Tag Archives: home

How Flylady and decluttering changed my life.

Posted in decluttering, Flylady, home stuff, minimalism, simplicity, Uncategorized, White space by

First a comment about Flylady. When I started with FL, there was none of the bat-shit crazy stuff she spouts today. She never mentioned religion per se or anything remotely conspiracy-related. Of course, this was back in 2010 or so and things weren’t quite as crazy as they are now. So if you happen to go to her channel be ready to see a wall of weird crosses behind her etc. I only go to the website which is now handled by someone else. I do that only to check in to what the zone is.

So without further ado, FL did change my life when I was overwhelmed with everything. Personally, when I see Youtubers like Minimal Mom, Shannon Torres, etc, I can see their need for some control in their lives, and decluttering and minimalism work for them. I felt the same.

By the time I was diagnosed with myeloma in 2005, I was heavy into collecting everything mid-century. I was doing craft fairs to sell stuff and always on the hunt for Life magazines, collectibles, etc. So after my diagnosis and subsequent year of treatment, everything came to a halt. Our small house was packed to the gills and messy. It was always clean but there was just too. much. stuff.

I think it was around 2010 that I stumbled upon FL. I wasn’t so much into minimalism at that time but FL’s plan included decluttering and getting rid of excess. I think the most valuable thing for me was her zone concept and cleaning your house by zones. I still do that today although it is modified to fit what I need. I would highly recommend the zone method as every 5 weeks you then deep clean the one zone. If your house is bigger with more bedrooms you would need to add some zones. So the zone concept really changed how I kept up with the house and cleaned.

In addition, her daily tasks really kept me focused. Daily tasks included clean/clear counters and surfaces, swish and swipe the bathroom, one load of laundry a day, sweep the kitchen floor and keep the sink clear of dishes. I implemented with the whole family, NO dishes in the sink at bedtime.

She is one of the original influencers who coined the 15-minute decluttering time. Basically, do what you can in 15 minutes, use a timer, and then when it’s up you’re done. That is how I started the great decluttering. So much stuff left our house and barn. I gave lots of the more valuable things to a friend who had a big house so it fit in well.

I haven’t missed a thing. I didn’t take pictures of all the stuff and I would recommend you do. It’s a great way to look back and go, oh yeah I remember that.

So, the biggest change was how I began to see our very small house. Since it is just 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, we were always challenged with not enough space. My office area used to be my daughter’s room and my son had the small bedroom. In hindsight I would have done things differently but as said hindsight is always 20/20.

Now I see we have enough room since I got rid of anything that wasn’t serving a purpose or that I/we loved. Honestly, I’d love to get rid of more stuff, mainly furniture but each piece we own is functional. We have to sit somewhere:0

So I went from overwhelmed to organized. Maximalist to minimalist. Compared to die-hard minimalists, I still probably have too much stuff( Catherine Holm , anyone), but hey, it’s my definition of being minimal. Pretty much what you see is what I have. I have very little storage space, so… I mean I do have Christmas stuff, my vintage Halloween, a tiny bit of Easter/Spring but not things unknown in drawers.

All the areas of our small house work for us and I’m very glad that even after 14 years, we’re still trying to ”Pare down to the essence, but don’t remove the poetry” Leonard Koren.

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, Flylady by

Yesterday I think was a record temperature of 110. I can only think of one or two times we’ve ever been this hot. The house is staying cool with the window AC units. Of course, what our PGE bill will be is anyone’s guess. Today is also going to be very hot at 107 but I think after that we’re tapering down. I really don’t do well in the heat and have felt zero motivation. Even today, it’s usually the gym in Auburn and I just don’t feel like going. 😦

I bought another set of black out curtains for the sunroom. Amazon is having early Prime deals and this was one. They are 84 inches long and usually they are more expensive but the deal was quite affordable. I don’t like curtains as a rule but these black out curtains which are thermal blockers do make a BIG difference. In the winter they also keep the cold out so I guess I will have to get used to them. Since we don’t have neighbors that can look in windows I have usually opted for no curtains.

