Today I Will...

Well I will probably not get as much done inside as I want because it looks like the sun is going to shine.  How nice will that be after all the rain we have had.   Plus I will not be here for a good part of the day and when I get back Husband should be home.

I do have a basic list though.
Bed.  Make and put clothes away off it.
Sink clear and clean.  It's not too bad but should have been done yesterday.
Vacuum.  Yes! today I WILL get to this.
Washing.  Need to get husbands work clothes from last week finished before next week...
I need to cook him a proper meal for tonight so will think on that.  

That will do for a start.  At least with that done the place will look OK when someone walks in the front door.  But!
I also want to:
Put bee boxes away somewhere...Maybe the back shed...
Shoe basket.  Yep, still haven't got this done.
Front verandah/sunroom.  I need to get that table cleared off so I have somewhere to sit on nice days.  And what should I do with the old and clunky but still works monitor out there?   Might try Freecycle but don't hold out much hope for it going...

Make bed and put a load of washing on before I have breakfast.

Must do today...

T came home from hospital last night so grandaughter has gone from here.  All  her stuff is still here though and slowly being bagged up to be taken in to her place.  It is another stormy day so more wood needs to be chopped and big stuff brought in...

I need to:
Move van...Battery might be  is flat again which will make it a bigger job than it sounds!
Sink, clear and clean.
Table Cleared.  Done
Doctors appointment.  Done.  Now need to make appointment with specialist.  Done
Bed.  Make   Done.
Vacuum bedroom floor.  Have swept.
Dead mouse behind fridge.  Get rid of it somehow...  Done.  Thanks Husband.
Put solar lights back outside.  Done  Really should do this at the start of the day...
Take back all the kids things to her house.  Ready to go.  Done
Finish clown costume.   Just about, needs trying on.  Done.  Looks OK, photos to come.

Clown Costume.
Shoes. Sew on bows.  Done
Hat.  Done
Pants.  Done
Hair  .Done
Shirt.  Sew on pompoms. Done   Make neckline smaller. Done    Put in hoop?   Oops, forgot this bit.
Undershirt.  Long sleeves needed if cold, Done

So, the sink still needs doing and the floors were swept but not vacuumed.  The van?  Wouldn't start, husband thinks my jumper leads are faulty .   Waiting for son to bring his out .

Wet Monday At Home.

I'll be spending this wet Monday home here with the sick grandaughter.  She was suposed to go visit her mother in hospital later on but as she is throwing up I wont let her go.  T is upset about that as she misses her little girl so much but these things happen.   I will need to ring and let the other volunteer at Vinnies know that I wont be in and also the doctors surgery to see if my appointment can be changed. 

It might all work out for the best that I am home as we had a visit from swear word fox last night.  Should say early this morning as I heard a noise around 4 and nearly ignored it as it was such a stormy night but got up anyway as I would have felt bad if something was wrong and I never bothered to check.  Four chooks dead but I managed to get all the others picked up and locked into a shed.  I should have done that anyway when it got dark as I know it is fox season but with the kid here I *forgot*   I will get the trap set up before tonight using one of the dead chooks as bait but foxes are pretty smart so don't know what the chances of catching one will be. 

Being home today will give me a chance to work on the clown costume so that is good but husband will be home this afternoon so I need to get a proper meal ready for tonight.   And maybe a quick tidy-up wouldn't go astray.

And of course the woodbox needs filling again.  It is cold and windy and raining out there but if I don't want it to get cold in here too then I better make a start. 

Ha!  Just had a thought...could I clean one of the dead chooks and cook it up to eat...or have they been dead too long...Anyone know?  For next time.

Changing Plans...

It's all happening here folks.  No decluttering, no gardening, no housework...Lots of worry, crying, child minding, singing and stories with said child, trying to make a clown costume for said child...cuddles with new grandchild...lots has been happening but nothing that would have been put on a list to be crossed off as the days went on and the jobs got done.

Today has been trying to get a clown costume together.  We managed to find a few things that might be able to be changed into something else at the FreeMarket yesterday so today we have been cutting, sewing, making pompoms, trying on...We now have a clown hat, some clown hair, some clown shoes.  Some trousers that might do as clown pants and a top that might be OK with a bit of work.

