Juggling Chainsaws and Other Crazy Things
Yes, I disappeared there for a bit. Life got crazed. There was tons going on at work, a lot going on family-wise… I couldn’t do everything and the first to go was my blogging. But, the house stayed together, the family was in good shape, and no one ever left the house nekkid or in dirty clothes. All in all, a victory.
What do you do when life starts tossing chainsaws for you to juggle? I have to fight shutting down and sitting mindlessly on the couch. It was tough, but I managed by focusing on small, easily done things.
I made sure that the three front rooms were clean on a daily basis (kitchen, dining room, and living room). They may not have been perfect, but at least there was an attempt at keeping them in check. Although, I will admit that laundry sat in the dining room for the guys to put away longer than I liked.
As needed, I swiped at the bathroom to keep it from getting gross. It might just be a quick wipe down with a damp tissue around the sink to pick up stray toothpaste and such, but it kept things mostly tidy.
Laundry was, and always is, the bane of my existence. I just did what I could, when I could. I’d love to say that I always put a load in in the evening, throw it in the dryer in the morning, and then fold it when I get home, but that’s a lie. I might throw some in the dryer in the afternoon and fold it later and toss a load in the wash… But there was no real schedule. I’m actually a bit backed up on laundry because I didn’t do anything on Mothers’ Day weekend. LOL
I guess the main point of this is I took it easy on myself. I didn’t beat myself up over the house. Yeah, the bedroom is a bit of a pit right now — but it’s really nothing that fifteen minutes can not cure. Ooo, I’m being realistic about how messy it is! I need to wash sheets, but that’s easily enough done over the course of the week. The floors need to be vacuumed, swept, mopped… Again, I can do this over the week.
Be realistic when it comes to your time and energy level. Sometimes, you just don’t feel like making it perfect. Do the bare bones. Whatever it is that keeps your stress level down. For me, that’s keeping the front three rooms relatively tidy. We want to fight stress, not increase it by unreasonable demands.
Damn, I’m actually sounding like a reasonable human being here…
Spiritual Clutter… Forgive Does Not Mean Forget
I saw a car on my drive in to work this morning with the bumpersticker “Forgive.” It got me to thinking about my own journey of learning to forgive.
For years, I got hung up on forgiving. I just couldn’t get past the pain. I never understood how you were supposed to forgive someone that had hurt you to the point of damaging your psyche and then just move on and forget about it. It always seemed like a “get out of jail free card,” pardon the pun, for the person who had wronged me. Sure, I could interact on a shallow, social level with most of these folks (some I never see and that’s just fine by me), but I was always wary, waiting.
Last year, while I was doing the whole group therapy thing, my counselor said something that completely shifted my paradigm. You don’t have to forget what they did — in fact, do not forget it. Forgive to rid yourself of the negative energy surrounding the events, but never forget. To forget would be to place yourself in a weak position again. And then, it happened.
I was able to forgive so much! My shoulders felt lighter as I walked out of that session. I could forgive the verbal and emotional abuse that I had carried for so long. I could look beyond my own pain and reclaim my personal strength — pain saps strength. When you can move past it, you can move back into being strong.
I can lo0k back at the person I once was, hurt, scared, and unable to move past the painm, and feel compassion for her. I know why she did not understand forgiveness — she wasn’t ready. The pain was a protection. It kept her from getting too close to those that had broken her trust, kept her from going back into situations that were like her old patterns. But, with my mind all but shattered in August, I was able to rebuild with a foundation that was strong. I recreated myself into the person I had always wanted to be, but didn’t know how… Part of that was being able to forgive.
I’m not saying it’s easy. Trust me, I’m still wrestling with it. There are things that have been said and done to me that are still fresh wounds, despite their age. They haven’t started to close, no matter how hard I try. But, that’s part of life. Learning how to forgive, how to reclaim your strength, how to be the person that you want to be.
So, when someone tells you to “forgive and forget,” just smile and go on your way. You can forgive, but you know better than to forget. You know better than to give away your strength.
