Plum sounds beautiful, good project that you will get to enjoy for months, maybe years, depending on your plans. Yeah, even dusting is an improvement.
Dog and I went in country yesterday, had a great time, then he had an asthma attack, we rushed home and I gave him medicine, he is fine today. I told his owner which was a big mistake, she said, "no more outings", I still feel bad about it. Mouth filters must have gotten lost, I think I need to tell too much.
Did dishes, had a smoothie, tried to figure out curtains for bedroom, watered flowers in yard, made a little wading pool for dog, he just drank out of it and put one foot in. Cancelled my outing tomorrow with rock hounding friend, she was disappointed, me too. Plan to put sheets in washing machine now, then hang them outside, shower, which I do not do enough of. Also have to return some overdue stuff to library. Still have a gut ache from dog owner being upset that I took dog out, mostly that he had to be on leash all day, then had attack. She thinks it is because he was stressed being on leash, I think it was from pollen. Let it go, but how? This is when I used to go shopping!!!!! Feel bad about myself so thought shopping would make me feel in control, and better in general. Especially being able to buy anything I want at thrift store. In reality I only liked that part, having to deal with it at home made me feel worse

I finished all the laundry and I dusted the bedroom. Not the things bothering me the most but progress nonetheless. Once the sun goes down (longest day of the year!!) I will do some other chores that will make me feel better. For now, I am pleased to have done just the minimum.

HAPPY SUMMERTIME

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Hope you got some good sleep last night.
WAY TO GO!!! taking good care of yourself with a proper dinner and early bed time. 😀
Any little things you can do to make your home more pleasant for you would be big accomplishments.
You CAN do this! (((hugs)))
Don't look at the whole thing as needing to be done in a day.
Chip away at it one small thing at a time.
Look around and find the one thing that bothers you the most and do that first.
We all want so much for you to be happy in your own home. (((hugs)))

Hi Tess 🙂
So FANTASTIC! to read about all you have been doing!
Those cookies are a GREAT way to reward your self for a job well done.
WAY TO GO!!!

Hi Karl 🙂
I have no worries that you won't get the computers all sorted out soon.
You have become very good at figuring out good ways to organize your stuff in small spaces. 🙂

This morning I plan to cook sloppy joe stuff and do a load of laundry.
Then I plan to paint the back side of the kitchen cabinets that face into the living room area.
Right now they are painted pink and I am going to paint them plum.
Just because. ;D
Sometime today I will clean up the mess I will be making in the kitchen but right now I am anxious to do the painting and want the cooking done before it gets hot out.

TTYS 🙂

Okay, so I find my place to be intolerable when it's hot and humid out. Doesn't this rest in my hands--shouldn't I have more spring in my step and do more cleaning when the weather is still good? What is the matter with me? Being happy in my home is within my control.

My room has an unusual amount of stuff in it right now, as I had my old computers out for repair work, plus a newly donated (used) computer and printer. I've been out and about all weekend and haven't yet made the time to put everything away properly.

Excellent work, Tess! Very envious of all your hard work today! I only did routine stuff today--

I would love a warm chocolate chip cookie and a cold glass of milk! Congratulations on your great day and your sense of accomplishment!!

You guys have motivated me again! I did laundry this morning at a laundromat. I've been feeling lazy today, so I was going to count that as cleaning for the day and do the other stuff I wanted to do before work tomorrow. After I read your posts, I got my butt up. I vacuumed the living room, swept the kitchen, picked up my new messes, cleaned the litter box and made my work and home to do list for tomorrow. Oh and I made chocolate chip cookies. I haven't been able to bake in 2-3 years. I'm loving my clean kitchen!

This weekend I also went to Target and Barnes and noble. I'm very proud of myself for not buying more than I needed. I'm so determined to dig myself out of this hole. That little win feels so good.

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Tillie, you are just such a sweetheart. Thank you for all of your support! I am home from taking various people various places. Haven't had a proper meal and so I am making an early dinner now. Took a shower, in pjs, and can drift off to sleep whenever I want. Only 4:30 here so hopefully not too soon!!!

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Diane 🙂
Sounds like you have been having a great and relaxing time watching movies, playing with the loaner dog and getting out in the country! 😀
WAY TO GO! for maintaining living areas.
Finding a proper balance between work and play is very important and you have been doing so much better. (((HUGS)))
I remember way back when Cory asked you to agree to stop the constant shopping and how hard you worked on keeping that promise.
We are all so very, very proud of you for breaking through that addiction. (((HUGS))):D

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Tea clink! 😉
Yes, cats are so "helpful" when trying to make up a bed. lol 😀
Hope you had a great time at the party. 🙂
Please try to get all the sleep and rest your body is telling you that you need. (((HUGS)))

Woke up this morning, looked around, rolled over and went back to sleep.
Nothing pressing to get to today.
Planning to go out and light the burn barrel soon as I get off the computer and get dressed.
My garden really needs weeding again but my back is too achy. The garden can wait. ;P

Everybody enjoy this very last day of Spring.
Tomorrow is the start of Summer.
Happy Equinox! 🙂

Coffee clinks, Diane and Tillie! Diane, your post reminds me I need to be productive before the heat and humidity hits the East coast. I hate my place twice as much when the weather is humid.