I'm having more medical tests, my youngest daughter was admitted to King Edward hospital on Friday...I am probably fine, she will probably be fine though we don't know when she will be allowed home.  Maybe tomorrow.  Maybe not...we should know tomorrow.  In the meantime her daughter is staying here, with lots of her stuff, in our tiny house.  And she needs a clown costume before Wednesday.  I'm not home tomorrow, she will be at school Tuesday...Maybe, it seems now that she might be unwell too with some coughing last night and a bit of a temp tonight so even my basic plans might change...

It is after 10PM and it is so windy outside that it seems like we will be blown away...She is not well, it is going to be a long night...I think any plans for tomorrow will change...

Wednesday Want Tos'.

Another wet and cold day so no garden work will get done, again.  I'm out for a bit this afternoon so need to get a few things done this morning but haven't even started yet.  Well, that's not quite true, I have been through a basket of clothes and gotten rid of a few more things.
I'm liking the list thing as it does get me doing stuff so will do another for today.

Today I want to:
Fish tank.  MUST DO this today.
Sink clear and clean.
Bed made.
Sweep floor.
Vacuum.  Yep I sweep before vacuuming.  It saves the vacuum cleaner from getting too clogged up with big stuff.
Clothes away.  I pulled stuff out to go through but want to go through it again before putting it away again.
Wood box.  Again, this is a daily thing when I have the fire going non-stop.
Freeze some of the soup from yesterday.
Juice more Oranges.  I will find a not-new small electric one soon then this job will be much easier.
Chop more small wood.
Benches x 2.
Bills.  Pay the few that are due.
Pick and prep any veg that need picking.
Washing.  I have a load of husband's work stuff from last week...but it's raining still and cold out there...
Moving of some sort.  Ride, walk, Youtube vids...

Oh well, that will do for a start.  I have an appointment at 2 so I need to be ready to leave here by 1.45.

The mattress' have been put back in the van.   Not made up to sleep in yet but at least they are in there.

Wet Tuesday.

It is wet here, so wet that I need me wellies on to get anywhere outside the front door.  So, another inside day though I do need to get outside sometime and clean out the fish tank.  Another dead fish in there this morning , there were 2 last week so I don't know what is going on with them.  Inside though, first will be a tidy-up.  It was looking pretty reasonable last week but a couple of days away, husband home and me out yesterday then having the grandkid here...not much has been done, not even the basics.

On top of the basics, bed, dishes, clothes and games and books from last night away...I have to sort out the front verandah sunroom as that is all wet.  We keep working on this problem but everytime the rain and wind come in from the East it ends up wet out there.  We do something and it seems to fix it but then another storm shows that it needs working on again.     If I had of put the van mattress' back in the van last week they wouldn't be in the lounge area now getting dry in front of the fire...So that one is my fault.  I do seem to make more work for myself by not doing things when they should be done...Same with the clothes that are now on the rack inside...I put them on the lounge in the sunroom on Sunday instead of bringing them inside to air off over night and now they are wet again...HoHum....Extra things to do and our tiny house is slowly getting filled with stuff that should have been sorted on Sunday or last week.

I'm not sure if any decluttering will get done today but I do want to go through the shoe basket and sock drawer before Friday... And I have more sewing that I want to get done...FreeMarkets are on Saturday so I'd like another bag ready to take down there.  Seeds need to be planted or we wont have enough food over the Summer....So much to do and yet I am still sitting here...Breakfast while I watch some decluttering, clean freak videos on Youtube then I'll make a move...and speaking of moving I need to go for a ride or walk sometime this morning...HoHum.  Life is good though, at least I don't have a real job and  can get to do all this...
Healthy Breakfast  2 Weetbix, so not the best but OKish.
Make bed.  Changed pillowslips and will do sheets sometime during the week.
Clear off table.
Sink clear and clean.
Benches x 2.  Had 1 clear then messed it up again by starting the soup....
Books and games from last night away.
Mattress in van.
Seating area tidy and vacuumed.
Oranges need juicing.
Bring in fresh Oranges.  There will be a pile on the ground from all the wind.
Make soup  It's on the stove cooking.
Ride or walk.  Or something.  15min moving. 7min moving. 5 then 5 more min. 
Weekend stuff away.
Fill woodbox.
Chop more small wood.
Fish tank.  Refill, clean filter...
Then...I can start on the shoe basket!

Today's To Do's

Unless I pull my finger out and get moving there wont be any decluttering done today. Husband is due home and there are some jobs that I need to get done before he does. So I have until this afternoon, until 6ish, until 9ish. Or I have until tomorrow...Who knows. 

