Day 3: Master Bathroom Cabinet

I got a late start on today's project, because I worked 2 hours of overtime after my shift today.  But I'm not letting that stop me!  Today, we tackle the cabinets under the master bathroom sink.  Here's what mine looked like before I started:

Not exactly a pinnacle of organizational wonderment, right?  I'm not exactly in love with that paper, which is why I pulled it off the main walls in here and painted a couple years ago.  The green's not exactly something I'm loving right now either, but all I have to do is peek in the cabinets to remind myself that there are worse things than green walls. (;

So, what's my first step?  Pull everything out and clean the insides of the cabinets.  Now, when I pulled everything out of the cabinets, I sorted it according to what it was to give me an idea of what I've been storing under there.  As you can probably see in the before photo, there are quite a few bottles of lotion, body wash, and shampoo, several cans of mousse, and even some vitamins.

When I go to get things like these and find them on sale, I tend to stock up.  I also accidentally bought lots of lotion at Sam's Club once when I thought I was getting body wash.  So, we won't be buying lotion again for a really long time.

I know.  I know.  Some of you are saying to yourselves, "Why aren't you getting rid of that stuff?"  The answer to that is simple.  I'm cheap.  If I wasn't certain it would be put to use, it would be gone.  However,  I know we'll use it, and I've already handed over my hard-earned dollars and cents to get the ones we have.  Why put myself in a situation to have to buy more later?  Now that I know what I have and in what quantities, I know not to buy this stuff for the foreseeable future.  When we get down to the last bottles, I can add them back to the shopping list again, but until then, I can shop my own shelves.

And my after photo for today's task:

Alright, so it probably won't stay like this.  Let's face it; I'm not likely to leave it mostly empty.  I may even move my stash back in, but I plan to sort it first.  I'm also not sure whether I'll leave my nail stuff in there.  We'll see what happens once I tackle the linen closet.

So, are you following along and working these same tasks with me, or are you going your own way?  Let me know below! (=

Day 2 Revisited

I realized something this morning.  I never posted any before/after photos yesterday!  I also never shared any of the steps in my process.  Man, I knew I was tired, but I guess I had no idea how tired I was!  So, before I post about today's leg of the journey, here's some stuff from yesterday …

This is my bathroom counter.  It was just a little on the cluttered side, because Stuff likes to follow me around and settle in wherever there's space.

I'm playing with the idea of putting the hair dryer elsewhere, as I don't use it daily anymore.  Maybe I can mount the hanger on the inside of one of the cabinet drawers?  I may move the plastic drawers, too.  They're very useful for corralling my routinely used items and keeping them separated by category, but they're not exactly lovely.  Still, isn't this better?

I received this jewelry box from the girls for Mother's Day the year my son was born … 16 years ago.  I've always loved it, but it's a little dated.  I started keeping it in the window ledge to deter the kitties from jumping up there.  It's bad enough they try to jump in my lap when I'm in here. (;  The basket of nail polish and nail care items is resting on its perch for the same reason.

I like this much more, though I think it's a little too bare now ... I'll have to give some thought to what I might do to change that.

Because the drainpipe in the kids' shower leaks into the basement, I share my shower with them.  That means a lot more bottles of goo reside in my bathroom than would otherwise.  The worse part is that it means there's more places for dust to land and stick to the still wet surfaces.

I took all the bottles out and gave the shower a good old-fashioned cleaning using a tip I found online.  Then I put in only those bottles and other items that are used on a regular basis.  FYI, the cleaner I used worked great (note the color difference under the hand bar), but I didn't follow the instructions to the letter.   You're supposed to leave it on overnight.  I left it on for a few minutes and then still used a scrub brush.  It may work great as directed, but I was being impatient and just wanted results.

Now all that's left is the hamper in the corner that currently houses my bath towels.  I think that may find a new home once I get the linen closet cleaned out and reorganized.

So, that's what I did yesterday. (=

Day 2: The Master Bathroom

My house did not get where it is today due solely to my issues.  I live with others after all.  But it would be wholly unfair of me to point fingers and start assessing blame ... I live here, too, right?  So, my first day of cleaning and organizing is about me.  Only right to pull the plank from my own eye before I start picking at the splinter in someone else's.

