Monday, April 19, 2021

Feeling Good Monday and the Weekend Recap

      It was not an exciting weekend but a pretty good one, all things in the world considered. The weather was a nice mix of sun and clouds, and I got some outdoor stuff done, plus some insider things. Despite not commuting, I really was sad to see the weekend end. But in the spirit of not letting Mondays being a downer, but rather a day to jump start my physical and mental well being, I'm turning attention to organization and clutter busting. 

     Saturday was a good day in that I ventured to the church garage sale and to a downsizing sale and scored a few things I shared in yesterday's post. The comments were great-thank you all, and for the  fuel to give myself a challenge to purge 2-3 things with any single new item I bring into my house. That, along with going to a downsizing sale where what looked like a families entire life up for sale, made me really think about using whatever years we have in this house to take a month to month, year to year approach to purge and down size while we are still living here. When my parents moved from the country into their town home, it was a huge purging process. Likewise when my in-laws sold their 1800's house to move into a townhouse, which actually, was bigger square footage wise than their house. 

     Unfortunately, my in-laws filled probably 500 square feet of storage with shelves and shelves of more stuff, and  my MIL has stuff-bric a brac, too much furniture, and closets bursting in every room. When she decides or is forced to leave this large place, it will be weeks of work. I am grateful my parents did not add back to their town house anything they didn't need or was precious to them. DH takes after his parents, and in a messy way, without an extra 500 square feet of storage. This means his too much stuff, our too much stuff, spills into living area. That needs to get sorted over the next year. 

     I'm pleased, and feel a tinge guilty that of what I bought over the weekend, none is my clutter. The guilt comes from buying a couple things my daughter might feel is clutter-but with good reason. Here's the items:


  • Floor lamp: This was still in the box, with the packaging material in place. It is so basic that she could use  in either her living room, currently just an overhead light, or bedroom, same thing. If she doesn't want it, we can use at the lake as we only have an overhead light in our  bedroom, which I learned spending a week there when it gets darker early, was not great for  evening reading. I'd prefer a nightstand lamp but the floor lamp will do if it is not used elsewhere.
  • Santa ceramic cookie plate: Oh come on, he's cute, and couldn't be left behind! Again, boght with my daughter in mind as she is a good baker and brings treats places and I don't think she has anything like this in the stuff she acquired from her grandma. If she end sup not wanting it, I will just put with my stuff, as I love a good cookie plate-but then, will need to find two-three items to purge. 
  • Olive Oil/Salad Dressing decanter: She makes a delicious copycat of the Trader Joe's Goddess salad dressing. I thought it deserved a pretty container for when she serves form her table.  If she doesn't want, this will get redonated.  

  • Gap, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Cabi Jeans: The Gap jeans are $63 ratila, GVB-sale of $17 at Kohls, and Cabi jean $123 form their site, and on E-Bay, going for over $20. If the girls do not want, this could be good stock to start a little E-Bay  hustle. 


     Saturday night was homemade pizza night and this lovely thing was made in my kitchen. I made the crust using the same no knead French bread dough, and also baked a loaf of bread with half the dough. The crust was so easy and tastier than flat bread, though need to plan a few hours in advance which isn't needed with the flatbread dough. 



     Sunday we had an ambitious morning getting some cleaning done, ran a few errands, and I spent the rest planting seeds and repotting monster plant. We got to enjoy our youngests  concert via streaming, and ended the day with  reheated leftovers. I like a no cook end to the weekend. As I move into my clutter gone mode, I'll try and challenge myself to not just the  one thing in, 2-3 out, but also in a regular sweep of all things in all rooms. Long time readers may eye roll now as you have read this before. So that was my weekend and where I think I am heading into the week. How about your weekend? 

22 comments:

  1. I bet you are dreading when you MIL goes. My mom was such a hoarder, it was painful to watch her have to part with her stuff. Hubby has a tendency to hold onto things, but my sewing stuff is overboard so I don't complain too much. Happy you had a nice weekend. Wish I could see the streaming of your daughter's concerts. I miss those days.

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    1. When they moved form their old house, they were both only 60, and both of them. I think we will need to just have someone come in and price and move things. With my husband it is duplicates of things-because he is so unorganized he can't find what he needs. And then paperwork-he horads old documents and they are on top of us.

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  2. Sounds like a great weekend!
    Your pizza looks delicious! Great deals on the jeans and lamp, and the Santa cookie plate is so cute. He definitely needed a home.