What I want to get done: 
Sink clear and clean.  Been done twice!  Should clean out fridge and cook before doing dishes.
Bedroom dusted. 
Battery put back in van and van moved. 
All FreeMarket bags in van.  Apart from the one still being filled.
Mattress back in van and bed made up. 
Cook something and have tea ready before he gets home.  Chicken, vegetables, quinoa. 

Chop small wood for the fire and refill inside box. 
Clean out fridge.  Near enough so I'm counting it as done.
Sweep verandah. 
Clear off verandah table.  Luffas away.  Box in shed.  Battery in van.  Seeds away.
Pay bills. 
Pick all vegies that need to be picked. 
Cook said veg and have them ready in the cleaned out fridge.
Give crates of chook scraps to chooks. 
Daughter T just rang and I now need to fit in a bike ride.   And I walked as well.  Yep, I am awesome.
This list will do for a start but I know there is more....Breakfast first but I will forgo my second coffee until after the ride. 'Cause I'm good like that!

That's it, I'm calling it a day.  Showered and now need food.  The rest will go on another list, when I will have a whole day at home, maybe Tuesday.

After our ride T mucked around on here and it looks like she has it fixed.  Thanks T.

Getting There.

It's raining here again, absolutely poured down last night so because it is too wet outside it will be another day inside, tidying, cleaning... I am still in the decluttering mood and I *think* I'm starting to see a bit of a difference. The kitchen table has been clear since yesterday...well I just looked at it and it has 3 things on it. A bag that I am filling for Vinnies, a jewellery box that the grandaughter might want and 2 empty honey buckets...OK, the honey buckets are now out in the cupboard where they go. The bag is back on the bed, hohum...the jewellery box is in the box to go to daughters house. My table is clear again and it took less than a minute all up. Seems the idea is to deal with it right away, not put it down 'til later as *later* sometimes doesn't come. The bed has stuff that is waiting a decision on and that will be sorted after my coffee but the floor in there is better than it's been all month. The living area floor is clear, apart from the sewing maching because I can't lift that up to put it away, and it's even been vacuumed and washed. There are a few dishes from last night that will be done after lunch, 1 bench needs clearing and if I don't look at the computer area it looks alright. It was certainly OK for a visitor yesterday. She could sit at the table or in the lounge area and that is not ussual at all. Well, back into it. Bench, bed and vacuum bedroom before I start on something else.

Knickers In A Knot.

Okkk, after getting all the hankies neatly put in their little pouch I went to put them in the drawer...Not easy. Once again, there is so much stuff shoved in there it was an effort to close it again. Jammed packed with undies. Yes people, today I will talk about my undies. I know, how exciting for you all. I have too many. I know, again, who'd have thought. I tipped everything out of the drawer onto the bed. Shouldn't have done that because there is no way that even half of that stuff will fit back in. I found 8 9 11 more hankies, gosh, does it never end. 9 bras. Now I'll admit that I should wear a bra, me not in a bra is not a good look. But, I sometimes can not put one on in the morning and most nights I can't get it off so it's easier for me to not wear one. I make the effort if I am going out as I am not completely boganised yet. I will start there. Off to purge a few, right now! Well that was easy enough. 3 gone to the bin, 1 to freecycle, 1 in the cupboard because if I ever do lose a bit of weight I might need it...I know...I'm a work in progress...4 to go back in the drawer. They are decent, they fit and are comfortable. The kettle hasn't boiled yet so I'll go count me knickers. Oh dear! 27 pairs there, 1 on and there are a few in the wash...Too many? Off to see what can go. I have made a start, 4 pair, all black, into the cupboard, they fit but I don't need them in the drawer so they are with the 2 packets of 7 that are in there for when I need new ones...I know... 5 pair knotted and binned. I knot them so I don't change my mind and pull them out again. 10 definate keepers and 8 unsure. I have put the definates in a bag near the bed and the unsure ones in the drawer. If they are not worn and liked over the coming week then they will go and the definates will be put back in the drawer. How clever is that idea, no need to answer, I think it is clever so that's what I'm going with. The drawer is sooo easy to open and shut right now, I like it! Now for that coffee...then...something else.

Hankies.

