This is Elle's blog too!

LOL—I'll have to get Elle to write a list of her suggestions and post them on the blog! She's almost as popular as I am! Maybe we should ask her questions. Perhaps we can get her to give us her TOP TEN decluttering tips! 

I have two questions. By the way, she worked full-time in the medical field for many years, so she wasn't sitting at home figuring out what to declutter next. 

1. Did she ever have clutter? And what about her SO? 
2. If so, when did the lightbulb go off for her? 

As for the picture frames, I have a "few" sitting in a closet upstairs, and I was planning to create a photo wall. Hmm - don't want to count the years, but it's been a while. I don't think I need them. Plus, I looked at the few photos that were out on display. Do I need the faded baby picture of M still on the table? It's time to either freshen up the picture frames and pictures or just let them all go. Maybe I need one of those digital frames and let go of everything else. 

So, I have both scenarios for picture frames: brand new and tired. It's time to deal with both, but I have other things on my plate. 

Since I have a lot of work to do this week - real work with deadlines, I'm doing visual decluttering. When the moment comes that I have a few minutes, I'll be whipping certain things into boxes. But I really need to stay focused. I still have some CDs/DVDs to tidy up, and I still have the remainder of those folders that have to be sorted through, and there's my daily box of crap by the computer. Those must be dealt with first before I go off on another tangent!

Something happened yesterday that I thought never would! It was Senior's Day at the thrift store, and I desperately needed a mental break from writing. The subject matter is very exciting, and I'm very interested in it. But trying to take something a little bit complex and break it down into a few words that hopefully people can understand? That was taxing! But I did it. I'm almost done with that writing assignment, and there's ONE more to do, which should be easier. 

But I feel so much more relaxed about the entire process. There are deadlines, but I'm focusing like there's no tomorrow and feeling amazing! The start of the decluttering I've done in the office gives me an incredible feeling about working here. 

OK, so I'm at the thrift store. I don't need anything special—I'm just checking stuff out. I had sort of vowed to myself that I would never buy clothes to wear from the thrift store. There's something kind of creepy about wearing someone else's clothes. It's just a thing I have, although I've bought shirts in the past. 

Well, I need new jeans, as my only pair now has a big rip in the thigh. Yes, it's fashionable, but these pants are years old. So, as I browsed through the jeans section, a pair of black ones jumped out at me. I have no idea why those ones did, but there they were. They are in excellent condition, and the size is what I usually wear. 

They have no change room at this thrift store, so you take your chances, but items can be returned for a store credit. With the discount, I bought them for 6.99. I brought them home and tried them on; they fit as if they were custom-made for me! I'll wash them, and then I have a new pair of jeans. I have some errands later today, and buying new jeans was on the list. I'll still buy a pair, which will cost me a "little" more than $7, but I saved on one of the pairs I need. 

Yep—I love the thrift store. Even if I had paid the regular price ($10), that's still incredibly cheap. I'm sure DH would be horrified if I told him. I'll wash them, parade them around, and ask him if he likes my new pants. Because they fit nicely, I know he's going to say yes. Men! Then I'll tell him where I got them. I love shocking him sometimes! Just to keep him on his toes. 

Oh - does anyone want a crimpoline (Fortrel) quilt? There was one at the thrift store. If you want a weighted blanket, this is the one to get. That thing weighed a ton. I did NOT bring it home. It was reversible - green on one side, blue on the other. 

A crimpoline quilt

I had another errand yesterday: going to M's school from JK to Grade 7. Oh my—I almost got weepy when I walked in the door. So many memories! The school secretary is still there, but the school has been sold to an international conglomerate. 

Lynn Rose Heights

Louise and I had a little chat, and I got what I needed, and I was on my way back home and to work! 

I have some excellent news to share about yesterday. I finished a community project quilt. While that's good, it wasn't THE good news. 

Community project quilt

And a customer one goes on later today, so I can quilt it tomorrow. 

Who says they can't multitask? I tackled that darn video while letting the long arm quilt the quilt. No - the video was NOT done. You see, I had grown discouraged. I could not find a place to save the file, so I assumed all the changes I had made were gone. Imagine my surprise when I opened the program and discovered my edit file waiting for me. DUH!!! 

Editing the video

The next step was to learn how to add text. You know when you say one thing on a video but mean something else? I wasn't going to start splicing more than I had already, so I added a few text comments here and there. And guess what? The video is done, and the link has been sent to the group! Just in time since our next class is this weekend!! 

Editing the video

I'll share the link with you later. That was super easy, and now I know what I'm doing - sort of; I still have lots to learn. But next time I say I'll send a video, I won't be afraid, and the learning curve will be much less. What do we need a video of? This one was almost 30 minutes long, so it took some time. 

All the tapes and dispensers were put away yesterday. I have a drawer by the long arm with all kinds of tape, which is now full. Is this the best place? I'm not sure, but it's the home of all things tape for the moment. I can't buy more; there's no room! As I mentioned, there's probably never a need to buy more tape in my life. 

