We noticed a few ants downstairs yesterday evening so I put some ant powder down by the front door. Thankfully there were no more ‘alive’ ants 🐜 when I got up this morning.
I never did get around to finishing decluttering the hallway a couple of weeks ago, so made this task top priority on my written list today. I moved everything out and into its place and swept and mopped the whole of the downstairs flooring. I felt so pleased with myself when I’d finished. It rained most of today and it was quite cold, so this was a perfect job to get done.
Just like yesterday I tried to avoid multitasking and managed to tick things off more or less in the order I’d set myself. It really worked for me again today and I got about ten things done including exercising, making some phone calls and writing this blog.
My girls made a tasty lemon drizzle cake whilst I was busy with other things which was lovely of them. I enjoyed that after dinner this evening.
The progress that I’ve made over the last couple of days have made me feel a bit more organised which is good.
I don’t know about you but even though we’re home every day, the days feel like they are whizzing by.
Today I knew that I had to take things slower as it’s been a bit overwhelming the last few days. I usually pride myself with my multitasking skills but today I decided to slow down and do just one thing at a time. There’s nothing wrong with multitasking – I just think that there should be pockets of time when I don’t do things that way. You never know it might soon become the norm.
Today I went with a visual to-do list on a piece of paper, and then prioritised the items. It included some of those 15 minute to dos that I mentioned yesterday. One task in particular gave me a sense of relief when I ticked it off.
I also spent a bit of time familiarising myself with the new Microsoft To Do app (I had to import everything from Wunderlist the other day as it’s closing down soon). I usually like to work things out for myself, but today I had a look online for some tutorials to see if I could get any quick short cut tips. Some of the reviews were saying that the app is not as good as Wunderlist which got me looking at alternative apps, until I suddenly realised what I was doing. I was falling into the trap of being unnecessarily sidetracked from what was on my written to-do list.
Focusing on recycling
Tomorrow is the day for the recycling bins to be collected so getting everything into the green bin and box was one of my priorities. It was all just sitting around outside the back door looking unsightly. I had a lot of cardboard to flatten, papers to sort out and fit in, and we’ve almost filled the plastic/glass/tin bin in just two weeks. It will be a good feeling when I hear the truck arrive in the morning, as I’ll have empty bins once again.
A Productive Day
I didn’t get everything ticked off my list today but I’m okay with that. I usually overestimate what I can do anyway. Don’t you just love it when you feel like you’ve had a productive day and you can reward yourself with a cup of tea and a few squares of your favourite chocolate.
I really struggled to write anything this evening. I’ve done loads today, but couldn’t get any sentences out in any particular order to write about any of it. I always start a blog with the title and then the writing just flows, but even that wasn’t helping. I started three or four posts with various titles and eventually stopped and went to brush my teeth.
Whilst I was brushing away I thought about how I feel like I’m pedalling backwards at the moment, so started a new post with that exact title in an attempt to inspire me to write. It worked.
My day was actually lovely until I started stressing
I’ve actually had a very good day. My daughters told me last night that they fancied coming out for a walk with me this morning. It was a lovely fifty minute walk together in the early morning sunshine. We didn’t go out until around 9am so there were a few more people out exercising than I was used to. Nevertheless, they all kept their distance. Although it’s very necessary in these unprecedented times, don’t you think that it all feels very unnatural, having to cross the road every time you see someone coming the other way?
After the walk we had breakfast and then I spent some quality time in the kitchen with my eldest. We shared the dishwasher duties and then we peeled potatoes together in preparation for dinner. We laughed at a few episodes of friends whilst we were working away. Dinner was roast chicken which I haven’t cooked for a while and it was very tasty.
I sunbathed in the garden this afternoon and did some reading and meditation. We then skyped my mum and dad for an hour which was so lovely.
Then I had this feeling that I hadn’t done anything productive and went into the garage to flatten some more boxes and make some space. I returned back into the house after twenty minutes and that’s when I started to feel overwhelmed. Little things were starting to annoy me and I felt like I was trying to do too much. It was yet another mealtime and the stuff was all still there in the kitchen from lunchtime.
My lovely girls picked up on my anxiety and helped tidy up whilst I made toasted sandwiches for everyone.
