OMG I am behind

It's not that I am not sorting out. I am motivated! It's just taking the picture and posting it. 

Handbags I am not using, my favorite sandals which suddenly felt very strange (story later), tapes we can't watch any more, and did I keep the box because I thought I might give that (Cadillac) steam iron up? No way. 

You can see that I made it a little easier on me to keep my promise. I put the numbers on scrap paper (in the photos) and now know how far I got. I might have to continue this when we come back from our trip. I have so SOOOOO much to do right now. I think I would be ok with that. A friend told me that one year she made a New Year's resolution to declutter one item every day for the whole year which could be 10 items one day counting for 10 days. I think that would be good too. 

The sandal story: I call them my hiking sandals. I am not sleeping in them but otherwise they are used a lot. Recently I went for a walk in the neighborhood and thought that my heels were not doing right. Back home I decided to look at the soles. OMG. Totally run down one side. No wonder I was walking slanted. Since James is always happy to go shopping at REI we went immediately thinking we might have to order them hoping there would be enough time before the trip. My lucky day. I should have bought a Power Ball ticket then. Not only did they have my size in the identical sandal and color but they were also on sale. How often does that happen?

Now off to keep working!

Motivation is everything

There was so much going on last week I forgot to blog about Wednesday. It was the day of my (quilt group) meeting "over the river" at 10 am. But James and I went to take care of Caleb because he couldn't go to day care. Fever and throw-up the day before. We arrived at 7:40 am with two cars so I could go to my meeting for a while. 

Caleb felt fine and was fun. My meeting not so much (they can't be all good) so I left early back to join James. A good thing that was because at lunchtime Wade brought Owen who now had a fever too. 

At the end of that day we were all worried whether it's going to be another round of misery. As you could see from my previous blog though ... all seems well, thank the Lord. 

AND ...   the decluttering continues. 

Sunday August 6 = 6 items

Monday August 7 = 7 items

Tuesday August 8 = 8 items

Wednesday August 9 = 9 items

More things pitched! Things had been rearranged from office to pantry (finally space there), from dining room to office. I had gone through a lot of drawers. 

But the real action took place on Monday right after breakfast in the garage. The perfect day since it was raining and it was a cooler day. With the door open all the time it was bearable. 

I had forgotten to take "before" pictures and one shelving is almost empty. I was just too eager to get started. We had been unhappy about the state of our garage for quite a while. 

The "garage effort" continued on Tuesday and Wednesday. And ... DONE!

What a great feeling. I know where my garden tools are and James sorted his tools. All golf stuff is in one place. Only the cart needs to be hung up. 

James went twice to the recycling place and twice to the dump. I call that success! And I count that decluttering towards Thursday August 10 = much much more then 10 items! And I am taking tomorrow off! (smiley face)

Weekend

Sarah and her family had gone to her in-laws because Wade's dad had a birthday. Schatzi came to us. Well, James went to get her Friday afternoon. Since we had to bring her back on Sunday Sarah asked us to come for dinner. 

It had been quite a car drive for the children so Sarah and I thought that a little walk would be good. The twins like the red wagon because they can see everything all around. 

Caleb wanted to pull his brothers back to the house. 

It was fun. Everybody was in good form (tired but good). I helped put Colin and Owen to bed and we had pizza on the back deck. Lovely!

Declutter Day 3, 4, 5 and pantry update

Let's see. 

Thursday August 3 = I think that easily counts as 3 items sorted out. Never thought I would do away with lace but I can't remember where it came from, I have never used it and most likely never will. The glass lid was bought as cover to use in the microwave. Have something much better for that now. 

Friday August 4 = 4 items

The top of the teak chest of drawers was always so cluttered up that it really bothered me. The radio was one of the things which got never used. Red noses come around every year. The glass vase I had bought last year. I thought it was so cool for arranging flowers. You can't open it though which means you can't clean it. Away with it!



Saturday August 5 = 5 items

Found this in one of the drawers in the dining room wall unit. Using directions and remotes for things which are long gone. A thermostat which got replaced etc. 



I don't have an ugly before picture but believe me that this makes me happy. 



We used to have bowls with fruit there too which were hit by the sun for several hours every day. This is much better on the opposite wall. 

Oh yes, the pantry has hardware. The same as the kitchen cabinets. 

And since somebody on FaceBook voiced to see the pantry filled with the things off the dining room table ... here it is:

Concerning the decluttering ... I realize that it will get more difficult the further we are in the month. Wish me luck!

Declutter Day 2

2nd day of August = 2 things to sort out

Still working to find places for the pantry/kitchen stuff and found this. Don't need the toddler stuff. Never used that insert for the pitcher. James says that he is o. k. with letting go of things we don't use. 

Declutter

I sometimes read the blog of Kate in the U.K., a fellow participant in the Cotton Robin. On May 1st she wrote:

For the past couple of years, I've been doing a decluttering exercise in May - clearing out bits and pieces, using the kind of fun technique of getting rid of one thing on the 1st, two on the 2nd and so forth. It's a nice way to motivate a clear out, so I decided to do it again this year, starting with the junk drawers in the kitchen. So this is the first item. I sort of know what it's for, but we don't need it. Off it goes!

I have the highest intentions and have thought of it since then. Coming back from a month-long trip on the 28th June didn't help. My intentions were for July. Didn't happen. August? I will try!!!

Today is the first. This went! If you can't play it, you don't need to keep it. 

I did shoot myself a bit in the foot though. As you might have read in the previous blog that we have a new pantry. The old was emptied etc ... and a lot was thrown away then. But I didn't want to keep it just so that I could claim it as "declutter" this month. I am positive there will be more.