer

I havenât posted in a while but I have been busy. Was getting a real grasp on things here. Since the start of this thread Iâve been trying not just to organize my house but my life, finances and time too.
So here I am making headway sorting out things from the attic in my spare bedroom, donating boxâs to the Salvation Army, separating things for another yard sale next spring, re-boxing, sorting, and pitching. All was going well.. Untilâ¦the phone callâ¦ and POOF my son moved back home! 
All of a sudden I had to make enough room in the spare room and wherever things fit for his queen size bed, dresser and all his junkâ¦2 pickup loads and a couple of car runs.
Now I'm not saying my hallway didnât shrink in width or a 1950âs style dresser fits in with my living room dÃ©cor but talk about an organization miracle. I did it! All while my landlord decided to finally replace the dilapidated front porch. (They been working on it since before Halloween and still isnât done.)
I donât think I could have done it if I hadnât started really trying harder to get things together way back in June.
Thanks for keeping this thread going. Itâs been a total inspiration to me.

~~Sumer


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## Queen Bee

I have this problem every winter---where do I put my house plants that have been vacationing on my deck all summer?

They are beauties, full, dark green, long/tall! My house isn't really made for plants :Bawling:! I have long, narrow windows and the only real sun--shines in--late evening. 

So right now they are all on the kitchen counter where the morning sun peeks in... I try to place them around the house moving things around but after Thanksgiving, I will be decorating for Christmas. 

So, what do you all do with your plants while the Christmas decorations are out?? Thank you Queen Bee


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## Christine in OK

I am luckier than you, QB. I have a nice area in my gameroom that has a south-facing window, and I don't bring in too many plants (yet - we don't have a deck, but an above-ground pool is in the plans for 2009). But it is a challenge, because I always seem to fill up that spot through the summer and then have to do some tossing and re-arranging come October to move things in!

Good luck - I am dreaming of a greenhouse so I can over-winter more things and root cuttings for spring planting also. Don't know when I'll get it, but I'm dreaming...


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## TheBiscuitQueen

queen bee, if you have a room which you don't mind looking a little funny you could mount grow lights over them. Also, if you ease up on the watering and lower the temperature a bit, many plants will go dormant over winter and can live with much less sunlight.


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## Queen Bee

I have a doz. or so orchids and several are either blooming or in bud. I have a greenhouse but it is expensive to have heat in there --until I start my seedlings. I have grow lights but not real place to put them up.. I thought about hanging them over a bakers rack in the office window.. Just hate the thought of the buds dropping off my orchids!


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## manygoatsnmore

*Sumer*, :clap: You go, girl! That's where decluttering and organizing pays off - when you find out you can roll with the punches when life changes. I'm still getting there...it's definitely a whole lot better than it was a few years ago, but today I have 2 ailing goat kids in my house (waterproof swimming pool insulating blanket on the floor and a round dog pen on top of it, old rag towels on the pad, switched out and washed on the sanicycle daily), and a pile of boards still drying (for my cubbies) in the living room. That probably means company will be stopping by any time now, lol!

As far as houseplants go: decorating them for Christmas with decorations on bamboo skewers stuck in the soil? Bits of garland or tinsel wound through the leaves? Tiny white lights on the really big ones? 

For the orchids, *QB*, can you put up a few shelves on a wall and hang the growlight under the upper shelf to shine on the lower shelf, which then holds your orchids? I did that to start plants in the house when we lived in a really, really small single wide trailer with no storage space. Worked pretty well, actually. If you use pretty shelves, you can even make your orchids a focal point of your room decor.


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## dixiegal62

::knocking:: can I join y'all? I have been having a real problem with motivation since Iv had this darn cold. Im still shaky and dizzy and cant get moving.. I have guest coming from out of state next week and have nothing done so far. My house needs a good top to bottom cleaning, need to buy food before the weekend rush for thanksgiving. I have my grandkids this morning while my son and dil visit her mom who had a mini stroke so I was thinking of power cleaning then doing the deep cleaning Monday. But I need to find the motivatiin to shop! Im down to a half loaf of bread, no milk and about 4 eggs here and still dont want to go


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## Murron

Dixiegal, 

I hear ya! It's cold and windy here, DH is off from work til 3pm. He makes it impossible to get anything done when he's lurking all over the house! I'm looking at dirty floors, dishes and all that laundry. I keep putting off food shopping, but like you, I should do it today, before the mad rush... Well, at least I emptied the kitty litter box. And I put one load of laundry to wash. It's a start... I guess.


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## dixiegal62

ok I took one of those handy little dizzy pills to see if my head would stop spinning and it just made me more sleepy  I have been looking for recipes to start cooking for thanksgiving , which is something I always enjoy and nothing even looks good. I have dinner planned but we will be having 6 staying with us for 5 days and I need some picky foods and Im looking forward to them coming so I guess its just being sick thats got me down. Anyway all together we will have 30 here for T day and I gotta get my fanny in gear!


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Anyone around today?

I am still in my PJs, 8:00, I think I will have a cup of tea then start cleaning. 

I started a new routine this week. A small one, but one which has been working really well. I get up, shower & dress (I take my clothes in the bathroom), then after brushing my teeth I scoop the litter, swish the toilet, and swipe the sink (sound familiar?) Pick up any clothes and towels, and head to the bedroom. I make my bed, then feed fish on the way downstairs (tank in hallway). Then I go around and turn on tanks, feed, change water dishes, etc. That is it. Not much, but the upstairs looks great all week, the bathroom does not smell, and every tank has been turned on at the same time and everyone has been fed. 

Gotta start somewhere.


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## Sumer

Im here.  Me too still in pj's drinking coffee. 
I just cant stick to routines latley. Seems drinking a pot of coffee while I read the forum is it for this morning.
But I do have grand plans for the day...clean the entire house (ya right) wash clothes, balance my checkbook, pay bills, and go visit a friend in the hospital, and then my friend in a nursing home, go grocery shopping. 
They almost have the porch finished. At least they poured the cement for the slab and I can use the front door again. Still need to put in supports for the awning. They left a horrible mess. cement chunks everywhere, drippy slop in the grass, on the house, in the driveway, dirt everywhere, flowers are ruined but they will grow back. If it gets warmer I can try to tackle that too.

~~Sumer


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Well, I had the cup of tea, but Tom, DS, put in Hellboy, so we watched some of that. I took a shower, did my AM routine. 

****Just started one load of laundry.....


tag, you're it!


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## heather

I am trying to save energy & money, so I currently have 2 clothes dryers in the living room in front of the woodstove full of clothes

I got the dishes done last night, but now it's just after lunch & there's a mess already & I still have to bake my amish friendship bread today

That's one thing that drives me nuts - 
I just get everything looking nice & not an hour later, it's a mess again  

O well
I do feel like I accomplished some things today -

I made my bed :hobbyhors (hee hee)
I brought in 3 loads of wood
DDs & I raked the entire driveway (900 feet)

So, we have made progress -

Now onto the bread -


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## TheBiscuitQueen

mmm...bread. Good idea! I have beans on the stove, I am planning on making chicken chili for dinner. 

Got another load of laundry done, and started working on my greenhouse plans-I have 3 -16x30 heated, lighted rooms to plan and someone else is paying for it!!!! :dance: 

I spent most of the morning yakking with DH, which is what Sat.'s are for, so I don't feel too guilty. 

Oh, and I spurred DS to clean his room a bit, that is something too, right? :hobbyhors


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## Sumer

LOL , I only finished one thing on that list I made this morning. :shrug: 
I got things done - but just not what I wanted to do. I did get another leftover pumpin to cut up for pie from my sister, and I cleared the desk off here so that mabye tomorrow  I can balance the check book.

Hey I still have time to do a load of laundry,,, that will make it 2 things done off the list right?


