2016-2017

This year is drawing to an end: it has not been a good year from my point of view. So many negative things have happened in 2016. However there have been some positive ones as well. 

The wheel is turning and a New year has already begun if you follow the solar year; will still soon be beginning if you use our "normal" calendar! ( My apologies to all who follow other ones as I can't remember the dates without looking them up!)


Now is the time when I start thinking of what changes to make in the New Year. 
I know we can start anew at any time but a new year beginning seems a good opportunity to start new projects and try to implement changes. 

Most of the things I am thinking of doing are connected to the house and to my ongoing decluttering. With a few steps ahead and a couple back things are slowly getting as I want them. Not easy though. 

Finances are another thing to control. Sometimes I just don't know where to reduce costs but it is always possible. 

Going more and more "Green" is easy. "Mother Earth" deserves our best and I have always had a tendancy to respect nature: the way I was brought up!
If we don't take care of our world today there will be no tomorrow for our decendants. 

We are lucky to live in a place which is still relatively unspoiled and hope to help keep it that way.

I will be sharing new projects and ideas with you in this coming year.

What are you planning for 2017? New Year Resolutions anyone?

Konmari clothes folding.

Well you may be wondering what I have been up to recently.

 I have been diligently refolding clothes in the bedroom drawers! 

 There is actually more room with the same amount of clothes in them!

I can't say I have thrown many things. I am not going to properly start on the clothes until my weight stabilizes. At the moment I am fairly near my ideal weight so some things no longer fit and some still don't fit me but I hope they soon will! 

In the meantime I have tidied a fair bit. I just love the Konmari method of folding clothes and the ease of finding what you want in the drawer. 

It was so nice when my neatfreak DD commented that she wants her room as tidy as mine is! 

I did some of the dining room ones as well, and also tidied out a cupboard.

While I don't think I will ever become a minimalist, KonMari does have lots of good ideas. I am curious to see how she copes now she has a child as well. We can probably expect a new book on how to organise life with a baby! Lol.

I haven't had much knitting time between schoolwork and housework but am working on an outfit for my Ellowyne doll. Isn't she just beautiful? 

What have you been doing?

It's Snowing!

Come to sunny Italy and see the snow today! Don't laugh but our schools are closed tomorrow for the bad weather!

It has been a few years since we last had snow in the village. My snow Fairies must have been doing their work brewing up a snowstorm! Lol!

Remembering going to school in the wilds of Northumberland when I was small, standing shivering and stamping my feet waiting for the bus to arrive. Drying wet mittens near the fireplace. So many memories so long ago! This just makes me laugh!

 I never did really like the snow so much. While it is beautiful to look at it isn't so nice when you have to go to work or to school!

I haven't written much on here recently as I have been so busy. 

My decluttering is still progressing. Slowly and surely I will get there. I got down under the stairs cleaned with a bit of help from my youngest DD!

My dining room looks almost empty without all the clutter

Depression rears its ugly head at times. Other family problems arise and life seems so tough. We will overcome somehow. Just as finances seem to be ok new things come up. Seems I am fighting a never-ending battle here. I don't know what to cut down on anymore. 

My weight loss has slowed as well. I am at stage where it is hard to lose even a little bit and seems useless trying. However I console myself that I have lost 14 kilos since October. It seems no one else even notices. 
The trousers that didn't fit me then now don't fit me anymore, they were too small, now they are too big! I feel a lot better physically as well but oh it is so hard! Anyway 3 kilos to go and I will reach my ideal weight supposedly! keep your fingers crossed for me!

What has been happening in your "neck of the woods"? 

Life is hectic. Knitting and cleaning.

Well it has been a while since I have had time to write on here. Trying to clean the house, going back and forth to town and then doing homework with DD in the afternoons takes up a lot of time! 
Add the fact that I was running a testknit for my latest pattern and reknitting it myself as well and maybe you get the picture! Life is just hectic!
Finally testing is finished and I have published the pattern. Here is another photo of it.

It has an unusual construction as it starts from the center back and then is worked outwards. The fronts and sleeves are knitted flat.
It was fun to design and knit. You can find it as usual on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop.


The house decluttering is still slowly proceeding. I was able to get DH and BIL to move the washer from the downstairs bathroom to its proper home upstairs under the shelves where the towels are. (See it was clean enough to have someone in!) 