Tillie, I am working in laundry this AM, hoping to get one load done before family duty calls! As soon as I finish this cup of coffee I'll quick change my bed--doesn't take too long unless a cat tries to help.

I need to make a list of things to do tonight. Other than going to a party yesterday, I basically just slept. I've been very tired these days and don't feel depressed, so I think it's okay to sleep. I'll keep an eye on the situation and make sure I'm not sleeping too much.

Ttyl!

Hi Everyone.
Today was a grey, rainy day so watched dvd's all day, was fun. Walked dog I am taking care of, lots of fetch, just a calm day. I worked all last week cleaning up junk in my yard, looks so much better. Wish I could work that many hours inside!!! Have maintained clean living area, still lots to do in craft (crap) room, but it is on hold for now. Tomorrow dog and I are going out in country for an outing before the heat wave arrives this week. Plan to work on cleaning more off deck and maybe craft room this coming week. I am practicing saying this is good enough, and stop myself, when I start criticizing myself, for not being better. I am doing good enough, thanks to you. Not sure I will ever really believe I am doing good enough, but have a glimmer of hope. Just by stopping the addictive thrift store shopping, I see change is possible

Hi Everybody 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Big Big WAY TO GO!!!
For freeing yourself from the need to always be prepared just in case someone somewhere needs something someday.
That is a very difficult impulse to overcome and YOU did it. (((HUGS)))
GREAT job getting those gifts delivered! 😀

Almost 2:00pm here.
Wasn't much tidying up to do this morning, YEA!
Today is hot and cloud covered and humid, yuck.:(
But maybe it will rain???? 😀
Watching Netflix and doing some beading.
He went into town and bought a new lawn mower today.
Maybe he will mow the grass? 😉

TTYS 🙂

Hello everyone! Great reading your posts!

SusanL--how fantastic! Good work! That's a great accomplishment and a great reminder to all of us! I had a similar moment a few years back (when I first came on here) and it's probably worth mentioning again. I was cleaning out my closet and found all of these things that I had purchased, in case anyone ever needed the stuff. Anyone was never defined, mind you, I just wanted to be the family member, neighbor, friend, co-worker who could come to the rescue and have exactly what someone needed. As I made bag after bag after bag of these things, all unused, to be donated, I realized that it's not my job to rescue people--and it's not my job to be a warehouse--we have stores, STORES, where people can go to buy things they need. I don't need to stockpile for them. I couldn't believe it. Well, two or three years later, I have completely broken myself of that habit. It was eye opening.

Congratulations to Tess and everyone else on your successful weeks! I have delivered one of the two gifts that have been sitting around my house, unwrapped and undelivered, and have vowed to get the other one to the post office on Monday.

Take care! Thinking of you all and thanking you for your insights and support! Coffee clinks!

Good Afternoon Everyone 🙂

Hi Tess 🙂
Thank you and You're welcome 🙂
WAY TO GO!!! for doing the small time, quick task routine! 😀
Good luck with your plans for today, enjoy your book.

Since I did a lot of long put off things this week, I decided to take today off and go into town this morning.
Had fun. 😀

Good job with the car and closet!

Thanks for the tips, Tillie. I did a 10 and later a 15 minute cleaning spurt yesterday. I'm back at work, so I did one in the morning and one when I got home. I used one to pick up my new messes and the second to work on cleaning a new space. I'd like to keep that up. It's very doable.

Today I'm going to work in the kitchen. Cleaning a cabinet, a drawer, and a shelf for use. I also need to give the floor a good scrub. When I'm done, I'm going to reward myself with an evening of reading.

Today I washed the car and dusted the inside too.
I had not planned to do this.
Surprised myself! 😀

Hi SusanL 🙂

I too, at 62, try to keep in mind that it's better to take care of things now while I still can. (((hugs)))

Hi all,

Wanted to share the story of our coat closet. We had to pull everything out for an electrical repair. Then afterwards we swept it out and started putting things back in. Lightbulb moment. Only the things we use should go back in there, right?

I kept out three large boxes of random papers that I had been saving to sort "LATER" and decided that later was now. It took about three weeks to go through them all, tossed more than half and filed the rest where I can actually find them in the future. It was kind of painful but I'm glad to have this task behind me.

I'm 64. Who knows how many more years I'll be in good enough shape to sort stuff. Gotta get it done.

Thanks all for the encouragement.
Susan L

Good Morning Everyone 🙂

Hi Dave 🙂
We have probably a hundred useless rolls of ancient tape around here too.
None ever gets thrown away because he hopes that in another decade or two it will get better.
Same as the crates full of tubes of assorted caulk that has all turned hard as rock. ;D

Hi tillie:
re: Green. I found some green duct tape. I decided I wanted to use some to cover something on a yellow shovel handle. The green cloth part of the tape peeled great. Unfortunately the glue layer did not come with it. So much for saving duct tape for 10-15 years!

