hi SubC,

I was just thinking about how I might like to build something, like a Lego kit (I have several of my kids') or some type of model. It does sound calming.

I went back to work today for 2 hours, came home for lunch and was so exhausted I fell asleep on the couch! Now I am coughing more. So I guess I went back too soon. But I have two days off plus Monday is a paid holiday, so that's good.

Hope to do some decluttering, slowly, tomorrow and add to the Tally.

hello, hello. it seems like ages since i've been here. glad to read and catch up with you all.

Lila, i am so sorry you've been sick. I hope some time of extra rest helps you feel stronger sooner. Thanks for continuing to work and post in spite of being sick. It is encouraging to hear about your long-term progress, esp. because I have had a dud week in regard to my mess. and thanks for the tips about the chat. I may have to check it out.

SubC, great to hear about your productive Tuesday. Wow, even clearing off the counter of doom! I can only dare to dream. You certainly deserve that creative Lego time. and congratulations for earlier scoring a nicer cart at school and I'm wondering if you found the holy grail in all that stuff for sorting. In my case, I think the holy grail is getting to the sorting.

My week has been filled in much the same way as last week. I lost a day to another allergic reaction. The weekend trip was wth my brother so it was complicated, but we got through it, so that is good. More car issues and trips to the tire stores, with more in the near future. I thought that maybe the car was not repairable, but now they think it will be ok. I hope so. All these trips to repair/tire shops take so much time, so my dogs suffer a little and the mess rages on. I am lucky I am able pay for repairs right now. (thank you, credit card!) The sun has peeped out and it is a little warmer. I hope to get something done at the house after work tomorrow.

Good morning!
Happy Valentine's Day! Sending love out to you all!

I made it through the week.

Thank you for coming by!

Lila, it will be great if you get sone decluttering done, but the resting is most important! Getting better will help you the most long term.

Messi, I'm sorry about your struggles with your health and your car. Hopefully things will calm down for you. It's hard to make progress when you keep having to fix things.

I have not found the holy grail. I have found knex, broken action figures, Lincoln log parts, buttons, crayons, marker caps, erasers, pencils, and batteries. I got tired of sorting about 1/2 way through and took a break, but I want to finish this weekend.

We are halfway through February and I have not made more progress on the basement. I have pretty much kept the counter clear. There are a few things on it, but they just need ten minutes to be washed and/or put away. I will do it today. It has been completely clear at some point every day since I cleared it.

I finished my set and immediately started taking the little house apart. I have been mentally reconstructing it throughout my day. I need to focus on some other things though. Like my basement. And pottery. It will be warm enough to work in my studio this afternoon.

I'll report back later.

hi SubC and messi, good to read what you are up to. I am still sick, although recovering and better than I was. Still very tired with a lingering cough.

I found something I could sort while resting - a large tote of photos. I wrote about it on the tally thread.

Now I am going to vacuum a little bit with the stick vac. I am tired.

Good evening.

Back, but little to report.

I'm struggling with depression. The sun won't come out. And a raccoon ate one of my ducks and maimed another. It was my fault for not chasing them down in the dark and making them go inside. It was the fat white ducks that buddy loves. I'm so angry at myself.

I did clean a few things out of a junk drawer I'm trying to empty, and sort out about half the remaining school Legos.

The counter of doom is clean. I ordered my garden seeds (it is time to start peppers and tomatoes.) and potato starts.

oh I am sorry for the ducks, you, and Buddy. What a heartache. Hugs to you friend.

I too hope the sun comes out... for both of us. If it does, we need to go out in it for sure.

If you have or can get a Daylight full spectrum lamp, use it in the morning. And if not, don't forget your vitamin D3.

Wish I could come have tea with you.

Good morning.

I had a really good day with the boys yesterday. Dd fed me a yummy dinner, and my class went well last night.

While we were at the library I signed up for the winter reading challenge and they gave me a free sturdy canvas tote bag. I will be keeping that, so that is one in. I have packages to pick up today though, so I will do my full tally later. (My reindeer, more Legos, and a book)

Also, a pan I tried to use to cook the pancakes yesterday is warped and going in the recycling after I wash it - so there's that.

Today I am mostly home.it is the cross quarter,so a day to set goals and plan for the next eight weeks and to try to get things set up and organized for success.