Decluttering My Ass Off… Literally
It’s time to get serious. My ass is beginning to require it’s own time zone and that’s just not going to fly any more. I’ve got to do something to get this twenty pounds off and off before it gets so far into the summer I can’t wear my bikini!
First off, I’ve been tracking my calories. Gah, I hate this, but I need to. Otherwise, I eat like a mindless wildebeast grazing on the Serengeti. By tracking calories, I’m looking at portion sizes and making better choices. Will that candy bar fill me up til dinner? Do I have enough in my calorie bank to justify a candy bar — and yes, I do this. I plan out my food for the day and include garbage foods. I have to. My sweet tooth is so strong from my meds, it’s unbelieveable. I know, I know, I need to break the habit, but for now, I’m just interested in getting back into the habit of tracking everything I eat.
Upping my water. I don’t like drinking water, so I’m using non-calorie tea mixes to give it flavor. I’m up to ten cups a day and it’s helping. I keep a water bottle at my side at all times and just fill it as needed. Speaking of which, I need to fill it soon!
And finally, the Wii Fit. I hate that talking board, but I’m obviously working muscles. I hurt today after two days of working out on it. It gives a decent work out and tons of variety. That is a wonderful thing because I get bored. I’m doing 15 minutes a day this week then I’ll up it to twenty next week, etc. I’d like to be able to get up in the morning early and work out, but I never seem to be able to do that.
The worst thing that I am dealing with, aside from meds that are clinging to the fat like it’s a life preserver, is my late night snacking. Gah, I’m always hungry right before bed! I’ve tried little snacks and that helps — I just need to be smarter about my choices.
I’m really fighting the weight gain. It’s rocking my self-confidence a huge amount lately. But, I will overcome this. I refuse to have it any other way!
The First Haul of the Season, or How to Yard Sale /Junk Effectively
Yesterday was the first Saturday that I went yard sale-ing this year. It was a wonderful time with Hubby, the Boy, and me all piled into the car just driving around. We didn’t have a real route this time. It was just a run for the fun of it.
Our loot? well, at the Good Will I scored a pair of Tommy Hilfinger black boots (I needed new black boots) for $3.00 and a Joseph A. Bank leather bomber jacket for $5.00. Those jackets generally run over two to three hundred dollars. SCORE!! I’ll be living in it this fall.
We ran through a couple of estate sales and didn’t see anything but the third sale was yet another amazing score. The lady was unloading kids’ clothes cheap — all you could stuff into a grocery bag for $2.00. When she saw I was looking for school uniforms, she started rummaging in the pile for me. It took Hubby to carry all of the uniforms and other clothes we got — again, did I mention for $2.00? I now have uniforms for the Boy for the next four years! And the best part, all of the colors are the basic ones that will be usable for any school!
Along with that haul, she had two snow suits that she sold us for $1.00 each, a Land’s End jacket for $2.00, and another fall weight jacket for $1.00.
All in all, $7.00 for four years worth of uniforms, two snow suits that will be used for the next four years (unless the Boy hits a major growth spurt), several nice pairs of Rawlings and Puma shorts, and a couple of good jackets. Excellent score.
Would you believe that this is a usual haul for me? Believe it or not, it is. Here are my tried and true methods for effective yard and junk sale-ing:
- Always keep a mental list of things you need in the house, for your family, or that would make good gifts. For me, school uniforms and boy clothes are always needed. I mean, I have a seven year old — we go through clothes and uniforms. You can go so far as to write the list down to keep things in mind as you think of them. By looking for some specifics, you can cut down on too much needless browsing.
- With your list, be picky. Check each thing for obvious stains, breaks, cracks, deformities, etc. Don’t spend money unless it’s something you really want. After all,the whole point of this is to get really good stuff for really cheap.
- But don’t waffle too much. You don’t want to take so long making up your mind that you lose the item you’re interested in. People will snatch things right out from under you if you’re not careful.
- Along with being picky, be knowledgeable. Know your brands, your antiques, your knock offs, etc. Educated yard salers are the best at finding good deals. If you’re looking for silver, know some basic silvermarks. Antique glass, get an idea of patterns and makers. Clothing and accessories? Know those few tell-tales that scream knock-offs.
