What is it about Vacation?

Our 3-day vacation spoiled me.  It made me a bit discontent with my life and surroundings.  Usually discontentment is a bad thing, but in this case, I hope it prompts me to make positive changes in our home.

First I needed to figure out what was so much nicer and more relaxing about our time in that house.  It wasn't hard.  First of all, there were no big projects hanging over our heads there, and everyone was in a good mood, because it was, after all, major play-time.  But the other thing was that the home was so clean and open... so uncluttered.  So, I came home with the resolution to do something about the clutter in our home.

I knew it would be a slow process, because our home is busy, full of people, and every room needs the work.  I didn't really realize how slow, but "slow and steady wins the race," right?  I started with our sanctuary: the master bedroom.

One thing that was impressed upon us at the Family Life's Weekend to Remember marriage conference, that we attended about a year ago, is that our bedroom should be a lovely place for us to be.   I can't say that it is.  It's not horrible, certainly, and has some lovely features, but overall, it needs improvement.  It's pretty small, and so it tends to get cluttered... We're not always fastidious with putting away our clothing, leaving out shoes, jackets, etc, and not having a system for clothes that have been worn, but don't necessarily dirty enough to need laundering.

Also, because Hubby and I have no other storage for personal belongings, and Hubby has no desk or other space, all sorts of random items collect in our bedroom, especially all flat surfaces.  Windowsills seem to serve as his desk.

I didn't think to take 'before' photos, as I was (short-sightedly) only interested in digging in, not sharing our mess, so believe it or not, any photos here are better than it was.  

We previously had Christmas decorations I'd made for Hubby's parents, but regained when they'd passed on, gathering dust on the shelf above our TV. The shelf under the TV was absolutely stuffed with DVDs and various papers, and gadgets.  

I had financial papers (never know how to organize and what to throw out) in a stack with quilting and drafting software beside my nightstand, along with books, mostly unread or in-progress.  

I always want to wait for opportunity, time, and clear space, when necessary, to do a job all at once, and get it done. Well, it took me until age 53, I guess, but I finally figured out that if I do a little bit everyday before I leave my room, I can make pretty good improvement over a week or two, then keep improving and maintaining over time... which will likely be much faster than waiting for those impossibly perfect conditions. (Emphasis = "The big point of this blog post." --Fair warning, in case you were waiting for creative "Eureka!" moment that turned this room into a luxurious oasis.  It may be coming, but not today.) 

It's still very much a work in progress...


1) I don't know what to do with Hubby's stuff, and, frankly, neither does he. 








2) I'm having trouble with duvet covers.  I like the concept, and the idea that they can be washed, changed, and replaced, but ours always seems to look unkempt.  Our long-clawed roommate shares a lot of the blame, I think.

3) Decor.  I need to think outside of the (what I fear is a very rigid) box.  Do we need a 'real bed' with a headboard?  The quilt doesn't match the bedding... Should it?  Father-in-Law's chair that means so much to Hubby... can it stay?  We definitely need to add nightstands.  My hand-me-down unit isn't doing the job.

I partially solved the problem of sparsely decorated walls, while also diminishing the stack of photos wedged in beside the chair, at least in one area.... I'll share that later.

31 Days at The Nesting Place

A Beastly Invasion

Apparently, when one Beast is welcomed into the house,  others follow...

... If you order and pay for them.  ;-)  This most recent arrival one is presently looming over the aisle that runs from our back door, past our sewing room.

This is actually not as full as it can get.  This is
after a week or so of use so that things don't
fall on your toes when it opens

For quite awhile, we've had issues with our freezer.  --Not any issues that are its fault.  It's just that with 9 people in the house, including a young couple who keeps their own supply of foods, many of them frozen, the freezer gets FULL.  

I would like to keep additional supplies of things we go through quickly, like chicken breasts and berries.  I would've loved to harvest or buy produce in the summer and freeze it for winter use.  I have also long wanted to do some 'mega cooking,' in order to freeze pre-prepared dishes that would be quick and easy to heat up on busy days.  But there hasn't been room for any of that.

Our new addition should make all of it possible!  We considered a freezer available at our local Costco, but it was smallish and bare-bones, with very little organizational help inside.  











This one, which, like the oven, came via Albert Lee Appliance, has nice shelves, pull-out baskets, and adjustable door storage.  

This was just after it was plugged in, so just starting to cool.

It's also a little high-tech, with electronic controls and read-out on the front, plus door-ajar, and high heat alarms.  Since a certain prince, who tends to "Go-for" things and then move on a little too quickly, often leaves the freezer door just short of sealing closed, the latter could be a big help.

It is not sitting in its permanent position.  We're relocating the main floor laundry center out into the breezeway, the connecting area between the existing house and new garage.  The plumbing has been moved, so the washer is already out there. Since the dryer venting remains for the moment, so does the dryer.  

But soon we'll have this little alcove to use.  I'm thinking it will be just right for the freezer, and a cabinet that will conceal the cat box and provide additional pantry or sewing storage (completely separated from the litter box, of course.)  So, this alcove has a makeover in its future!

Why Don't I Get More Accomplished?

Where time (and gas money) goes... An example of one of my days this week (Wednesday).

 5:45 - 6:40   Sleepily arise, with 55 minutes to make breakfast and lunch for Hubby and, also, Prince Inventive, who is just getting used to early hours for college, and for whom preparing his own breakfast doesn't sound too appealing at the moment.

 6:40 - 7:15   Run Hubby to work.

 7:15 - 8:40  Home for 85 minutes to clean the kitchen, then rally Prince Go-for-It, make his lunch, and discuss schooling matters that probably involve cutting some of his junior high classes and welcoming him back to the homeschooling fold. 

 8:40 - 8:50  Take Prince Go-for-It to school.