I use hankies, I think they are much better than tissues but as with a lot of things there are drawbacks. One being that they need to be washed then stored. And some people iron them but I am not one of those people. Unless I have a cold I just throw them in with the rest of the wash and line dry in the sun. Or if it is a wet week they might be on the line being rinsed by the rain until they are dry. And of course, they aren't used every day but I do have 2 or 3 with me at at any given time. They are good for other things too, like wiping sticky hands, using as a wipe if some public loo has no paper...lots of things. But, when they are clean and waiting to be used again they do need storing. Up until now I have just had them folded and tucked down the side in my knickers drawer. It's worked, up to a point. After a while the drawer gets messy and the hankies get lost. With my new found get organised mindset I'm wanting to find things more easily, all the time...With this in mind I thought that I could put the hankies in a small bag so they were less likely to get lost in the drawer. Unfortunately the small bag that would have been *perfect* was decluttered and donated to Vinnies. I was too tight to buy it back yesterday when I was down there so today I went looking for something else to use. And found something suitable which shows that I didn't really need the other one after all.

                                                                                                       There are 21 in this pile with a few more in the wash.  Too many?  Maybe but I'm keeping them. I will put some away in the cupboard and maybe they will get decluttered in a few months time but for now...The ones in the bag are organised and easy to get to and the spares are out of the way and not bothering anyone. 

If you use hankies, how many do you have and how do you store them?

Quick Lunch From Home Saves Money..

A nice day here but seeing as I was going to be out for most of it I needed to make up something quick for lunch. We were going to be down at Vinnies for the whole day and daughter usually buys a wrap or hot chips from the shop next door. I don't usually work a whole day but would need something while there today. Sunny Spring days mean salads and a salad wrap sounded good so that's what I made up this morning before leaving. The lettuce and green leaves came from the garden, I only had to remove 2 slugs but don't tell T or she might not want one again.

I had eggs in it too but to cook them up when I haven't got the fire going means boiling them on the small stove I use when camping.   I put them in water, bring to the boil then turn the stove off.  After a few minutes, or when I remember, I pull one out to see how cooked it is and either pull them all out or if I want them harder leave them in the hot water for another couple of minutes.  This way I save on gas.  It takes a bit longer but not too long to make much difference.  I think the *boil for three minute* routine just uses extra gas and this way works just as good.   I now have a supply of eggs in the fridge for quick snacks that might save me from the cheese and crackers.

Tomorrow I will pick a supply of veg for the week.  I'm not sure what's out there but know there will be Brocolli, cabbage, sweet potato, capsicum.  That added to the rescued pumpkins should keep me fed for awhile.   I'll also pick another bowl of lettuce leaves for quick lunches.   I've been slack with the gardens lately but it's good to know I can still get a decent feed from what is out there.

And it's good to be able to make up a healthy lunch to eat when out. Food taken from home is nicer and saving some dollars is always a bonus.

I Want It Back....

So I have been decluttering, getting rid of stuff...some to FreeMarkets, some to the op-shop...This morning I was folding hankies and wondering how many was too many, how and where to store them in a tidy way when I had a lightbulb moment and thought they'd go perfectly into a little bag I had. They would all fit nicely into that and then easiy be tucked in the drawer, quick to get to and no rummaging around amongst my knickers to find a hanky. Perfect! So I go to get this little bag, this perfect for this job bag...and remember that I took it down to Vinnies last week. So now...do I wait and see if it is still there then buy it back? Wait and see if I find something else? Where do I put all my hankies until then...Oh the problems of a wannabe tidy and organised person. HoHum, I will just shove 'em in the overfull drawer and wait and see...

Sorting Shirts.

I have one body. Yes it is bigger than most peoples but it still takes only 1 shirt at a time to cover it. OK, when it's cold maybe a shirt and a jumper but let's not get too tecky here. So why did I have more than 30 of them crammed into that little space. At any given time there may be 4 or 5 in the wash and if they are there now then they haven't been counted. So really, too many. And!! This is not counting the few I bought yesterday or the yard work ones that are in a basket under the bed. Looking at some of these in the cupboard they should maybe be relegated to the yard-work basket but as that is already so overfull that I have trouble pulling it out then pushing in back in I know these will not fit in there. We're coming into warm weather so I need to be able to easily get the warm weather clothing out, makes sense then to sort stuff so that I can open the door without everything falling out. As it does now. Because the decent shirt I want only occasionally is under the pile of suited only for home shirts that are worn more often. I have kept; 9 shirts not good enough to wear out but more than OK for around the house, I wear these most of the time so some are showing a bit of wear. 12 OK for work shirts + 3 decent for going out T-Shirts. Still too many I think but it's a start. Of the ones that I have discarded only a few were suitable for Vinnies. Our Vinnies is very picky but the other op-shop is less so and they will get more. A few have been put in the Free Markets bag. Now to put things away and tidy up a bit before the grandkid gets here. When she leaves this afternoon I will tackle something else, maybe the shoes... I did take before and after shots but they aren't uploading so my shame, haha, is hidden 'til another day.

