Planning the clutter bust

Thoughts and work on Sept. 3-4

To consider doing...work on some

• See if I can get rid of slippers...
• Sort books...

In the process--

• TAKE BREAKS
• write emails to friends
• internet surf
• Put on music!! Make the process happy

Other clutter/clean-up stuff to help the process--my 'to do' list for today:

• Make guest bed
• Finish putting away suitcase items from trip.
• Spend at least 30 minutes on table

Done Monday--Sept 3

• Spent time writing my ideas on organizing the process. Good! It's out of my head, ready to act on.
• Made list of stuff for WN (helping me) to do when she comes tomorrow--stuff to wipe done, shred, etc.
• Separated out items--identified as 'ready to (price and) go', and some things that are "take to Canada"
• Made up my pricing list for big items.
• Made guest bed

Organizing the process--Sept. 3, 2018

Today my mind is thinking a lot around the bigger picture of organizing this process, and how to make it go as efficiently as possible. So I'm thinking about, and planning for.

• Designing and printing a sort of 'label' to be put on boxes--identifying what is in them, and where they are going and next actions, ie.
• Take to Canada (and then even...maybe some more variations in case I change my mind--essential keepsakes, etc. and 'maybe's)
• Give away, take somewhere....
• Setting up/preparing some areas of the house to temporary put different categories of things, also how to do this in a way that doesn't drive me crazy in the process, so I don't feel like I'm living in the midst of boxes and more clutter, AND so the place looks reasonably 'free' and 'calming' in some places...for would-be buyers to see, etc.
• Boxes to ship away (take with me)
• Stuff ready to get rid of now--sell or give away, somehow finding a way to 'display' these.
• Stuff to take somewhere (i.e. books to the centre to sell there)
• Starting to make a pricing chart for large items to sell--furniture, etc. first to roughly know prices so that these can be offered to the home buyer, maybe 'sweeten' the package, or sell it all in one fell swoop
• OR Next steps on this may be to photograph, put on a website... 
• Start 'pricing' other items that I can get rid of--at this price OBO.

I'm also wanting to GET AT IT with the nitty gritty of disposing, organizing etc. So far my thoughts and plans are:

• Start with 'big and easy' stuff
• books--I have some boxes already pulled out and separated out--already designated 'get rid of' or 'take to Canada'
• some Rubbermaid containers whose contents could be easily disposed of, making that a good 'shipping container' for the 'take with me' items
• One container--old finance records--2000-2011. (I'm quite sure I can get rid of  everything at least until 2008 (might need to keep 10 years--check on this).
• One container--guest slippers--and that container is in a cupboard...could easily become a GREAT storage space for the 'take to Canada' stuff boxes that are already packed
• Things already determined to keep--start putting them in appropriate containers.
• Balcony garden area--go through..get rid of stuff that is probably not worthwhile to anyone. Organize everything else so that it is clear and attractive for would-be buyers/takers.
• Oh, and for the balcony garden: Stop planting NEW STUFF!!

• Start labeling things--price tags on stuff around the house.
• Start a list (and get working on) research questions
• Who can appraise the apartment?
• What are tax and related laws related to selling?
• What forms/paper work is needed for international transfer of funds?
• What are my shipping options? (And then a choice...what will be my limits?)

This is a good start! Now...to DO!

Time to Get Crackin'!

I will be leaving, packing up my apartment, selling it, and moving--to the other side of the world. I WILL do some serious reducing, disposing, in coming days.

Biggest progress so far is books--well, just excited to be finding places to get rid of them. I donated 34 to Juniper Tree, and then last weekend sold about 40 at half price.

One thing I'm enjoying--the clarity that comes when you're leaving things behind. Not everything is clear, mind you, there will be lots of choices to make. But much becomes easier. I look at things and know I can chuck them...

I think...I'll use this space to track, and...watch it go...
I want to track...to know that, in the end, I did a lot of work.

Simple Focus--Kitchen Counter

I'm following Joshua Becker and "Becoming a Minimalist" on Facebook now. I think he's writing now more too--his full-time job. I think it might help me stay on track, although--need to be careful--too many articles even about this, can become clutter.