 8:50 - 9:45  55 minutes to email the school and search out homeschooling materials suitable for remedial work and meeting 9th grade high school requirements.

 9:45 - 10:00  Take Princess Eager to church for her child care job.

 10:00 - 10:30  Go to chiropractor, only to find ours is out of the office today.

 10:30 - 11:10  40 minutes at home for more computer research and to help Prince CuddleBunny bring in the large cans from the street, in order to do some trash and other chores. 

 11:10 - 11:35  Pick up Princess Eager from church.

 11:35 - 1:00  Settled at home for 85 minutes to make and eat lunch, work with Prince CuddleBunny, answer emails, research running shoes to try to find answers to Prince Go-for-It's new knee pain and his recent propensity to wear out shoes within weeks.  Too much computer time today.

 1:00 - 2:30  Accompany Princess Artiste to (5th) concussion check at the pediatrician's office... She finally has the OK to return to school. -- Half days this week, and back to full time next.

 2:30 - 2:40  10 minutes to drop Princess Artiste off at home, use the restroom, and grab a snack... and Princess Eager.

 2:40 - 3:15  Princess Eager  goes to the junior high for volleyball practice.  Trade her for Prince Go-for-It who goes from the junior high and to the high school for Cross-Country practice.

 3:15 - 3:55  40 minutes to ready an oven chicken dish and black rice with veggies so that Princess Artiste can put them in the oven, and start them on the stove, respectively, while I am out.

 3:55 - 5:35  Prince CuddleBunny participates in a mile and a half run, also at the high school... 

Waiting at the start line

It is really meant for 7th and 8th graders, but the Cross Country team is hosting, so Hubby and Prince Go-for-It invited him to compete.  He took a wrong turn and had to double back, adding about a half mile to his run, but he still finished in the middle of the pack of kids 6 yrs older than he.

 5:35 - 5:50  Drive the runners and their coach (Hubby) home.

 5:50 - 6:00  10 minutes to use the restroom, check on dinner, and leave serving instructions.

 6:00 - 8:00   Leave most of the family to eat the dinner while Prince Go-for-It and I trek to a nearby town's running store for shoe advice.  We found a font of information in "Miguel" at Route 16, who was generous with his knowledge of feet and gait, shoe construction, and training methods for running.  After being talked out of the 'minimal shoes' he thought he wanted, that will cause more problems and wear out quickly, 
we found a pair of shoes Prince Go-for-It can love.  They should stop the injury process he'd recently entered, hopefully in time for his twilight race on Saturday.

 8:00 - 8:30  Stop at Costco for sustenance and a few needs, then on to Big 5 for urgent necessities requested by Princess Eager... Pre-wrap in her school colors, so she could make hair decor for Thursday's 'away' volleyball match.  ;-)

 9:00 - 11:00  Home to stay.  120 minutes to help 3 kids with varying homework assignments, make sure enough laundry got done so Hubby has boxers for the next day (which he didn't find, as they ended up in a pile in the girls' room), keep an eye on "X Factor"  ;-), make sure everyone got to bed, try to set plans with Hubby for the next day's travels and appointments, and finally get the shower I'd been hoping for all day!

Final Stats: 8 hours 20 minutes at home (divided into 9 sections!), 8 hours 25 minutes out and about ( in 8 separate outings).  

This day was a little bit of an exaggeration of the typical.  We obviously don't have school changes, doctor appointments, and running shoe emergencies daily, but often 1 or 2 things to take their place... There is a lot of busyness here this fall!

Clutter Hotspot #4 - Understair Closet Reveal

 Whew... I did it.  It was a busy and tough week, and I might've given up this project all-together, if I hadn't already started.  

From that tiny under-stair area, I filled 2 rooms with piles of stuff.  This closet has served as homeschool and game storage, in addition to acting as storage for items that others might store in a garage or basement, which we don't have.  

It would have been just as much work to stop and reload the closet than to continue.  I had to keep going...








Of course, there were downsides, like uncovering my old nemesis, the photos that still need to be organized and put into books.  And there were rabbit trails to follow, like researching what old financial paperwork needed to be saved, and which could be thrown out.  I still have a box to organize, but I was able to throw out a bigger boxful.  I found help with household records organization here.

It was also kind of a pain that to unload into the next room, I had to navigate around a door that opened  across the hall and doorway.  Oh, well...  I just hadn't planned ahead for this project!








This is where I started:                                                                                                                                      

Besides being able to navigate the closet, in general, my priority was to get the things we want to use most, in accessible locations.

I extracted the photos that were in books, or at least into pages, from the loose ones, and put them where we can reach and enjoy them out in the living area.

I'd been frustrated that with as many games as we own, the family never plays any.  Well, it sure would've been difficult, since they were in the back of the closet before.  Now they're in the front-most shelf.

The next shelf holds Prince CuddleBunny's wooden trains, Lincoln Log, and Wedgit sets.  These were piled on top of each other and behind many other things.  Now so accessible, I hope to see much more construction projects happening... And I'd bet siblings will want to join in, remembering past fun times with those toys.  Also,  this shelf holds our video camera, some drawers holding office supplies, and extension cords.





Art supplies are now collected in one location, and reachable.  Not particularly pretty, but a big improvement.

In the back and around the corner are the disorganized photos, construction materials, old toys, and old art projects.... Things we want to keep, but don't need to access often.


The Before and After next to each other:

Thanks again to Simple Mom who hosted Project Simplify 2012, and encouraged me to tend to 4 cluttery spots in our house.  Of course, it served to highlight more areas that could use such attention, so I hope I can keep up some weekly discipline and cut some of my frustration with drawers and cabinets that have become way too full.


Everyone's Week 4 decluttering projects can be found here.  Enjoy!