That has freed my bathroom. DD helped me to clean wall and floor tiles with my steamcleaner. That is cleaning she enjoys!

 I cleaned everything in there and I have put the cupboard back into it.

   Another room is reclaimed! 

Slowly and surely I will win this battle! The battle of the tidy house!
How are you getting on?

Decluttering Mania.

Yesterday afternoon, while my DH had gone to look for mushrooms, I just sat on the divan and cried. It was so frustrating to want to do things and not physically be able to.

 I used to be able to sit for ages on the floor. Now after only a short while I have difficulty getting up. It is scarey. 

Why did I let the house get this way instead of sorting things out while I was fitter?

 Why did I listen to my kids when they said to leave their things where they were and they would come over and sort through them? Days turned into months and now years. 

The pile of books and paper waiting to be picked up on Thursday is increasing. I sorted through old school books upon the top floor and my DH took them downstairs for me. I must admit that without his help I couldn't have managed it. Too many trips up and down stairs. As it is my muscles are hurting so much. The next big project here will to get myself back into a fit shape again if I can. I am just physically going downhill so fast it is ridiculous. Depressing.

I was playing a FB game again on Monday:

(yes I know you are thinking that that is why I never get things done in the house!)

Which Greek goddess do you resemble? I got Mania: Chaos! Lol!

She was the goddess of madness according to friend Google. I think I need to find who was the Goddess of tidiness and sanity and follow her!

My friend Mr (or is it Mrs?) Google informs me that she is called Hygieia. The word Hygiene comes from her name. I could really have just asked my younger DD who has loved Greek mythology since I bought her a child's version of the Odyssey when she was in elementary school.

Well lets see if I can transform myself into Mrs Hygieia. I see this one as being difficult!

C.h.a.o.s. = Can't have anyone over syndrome is one I have been suffering from for a while!

I was amazed to see a book on how to declutter on the best sellers list! Reading the reviews about it I don't think it is for me. I really don't want to live in a minimalist house. That doesn't seem a home to me but a show room. My hoarding tendancies are still too strong for that. I always have the thought “what if I need it?” when I throw something out. Waste not want not has been too thoroughly engrained in my being.

It needs a happy balance. A home should be something we are comfortable in. 

Well I am off to my new day job. General cleaning and washing today. I am going to clean the house for Mrs P! Put my timer on for the first hour. If I could only afford it I would actually pay myself. Well I will work on that one as well!

More beautiful Porcini mushrooms.

Edible Funghi

A method for decluttering.

Recently I started blogging a little about my decluttering progress. I was tired of having the house so untidy.

 A few years ago I tried the FlyLady method but although I followed it for many months I was getting annoyed and frustrated trying to do things and seeing no results. Fighting with my husband and kids when they so quickly messed up all my hard work. Hours spent cleaning and nothing to show for it. I was always tired and always irritable. I finally gave up and things soon became worse than before. It is an excellent method but just didn't work for me.

Now it seems that I have found a method which actually works in my house.
I need the satisfaction of seeing a visible result for my efforts. I need to set myself a goal to clear one place, making it something that is feasible to do. No use dragging everything out and trying to clean all in one go. I just get overwhelmed and have no where to put anything. Then I get depressed and feel useless. I used to be able to clean that way when I was first married, but now my house is three times bigger, I am older and less fit, and there is more clutter to fight against.

So many times I have cleaned one room and then when I moved onto the next the first quickly became worse than before. I was just moving the clutter around. Now I eliminate what I don't need. 

We have all seen the advice online to use 3 boxes and divide things. That doesn't work for me. I do better if I go and put things where they should be. The boxes would never get emptied otherwise. 

Things to be recycled get taken straight to the containers. We have different days when they pick things up so that is already an efficient system for me. 
Things to donate need to go straight into the car ready to drop off. 
Nothing waiting around and no second thoughts. Too often in the past things just gradually went back to where they were.

I like to use a timer while working. It stops me from getting too tired as it reminds me when I need a break. It is amazing how sometimes time seems to fly by when I am cleaning! 

I switch some music on and get going. No tv as that means you stop and watch it! Fortunately I have never been a great fan.

I am finally seeing a change here. My decluttering is starting to show results. Today I decided to do the upstairs corridor and the towel cupboard. 
I have a wall cupboard in an alcove my DH made many years ago. That is where I keep towels, and, on an upper shelf, cleaning things that are not in immediate use.