- Look beyond looks. Can that couch be recovered? If you added new buttons, would that jacket be updated into something trendy? Can you take apart that ugly piece of jewelry that has a few good beads and use them for something else? Can you even buy a box of Rit Dye and completely change the look of a piece of clothing with classic lines?
- Allow yourself a couple of weaknesses. Mine are old books / family papers and half-finished projects. For instance, I once bought an old family Bible for .25 because it had generations of family members written on the flyleaf. When I mentioned it to the family, they shrugged and said that if I didn’t buy it, it was just going to be tossed in the trash. It’s on my bookcase.
- Have a route and know your area. I have a goodly number of neighborhoods that I know tend to have exceptional yard sales. On days when I decide to make a day of it, I start on one side of my route and work my way around.
- Start early. Around here, I’m usually out of the house a little before seven. That gives me time to grab some breakfast on my way. You’ll get the good stuff.
- But, don’t show up too early. And if a sign has a start time, don’t go bother the folks until that time arrives. I hate, HATE having people show up before I’m ready when I’m selling.
- Feel free to ask for a lower price on something, but do so politely and within reason. If it’s a dollar, seriously reconsider asking for a lower price. Or, see if you can get it thrown in with a larger lot of things.
- But, don’t be offended if the seller says no.
- And, don’t ask for a price reduction first thing in the morning.That’s just rude.
- Enjoy the people. I meet the greatest folks while yard sale-ing.
- Just have fun!
Those are my tried and true methods for getting a good haul most days you yard sale. You won’t always have a huge score, but even the little ones will make your day. After all, saving money is guaranteed to brighten even the crappiest day.
When Tired, Take a Deep Breath and Find Five Things…
Priorities. That is my buzz word for today. I am so tired from the weekend. Honestly, all I wanted to do was lay on the couch and not move. If I had done that, tomorrow would have sucked.
A lot.
So, I decided to try something new. Instead of using my timer, because I really wasn’t up to moving much today, I looked around the house and made a list of five things that had to be done.
Five little things. I could do that! Even if it was an all day thing like catching up on laundry, at least I was starting it. By concentrating on five simple things (laundry, kitchen / dishes, tidying of the dining / living rooms, making sure the Boy’s school bag was ready for the morning, making sure my bag and self were ready for the morning), I was able to get them accomplished without feeling like I spent the day cleaning. I feel rested. It’s a quarter to seven. I have 2.5 hours til I should go to bed. I have plenty of time to fold at least two more loads of laundry, finish up the living room, get the last few things into the Boy’s bag for his field trip, and get my bag ready. I’m even going to arch my brows, paint my toes, and do my nails…
Five little things. Take thirty seconds, make a very short list, and get to it. This is a great way to get motivated on the days when even the timer trick isn’t going to work.
Returning to the Routines
It was a wonderfully hectic weekend of family and fun. There were eight people in our house, a whirlwind trip four hours away to visit more family, a dinner party… And despite how exhausted I am right now, especially looking at going back to work tomorrow, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
That being said, I have close to ten loads of laundry between clothes, towels, sheets, and blankets, the house to set back to rights from having all of us toddling about through it, the family to get ready to go back to school / work, and myself to get ready.
How am I going to do all of that? Well, first off, I am not going to overdo it. I took it easy today once I got back from dropping folks off at the airport. I know if I overdo, it will take me all week to try and get myself back on track. And then, I looked around and decided on my priorities:
We needed towels and clean clothes for the week. Thankfully, last week was Spring Break for the Boy, so his uniforms are all clean and he’s pretty set for the week. Ok, laundry got started first thing. I didn’t even bother with sorting the laundry in the laundry room. I sorted in the basement because the piles were so big. Boy and Hubby clothes, towels, sheets, blankets, whites, and my stuff.
Next, I went upstairs and got the kitchen clean. I had run out of dishwasher detergeant and had to pick some up this morning. I can safely say at this point, the kitchen is clean and Boy got violently ill last night in the kitchen. I mopped twice, but it just didn’t seem clean. So, after getting the dishwasher loaded and going, I got on my hands and knees and scrubbed the floor. Second priority taken care of.