The tape drawer

Another evening, another puzzle was solved. I don't know what it is about these puzzles, but I solve part, and DH solves part, and together, we get the answer. I don't know if we could do it alone. That is so weird. But he told me not to buy another game with the jigsaw puzzles. Why? I'm the one that puts them together while he watches. I LOVE them. I already have one more, and then there's one we don't have. I'll get it! 

The four puzzles for the EXIT game

This is the one I purchased at the thrift store for $4. What a bargain! It was intact—I checked before I left the store with it. 

Going back to Elle's comment from yesterday where I think it was her MIL who said they could now fill this new place with crap! This is where you need to get SUPER SERIOUS about your gift-giving. Just because you think it's a nice gesture to give a gift and it's the season. You need to ASK first - do they want another quilt, table runner, candle, picture frame, etc.? Maybe they are just regifting these items after the season. Are these items becoming physical and visual clutter for them? 

I see no reason to make or give physical gifts to adults. That's a general statement; there might be an excellent reason to give a physical gift. But you need to ask them what they want—don't just give something because you think it's a good gift. Maybe the recipient would prefer a gift card to their favorite coffee shop. Then they can think of you every time they have coffee. Perhaps you buy them lunch and spend time with them, creating a memory. 

So many gifts are gifted that people don't want. If we ask them what they want, they will appreciate the gift more, and there will be NO guilt on anyone's part. The guilt gets us into trouble with getting rid of things. That's why registries are great, especially for weddings and showers. So create a personal registry if you feel a gift is necessary and ask what the other person would like. I just sent a note to M and asked her what they need for their apartment. I refuse to buy them something they don't need. Money is too precious to waste on things people don't want. I had to chuckle. Her response? She said she'd ask Dillon and get back to me! How unlikely it is for my daughter to consult with someone else first! I love the positive changes in her now that she has a SO in her life. 

Well, I'm off to spin class this morning, and then it's a crazy day. The car is going in for a tire change, servicing, and a small repair (thanks to DH, about one week after we got it!). It will be a long day, but I can walk and do errands there. I'm taking my portable office with me, and I'll work at the dealership until the car is ready. I must finish getting that stuff ready so I can work there. Thank goodness for shared drives and the internet! 

Have a super day! 

Ciao!!!

Life is about having FUN!

I don't know if any of you read the comments, but I have a super supporter named Elle! She's been through this journey with her Mother, where she had to clean out that house in one day! It sounds like Elle took charge of her life many years ago, and what she possesses today is pretty much what she needs—although she seems to find things from time to time that they no longer need, and they're gone. 

So, I have a love/hate relationship with her! I want to be like her, and I KNOW I'll get there. But she keeps reminding me of things I'm ignoring! Picture frames—I was in denial about picture frames, but she mentioned them yesterday, and YES—I have picture frames to cope with. Thanks, Elle. I appreciate your comments. Knowing I can CONQUER this stuff, you are proof of that! Thank you! 

As Peter Walsh would say - "It's All Too Much." That's the title of the book he wrote in 2006. He calls himself a clutter organizer. I have a "few" organizer/decluttering books in my library, and I'll browse through them and the magazines. Then they will be gone. The issue is that now that the floodgates have opened and I've realized that these are just things I no longer need or want to keep, I don't have as much time as I would like to deal with them. 

That's because there's too much stuff to deal with, as I have my work to keep up with, and so on. So I'm going to do what I can! What I get done is more than what wasn't done the day before. Imagine how much time I would have had if I had never let it get this way? A tidy house takes seconds to clean, and doing each small task when needed is better than having boxes and boxes to deal with now. It's never too early or too late to start this process! Remember - you can not have regrets - just move forward and enjoy the process! 

I've had several audiobooks on hold, and of course, TWO arrive on the same day. One is a novel, and the other is a book on productivity. I decided to download both. Oh my --- the book is called Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal, a physician turned writer. I'm happy to report that I'm already doing many of the things recommended in his book. Make things FUN, or give yourself a reward. I'm learning to take that approach to decluttering, and I'm hooked. 

Teach others. I've done that for over 20 years, and that's how I became so "smart" about quilting. I often agreed to teach something that I had ZERO knowledge of. But I learned quickly (thanks, Dad!), and thankfully, I'm a good communicator, so I can communicate that knowledge to others. Teaching is also a motivator for me to learn. And I love Ali's comment that we don't need to be the guru of the subject; we just need to be one step ahead of the students! Been there, doing that! All the time! And I'm open to learning from the students! It's how we all grow! Do I have the right way? For me, but not necessarily for others. 

I'm only a quarter of the way through the book; what else can there be? I might pick up a couple of tips - we'll see. But one thing I'm noticing about my productivity these days is that I suck at multitasking. We just don't want to admit it! Oh - I get that I can put a quilt on the long arm and then do something in the five minutes while I wait for it to stitch the row. Is that multitasking? Then I'm super good at it. 

I'm not good at attempting to do EVERYTHING at once because it's not working for me! And guess what? What I do is NOT rocket science. Ali also mentioned that if we are stressing over what we do, then it's not fun, and we need to evaluate what we are doing. I hear people madly sewing Christmas presents, baking, or whatever else they "like" to do because the Christmas season is approaching. 