~~Sumer


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## menollyrj

Yesterday, DH mentioned that today we needed to straighten up a bit and motivate the kids to clean their rooms. After we fed the animals, had breakfast, and sorted popcorn (for our Cub Scout pack's fundraiser), we got to the cleaning. (Did I mention I hate housework?) I started in the kitchen and the kids (along with DH) worked on their rooms and the living room. After I finished the kitchen, I went to the toy box in the living room. I took a trash can, an empty garbage bag (for Goodwill), and two under-bed totes. We (the kids and I) went through every toy in the box, throwing away what was broken, giving away what was unwanted, and putting "keepers" in the totes. Then, since the "keepers" overflowed the totes, the boys had to go back over their selections and narrow them down until they fit in the totes (with the lids off, not on). After they had a reasonable number of toys in their totes, the totes went under their bunk bed and the empty toy box went to the basement play area. No more toy box in our living room!!! Now I have to rearrange the living room, vacuum, and recover any stray toys from under various pieces of furniture... We threw away a trash bag of toys, are giving away a trash bag of toys, and still have gobs of toys for the kids. With Christmas coming up, it was necessary to reduce the number of toys in the house!! And while the kids and I were tackling toys, DH was tackling laundry - dirty clothes to the laundry room, clothes in the wash, clothes in the dryer, clean clothes to the living room to be folded. I feel like we accomplished something today!

-Joy


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## TheBiscuitQueen

awesome! That is a really good idea, going through toys. I actually have a friend who has 4 kids all under the age of 6, she has no job, and is living alone. We really should go through our toys and offer the good ones to her family for Christmas. So what if they are used, put things in nice packages and I know her kids will love them. 

That is definately on my list today. 

Yesterday we did get 3 loads of laundry done, one greenhouse room planned, and a lot of time spent with family. Good enough for me!


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## manygoatsnmore

I worked all weekend, so I didn't get much done. Today, though, I woke up with energy and started cleaning house. I swept all the floors, wiped down all the counters, ran 2 loads of dishes, cleaned my bathroom and cleaned most of my bedroom so far. The main areas of the house look good again, except for lumber and goats in the house. 

I have a couple sickly looking goat kids that are still in a pen in the house while they have their snotty noses treated and gain some weight back. I'm about ready to build them their own little heated house outside so I can have my house back! I can't just take them from our warm house to the cold weather outside...so some type of gradual transition is going to be needed, but I can't even do that quite yet. Good thing I'm not having Thanksgiving dinner here - it smells like a barn no matter how often they have their pen cleaned. :help:

I'm still working on dd to get her to clean up her room...<sigh>


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## Queen Bee

It must be that time of yr. I started yesterday morning and still going.. Yesterday, I cleaned out the laundry room-top to bottom, shelves, cabinets, cleaned the washer and dryer and underneath and behind), cleaned the baskets, washed all the clothes, folded and put it away. I cleaned my bathroom, hall bath and linen closets. Today, I cleaned the guest bedroom..and washed ALL the quilts, cleaned off the desks and filed all the papers. Mopped all the floors except the kitchen and living room. Tonight, I got about half of the den cleaned and that bathroom.. SO much junk.. SIL went to the dump for me yesterday and I have a load to go tomorrow and I have a load to go to Goodwill. I wanted to be finished with my fall cleaning so I could start decorating after Thanksgiving... So I am well on my way if things keep going.. It feels so good to get up and see how clean it looks.. Queen Bee


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## TheBiscuitQueen

It will never end, the trying to get kids to clean their rooms, goat or human! My husband would shoot me if I tried to bring goats in the house. It was bad enough when I drove some 2 hours in my car, and it smelled for days....goats in the house would be baaaad!

I ended up not doing much productive all weekend, but we had been very busy and it was a nice break. I got 11 lilacs planted today, that was good. They had to get in before the ground froze. Was at school all day too, so I was glad to get something else done. 

Just watched Black Snake Moan with DH....pretty intense movie, very good though. Definately NOT for the kids! That will be going back to Netflix in the morning-I do not want that hanging around. 

Sounds like you had a productive day, feels pretty good, doesn't it? Where you having Thanksgiving?


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## menollyrj

Between cleaning out the toy box this weekend and reorganizing my fabric stash last weekend (bought six new totes, sorted by color, refolded), I had 4 large trash bags of stuff to take to the Salvation Army today when I went to pick up "Angel Tree" names. I'm so glad to have it out of the house. I thought about trying to sell some of the fabric, but I just wanted to be rid of it. I agree with FlyLady that it needs to "bless" someone else and that it is better to just be free from the clutter once and for all.

MGM, I feel your pain (sort of). When we had baby chicks in the basement, I thought the smell would NEVER leave, but we surely couldn't put them outside! Alas, the joys of having baby animals...

-Joy


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## TheBiscuitQueen

Congrats! That is a lot of stuff to get out of your house. Feels so good to have it gone, doesn't it? 

I just spent an hour cleaning and organizing my desk. I have a big corner computer desk that was DH's. There were tons of empty boxes from computer games, old cds, junk papers, and other stuff. I cleared it all out, then organized my school and home things in it. I have a 6 credit independant study next semester, so I HAVE to keep it all together. I also got sick of not having our finances in order, so have started a ledger, but we all know that if you can't find it or easily get it out, you won't use it. Now it is right here next to my computer. 

Of course now that all my books are in a row, I realize I have a LOT of reading to do!

We keep the chicks in the florida room, which has tile floors and tons of big windows. DH says the room stinks like chicken for a bit, but it is not the main house, and the smell is aired out quickly. We tried them in the kitchen, which I loved, but DH, who has a sense of smell, did not appreciate that. Apparently live chickens don't smell like chicken?


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## Queen Bee

Cleaned out two more rooms tonight.. Packed for dh--he might be gone for Thanksgiving...I moved all the orchids to the office on the baker's rack w/ a grow light over them...

Does anyone else find they have wayyyyyy tooo much STUFF (that's a nice word for it) when you deep clean? :shrug: I know I have lots of stuff but it just hit me tonight that I could give away/sell/donate HALF of this stuff and I probably would not even miss it... Isn't that terrible??

I think it makes it worse because I have a great room--living, dining, kitchen together and it's the first thing you see and you see EVERYTHING when you open the doors (front or back),


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## menollyrj

Absolutely! We have too much stuff. I've been trying to be ruthless when cleaning and have taken a total of about 15 bags of assorted "stuff" to Goodwill/Salvation Army over the last 8 months or so. And still the "stuff" keeps coming! It is a challenge to keep ahead of it all, and with Christmas coming, it is only going to get worse...

-Joy


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## manygoatsnmore

Oh, absolutely too much stuff!!! I finally tackled that storage room yesterday, and I'm seeing that a lot of the stuff I have is just clutter to me. It's useful clutter, but clutter, none the less. I'm boxing up Goodwill and Community House (local homeless family shelter) donations as I am cleaning out the room. It also doesn't help that I hit the Black Friday sales so now I need to find new homes for a lot of the items I'm replacing. Right now, my house is a total disaster area, with totes all over the living room, tools and lumber still out and, of course, the goatlings! I am painting in the storage room today and cutting and sanding boards for the storage cubbies, but don't think I'll be finished today. Since I work the next few nights, I'll just be trying to keep up on the regular household chores and a bit of work on the storage room project around my sleep schedule. I kinda wish I just had a week off to work on this and get it done, but if anything, I'll be trying to work extra hours.

Well, back to painting. I'm covering the dark purple paint that my older dd had painted her room - she's been out on her own for several years now, and I still have purple walls in there. I should have taken before pics - the white satin finish walls are going to be so light and bright in comparison. I guess I still could, I am only on the first 1/3 of the walls (even the ceiling is a shade of purple... ).


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## Christine in OK

Bwaaahaahhahahahahahahaaaa!!

Glad I'm not the only one that has tons upon tons of stuff to go through! Most of mine is just winter/summer switchout, but I was just reminded yesterday that I didn't switch out Lance's stuff when I did the boys, and the poor man only has 2 long-sleeved shirts in his closet.

I know what I'm doing the rest of the week!