I have a lot going on between now and the equinox.

Good afternoon.

I spent most of the morn8ng puttering around, but the fires are going, the house is warm, the dishwasher is running and I picked up my packages.

I have laundry to put away in a minute.

My reindeer did not actually come. My Legos all came.

I'm not sure how to count Legos. Like, if I got a boxed set of Legos at a store, I guess I would count "1". But these are second hand Legos. I bought a little box of minifigures that had some I wanted (I set up *my* Legos under the tree with the train at Christmas, and I've started looking out for ones that look like my family or are just more interesting), some I will just throw in the box for bean to play with, and some are going in people's Christmas stockings or Easter baskets. So I don't think 13 figures should count as 13 things? What if they have an accessory? What if their hair is missing...? What about random extra blocks?

So I think I will count one package = one item? That would be four items in- three packages of Lego and one book. Ironically I ordered the book because I had been looking for it used and it put me over on free shipping for the reindeer - hardcover for the price of paperback. Then they shipped it separately.

I have not opened all of my Lego. I am making myself accomplish something before opening each package.

Good evening.
Hope everyone is keeping warm. Keep stoking those fires, SubC. They sound cozy. Winter adds on those dealing-with-the-cold things that just take extra time. Glad to hear about your keeping on with so many things - classes, family, pottery, animals, sorting, the usual suspects of dishes and laundry...

I am trying to keep up, but it may not really be happening. I am fine, but not making much progress on the mess. I have added things into the schedule - allergy shots, exercise class, physical therapy - so there is less time. and then there are the unexpected things - flat tire, getting new tire, car breaking down, getting it towed, arranging other transportation, allergic reaction to treatment, pet issues, vet visits, dryer not working, friends coming into town, special events. All of these things are workable, (I am So fortunate), but they require time. so my counter of doom is still doomimg, lol. I have to skip some things. I have a big weekend coming up which requires some prep, I will be out of town for a day or so, so I am just trying to keep up with that. Maybe next week I can get to some sorting and can share that...

Good morning!

Messi, we all have times in our lives like that. I'm sorry this is yours. Just try to keep things from getting worse. Give yourself grace.

My counter of doom is still doomy, but less so, and my dining porch is better-I finally hung up the winter lights and decorations that were sitting on the table - now it is mostly papers and it looks more cheery to me. I unpacked my people and assembled them. One was a snowman, so I set him on my shoe holder file cabinet as part of my porch decor. (All my "snow" things are out right now) I put the others away in their box for now. The box will fit in the bin where my Legos go, but I might want to play with them again soon (haven't made all my decisions about destinations yet, or figured out where the Christmas stash will go - I filled its space with games when I got everything out in December.

In the absence of commentary, I am going with my counting plan. I did open my bathroom cupboard and grab one old small item (sample sized or mostly gone) I was going to "use up, wash out and recycle, maybe want" for each Lego figure and throw those in the trash. That was a hard step for me. Those don't count as out, but I decided that if the Lego figures are too small to count as items, those things are too small to invest my time and energy in.

I need to take the trash with me today - I have to go to the grocery store after school. We are out of things. And I need it to be gone so I don't change my mind. I'm also taking the recycling and some things to school.

Today's goals:
Chores
Lesson plans
Drop recycling
Unload kiln
Teach
Sign up for workshop sessions on Saturday (sign up genius opens 1/2 hr after school gets out)
Grocery store (drop trash)
Come home and PUT AWAY groceries.
Keep up with house.
More chores.

Very simple.

Good morning.

I did not put away all of the groceries last night. I unpacked everything, and I put away the perishables, but there are two or three bags worth of "stock ups" that need to go down to the basement and get put away in the pantry cabinet. Mostly chips - Dh asked for 2 kinds of chips and they were "buy two, get three free" so we have ten family sized bags of chips. He will eat them. If I don't buy him chips he buys them himself. But he never looks at the shelf tags. So for example, even if the chips he wants are "buy one, get one free" he will grab one bag and leave the free one. Then he will go back when he runs out of chips. Drives me crazy.

So, yeah, was tired. Didn't put everything away.