I Have Too Many Clothes.

I know, who'd have thought. I have too many clothes. I love or really really like them all and wear most of them at some time during any given year. Over the last few weeks though I have been reading blogs where people are decluttering and though this is an ongoing thing with me I have decided that for the rest of this month I am going to concentrate on getting rid of a lot of my excess clothing. And shoes. I have too many pairs of shoes too and some of these I don't wear. But I do love or really really like them. If I can't don't wont get rid of a lot then at least quite a bit. At least 10 things...But that doesn't count the 3 shirts I bought at the op-shop this morning...After all, they aren't actually here yet so can't be included in any keeping or going piles. But if they don't fit then of course they will go...And not be counted in the lots, quite a bit or at least 10 things list...We never hardly ever go out anywhere and mostly I am home by myself and happy to wear any old thing. Stains, holes and ill-fitting don't seem to matter, afterall I have no-one to impress and I don't care. So that seems like an easy place to start doesn't it. I need a few decent outfits to wear on my volunteering days. Something clean and tidy to wear when I go out for lunch as I really shouldn't embarrass family members that dress better than me. And yard clothes, suitable for...well, yard work. The challenge for me will be in getting rid of stuff that is still suitable but unnessary to me without feeling sick if it goes to landfil. I will take what is suitable to Vinnies but sad to say I'm becoming very disallusioned with our local shop. Maybe the other op-shop will get more of it...I know that the Really Really Free Markets will end up with heaps...So, seeing as I can't mow, I will be off to fill a bag.

Not Been Mowing.

I had a plan. A great plan. I planned to ride into town to vote, ride home again and then, as another get fitter activity, I was also going to mow the 10foot high grass before I get lost in it...OK, it's not 10foot high but it is getting up there again and I did plan to mow it...I was going to use the ride-on to get it down a bit then go over it with the small mower that needs pushing. The ride-on is now sitting out in front of my car and I cannot get it started again. I cannot get the push mower to start. If husband was here he would give it a few decent pulls and it would be roaring but me...for some reason I have a lot of trouble getting it started from cold. I have no idea why the ride-on want start. It started no trouble, I reversed out of the shed, drove it to in front of my car, got off to shut the shed door down...and it won't start again. The other stupis thing, even with all my *tricks* I can't get the push mower going...Looks like I'm meant to be cleaning up and sewing instead of mowing today so I will get started on that...soon...after a 'stop the crankyness' coffee...

Been Sewing

It's been too wet to get out and mow or do much else outside, I had the place to myself, ideas in my head and clothing that needed upcycling...so I sewed. None of it is the greatest but if I wait until I am a great sewer then nothing will ever get done. I made some more T-Shirt bags, some cloth wipes, did some repairs to clothes I like so they can be worn again...have more to make and repair but am now having trouble with the bobbin and tension and can't work out what is wrong. It was fine then it wasn't. I'm not home for the next 2 days so will work on it over the weekend. You can see how messy some of it is but it is done now whereas last week, last month even, it wasn't. Here's some of the stuff I did make though...



From pieces all over the place...

To pieces neatly contained in a pretty bag.

 

Plain T-Shirt bag




Cloth wipes with matching drawstring bag.

 











 

Three Weeks Old Already..

The baby that we saw being born is doing well and is now 3 weeks old. Gosh, that seems to have gone quick! As far as we know the mother is doing fine too. The baby is small, she was weighed and we have been told that she was more than 7lb...but she is so tiny and I reckon she was a 6 pound baby. But scales are probably more acurate than my eyes. My scales here at home weigh me heavier than I think I look so it is probably me that has it wrong...

Two week old here.



She's frowning at something!











I want to kidnap that dog, She can keep the kid!

And these photos show why I need to keep up my Fitter By Friday blog...I'll get onto that today...