Making smart buying decisions

If this week is indicative of the pace of retirement, I say bring it on! Having only two classes this coming weekend is the only urgent thing I'm dealing with. That's not true since I'm also writing, but the pace is manageable, and I have time to goof off if I want. I can deal with that. 

Well, this weather is helping, as I have no desire to stay outside and lounge in the gazebo. I could freeze to death if I did that! And it's not really going to warm up for weeks. That's OK—I have loads of work to do in the house. 

So, have you looked around your sewing space and contemplated the less-than-60-minute challenge? I don't care if the task takes you one minute or 59 minutes. The goal is to get something done! What did I do yesterday? 

I finished the T-shirt quilt. Remember, I had stitched the binding by machine, but I really should have stitched the corners by hand. So I did that. How long did that take? Maybe 5 minutes at the most. These are all very short, piddling jobs, but if they don't get done, the project sits on a table, taking up physical space and creating visual clutter. 

The binding corners are hand-stitched

I have many other almost finished projects that will take only a few minutes to tidy up. Then I'll have to get into some longer ones, but still, less than 60 minutes! Could there be a light at the end of the tunnel? I don't care how many games I must invent to make things happen—I just need to make them happen! It's only going to take three weeks to make this a habit. It's been three days—only 18 more to go! 

I quilted this quilt yesterday, and the next one is loaded to work on later this morning. It's even trimmed and almost ready for pickup! 

Customer quilt - DONE

I have to tell you a story about this quilt. It's called Blue's Clues. I ran a block of the month many years ago at one of the local guilds. I'm not sure of all the details, but there must have been at least 12 blocks in the public domain, and I wrote up instructions for them and handed them out each month. It was a pretty successful block of the month. Then I was asked to run it at another guild, so I did! 

Hmm—I think my version is quilted, but I ripped part of it out and need to redo the quilting because I didn't like it. Oh boy—that's a bit more than a 60-minute project, but it should be done! 

It's nice to see one more of those Blue's Clues quilts done! Oh yes -- I did a lot for the guilds I belonged to over the years, and that's why I'm done with guilds. The politics got too much, and no one truly appreciated the time I spent, and certainly NO ONE wanted change. Wait - that's a lie. Only a select few were dead set against any kind of change, and it was very frustrating. 

Don't you love that—coming from someone who says change is bad? I'm mostly kidding when I say that, as I appreciate change, but it's sometimes hard to cope with. So I get that change isn't for everyone, but if there are new ideas or better ways of doing something, at least try! If it doesn't work, then go back to the same old! 

That mentality is quite common in guilds or organizations, not just the ones I belonged to. 

I try to keep Studio B in tip-top shape as far as the floor goes, but the dirt and dust can creep up on you when you're not looking. This cordless vacuum, by Rowenta, is the BEST I've ever owned. I believe I won it at some event or bought it at a silent auction. It's amazing! But this morning, I had to empty the canister (long overdue) and then remove all the dog and human hair from the rollers. That was quite a job. 

But look at it—it's scary to vacuum in a darker space because it has lights in the front. If you thought there wasn't much lint or dog hair on the floor, think again! That light shows everything! Let's hope this vacuum lasts long because it's my favorite! I just cannot imagine how much crap is in a carpet. Thankfully, we have none!

My bionic cordless vacuum

OMG—I just went to see if Rowenta still makes that vacuum, and I got onto my "favorite" online site. Can you believe an ad popped up for something I saw in a video from one of the content creators I watch? It's for a pool cleaner—I don't even have a pool. That is creepy!!! I did not even search for that item. 

But about the vacuums, while I like the big Dyson I bought, I wish I had purchased a cordless one instead. I might do that, as this one is heavy to carry around the house. Or perhaps I buy a cordless one for upstairs! 

I had to take pictures of sewing machine feet in my little studio! It's the cutest thing, and I love it! 

My small photo shoot booth

I tricked Miss Murphy yesterday. I wrapped her ball and a few other toys in the blankets, but instead of taking the large blanket and plopping that on top, I wrapped it around the other ones. She was mystified and had to learn a new trick! 

MOM - something's different

Lexi is happy in her new bed, and that's all that counts! 

You saw a picture of fungi in the woods the other day. Look at this! Lexi's in the photo to give you an idea of scale! These look like wash basins—they are that big! 

MOM - what are these things? 

There are five stacked on top of each other

I do not think there has been enough time for these to grow this year; they must be remnants from last year, although fungi grow quickly. This is a dead tree in the forest, and it's covered in various fungi on all sides. Lexi was not impressed that we went off the beaten path to get pictures! Oh, the princess might get her feet muddy!

When it was time for my walk, I looked out the window to see that it was raining, so I dressed accordingly and took an umbrella. It was also windy, but really, it wasn't bad at all. I went to the mall and checked out four stores for what I needed. As you know, I've been considering replacing my FitBit since it's having issues. 

Several years ago, the heart rate feature stopped working. Then, recently, it stopped alerting me of a low battery, so it doesn't unexpectedly lose power; it just doesn't let me know when it needs to be charged. Technically, I could still use it; I would just have to become more aware of the battery level, and opening the app isn't a big deal. It's just one more thing to think of. 

I thought of the prices of the Smart watches (hundreds of dollars), and then I thought long and hard about two things. The battery life is about 40 hours! That is NOT a lot, and it will use lots of battery as it sends those text messages and phone calls to your watch. Then I thought about that -- do I care? I don't care - if someone wants me - send me a note and I'll get back to you WHEN I WANT. I do get some messages on my FitBit, but I'm not in the habit of checking it. So why would I spend all that money on something that isn't useful to me? 

I'm traveling this summer, and I won't have access to electricity for at least one week. That watch would die in two days, and I'd be unhappy. So, common sense prevailed, and I bought this. It's only an activity tracker - nothing smart about it! 

My new Galaxy Fit3

I could have bought the Fitbit version, as they are still making it, but I decided to switch brands (GASP!) and got the Samsung one. I bet the FitBit brand will be gone in a year or two as Google phases that brand out and focuses on its own, so why not switch now? 

I'll keep using this one and monitor the battery level for a while, but when I get tired of that, I'll fire up the new one! 

I'm still manually entering the data into the virtual challenges, and I just finished another one—The Great Barrier Reef. I laugh when I see this picture—it makes me think of the Cherrywood Challenge, although I did not use it as a reference. The colors are very similar! 

Finished another Virtual Challenge 

Here are the stats. 

Now I have the fun task of picking another challenge. I haven't really been paying attention to the stats other than plugging them in about every two weeks! My daily distance averages about 11.5 km, and that works for me. 

Did I mention the weather? It's 7 outside, but it feels like 4, and it's cloudy, wet, and windy. Yeah, the girls can't wait to go for their walk! I think it's raining as well. I even turned the furnace back on! 

On that exciting note, I'm out of here! When I'm back, I can have a nice cup of tea while editing on the computer. It's going to be a great day!

Think long and hard about those less than 60-minute projects. They might not even be in the sewing room, but in the kitchen or anywhere in your house. Just aim for one a day—get it over with and move on! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!