Week Eight, August 2009

Yes, I know, I "skipped" week seven. That weekend was built into my schedule for my parent's 65th anniversary. This weekend is the front bathroom. I did most of it yesterday. The one "big" project was to pull everything out of the cabinet over the toilet, clean and organize it. I tossed a huge amount of stuff! The trouble is, the top 2 shelves are so high you need a step ladder to even reach them. Anyway, it's all nice and clean and organized. I took down the shower curtain and ran it through the wash; but I didn't feel like it was "clean", so it is nowing going through the machine cycle with just bleach. I still have to go scrub the tub. I hate that job, because it will never get really clean. Well, I'll give it my best shot. Then I still need to give the fan a good cleaning, and the floor.
Yesterday I took the afternoon "off" and went shopping with a friend. We hadn't had a "play date" in 3 weeks. We didn't do all we wanted, but got a few errands done. We might finish today, so I need to go get busy and finish the bathroom!

I am doing a bit more "tweaking" to my schedule. This weekend ends all the parts of the house that have air conditioning (well, the den does, but it's remarkably inefficient). But, the hot weather won't ease off for maybe another month. By then I need to be done! Anyway, next weekend I'm going to get out fall decorations, and give everthing already done a good dusting and vacuuming. This house is horribly dusty!!

I will add more pictures when I do the fall decorating. Or when the notion strikes me! LOL!

Week Six, continued, August 2009

Today was a fairly productive end to the first part of the countdown schedule. Since I got the decluttering and cleaning finished yesterday, today I concentrated on getting sewing and some other projects done.
I had one fairly simple project I started probably 3 years ago. It was a neat idea, but I waited too late to get it done ... put it aside ... and forgot all about it. When I cleaned out drawers when moving dressers earlier this summer, I found it again. I finished as much as I can for now. I have to find some pretty candy jars at flea markets or Big Lots or something. The hard part is done, so I have time to get them put together.
I have another project that is a bit more complicated, but I have all the printing parts of it done. I have some shopping to do ... again, that will have to wait. Hopefully I can get what I need by October so I can finish that project.
I finally finished cutting out the sewing project that has had me stumped for so long. I got one block sewn together ... just 11 to go. And then, of course, quilting and joining, etc. I also got a winter quilt partially pinned (for ME!), the hem pinned in a robe to hem for my Mom. And, I finally located a project that I "lost" when I moved rooms that needs to be finished soon.
I started a list of the items I have, to figure who will get what for Christmas. It will be a skimpy year, but at least I have been able to get some great bargains up to now. I wish I had done a better list earlier ... sure would have gotten more of the bargains! LOL! Oh well, I'll do what I can now. Perhaps I'll get more chances.
Next weekend I'll be out of town. The following weekend is the front bathroom. After that, I have to start on the part of the house that is hot. But, it has to get done.

Week Six, August 2009

This week marks a sort of milestone for my cleaning schedule. So far I have tackled the front bedroom and hall; the guest room; my "girl cave"; the living and dining rooms ... all of the rooms (except the bathroom, which gets weekly routine cleaning and will get detail cleaning later) that are in the air conditioned part of the house.
The plan was to get to the rest of the house when the weather is cooler. In actual fact, it's just as hot in September as it is in August. But, since I have to be done by October, I'll just have to get hot!
(bears on stair landing) I can't make the text and pictures stay where I want them, so this might turn out odd looking! LOL!
Anyway, I am satisfied with my progress to this point. While everything didn't get done when I thought it would, it is now done. I have cleared all the clutter that was sitting around, dusted (including pictures, ceiling fans, baseboards, etc) and vacuumed.

(bathroom vanity)

Another part of my plan is the Christmas notebook, and planning gifts and projects. Since there is at least a remote outside chance of family members reading this, I will not go into any detail on this. Suffice to say I have made a lot of progress on 2 different projects (other than sewing), and am making slow but steady progress on printing Christmas cards.
(what do you do with empty cheese boxes and a "blank corner?)

Next weekend was left "open", and we are going out of town to help celebrate my parent's 65th wedding anniversary (and Daddy's 92nd birthday in 2 more weeks). Over this next week I will do some mending projects to take to Mama, and continue printing cards.

(clutter-free front hall!)

(pictures in my computer corner - 2 antique, 2 cross stitch)


(book shelves with electronics)

Since I have finished the cleaning that needs to be done to this point, tomorrow I will get in some serious sewing, begin some baking lists, and finish laundry. Oh, and mop the kitchen floor ... I couldn't do that this morning (when I planned to) because of an unexpected "guest" ... baby sitting our "grand-dog", a big boxer named Sugar. She's gone home now, so I can mop. :)

Week Five, August 2009

I'm still slogging my way through my master schedule, but it feels like I'm getting farther behind in some areas. This weekend was for cleaning the living room, and I still needed to finish in my room. On the other hand, I've made a bit of progress on putting my notebook together. Today I typed up a bunch of recipes to put in it. One printing project is completed. And, I've made a start on printing my Christmas cards. The rooms on the schedule so far have all been worked on and decluttered (and ceiling fans cleaned!). The only thing I'm really behind on is dusting and vacuuming. Well, I'm always behind on those! LOL! I'm also behind on the sewing projects I need to get done. One major project still needs a lot of cutting done. My pattern is complicated, and I tend to put it off. (cutting is boring!) I did work on a different project - not one that's "urgent", but I needed a change. And, it could become a gift. If I can part with it! :) The project I'm farthest along on still needs a few steps done. I'm to the point of pinning blocks together; I'm anxious to start quilting, but have to wait until I can get (or design) the pattern I want to use.
I also have made no progress at all about baking. All I've managed to do is get a lot of the recipes I want to use organized into my notebook. I know I have a lot of "generic" ingredients; but I need to replace things that will expire. Until I do that, I can't get dough made and in the freezer, ready to bake later.
I'm disappointed in myself to not be sticking to my schedule better. I especially need to get better organized about the baking part, because that may be a big part of my gifts this year. The quilting I need to get done isn't for Christmas, I just need to do it. I do have some Christmas projects to sew on, and I have been working on them in bits and pieces.
My ultimate goal is to have the house (including porch) cleaned and organized by the end of September; the yard decorations done by the middle of October; and the indoor decorations done by the second weekend in November. My Advent projects need to be completed by Thanksgiving. The Christmas quilting projects should be completed by the end of November; cards mailed by the first week in December, and baking done by the second week in December. The other quilting projects I can work on in what ever time I have after everything else is done.
Next weekend is the dining room. There are a few "hot spots" to clear, but it won't take long. I can't clear off the table until I finish cutting and pinning projects. Other than that, the biggest project in there will be cleaning the chandelier. Hopefully, I will get everything in this end of the house dusted and vacuumed at that point.
I haven't taken any pictures, because there's nothing very interesting to take pictures of at this point.