I volunteered for a big project today. One of the teachers had a bunch of manipulatives and materials that are all mixed up together. He is cleaning out his classroom closet. His plan was to dump them all in a bag and take them to goodwill. I offered to sort them out because I want some of them for my room and I know other teachers use others. He pushed them into my room on a cart. It is nicer than one of my pottery carts (they get heavy use). I said "ok, I will take all of these home and sort them out. You can have your cart back tomorrow. Do you need these bins or can they go with the materials?" And he said "actually, if you could make it so I never see any of this again, that would be great." And I said "you don't want your cart?" And he said "no." So I am also upgrading my cart!

But the back of my car is full of bins and trays and Legos and knex and beads and stamps and plastic creatures and cubes and shapes and sticks and for all I know the holy grail.

But I actually like sorting when things are clean and not broken and have a place to go .

So, today's menu:
Fire
Chores
Put food away
Sort stuff
Pottery
Lesson plans
Seed order
Reclaim clay
Counter of doom
Basement
Bake
Chores

Only fire, chores, food away, and lesson plans are mandatory. Although we all know I often punt lesson plans to morning.

What are you guys up to?

hello guys,

I have the flu and have been super sick. I am missing work and not able to do much of anything at home either. Just sleeping, laying around like a zombie. It sucks.

One good thing is the big freezer is leaving my house today. TotsDad found someone at work who wanted it for $300 (a steal, but I just want it gone) so before I got really sick, I emptied it out, put anything still good in my upstairs freezer and TotsDad's freezer, threw away anything questionable and wiped it out. I am happy to have the $300 and TotsFam is happy to have the extra space (it is in the family room downstairs).

Aside from that, I am just no use for anything right now and will no doubt miss another day or two of work. I have not caught up on reading, but will.

Good evening.

I kept the fire going.
I took care of all of my barn things and bought feed (which is still in my car) and picked up my packages (because the mailman can't get down my drive - more on them later) and ran a load of dishes and a load of laundry and cleaned up a little.

I didn't do any pottery or order seeds and I forgot the scrap clay. I also called the phone company and got rid of the late charges (we paid electronically and they recorded our payment on the 5th. Then they charged us a late fee on the 9th. Then the next month we only paid the regular bill and not the late fee, so they charged us another late fee on the unpaid late fee we didn't owe. The whole process was annoying. Mostly the reaching a human part.)

I kind of know what we are doing at school tomorrow.

My dolls came - those were the packages. I fixed the grandpa and put the extra parts in the bag no problem. The new play doll is clean and in great condition and I really like him. But I am having a harder time than I thought letting go of the old one. Trying made me sad. I carried him around until I found a different doll that needs too much work and put it in the parts bag. So I am still even, but I might see if I can learn how to restring him myself.

I am not saving any boxes or packing material- all recycle, school, or fire starting.

Good morning!

Finally a day off! I am going to do some decluttering today. I now have easy access the small storage bedroom, my office, and even the garage. TotsDad threw some things out, and moved a lot of tubs and things from the garage into other Son's old bedroom, and took all his stuff out of my office. So there is no excuse not to get some more stuff out of here now.

I don't want to settle here reading and typing, as the morning is flying by (I slept til 9!) so after I do some work on those spaces I will reward myself by coming back and catching up on reading your posts. Will come back and update, hopefully also with things for the daily tally!

Second post today -

SubC, I appreciate that contrast between a collector and a hoarder! I never thought of it that way, and it makes sense. As I sort things I think I "love," I am going to decide: are these things going to be on display in my home? Or just piled in a corner or a box for years? I bet you will figure it out iwht the dolls, too. Maybe dh can make you another space to display your favorite ones, somewhere.

Good job with the frames etc too!

hi KeepingItReal! We do enjoy reading each other's progress. I am glad you are getting some things done. I am posting mainly here and on the Tally, although sometimes on the No Spend thread and sometimes on the Decluttering the Pounds thread, too.

hi Messi! Good to see you! I hope you make the progress you want... and get some sleep.

My update:
I slept in til 9 this morning and feel sooo much better! Then I worked on the small storage bedroom and the playroom. I sorted and threw out a lot of trash, moved a box of things downstairs that belongs to TotsFam, and donated or threw out 35 items for the Daily Tally.