I pulled everything out and found a big dirty mark where an old nearly empty starch spray container had given up the ghost and spilled its contents on the shelf. Goes to show how long it is since I used anything there! It will have probably been caused by the extreme heat this summer. Thank goodness it wasn't anything poisonous. That is a lesson to me to not leave old aerosol cans around! 
I used to starch my son's shirts for work. Now that "joy" belongs to his wife! Lol!

I cleaned the shelf thoroughly and dusted the various containers. Amazing how many products I had to remove stains from clothes, although I usually use more natural methods, maybe why they were still in the cupboard.

Some useless things I disposed of. Others I will give to someone who actually uses them. I have several packets of dye, mainly black. I will give some to my sister-in-law who is always dyeing things. You can't buy it in the village which is why I had stocked up when I found some at a reasonable price.

I also discovered some cleaning products I didn't remember I had which will be useful now I am starting to deep clean the house. I had already put them on my shopping list.

Towels were removed, shaken and refolded. No signs of any insects I am glad to say! My sister said I have enough towels for a small hotel, they are regularly used in rotation however. Old worn towels get put downstairs to use for the dog.
Old face cloths get used as cleaning rags.

It took me exactly three hours to clean the cupboard and corridor. I now have a corridor! Lol! Before it was just a dumping ground for homeless objects. All of those are now where they should be. 

This afternoon I moved onto decluttering the stairs from the first to the second floor. There were things on almost every step. Most was stuff belonging to my DH. For example there was the saw he uses to cut the wood in the winter. It had been placed there in spring waiting to be taken upstairs to the storage room. Now it has been made ready to use again. It would be a waste of time to put it away now. It was there all summer. 

I started moving things and then he actually took some of the heavier ones up the two flights of stairs to his storage room. There were a lot of tools which are now on the shelves in the storage room that had been standing empty.

I was finally able to sweep and clean the stairs. 

Although it was tempting to start something else I realised that it would be a mistake. I have done enough for today. I have visible results which makes me happy and I will be fit to do something else tomorrow without being all aches and pains. And, if by any chance, I don't feel like cleaning, never mind! It won't be the end of the world.

When my DD came home from school she took a look and asked who had stolen the old house! Lol. So lovely to have someone notice and appreciate what I have achieved!

Decluttering Progress.

I have finally been decluttering again. This time I attacked the little room which serves as a passage to go onto the top floor. 

It was so full of clutter that it was almost impossible to walk through it. Too bad to show a before photo! 

What triggered this was that I needed a book from the bookshelves. I actually couldn't even reach the shelf to look for the book!  

I have thrown and thrown things. I also took all the books off the shelves and dusted and put the ones I wanted to keep back. Although I hated to do it I threw out many books that are of no use to anyone, including many old school books that are no longer in use. They are all going to be recycled.

I even got rid of some old diaries. From 1980 on. I read through them first. So saddening to read all that I went through years ago. I tore out pages and shredded them before putting them into the waste paper containers.

I have also filled some bags with clothes to donate. It is no use keeping things that don't fit anyone.

I started to get rid of the old VHS tapes no one has watched in years. The few family things and originals can stay but all those TV programs nobody ever watched again are going! 

Although we do still have a working VHS recorder (I think), it has been years that they haven't been pulled out and I am sure not going to watch them now! 
Many probably won't even play anymore. 

I did see articles on crafting with old tapes, but the magnetic coating they have is not good for you to handle.

I will give them to the garbage man in a separate sack. He told me they don't go in the plastic as they are a special category. They weigh a ton! There are over 100 in this bag! There are still more elsewhere in the house.

Now I actually have a floor in that room! Lol! I know the shelves are still full but there is far less stuff now. It isn't perfect but I feel quite pleased with myself. 
The wall cupboard was actually already tidy. It was blocked with things in front of it so it didn't get messed up.

Still too many books for the shelves and they are sadly bent from all the weight they had, but it is a beginning and a great improvement!

My muscles are all aching from the work but it has been worthwhile. It took me a full two days!

Oh, by the way, I didn't find the book I was looking for originally! It must be in another room!

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Getting the house organized is so difficult. It is very easy to become overwhelmed and just give up!
I keep telling myself that it is important to remember that the house didn't get in a mess in just a day, and I don't have a magic wand to instantly get it tidy. (Wish!)
Slowly and surely is the way to go, gradually getting to grips with it.