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## Cntrygrl

:Bawling: I think I am just gonna quit......seems as though every time I get started trying to get a hold on my clutter, someone up and dies. I lost my uncle today...the fifth family member in ten months...every other month. :Bawling: This is SO seriously NOT FUNNY!!!!! (Sorry for yelling).


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## Christine in OK

Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. 

Take a break and take care of your own.


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## manygoatsnmore

*cntrygrl*, I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't believe it's happened AGAIN. Consider yourself hugged, sweetie, and go be with your family. Just do the daily stuff for a while and don't worry about the rest. People first.

~Mary


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## manygoatsnmore

I'm making progress on the storage room, even though it doesn't really look like it right now. I have most of the walls painted, and I went through a whole lot of stuff and got rid of it. I also spent yesterday catching the laundry up -washed, dried, folded, AND PUT AWAY, dishes done and some extra scrubbing on things like buckets and dog bowls, organized the things that are in my living room so that I can at least walk there without tripping. I also have offered my old couch and loveseat to one of the aides from work, so it should be leaving my home SOON! Yay! I've decided to take the plunge and buy new/newer living room furniture. I want my home to be more welcoming and cozy. I'm trying out the new tools I bought myself and am using them to build my storage cubbies. Today, I have to take a break from the housework here, to go help my ddil clean the rental house, so I don't know how much I'll get done at home. At least if I can keep up with the laundry, dishes and generally starighten and wipe things down, the house will be pretty good while I work on projects in the living room. With the weather being so icky, I'm using the living room as my work shop. I have incentive to get done...not only do I want a nicely organized storage room, but I want to get the Christmas decorations up and take my dgd for a visit. Can't do either one until I'm finished.


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## manygoatsnmore

Hey, where is everyone!???

I spent yesterday cleaning out the den and putting the tools I was storing in there (yes, I know... ) into my new toolchests. I also took down all the Christmas decorations except the Christmas tree - it comes down today. I still have some cubbies to build, but the ones I've finished are working out really well...I love being able to build them to the sizes I need for storing the various totes, 5 gallon buckets, canning jars, milk crates, etc. 

I'm still finding more and more things that I don't need in my life, and am taking them to Goodwill. After giving away the couch and loveseat, I finally found a source of affordable slipcovers I could have used on them...:Bawling: Oh, well, they went for a good cause, and I really like only having a loveseat and overstuffed chair (with a new slipcover on it  ) in the living room. It feels so nice and roomy now. I think I'll just look for another used overstuffed chair similar to what I have now and slipcover it to match. Lots cheaper than new furniture that I really can't afford when I still don't have as much of an emergency fund as I should.

I am also happy to say that I am doing a pretty good job of keeping on top of the laundry, dishes, and having the main areas of the house clean and reasonably neat. Still following Flylady and trying to keep on top of the hotspots before they get out of control.

Now, if only I could get the paper piles tamed.....tax time is here and I have to round up the receipts again. I know i need to stay ahead of the filing, but I have a lot of trouble in this area. Anyone have any tips that work?


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## tab

Where did you find the slipcovers? I have been looking for some time and the only ones I can find are either expensive or really cheap. The fur grows so well on the furniture  it would be nice to be able to remove and wash the majority of it away...


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## menollyrj

My family is coming to visit for "Christmas" over MLK weekend, so I'm trying to get serious about decluttering rather than just straightening piles o' stuff. I did manage to empty a box that has been sitting by my computer desk in the kitchen and make a spot for the kids' coloring books and assorted related paraphenalia. I need to tackle my desk, but REALLY don't want to... My kitchen counters are mostly clean, and the kids' rooms are as clean as they're going to get. (The kids are responsible for picking up their own rooms, and for a 7, 5, & 3 yo, they do pretty well.) Next on the list is the entryway :Bawling: and the basement :help: , but I think I'll wait until DH is back from drill to start on any serious basement work...

-Joy


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## Christine in OK

Ugh. Why is it that when husbands decide to "help" you clean, they end up making a bigger mess than before? Between Christmas and the 30th (when we had Christmas with his mom's family at _our_ house), he decided to help me clean and ended up moving the coloring books/playdough/painting supplies, the 10 years' worth of accumulated pictures and 4 monstrous "scrapbooks" his mother made (half of which he's never even opened), every game in the house and the two younger boys' toybox! All at once!

I'm trying to clean the kitchen and cook and he's going "where can I put this?"

Wrong question to ask, buddy.... :flame:


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## manygoatsnmore

tab said:


> Where did you find the slipcovers? I have been looking for some time and the only ones I can find are either expensive or really cheap. The fur grows so well on the furniture  it would be nice to be able to remove and wash the majority of it away...


Sorry, just saw your post. I went to Overstock.com and found a really wide selection, all about half off the price on the various websites. I got sure-fit brand? (I think). I've had the brown suede look cover on for a couple weeks now, and it still looks great.


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## manygoatsnmore

I'm going through the house today, packing up stuff to give to my ds to re-furnish his house - not the way I'd choose to de-clutter my house, but at least it is going to a good cause. I've managed to clear out lamps, a bedside table, a dresser, an end table, a vacuum cleaner, lots of kitchen stuff, sheets and plenty more. I also need to pack up cleaners and rags, etc so we can get it cleaned out before he moves back in this weekend. Looks like it's going to be a busy night. At least I have the stuff to give him, and I'll have a lot less clutter when I'm done. Small silver lining in a really black cloud.

*Christine*, when you told Lance where to put it, did he say that was anatomically impossible, lol?  I think they deliberately do stuff like that so you won't ask them to help again!


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## Christine in OK

I didn't have to tell him - I just look at him and he snickers.

Besides, three or four days later he fell out of a tree and cracked his ribs.- Poetic justice.

Well, I take that back - he didn't fall out of the tree, the tree fell out from under him.- The branch he was sitting on just went 'crack!' all at once, no warning.- Don't worry - he's fine.- But he said 20' gives you a lot of time to think on the way down!

I'm avoiding work today.- But I may put the kids to bed early and then stay up until midnight cleaning so I can get some of this carp out of the way!


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## Murron

Christine in OK said:


> I'm trying to clean the kitchen and cook and he's going "where can I put this?"
> Wrong question to ask, buddy.... :flame:


I'm going to say this with my tongue firmly in cheek - I love my husband, I really do, but... 

He did the dishes last night. Lots of 'em. He does the dishes most nights. And he's good at it. So this morning, I get up, he's left for work, and all of the dishes are put away. Bonus. I pour a cup of coffee and gather up some stuff for the nice meatloaf dinner he's requested for tonight. After ten minutes of tracking down the pots and pans I found in all the *wrong* cabinets, I call him because I still can't find a spatula. He remembers, and I find it. Then I politely as him if he wouldn't mind, next time he puts the dishes away to maybe, sort of, put them where they usually go? He laughs, and claims that he doesn't know where anything belongs.

"You don't know where anything belongs? Dude, you like, _live_ here!" 

It took us five minutes to stop laughing.


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## menollyrj

Well, we got the entryway cleaned this weekend, and it looks ssssoooooo good! DH and I tore into it Saturday night and cleared out two bags of trash, a bag of Goodwill items, and two boxes of school stuff (one for me to take to school and one to take to DS's kindergarten teacher). Got rid of shoes that no longer fit, swept cobwebs down, cleaned up a season's worth of firewood debris (the woodstove is in a room off the entryway), and vacuumed the steps. We cleaned bathrooms last night, and plan to organize the basement (to a degree) this evening or next. We also cleaned the living room and vacuumed the upstairs last night before the kids went to bed (since they had to help as most of the mess is theirs). I'm almost caught up on laundry too. I think I have 2-3 loads to fold and 1-2 more to wash since we have GOBS of clothes. So far, it has been a good week. I couldn't have done it without DH's help, though. He's a good sport!

-Joy


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## manygoatsnmore

*Christine*, um, hasn't Lance figured out yet that you stand next to the tree, not out on the limb you're cutting off?  Seriously, though, I'm glad to hear it was "only" broken ribs, not his neck!  20' is a long way down.

