I still love the Roomba

It's just great, for cleaning the floors, sure, but also for forcing one to streamline what's stored on the floor.

If you can't change yourself, force the change with something else.

Busy busy

I've been busy this week, so not much news on the decluttering front.

Yesterday, I volunteered with my older daughter's class on their field trip to an organization that supports food banks. Forty kids helped to repackage donated canned and dry goods into family-size boxes that can be distributed at food banks around the state. The kids had to check expiration dates, and balance the boxes with canned and dry goods, as all the boxes needed to weigh approximately the same amount.

I've got my eye on a couple of projects around the house. I have hobby supplies still hanging around for a couple of crafts I no longer do. I can't just donate them to a thrift store, as they would probably be tossed. They need a home where the recipient understands what they are for. Must put on thinking cap for this one.

The upstairs is actually looking great. Thanks to the Roomba, I have floor clutter down to a minimum. There are still some stacks around the TV. I think we need to cull some media. We'll see.

Found My Old Crock-Pot--Update!

So, my Barbeque Beef turned out perfectly! It was a small amount and would have burned in the new Crock-Pot, but it came out just great. I am so pleased to have found old faithful.

And...the old one is old enough that it was made in the U.S.A. The new one? China. The quality control issues are going to implode that economy in the next few years. Just my prediction.

Found My Old Crock-Pot!

I found my old Crock-Pot and will give it a go today. I have some meat that, since it's been frozen for a couple of months, will taste best slow-cooked rather than grilled. So, BBQ beef for dinner!

I guess it was determination, or perhaps it was the fact that Sweetie found my beloved grater the other day while looking for something totally different. The Crock-Pot was in the garage, right on top of a Rubbermaid bin and right next to an open box of kitchen stuff. So, right where I should have expected to find it.

The real question is, why did I not find it when I first needed it? Perhaps my desire for a nice shiny new white-not-stainless one blinded my eyes? Anyway, back to basics.

Roomba Update

So far, I'm enjoying the Roomba. It has its idiosyncrasies. It can't go over power cords and we have two dressers it can't fit under. Or rather, it can fit under them but once there it can't escape.

I've run it about six times now, and it picks up a lot of dust, dirt and cat hair. It is much quieter than a standard vacuum. We have a lot of doors on our main floor, so it's easy to isolate it in a room or group of rooms and hallway.

Best of all, you must keep the floors clear to use the Roomba. And since I really want to use it, I am keeping the floors clear and motivating the kids to as well.

The Bench: Part II

Since the Roomba (nicknamed Eva by the kids and Flowbee by the Sweetie) arrived, I've been tinkering with the house to make it more Roomba-able.

Today's task was to clear out the bench. The cubby contents, a mish-mash of old Sunday crosswords, paperwork, kid art and odds and ends, had me stumped. We'd taken to storing shoes underneath the bench, on days when we use the front door. (We have a shoe rack by the back door, since we use that one more often.)

I decided to use a technique I loathe. It works, in that the area one needs is cleared. But it creates a time-bomb for the future. But I did it. I boxed all that crap up.

We got a Roomba!

Yes, Santa brought us a lovely iRobot Roomba 400 this year. We've been playing with it, and figuring out what changes need to be made to accomodate its functionality. We had to tie up some electrical cords, and the rugs with tassles will need some adjustment--I may just swap them out for others. I do that seasonally anyway.

Here it is, resting after working hard!

Is it over yet?

It feels like Christmas has gone on forever. I'm feeling very "done" with the decorations, the wrapping paper, the newspaper ads and sales.

We had a lovely, low-key Christmas. The kids each got at least one gift they specifically asked Santa for and another gift as well. The Little one got a small Polly Pocket set and donuts (yes, she asked Santa for donuts!) and the Big one got some Pokemon card packs and donuts (again, the donuts were a specific Santa request!). I'd given the Big one ice skates a couple of months ago, and that was to be her big Christmas gift. She actually had asked Santa for a laptop, but that wasn't going to happen this year.

The adults got a couple of gifts. Both of us got new windshield wiper blades, something I asked for. We got a Roomba from Santa! I got a book, Interpreter of Maladies from one of the only literary fiction writers I like, Jhumpa Lahiri. My cat gave me some nice wool socks; he and his buddy both got catnip fleece toys in their stockings. I got the husband a sweater. Santa brought some new jammies.