"A place for everything and everything in its place."

Yes sure, if you have a place to put it! The problem is when there is nowhere for things to go. That is when decluttering becomes essential.

I have been trying to set myself some goals. This time it was my bedside cabinet. It was piled high with books and general clutter.
I removed all the books and put them back on the book shelves. I put several balls of yarn away and other odds and ends that had no right to be there.

I then cleaned out the two drawers: so full of underwear that it was almost impossible to open and close them! I spent a full 20 minutes checking pantyhose and discarding all the ones with snags or holes. My usual repurposing instinct made me want to save them to make flowers or use as stuffing, but I resisted and threw them out. There will be plenty more before I ever get round to making anything anyway!

Everything that didn't fit was trashed.
I swept behind and under the bed while I was there and dusted and polished. I was happy.

DH then so very nicely commented that I had been upstairs for two hours and that the dishes were still to wash! He had been "busy" watching television. Men don't wash dishes!!

Thank goodness my youngest DD isn't a hoarder. (The photos are of her bedroom with no warning!)

She went through all her clothes before going back to school today.
She has grown so we filled two big plastic bags with clothes to go to those in need. As there is nowhere to donate them in the village, my older DD will give them to her local church in town.

With so many boatloads of people arriving daily on our coasts there is a real need for clothes. Sad to have to say there are also children and young teens among the refugees.

I need to go through other clothes that have been saved here. My son had a lot of shirts he no longer uses so I will have a washing and ironing spree and send those as well. It seemed a shame to discard them when they were almost new so I kept them. Just as well, now a use has arrived. Decluttering for a good cause!

I am not looking forward to ironing all those shirts, Since my DH retired and my DS left home, I rarely iron now unless it is really necessary. I am saving on energy for the good of the environment! Lol! That is my excuse anyway and I am sticking to it!

Today's mission is to go upon the top floor and sort those shirts out!

What is your mission for today?

Cleaning time with timer!

Another post for today. I am taking a break while the floor dries. This morning I set my timer and swept and washed the dining room floor and corridor. I have ceramic tiles on this floor of the house.

My not-so-DH decided to lie on the divan and kept moving and getting in my way although I had told him to stay in one place till I had finished and it dried. Fortunately my BIL called to tell me to ask him to go and see to the cows as BIL is at Naples so he has now gone out! What a loving wife I am! Lol!

Reminds me when I tried to follow the FlyLady method a few years ago. I got so tired of her comments that we are cleaning for us and that family will then follow along. To have a smile all the time! Sure! My "sweet honey" definitely didn't help. He postively hindered at times! I would nearly kill myself trying to keep the stupid sink clean and shining. Go to bed leaving the kitchen clean and get up in the morning to find it a shambles again! Other than gradually getting to grips with the house! Then those lace-up shoes! Not when it is 40°c outside! 

Her darling dears are maybe BO...born organized but mine sure aren't. It was a continuous fight. The only BO around here would be body-odour and that I don't want!
I don't live in the 50's when Momma would have the meal on the table for her Master coming home from work and a pretty apron tied around her waist. I would rather use it to hang myself...or him! That would be better! I do love aprons by the way. I wonder where all of mine have gone!

 What I did find a wonderful help were the forums. There I found out that others were just as untidy as I am and many were far worse! I had been looking at my house trying to match the crazy standards they have around here and I just can't adapt to that. It isn't life to me. I do miss the forums still and the wonderful people I met on there. Some I am still in touch with through FaceBook fortunately. I wonder how they are all doing.

I did receive her emails for a while but got tired of all the publicity to sell things. I am trying to declutter not add calendars and other cleaning stuff. I do have her book still. 

The timer idea I did find useful. I set it for an hour and get things done, then take a brief break. Now I am applying what I learnt to try and pull my house back into shape again, but doing it my way this time around. We all have different lives and ways of doing things.

Fun looking back. I had got my house almost totally under control again and then life got in the way and it became a shambles. If I don't clean no one else does it and I wasn't there to do it! I had other more important things to cope with and I managed but it took a great toll on me.  

I found an old photo. My friend's DD scanned it for me. This was many years ago. There are very few photos of me. To think I thought I was fat then! I am the one in the white jacket. It was at my God-daughter's baptism. 

Well the timer has rung so back to my cleaning!