*Murron* Dude, you live here - hehe. Why is it that family members (hubbies, kids, etc) seem to get amnesia for where they TAKE the dishes from, when it comes time to put them BACK? :nono: I still haven't figured that one out.

*Joy*, woohoo! What a production weekend.  And a hubby that helps - BONUS!

Over the last week or so, I've done a deep clean on most of my house, AND on the chicken house, too. DS was staying with me for a week, and while he was here, I went through my storage room, picked out stuff to send with him, and organized the rest of the stuff I'm storing, along with pruning another load of Goodwill donations - filled the back of the SUV. When he moved back to his old house (separated from ddil :Bawling: ), I sent a lot of furniture, extra kitchen items, and lots more with him. With all the extra space that opened up, I was inspired to keep going. I've done a deep clean on the master bath, removing all the rust deposits on the shower, tub, etc, washing the walls, a full top to bottom cleaning. I even took the various items that all seem to migrate in there and put them where they belong (why did I end up with a box fan, a space heater, and a tool chest in my bathroom????). Took the box fan apart and cleaned it (ran the grids through a quick dishwasher cycle, and washed the blades by hand) so it actually looks like it should be used in a house and not a barn, and reassembled the space heater so it was actually useable again. Rearranged and deepcleaned my bedroom - all the surfaces are clear again...now to keep them that way. Still have a 2 foot tall stack of papers to go through, though. I sorted out the den and if I didn't have all the empty totes and the Christmas totes stashed in there, it would be a pretty nice room again. I have organized the utility room and I'm ready to hang the shelves in there so I can get the rest of the cleaners, etc, up out of the way. In fact, other than the dd's room, which is a pit again, the whole house is looking pretty nice - it's good enough for company...not that we ever get drop-in company when the house is neat and nice, only when it's a mess. I think that's some kind of cosmic law. The laundry and dishes are all caught up, and I have a chicken carcass cooking down for chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight. I'm feeling so efficient today.


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## pinemead

You guys are awsome!! For the first time in over 15 years, I'm only working one job - 45 to 55 hours a week (since October) and the squalor is really getting to me. I don't have the courage to post pics and I live in absolute terror that someone will knock on my door. So I made a plan, room by room, and I'm working on it. Still behind schedule, but I'm making progress. There's still 2 rooms with a path to where I need to go, and 3 rooms that you can't even get into. I've dejunked and cleaned the foyer, coat closet, downstairs bathroom, breakfast room, and kitchen (except the bottom cabinets - they have to wait). Next on the list is the pantry, then the office, then the living room, etc. I had to discover that depression and exhaustion made it get so bad, and the mess just overwhelmed me. Every place that gets cleaned is like a big weight off and you all are helping me face the rest. I don't get much done during the week because of work, but I've been working hard on the weekends. It's got to get done by mid-Feb because I start up the greenhouse then and there is no time for anything else (I sell at the Farmer's Market from mid-Apr through the Saturday before Christmas).

You are all doing so well and are such an inspiration! Keep up the great work and THANKS for being here!


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## Christine in OK

Manygoatsnmore, I have long held that Lance is the male version of "danger prone Daphne" from Scooby Doo. If there's trouble to be found, he will find it. We were back out trimming trees at the same house about four days ago, and he was up at least 20 - 25' in another tree. But he says that's the last of it - he has a couple of small jobs to bid and do in the next week, but I think he's seriously planning on sticking to things he can basically do either from the ground or from a ladder from here on out. Thank the Lord! I don't think my nerves could stand any more.

We had to put down our dog this week - Just Friday, as a matter of fact. She was old and arthritic, and getting worse quickly. 

As a brief rundown, this week we had the carpet cleaned in the whole house, and I've washed just about everything in the house except the sheets. I'll do those on Monday, while the kids are out of school. I also ironed several things that I'd been neglecting, and sorted out a few things for garage sale/donation. Along with the carpet cleaning we rearranged the living room and the room shared by the two younger boys. I still have three or four boxes in the front hall closet I want to get to - all full of confiscated toys from that room. I am planning on getting rid of most of them, quite tempted not to even open the boxes; I will though, in case there's something in there I actually didn't intend to dispose of (like those pesky socks I can never find a mate for). Tomorrow we are planning on going to the Home and Garden Show, and the boys are out of school for Teacher's Meetings on Monday. Lance has to work though, so I am planning on having them do a little more cleaning and sorting with me. 

Am I the only one who hasn't started on taxes yet? I'm feeling like a slug, we usually have them done and ready to go to the accountant by January 31. Last year we were dreadfully late, it was the first week of April, but generally we are the first ones in, almost a race between us and one of the other firefighters (our accountant is the wife of one of our firefighters, she does taxes for a lot of the guys).


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## manygoatsnmore

*pinemead*, I can so totally relate. I've come a long way over the last few years. Learning to let go of stuff and get rid of it has really helped me get out from under the mess I used to live with. I still live with a certain level of messiness - I have a 16 yo dd who can trash a house faster than I can clean - but it's so much better than it was. I get really depressed when I'm surrounded by clutter and messes, and the more depressed I get the harder it is to do anything about it. Conversely, as you are finding out, the more of the clutter I manage to get rid of and the cleaner it gets, the better I feel and the more energized I am to keep it clean. Keep fighting the good fight - we're here to support each other!

*Christine*, so sorry about your sweet pup. Sure is hard to say goodbye to our elderly, best-loved friends, isn't it? Keeping Lance on the ground sounds like a good, if not entirely realistic  plan. Boys WILL be boys.  It sounds like you about have everything ship-shape! I'm getting there, but I'm not quite there yet. 

And, no, unfortunately, you're not the only one who hasn't worked on taxes yet. I'm still waiting for my W-2, and a few other pieces of paperwork. At least I finally settled down to sort out paperwork yesterday and finished getting it into the file boxes this morning. I still need to go through the monthly receipt envelopes and pull out the rest of the tax-deductible items, and I think after that I can at least start working on the rough estimate of what I might get back. With the schedule F, it takes me a little bit to get it all figured out. I earned a lot more this year, which is great, but it makes me wonder if I'm going to see much of a refund this year. I do want to get on it soon, so I can put any return I do get into my Roth IRA and backup savings.

Along with getting the paperwork filed, yesterday I tackled dd's room, otherwise known as the pit. Ugh! Nothing like finding a package of fuzzy lunchmeat under the bed, half-eaten apples behind the TV, and enough dirty dishes to half-fill the dishwasher!  I filled a whole kitchen garbage bag with trash, and have a couple baskets of clothes to go through. Most of the clothes are clean - as in she hasn't worn them - but were down on the floor with all the other junk. I refuse to wash clothes that just never made it to the dresser. We will need to go through the clothes and decide which ones should be put in a tote for later or given away - I think she just has too many clothes for the available dresser space. I am blessed with a good friend at work who brings me her 2 dds' discards, and these girls are really spoiled, so there are plenty of like-new, brand-name, high-end castoffs. I seldom need to buy dd clothes, but sometimes we almost get too much of a good thing! If she can't keep it neat, it's time to downsize the amount to make it more manageable. With her ADHD and Asperger's, etc, simple is best.

I'm keeping up with the daily straightening and the laundry and dishes, keeping the bedroom pretty much clutter-free, too, so overall, I'd rate the inside of the house about a "B" right now. Now the outside is a whole 'nuther story. The last windstorm blew more plastic panels all over the yard - all broken of course - and we still have a lot of barn cleanout to do. I did get the chicken house scooped out last week and put in new shavings, so I have happy hens.  With a cold snap on the way, I need to make sure the well head is totally reinsulated, the heat lamp on in the pumphouse, and all the pipes wrapped well. Seems that every year I end up having to re-do some of this work even though I did it last year. Why IS that? :stars:

I got my install kit for the woodstove - now I just need to get the hearth built so I can install it, lol. That's one of the next major projects after finishing the storage room and doing some plumbing work in the guest bath. Minor projects are multiple, but most important is probably fixing the weatherstripping around the doors and installing the new light fixtures.