Finally, I started looking around the main rooms and tidying up. The dining room was easy to take care of. The living room has a few more things left. I need to clean off the coffee table and get a few things organized here, namely my camera, some writings, etc.
My last priority is getting me ready for tomorrow. Clothes laid out, bag ready, brows arched, nails taken care of, and maybe even my toenails painted. Like I said, I’m taking it easy today. I may even see about giving myself a facial. It’s only 6:30PM. I have a good three hours before bed.
The moral of the story? Priorities. And that’s the theme of the next post…
Faltering and Trying to Get Back Up
I’m exhausted. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s trying to fit 40 hours of work into the last three days. Perhaps it’s the fact I’ve not stopped on the house. Perhaps it’s because I stayed up til midnight waiting for Hubby. Regardless, I’m tired.
I want to sit down on the couch and read. Take a hot shower and then toddle to bed. Even doze on the couch while watching TV.
Oh man, I need to get myself moving. Yesterday, it was so easy to get moving. Today, it’s hard. So, I’m going to sort a basket of clean socks (GAH, hate this!) and then start on the upstairs guest room. After that, the laundry room.
Here we go….. No, really, here I go…….
I can be flexible, really… Maybe.
It’s crunch time. I’ve got to get the car habitable and finish teh front yard — if the rain holds off. Please let it hold off! Then I need to get the upstairs guest room tidy, the laundry room shoveled out (I know, sounds silly, but it’s a total pit!), and some paperwork done… And that’s just tonight! Oh, yeah, and dye my hair. LOL!
Tomorrow, I’ve got to work til 11:30AM, run a bunch of errands, vacuum, dust, mop, make up beds with fresh linens, hunt cobwebs, etc… You know, the stuff you do the day of company coming.
My husband was going to take all of tomrorow off, but now he’s working til 1:30PM. ACK! I had a list prepared for him that would allow me to get some extra stuff done, like pre-cooking Friday night’s crab enchiladas, giving myself a pedicure so I can wear summer shoes, make sure the house is definitely presentable, prepack the Boy for going to Eastern Kentucky Saturday so I don’t have to do that Friday when spending time with company…
I am, for the most part, remaining calm. I’ll get everything I can done. I have my cousin coming over tomorrow at two to help finish up the downstairs guestroom and guest bath. She’s so amazingly wonderful!
So, I’m trying to remain flexible. It’s no one’s fault about the working thing — well, except the people who don’t know the meaning of the word “Vacation.” Say it with me, folks… Vay… Cay… Shun. Le sigh.
Honestly, as long as the rooms are clean, I’ll figure it out. If I have to cook the enchiladas Friday when people are around instead of just baking La Bete Noire, I’ll make it work. I may bitch and moan a bit to myself, but I’ll make it work.
Thank goodness for Monster Low Carb drinks…
Shoveling out the bedroom
It’s done. The master bedroom is clean and sparkling. I’ve also cleaned the kitchen from dinner, done two loads of laundry (folded and put away!), laid out my clothes for tomorrow, and gotten ready.
I admit, it took a bit of doing. I just couldn’t get started. But, I did one thing — I changed the turtle tank filter. Well, that convinced me to go over the main rooms that we had cleaned Saturday to make sure they were still tidy. That lead to getting laundry swapped and folded. And then I had enough of a roll to tackle the bedroom.
Surprisingly, the bedroom wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I took one section and cleaned it til it sparkled. Seeing it look so pretty and nice made me move to the next section. And then the next. And the next. And suddenly, the room was clean! It looks so lovely right now! I’m looking forward to going to bed.
Lesson here? Don’t look at the whole room. You’ll just get discouraged and come up with reasons not to start. Trust me, that’s what I did. I got everything else done just because I didn’t want to start the bedroom. I was even trying to convince myself not to do it tonight. But, I decided to do one section and that one section pushed me into doing the whole room. And now, I’m contentedly resting on my butt, pleased with everything I accomplished. Just look at one piece and do it. Even if you don’t get the rest done, you have one pretty area that will convince you to keep going.