WOW!!! Tatoulia 😀
Keeping those surfaces clear is such a FANTASTIC accomplishment!
(((HUGS)))
In time, you will be keeping them all dusted to your own liking.
Making these changes all take time before they become more routine and the best part is that if you fall behind, it is fast work to get it back to tidy & clean. 😀
(((HUGS)))

Hi Tess 🙂
A good cleaning routine is one customized to you, your lifestyle and how often things need attention.
A single person with no pets has an easier amount to manage than a person with other adults, children and numerous pets living in the home.
A good thing to do is to tidy up after yourself.
Spend 5, 10 or 15 minutes a day cleaning up, straightening and putting away items that you have used or messes you have made.
Notice how often your bathroom could use a good scrubbing, if weekly, then schedule that in.
Floors? When do they usually need rewashing or vacuuming?
If you cook/bake a lot the kitchen/oven will need more frequent cleaning than if you favor easier menus.
See? it all depends on what and when stuff needs doing in your home.
When the house is not cluttered and you keep up with tidying up after yourself, you should be able to do a general cleaning, bathroom, floors, vacuuming, dusting, etc. within just a few hours one day each week.

Well I made my banana bread and it is so nice for cooking today that I cooked a lot more stuff.
Cleaned up the kitchen mess. Yea! me 🙂
Now I have a bunch of home made, ready to eat stuff in the freezer.
Think I will water later this afternoon, near evening.
Right now I am eating some really good watermelon.

Hello! How wonderful to see so many posters! Hello Tillie. Diane, Tess, Anony., CM, Dave and anyone I may have missed!

My pile on the couch is almost gone. Got a good session in two nights ago. Last night I just slept and it was wonderful. So far not putting anything on the coffee table. It looks so pretty. Time to look back on the past few months: I have successfully kept the dining table clear for quite a while now. Sometimes i have flowers or pussywillows on it. Right now there's a silver tray with a few objects--looks really pretty. I have t been as diligent about dusting it and will work on that. Have kept the two side tables in my bedroom clear and clean (just lamps, coaster, clock and minimal decorative items, desk is exactly how I want it. Now to apply the same devotion to my coffee table. I will say its companion end table has remained clean and clear since inheriting them last year. So let me keep moving forward--I'm proof I can do it. I need to be better about dusting--shouldn't be an issue since not covered in junk. I'll work on that.

Tess, the only cleaning schedule I adhere to is I make my bed every morning and I change my sheets every weekend. I'd love to build on those habits. Right now I'm trying to make keeping dishes out of the sink into a habit and I'm almost at habit-level for folding and putting away laundry.

Hope everyone is well--good to hear from you all!!!!!

Hi Tillie, sounds like you have an awesome day planned for yourself! Lol! I have to go back to work tomorrow, so I will definitely set aside some time to veg out later.

Diane, hugs to you. That's the best reason to do it. Today I'm working on my motivation to get up and do a little more now that the emergency is over. I like the little bit of peace of mind that came with clearing out space. I can't deal with sorting through stuff today, but I'd like to at least clean the floors today. And maybe buy some flowers for my kitchen table now that I can actually see the table!

Can anybody recommend a good cleaning schedule?

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Tess 🙂
YEA!!! 😀
So happy the "visit" went well. 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
GREAT! job getting those weeds!
Enjoy the good feeling you get from looking at that weed-less area. 😀

Hi Diane 🙂
WONDERFUL! Cleaning just for your own self. 🙂
No stress or pressure trying to please anybody but your own self.
It is such a freeing realization isn't it?
This is how it should be. (((HUGS)))

Hi Dave 🙂
Yes, it is hard to pull those weeds when the rest of the whole world is holding tight to their roots. ;D
The color choices are limited in his vast stash of spray paint squirreled away in the pump house.
Mostly, they are shades of gray, primer or top coat clear, no colors of the rainbow.
Red seemed to be the only color bright enough to catch the eye.
He has a whole case of light green glow in the dark spray paint but it is Halloween grade and washes easily off with water.

Thinking today I will bake two loaves of banana bread, slice, wrap and freeze it for future breakfasts.
That will only take about one hour, so I will have to find other things to do besides just vegging out watching Netflix. 😀

The red sounds bright. I guess we are more staid. Mrs Dave used black duct tape on the edges of the two bottom steps of the basement stairs.

The red sounds bright. I guess we are more staid. Mrs Dave used black duct tape on the edges of the two bottom steps of the basement stairs.

Weed pulling is getting harder now the ground is drying out.

so happy it went well Tess
Tillie sounds like a good solution, next you will be using glow in the dark paint.
I had a new experience, cleaning in here for myself, maybe for the first time ever. No one coming over, so no stress, anxiety, pressure, just cleaned for myself, took breaks, such a new feeling, to clean with out the pressure of trying to make it ok for someone else, just cleaning to make it more comfortable for me. I don't ever recall cleaning without rushing to be acceptable to some one else.

Hey Anon! It went well. I was finally able to eat and take a nap this afternoon. I was a wreck. I hear you regarding it hindering relationships. I have put off dating because of it. I know I'll eventually have to have my date over. Yikes.

Congrats on the weed pulling. Doesn't it feel good to accomplish something like that? Especially if you've been dreading it.