If what you are doing is stressful, and you are NOT enjoying it, then STOP doing what you're doing! Do you need to bake hundreds of cookies each year? Or make a new quilt for every family member every year? Did you ask those family members if they want another quilt? 

I will make handmade gifts on request as I will do for my future son-in-law (T-shirt quilt). But otherwise, my daughter said they do not need more quilts. OK --- I'll find something else to give them. 

I'm not productive (sewing) when we have Monday sewing or virtual sewing time, so I've stopped sewing during those times and have started doing tidy-up jobs or repairs! Yes, I'm bound and determined to prove Messie Condo wrong. I'm wearing my mended socks and gloves and am very happy that I mended them. 

Yesterday, I took apart dog harnesses to recover the metal hardware. All four were damaged in some way and had been replaced YEARS AGO! I'm pretty sure you can guess whose harnesses these were. 

Woron out dog harness

Chewed harness

So I started with the seam ripper - wow, those stitches are tight! —and later, I used the scissors. 

Worn out strapping

I recovered quite a bit of hardware. This is from one or two harnesses. 

Recovered hardware

And all the strapping went into the garbage. 

The strapping is gone

Yes, accomplishing this took a while, but I LOVE these menial tasks. It was a slow and methodical process with ZERO stress, and tossing these in the garbage would have given me zero satisfaction in dealing with them. But taking them apart was a soothing and relaxing way to visit with my friends on Zoom. Guess what? I'm attacking those boxes of junk in the office while I get to visit with my friends. WIN-WIN. The sewing can wait for another time. 

Why are we in such a rush to get everything done? Slow and steady is my motto; perhaps I don't get as much done, but I do it right, or it won't get done. If you would have felt more comfortable tossing everything, that's your choice. 

I already have a project in mind for one of the buckles, but now I need to check my stash for something else. You'll see it later. This project has been sitting on the table in the office, waiting for a solution. 

Using rescued bits makes me happy, and I guess that's my pioneer spirit. 

I quickly found three harnesses but needed to find the fourth. It was in those junk boxes at the end of my desk! I finally found the fourth. 

Then I needed to find these swivel hooks, and I found those in a box in the cupboard. So all is good. It means that even with my shuffling, I have a pretty idea where things are - I may just have to dig a bit. The number of places things can be hiding is few! 

I have another errand for the shoemaker, and I needed these hooks to fix dog leashes—yes, Murphy's leashes. Notice that none of the issues are with Lexi—it's always Murphy. 

New swivel hooks

This broke from all her pulling, so I have new ones to replace the old ones. But I'm letting the shoemaker sew the leather back together. 

The broken swivel hook

I was going to cut the hardware off this beautiful leather shoulder strap from a briefcase I no longer own. The group convinced me to keep the strap and use it on a crossbody bag, so it's up for grabs if anyone wants it. Otherwise, it's with all my bag hardware. I should have put it with the briefcase when I gave that away. 

A leather bag strap

As part of my Monday repairs, I added a hanger to this lively artwork and hung it on the wall in Studio B. I believe I bought it over ten years ago in Newfoundland. And yes, it got shuffled in the office forever! Why? Now that I have the sawtooth hangers, it's easy to do these things. Now, I enjoy the picture whenever I turn the lights on or off, as it hangs just above the light switches. 

A "new" piece of artwork to enjoy

I walked to the doctor's office to discuss that bone density medication. Oh god—it pays to be precise. I told her I could not remember to take the once-a-week pill and asked if there was another solution. She said she could give me once a month, but would that be any better? I assured her I could take my pill when the dogs get their monthly meds. She quickly sent off the prescription to the pharmacy. 

Then she asked if I was having memory issues. WAIT A MINUTE! I meant to say that I'm not good at taking the pill at least 30 minutes BEFORE eating. OH -- she says - that's a whole different story! So, she canceled the first prescription and gave me another once-a-week pill that I could take with food. DUH!!! See how easy miscommunication can screw things up. And the memory question was a wake-up call. BE CLEAR!

That was totally my fault for not saying the EXACT reason why I was struggling to take that medication. All should be good. I can leave it on my desk and take the pill when I have breakfast on Sunday morning. Everybody is happy. 

Some people mentioned injections, and she said those are for more severe cases of bone density loss. I am nowhere near needing strong meds for that. So let's hope I've got everything in order and get a new test in six months. 

It was such a glorious day. I was outside in my sweatshirt, and there was no need for a jacket. I had to walk past this series of three new buildings constructed simultaneously. Oh my—look at that double or triple-height room at the front of this building. 

That's one huge sun-filled room

You can't see from this picture, but I swear there is a basketball net at either end. Why would they waste a fantastic space with a basketball court? I can imagine visibility issues with the ball? Well, I'm not sure - I guess I'll have to wait to see. 

Basketball nets at either end?

One of the other things Ali mentions in his book is pretending you have the confidence to do anything even if you don't. Oh my—I live by that almost every day. I'm a very shy and quiet person when I'm at home. Well, OK—if DH isn't home, I have a few wild chatting sessions with the dogs. However, I struggle to make new friends easily and have other confidence issues. 