Santa brought us some new Wii games--World of Goo, which I love and another one Amazing Maze? that I haven't tried yet.

And of course, everyone's stocking had a chocolate orange.

We've experienced snow and freezing temperatures for days now here, and we're all going a little stir crazy. Our street is still covered in snow and slush, my car hasn't left it's warm dry spot for over a week.

The Little one is sick--she didn't want to eat any of her Christmas candy yesterday and that's when you know she's sick. I'm not sure where she picked up the bug, but she's got a fever and is very grumpy.

Snow!

We've had crazy weather here in the NW. Last night, a lovely blanket of snow fell upon our city. Here are some views from my little house.



Yes, that is Snow Falling on Potties above. Long story short, we had a catostrophic toilet failure a few weeks ago. The tank on our 30+ year old toilet cracked and water cascaded through the bathroom floor into the basement. Water everywhere. We tried to use a free toilet as a replacement, but the footer wasn't the right size for our rough in and we ended up buying a Toto Drake, one of the top-rated low-flow toilets. I have to say it's great and we'll surely save on water now.

Media Round-up

Here are some of the books and movies I've enjoyed recently.

Making Mistakes

We all make mistakes. I know that. I try to accept it. Yet every time I err, I torture myself. I wish I could make time go backward to make the better choice, to do the right thing (whether I could have anticipated what the right thing is!).

I volunteered to watch a friend's kids for a couple of hours. Thing is, there was a snow warning. School was actually canceled, despite the fact that snow had yet to fall. I talked to the friend, and, when I learned that she had a couple of other options, accepted when she let me off the hook for the favor, due to my worries about the weather.

Turns out that there's no snow. And in fact, the roads are less hazardous than they have been due to warmer temperatures melting the black ice. I could have done the favour, no problem, and the kids would all have had a great time.

So I screwed up. I misjudged. I erred. And I can't let it go. I can't forgive myself. I guess my friend will forgive me. I hope she does. I'll owe her one or several. But I can't forgive myself.

It came to me just a few minutes ago that this inability to forgive is linked to hoarding. If I threw away something that I later wanted or needed or that turned out to be valuable, I'd feel this same crushing pain. It's awful. It's toxic. And I've felt it before, this same feeling, about things that were given away or thrown away or ruined by others or myself.

It's this same feeling that has kept me from fully using my law degree. What if I should err in a case, where not just things but people's lives or livelihoods are at stake? How could I go on from day to day knowing that mistakes will happen, that errors will be made?

The most successful people in life forgive themselves. When they err, they learn from it as best they can and they let it go. Churning these emotions is wasteful. It keeps me focused on something that can't be changed instead of moving forward.

I have no idea how to change. Imagine how that feels.

Confessions Holiday Gift Guide

It's time for a gift guide! Around the holidays, even for those of us in too much stuff recovery mode, the temptation to buy gifts for friends and family erupts. What to do? Here are some clean and simple gift ideas.

• Donate to charity. Give a gift of cash to the local food bank, homeless shelter/mission or to an organization like Heifer International. Use Charity Navigator to check out charities before giving to make sure they use donations wisely.
  
  
• Give what the recipient actually wants. Sure you might love that Lalique Crystal vase, but would your mother-in-law? If you must give a gift, at least give what is needed or wanted. Gift giving is a two-edged sword, a loaded gun (add your own cliche!)--it's full of peril. Save yourself by sticking to the known and respecting the values of the recipient.
  
  
• Keep it simple. No child needs a dozen new toys at Christmas time. If a child is on your list, give a single, simple gift. One LEGO set, not six. One Barbie, not a dozen. More gifts overwhelm kids and they stop enjoying the occassion. I've seen over-gifted kids at holidays and birthday parties just go through the motions--ripping paper because they're told to by the adults in attendance.
  
  
• Give edible gifts. But keep them simple. Teacher gifts this year are small bags of Lindt chocolate truffles. Inexpensive, yet tasty. We like to give a plate of homemade cookies to our neighbors. The kids enjoy the process, the neighbors get a sweet treat. Nothing fancy, no expensive ingredients, but a heartfelt sentiment.
  