Today I'm starting with my master bathroom (in case you didn't read the post title).  I'm planning for this to take 2-3 days, not because it's an especially large room (it's not) but because (A) I'm going to be doing the work after returning home from an 8-hour shift (plus overtime) at the job that's paying my bills, and (B) the last time I cleaned my bathroom, I never laid a finger on what's lurking in the under-the-sink cabinets or the linen closet.  So, today's post will be "part one."

Having mentioned the portions of the room that have been previously ignored, I may have given the impression that I might start there this time around. If that is the case, I apologize. I find it easier to spend extended periods of time in a room only if there is already some semblance of order. With that in mind, today I focused on what can be seen: cleaning the counter, sink, shower, toilet, mirror, and floor. Other than the floor, the sink is always my last item, because it gives me access to clean water for use in cleaning the rest of the room. I always feel like cleaning the sink earlier in my list would make more work for me, because I'd just end up messing it up while working on the rest.  For that same reason, I clean the mirror before I clean the counter ... Otherwise I would have to clean window cleaner off the already-cleaned counter.

So, not a giant leap forward, but the clutter is cleaned up, and everything has been scrubbed and wiped down. Tomorrow, I'll tackle the under-the-sink cabinets. If that goes quickly, I'll get a jump on the linen closet ... Until then, why not choose a small project of your own to complete?  Feel free to share your accomplishments in the comments. (=

Day 1: Why?

I have no idea when it was that I first began my torrid love affair with Stuff.  I honestly cannot recall.  All I know is that, whenever I have felt lonely or insignificant or even just a little bit sad, Stuff has been there to make me feel better.  Stuff's been there to help me celebrate the good times, too.  The problem with our relationship is that it's inherently unhealthy.  The whole time, it's just been an illusion.  Stuff doesn't love or need me in any way.  In fact, Stuff has actually been slowly suffocating me, turning the joy we once shared into sometimes overwhelming depression.  And the worse part about it is that Stuff doesn't even care.

I'm tired of feeling claustrophobic in my own home, and I'm tired of fearing the possibility of  unexpected visitors, because Stuff is always lazing about, flopping wherever might be most comfortable.  Stuff is the elephant in the room that I've avoided discussing for far too long.  So, I've decided it's time to end our relationship and kick Stuff to the curb.

In all seriousness, my OCD can sometimes be debilitating.  Instead of turning me into some super-powered, psycho clean freak, it overwhelms me with all the minute details involved in decluttering my home.  Rather than seeing a small task to be done, I see all the smaller tasks that are involved in that task ALL AT ONCE and how those tasks relate to ALL THE OTHER tasks that are as of yet unfinished in my home, until just considering starting something becomes all too bewildering.  Then I end up curled up with a book, or the TV, or the computer with my invisible blinders on trying to ignore all the chaos that pushed me to near-hyperventilation in the first place.

So, what's different this time?  In the past, I've always looked specifically at what needs to be done in my home and have always come up with a mile-long list that's more than I can bear.  Recently, however, I was surfing the web (possibly while avoiding housework), and I came across 31 days to an organized home, which led me to other sites with similar goals.  All of these sites had one thing in common, they'd broken down the elephant that was their major cleaning and organizing project into bite-sized tasks, something I had been unable to do myself.  So, I used their lists to get me started, to give me a recipe for my elephant, if you will.  Then I just tweaked the ingredients to suit my tastes.  When I'd finished tweaking, I had my very own recipe for elephant, unique to my needs.  Apparently, that small shift in perspective, taking someone else's bite-by-bite plan and working it to fit my task instead of trying to take my task and figure out how to make it bite-sized, was all I needed to put together a workable plan without needing to reach for a paper bag for breathing.  Who knew?

So, if you've had difficulty taking that first step, because you see a whole elephant when you should just be dealing with the toe, I hope this 31-day challenge can help you ... just as others' journeys have helped me.  Bon appetit!