Here’s a few pictures of the mostly finished bathroom. We still need the base boards but can get them anytime really.

So far it is all quite nice and very airy. I miss the clawfoot tub but I think it was a ‘needs-must’ situation.

This week is the kitchen zone with Flylady and I plan on getting in there today. I’ve decided to sell my Pyrex collection as I don’t really use them anymore. The colors are fun and I do like the refrigerator containers but I just don’t use them.

I used to have a huge collection and have slowly either sold or gave to hospice thrift. It’s just one of those things that I used to really love but isn’t very important now and I don’t want to have to keep cleaning them.

Everything changes with time and this is just one of those things. What used to be important isn’t anymore for one reason or another. In this case, I don’t want to spend the time washing these every month just so they can live on a shelf.

I’ve been using my new inexpensive steam mop and liking it. I can’t wash floors on my hands and knees anymore so this has been great. I do still have my microfiber mop and use that in between steam mops.

Well, off to do the kitchen zone.

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, camping, home improvement, home stuff, Myeloma, travel, Walking by

Finally a walk in the park at 5:30. Very nice and cool. All the Canada Geese babies have grown up except one family and they were the last ones born. They grow up so quick. We did 1.5 miles so I felt good about that.

Today we’re going to Costco so that will add more steps to the day. We don’t need a whole lot but it adds up, Toilet paper is 20, coffee 15, etc. Adds up pretty quickly. We also need to gas up the Chevy and get cash from the teller.

Once we’re back home my son will help B put up the shower curtain holder on the ceiling. The one contractor we had come check it out said his bathroom was just as small and he put in the hotel-type rod on the ceiling. So it’s a band that then has the hooks attached. Think of the hospital-type curtains in the ER or in a room. I ordered the extra long curtain so it should go all the way to the shower pan.

Here’s my well-loved claw foot tub. It took 3 people to move it out. I’m still very sad to not have it in there anymore but I know it’s for the best. I just wish there had been a way to keep the bathroom the way it was and add a shower somewhere else. But alas, that was not to be. Our future selves will thank us, I guess.

It’s been a rough week with norovirus and the handyman doing the bathroom, part one. As with most things, there were some snafus and it took a whole day longer. The grout has to now dry for a few days. We will still need him to install grab bars(they will need to be installed with a special drill because of the tile) and we’re not sure if he’ll do the flooring or B and my son will tackle it. The floor should be an easy project but we can’t do anything till we’re back. We still need to look at painting in there too. I think I have some of the original color left but not sure how much. I think I’d like to go to a very light grey as the grout between the white subway tiles is gray.

Since we’re gone all next week we can think about it. My daughter has some appts next week but otherwise, she’ll be here most of the time. She’s been working on cleaning up the chicken yard. Of course, Big Brownie is still using the coop but doesn’t go very far. Like I said, chickens are flock animals and I’m guessing she’ll go in a few months or less. We’re in for another few days of excessive heat next week, and that might do her in. Chickens don’t do well in the heat.

So yesterday, I drove to Roseville to pick up my holds so I’d have them for Tahoe. I’m excited about the new Longmire book. I didn’t go to the gym even though I wanted to. I still don’t feel quite up to working out. I stopped at Noah’s for bagels to bring with us and for here.

Things are still chaos in the living room that is now housing all the bathroom things. I really hate disorder so it’s been challenging. I guess I just need to get over it for now. I haven’t even done Flylady this week partly because I was sick and the contractor kid here( Well, he’s not a contractor per se, just a licensed handyman). It’s ok, it’ll all still be here to get done.

We’re back home from going to the new Costco in Rocklin. Wow, it’s really nice. It’ll be such an easy on, easy off from the freeway. I can see going more frequently and doing smaller shops.