I've been scrubbing walls as I work on each room, and so far haven't found much touchup painting that needs done. I kept enough paint back from almost every room to be able to touch up as needed. I do need to see if I can mix up some more paint that will match my bedroom and master bathroom - I came out short there and barely had enough to finish the rooms, much less the touchups I need. I have all the paints I used to make the original paint...the question is, can I recreate it? :help: I'm also not happy with the way the trim paint came out. It's too light of a green, and the paint isn't very good quality. I think a semigloss enamel should be hard, right? Nope - this stuff is still soft to the touch and if it gets wet it bleeds color. Something is wrong with it and it was wrong with both cans of paint. I hate the thought of stripping and repainting all that trim again...

I guess today I will try to finish gathering all the receipts for the taxes, put away all the file boxes now that they are sorted, and read the directions for my new table saw so I can do some building. I'll do a quick sweep n mop on all the floors and wash the actual dirty clothes from dd's room, plus I need to get her clothes sorted out. I should spend some time studying for my certification exam coming up in 3 weeks, and I need a nap before work tonight. Gotta get dd outside to work on her chores and cleaning the stalls, too.


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## pinemead

Anybody work on cleaning/organizing projects this weekend? I didn't get much done since I had to work Saturday and watched both games yesterday, but I did the regular cleaning in the kitchen and started dejunking the room I use for an office. 

Post your progress - it inspires me!


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## JediMom

*I am SO GLAD I found this thread...Reading through some of the posts yesterday morning inspired me to turn OFF my computer, and actually declutter and clean. 

A little back-ground: My family and I have lived back here in OK for over a year now. We moved from MI where we had an 1800 sf house with a full basement and huge workshop. We moved back to OK to a 1400 sf house with NO workshop. The trade off is that we have 5 acres here, and we are back home closer to family. We are in the process of remodeling and putting in new laminate flooring, and that creates more chaos in an all ready chaotic household. 

Yesterday, after reading through some of this thread, I dug my heels in, put on some Weird Al Yankovic music (very upbeat and silly), and started in. I decluttered and tossed a lot of stuff. I lost track of how many loads of laundry I did. Today, I am tackling the bedrooms. 

I just wanted to say thanks for all the wonderful ideas and the support I have seen on this thread and board. Y'all are AWESOME!! God bless you!!!* :grouphug:


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## Christine in OK

Hi, JediMom. Where in OK are you? Welcome home!

Today the kids are out of school, and I had to go over to my mom's for her yearly review - her rent at the apartments is based on income, and she wanted me to go with her this time (never have before, but okay). So I arranged for my mother-in-law to take the boys and go to the youngest's swim lessons while I met mom. However, when I got there I found out the appointment had been cancelled because the lady who was supposed to do it went home sick. I took advantage of it and cleaned out the deep-freeze in mom's spare bedroom. She has told me that I can have it if I just clean it out, but we've been so busy it's been sitting there waiting on me for months. Now I can have it probably either this week or next; Lance just has to go and get it for me. 

At my house today I cleared - scratch that - am clearing out the front hall closet. There were 4 apple boxes full of stuff and one tote larger than an apple box. The tote and one box were full of train stuff, most of which I've never seen and all belonging to my husband. It's moving either to the cellar or shop - probably the shop. Our cellar is dry, but still slightly dampish, as most cellars are; I don't want this train stuff to rust. The other three were just full of books and junk I took from the two younger boys' bedroom because I was sick of the mess. After looking through it, I discovered that other than a cd player and handful of other stuff, most of it was trash or donation worthy and that's it. I am about to go through the books and one more box of books in the top of their closet and sort. Three piles: back on the shelves, donate to Jacob's pre-k class, and trash. I'm so excited to have that closet cleared out! Now I can hang coats in one half and use the other half for storage; I think I'll have Lance put a few shelves in there for me.

Lance is working today, but off the rest of the week, so I need to start a list; there are about 5 things, all small, that need done around here. Shelves in that front closet, a hanging bar in the laundry room, new towel hooks in the bathroom, and fix the light switch/fixture in the younger boys' room. We'll see how he reacts to his "honey-do" list! He probably has a list of his own going in his head right now, and I bet most of these things aren't on it!


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## barnyardfun

Don't know if you guys have seen this site yet but it looks kind of neat.........

http://organizedhome.com

GOOD LUCK!

Today I cleaned out a cabinet that really needed it! Everytime you opened the cabinet door stuff would fall out! And forget about putting anything in there!  NOW....now you can actually see in there! WOOHOO! :dance:


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## Christine in OK

Barnyardfun, how are you and your family doing? I've been wondering if things are going alright. You can PM me if you don't want to post here. 

I've been to organized home before. It's pretty neat, but I'm on a crusade; maybe you guys can help me. I need a calendar, broken down weekly or monthly, with room for menus, activities, cleaning and gardening (together would be okay on those last two). Anyone ever seen such a thing?  I would try to design my own, but I am not really "into" computers and get very very frustrated trying to figure out some of my spreadsheet programs. 

Oh, there is another website you might like looking at, too. It's called motivated moms . It's something you buy, but it looks pretty neat; unfortunately it doesn't have everything I need, and does have a few things I don't.


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## Murron

pinemead said:


> Anybody work on cleaning/organizing projects this weekend? I didn't get much done since I had to work Saturday and watched both games yesterday, but I did the regular cleaning in the kitchen and started dejunking the room I use for an office.
> 
> Post your progress - it inspires me!


*Pinemead* - Yes! I **finished** the two week long filing project!!! - Today!! This is something that has been hanging over me for years, but WOO HOO! I did it! Every single scrap of paper now has a place, and a file, a tab, and a nice label I did with a label maker... Ooh. 

Okay, so I did spend $13 for a nice big plastic file box, and a few dollars for some new folders and such. But I cleaned out the small, overstuffed bottom drawers of mine and DH's file cabinets. They are the supports for the desk top - a piece of (free!) laminate countertop. Everything has a folder - with room to spare. I slid the box into the office closet, so I just have to pull it out for my (now) weekly filing. Much easier. This one was a real biggie for me, and I can't believe I did it. Whew! :dance: :dance: 

Our taxes are in order, but I'm still waiting for my W2. It should be at work when I get in tomorrow. Just a few more things, and we'll be ready to file. Thankfully, I've been good about keeping that paperwork (sort of) together.

*Quick question - (MGM?) How long are you supposed to keep your past returns? I thought it was seven years, but I have mine all the way back to '94.*

I felt so great about the filing that I reorganized my books - we had a major house purge over the summer, and I still hadn't put my books all back. DH gathered up the strays all over the place, and I got everything in one place. Since I have to *look* at the bookcase while I'm filing, it made sense. LOL! 

The laundry situation is under control, and I've got a load up to dry right now. DH did the dishes and wiped the counters while I swept the floors and picked up. It was way too cold to fold clothes in the basement, so I had help from the cats in the kitchen! 

*Christine* - I'll do some searching for that type of calendar, too. I would also like one!

You gals are such an inspiration for me too! Thanks!


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## pinemead

This is exciting! You all got so much done!! If it wasn't almost 9 PM and I wasn't so tired, I'd be really motivated. The junk will have to wait another day. Monday's are tough at work, and I'm freezing (no heat downstairs), so I'm off to bed in a few minutes. 

Hoping to get more done in the office this week and do filing, rearranging, and cleaning this weekend. I don't have to work this coming weekend :dance: 

I used to go to Organized Home every day to read and post on the Boards, but I don't go there much anymore since they stopped that part. Some good forms on there though.

Congrats everybody!


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## manygoatsnmore

*Murron*, keep your returns for 7 years, and I heard somewhere that you can toss the receipts after 3 years, but I keep the supporting receipts for 7 years, too, just in case. The receipts I tossed were all the non-tax deductible ones - I should go through the rest of my 2005-2007 receipts and only keep the ones I need for items I might need to return (warranty items, etc) and the tax-deductibles. I'm just so glad to have the rest of the paperwork filed that I don't feel the need to tackle that job quite yet, lol. *Congrats* on the filing completion at your house, too!!! :dance:

*jedimom*, welcome to the forum! It really helps me keep inspired and enthused when I see what everyone else is getting done at their house, too. And I LOVE Weird Al, lol. :sing: I lost on Jeopardy, bay--bee! :sing: You did not win a year's supply of Rice-A-Roni, lol!

