April Appointments for Declutter and Organization, 2013

[Ivy]

DD sent a huge box of hats, scarves, and boas. She's decluttering, isn't wearing hats, but is wearing scarves. She sent me what she doesn't need, since I've made many of them for her. They smell of cigarette smoke, so I must wash them, but DH's and my jeans are in the 1st load of laundry. I'll baby step this process, will declutter my own hats/scarves as I go, to donate some more items to ARC, too. My head is aching from the smoke and I used to smoke, too, so it's odd to be smoke-free for over 16 years and "feel" this that I'm feeling when I used to be a smoker myself. It'll be nice to get my fragrant soap and dryer sheets smell in these lovely hats/scarves/boas. I didn't make all of these, but some I did. I had written her a letter asking for certain colors f hats back, since she'd mentioned not wearing them now. I'm so thrilled. She's an amazing career woman, is so busy with her life and for her to have shipped me the box, taking time out of her busy life, means more than words can say! I'm so fortunate to have a DD such as she. ♥

So I'll be decluttering today and slowly declutering books and papers, too. DH is at a funeral and will be gone 3 hours or more. I'm hoping I get a lot done before he returns.

[Ivy]

I got the hats all washed, folded, and put away in the front entry closet.

Today, I decluttered writing I was doing/going to do, which was on the dining room table. I dusted the GR8 room/dining/eating bar shelves and decluttered the eating bar shelves and redecorated things on them.

[Ivy]

I had to change out of my athletic bra, into a supportive regular bra, due to between-the-shoulders back pain. While changing into clothes, I slowly hung up all my clothes, which were laying across my DH's office chair at the end of the bed, to the side of the hope chest. He sits there to play XBOX-360 there, but is taking a break. (Baseball season now!) I feel so good about myself now, to have decluttered my chair pile of clothes. At least they were clean, laid out flat, and not dirty or wrinkled.

Another decluttering I did this a.m. was to put all the dirty clothes into the utility room with a towel and several washcloths.

I have plans to do more decluttering, too. I'll keep you posted on this continuing saga of mine, which never seems to end.

[Ivy]

I didn't exactly declutter, my end table, but I rearranged books on the top of it, so they're in order, look nicer and I can see the titles easier.

I've heard that "decluttering" is NOT moving things around, but it is getting RID of things and PURGING them out of the house! I don't know about that. What's the opinion of someone else? I just figure that tidying up clutter so you have order is also decluttering.

[Nancy]

I have a few things in a bag to donate next time I'm down town.

[Ivy]

I decluttered the dining room table, where I had work papers, files, and my writer's notebook. I decluttered around the DW by loading and running it! I did the eating bar, after I sorted mail, kept 1 letter to read, but purged the junk mail. I did the desk top where my laptop is, where I do my writing work, did the art table desk, where I keep pen palling items, labels, etc.. in the main office where DH has his computer. My files and shelves are in there, too.

I decided tonight, with DH's opinion, to get some mugs ready for my ARC donation, which I started shortly after their last pick-up. I need to go through cabinets to see if I have more items to donate, too.

DD (at her home) has been donating, decluttering, and organizing, too.

In Spring we sing
as we do that decluttering
thing.

[Nancy]

I've cleared the steps to the kitchen door so that is great progress some stuff had to go in the trash.

[Ivy]

Hi! This is sort of hard to explain, my decluttering and organization "chore" I'm doing right now. But I'll try to explain it. I took 5 sheets of binder paper, wrote down story titles, the names of the months issues they'd appear in or seasonal issues, and they I put the deadline date, per each story. I'm putting them in chronological order in Word, so I have all of my writing plans done from August's deadline through mid to late 2014.

Also, I'm finding that for the August issues, the deadline date is May 17, and I've got 5 stories listed in that section! So this list will take me into 2015, perhaps, which I'm counting on. So far, I've logged brief paragraphs, descritbing the story, characters' names, plots, etc... and I've written down 29 stories, from these 5 sheets both sides. I have 20 to go, just from these 5 sheets.

My next idea is to take loose 3 x 5 cards, steno pads, a notebook I have, files, etc.. where I have story titles, etc.. and to write them down on paper, and do the same thing I've done with these 5 sheets of paper. I don't "plan" on being done until Wed. the 17th. That's my goal date. It's hard work, because if I sit too long, I can get stiff or my arms start tingling from sitting with my elbows on my office armchair for too long. So baby stepping the project on and off throughout the day is what I'm doing, to make it easier on my body.