But when I want - I can put on my confidence cloak, and I'm INVINCIBLE!!! How the heck do you think public speaking is so easy for me? My confidence cloak - without it, I would never venture on stage. And that fear of failure just doesn't exist in my vocabulary. If I "fail," it becomes a learning experience. It's a great book with lots of exciting concepts. 

My confidence was shattered the other day when we tried to solve one of the EXIT GAmes puzzles. It was a couple of days ago, and I had been running around and was exhausted. DH had found one of the numbers, but NEITHER of us pursued where to find the other two. Not actively, so we ended up looking at all three clues. DUH!!! It was such an easy solvable puzzle, and he had found the trick; we were just lazy. I was mad at ourselves for giving in. I won't go there - it was just maddening for me. So we didn't play the game for several days. Besides, he was out at dinner numerous evenings last week. 

So, two nights ago, we got back into the puzzle again. Oh my—we solved two glorious puzzles. But we could not have done it independently. Nope—DH has an idea, then I get an idea, and then back and forth it goes. 

Last night involved removing some of the puzzle pieces and using them to solve the clue. Good grief -- it was loads of fun, and YES - we got the correct answer. It took two tries, but we figured it out.

The EXIT game

I got more writing done and did a wee bit of decluttering. I have a few things to confess, but I've run out of time this morning. DH is sick, and if he gives that to me, I'm going to be mad! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The emotional side of decluttering

Oh my—what happened to yesterday? And now a brand new week starts! Did I get any sewing done? None! And quilting? None! 

So, while this decluttering is great, I have to learn to balance my time a bit, as I don't want to give up one for the other! 

Actually, a good/bad thing has happened because of this decluttering. I'm actually spending more time in the office on the computer! But I managed to get all the follow-ups completed and out the door yesterday. I have one document that I need to proof this morning before I send it out. And I did a smidgen of prep work for this coming weekend. Can it be true that I'm able to keep on top of the paperwork? Can my befuddled brain be a result of the mess in the office? 

I did some sewing the day before and finished my monthly commitment to the UFO club. 

My completed Christmas ornaments

I dug out a container with some Christmas ornaments that had been started but were still in progress. For some reason, I finished ONE - the cardinal and it was in the stash of finished items, which will have to be dealt with at some point. 

YES—I know the contrast between those trees and the background fabric isn't the best. I was a newbie when I started these. The backings were cut, the trees were paper-pieced, and the fronts were ready to be embellished. 

So, rather than sew beads on as per the pattern, I dug out some sequins. Guess what? I dug out that plastic bag of sequins that had floated around the house forever. Why? Because I had left it on the cutting table in preparation for this task. 

I used my sewing machine (Designer EPIC 3) to sew the sequins. Yep -- you have the tools - let's use them. The Designer EPIC3 and other HV sewing machines with built-in sequin stitches have a single sequin stitch. Try it out!!

Sewing sequins on with the Designer EPIC 3

Then, I cut the fronts using the mitten-shaped template, sewed the two sides together, and added the cuff. The last thing was to cut the shank off some large gold buttons and hot glue them to the top of the tree. And there they are - six more ornaments done! I'm going to work on another one of the designs this month. I think there are eight different images in the pattern. I'll work on them until they are done, and since there's a virtual retreat this coming weekend, this would be the perfect opportunity to putter with something small. 

You are going to get a chuckle out of this. So, where did that little container of sequins come from? 

The container of sequins

Notice there are needles and pins in there, as well as some odds and ends of floss. In all the years of moving that thing around and its being in a plastic bag, which wasn't practical, it never occurred to me where the sequins came from. 

But if you remember earlier this week, I repaired M's Christmas stocking. Then I put two and two together and realized the sequins and floss were from her stocking! OH MY GOSH!!!

M's Christmas stocking

I made that stocking for her when she was young; now she's closing in on 29. That was obviously in the days when I had zero clue about clutter. So the floss bits were tossed, the pins were put with the rest of the pins, although these pins look like crowbars, the needles are set aside to be put away. The sequins were put into a small tin and then into the drawer where they should have been stored many years ago. That's the drawer I search for when I'm looking for sequins. 

Yes - I think I'm getting the hang of this! 

But that reminds me of what's in some of those drawers and bins in Studio B. There is loads of stuff that I will never use—not just fabric. It doesn't need to be reorganized—it needs to go! But I'll get to that when I'm ready. I can't do everything all at once, so I'm so happy to have the luxury of time to clean up this mess. 

I've even given myself the task of perhaps getting rid of the four-drawer filing cabinet in the office. Yep -- I will see if I can get rid of ALL the paperwork. DH has a small two-drawer cabinet in his office, and I consulted him about it last night. Before I did that, I had a peek and found a file on M's car, which she hadn't owned in years! So I'm sure between the two of us, we can manage to keep what we need in that two-drawer file cabinet. Once the filing cabinet is gone from my office, I can use the pull-out filing drawer on my desk. Which can't be used because the filing cabinet is in the way. Does anyone want a four-drawer filing cabinet? It's free, or it's going to the curb! Look at me - I''m ready to toss the thing, and I still have three drawers to clean! 

