Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

The daily PWYC thread, where we gather to keep in touch, keep accountable and keep motivating each other.
blessedw2
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Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby blessedw2 » Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:00 pm

Oh my gosh I’ve hit a wall - I need to ignore my lack of push and get back on my routines or paper work
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Twins' Mom
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Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby Twins' Mom » Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:13 pm

How did I sleep another 1.25 hours?
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better [wo]man. Ben Franklin

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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:53 pm

Yay!!!! Twins' body is getting the rest it needs!

I just finished cleaning supplies. I'm confused. (And no it isn't from fumes!)

I did not toss out anything except a small container of lighter fluid which I had been keeping as a cleaning solvent. Never used it, no idea where it came from but I'm assuming my Dad's.

Yet.... I had enough leftover room in the broom closet to move the shoe polish box over to the broom closet from the useless cupboard in the laundry room (it is useless because no laundry cleaning products will fit - it has two shelves, each 8" high, my shortest laundry cleaner, a small bottle of fine washable soap, is 9.5" tall.) I also store my vases, fancy canning jars (for crafts), silver polish and my backup bottles of vitamins in there. I've been able to rearrange things in there and the vitamins are no longer a mishmash in a box that has to be pulled down in order to find the one we need. And, at a glance, I can see what I need to buy to stock up.

Even having moved more into the broom closet, everything easier to identify and pull down. I grouped like-with-like and that means I pull down one plastic tray and all furniture polish/cleaner is on the tray. Same with floor wood cleaner, and bug sprays.

With both spots I keep walking by and opening them just to look at how neat they are!

I used a magic eraser on the top of washer and will use car polish on it next to help protect it. When I pile bags of things from the freezer on it, the colour sometimes transfers, leaving the washer looking scratched.

Next, I'll start my dinner. It takes 40 minutes to cook so I hope to get the front hall secretary's drawer and desk cubbies cleaned out. They shouldn't take long, I organized them when I did the hats and mitts (the other two drawers in that secretary) but I didn't do the spark joy bit on everything. I was in there last week because there are games stored in there (the kind I can grab and toss in my purse so the family has something to do while waiting at a restaurant when traveling.) I also did part of it when I did purses (I store some small purses there to grab if I need something dressier than my everyday purse.)

I've been cleaning as I go, as well, my bathroom cupboard and under sink area have been cleaned as well as tidied. Same with the broom closet and laundry room cupboard.

LadyM: I'm enjoying this process now that I'm getting to the end of the seemingly endless komono (miscellaneous) category. I've been working on that (plus papers) for 5 months now. The first step in Konmari is to develop a vision of what your life should look like. You hold that vision while you work because, if the spark-joy question isn't appropriate, (do these rain pants spark joy? No!) it can help guide you on what to keep and what to send out into the world (the rain pants mean I'll go out on a stormy day so I'll keep them.)

My vision is for my home to support my mission in life. At the moment, my mission is shifting away from refugee work towards helping young adults build community. In order to have the energy for that, my home has to support me by being easy to maintain, not distracting, giving me energy through its joyful (to me) objects, lend itself to hospitality, and help me get the restful sleep I need.

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Nancy
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Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby Nancy » Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:26 pm

Felt rather puny this afternoon. Took it easy.
Sheets are back on the bedl
I swept the loft area again on the shed.
Last edited by Nancy on Wed Jun 12, 2019 8:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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LadyMaverick
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Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby LadyMaverick » Wed Jun 12, 2019 8:05 pm

Nancy - BWTG on your shed painting project! (((Hugs))) I hope you feel better soon.

Those 3 accomplished.

DS10 went to the kids' church program. DD just picked up DGD8.

The last 2 nights I have slept 11 hours and 9 hours. My body must be fighting off something for me to sleep that much.

I've got everything I wanted to get done today so I'm going to kick my feet up.
1. Know what you want.
2. Go after it relentlessly.

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Harmony
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Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby Harmony » Wed Jun 12, 2019 8:09 pm

The thing about KonMari that doesn't fit with me is how she puts like things from all over together and pares down the amount. She advises us to keep all the like things in one place, all together, not based on where the items are being used. My house is a long walk from one end to the other. I have scissors in 6 places because those are the places they get used.

Also, she describes the typical Japanese house. I suspect rooms are small and look very minimalist. But they have one small room which is set up as a big huge closet where all the family's stuff is kept. In this scenario, of course everything should be gathered in one spot. So, though I didn't find a lot of what she advises to suit me, she was interesting to read and a bit motivating. I find just about everybody's system motivating. I also think she's ocd. Her book didn't sound like she lived with anybody else besides herself, she talked about no children, husband, pets.

And some of what she talked about was really odd. Not going out for recess in grade school, staying inside all the time to "tidy up". What child does that? She also described gaps in her family relationships growing up and a need to be perfect, and her feeling of being ignored. Another oddity: she washes her dishes and puts them out in something on her balcony so the "mess" won't be inside till they dry. I'd have bugs on mine!

Oh, well, to each his own. She sure has made a name for herself and a good living with her system. I suspect people are just longing for a sense of order around them and she speaks to that.

Elizabeth, somebody better tell all the cats to never grab / eat a mouse!

Today I went to bank, supermarket, gas station. Made dinner, did laundry, ran the dishwasher. Patched up DH who came home with a gash out of his ear which was bleeding all over the place. He bumped his head into a shelf that was sticking out right by a doorway. He says he cut off the corner of that shelf! With his health history and meds, he bleeds something awful with the least little scratch. Ever try to put a gauze bandage over the outside part of your ear? Not the lobe, the top part. Not the easiest place to cover!

Ok, have a nice night.