Last night we had a BBQ and it was nice enough outside to sit outside. The temperature had dropped quite a bit to the mid-80s. I’m not sure what’s on the menu for tonight but probably I’ll BBQ some burgers and tofu.

Friday Things

Posted in Blood test, books, California, camping, cancer, home improvement, Myeloma, travel by

I’m feeling almost back to normal. Still slightly off but definitely better and I ate something yesterday. My daughter thinks I may have picked it up at In and Out Burger but she( a science nerd) says it can really be on any surface. So probably we’ll never know.

So today I was lucky to get a lab appt at 9am. A little later than I like with fasting but I’ll make it. I’m really anxious to know what my numbers are doing. Even if there has been an increase, I’ll go another month without Dex just to see. Sometimes, living with cancer is very tiring. With Myeloma, it just doesn’t go away or get ‘cured’, well I think if you have an allo it does. Oh well, I’ve made it this far.

The positive news is we’ve had a young man working on the bathroom. He’s only 30( my son’s age) but seems to know what he’s doing and is doing a great job so far. We need the shower at least functioning for my daughter next week because we’ll be in Tahoe. If it’s not, then I’m not sure what the alternative is. Hotel? outside shower? We’ve been using Rubi for bathroom stuff and B bought a new shower head which is divine. The one the trailer came with was pretty lame so this is a nice improvement.

We’re not going to have it all done before we leave as I don’t think the flooring will get done so B won’t be able to put in the Ikea vanity but that’s ok it’s mostly the shower. I’m not sure what we’ll do if there are leaks while we’re gone. I guess call and have him come over when my daughter is here? Well, it is progress and on such a small budget I think we’ve done ok. If we had lots of money I guess it would be a no brainer to have someone come in and redo the whole thing and build a second bathroom but alas that isn’t our destiny.

B has been going in and out to Home Depot and all over getting little bits of things and has been very busy. It helps he is organized that way.

The Oregon sparrows are migrating and are flocking in the bamboo. They are fun to watch. We turn the sprinklers on the bamboo and they love to drink the droplets. Often they hang upside down and are cute. We call them popcorn birds because they pop so quickly around.

The heat has been oppressive. I think today we’re about 10 degrees cooler so that should help some. We’re back to watering daily and the water bill just went over $100 and will definitely go higher. B filled the pool and that takes 10,000 gallons I think. This will be the last year of the pool. We’ve gotten our money’s worth that’s for sure but I can’t see investing in another pool next year. This is probably year 7 and think we paid around $1000 for it so I’m sure it is way more than that now. Plus there’s all the maintenance to take care of it and that cost. B is the only one that uses it daily. I go in once in a while to float and that’s about it.

I’ve been hanging out in the trailer all day and it’s been nice. I turned the AC on and it worked fine one day and the second day it blew the fuse so when it gets too hot I go out to the studio( my son’s room) and hang out there. He’s got a cooler and I’ve had that on. His studio is almost cleared out and sometime this summer we’ll paint in there. He’ll still come up to work in the barn and sleep over so I want to keep a bed out there. Also, he built a beautiful desk and bookcase out of birch plywood so that will stay too. His move has gone well and I’m happy for him. It’s very nice area very near the American River trail and lots of green space.

This week is a total wash with swimming or the gym but tomorrow I plan on going to the library as my holds are in. That’ll give me something to read in Tahoe.

On a sad note, our big black lady chicken, big mama, died yesterday. She was quite old for a chicken, maybe 10, and the heat was too much for her. So now there’s only big Brownie and I’m guessing she’ll be gone too soon. they were from the same batch and have lived an extraordinarily long lives. Maybe’s it’s the water? this is the end of an era of over 25 years of having chickens and with these gone, that’s it. The coup will come down and the area cleaned up. Rhonda over at Down to Earth talked about how she finally gave up chickens when her husband was ill and dying. She talked about how important it is to really check in where you are in life and what you’re capable of. We could keep having chickens as my daughter does live here but then it’s just one more thing to have to deal with, buying food, checking water, etc. So I’ll buy farm eggs when I can. There are tons of people around here who raise chickens.