Feeling good about all of that. I was going to work downstairs in my office, which I still may, but was hesitant because everyone down there is sick. Maybe I will put on a mask and hurry to do my laundry.

Back later with updates.

Good morning!

Lila, you did great work yesterday!

I am still tired from the cold outside and the cold in my head and the short daylight.

I can't believe January is almost over and keep thinking about all the things I didn't do. I am trying to be gentle with myself and remember that winter is hard for me.

I have not gained anymore weight since Christmas. I did swim a few times, I did yoga over 60% of the days, I had some good days with my grandsons and school has been going fine overall. It varies. (Yesterday I had a frustrating morning with one student followed by a fantastic class with my most difficult group.) I got through my evaluations. I paid my sales taxes on time. I have been using up food in the pantry and keeping fires going to help with the heating bill. Laundry and dishes are not overwhelming. And I met my basement decluttering goal for January (I may even have exceeded it.)

The cross quarter falls on February 3 this year, so there are a few more days to wrap up winter before I start looking forward to spring. Tomorrow I have a monthly potter's brunch and will stay at the studio to work, and Monday I have the boys, so I will focus on regrouping today.

My Legos arrived yesterday (the package was small, so they put it in the mailbox) and my tired brain enjoyed putting it together (I like puzzles, but I like Lego better) it is set up on the work table in the sleeping porch (aka "Birdy's room") next to the two cloth bins of papers I still need to sort out.

I also brought home a really pretty box from a pile that was given to me for class projects - it is too large and flat for the kids to use, but very sturdy. I'm thinking I could store some flat winter decorations in it and put the box up on edge behind them or behind some year round things while the winter things are out.

Two steps forward, one step back. I will add both items to the tally.

Good morning!
Happy February!
White rabbits.

Yesterday I puttered around and cleaned up a little. I did some laundry, mostly caught up on the dishes, helped Dh keep the fire going and got together all the information for my business taxes. In the process I recycled some papers and found two more items to donate.

I had wanted to start February with a clean counter of doom, but I could not focus on it yesterday. Maybe by March.

I need to remove two more bins of items from the basement this month. I cannot see how, but I will keep trying.

This morning I have the monthly potters brunch, (the topic is goal settling!) stay at the studio to work, have dinner at Bean's house with DD's family and Heartdaughter and her wife, and bring the boys home to spend the night.

So I have just a couple of hours this morning to do chores, get my pottery stuff together, and prep my house for boys.

Good morning!

My boys are sleeping. In a few minutes I think I will start making pancake batter.

I had a good day yesterday. I got a lot of encouragement about scheduling and protecting my pottery time from my group, and I stayed at the studio all afternoon and made a cute basket and a small candle holder.

Dinner was yummy, although it ran late and I didn't get the boys home and in bed until 45 minutes after their regular bedtime (and we skipped baths.)

Bean wants to go to the library this afternoon.

That is really interesting about the dolls, SubC, I read all of both posts as it is fascinating. I am glad you have a collection that makes you happy, a dh who is supportive and reasonable, and a way to get rid of things you no longer want.

I had my speaking engagement, came home and crashed thinking FINALLY I can rest, then remembered I have a new event starting in the morning, and have to be there to set up by 8am. How did I forget this?

I need a break.

Lila, I'm sorry you are not getting the rest you need. I hope your event goes well.

I have been resting so much (and eating less because the cold makes things not taste good plus my tummy is full of tea) that I woke up this morning at 3 a.m. wide awake and hungry.

On the plus side, I built the fire back up before the room got cold.

Thank you for your kind words. I read once that the difference between a collector and a hoarder was that a collector cares for and displays and is proud of their objects, while a hoarder piles them up, hides them, allows them to get dirty and broken and is embarrassed. So, as I have 4 18 gallon bins of dolls and doll clothes that are not used or displayed (I gathered all the "stored" ones in one place yesterday), and two toy doll beds so full that I would not call the dolls "displayed" and everything is getting very dusty, and some is broken, I don't think it is a "collection" yet.

But I have hope?

Since we're snowbound here I'm working on my books. Sorting and going through looking to see what I can donate.
Let somebody else enjoy them.

I think I'm posting all over the board.
Trying to stay caught up on the posters find challenging as well.
I'll have to do it when I take a break.
Hope all is well in these cold cold weather

Good afternoon.

