Additional Clean Out

Cleaning out one area leads to another and another. I cleaned out and organized our linen closet as the boys got new bedding for Christmas. I then worked on my spice cabinet which was out of control and then my cookbooks.

The linen closet was actually the first project after Christmas that I undertook.

All the spices came out of the cabinet then were sorted by use. The right hand stack are the spices I use on a regular basis and then the middle stack occasionally and the left stack rarely.

This was a hard sort as I love cookbooks. I have a limited space for them so I narrowed it down to just the amount that would fit in that space. The others will be listed on Amazon so hopefully someone else can enjoy them.

Tackling Projects

In going through the project boxes I decided that the first one of the year that I am going to complete is a scrap quilt. There are several boxes of fabric that I have intended for years to use in a quilt. In addition to this fabric I decided a quilt would be a good way to use material from the boys old clothes that I am having a hard time parting with and are stained. This year is different in that instead of just boxing up the project and saying I will get to it I actually have started disassembling the boys clothes and cutting the triangles.

In addition to tackling this I am also back to making the belts and have orders for 3 so far!

Supplies

Finished Belt

Closet Clean Out

As part of my resolution to minimize our possessions I tackled my closet. There were a ton of items that I just did not like or did not fit anymore. I cleaned them out and sorted by size and condition. The t-shirts that had holes in them were sacked up for one of the farmers at the farmer's market to make sacks out of and then I listed a ton of them on my trade site and offer up.

All of the clothes from my closet

items that are seeking a new home

Next project is my dresser drawers, I think I will tackle those 1 at a time until the project is completed. Seeing an end in site is calming.

More Resolution Progress

#4 on the list also ties in with #1. I want to clean up the huge amount of books next to the bed. For me this means finally reading them and then either passing them on or putting them on the bookshelf as a permanent member of the house. Clark was super excited to help with this clean up and sorting.

I sorted them by genre and will start to tackle them as soon as I finish the last couple I checked out from the library. I really think I want to start with mystery first and then go from there.

These are the books that you will see show up on my reading log posts with some audios from the library thrown in!

Tackling The Resolutions

I really went full throttle tackling resolutions this year, at least #1 so far.  The #1 goal is to minimize our possessions, this really started as a way for me to limit the time I would need to spend cleaning up stuff.  It has continued because it is so calming to not have stuff coming out of every nook and cranny in the house. It helps the boys because all of their toys have a home and they know where they are. Of course we are not finished so not all of their toys have a home or fit where they should. I am letting them thin their own items as they want rather than just throwing their stuff away. In the past the pictures I am about to post would embarrass me but in the pursuit of truth on social media and honesty about what my world really looks like I am going to post them.

This is the original pile of stuff I culled from the house to get rid of. I had already started sorting this when I took this picture.

I sorted and hauled off 2 trunk loads to a thrift shop, gave 2 boxes to a charity offering beds to children in domestic violence situations. I sold some back to a local book store and dropped a bunch at a friend's who works with the homeless. I still have a bag of formals I want to donate to a charity helping with prom dresses for those who can not afford them and some work clothes from days when I had to wear business formal I want to donate to a charity getting people back into the workforce. There is a bag going to the farmer's market with me tomorrow I hope of old t-shirts with holes. One of the farmer's at the market turns them into reusable sacks for the produce. I have a sack that is going to the western wear resale shop and a ton went onto the trade page and offer up.

After tackling that stack I went after my project tower!

Each box represented a project I meant to get to but just had not yet. I started resorting and culling projects I was never going to get to.

This is the stack now. Most of the remaining boxes are paperwork and pictures that I need to deal with an will take more time. By the end of this year I want this all dealt with. I am not delusional thinking that I can get rid of all of these boxes but I want to pare it down to a "reasonable" amount. 

Resolutions for 2018

For 2018 I am working on the following:
1.) Minimizing our possessions
2.) Spend more time present with friends and family
3.) Finish the backyard and spend a huge amount of time out there with the boys.
4.) Read the stack of books next to my bed
5.) Hike more
6.) Bike ride a lot with the boys now that I have a helmet.

New Year on the Grocery Front

I usually have some grand plan on New Years but this time I am shying away from grandness. I am just working on minimizing our possessions and streamlining our routines. I want to spend as much time as possible outdoors this year.

As for our grocery bill I am still shooting for $300 a month with most of that being spent at the farmer's market. It has been great now that we are a regular at the market. The farmers save us back items and really share information with the kids. If I do not have Clark with me the farmer we buy carrots from and the cheese guy always ask me about him.  I am planning on putting in a garden again this year but with a simpler lifestyle I think I can spend more time tending it.

With all of this being said I will start posting pics and totals again Feb 1st!

New Year New Books! Jan 1st through Jan 11th

I am starting over on the book list. This year I am going to finish the last couple of library books I have checked out and other than audio I am determined to not start any more library books. I am going to tackle and hopefully finish ( at least mostly) this stack next to my bed.

They are divided by genre and I am trying to decide if I want to tackle one genre at a time or read one from each genre until I finish each category.



This year started with Sleep No More by PD James on audio. This one was a quick listen and I enjoyed most of the short stories. I have added this author to my need to read list so once the stack by the bed is complete I can check out more. Next up was The Child by Fiona Barton which I hurried to listen to as I was wait listed for months. I found the writing great but similar to The Widow. I figured out what happened before the big reveal and was happy I turned out to be correct.


In print I finished reading  Connection Parenting: Parenting through Connection Instead of Coercion, Through Love Instead of Fear by Pam Leo. At first I was not getting anything out of what the author was saying. As the chapters progressed I feel like I picked up some information that will help me parent the boys better.