52 WEEKS OF ORGANIZING

I’m diving right in, after my giddy 12 days on prednisone and a few additional pain-free days, my fibro pain is returning.  I knew it was going to at some point, so I had started evaluating Laura’s questions (  http://orgjunkie.com/2011/04/52-weeks-14-does-your-system-need-a-change.html )    about my day to day organizing and cleaning tasks.  And yes I love April Fools Jokes!

1. Have you got a system that needs some evaluation?  My entire system!
2. Pay attention to the areas that annoy you the most.  What can you tweak to make it work?  Who might you need to compromise with?  It’s just me and DH so if it is to be, its up to me.  DH works very hard at our business so I try to do as much as I can at home to make things easier on him. 
3. What was your organizing highlight from last week?  Okay this may sound really dumb, but I moved the place where I keep my coffeepot.  Now that I have gotten addicted to absolutely clean countertops I cannot stand the coffeepot left out.  Each morning after we are done with coffee I rinse out the pot, dump the grounds and put it in a cabinet.  The cabinet underneath our built-in oven.  Well it hurts each time I bend over to get it out and put it away so I realized I needed to move it to where it is easier for me to get it and put it away.  The only spot was in the middle of our cereal cabinet.  So that’s what I did.

It’s former spot:

Why yes that is a rubber salamander lying on it’s back.  It is one of thos things you throw in the freezer and then in your lunchpail to keep your food cold.   The coffee maker’s new spot:

Yeah okay, obviously I need to reorganize the cabinet….but hey at least I can shove the coffee maker up there!

This does not seem very exciting, but really it is.  We do get stuck in doing or putting things in places that are not the best and we just need to free out minds (and the rest will follow) (hey maybe I should write a song!)!  I may be moving a lot of stuff around as I really evaluate what is going to be easier for me in the long run.  Unfortunately I cannot be on prednisone the rest of my life OR I WOULD BE!!  I want to make things as easy on myself as possible so I can actually succeed in the homekeeping department.

Other highlights from this week:  Katie and Ally flew to San Diego to meet DSIL who arrived from Afghanistan on Tuesday very early a.m.  After they left, it was easy to pick up and get the guest room cleaned up using some of my new baskets, see previous post here:  https://allysgrandma.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/holy-canvas-bins-batman/

Here is how Ally’s bed looks now with her new quilt (no room in the luggage to take it home):

It’s like a mini sofa for her stuffed animals and baby dolls!  The Ikea chest of drawers has a very deep drawer where I put these:

This brought up another issue that was not working, which was stuffing all my underwear, socks and bras, slips and stockings into the first two drawers in my chest of drawers in my bedroom.  So I decided to put some of my less worn items into this almost empty Ikea chest of drawers in the guest room.  Now my other drawers are easier to shut and get stuff in and out of.  Another “think outside the box” moment for me. 

While shopping at Kohl’s I also found this cute little heart shaped candy bowl that fits right into the decor in my quilting room.

How cute is that?  $1.64 I paid for that little bowl.  Oh plus 20% off…..

DH mentioned at lunch (we usually go out on Fridays since I cannot make lunches without meat and it’s Lent) that he was thinking of running over to check on another one of our car washes (3.5 hours away).  It was all I could do not to jump up and down and say “goody, goody, goody!”.  I calmly asked what was holding him back??  Good wife that I was, I encouraged him to go, I would stay busy all weekend sewing…I tried not to act too giddy as I pointed out all the good reasons to go…..

Well he left and so this weekend I am working on two boy quilts, one for my great nephew who is turning 5 and one for an expected June baby.  Boy quilts are not that fun…sorry but they just aren’t, so I want to get them both done this weekend, so I can go back to doing fun girley things like this knitted dress for my granddaughter:

The first is for the soon to be 5-year old, the back is the dark brown (not black as it appears in this picture) minky with the main fabric the under the sea, with the coordinating fabrics:

The other fabric was picked out by the mom, dad is a game warden so the bear fabric fits that theme, with the back the lighter tan minky:

Katie and Ally will be back for another visit in 10 weeks!  Katie has a wedding to shoot and Ally has lots of things to do with grandma!!  DH and I made a list of  things we need to do around the house this summer and one thing I would like to get done before they get here is a new patio poured.    I also have a bunch of sewing to get done and more organizing of course!  I am so glad that I bought all the canvas bins, they are going to be used up quickly!!

I cannot close this week out without stating the reason I am doing all this organizing and cleaning.  I want our home to be a relaxing peaceful sanctuary for both ourselves and our children and their families.  And really, how relaxing and peaceful can you feel in the middle of a mess?    

     They are finally together again after 8 months apart.

  Ally is so happy daddy is back.

I love how Ally is smiling and then watching mommy and daddy kiss!  Thank God my SIL is home safe and sound.