 

<a href="http://chocolate-covered-kisses.blogspot.com/2012/12/day-1-why.html"target="”_blank”"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGQNKEbAKke1Mmvwy9N3hRqoecGr2cjP8e2Pji1VT3f6CDY-7YA6pmcfSRkFTlQUYMcw3yNdf-D-KwDG4wndNn6MeAtUuJq3kvhjM8aOGVegi0tgCLLQ6gvtBI1IAeMqsIX9sMXR25Sw/s1600/31-days-harmonious-home.jpg" /></a>

Gratitude, Day 25

Thank you, Lord, for days like today when I have customers that restore my faith in humanity.  Customers who understand that I'm there to help them and that I will do everything I can to make things work properly for them.  Customers who appreciate that I'm not the queen of the company and that there are rules to which I must adhere.  Customers who are so pleased to have someone actively listen to them and then take action to improve their situations that they want to take action themselves.  (One of my customers wants to send me a Christmas card.)

Most days it's very easy to lose sight of why I do what I do ... when people are cursing me and cussing me and threatening me and yelling directly into my ear (or flushing their toilets in it) ... when people immediately ask to speak to my supervisor without ever giving me an opportunity to assist them (though 98% of the time, I could have taken care of the issue in less time).  Days like today help to bring balance to the chaos that is customer service.

If I may take advantage of the fact that you're still reading this ... When you call in to customer service, whatever company you may be calling, the person to whom you speak is not the one who makes policy decisions.  That person likely doesn't make nearly as much money as the person who does make the policy decisions.  That person, in fact, is your biggest ally in your quest to get something done.  He or she would much prefer to assist you and know they've made a difference for someone than to end up in a contest of wills.  They know you've had to go through an automated menu you don't like.  They know you wouldn't be calling if there wasn't something you wanted to change.  The easiest way for you both to make it through the phone call without anyone being hurt/angered/annoyed is to go into the call with the assumption that the person who answers your call will assist you.  Save being upset for those (hopefully) rare occasions when that doesn't happen.  Don't punish someone for simply answering your call.  You don't want to be that caller any more than the person answering wants you to think of them as that customer service person.

Off my soapbox now. (;

Gratitude, Day 24

Today, I am truly grateful to have older children.  We ran out of gas on the way home tonight.  The little light never came on ... not even after the gas was gone.  My son pushed the car while I steered and while we waited for my daughter to arrive with a gas can.  Could have been a much different tale if the children were still younger, especially since not one motorist stopped to see if I needed assistance ... not that I blame them in this day and age.  Crisis averted, and I now know that the gas light doesn't work and that I need to gas up before it gets iffy. (;

Gratitude, Day 23

I spent today chilling out at home ... the first time I haven't gone Black Friday shopping in years.  In fact, I never even changed out of my jammies.  Gasp!  It was a glorious day! (=

I'm thankful today for online bill payment.  No stamps, no running to the mailbox, no hassle.  Got the bills all taken care of and went back to playing Farkle with the kids.

Yesterday, when it was time to put the turkey in, my son requested that we wait to have it today, because he was still stuffed from our larger-than-life breakfast.  So, we had turkey and mashed taters and gravy tonight.

Tomorrow, it's back to the grind.  I'll be heading back to work after three marvelous days of being home with my children and our pets.  It's been peaceful.  And it was a much needed respite from the norm.

Gratitude, Day 22

Today, I am thankful for the opportunity to enjoy time with my family.  We started off with a yummy breakfast.  I was up at 8:30 this morning (sleeping in for me) and lined a jelly roll pan with foil,

laid out what was left of the bacon (after making a pound and a half to use in my breakfast burritos),

 

and placed it in the cold oven.  Then I set the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit

and set the timer for 20 minutes.

Once that was set, I pulled out my largest pan.  Remember the sausage I made in the microwave Stack Cooker the other day for my burritos?  Well, I saved the grease to use today.  I heated it in the pan to use as the base for my homemade sausage gravy.

While the grease was heating, I mixed flour into hot tap water with my wire whisk. 