And that desk drawer is another story. I should open it as far as possible and take a picture to show you what a professional organizer will "make" you do. It wasn't very practical, but to her credit, I may not have been ready then, yet I paid her to do stuff! She was a professional ORGANIZER, not a decluttering expert, although they should be both. 

I sorted through the pet folder while I waited for various things to happen while working at the computer. Good grief—how many rabies tags does one household need? I pulled them off the paperwork, and now I need to remove them from the plastic bags. YES—I know I could toss it all in the garbage, but the plastic is recyclable, so I'm trying to do my part. They used to hand out rabies tags, but thankfully, they no longer do. 

Just for the record, since I found the invoice, Miss Sparky left us in August 2015. I remember I was riding my bike with a group on the Greenbelt Tour and came home for one day so we could take her to the vet. I knew before I left that she wouldn't last long, and I was very happy that I could be there for her. It's always sad to lose a pet. Would it stop me from getting another one to experience the joy? No!

As this paper goes out of my life forever, it's important to document those important moments. I'm sure Sparky's end of life would be documented if I looked back in the blog to 2015. 

So, as I wait for files to load or to save, I'm going through the next folder of crap! Once this is done, I'll see what's left, but I might need your help to let go of some of this paper. Actually, there are some things I'd like to keep, such as invoices and authentication certificates for artwork. I'm sure there are a few more. But let's get rid of the garbage I know doesn't need to be kept. 

OH, DH lied to me. I asked him about a couple of blue filing boxes he had in his office. Perhaps I could use one temporarily while I finished my decluttering. He said they were under his desk and empty. I just checked - BOTH of them have crap in them. Hmmm --- we're going to have a chat this morning. I want ONE!!! It's TEMPORARY, and both boxes can go when we are finished with them. Oh my -- M will have a glorious time dealing with us when we're gone because there'll be ZERO paperwork except for our wills for her to deal with! I hope she appreciates all the time it's taking to clear the mess up! 

If you listen to Messie Condo, you'll realize that I've graduated to the really hard stuff—the paperwork with emotions attached. And I passed! I'm able to get over the emotion and toss what is really garbage. I mean, who needs bills from pets that haven't existed for almost ten years? But, like most things, it gets put away and forgotten. I'm itching to open those two blue boxes and the drawers in DH's office. I bet 3/4 at least could be tossed. Will he even notice? No - I'll let him do it! I should put them by the sofa so he has a job to do when he's watching TV. Yes -- that's what I'll do! 

So, if you think your house is neat and tidy and clutter-free, how much stuff is hidden behind closed doors that no longer needs to be there? That's the stuff that needs to be evaluated!

On that happy note, I'm on my way to spin class. 

Have a super productive day!!!

Ciao!!!! 

Can Artificial Intelligence write better than a human?

While not much was done in the decluttering world yesterday, I still have lots to share about the previous day. 

I spent a good part of yesterday writing a blog post. The subject matter was easy, but I struggled with it. It's one thing to pop off some writing that is just fluff - like in this blog. But when it comes to something a bit more technical, it needs to be written so it's straightforward and easy for others to understand. 

So I ran up and down the stairs to double-check facts on the sewing machine, and I almost wore out the User's Guide! I got the most recent post into a pretty good state last night, but I like to sleep on them and edit them with a clear head. I'm halfway through the find edit! Hopefully, it makes sense! Then, two more posts to write, and I'll be done with that set. 

Could I have used AI to write that post? I use Grammarly, which is a form of AI, and I find it helpful to tighten up sentences, punctuation, and especially spelling, although I do a lot of it myself. However, I find that AI wants to keep changing the sentence's meaning. 

Shoot—I can't think of a good example at the moment, but it often wants to put the qualifier in the WRONG place, so while technically the sentence is structurally correct, it doesn't make sense. Well, it might to some, but it's wrong! The next time it happens, I'll try to screen-capture it and show you. So I'll keep using Grammarly, and while I have a love/hate relationship with it sometimes, it works for me. 

What I'm finding with my writing is that it gets easier and easier the more I write. The sentences are easier and faster to edit, and I'm learning to be a better writer!

So, something very weird happened at our house last night! DH was out, and I was alone with the girls. Miss Lexi was being a pain. She would bang on the door to come in and then run away. It's like she wanted someone to come outside and play with her, and Murphy and I were busy. 

I shut the lights off on the main floor and was downstairs sewing. At one point, I heard Lexi bang on the door, so without turning on any lights, I came up and opened the back door. She didn't come in, and I immediately shut the door and returned to work. There's nothing like a UFO deadline to keep the midnight oil burning! 

When I came up for bed, I thought I'd try again to get her in. The light was on in the kitchen, and when I went to the door and opened it, I turned to look at the sofa, and Lexi was sleeping on it! WHAT? 

She must have tricked me, and in those few seconds when I opened the door, she popped in! It freaked me out because no one else was in the house! 

I have the two UFO Zooms this morning, and everything is prepped. See how calm I am these days! I have a busy week, five Zooms next weekend (lots of prep work), and the virtual retreat, so this week is going to be heads-down. I still have a lot of writing to do as well. 