There was one article that he wrote or posted this week that jumps out at me, about kitchen clutter. I think I will make it my focus for this week--to read it a few times, get some ideas, and day by day, get rid of some kitchen clutter. I have stuff on my counters that doesn't belong there. I have stuff in cupboards that needs to be reorganized. Oh, my goal for this week is very small though--just the counters. (I think that was the focus of the article,)

So...this is where it comes from.

This article--7 Daily Habits for a Clutter-Free Home, includes one habit and the link to this one--with focus on the kitchen counter: The Helpful Guide to a Clutter-Free Kitchen Counter.

Back at it

Some energy has returned
My sisters are talking about the things they are doing
Another friend is helping to hold me to it
And I want to see this house (and life) changed

I don't know if this list, and what I've done these days is really about "simplifying" or just regular house work...but...well the latter has to be done on the way to the former, so I'll count it!

So...what has been done recently?

1. Today the guy came to measure--new awnings over the windows will be installed next Monday. I have been putting this off for 5 years, since the previous cheap quality awnings started cracking. But--no more!
2. A new little stand-up shelf in my kitchen. I've moved one of the little ovens on to there--clearing up some counter space. And I've pulled out another container to hold plastic lids--yes, putting them there will ease up space in the "container" cupboard. Oh, maybe there is somewhere else they can go eventually, but for now this is okay.
3. The packages that came from Amazon this week--the boxes have been taken out the door! 
4. I started looking around my office...and house...trying to think of what to do for organizing, making some things better...some half ideas came, but not enough to get going, to really envision and do :o(

And a separate category: Plants, balcony garden

1. Yesterday and today I re-potted a whole bunch, re-positioned some (i.e. tomatoes for more space, better caging), and planted some new stuff--trying one container with a shallow amount of dirt and two new types of lettuce. Also some more spinach and some other random greens. It will be nice when this is all growing, and I can eat it. However, I have also had the thought today--am I creating too much work for myself? Is this becoming burdensome?
2. I had a thought today...I could spend hours and hours and days playing with plants
3. Looking at those plants though--it's kind of nice now. Out of my study, then the living room balcony, then my bedroom balcony--lots of plants, some flowering, some will be fruits and vegetables. Pretty and happy it is!
4. Oh, and my peace lillies--almost all of them are blooming. Just one beautiful white flower pushes its way up, and opens...and they seem to be lasting white for quite a while this time too!

Crawling...

I need to pick this up again.
The  messes are still here, but I...have stopped.
This is not okay.
I will come back to this.
I MUST come back to this.

Plants?

I've been having fun learning and building my "balcony garden." Actually not much of it is on my balcony yet, mostly in my office (which I might turn into a sun room/solarium anyway).

But here's the thing--is this simplifying my life, or complicating it?

There is probably a little of both in there, and I need to be careful to keep the whole thing manageable. It is good to recognize the danger here.

On the good side, I think this fits with the "rational minimalist" philosophy in adding beauty, and causing me to spend time on some things that are life giving. And there is much to learn and ponder about life as I learn to tend these plants (the different environments needed for different ones, the length of time it takes for some to grow--and you just need to let them take that time, not keep messing with them and their soil!, etc.)

But every time, there can be a bit of a mess. There are extra supplies, and I need to make sure to keep them put away. When everything is in its place, there is beauty, and joy that comes from observing.

And, there is also the distraction. Sometimes I come in the office and need to work, but see the plants--it's where a lot of them are now. Hmmm...again, I need to figure this out. In some cases, it might be a good 'break from the serious thinking' I need to do, that lets me come back to the serious thinking able to do it better. On the other hand, it might just be too much of a distraction.

I'm hoping a rhythm will come. I've actually moved some of the plants outside now (between starting and finishing this post), they are not as much in my line of vision, and "out of sight, out of mind." Once things are growing, and I know what I'm doing, hopefully it will just be some daily or every second day watering, with only other set times for maintenance, planting, re-potting, etc.