The During

OK, you want to know the details? Well, for one thing, most ofe stuff that was in that room is still here, either in the house or in the garage. One of the bookcases was moved into the guest room's closet, and the smaller boxes of craft items are on it. Boxes of comic books were moved out into another part of the house; they will be sold eventually. Some things went into the donate pile, others into the ebay bins or boxes of books to be sold.

What happened was that I realized that to make the changes necessary to turn a junk room into a guest room, most of the items had to be simply physically removed, to make space for the couch/bed and in order to vacuum the rug (which hadn't been vacuumed since it was put down three years ago). Once most of the stuff was out, you could see the 'bones' of the room, and figure out where the furniture had to be to fit without covering over either of the windows.

There is still a great deal of work to be done with the stuff that was removed. Lots of sorting, filing, many decisions. But now, we can have guests over to stay and offer them a civilized place to sleep.

Before and After: The Guest Room

Today, I recovered an entire room. We now have a guest room. Well, Husband still needs to put the futon couch/bed back together, but that takes about fifteen minutes. Thanks to enthusiastic won't-take-no-for-an-answer Clutter Buddy, the remaining stuff was moved, bookcases rearranged, and carpet vacuumed. Take a Look!

Here's another view:

The pieces of wood stuff against the wall are the futon couch. I'll take another shot once it's put together.

Here's the before shot:

Taking Care of Your Finances

One of the things I procrastinate about is money. I put off balancing the checkbook, filing paperwork, things like that. I have to be able to do it PERFECTLY and since that is incompatble with LIFE, it doesn't get done as promptly as I would like.

In the spirit of improving one's finances, and since finances are related to compulsions, hoarding and perfectionism, I've added some financial resources and blogs that I like to the right side-bar. Check them out; perhaps you'll be inspired to take care of some business.

Today, I took Older Daughter to have her yearly haircut--both Husband and I keep saying to her "You look so cute!". I think she's getting a bit tired of it. Let's see...hit the library and picked up some books and paid some fines. Did some laundry. Still haven't removed everything not furniture from the guest room. The boxes are heavy and I am easily discouraged recently.

More Outside

This morning, I had some political duties to take care of (I'm a Precinct Committee Officer for the Democratic Party), but I have just finished a 'shift' in the back yard, weed whacking and raking overgrown grass. Feels good to do some physical labour, but my hands get sore fast. Guess I need to grow some callouses.
My main goal today is to move all the boxes out of the guest room. The problem is that I don't really have a place to put them. The basement cupboards that I had cleared out are full again, mostly with items from the guest room. I really resist the idea of stacking boxes in a corner or something like that, but it may be my only choice if I am to clear the room any time soon.

Perfectionism

It can bring me to a screaming halt. I've owed my cousin a thank you note for almost three months. Why haven't I sent her one? Because I make my own cards. I haven't had a chance (meaning, I haven't made the time) to make her a very special one, because she's very special. So, instead of just grabbing a store-bought card and writing a heartfelt sentiment, I don't do anything.

Hoarders are often perfectionists. You laugh, because you've seen my pictures, and those of others. How can those piles of crapola be the work of a perfectionist? Easy. If you can't do it just perfectly right, don't do it at all. So, since there's just not enough time in a day to clean the house, well, can't do it at all. Better to let it sit than do a half-assed job.

Perfectionism is why I've worked so very hard the past couple of weeks and done so little the past three days. I haven't been able to devote my full attention to decluttering and if I can't go at it full-force, why even try?

We are also easily discouraged. For me, keeping a blog has been the rope that kept me from falling into the abyss of despair. Each day, at the end of the day, I'd wonder what I'd actually done, because the house just didn't look much better. Then, I'd call up the blog and see my list--oh! I guess I did accomplish a lot.

Today, my goal is to move all the boxes of craft stuff and such that don't belong in the guest room out of there.

ABC News on Hoarding

Here's a hopeful video. You'll need Macromedia Flash Player to watch it.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=1606646&page=2

An Outdoor Task

Today, I wanted to take on an outdoor task. The backyard has been sadly neglected and is quite overgrown with grass mostly, but some weeds and miscellaneous plants. It all need to be whacked down, raked, then rototilled. I am not going to rototill, but I sure can whack and rake.