  
• Above all, if you can't afford it, don't buy it. Remember that o henry story, The Gift of the Magi? I hate that story! Neither of the main characters had money for a gift, so they sold treasures to buy unessential gifts that wound up being useless, because of the sale of the treasures. Such a waste. Remember that story, and keep your hair on your head and your watch in your pocket. A heartfelt hug or a bright smile and a "Happy Holidays" is much more powerful than a gift of futile sacrifice.
  
  

That's all! Happy Holidays!

Teaching the kids right

The piles of little messes all over. The little one's habit of going into other people's private possessions. We're so very sick of it all. It has to stop. The trouble is, how? We try, but the follow-through is weak. Signs on the doors and walls? I don't know.

I do know that I am often tempted to simply box up most of their possessions. That Flylady story about the fed-up mom who boxed up all her son's toys except a few Matchbox cars and some crayons and papers comes to mind. He became a changed kid, thanks to fewer toys. Thanks to less chaos in his life.

The thinking cap is on.

Crock-Pot woes

I'm pretty sure split pea soup (with about 10 cups of liquid) shouldn't be at a rolling boil on the low setting in the Crock-Pot. Yeah. I've got an inquiry in to Rival, so we'll see.

Target has a basic slow cooker on sale for $19. Trouble is, it's available in red or black and I really prefer white.

Some good ideas in the comments, thanks. It wasn't a hugely expensive item, and no, I don't want to go back to keeping boxes for everything. It's just hard to make the switch, to being a person who tosses or donates vs. keeps every scrap of packaging to be ready for a return.

Heck, I don't even have the original receipt! I had to send it in to the company to get that $5 rebate I mentioned in an earlier post.

Now I wish I had the box!

I'm having problems with my new Crock-Pot--the low setting doesn't seem to be low enough. It's actually burned food twice, which should never happen in a slow cooker.

Without the box, I can't take it back to the store. I'll have to contact Crock-Pot, whoever makes them that is.

Argh! This is why hoarders keep everything!

Guest room chaos

The guest room is in chaos again. And I mean that literally, in the Flylady sense of: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. I had to ask guests to stay elsewhere last night. Oh, I've got a rotten cold, too. Without the cold, I'd have been able to do a quick stash & dash. But feeling under the weather? It's a non-starter.

So my goal is to get the guest room back in order. It's full of Christmas stuff now, decorations and crafty things I've had to dig through recently.

Sometimes, I just want it all to go away...

Clearing the clutter for the season

It's that time of year. Yes, it's December. Time for end of the year business. Time for reflection.

Time for gifts of clutter.

This year, instead of giving a gift of clutter, give a gift of time, of knowledge, of sharing. Help your neighbor with a project. Give your child a trip to the movies. Let your family enjoy a season without any tschokes from you.

Just for Fun

stolen shamelessly from Take life w/ a grain of chocolate...and Costumechick

The things I have done are in bold. Things I haven't aren't.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world many times!
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo at a try-out
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch taught myself to knit and crochet
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning even had to go to the ER
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France--the Louvre was closed when I was there because the guards were on strike
20. Slept on an overnight train Vienna to Venice...with our six month-old baby
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise--I get seasick
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors--been to Ireland & Italy
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Holidays

I love the winter holidays. The smells--cocoa, pine, fresh snow (yes, we do get some here once in a while), peppermint...The sounds of carols, Handel, happy children eager to speak to Santa. I love it all.

What I don't love? Stuff. Obligatory gift giving. Plastic toys. Crowds. Lines. Sales that aren't really (i.e. coupons that exclude the only things I want). Sad children. Angry shoppers.

Today, we usually go Downtown to see the holiday lights and catch a peek of Santa. We have hot cocoa at Starbucks, maybe browse a little at the big department stores and perhaps the book stores. See the giant star lit at Macy's. Watch the carousel go 'round.

Letting Go

of the Crock-Pot box.

I bought a new Crock-Pot a few weeks ago. I'd wanted a white one with more features and finally found a good price at a local store. With a 10% coupon, it was an even better deal. Oh, and there's a $5 rebate. Yay!

I keep boxes. And I kept this box for a few weeks. I wanted to make sure the Crock-Pot worked properly and that it fit on my counter.

In the past, I would have kept the box. Just in case, you know. Tucked it in the garage or basement.

Today, I broke it down and took it out to the recycling bin.

Can I get a "yay"?