KeepingItReal, you can post wherever you want. This is the thread where we kind of chat about what we're doing and give each other general support. You do not have to keep up.

How are the books going?

I got down the boxes of framed pictures and art and picture frames. I moved two photos to an album (this involved calling my mom and crying again) and got rid of 20 empty picture frames, plus mats and folios. This created an empty box - one out of four.

One of the other boxes is framed things I want to hang somewhere in the house, one is deep frames I want to use to make shadow boxes, and one is empty 5*7 and 8*10 that I really like plus a couple of smaller ones. The first box is not full. The other two are full, but not stuffed.

I will now order the other three reindeer that I have been wanting to go with my tiny Christmas sleigh. (I have five reindeer. They got discontinued, but I found a place that still has them.) Dh tried to convince me that five reindeer are enough because the boys are happy with the reindeer. I told him that we ended up with 20 frames I don't actually want because they were really cheap and I spent $20-$25 on them seventy five cents to two dollars at a time over the years because I might need a frame and not be able to buy one. And I need to feel like I can buy what I want if it is reasonable. And I want to have 8 reindeer.

And he said "buy the reindeer."

This approach is going to wreck my no spend/low spend. Maybe I should change it to "mindful spend." I'm going to stay home from class tonight because I don't have the boys to drive home and it is too cold. That will save one reindeer worth of gas.

Addendum

I took the 8*10 frames I like around the house, and after some discussion with Dh - who - you may be as shocked as I was to learn - does not have strong feelings about picture frames, I was able to add three more frames I do not like to the donate pile, and I sacrificed a potential large shadow box that I do like, but not as much as I like my reindeer, and now all the empty frames and shadow boxes and things that need to be hung fit in two boxes! (But one box has things in it that stick up so it will not close. - it is a flap box. The other one is a printer paper box with a lid.)

I am feeling pretty good about my progress.

Good afternoon.

This morning I have been puttering around in the basement, opening up unlabeled bins, and sorting like with like. I found a box of useful boxes (eyeroll) and was able to consign half of them to recycling or "take to school for kids to take projects home"

Doing this required me to give up on two project ideas I had saved boxes for - so I am giving myself one "item"

I told Dh "the roads are clear and the thrift store opened at noon today - so I think I will run down."

He said "do you really need to go anywhere today? What are you looking for? You don't need anything."

I said "I need to drop these bins off so I can stop looking at them and have more space to work."

And he said "OH! You're dropping off! Sure, go."

So I will probably do that soon.

I went to the thrift store
I dropped off two overflowing piled up 18 gallon bins and one large tote bag of stuff.
I did not go inside.

My phone rang
My glasses were ready!
I picked them up!

They ordered the wrong prescription the first time. Then they accidentally "reordered" instead of making a new order with the corrected prescription. That pair was delayed by holidays. They ordered the correct prescription. This pair was delayed by snow. There were no additional charges, but I have been waiting almost three months for my glasses!

My old back up glasses will get donated, so this is a zero item trade.

Hello.

SubC, you did nice work for a snowy cold winter day, all that sorting. congratulations on dropping things off at the thrift store annnd Congratulations on finally getting your glasses!

Fixed an apron and walked dog before I went to work today, then went to PT for my shoulder, took the dogs for a short walk and a play date, sorted a pile of papers, prepared recycling, did hand therapy.

I am struggling with poor eating and sleeping recently, so off I go for some of both...

Good morning.

Messi, sleep and food are so important! They are the basis for everything else!

School wiped me out yesterday. I am not fully over my cold and apparently I did not have the energy to jump back in at full speed.

Today I need to put some time and energy into cleaning up my house. I have really let it slide while I have been focusing on the basement.

I also need to get more animal feed, pick up my mail, get (and keep) the fire going, remix some scrap clay for school, plan for tomorrows classes, and take care of an unpleasant barn issue.

I also want to work on my pottery some - it is stilling falling to the untouched bottom of the list. And I have not ordered my seeds.

Lila, if you can afford a new vacuum, I say go for it. Having a good vacuum makes a huge difference in my life. I am much more likely to vacuum and my house is much cleaner.