So, I start to do it and the grasses (seriously they're like 3' or something) get tangled in the whacker and the cords don't seem to be extending. It's at the end of it's cord supply, meaning it needs to be restrung. Great. Stopped practically before I start.

Now, I think we have spare cord. I have the instructions for how to re-string it. Husband has done it before. I will update my progress later!

Back on Track

I sort of took yesterday off. Well, I thought I had, but then I listed out all the stuff I did and it seemed like a pretty full day!

Today, my goal is to move out some of the boxes from the guest room. Some are what I call 'scary boxes', those that I open up to try to sort and immediately slam the lid on. There are also two huge, clear, Rubbermaid bins of paperwork. Filing to be done. Those are scary, let me tell you! I need to do the most recent of them before tax time.

So, easier to move the boxes out so I can vacuum, dust and rearrange the guest room. I have a futon folding couch-sofa that will go in there as a guest bed. It needs enough space to unfold.

Taking Stock

I feel that I need to take time and catch up with the hot spots, small flat surfaces and mini-piles that have developed while I've been tackling big picture tasks. I'll update my done list later today.

Catching Up

I have to write down what I've managed to take care of since yesterday, so I don't forget and think I'm turning into a slacker.

First, here's a lovely little essay on how to stop making piles of junk.

• Took out all the trash and recycling that had built up.


• Did laundry. The hampers are close to empty--that is, so low that it's not worth doing a load yet.


• Working in Older Daughter's room, boxing up stuff she doesn't use or that is just too much for the space.


• Three more bags of donations tossed onto the pile.


• Built a new shoe rack. IKEA to the rescue! It matches the lovely coat rack I put together a few days ago.


• Finished dusting Older Daughter's room. Swapped her old rug for a new one. Re-packaged her Legos into one larger bin rather than three smaller ones.


• Vacuumed living room rug again, and the downstairs rug that I'd not yet done. Looks much nicer!


• Cleaned out my car. Now, what to do with the boxes of junk I just pulled out of it??


• Dumped two more bags of garbage and one of recycling.


• Cleaned toys out of Husband's car.


• Cleared off dining room table (it's a large flat surface, what can I say?) and changed the table cloth and placemats.


• Swiffered the dining room and hallway.


• Culled two more cds by listening and saying 'eh'.

Use the Good Stuff

A brief reminder to Use the Good Stuff!

Putzing Around

Today, I haven't worked on a big project so far. A box here, a box there.

• Cleared out a 'stash & dash' from a couple of years ago. Most is recycling, a few items into donate, some trash, some to file.


• Made the mistake of actually looking into a box with old letters. That's a time and mental energy drain. Don't do it.


• Rearranged boxes in basement storage cupboards so that my old junk is in one spot, and Husband's in another so he can easily see what's his when he goes to sort it out.


• Sorted through a laundry basket full of stuff (from the floor of the upstairs linen closet). Most ended up in donate, some things found new, better homes.


• Next up, trip to the library to return books and donate a box full for the library book sale.

Revelations

I had an epiphany about my ebay bins. My Clutter Buddy mentioned that she thought I should consider culling those bins down a bit more. I thought about it, and realized...

The ebay stuff is stuff that I'm not ready to let go of yet, and keeping it around to sell allows me to keep it around longer.

Now, you armchair psychologists are saying "Well, duh!", but to me this was huge.

I just now sorted through a closet and picked out two dresses to donate. I considered a third, looking at it. I've owned it forever, it was probably my mother's. I wore it in a high school variety show where I lip-synched a Marilyn Monroe song (yes, I might have a picture. No, you don't get to see it.). Lots of memories in that dress. I looked at it, and then checked the label. It's an I.Magnin (fancy brand from 30-40 years ago, kind of like Nordstrom). My next thought? That might sell as vintage on ebay! Bingo! I was able to let go. I can let that dress go. But not ... quite ... yet.