I haven't done much other than basic house and animal chores today - I'm supposed to be sleeping. Worked last night and tonight. I did get the heat lamp on in the pumphouse and the well head insulated, so I'm good to go with the water supply. I also scrubbed and sanitized the styrofoam incubator I have posted on the barter board, and I PMed potential buyers for it and the smaller of the 2 Roll-X incubators I'm selling. I set a hatch to try out the Roll-X I'm keeping, and washed eggs to take to work tonight. Did the laundry and loaded the whites into the car to take with me tonight. I'll stop at ds's to wash whites in the morning. Still don't have dd's clothes sorted out - that'll have to wait - I'm off to take a nap.


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## barnyardfun

Christine, thanks for asking. We are doing okay. Still adjusting. It's still hard. But I know the Lord will see us through.

I found some neat E-Books that you may all be interested in. It is based around homeschool familes but has info that is valuable to any family.

http://www.wholesomechildhood.com/dimetime/


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## Christine in OK

Today will be kind of a wash. I've messed about on here for about half an hour (in bits and pieces), and taken Jacob to swim lessons. While I was trying to get him dressed to get in the pool (running a bit late), Lance called to see didn't I want to help him this afternoon. Grrr. Why do they always have such good timing - if he'd waiting three minutes I'd have had Jake in the pool and wouldn't have been trying to do three things at once. 

And he'd better not complain about the house tonight, either! I think I'm cranky, what do you guys think? :grump: 

Oh well, at least I know we're having soup for supper tonight, and I have tomorrow to get things straightened 'round. We're having some friends over for dinner Friday - they are trying to refinance their house and want a little advice on how much, a place or two to call, etc. I'd love to get them straightened out; they're good people, but the husband especially has no family history of ambition or financial responsibility to base his life on. He's just trying to do his best, and his wife was a little spoiled growing up; she's not bad, and does her best, but I think she could be a little more far-thinking and less focused on right now. 

ah well, I'd better go and get my soup on - I didn't give anyone much motivation today, did I? Guess everyone has days like that, huh?


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## manygoatsnmore

*Christine*, we all have those days, sweetie - keep your chin up.  You're entitled to a "cranky" day occasionally - it's in the fine print, trust me on this, lol. That's what I always told my kids when they complained about me - that they forgot to read the fine print on their birth contract! Worked okay when they were really little and didn't know any better; now? Not so much. :shrug:

I didn't get as much done yesterday as I had planned. I went grocery shopping after work and then went to get a haircut - worst experience I ever had, and the whole cut was redone, so I have REALLY short hair now instead of the chin-length tapered bob I was asking for. Then I washed all my whites at ds's and fell asleep on his couch for a little while. Came home and did a little (very little) straightening, then fell into bed and didn't get up until today. I was just so tired.

So, today I'm still trying to get myself organized and moving. Didn't work up the ambition to get in the shower until just a bit ago, and am still moving kind of slowly. Still trying to get my new hair to cooperate with me, too, so I'm still feeling a little grumbly. But, it's a beatiful day outside, and I'm about ready to go work in the sunshine and get rid of some of my winter blahs. I have the next 3 days to enjoy at home before I go back to work this weekend, and I intend to do just that.


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## TaylorMade

Hi all!

I am terribly unorganized and it drives dh crazy. I'm a SAHM to 2 - ds is 7 and dd is 5 - and I know I can get this place spotless and keep it that way. A year ago it was clean for the entire month of January...until my father died. I remember how grateful I was that the house was clean for everyone coming over, but somehow it has got into my head that the last time it was clean, someone died...not the best motivator! I am trying hard to get over that. I have followed FlyLady (that's how it got clean last year!) and I am trying to get into her routines again. One other thing I do is at the end of the day I sit down with a notebook and write out a list of practical things I need to do in each room...often day after day! I'm a huge list writer, love crossing things off, but really this is to remind me to actually see my surroundings. So wash and sweep floor is on the list often!

Thanks for sharing all of your stories, it's nice to know I am not the only one!


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## manygoatsnmore

*TaylorMade*, welcome, gf! I am a list maker, too...in fact, I often say that making the list is nearly as good as actually DOING what I put on it, lol! Seriously, though, I do refer to the deepcleaning lists on flylady's site, just to remind myself to do things like washing the light switch covers and cleaning the dead bug bodies out of the light fixture covers, along with the daily basics and the zones. I used to use the file box and 3x5 cards, but found that I'd do them for a while and then slack for a while, meaning I had to refile everything each time I got back to the box. I find flylady much more relaxing and easier to use. If I backslide, I just pick up again where I am and go on. 

The main thing for me is to make sure I get the basics done each day - dishes, laundry, picking up around the house, and making sure the hotspots don't get too far out of control. After you do those, you can work a little at the time on the rest of the mess. 

Oh, and for lists - I finally stopped making so many to-do lists, and started listing "dones" - I literally took a spiral notebook and wrote down what I did each day, *AFTER* I did it. I found that I really was doing a lot every day, even if it wasn't always something on my list. That really energized me to do more because I was seeing what I had accomplished each day, not just a list with a lot to carry over to the next day. I did that for years, and now do it on the computer, rather than pen and paper. I no longer feel the need to list everything I've done daily, just the highlights and progress on projects. Instead, I can look at my house and see that I have come such a long way - my house is nowhere near perfect and never will be, but it only takes a little bit of work to get it back in "company ready" order. That's such a nice feeling.

Oh, and I still make lists...of goals for the year, the month and the day, things to buy at garage sales, books I'm looking for, grocery lists, errand lists, and lots more, so my listing compulsion is still fed.


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## manygoatsnmore

Let's see, so far this morning, I've worked on my taxes, shined my kitchen sink and emptied the dishwasher, run a load of laundry and dried the clothes I washed last night, folded and put away dry laundry (still more in the dryer and washer), gathered all the whites and lights to take to my ds's to wash, straightened most of the living room (still working on dd to get the rest of the feed sacks out to the grain barrels in the barn and to move the saddles to her room), swept floors, turned the eggs in the incubator, grabbed the dirty dishes and laundry from dd's room and come to HT to take a break. DD is going out to feed and water the animals and hopefully to get the feed moved this morning, as well as moving all the pallets out from the back entrance to the barn so I can go get hay today or tomorrow. I still have to go do laundry and pick up dd's meds at the pharmacy, and will probably go get dgd for the rest of the day. I love having a day off to play around at home.


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## Christine in OK

My house isn't in the best shape right now, but our taxes are done! All I need to do is type up the summary sheet and call the accountant. Hopefully we'll be getting a serious refund check, because we need a new roof. Our insurance company actually cut us a check for one months ago, but we want to enclose the eaves and put a gable over the front door so people can actually SEE that the door is even there (I love this house, but there are a couple of really weird things about it - like the fact that the front door walks in right next to the kitchen stove :shrug: ). 

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful here - 72*f was the high (about 32*c), and after church we went out to lunch, for a short drive and stopped at Lowe's. While there we found a new shower plumbing set (shower head, faucet and spigot) marked down from $240 to $50 on clearance. It was just what we were looking for, so we snatched it up. There was a faucet that nearly matched marked down from $134 to $33, but they were all gone - even at the other stores, we had the clerk check the computer. That's okay, we were very excited about the shower head - we've been needing a new one for awhile, just hadn't found one we wanted.

When we got home, we changed quickly and worked outside for about 3 hours. Lance had spilled oil on the floor of his new shop (horrors!), and so I laid lemon juice and baking soda on it, and then just a little soap powder. You can hardly tell where the oil was, it worked so good! We moved out to the garden then, and I cleaned out the asparagus bed, moved a rose bush and some garlic bulbs, and did a little bed rearranging - pulled up the fence around the asparagus and moved a couple of rocks, then replaced the fence. Lance got out the tiller and tilled the big bed. The earliest he's ever done that for me!