But enough of that, let's have a look at what happened in the office. Some might say I need to work faster and stop shuffling papers from one place to another. Technically, you are right. However, this is MY decluttering journey, and I'm doing my best. I am "savoring" each piece of paper one last time before it permanently leaves the house. I am learning to let go so each decluttering task is subsequently easier, and I have the luxury of time. I'm also enjoying all the newly found free spaces, so yes - I could work faster, but at least I'm working at it! Baby steps, and before we know it -- all this paper will be gone. Will it be gone from your house? 

I have this shelf on my desktop, which takes up a lot of physical and visual space. Does it need to be there? I started investigating what was on the shelf. Hmm—a few knickknacks, which I'm choosing to keep. And only a little on the other two shelves. 

My cluttered desk

I opened this "book" and found ONE piece of paper. So now I have designated this box as my daily "to-do" box. It looks prettier on the desk than a ragged pile of paper. The trick is to train myself to open it daily to get some work done. 

The pretty "to-do" box

I removed the items from the shelf and then moved the shelf somewhere else. It's a temporary move, and eventually, I'll get rid of it. But imagine my shock when I moved the shelf to find this! A GOLD thread. I swear, those little bits of gold thread are like glitter! I've found them in many places! 

A gold thread

A quick digression, I have some Storage magazines. They are older, but that's OK. There are ideas in them. Do I need ideas? Even though these are dated, there might be a good idea or two to help me. 

Storage magazine

HOWEVER, organizing (storage) and decluttering are NOT THE SAME!!!! You should NEVER organize until the clutter is gone. Now there's a fine line there, but if I organize all my crap, it might look prettier, but it doesn't reduce what I have. And I "love" this quote I found in the magazine. 

Seriously? This is just wrong! 

Seriously???? Just shove the junk behind a door and call it a day? I think not!!! That is just being lazy, and you are buying pretty storage when you may not even need it!!! Or certainly not as much as you think. 

How often storage is a HUGE factor in remodeling the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room. And I get that there are some fantastic storage solutions these days. I'm all for compact, neat, and clutter-free. But I will NEVER rent or buy storage just to hide my clutter. I've been there (bought lots of pretty boxes), and I'll never do that again. I need to GET RID of the clutter. Then, I'll find a cute storage solution for what's left.  

I looked at these items that are supposed to "tame" the paper. None of those will tame the paper. They might hold the current month's mail or whatever, but if I don't learn to clean that out, any of those options will look like a disaster before the month is out! 

Storage items like these do NOT help the clutter

There was one good quote in the magazine. I should show this to DH. 

OK -- and now back to my situation. Wait -- two more things to "complain" about in the decluttering process. 

I purchased one small thing from Uline, and suddenly, I got this massive catalog in the mail. Seriously???? Why? I called them up and told them it was going in the recycling and to please remove me from any physical mailings they do. Let's see if that works. 

A recent catalog I received

Secondly, I totally get that putting things into a box makes them easier to ship, store on a shelf, and so on. This is a sheet set I recently purchased from Sleep Country. The boxes were NOT even on display—they were in the back room. The box is heavyweight cardboard with magnets to keep it closed. Why? That's just a waste of money. Shipping costs increase because of the weight of the box. And look - you can't even reuse it as it has holes in the top. 

A pretty box that is useless

I swear, we, as consumers, have to push back and start demanding that these companies pay more attention. I would have been perfectly happy with the sheets in a vacuum-sealed bag. Less space to ship, less weight, and what the heck am I supposed to do with this box with magnets in it? Cell phones and many other electronic devices are horrific for this excessive waste in packaging, and most of it is never on display. 

And now, back to the decluttering. But it's things like those above - if you don't make the phone calls or the emails to say NO, you'll continue to get the crap. 

Very early yesterday morning, I couldn't sleep, so I got up, and this is what I tackled. This is the bottom drawer of a four-drawer filing cabinet in the office. I can hear Messie Condo's words in my head every time I start to declutter. She said to get rid of the filing cabinet and go digital. Well, I'm not ready to do that yet, but we have to start. 

The bottom drawer of the file cabinet

I wasn't sure how much I could get done, so I grabbed a few folders. Oh, my—another bunch of maps from another bicycle show. So, help me if I pick up another free piece of literature at any show. That stuff should be banned. 

More tourist maps from a bike show

It's getting so easy to toss this stuff, although the amount of dust I'm stirring up is insane!!! 

Then I continued on and found a folder labeled (hey - the folders were all labeled!) sewing machines. Hmm - what's in here. 

WHAT?????? I found an invoice made out to me for a Janome quilting machine. I don't remember ever owning a Janome machine. What is this all about? I have no idea. I tossed the invoice in the shredding pile. The invoice was dated 2005. 

An invoice for a Janome sewing machine

OK—so I can see where I had a problem. How many old Quilt Canada class catalogues does one need to keep? The catalogs are gone, but there's more in that folder that I want to look through. I'm allowed to take my time!

CQA class catalogs

I found a whole pile of vet invoices for our previous two dogs. This is cute, Little Sammy. She was rescued and was a very vicious dog when she arrived. She never lost those tendencies (if startled), but she was the sweetest little girl ever. I still miss her today. 