 

This is a trick i learned a few years ago for making the gravy smooth.  Always mix the flour into liquid before adding it to the pan.  It's been working for me. (=  The only lumps in my gravy this morning were the bits of sausage (that extra pound I cooked the other day).  I added the sausage (and a bit of pepper) once the base was at the consistency that we like.

About the time I finished up the sausage gravy, the oven timer started dinging.  So I pulled out the bacon and set it on trivets to cool.  Once I could touch it, I layered it on paper towels to drain away the grease.  Doesn't that look yummy!  And not a single grease pop on me!

One of the best parts of making the bacon this way is that cleanup was simply folding the tin foil in on itself and moving it to the trash can.  Viola!  Clean jelly roll pan!  Once I'd taken care of that, I bumped the oven temperature up to 400 and moved out of the way, so my daughter could make biscuits.  Our recipe for drop biscuits requires using baking mix, but she said we were out.  So she looked online and found a recipe for baking mix using flour, sugar, salt, baking power, and butter.

Once that was made, it was on to biscuits!  Here's our recipe:

• 2 cups baking mix
• 2/3 cup milk

Combine baking mix and milk.  Drop onto baking stone.  Bake at 400-degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes.

When they're done, they should look something like this:

We don't go all out with the rolling and cutting, mostly because they taste just as wonderful without all the extra work.  Besides which, making them this way was a really easy way to allow the kids to help in the kitchen when they were little.  We just never changed it when they got older. (;

Oh, and when I went to put the flour away, look what I found in the pantry:

If you guessed "a huge canister of baking mix," you were right!  That's okay, though.  It'll be used.  We'll just need to use the homemade stuff first, since it was made with butter.

Like my high-tech labeling?  And on vintage Tupperware no less. (;

While the biscuits were baking, I made grits, to which we added cheddar and Parmesan cheese and all the bacon.  Then I made over-easy eggs for each of us.  It was a very filling, homey, southern-style breakfast.  Though I admit I never had biscuits and gravy and eggs and grits with bacon at the same breakfast when I was growing up ... But when the kids are more interested in Thanksgiving breakfast than they are in Thanksgiving dinner, I'm more than willing to make it happen.

And after that meal, the other thing I'm thankful for today ... Naps! (;

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family, fun, and time to reflect on all those things in your life for which you have reason to be thankful.

Gratitude, Day 21

Had a lovely day today that was packed with comfort foods.  Soooo thankful for comfort foods!  For brunch, we had eggs, over easy, with cheesy grits.  For dinner, it was broccoli cheddar soup.  Mmmm ...

Tomorrow, being Thanksgiving, is traditionally a day of digestive overindulgence, but today proved that any old day can be a make-you-feel-good food day. (=

Gratitude, Day 20

Today, I want to give a shout-out to all the friends I've made along the way.  You know who you are.  You've dragged me out for girl time when I was blinded to the fact that I needed it.  You've hugged me when I was down, made me laugh when I didn't think I could, called me unspeakable names in public places just to make me smile, and reassured me when I've felt woefully incapable of bearing the cross that has been handed to me.

I am thankful for each and every one of you, all the time.  You have no idea how much you all mean to me.

Gratitude, Day 19

I am thankful for YouTube ... I spent a very relaxing evening doing a whole lot of nothing while watching a variety of programming, starting with the 2012 People's Choice Awards and bouncing to the 2012 Tony Awards and then a few NPH videos which led to a whole slew of "Big Bang Theory" clips.  Lots of laughs to be had on the internet, and I certainly needed them.  Good stuff.

Gratitude, Day 18

I am thankful for my Tupperware Stack Cooker.  I did all the prep work to make frozen breakfast burritos tonight.  I cooked my bacon in the oven, following a method I found online.  While it was cooking, I broke up a pound of sausage into the colander of my Stack Cooker (with the cone in the center).  With the colander in the larger piece of the Stack Cooker, I put on the lid and microwaved it for 2 minutes.  Then, I broke up the sausage a bit and cooked it for 2 more minutes.  Done!  No muss, no fuss!  And the grease dripped down through the colander into the larger casserole dish, which meant no draining to do.  When it had cooled a little, I put the sausage into my chopper and gave it a few spins to make it easier to distribute when it's time to add it to the burritos.