Today is supposed to be nice also, so I'm planning on working out there some more this afternoon, clearing the smaller bed for tilling and moving a cedar log to change the shape of the big bed a little. 

I feel so much better than I have in weeks - there's nothing like getting out and getting dirty. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be chilly and snowy, so hopefully I can get hold of that accountant and meet with her. It would be the perfect day for it!


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## Sumer

:dance: on getting your tax's done! I got mine and my sons done too and Its quite an accomplishment. I dont think I have ever gotten them done this early before. Not that mine are complicated I just procrastinate.
I just came here to say that for the last monthI seem to be on some kind of a roll at organising things. 
Yesterday I overhauled my whole back room. I couldnt get to the washing machine without tripping or easily open the back door. Its the coldest room in the house but I made myself do it. 
I just keep picking areas or things around here that need attention. Wether its a corner or a room or a shelf or doing the tax's. 
I have been trying to keep up with the dishes too. I hate doing dishes.
Last week I started making a list too. Now I have one on my computer here that I can add to and print out. I loose my lists all the time so being able to print out another one might do the trick. I put a shortcut right on the desktop so I dont loose it int he computer too.  I used to do a very simple list and it worked out great but I somehow got away from using one. I hope i can get back into it.


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## Christine in OK

Neat idea, Sumer. 

Well, taxes done, accountant met and refund (state at least) already direct-deposited. Federal will be either today or next week, they run them weekly apparently (according to the accountant).

Lance is home sick today (sick sick sick). So I don't want to make too much noise, since he's on the couch right now - we stripped the bed and I'm in the process of washing and reassembling it. I did clean out the master bedroom closet just now - it has the access to the bathtub plumbing in it, and we found a new showerhead/faucet/tub spout set marked down from $234 to $50 last week and snatched it up. Unfortunately it took another $200 in supplies and tools to install - but it is stuff that we will be needing anyway, because we have some plans for new outdoor spigots in the next few months. Anyway, there was one huge mess in there for the last few days, and since it's basically finished - need to stabilize the tub spout with a 2 x 4 and cover the (now larger) hole up, but that's minor - I cleaned up the mess and vacuumed in there. 

Lance was so sick, I think he spent half the night in that closet, and it drove me nuts because I hadn't cleaned it first. I did clean the master half-bath (you walk through that closet to get to it, that's why he took up residence, it's close to the loo), swept the floor and cleaned the toilet for him, but I would really have loved to have cleaned that closet too.

Anyway, I think my sheets are dry, I'd better go and put that bed back together - I imagine he'll be wanting back in it soon, poor guy.


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## Sumer

I have a organizational confession to makeâ¦

I am guilty of neglecting my fish tank.

So being that this is the Anonymous thread I figure this would be a good place to admit having a huge non working fish tank slowly evaporating for the last 5 months. 

Itâs a 60ish gallon tank and when the filter quit working I only had 3 small fish in it, I went to buy a new filter system and found out that size filter has been discontinued. The hole in the lid of the tank is cut for the one I have. A new filter is around $50, new glass lid also around $50. Cost of the remaining fish in there â¦probably $6. 
Soon after the filter quit, I acquired a neglected momma cat and her litter of kittens. Had to kitten proof everything. Then my 12 year old turtle died, she was reason I have such a huge tank. She wintered in the bottom tank and the fish were in the top one. It really upset me because she was murdered by the neighbors idiot lawn mowing company.
Sooooooo as a true procrastinator - I put off doing anything about the fish tank.
Tried to give my fish away but nobody wanted them. In the meantime one fish died and one disappeared and I named the remaining one âOh My God Your still Aliveâ. I did recently put it on my ya knowâ¦ listâ¦ to tear the whole thing down and give myself 4 feet of wall space. Because spending $100 for the one little surviving tetra didnât seem justified. 

Last week my son (with the help of the cat) discovered that we actually have 2 fish in there. So what does he do? Buy a new filter and lid for me? Naaa. In all his brilliance He comes home Saturday evening with a present for the cat. Then It changed to my Birthday present after I guessed wrong to the question âGuess what I got?â 
It was 2 bags of tropical fish., Neonâs and the same kind as âOh My God Your still Aliveâ I on the other hand was a bit horrified. Then my son was bummed out because he just was trying to do something nice.
I made a frantic call to the pet store to see if they were still open to return the fish, and they suggested I bring the filter down to see if they could fix it. So off I went into the cold blustery winter darkness with a bag of filter parts and 2 bags of tropical fish under my coat. ANDâ¦
THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX IT!!! :banana02:
Now after making my son spend a lovely Saturday night (horrors to a 21 year old.) overhauling and bailing and ending up smelling like fish and spending only $20 for parts I now have a nice looking fish tank again!! 
It now looks so nice to have that area looking less like the corner of gloom and neglect. I am happy:sing:, my son is happy:sing: because I have forgiven him and I had to admit it was a good thing, worth all the trouble, and the cat has something to do all day. 


~~Sumer


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## Murron

Oh *Sumer*, what a great story. I had tears in my eyes from laughing! 

Time for my confession of the week, too... I have slid to an organizational / cleaning standstill since Saturday. Okay, okay, the dishes are done, but the laundy has piled, the bills need to be filed, the bed hasn't been made for days, and there are faint rings around the potties. I've been exhausted, cranky, and DH has been working quite a bit, so he's not here to cheer me on. I guess everyone needs a break now and then, huh? My head is in a fog, and I hope that this weekend will bring a little inspiration and motivation to get things back to normal...


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## manygoatsnmore

Oh, gosh, *Sumer*. That was hilarious! And now you have a beautiful fish tank again, and "Fish TV" for the kitties to watch with you. 

*Murron*, still a little down in the dumps? I'm sorry to hear that.  It's a big adjustment being home full time, isn't it? I find it's way too easy to put things off till later when I don't have any kind of a deadline - and now that we are going to 12 hr shifts at work (finally), and I'll only work 4 shifts in 2 weeks, I'll have to be even more aware of the procrastination bug. It will be awfully nice to have a week off every other week, though.

I read my last entry and realized a lot of the things I posted are still the same.  There are still 3 saddles in my diningroom, and the feed just migrated to the kitchen nook near the back door, and got fed out from there - on the last bags now before I go back to the feedstore. However, I have been able to keep up fairly well with the worst of the problem areas - mainly dishes, laundry, and keeping the main areas of the house neat, and the bathrooms liveable.

Yesterday I had my dgd, Lindsay, and she was my little helper. She helped me clean the windows (loves to spray the Windex) by wiping the areas she could reach - which inspired me to clean my dingy windows on the inside - maybe I can get to the outside ones after the rain stops this week. She also "helped" me make chocolate mint pudding from our goat's milk and fresh bread in the breadmaker. We also took a walk outside into the clearcut and found a whole lot of stainless steel mixing bowls, Pyrex bowls, and other bowls that we have fed our dog in at one time or another. Between that and dd, Abby cleaning HER room, I had plenty of dishes and laundry to do. Did some of it yesterday, and finished the dishes this morning - still working on the laundry today. She also helped me straighten the kitchen shelves to make room for the milking supplies now that we are milking twice a day again.

So today I've finished the dishes, worked on the laundry, swept all the floors, made my bed, straightened up my bathroom, wiped down the kitchen, cleaned the cat boxes (ugh), gathered up all the water jugs to be filled at ds's, the library books to go back to the library, and the recycling and Goodwill donations - all ready to go out to the car for the next trip to town. I made sure all the animals got fed and watered outside, including the dog, and took care of all the cats and the chicks in the house. I straightened the livingroom and put up a few more decorations (started that yesterday, too). There's still a lot of piles of misc laying about - especially in my bedroom. I would like to get all that stuff put away before the day is over, and I want to mop all the floors. It's a rainy day outside, so I'm trying to use the time to really spiff up the inside of the house.