Little Sammy

This was Sparky, also a rescue, and I miss her too. But I don't think I need to keep any of their paperwork. They have both been gone for close to ten years. I shouldn't tell you that their ashes are sitting in pretty little boxes in the living room, along with their pictures! 

Sparky

But this is what happens to our crap that gets shoved in a drawer or put behind a cupboard door. It gets forgotten. So you MUST constantly clean and sort to avoid letting this happen. Trust me, it will take just a few minutes in any area when you have less. 

I still have to go through that folder as well. 

This is what's left of the files in the bottom drawer. And I know I can reduce that by at least 50%, if not more. Decluttering is like editing for me. I can't do everything in the first pass; I need to go back. And when you start saying, "I need to keep that too often," you know it's time to take a break. 

What's left of the files in the bottom drawer

I'm going to try to go through a few more folders today. Once I get going and have a clear head, I'm good. Imagine someone doing this in one day? I'd go mad!!! Do yourself and your kids a favor -- I KNOW ( do NOT deny) that you have loads of this crap in your drawers and doors. So get busy!!!

I laughed when I saw this. M must have been young, but she started a paper trail. The label is gone! 

The start of M's paper trail in life

I found three folders she might be interested in (report cards being one of them). I do NOT need to keep them, so they are now with her boxes of stuff so she can deal with it when she's here. 

At the end of the session, I had to empty the recycling, including the pile on the floor, and the shredding box is filling up. 

The recycling is full again!

So, what happened to that shelf? I moved it to the desk. I took all the "current" paper, and it's now in nine piles. YES - I know I just moved it, but this looks more manageable than three huge piles. And see - there's still room in front to sort or work! Not a lot, but there's room! 

The shelf became a sorter

I emptied the hanging folders out of the filing cabinet and kept half of them. Do schools use hanging files? If not, they go in the donation box. I pulled a few other things, which I have to deal with today. Now, I feel I can comfortably take 20 minutes every day (at least) and actually make progress. 

A few things to sort out today

I checked the other three drawers in the cabinet, and while there isn't a lot of stuff, they are full. So, one by one, I'll pick them off. I'm so excited about my progress. Even if I stopped today, which I won't, I'm leaps and bounds ahead of where I was just a few short weeks ago. 

Yahooo!!!!! And once all the dust settles, it'll be pleasant to work here. I have a plan for the desktop, which you have to wait to see. 

On that note, I'd better get the girls out for their walks. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

PS -- Here's an example of what Grammarly did with one of the sentences. They are NOT the same! 

Here's the original: 

And here's Gammaly's suggestion: 

Decluttering is FUN!!!!

I'm going to have to change my blog from quilt-focused to decluttering-focused. 

I'm obsessed and can't open any drawer or door without looking at the contents and thinking I need to get rid of something. And if you do little bits at a time, it takes little time. 

So, while I prepped and wrote, I spent the morning doing something else. I've already been up very early and made some exciting changes in the office, which you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see as there's too much already for today. 

But let's say that I'm super excited. 

It all started because I needed a lightbulb. Lightbulbs have a habit of burning out and must be replaced. The lightbulbs are stored in a box on a shelf in the laundry room. I opened the doors and extracted the box; this is what else is in that cupboard. What a hodgepodge of stuff, and so hard to reach over the dryer. 

The contents of a cupboard in the laundry room

There's the box of lightbulbs that I removed. How many spare lightbulbs does one house need? 

A box of lightbulbs

There were a lot of cans of spray paint on that shelf, some ant and wasp spray (which we use), wood glue (two bottles because I couldn't find it and had to buy a new one), and THREE cans of WD-40—probably the same thing happened but twice. 

All those items are now on the bottom shelf where they are easier to reach without a stool, except for the one can of bug spray, which is too tall for the bottom shelf. I think we can live with this, and now the only things on that shelf are things we use. However, if you know someone who wants a can or two of WD40, they are up for grabs, or even the wood glue. I only need one of each! I hate throwing them out and can't donate them, so if you know someone who can use them, great. If not, I may put the extras in the hazardous waste. In the "before" photo, stuff was right to the back of the cupboard. Now, the stuff just sits along the front edge. There is nothing in behind. I think I've died and gone to heaven. OH - U did move things a little bit so I could return the box of lightbulbs to this shelf. 

The after of the laundry room cupboard

I also found lightbulbs for lights we no longer own. And a scented thing to put on a lightbulb? Both are gone. 

Odd things I found

Also, in the lightbulb box and that same cupboard, I found these: a mass of extension cords. Good grief—how many does one household need? 

Extension cords

I have my heavy-duty ones in the basement, stored in a box, so I wrapped these all up and kept ONE. The rest are in the donation box. 

All tidied up

There is a light fixture in the office that takes three bulbs, but only one was still working, and it was a low-wattage bulb, so when that light was on, it was dark and depressing in this room. 

So I added a second one, and WOW—it's like daytime in here, and it makes the place feel so much better. 

What a difference a lightbulb can make

The lightbulb I originally intended to change never got changed, but new bulbs went in the lights over the garage and this lamp, so all is good! I'll try to remember to change the one in the bathroom later today! 