My burritos are a little different from the recipe on the site above.  I didn't use the hash browns for starters.  Instead of spinach, I chopped half a vidalia onion and a whole red bell pepper (after removing the stem, ribs, and seeds).  And obviously, I've added sausage to the mix.  I'll let you know how they are. (=

Gratitude, Day 17

Today, it was my extreme pleasure to watch as my son marched in a Santa Claus parade.  It was televised, so after watching him perform live, I was able to watch from a different perspective when we got home.  It was a long day, but a fabulous one.  And I am so incredibly grateful that I had benefit time available so that I could be there.

December's Challenge

While I think buying less is a great way to put the focus back on what the holidays are really about, I don't think it's enough.  So, I'll also be cutting back on the stuff we've already accumulated.  There really aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things I get an inkling to do, but over the years, I've still purchased supplies as if there were.  Now, I have tons of things that are taking up valuable real estate in my home, and do you know what?  They're not bringing me joy.  In fact, with so much stuff, it actually drags me down.

Visual clutter, even if it's well-ordered, bothers me.  It's somewhat debilitating.  I get overwhelmed just seeing it all, and my well-laid plans to do something about it falter, causing me to withdraw into a tiny bubble where I stare only at the pages of a book, a computer screen, or a television, effectively throwing on blinders to avoid that which plagues me.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm not living inside an episode of Hoarders or anything quite so astounding as that, but there's no way anyone would ever mistake me for a minimalist either.

I mentioned a while back that I have been reading "The Year of Less" and have even shared some of what I've done as a result (Sermon on the Mount Month, for one).  Sadly, she'll be ceasing production on that blog, but she'll still post updates on her other blog (her main one), "The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking."  And on that blog, back in October of last year, she did a 31-Day Challenge:



So, just a heads up ... Inspired by the posts from 2011, I will be embarking on my own organizational journey starting on the first of December.  In preparation, I think I'll take a few before photos and get them prepped for the web, so I'll only have the after shots to deal with when its time for posting.  Now, I'm not relishing the thought of sharing my before photos with you.  I don't even want people who love me to see some of this stuff.  But if my posts in December can help even one person to overcome the depression that comes from wanting to live better but feeling almost paralyzed when it comes to figuring out what to do about it, then it's worth it.  Because that's how I feel almost every day, and I don't want to feel that way anymore.  I also know from experience how freeing it feels to have even that first small space handled.

Before the new year begins ... I want a home I can feel happy to call mine.  I want to ring in 2013 with a new resolution, to maintain my home, not to clean it.  Who wants to join me as I begin my journey toward an organized home? 

Gratitude, Day 16

Today, I am grateful for the sarcastic silliness of a select few of my coworkers.  If you're reading this, you know who you are. (;

Gratitude, Day 15

With my work schedule, I'm usually up no later than 5 o'clock each morning.  Then I end up staying up until after 10 each night.  Today, I slept until almost 11!  It was amazing!  I felt fabulous all day.  So today, I'm grateful for the restorative properties of a good night's sleep. (=

My Pre-Black Friday Sale Post

For the past few years, I have spent Black Friday shopping with my daughter.  This year, the purse strings are tighter than they've been in about a decade.  And, as I mentioned previously, I really am tired of Christmas being all about things.  It shouldn't be.  What it should be about is remembering why we have Christmas in the first place and spending time with our loved ones and appreciating the time we have with them.

This year for Black Friday, I am going to do something different.  My daughter is already not going to go shopping (not because she doesn't want to, but because she was unable to get time off from work).  So, this year, I'm spending Black Friday with my son.  I think we'll do some of the same things my daughter and I have done in years past: get up ridiculously early, bundle up, go out into the throngs.  But I think we'll skip the crazy shopping lines filled with little old ladies who'll club you over the head when you reach to grab the last $2 waffle iron.  I think we'll still do breakfast (bagels and hot chocolate at Panera, maybe?) and even the time-honored traditional lunch at Olga's Kitchen.  We may even buy something stocking stuffer-ish (new toothbrushes and the like).  But no pouring over the ads, making a list of stuff that we don't really need.  Instead, we'll spend time making memories and perhaps start a new tradition that includes talking more and spending less.