Another Day Another Orgy of Decluttering

So far today, I've finished putting together a new coat & shoe rack for the downstairs hallway. I've also purged my totebag collection. Until I can get the pictures to work here, I'm using the Angelfire album. Remember, pop-up blocker!
More accomplished!

• Removed all extraneous fridge magnets: gone are the fridge poetry, advertising magnets, magnets that don't hold anything up, pieces to magnet games long gone. Fridge is grimy now that I can see the surface.


• Cleaned out the floor of the linen closet. This spot builds up junk and becomes a dumping ground. Found a lot of garbage, stuff to donate, stuff that needs to be stored elsewhere.


• Younger Daughter vacuumed the living room rug. She insisted, what could I say?


• Culled through a stash & dash consisting of stuff that I dumped out of my purse over the past two years. It had filled 1 1/2 drawers of the dresser we kept in our downstairs hallway. Lots of papers to be filed for taxes, auto records, etc. Two brown bags' worth of recycling. Two sacks of garbage.


• Did three loads of laundry, wash, dry and fold.


• Heard back from Canon about my camera. They say they'll fix it and it should be on its way back home in about a week. Clutter Buddy, who had lent me her camera, is out of town for a week and needed the camera back. So, I am photo-less for another while.

The Back-Logged Life

I just found this link on The Discardian. Fabulous stuff!

The Back-Logged Life

Pictures!

I still can't get them to show properly here at Blogspot/Blogger, so I had to make a little photo album elsewhere.

Before and Afters, and some In-Betweens

Be sure you have your pop-up blocker activated before you open the link. Sorry about that!

I'm on a Roll!

So much to report! First, I need to treasure my mom more. She took Younger Daughter and me out to dinner last night and breakfast today (um, nice change from leftover mac & cheese!) and she's out for a walk with Younger Daughter so I can...

• Set up the turntable. I'm listening to an actual vinyl record on a Technics 1200 turntable. This totally rocks!


• Clear my side porch so that my side door can be used. Problem--despite unlocking it, the door won't open. I need to find the key.


• Move all of Husband's books that were in the bedroom onto his bookcase in the guest room.


• Moved the smallest of the bookcases from the guest room into the garage. I had emptied it yesterday. No, everything that was on it is not yet sorted, but baby steps, remember?

Earlier today, my Clutter Buddy (CB for short) came by to help with some big stuff. Here's what we did:

• With the help of my dear neighbor across the street (and his handtruck), we moved the old entertainment center from the dining room where it has sat since last Wednesday when MIL helped me set up the new into the garage.


• We removed the doors to the main bedroom closet. Our house is small, it was built in 1940 and they didn't have a lot of stuff back then. Still, the bedroom closet had two doors. They really invaded the room, and were often left open.
  
• While I emptied the drawers of the dresser we kept in the downstairs hall (ostensibly for shoes, keys, purses, etc but in reality a dumping ground and a tempting flat surface)...


• CB installed a wire curtain rod in the closet opening. Now, there's a lovely purple Celtic design spread there acting as a curtain. It does need to be hemmed, but I can do that later.


• We moved aforementioned dresser into the garage. I have another solution for the hall shoes and such, but I need to clean first. I actually found some rabbit turds from when we had rabbits...back in 1999!


• I sorted a laundry basket that contained stash & dash from my car. This one wasn't too old, only May. Most went into garbage or recycling.


• Major Kudos and Applause to my dear Clutter Buddy, who jumps in with both feet and makes it happen!

Here are some truths I'm learning. If you can't or won't change, change your environment. Our original bathroom had a vanity style sink with a large cupboard beneath it and a large medicine cabinet. Both were always packed, with additional stuff on the counter of the vanity. When we remodeled, I made some decisions (that Husband didn't always agree with, but does now). We chose a pedestal sink (it's actually a wall mounted one with chrome legs, very retro!). It has NO storage except for a spot for a bottle of hand soap on the edge. A small, recessed medicine cabinet. That's all. There's a small bin kept on the floor near the tub with the kids' bath toys, and I keep two small stainless steel canisters, one for Q-Tips another for manicure tools, on the top of the toilet. The garbage sits there too, out of the way. We have three towel bars, and a robe hook. It's the most functional room in the house and there is no clutter there. There CAN'T be and that's the beauty of it.
So, my lesson is this. I need to arrange my whole house so that clutter can't build up. It'll take time for me to change, but if I change my surroundings, I will be forced to change my behaviour. I don't clog up the bathroom with junk anymore (I used to!).
Record's over. Must flip it to side B.

