Moving on

Junk mail is an enemy of mine.  I do have a spot to put it, right inside the door, onto of a shoe rack/ table.  There's even s cute vintage metal basket for it.  The basket gets full, overflows, I get overwhelmed and leave. An outlet would be super- I could shred the junk right then and there.  A filing system for the papers that I should keep is a bit out of order is also something I could improve. I put the papers in files, and then I never look at them again. The round file has become my favorite. I'm trying to make a habit of making sure that all the junk mail is brought out weekly and that the true junk is in the trash/recycling the day if arrives.

I also hate taking out the trash and cleaning the litter box (lucky for me that it is spring and the cat loves going outside). So that would mean I hate doing chores.  I would much rather do the dishes and mow the lawn.  This is why the boyfriend and I need to live together.

I'm reached the point that I'm over my house.  I'm going to finish the projects I need to get done, put the good stuff in storage and sell it.  I like my craft room, tall ceilings, fenced in yard, and low heat, electric and air conditioning bills.  I long for a driveway, my own garbage cans, a garage and a space that the boyfriend would like/love to be at. 

The 6 year-old already offered up a place in her room for me and informed me that Grampy (my dad) would let me live at the house because I'm family. I'm not going to inform my dad of this until I make the final choice.  He still lives in the childhood home I grew up in and has tons of room.  The dog and cat would come along.

Now I just need to bust my butt and get this show on the road.

I'll be tracking the progress through pictures. Accomplishing this goal is a must.

Spring Clean- Paper Purge

I did a bit of spring cleaning this afternoon (after I went to get the dog her rawhide bones).

Coco loving her  new rawhide bone.

I purged paper.

Paper overwhelms me.

There's all the rules I'm supposed to follow about only handling it once, putting it down in the same place, leave time each day to deal with paperwork, blah, blah and I still can't get it right.

Paperwork is a big part of my job as a teacher- and my least favorite part of the job.
Then there is the paperwork at home.  Receipts pile up, random home related bills (that are no able to be done online), Rx and medical papers, tax related papers, car maintenance, HOA booklets and so on.
 
I also have a soft spot for stationary, cards, and craft/scrapbook paper. My favorite stores used to be office supplies stores.

I decided that it wouldn't kill me to throw out all of my receipts and old paperwork, idea sheets from craft stores,  Weight Watcher Weeklys, and school papers.  Now they can get recycled and I can deal with the consequences of not having them around (if there are any at all).

Anxiety of not having what I need is the root my problem.  I hate not being able to find the receipt when I need it and getting credit instead of my money back, but is it worth having the clutter?

2 bags down.
 

Spring into...cleaning

It's spring break and I wished it would last 2 weeks, rather than 1.  Taking care of and entertaining a 6 year-old and trying to get more clutter out of the house and a new sink installed is not ideal.
The kid loves going to the storage unit to get rid of stuff- she races with the dolly up and down the asphalt aisles.

I've continued to try to look up local stories or information on local hoarding groups and possibly a new therapist (talk therapy helped, but I knew the therapist's son, etc, etc) and would like to try a different approach.  Money is also an issue.  Insurance is super, but only covers 50%.

This article , from our local paper, in my opinion, is interesting, It was published last June. The woman created a local Meetup.com group, but has now stepped down as the organizer.  Nine other people signed up for it and met 40 times.  It's hard to go public with your issues, and my favorite line from the article is:

• "It's so hard for people to believe that we can't just change," she says. "Right now, all I'm hoping for is respectful curiosity."

I would have never had the courage to do this. Local media in my house would have been too hard. I've been home too long and know too many people.
I had a similar experience in college when the Campus TV knocked on my door (this was a brand new thing) and started recording while talking to me.  I was mortified because I had no idea what to do.  The not so funny part- my professors saw it while strolling through the student union. The funny part- they all thought it was a joke and asked who's room it really was.  I was super organized on the outside and was totally put together.

The cat and dog are thrilled to sun bathe daily on deck and I am pleased to see the sun past 6 pm.

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