When we come home, I think we'll sit down and plan out how we'll celebrate the rest of the holiday season.  There are plenty of fun activities if you take the time to look for them.  Maybe we'll start by checking our local listings for the annual Christmas movies and shows. (=

So, how will you spend Black Friday?  Any changes in store for you and yours?  Or have you managed to avoid the hullabaloo thus far?  Any tips, tricks, or favorite traditions you'd like to share?

Gratitude, Day 14

I took my son to the orthodontist this morning for a consultation regarding his second set of braces.  He had the first set a few years ago, complete with expanders for both his top and bottom jaws.  (They're those miniature torture devices that get cemented in and require that you turn a wire key in them at least once daily in order to manually widen the jaw.)  Due to economic concessions, we had to postpone his second set.  The hard times aren't over, but the waiting has to be.  He only has so long before the work necessary to correct his overcrowding and narrow jaw will end up including oral surgery.  So, since I don't want that to be part of the process, we're moving forward.

I made the appointment for today, because it was the earliest available appointment that would allow me to get the pricing information and still be within the open enrollment period for my insurance (so I could adjust how much to have deducted from each check for my Flexible Spending Account).  For those who don't know how all this orthodontic insurance stuff works (like me a few hours ago), my provider covers 50% of orthodontia with a lifetime cap of $1500.  Yes, you read that right, only fifteen hundred.  With the first set, we had two insurance providers.  Since my birthday falls earlier in the year (April versus November), mine was the primary last time, covering 50% of set 1, while my husband's policy covered 50% of the remainder (or 25% of the overall cost), leaving us with 25% to cover out of pocket.  This time, mine is the only coverage.  So, while they cover 50%, they'll only cover up to whatever is left of the $1500.  The good news?  They apparently overpaid a little over $600 last time.  The gal at the orthodontist's office said they had tried to get in touch with us to let us know, but they couldn't reach us.  (I blame the unreliable voice mail we had at the time.).  So, they're crediting that toward this set, along with the remainder of the $1500.  That leaves just over $3100 for me to pay out of pocket.

Now, if you're anything like me, you probably just choked a little when you read that last dollar figure.  Here's where the Flexible Spending Account comes in ... The federal government has capped FSA's to $2500 per year, so the max I can put into my FSA is $96.15 per pay period (which is a lot of money, to my way of thinking).  Still, $2500 doesn't cover the cost.  Ready for more good news?  She told me that, if I can pay the initial $2500 with my FSA card, she'll carry over the remainder til next year.  So, I can use my FSA again instead of having to scrape together the balance before he can get started.

So, today, I'm thankful for insurance and the people who understand how it works.

Gratitude, Day 13

Today, I spent hours online trying to locate a photo that I'm almost certain I have saved to the hard drive of the desktop computer we do not currently use due to the disgustingly high number of viruses with which it is infected.  I was talking on the phone with my mother while I was doing so.  Though she had her own to-do list, she got up and went to her computer and began searching as well.  We didn't find the photo in question (I was able to work something else out.), but we had a few laughs.  And it really meant a lot to me that she took the time out of her day to help me.

So, I'm grateful for my mom.  We've had our share of hard times, periods when we didn't even speak to each other, but through thick and thin, we've always loved each other, no matter what.  I hope that when my own children are older, they'll love me at least half as much as I love her.

Love you, mom! <3 br="br">

Gratitude, Day 12

I just realized that I never posted yesterday.  It's been an emotional few days here and it's likely to be more emotional before things settle.  I got caught up in my emotions yesterday evening and lost track of not only the time, but also of my to-do list.  Sorry about that.

Yesterday, I had a wonderful chat with my son.  I know I already have been thankful for him in a previous post, but I am sincerely grateful for his maturity level and his insight.  He has a unique perspective that often helps me to see things in a much better way.