But there was much to be done in the office. OH -- here's the other thing about my new decluttering habits. In the past, I would have pulled those extension cords out, and they would have sat for days before I tackled them, but they have already been dealt with. There's no time to leave crap lying around - deal with it NOW! 

I was tired of seeing DH's basket of medical stuff on the kitchen table. It needs to be there, but it could be in a nicer container. I had emptied this box the other day from the office, and it was sitting here empty. Guess what? All his stuff fits like a charm, and it looks much nicer on the table! 

A pretty box can hide essentials

Also, I found two tape dispensers and rolls of tape in that cupboard. One of the dispensers doesn't work well, and I didn't take the time to find out which one. I have a drawer of tape in the basement, so it all got relegated to the basket from the meds. It is now downstairs, so I can keep all the "like" things together! This may find another home, but for the moment, it's downstairs. 

All the tape we own

I'm stunned at how much tape I have, how many lightbulbs there are, etc. You go to the store and buy because you think you don't have it, and then when you start sorting, you realize you might never have to buy tape again! Unless I'm moving. But there will be so few boxes to seal that I might be good! 

I also cleaned out several CDs, so the stack is getting smaller, and I'll be glad to remove that box from the table. I found a recovery disk with data from 2008. I don't think I will need that, so it and others went in the garbage. I found one disk with photos on it, which were transferred to the external hard disk. 

Can you imagine someone else doing this? They would just toss everything, and rightly so. This is MY mess, and ONLY I AM RESPONSIBLE for it. So it makes sense that I should be responsible for cleaning it up! That's how most of us were raised, and that's how we raised our children, right? 

Data from 2008

As I mentioned, lots more happened here, but I'll share that with you tomorrow. Again, these little memes are supposed to be funny, but they are not! We need to deal with this stuff NOW. 

I'm unsure if this boost in the office came from finally talking myself into getting it done or listening to Messie Condo's book TWICE. But she sure puts a perspective on things. As you hold something in your hand, I can hear her words, and I think—what the heck am I keeping this for? Recycling or garbage! 

Again, I can't reiterate enough the calm I'm feeling because I'm finally taking charge of this mess. I feel invincible and can do anything, and I CAN!!! 

I love this quote - it goes with my philosophy about learning. You can never learn too much. 

So, Miss Lexi is terribly traumatized by Murphy. Although they play together in the morning when I put my shoes on, something terrible happened in the kitchen that day. Last night, when we were eating pizza and OK—so we give them some of the crusts to munch on—Lexi wouldn't even come near the kitchen. Murphy sat patiently, but Lexi, who usually sits under the table, was hiding in her kennel. No coaxing would bring her out. 

It seems obvious that their fight was about food, but there was nothing specific that we could see unless DH was lying. He was heating up his dinner when the fight broke out. Poor Lexi—she is getting lots of extra love these days, and hopefully, she'll come out of her shell. But her behavior is bizarre. 

She likes to be outside when Murphy is not, and I felt sorry for her as she curled up on the deck. It was NOT cold, and she's a Husky - the weather is just fine for her. 

Happy to be outside ALONE!

We usually have a mat outside the backdoor, but it had to be thrown out when the glass tabletop shattered, leaving shards on the mat. So I went to the mall and bought her a new one. 

Lexi's new mat

She immediately lay down on it, so I think she missed it! 

You have heard of porch pirates—they steal delivered packages from people's front steps. Knock on wood, but we've never had that issue. Our front door is somewhat sheltered, and the step is high, so anything small isn't noticeable. But look at this!!!

A porch pirate dream

I'm standing on the sidewalk, and just a few feet away is the delivered package. The delivery person couldn't even be bothered to wing it up to the front door. It's in a bubble wrapper, so it would have been fine. That's an invitation to take it! I did not, but I'm just saying! 

As we get older, I find it easy to bruise my fingers. You grasp something weird or too tight, and you get a twinge and a bit of a bruise. Yesterday, I was just leaving the house with Murphy and holding her leash. She was not tugging hard, but I felt this twinge in my hand, and before I knew it, I had swelling, and a large bruise had developed by the end of the day. 

Ouch

Good grief - it even spread to the insides of my two fingers. 

While it didn't really hurt, it was uncomfortable for a bit, and today, it's just fine, although the bruise is still there. It's one of those aging things, I suppose. I just have to be careful, as I need my hands! 

When I was at the mall, it was about 3:15, and Santa was coming at 4! People were getting ready—I did not wait! 

Getting ready for Santa

I got a little behind in my writing because of what happened in the morning, but that's OK. I've got time. I just need to set that timer for 20 minutes and attack, then stop. It used to take me a while to get started, now when I start, I can't stop! But that's OK - I'll eventually run out of things to sort, and I'll be twiddling my thumbs! I doubt that very much! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here. I have two Zooms tomorrow and nothing today, so I should be able to accomplish lots! 

Have fun with the decluttering process. I have convinced myself that it's fun. Here is another sobering fact about clutter—the amount of dirt and dust I uncover is UNBELIEVABLE. Think of all that dust going into your lungs. It just feels dirty, so I've been dusting away, and things are looking much better. 

Well, I"m off. 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!