My confession? We are bringing the goat in the house twice a day to milk her in the kitchen.  It's easier to open the back door and let her walk in here to be brushed and her udder washed than it is to take everything outside, expecially in the dark, to get her clean and milked. When we are done milking her - 5-10 minutes, tops, she goes back out the door, we strain and chill the milk, sweep the floor and mop up the area she was in, and wash the milking things. It takes only a couple more minutes for the clean-up, plus the milking is being done in a clean environment, so it tastes its best, and we haven't had an "accident" from Kasie (the doe) yet. She enjoys a snack of grain while we are milking her, and we don't have her competing withthe rest of the herd while she's eating (they get more grain and alfalfa pellets outside, plus free choice grass hay). DD is better about milking on a 12 hour schedule when she doesn't have to go out in the dark to do it for one milking, and she can pick the 12 hour interval that works best for her, 10-10. So, I feel a little funny, milking the goat in the house, but it is working for us. :shrug: Just call me Ma Kettle, lol.


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## Christine in OK

Oooh, I think I'd better not tell Lance I have a friend who milks their goat in the house - he thinks we're all a little on the edge of looney as it is!


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## Sumer

I think we all just need some Spring. 
I did some of the dishes today. Finished a sewing project. Cleaned the bathroom. Almost vacuumed. Thats about it. 
My son struck again today. I made some tomato soup and wanted to put some cheese in it and couldnt find the package of cheese. Not in the fridge, not on the counter, other counter, not on the table, not anywhere. He told me he just opened it so it had to be around somewhere. Ya it was somewheres all right, I found it 20 minutes later, in the cupboard, wrapped in a baggie, in the rack where I keep the baggies.
He makes cleaning a bit more challangeing thats for sure.


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## Murron

*Sumer* - I think you are correct - I know I need some Spring very soon! Your stories are funny, and make me laugh. Thanks!
*MGM* - Walk in milking. I love it! And thanks, too for the good thoughts. I'm feeling better today, and the cleaning and such helped. Yeah, it is a slight weird to "be home", but then again, I've only been home for a few days. I guess I gotta give myself a little more time! 

I've been putting off the filing for a week, and I'm trying to get my head around an emergency records list, or something, for me and DH. You know, a binder or whatnot that would contain emergency info, account numbers and PINS, important phone #'s, xeroxes of credit cards, and the like. I have a program on my Mac that does something like this, but it's the actual sitting down to do it that gets me! Has anyone ever put this type of thing together? What works for you?


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## Sumer

Murron that is a great Idea. 
I hate filing stuff. 

My system which is actually an improvement from my last one is a plastic wash tub where I try really hard only to put paid bills, so thats where any account numbers would be. Not that it would come in handy if there was an emergency where I had to grab it and run, but at least I could dig thru it. 

But I do somewhere in my over stuffed filing cabinet have a file for birth certs and stuff like that.

I guess I should work on it. 

~~Sumer


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## manygoatsnmore

Only here could I tell a group that I milk in my kitchen, lol! *Christine*, we just won't tell Lance - it'll be our little secret....shh. 

Since I posted last, we also added another batch of chicks and a baby LaMancha doe that follows dd around like a puppy, right into the house whenever we open the door. Somehow, I don't see anything good in my future if this keeps up. :help: I've made a chick condo out of a huge air compressor box for the 4 month old chicks, complete with windows ( plastic cling wrap and clear packing tape), so they are still in the house, too. 

Other than that, I have managed to keep the house pretty much under control. Yesterday I tackled the den again, cleared everything out and mopped, dusted, etc. I still need to get the shelves built in the storage room so I can clear all the totes out of the den and back into the storage room where they belong. Then I can actually walk into the den to get a book or sew, without having to move anything. That's also my dgd's bedroom when she visits, and I'd like it to be a little more inviting.

I also have all the blocks and tiles, etc to build my woodstove hearth now, so I need to start working on that. You'd think that being off work every other week would give me all the time in the world to work on it, but I seem to spend more time babysitting or helping my family with one thing or another instead. Not that I don't enjoy it, but I need to spend the time to get my house finished, too. Then there are days like today, when I just don't do anything. I started out well this morning, but ended up spending most of the day reading or watching mindless TV. Gotta do better tomorrow.

My filing is getting a little behind again, too. I have a box that has a bunch of magazines and misc paperwork to go through again. Maybe if the weather is still icky tomorrow, and it's supposed to be, I'll try to work on that.


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## Christine in OK

We're in the throes of getting ready for Easter around here - expecting around 45 people this year. Praying it doesn't rain, praying it doesn't rain, praying...

MGM, two years ago right at this time, we got a new rabbit and baby chicks. The rabbit was used to being in a barn, and the chicks were day old. Then the weather turned off nasty and cold.


I would up with a rabbit and 30 (or 35) baby chicks living in my game room for about a week and a half. Got a little gamey in there, but we all survived!


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## Murron

Confession time again...

I was chatting over breakfast with a few girlfriends about clutter and cleaning this past week, and one of them said "You know, on some level, I think I have accepted a certain amount of disorder in my life. And that's okay!" Wow. I've seen her house, and it shows no "disorder" to me! Hmm... (Tongue firmly in cheek here....) I remember (months and months ago) becoming nearly obsessed with tossing, reorganizing, and then re-reorganizing. It worked out pretty well. Then I moved on to smaller projects, made lists, and reorganized some more. Not quite the same rush as something big would have given, but okay. And then I started looking for projects, making more lists, talking with my two girlfriends about _their_ projects and not getting much done... No rush in that at all... I felt an intervention coming on.  What was happening? Would I become a woman who would dive toward the coffee table with a coaster before a drink landed on it? Would I have a whisk broom in a holster on my belt to quickly sweep up any stray grass brought in the kitchen? Would my obsession carry over into offering unwanted cleaning tips to my neighbor? :lookout: Or folks at the grocery store? Gas station? How far would I go for a fix?? 

So there I sat amongst a few piles of unclean clothes, on my basement floor. Then I realized it. The house _is_ clean. It _is_ decluttered. All of the tossing, reorganizing, and tears have paid off. I have arrived!  

Of course, there are still projects to be done, a few big ones at that, but I'm not going to let them hang over me like a dark cloud anymore. I want to embrace them, have fun with them, and do them on my own time. (As I look over my shoulder to see if the cleaning police are at my door... )

There are still the regular thingies that need to be done - dishes, laundry, vacuuming, filing, etc. But those are now manageable, and are just part of regular routine. Whew. Can't believe I said that.  

Besides, I knew I'd become a little *too* obsessed when DH ran outside before work and when he came back in, just stood on the mat by the door, staring at his feet looking rather forlorn. He wanted to walk into the kitchen, but was afraid the mud from his boots would "mess up" the floor! Oy!


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## Woodpecker

what organized? im so used to being a mess i forgot.


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## OUVickie

Murron said:


> So there I sat amongst a few piles of unclean clothes, on my basement floor. Then I realized it. The house _is_ clean. It _is_ decluttered. All of the tossing, reorganizing, and tears have paid off. I have arrived!


WOW!! You're my HERO!!! :bow:
It gives me hope to know it can really be done. You deserve a full day at the spa, or at least a quart of Hag-N-Daz! :icecream:


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## Murron

OUVickie said:


> WOW!! You're my HERO!!! :bow:
> It gives me hope to know it can really be done. You deserve a full day at the spa, or at least a quart of Hag-N-Daz! :icecream:


Vickie ~~~ Thank you! {{{blushing}}} But trust me, our place ain't no palace! It's cozy and comfy and "eclectic cabin" simple. It makes it easy to let stuff slide, let me tell ya! I'm looking at a pile of dishes that need to be put away, a potty that needs scrubbing, and a bedroom that is in dire need of dusting!

But the decluttering has been incredibly liberating. I miss having "stuff" sometimes, but I enjoy the sacred space of our home now much more without it. And heck, if I can do it, anyone can! 

Hmmm......... A day of Spa pampering does sound good to me, though! I think I'll look into it - thanks! :goodjob:


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