On that note, she also talked about physical limitations as we age. She has a non malignant brain tumor which affects her balance so she doesn’t bend over. Because of that, she bought a steam mop so she could mop standing instead of with a bucket on the floor. Because of my macular pucker in my right eye, my balance is off sometimes so I just bought a very cheap steam mop for $59. I’ll try it out for a while if I really like it I’ll buy a more expensive model. This one just steams and there’s no on /off so I’ll give it few months

Simple Sunday

Posted in bread, California, cancer, cooking, decluttering, husband, minimalism, swimming, Uncategorized, Walking by

So far we’ve made it through the ‘blizzard’ although we didn’t have the blizzard here but lots of rain and wind. Fortunately, we didn’t lose any trees. A friend from way back in the library days had 2 trees fall on their house. Yikes! I’d be breaking out. They live quite a ways up I 80 and I think the wind was worse up there. It looks like today is still stormy so I’m not going to go to the Auburn gym. Plus I’ve kind of felt ‘off’. It’s probably the residual of Dex and Velcade. My blood pressure was high yesterday even with taking my Lisinprol so I’m attributing that to dex too. It’s always something.

I have a loaf of sourdough in the oven and I’ll pull a frozen lasagna out for dinner. the other day I was able to get 4 lasagnas prepped. I think I have some salad stuff to use up too.

Yesterday, I cleaned out a few kitchen draws and probably will do a few other kitchen things today. I need to order propane too. That’s all done on line now so I can do it and pay that way.

I’ve been thinking about how having injured my knee in a split second of stepping off the step ladder wrong way. I think things like this do affect us in deeper ways than we realize. All of a sudden I couldn’t do what I had been doing at all. No walking, swimming, house stuff etc. It really did have an impact on me and with that some sadness of what was lost. I’m certainly much better now and am walking about a mile a day and swimming. But it’s not back to where it was and I’m not sure if it will ever get there realistically. But I’m grateful that I can see forward and keep trying. Yesterday, I used the PT band for a few exercises and it really stressed my knee out so today I’ll skip that part. The other thing I’ve noticed is my routines were more or less disrupted as I couldn’t do the same things such as swish and swipe daily. I’m back at it with more regularity but it definitely impacted me and one has to wonder how things will be in 5 years. I guess the whole point of minimizing and streamlining things was exactly the place I’m in now. My house can handle not getting dusted for a few days, or vacuumed because there’s less to take care of. Daily though, the dishes get done, counters cleared. laundry done, bed made, house tidied. My husband does the laundry daily. He also cleans the kitchen after dinner so it’s a good system. Because of this, I think I will start looking around the house to see what things are taking up space or require some maintenance and then probably get rid of them. I guess this really does comes down to Swedish Death cleaning.

WE ARE HOME!!!!

Posted in Bone marrow transplant, cancer, Uncategorized by

Yesterday, Barclay had the okay to leave the Kiwanis and go home!! It was very exciting. We cleaned out the RV and had most everything ready to go for after the clinic appt.

He had to have a chimeric blood test which will tell them how many cells are the donors and how many are his. We won’t know that for about 2 weeks. But that too is exciting.

When we left Sacramento it was a pleasant 80 or so.

Home is all green and bursting with flowers so it was lovely and everything in the house looked great.

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_385.jpg Doesn’t he look great? ????

So it’s home to rest and heal.

We are back in Sacramento on Tuesday and then again on Friday. Both appts are early so we may hit morning traffic but going home should be fine.

There are still all kinds of things we need to watch out for but I’m sure we will handle whatever comes up.

All total he was gone 37 days. 26 in the hospital and 11 at the Kiwanis.  Overall, I think that’s a great record. I’ve read about transplants for people that can go 60-90 days in. So we are very lucky.

We walked this morning a little over a mile and later we will walk around the driveway a few times.