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Nancy
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Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby Nancy » Wed Jun 12, 2019 9:11 pm

When I am done painting the shed, I need to kon marie the planting containers. I have the trash cans out there ready for the task soon as it cools off a bit.
We are discussing expanding it possibly needs better siding, and some interior walls I am considering options.

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Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby CathyS » Wed Jun 12, 2019 9:51 pm

When Marie Kondo wrote the first 2 books, she wasn't married and didn't have children. Now she is married with at least one child. Also, I have heard that in Japanese schools, there aren't any janitors to clean. The students do the tidying and cleaning to teach them how to tidy up and clean up after themselves. There is at least 1 more book coming out and it has to do with cleaning with children.
Dishes never stop.
Laundry never stops.
Paper never stops.

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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:48 pm

Harmony: I agree with not storing all like-with-like when things are used around the house. I have 5 pairs of scissors through-out the apartment and each desk has a set of items you'd expect (rulers, paper clips, pens, pads, etc.)

But for the Konmari process you bring everything into one spot so you can see all that you have. In a way it is shock therapy. It certainly means I'm not tempted to buy more of anything at the moment!

The way you use your home changes, so putting all the sewing stuff on the table and then sorting made me realize I didn't need a mending kit in the bedroom anymore. I did when it was 2 flights from the bedroom to the sewing room, but now it is just down the hall. The same with a lot of my cleaning stuff - there's only one vacuum now (instead of 2 to save having to carry it up and down stairs.) Japanese homes just aren't as big as ours are so some of her advice didn't work in North America. The TV show goes a long way to adjusting it for North America.

Dh's argument is if we have room for it why do we have to get rid of anything? Kondo would say, why keep something that doesn't bring you joy? Feng Shui also says that you need to have breathing room for your things so the energy can flow through your home and not get trapped and stale.

Or you can look at it from a blessings point of view as Flylady does. If you aren't using something, donate it so it can be a blessing to someone else. Marie Kondo just adds a gratitude element, thanking the item for its service to you before passing it along.

I literally hugged my favourite sandals before tossing them in the garbage. They are 21 years old and falling apart but served a vital role and it was just this year that I found another pair I liked that could take over for them. But I was so thankful for those sandals and the many, many, adventures I had while wearing them that it was tempting, because I have room in the back of the closet where the dust bunnies gather, to keep them. Saying a heart felt thank you helped silence that temptation.

My mom's bed (thanked for the care and rest it offered her confused soul) is half in the car (rails are in, head & footboards have to be take downstairs - I'm thinking maybe out through the front door will be easier) and the carpet is in the car. There should be room for dd's items I'm giving to her, and ds's lawn chair is also in the car. My little car sure holds a lot! I'm not sure when I'll be dropping off the bed and carpet but I decided to get the car loaded so I could do it tomorrow while I'm in that area of town. Or Friday if I'm at the accountant's. That will make Saturday easier for me.

I've also emailed the accountant to ask when she needs me to visit (she, too, is in the same neighbourhood.)

The front hall secretary is sorted out (just tossed out a couple of clips, as I thought, I've touched everything else except the sentimental items in the past 4 months) and I've emailed dd about my bug spray (which I keep there, along with sunscreen, so I can put some on before walking out the door.) Because of our trips to the Asian Pacific jungles and Africa, we have some heavy duty stuff that dd's shocked we have. So I let her know I was only bringing the lower concentration stuff so she'd stop panicking. It is black fly season so I've also packed my bug face nets. One for me, one for dgs. I'm missing at least one which I'm hoping dh has with him.

It is long past my bedtime so I'm off to bed now. Tomorrow I hope to get the bike stuff done before I head out to meet my friend for breakfast. But maybe not, I'm never fast moving in the morning.

MadHouseWitch

Re: Watcha doin' Wednesday PWYC

Postby MadHouseWitch » Wed Jun 12, 2019 11:23 pm

The KM method HELPS at TIMES for me, like with this PILE of jewelry I just worked through! I don't love it? then why keep it, was it a gift? it did the job, I DON'T have to keep it if I don't wear it! it is freeing on SOME areas.... However it is when I get to kitchen that we fight. And Komono is nearly EVERYTHING in my home LOL. YES, I really DO need the 4 sets of measuring cups... because I bake, and holidays are a thing, and no one wants water in the flour measure, they are not clutter to me HAHA. Seasonal pans and such are things I like to have.

Emptying my purse every night is a recipe for me forgetting an important thing that is supposed to live in my purse
my shampoo enjoys living in my shower hahaha

even though I had much yelling over the folding I still fold my clothes this way. I like the file not pile BUT I don't like how it is to put them away unless the drawer is empty. I've been debating letting that folding thing GO! Because, I've been doing it QUITE a while and that folds have not got any easier, but my old fold seems sloppy now, and they don't fit in the drawers as well

I wonder how much got lost in translation, and I wonder how much is like... "eccentric" "quirks" that might have been/could be helped with Therapy. Simply because she shares that she felt lonely, and basically worked to make herself useful in the home. She has made a great business out of it so more power to her. (speculation I am not a therapist)

I feel like most the BO who end up with kids who "just help because they are used to it" really just got blessed with BO kids! Because we are familiar with a story about kids who's mom DID the right things... and they still had a pigpen! ;)

There are good tools there, but I also really don't like the "once and done" thinking, that is not how life works In my experience! I'm pretty sure she means that it is the same level of the declutter but STILL you do have to maintain!

TO ME most of the TIDY steps are things that you do when you have loads of time on your hands... and I say this after trying to do some of them for years HAHAHA

Ive gained a lot from trying to KM but some things just don't spark joy


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