I have never regretting investing in quality for vacuums, washing machines, dryers, or dishwashers.

Good morning from the snowy Midwest! I have a fire going and the outside lights on, and it's like being inside a cozy snow globe.

The outside temp has gone from -2 yesterday to a "balmy" 15 degrees, and with the heat lamps on and the nice thick layer of snow insulation, barn chores shouldn't be too bad this morning. I'm going to do them a bit later though, because my cold is still miserable and I topped everybody up well last night.

I started a bookshelf last night and visited it again this morning. I think I can make some significant progress on it today. There are technical pottery books on glazing and firing that I am never going to use, and technique/idea books that I have gone past. There is also a bunch of teaching stuff from my regular classroom and homeschooling days, but I don't know. I have a whole shelf of easy readers/instruction books that I really liked. I think I will keep them until after Buddy learns to read. That seems like a long time, but I'm afraid it will go in a flash.

I also have a very large doll collection. Huge might be a better word. Hundreds. My grandmother collected dolls, and she also collected them for my mother, my cousin and me. After she died we inherited the dolls. Some were sold, but for very little. I started looking online to help my aunt with prices and resources (part of the problem was that the market was not there in the area where the dolls and my family were) and she did sell some on eBay for a reasonable amount. Eventually I am going to have to deal with the hundreds that are in my mother's house because she decided that if we were only going to get a few dollars for them, she would keep them. (My cousin and I used to say that instead of selling the four story, 14 room house that my grandparents lived in, we should turn it into the (my grandmother's name) memorial doll museum.)

One side effect of all that looking around online was that I found opportunities to fill in my collection with duplicates of dolls my cousin had claimed and new artists. Most of them were not expensive, and even the "very expensive" ones were less than Dh and I would spend on an evening out, and it made me happy. I think it made me feel closer to my grandmother, whom I was grieving. When my boxes came I would open them and video call my mother and we would enjoy the new arrival together and discuss how much gram would have liked it and how good it was that she never discovered eBay. Eventually I started buying "lots"that included dolls I wanted thinking "well, the whole lot is only 5 or 10 dollars more than I would pay for the doll, and I get all these extras and maybe I will sell them." (Spoiler, no I won't) that is where those dolls I will never fix came from.

Also, sometimes the lots included duplicates of other dolls I already had - twins! This went on for about two years, and then I had bought most of the dolls I wanted and could afford, I realized how big the collection had gotten, and I closed my eBay account. (there are about half a dozen $150 and up I would still love to have, but probably never will.)

Anyway, almost all of the vinyl, plastic, and cloth dolls are out on shelves or in cupboards, but the china dolls are packed away. And I know I have duplicates of Ashton Drake dolls. They are not worth a lot, but they are pretty, and I don't want to donate them to a thrift store because I am afraid they will just get broken. I would give them to a person if I knew a person who wanted them.

The point of this long backstory is that I am hoping that if I get the bookshelf cleaned off enough, I can put the China dolls out and decide which ones to keep. I poked around online yesterday and found a store an hour drive into the city that might give me a few dollars for the ones I am ready to part with (this makes sense because 1 - it will make me feel like they will be handled carefully and go where they are wanted, and 2 - the store is only 15 minutes from a fancy grocery store I like to go to once or twice a year, so the hour drive would not be all invested in the doll store. In fact I would make a day of it, stopping a few places on the way in and then ending with the grocery store, because - perishables.) I am literally hoping the dolls will pay for the gas. But I would take anything they offered me.

I also found a doll collectors club that may or may not be meeting every month in a not too local, but again, I could make it a day trip library. So this week I will call the library and the store.

I am sorry this is so long. I do have to add one more thing. I reactivated my ebay account to buy that troll. And I have bought myself a couple of "rewards" as well. I will confess them when they show up. One is a doll though. It is one my grandmother gave me that I played with a lot - so much that he needs restringing. He has a whole wardrobe that she knitted and sewed. As best I could find, the cost of restringing was about 1/3 the value of the doll. I found his twin in excellent condition for about 1/2 the least they usually sell for online (even after shipping) because the seller got his name wrong and left out important key words. I was the only bid. That is my expensive (but affordable) reward. Now I have to let go of the one that needs restringing. The other rewards are coffee and donut level.