I want to keep that feeling alive, and apply it to other areas of my life. My house is the biggy. While we do need fixes and updates, giving a good spot shine to a lot of the areas is a my best value. I gave a good run down in my post Climbing a Mountain post last month. Besides my house and car, there has to be other areas to do a little spit and polish, bringing a new feeling of positive ownership.
My wardrobe is plentiful, but feels old and several items need hems, tightened buttons or replaced buttons. I need to carefully go through and find the clothes that fit me well and make sure they all are in good repair, ironed and hung properly. I'll only have a three day weekend now as something came up at work, but this seems like a good Sunday night task. I know there are some good make your own stain removers out there. I have a feeling on close inspection, I'll find some dullness or a spot here and there-coffee, a splatter from cooking that didn't get out, but might be small enough to not notice when I usually do my quick laundry and hang. I'm really not as slobby as this paragraph makes me sound-just drab.
I've been getting kitchen gadget and stuff envy again. All the home improvement adds and January sales show all these lovely new pots and pans, bake ware, and utensils. Here again, my kitchen is bursting, but I need to streamline what I have, not get more. My appliances all need a good nook and cranny cleanings, the oven to be self cleaned, and the coffee maker run with vinegar. If I get the stuff out that is not functional or used so seldom it is nothing more than clutter, I feel like the kitchen will feel like a place I want to be in, and want to cook in. That sounds like a good Monday project.
Basically in my next few month of thriftiness, focusing on what I already have and improving it is my plan. I've been more attentive to my pretty car, remembering to take water bottles and tissues out that end up in the door compartment. We have a gas station with free vacuums and I'll swing by to give her another cleaning. Who else is focusing more on maintaining and improving what you already have. Do you have any tips and ideas of where I might focus after my clothes and kitchen items?
When it comes to pots/I seem to remember reading an article some time ago--long before I had my own home. (Heloise, perhaps?) She said to take them all out, put them on the counters, and choose just four to keep handy, as with a regular cooktop, you could never use more than four and once anyway. I keep that in mind in my kitchen. The things I use regularly have prime real estate in my kitchen. I culled my kitchen a while back, and was ruthless about what I kept. Almost no plastic or non-stick bakeware made the cut, and duplicates were removed as well. (Do I really need two sets of measuring spoons?) I also got rid of kitschy coffee mugs/glassware, keeping only the things that match. By doing this, I didn't have to push my infrequently used items like my FGSVA attachment in hard to reach places.
ReplyDeleteThat is a useful tip. Why have it if I can't use it?
DeleteIt is so funny you should mention the kitchen. I did a big declutter of most of the kitchen cabinets this last weekend and I can't tell you how rejuvenated the kitchen feels. I was having blah feelings about cooking or even being in the kitchen and thinking maybe it was the pots/pans, etc. Nope, I think it was the extra stuff that was bogging the kitchen down--- skillets I never use, bakeware that never gets used, etc. I got rid of so much stuff and let me tell you my kitchen feels so much lighter and I love being in there now cooking and cleaning it up. I still have one drawer and one cabinet to go through and then the kitchen will be officially decluttered. I think my next project is going to be my closet and all the boxes of papers and stuff that is in there.
ReplyDeleteIf we stop making the everyday acts chores, like cooking, and do them in places of comfort, it will almost seem fun again. Don't even get me started on thinking about papers-DH is a paper hoarder, never throws and has a horrible filing system.
DeleteI really like this post. I definitely don't want to bring anything new into the house, but feel like it's drab here without all the pretty Christmas things. Maybe just a good deep clean is what we need. Spring cleaning in advance perhaps?
ReplyDeleteA good post holiday clean right down to the corners is in order here, plus some coats of pain, a little polish, and maybe I'll feel rejuvenated too.
DeleteMy car needs a detail, heck I need a detail.
ReplyDeleteI do as well My daughter helped color my hair, and now I need a cut, but I hope I keep my nooks and crannies clean!
DeleteI am in active decluttering mode here, but will confess those air fryers do make me take notice. I know I don't need one and we don't really eat fried food, so I have no clue why they fascinate me, but they do. My biggest cull in the kitchen was cookbooks. I rarely use them anymore, so why keep them? I took pictures of frequently used recipes, posted them in a photo folder I made, and got rid of 3/4 of the books.
ReplyDeleteLast year my mother in law bought us girls copper kettles-I still haven't used. This year, an Insta-pot, and it is still in the box. I use the same thigs so I know I do not need more stuff. If you get the air fryer though-tell me how French fires turn out!
DeleteWe are definitely focused on maintaining what we have, while making thoughtful improvements to our house. This year, that will hopefully mean finishing our trim & doors throughout the house. It's not cheap, & will be a $10k+ investment. But, from there, the house will at least be in solid order & look presentable. Is it what I want? Gosh, no. But, it would be all put back together & appear inviting. Every time I walk around, I see the missing trim & it's distracting.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have as much stuff, thanks to two moves. I am always on the lookout for things we don't need. We definitely have areas of the house that could use more attention (the garage)& the kitchen could use another pass through as well.
Favorite kitchen appliances: espresso maker, panini maker, blender (we have a vitamix), stand mixer & food processor. We have enough storage space for all, & use them all regularly.
I love your line, always on the look out for things we don't need! I need to borrow that one. It's not clutter if used regularly, but I have limited counter space and need to get rid of stuff in accessible prime real estate under my counters for the items that I now store downstairs in laundry room but would use more frequently if accessible like my Ninja which I use as both a blender and a sort of food processor.
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