For the first time in a while I was able to have a lie in as I had no builders/decorators coming round, no shopping being delivered and nowhere I needed to go. It was a good feeling; however, I did feel like I’d lost half of the morning.

I decided to cook Sunday roast at lunchtime, as that always gives me potter time around the kitchen/dining room. My challenge this morning was to clear the clutter off the dining room table by 1pm so that we could actually sit there and eat as a family. It’s been covered in stuff from other rooms for a few weeks now. As the decorating is paused until the New Year, most items can go back to where they need to go and if they are not needed, I need to be ruthless with the items and get rid of them for good.

I used the method of ‘picking one thing up at a time’ and it went well; however, I ran out of time to get everything moved and some of it ended up on the breakfast bar. At least we could see the table again and we enjoyed dinner together.

Catching up with my friend

I had a Whatsapp video call with my friend today and she was feeling the same as me in terms of stuff being everywhere in her house. She is also having decorating done, as well as wardrobes fitted and moving furniture around. We were talking about how overwhelming it all is when we have stuff lying around with nowhere for it to go because you are waiting for things to happen. I have always thought of her as a tidy and organised person with everything in its place, but where she’s swapping wardrobes around and moving furniture, it has uncovered stuff that she now has to deal with. She’s busy like me with family and work and has limited time.

This made me think about how important it is to keep the inside of cupboards and drawers clutter free as well, because you never know when it’s all going to have to come out. Once out in the open it sort of hits you in the face and reveals part of your inner self i.e. what’s being covered up.

I once read a book by Julia Morgenstern called Organising From the Inside Out and that’s always in the back of my mind when I’m decluttering. The concept is that you can’t really put things away until there’s somewhere to put them, So, decluttering behind closed doors and drawers should always be your first step, otherwise you are just shoving things in spaces that are already jam packed.

Christmas Shopping With a Difference

After I called my friend, I then Skyped my mum and dad for our usual Sunday catch up, which I really look forward to every week. We got chatting about Christmas presents because I still hadn’t got them anything and we were trying to think of something I could order and send to them. I was sitting in my study with a cup of tea and some chocolate and whilst I was talking to them and searching for things to buy them, I felt like I was sitting in their living room with them. My mum kept popping out to her kitchen to tend to the dinner and I was showing them ideas on my screen and they were doing the same.

We eventually came up with a Breville Toasted Sandwich Maker for my mum which was out of stock on Amazon but in stock on the Asda website. Then we started looking for bird tables for my dad and found one on Amazon so reasonable that I was able to get him another present to go with it. I ordered everything for them whilst I was on the Skype call and told them that the presents were on their way. If I’d left it until later to do it, I would have got interrupted by other things going on in the house and possibly missed the Christmas delivery times.

I felt quite relaxed and happy after my two video calls this afternoon. It energised me into cleaning up in the kitchen as the dinner stuff was still everywhere.

I then did some more Christmas shopping online but I still haven’t got any ideas of what to buy my husband. As usual, I’ve left it to the last minute and so I’m hoping whatever I decide to order can be delivered before Christmas.

Tesco delivered my Christmas food shopping this evening so my fridge is now full. I’ll have to pop out to get some veg nearer to Friday but I think we’re nearly there with most other things.

Time to relax and have a bath now.

Until tomorrow…

Sandra