Cristians Room and Glass Cabinets

Both yesterday and today were days for working on Cristian's room. A lot is gone! Although, I didn't take any pictures. I was too tired from cleaning! I guess, I actually started it Thursday, because we took a tall kitchen bag stuffed with clothes to the Goodwill that day. I worke at weeding out toys on Friday, and Mo helped me when I thought I was done - - still filled more bags to go! I think all in all there were about 3-4 black lawn trash bags that left (some garbage and some Goodwill), and I know there are 3 FULL tall kitchen bags in the back of the van to go tomorrow morning to be donated after church. Additionally, another 2 almost full black lawn trash bag went to the neighbor's, and there is one that isn't quite full, but is getting there, in my bathroom (it wasn't full, so I decided to work on my bathroom drawers to get it there - - still working, as the drawers are done but tomorrow I'll get to the "under the cabinet" space).

I hope I'm getting better habits. As I fold wash, and even as I put it away, I'm trying to pull one more thing out of each drawer to go. !!!!! Even hand-me-downs we got this week, I sorted before putting them away either in drawers or the "grow in" pile. We are so blessed with hand-me-downs, and Tori looks forward to the bags coming. Still, I realize if we won't use it, it probably makes sense to gift it to someone else rather than storing it and then passing it on. A bag of really nice dancewear went to a friend (Tori isn't dancing at present) . Shared blessings!

Living in clutter is serious business, and it is outright seriously depressing. Having it leave is an uplift! I realize, truly, that we've only scratched the surface on this stuff, but I will push on.


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I, by the way, AM very serious about the "bigger barns" thing. I WILL NOT move anything I don't intend to have as an integral part of our lives!

Remember my post about the glass cabinet doors, last weekend? Well, we looked at a "bigger barn" that has ALL glass upper cabinet doors. Now, isn't that ironic? If we should move to a kitchen like that, I want to be READY!

Laura

Cleaning Lady Days

A year ago, when we were potentially moving and showing our house a lot to potential renters, Todd and I hired a cleaning lady (actually 2-3, depending on the day, they come together and blow through here fast). We chose to keep them on even after we decided not to move because it was so nice to have a reason to have the house picked up every 2 weeks, and it was also so nice when we were so busy with Ana and her post surgery care not to have to worry about whether the house was scrubbed.

The drawback though, is that we tend to "stash" rather than putting things away properly, because we fear we don't have the time to put it away the right way, and still have everything picked up so the "ladies" can clean.

My goal now is to not have to do anything the night/morning before the "ladies" come. I so desire things in this house to be put away all the time, enough that we don't have a mad dash of stashing things every other "night before" in order to be ready for them to come scrub. I remember the saying "Everything has a place, and is in its place," but right now 1) everything doesn't have a place, 2) everything that does have a place is not in its place, and 3) If everything were in its place there wouldn't be enough place for the things.

Time to press on, and get rid of more...

Laura

Another link at the bottom

At the bottom of this LONG page of posts I added a link to another blog, made with similar goals. Enjoy! It is the link that is titled "Jenni's Blog".

Laura

Maybe a bigger barn?

OK, after vowing to enjoy my "barn" and make life simpler here, it is possible that it might be time for a bigger barn anyway, however, NOT for the STUFF. There are many reasons, being in part the economy, what's financially best for our family, etc... too many to go into right now. However, we're in prayer and know God will guide us. In the meantime, I will be working away at this. I am committed to not moving ANYTHING I don't need to. Either way, life still needs to be simplified and restored to the order that we as a family crave, and thus I am pressing on! :-)

Today is picking up and putting away day - - probably not a lot will get cleaned out, but I hope a lot will be picked up.

Blessings - - Laura

Pantry Photos

Here is a photo of the pantry... all clean! There are a few extra items in it - - I am storing the dish towels in there for now, because the drawer they are in is unavailable for a week or two (long story) but otherwise, it is clean. :-) That empty shelf will be filled with ONLY the canned groceries we need for a week at a time. Yes, you might be able to save more by buying in quantity when it's on sale, but not when it gets pushed to the back and forgotten about, and then outdates so it has to be thrown away...

By the way, I DID take yesterday as a day of rest! My friend Nancy from Oklahoma is here (she arrived about 2 hours earlier than I expected her, which was even more of a bonus!) and we went shopping at the mall. Fun! Ana now has new bras that fit, Tori and Cristian each a new outfit for spring, and I bought a baby present for a dear friend whose Chinese daughter is finally about to come home - - after I think about a 4+ year wait.

Today will be busy, lots of appointments and such, but I'll get back on the clearing out wagon again tomorrow and throughout the week.

Blessings on your Monday - - Laura

Another Photo, and The Pantry

Here is another photo of stuff that left my kitchen cabinets yesterday. Additinally, I was able to clean the pantry enough to put a plastic bin in for breads. That means, NO MORE BREAD BOX ON THE COUNTER! Our house has plenty of counter space in the kitchen, but it is so much easier to wipe counters down, etc... when there is less sitting on them. Oh, and that bag on top of the box - - Scott's torn jeans. 3 pair. He's getting into it a little bit, too.

I decided to tackle the pantry last night, before dinner. The dinner I'd planned was a simple but yummy and healthy one, so I figured I'd just quickly go through it. Well... it was 8pm when I actually finished and got dinner on, but our family didn't mind, and now it is DONE too! Two big black garbage bags later, the pantry is CLEAN. I used to keep my cookbooks on a shelf of the bookshelves in our bedroom. Now they're in the pantry. Also, the bread is in the pantry, and the bread box GONE. :-) Our pantry is deep, and stuff gets shoved to the back. Thus the garbage bags filled.

It felt good to eat dinner (even late) knowing that there is no "yuck" in that big cabinet (the pantry is right next to the table). In addition to that, I cleaned out the garage fridge yesterday (we need it for "overflow" groceries - with the size of family we have). Tori went out to get a soda for Todd and was SO excited! So now, we've got Tori getting into the fun too!

Today I will try to make it a day of rest. It is hard to stop though... but that was the plan and it is God's plan.

Laura

Jane's Idea in the Tupperware Cupboard...

I just finished two more lower cupboards. One was particularly a challenge because I had to rewash everything in it. It's done and put away now. The other was the nightmare tupperware cupboard (tupperware being used to explain any storage container). A year ago I got rid of half of the stuff that filled that space, and still, it is an absolute disaster again. Because of stuff I cleared from another cabinet, I shifted some things, and then spent some time down on the floor making sure all the containers had lids, and vice versa. Well -- I have about 10 extra lids. Since sometimes the kids take containers to their rooms and such, I finally decided that for the next month, the extra lids will live in another place (Jane's idea, but with the cutlery) and if I don't find their mates, they LEAVE! The bag they're in is tied at the top and marked "Lids, to leave 2/24" and I will hold to that!

Another box has been filled from the kitchen to leave (later, I'll take a photo!). I have two more upper cabinets to do, another to finish, and the DREADED pantry but Ana is here chomping at the bit to help me with that one. God is good to bless me with such a sweet and eager helper!

Laura