Time to take control
I was reading an article by Jack Canfield on Twitter yesterday on Everyday Positive Thinking and I signed up for the pdf guide to read. In the guide you have to find the page that matches how you are feeling and read the actions underneath of ‘things to do now’ and ‘things to do later’. What I’ve just noticed is that the way I was feeling yesterday sent me to a different page to the way I’m feeling today, which gave me different actions to take.
Yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed with too many projects so I worked out that I need to prioritise and work out what I want to work on and just get on with it. Trust my instincts. Don’t try and do everything. Long term I may need to reassess my goals. This evening I was feeling stressed and anxious as I have a lot of ‘incompletes’ so I need to listen to my body, do some deep breathing and practise self-care. Long term I need to break things down into smaller steps and clean up things that I haven’t finished.
It’s perfect timing that I have the next couple of days off work. I’m going to try and finish things that I’ve started as well as knock items off my ‘to do’ lists that take fifteen minutes or less, as they are also really playing on my mind.
I wasn’t planning on doing anything in the garage until after I’d decluttered most of the house; however, due to Covid-19 and not being able to give stuff away or sell it at the moment, I needed to make room for charity items.
Making a start… or not
I stood there and had no idea where to start. This is very unlike me as I usually get straight into action and know what I need to do. I was frozen to the spot.
I switched focus and watched an online video on my phone about productivity, processes and lists (which wasn’t relevant here but it gave me a few ideas for other projects). The video then automatically moved on to other videos (as it does) and eventually I stopped and pressed play on my current audio book for inspiration.
I can’t remember at what point this question popped into my head but it rang true and started me thinking… If this was someone else’s garage what would I do? My answer was that I would throw away or donate most of it because I wouldn’t have any attachment to the items. I stepped over a few boxes trying to think how I was going to make space, when I spotted one area that I could start with. My motivation was back! So, making a start I…
Moved some boxes out ready for recycling
Moved the unwanted wooden shelving to the side and used it to pile stuff on that was in the middle of the room
Tidied up a bit
Unrolled the half rolled up carpet to the end.
Swept the leaves and other dirt out of the space.
I stopped after I could walk easily down the middle. Here are the before and after pictures of the middle part that I attempted to tackle…
Before tidying the middle partAfter tidying the middle part
I was pleased with my progress today. Tomorrow I’m planning on collapsing even more boxes and looking at what I can physically throw away in order to make some more space.
I woke up earlier than usual to the birds tweeting outside and the delicate sounds of my eldest teen unloading and loading the dishwasher. It was very sweet of her 😊. She was back in her room when I went downstairs for my walk so I left her a thank you note.
I walked for 45 minutes today; longest walk since the beginning of lockdown and I really enjoyed it. I focused on the beauty around me. These are the best photos from the selection that I took…
The beauty of the outside
The tidying up bit
I was working in the conservatory this afternoon when my husband commented on the table next to me and said ‘all of the can go in the bin can’t it?’
Table before decluttering
… to which I said ‘I’ll sort it out’. You’ve never seen me move so quick, ha ha, before it all went in the bin. At least it’s another spot decluttered.
Table after decluttering
The takeaway bit
It’s been a loving sunny day again here and the weekend is forecast to be just as warm. As we’ve all been working hard this week my husband suggested ordering a pizza. Our first takeaway since lockdown. Let’s see what it’s like.
I’m enjoying my morning walks more and more each time I go out. I try and fit it in every couple of days for 15-20 minutes just to get an evergy boost and improve my mood. I might even start to make it daily. The rest of the family aren’t interested in coming with me; maybe in time they will. We could be in lockdown for a while according to the news updates.
Being outside gives me the open space that I need… there’s so much of it out there and hardly anyone about. It’s very freeing, helps to clear my mind and gives me a break from the clutter I still have around me at home.
What have I decluttered today?
This pile of papers etc which have started to accumulate again…
The pile keeps getting moved from the table to the stool and back to the table again. It’s growing and I’m not going to let it get any taller; it’s going to be tackled now!
I slept better last night by going to bed a bit earlier. Let’s see if I can beat that and get to bed even earlier this evening.