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    1. I think I did well-hope the jeans work for my girls.

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  3. I don't think I've see you mention but do you have a garage? Here in Florida there are no basements so the garages become storage units LOL. I vowed to not be that way and can fit my car in- 2 might be questionable LOL. I am constantly getting rid of things and still have too much. My family knows I only want disposable things as gifts unless I specify something- I wanted an inexpensive food processor and DS bought me one for my birthday- but gifts are usually flowers, books I then donate or something useful like Pyrex glass containers. My old church had yearly big sales- I helped several times. Before Covid, I used to browse in a thrift store for books but I haven't been back yet.

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    1. We do have a garage-which is in total chaos. We actually have very little storage in our house-just a laundry/utility rom and pretty much all other rooms are living space. Sadly though the spare room and older daughters room have been collecting stuff and it all needs to go.

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  4. Hi Sam, I think that it is easy to get carried away with getting rid of stuff. If it means something to you then you should keep it, always of course barring the situation that it is piled to the ceiling. About "eventually", perhaps it is best to concentrate that activity over a short period of time, when most of the decisions (e.g. whether to keep a high school yearbook) will be much easier anyway.
    --Jim

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    1. It's things that have no sentimental value that are taking over. I can handle yearbooks, phot albums etc. It's the clutter and stuff we've gotten from other people that we don't use and don't need we need to pair down.

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  5. Eye rolling over here - just kidding Sam. Good luck with your decluttering, you can do it! :)

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    1. Yes-I know. I'm always saying I'm going to declutter and do not seem to make progress. The downsizing sale was a wake up call.

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  6. Nothing wrong with re-committing to a goal, so what if you already mentioned it? :) I have a regular calendar reminder on the computer for my husband and I to do "One" every Saturday. One what? One shelf, one drawer, one cupboard. Just one. I cannot do the entire kitchen, but I can clean out one cupboard and purge the stuff we don't use, don't like, don't want. It's quick, easy and satisfying when done. If you feel like doing one more, go for it, but hey, you can also stop at one. It's better than doing nothing and getting stuck with all this stuff. We pack/box things up as we go, and when we have enough boxes, we drop them off at a donation bin. This is in the "real" world, however, and it's all on hold right now due to the freakin' pandemic!

    I've been grateful to my mom for doing this same kind of regular clearing out - she is in a 2-bedroom + den house on her own and has been working on one room at a time, to make sure I won't have to deal with a massive amount of stuff when she has to move or passes away. Not that either of us expects those to happen any time soon, but we're both realists.

    Have a good week!

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    1. My kids do not deserve to have to handle our clutter-so I owe it to them to start now. I like your strategy-that's what I did this weekend, and will keep going.

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  7. My parents collected so much stuff. When my mother died, a couple of years after my dad, I just couldn't face all the sorting so I just piled stuff in my basement. That was 7 years ago...one of these years I'll deal with it! Your pizza looks delicious, by the way. I need to try that no knead bread! Celie

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    1. That was what happened when his parent smoved 20 years ago-stuff she saved for him, came to our house. It's still in boxes stored. He didn't save it-she did!

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  8. I am reading this and realized I just ordered 2 new pairs of shoes. I am getting rid of 2 pairs and two other clothing items as part of my acquire/purge pact.

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    1. I think the two for one is a good trade, and surely will help clutter. I need to do 2-4 to 0 to get more gone though!

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  9. I don't think your daughter will be "upset" about receiving that Santa cookie plate. I love it!

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    1. She did love the plate and the Olive oil salad dressing jars. The jeans fit her perfectly (nice to be a slim gal and have options in garage sales!) She was a question mark on the lamp, but if no, I'll use a t lake.

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  10. I live to declutter. :-) I gave away a bean bag, a pair of (new) fuzzy socks, two bottles of jewelry cleaner, 5 kids shirts, an adult coloring book, and a bee habitat yesterday. Felt great to get them out of the house.

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    1. Winning strategies to get things gone! I ma going to create a donate bin with nice new items, but just not needed and add to the holiday season donations. Our family service does such a great job supporting families an helping them have nice holidays. The fuzzy socks and adult coloring book would be great additions.

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  11. I so enjoy reading your daily doings.
    Really, it gives me a smile.

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    1. As do yours! I take any smiles I can get from others.

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