The other declutter project I'm doing is getting an ARC donation ready for pick-up on the 18th. So far, I have 2 boxes, am thinking of going through diet books, to add to the donation boxes, and maybe some crochet leaflets or other books.

Then, last night, there was a mouse's chewing on something in our bedroom! It only chews, when DH is snoring, so DH does NOT believe me when I tell him about the mouse chewing inside a bin, trying to make a bed, or whatever it is doing. He insists there is no mouse! I have a short bin under my bed with 2 Barbies and a boy doll with doll clothes, bought and crocheted, to check. Also, under our bed is a bin of wrapping papers. By the TV is a woven reeds chest, with a lid on it, full of nice cozy, warm, cushioned soft yarn! I bet the mouse is chewing on the reeds in that chest, trying to make a bed. DH won't believe me and ewe ick, I need to go through the yarn in the chest today, to "see" if there is any baby mice or a mouse nest. The cat has been acting funny at the end of the hall, running and licking her lips, so SHE must be after a little mouse! So my CAT would believe me!

So those are my declutter and organizing projects going on at my house this weekend and for a few days on into Wed./17. HAPPY DECLUTTERING AND ORGANIZING, EVERYBODY!

[Ivy]

I put all of the yarn, in the woven chest with the lid on it, into a large bag, realized the chest is also lined in heavy canvas and am very happy to report there are NO mouse beds or ANY evidence of mice being in there! DH is swearing up and down they're in the walls, which may be true! There is chewing on the wood or sheet rock, where pipes go between the shower and walk-in closet, between the master bathroom and main/guest bathroom walls/cabinets, where they're trying to get out. DH had put some wood into a space, to keep them out, so they can just chew away. They're not going to get in.

However, there is one tiny mouse, which gets in, but the cat catches it, plays with it, DH puts welding gloves on, and he and our cat catch it, to put it outdoors again. We don't have mouse turds ANYWHERE inside our home either. So this is good!

My story synopsis-es project is now down to 41 stories. I printed 12 pages of 39 stories and their ideas with deadlines, etc.. Now I'm working on another handwritten list of them, slowly, as to not overwhelm. I was beginning to feel weary and teary, for some reason. Some of the stories are so emotional and are tearjerkers, but end happily, so I get "attached" to my characters, as I express myself through their emotions. But that's a good thing, too.

[Ivy]

I've been slowly working on the ARC donation this evening. I'll be working on it from Mon. - Wed. and Wed. late, DH will put it on the covered porch since they need it out there starting at 7:15 a.m. Last time they came, I only donated 1 box, but this pick-up will be 4 - 6 boxes. I'm giving them some white marble bookends, with one which came unglued, so I'm sure someone can repair that one. They are hand bookends, in square cut edges for the fingers and thumb. Nice. I'm giving some candle stick holders, clothes, a purse, which is much to heavy for me to carry, even if it's empty. A stronger armed woman can carry it with no problem. I had shoulder surgery, so need to be careful about such things. I'm giving away tins for Christmas cookies because with my FM and arthritis it's too hard to bake oodles of cookies for the neighborhood and family now. We purchase baked goods in Dec. and it helps keep me less stressed over decorating and exhausting myself to no end. I'm sure they'll be very appreciated by some bakery cookie lady or man. I'm giving away old antique paper small cookbooks because many of the ingredients are no longer available and many people are collectors of such cookbooks now. I'm giving some red and white raffia straw for putting into gift baskets to make for Christmas or Valentine's Day. I cannot have gift baskets with handles out because my cat loves to chew on basket handles. She's 8 years old and loves to chew corners of baskets, books, tablets, and she should know better since she's not teething. She seems to love to chew things, which she smells the scent of my hands on them, too. I guess she must love me!

In closing, I'm enjoying getting my ARC donation together so much this time! I don't know why! Oh, I MUST go! Josh Groban's about to come on with his concert singing songs on his last CD, which I purchased with my b-day money in Jan. Well... Let's say I coerced DH to give me my $$ early, so I could pre-order it sooner. I love his voice (Josh's) and lyrics, the tunes, his energy and sincere kindness. He seems to be an awfully nice young man and yes! I'm a Grobanite through and through!