For some reason I didn’t have a very restful sleep last night; I was wide awake from 2.30 until 5.30am. Tried all my usual tricks to help me sleep: meditation, deep breathing, listening to calming sounds… almost drifting off each time. I was just thinking about getting up and starting the day when something I tried must have worked. Thankfully I didn’t have an alarm set and wasn’t working until the afternoon so woke up naturally at 10.20am. It was so bright in the room when I took off my eye mask (so pleased that I put that on).
My husband had been lovely and put a cup of tea by the bed at 9am which had obviously gone cold, and my daughter had been helpful and done the dishwasher. I’m thinking of having a lie more often!
Mowing the lawn
Oops, not sure if my wildflower seeds blew all over the garden when I planted them in the borders a few weeks ago (as there’s nothing growing in the borders yet… might be wrong). Although I knew that they were probably weeds, they looked pretty on the lawn but it was time to mow them away. It didn’t take long and then I sat outside for a while before work.
I’m tying to relax and wind down this evening so that I have a better sleep tonight. I might also try getting my daily blog posted a bit earlier in the evenings, which might help with the wind down.
I think I need to do a bit more exercise as well. How are you all doing with your new exercise regimes?
I would consider myself to be a very patient person; however, there is always room for improvement in order to grow as a person, don’t you think?
I was cleaning the main bathroom this morning, focusing mainly on the windowsill and bath when my husband came in to ask me a random question. After answering, I mentioned to him that one of the bath tap covers had come off a month or so ago and would he be able to fix it ‘at some point’. I followed up my request with ‘but not now as I’m in the middle of cleaning’.
Messy bathroom windowsill and broken tap cover (bottom left)
Sometimes he likes to do things straight away and most of you will probably think ‘how lovely’; however, it’s not lovely when you are in the middle of cleaning the bath and about to decluttering/wiping the windowsill. He said that it wouldn’t take long, to which I thought that even if it took a couple of minutes I would still have to stand there with my rubber gloves on in the flow of cleaning and switch to DIY assistant getting him the tools he needs etc.
An opportunity to practise patience
I stopped what I was doing and waited patiently. I got him the screwdriver, held tap parts, and watched him puzzle over why the tap cover wouldn’t grip the main bit (that’s the best way that I can describe what I saw) . It probably took about twenty minutes, and it’s now all done to which I was very grateful.
I had to rinse round the bath again afterwards. I then cleaned the windowsill, recycled unused bottles, and wiped around the window/tiles etc.
Clear windowsill and fixed tap
I suppose the lesson I learnt today is that by practising patience, I got an old outstanding job done quicker than planned.
It’s been another busy day but the pace was better than the last two days. I tried to have a few more breaks in between working. There’s a lot to do every day; I just need to be a bit more patient with myself and remember that no one is measuring my progress apart from me.
I knew today was going to be busy at work so to help energise me, I got up a bit earlier and went for a brief lockdown-style jog in the sunshine (second one this week). Once back, I had enough time before logging on to work to quickly sort out the kitchen which somehow led me onto cleaning the shelves in the fridge and rearranging everything (mad I know, but I was in the mood to do it).
A full and organised fridge
To be honest, it didn’t take long at all. I moved the food that had the longest date into the bottom two drawers, it was almost like I was hiding things. There’s a reason… I’m still training the rest of the family to eat things in date order. So, if I move items out of sight into the drawers and rotate them onto the shelves as new stuff comes in, we don’t get as much waste and everything gets eaten in order.
Work-life balance
Worked non-stop on my day job today until about 6pm without a break which is unlike me. I did manage to have lunch about 3pm but I was emailing at the same time. Hanging the washing out could possibly count as having a break I suppose but not really long enough. I’m usually quite good at stopping and taking time out from my laptop, so I’m not too worried that I didn’t do it today. Let’s call it a one-off.
Overall the work life balance wasn’t too good today. I fitted in a bit too much again. I took on the challenge of making a home-made meat pie for dinner as I got the meat out last night. I had been slow cooking the stewing steak for over eight hours during the day. I found a recipe online and it turned out really well.
When I finished work I then remembered that I still had to make the pastry for the pie. With having to do all of the potatoes and veg as well it took up a good chunk of my evening. One of my daughters helped peel the potatoes and the other one did the dishwasher so that helped. They also made a lovely dessert – home-made chocolate cornflake cakes with smarties on top. Yum!