A Tiny New Entry With a Few More "Got 'Em Done"s

• Purged beading supplies. I have a small bin (maybe 1/4 the size of those big ebay bins) of beading supplies for making jewelry. I haven't done it much since having kids...so why hang onto everything? I kept my tools and the gemstone beads. Rest goes on ebay!


• Picked up my mom at the train station. I was talking to her last night and she said "Do you want me to come up and help you?" and I thought a moment and said "Sure". She was on a train the next morning. What a mom!

No New Pictures Yet...But Lots of Progress

I still can't post pictures. No idea why not. Very frustrating!

Today, so far, I've poked about a little. Here's what I've accomplished so far:

• Sorted through record albums. These were taking up an entire shelf of the built-in bookcase in the guest room. I have a stack of tentative keepers, and husband's are out in the garage on a table for him to sort. I've decided to put his questionable stuff--that is, things that I'm not sure if he wants to keep or not--all together on or under a card table in the garage, with his name on each box so he knows it's his.


• Vacuumed the basement stairs. Takes about two minutes and instantly makes the house feel tidier.


• Filled another box of books to sell and moved them to the 'books to sell' stack in the garage. There are sixteen banker-style boxes now!


• Shredded some old documents.


• Sorted a box of office supplies. Kept a few, the rest go to Older Daughter's school or are to be donated.


• Paid bills.


• Took care of a financial task I'd been putting off.


• Had a decent breakfast, coffee, and read the paper. :-)


Update!


• Finished filling, put lids on, and took to the garage two more bins/boxes of ebay stuff.


• Vacuumed two of the four rugs in the basement. They are still stained (well, it's a basement! Things like paint get spilled there!), but look much better


• Changed the cat litter and vacuumed the bathroom.


• Moved books that had been sitting on the living room couch (because they were on that consold table that I moved downstairs yesterday) to the now-free shelf in the built-in bookcase in the basement. Culled out a few while I was at it.

Frustration

I haven't been able to post pictures recently. I have some I am itching to share, but Blogspot isn't cooperating. We'll work on it.

Meanwhile, today I got a little bit done. Not as much as I'd hoped, but still progress is progress.

I moved some empty boxes out to the pile of empties in the garage. Moved boxes of scrapbook supplies from the guest room (giving it its proper name now) into a storage cupboard in the basement. Thanks to decluttering, I have two mostly free cupboards that I plan to use to store craft supplies. They'll be in one place, and reasonably accessible. I'll tweak it as needed.

I sorted through three banker's style boxes of VHS tapes. I haven't owned a working VCR for almost two years. We just don't use tapes. Most of the tapes were of figure skating competitions I had taped from TV back when I follwed skating intensely. That was, um, 1995-1999. 75% of the tapes went straight back into the box to go to the garage. There are other tapes besides the skating--movies, some TV shows, etc. They'll all go into the pile called 'Husband Needs to Review'. I did promise him I wouldn't give away any of his stuff, so boxes are piling up that contain items he needs to review. I plan to put all of these into the garage on a table, so as to make the process more comfortable and convenient.

I also moved a console table from the living room into the laundry room, to act as a folding and sorting table. Swept the laundry room. Still need to vacuum it, but the vacuum is upstairs and the laundry room is downstairs. That's a problem, as I hate taking the vacuum from one floor to the other. The basement stairs are a bit steep. It always feels...risky.

Today, I also did some errands. They were frustrating. Best Buy did not have the DVD holder or the CD holders that I wanted; the hardware store didn't have the right sort of caulk either.