I was shattered by 8.30pm and then remembered it was bin day tomorrow (that week has gone really quick!)
I did actually relaxing after that. I’ll try to take it a bit slower tomorrow.
I had to set an alarm last night because I actually had a supermarket delivery at 9am this morning and I didn’t want to be woken up with a knock at the door (yes, I got delivery slot by chance two days ago… it was very exciting). As I was checking out the order last night, I realised that I wasn’t allowed to order more than 80 items. It’s good that supermarkets are adding these restrictions but it’s actually quite difficult when there are limited multi-packs around at the moment and a lot of items are sold singly. So, if you want five bananas and three tins of soup, that’s ten per cent of your quota gone before you’ve even got onto dinners etc. I had to knock a few things off the order, which was good for the budget and we have enough for the week. It was a very sensible order whilst still allowing the girls to keep the snacks on there that they had chosen.
Sometimes I wake up energised and motivated and sometimes I just need to rest
Today was one of those days where I woke up feeling energised. Before the delivery driver arrived this morning, I started placing shopping bags by the door in readiness. It was then that I noticed how untidy the hallway had become. I had dealt with the stuff by the door the other day as you know, so that bit looked clearer. I took a photo of the whole hallway and then another one of just the-coats-with-no-particular-home, so decided to focus on just that today. The rest of the hallway can wait for another day.
Coats hanging on the bannisters
Washing them and putting them away would leave us with a much clearer pathway for going up and down the stairs.
We have nowhere downstairs dedicated for coats. This seems strange seeing as we have a hallway. The reason is that we had pocket doors installed into the two mains walls off the hallway a few years ago (doors which slide into the walls), which didn’t really leave us with a spare wall for a run of coat hooks. We’ve discussed a few times what we are going to do with coats, or if there is a way of attaching something to the wall, but nothing has been decided as yet. Today, I just took all the eight coats off the banisters, emptied the pockets and put five out of the six non-leather coats in the wash (I couldn’t fit six in). Obviously the coats aren’t being worn at the moment (except mine if I pop out to the shops or to run an errand), so they won’t be missed.
Emptying pockets is interesting isn’t it? Things like tissues, mints, work passes, hair clips and so on. I didn’t expect to find three chocolates in one of my girl’s pockets (which I have a feeling was me trying to hide them from my husband once when the box was nearly empty and then forgetting I put them there, ha ha).
The coats are now all washed, air-dried on the washing line, and put away in the relevant bedroom wardrobes. By the time this lockdown is over, it’s possible that it’ll be too warm for wearing coats (unless we’re here until autumn… let’s hope not). Imagine how much decluttering I will have done by then! Here’s the hallway stairs without coats; much better…
Coat-free bannisters
I just kept going today – pottering about doing this and that. I’ve basically only just sat down now to write this (approx. 7pm). My husband cooked the gammon that’s been in the fridge for a while, but still in date, along with new potatoes with mint, and I made some vegetables. We had an early dinner, around 4-4.30pm, which makes the day feel longer don’t you think?
Other things that happened today:
Broken tooth update The half of my tooth that I cracked ten days ago, came out whilst I was eating piece of toast this morning. Only having half a tooth feels even more weird than having half of it being loose, but at least it might be easier to clean now. I actually spoke to my dentist last Tuesday and she told me not to worry about it (even if it falls off) and that she’d fix it for me after lockdown is over. I felt so much better after talking to her and very grateful that the tooth isn’t causing me any pain.
Ice-cream maker update I found the missing parts to the ice cream maker that I put in a box in the garage two days ago with a label saying ‘if spare parts are not found by Dec 2020, please throw me away’. I might actually have to use it now! After washing it thoroughly, I think I will need to make another label saying ‘If I’m not used by 31 May 2020, please put me in a charity bag’ 😀.
Work again tomorrow… quite looking forward to sitting down all day as I’ve been on my feet a lot today. Still have lots of energy though but I think I will take time out and rest.
Looking forward to a nice shower and then I might curl up, read a few blogs and articles and then watch a film.
Sandra Madeira 