Decluttering Totals for June

 Better late than never, right? 

Time has got away from me again, but I think I'm back on track. I do have some blog catching up to do!

I wanted to get this one written as it's a bit of personal accountability. Overall, it wasn't a bad decluttering month. We were away for a week in June so definitely not as much decluttering done as I'd hoped. 

Craft Items - 30 

Magazines - 21

Books - 62

Misc. - 20

There were also a bunch of travel pamphlets that I let go of, the ones you collect (well, I do) when I visit places. 

Goals for July - to continue with the decluttering. To keep the main areas clear of clutter. I also want to work on the bedroom as it's suddenly become a place to dump stuff. Not really conducive with relaxing sleep! 

How is your decluttering coming? 

And because I can't write a post without including a photo - a picture from the walk this morning, another hot and sticky day

Weekend

I actually managed to get out for a walk both mornings. This morning though I was up later than usual (still early lol) as I had turned off the alarm. It was fairly nice out though, so I thought I'd get out and take a quick walk. It wasn't a long one. It started to warm up quite a bit and there were lots of bitey flies around. I got tired of walking along swinging my arms and hands about my head and body trying to keep them off me. I didn't succeed in stopping them from biting me. I had, however, found some After Bite cream the other day while sorting through the bathroom drawers, so I applied some of that when I got home and it seemed to work. The bites had been swelling up, but it stopped. Thankfully. I shall know to avoid that place for a while as there was just too many of them around!

Apart from the walks I haven't been anywhere else this weekend. I have got quite a bit done at home. The pile of magazines has been read through and parted with. There was, I think, one I kept to re-read something. It was a photography magazine. A pile of books also got sorted. I was debating on whether to try to sell or donate. I got tired of the pile sitting there and decided just to donate them. There is one pile left to deal with tomorrow. It's the last day of June so I have only the day to get it done! I'm not sure on how long the room will be pile free, but tomorrow it will be! 

There is a lot more to sort through, but I think, in future, I'm going to try not to have it all piled up. I have to make a plan for next month to at least get rid of some things and not pull a bunch of stuff out to have it sit in the living room!

This week I want to try to use up some food in the freezer and cupboards without turning on the oven too much. The heat is still persisting. I need to add up decluttering totals for last month and set goals for July.  I really think that keeping a tally of items I'm getting rid of is keeping me motivated. The pad I'm keeping track of the totals in is on the table right by my chair and when I sit down, I see the numbers, and it keeps me going! What tricks do you have to keep you motivated? 

A few of the things that made me smile today

I'm ready to tackle another week!

End of Week

I was going to post yesterday but the headache was lingering on and I just couldn't concentrate on a lot of anything. It was back again today. Sigh. 

I managed to get out for a walk today, went to the shops to pick up a few bits and then home. I had lots of washing to do as I've been putting it off. Other than that, I didn't get a lot of anything done. The headache was still pounding. We had another round of pop-up storms but not a lot of relief from the humidity and heat. I don't have a lot planned for the weekend, so I'm going to try to catch-up on things I should have got done in the week. 

The piles in the living room haven't gone down. Actually, I've added to it. Sigh. I thought I was done with the magazines, but while I was sorting through another storage area, I found a bunch more! I've started looking through them and will then pop in the recycle or donate. 

I'm still determined to get rid of the living room piles. Three days to go. 

This afternoon I messaged with sister. She has been having fun finding all the Hares on the Ipswich Art Trail this year. There are some really lovely ones. She sends me photos of the ones she's seen that she thinks I'll like. I'm hoping to see a few when I go visit next month. 

There is one called The Memory Hare. She had Mum's name put on it. Made me a little sad, a little happy. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. 

Midweek

Ugh. It's still hot. Cooler than it was but hot and humid all the same. Storms and rain came through and I've had a headache for two days now. The weather is zapping my energy and making me just a little bit grumpy. Husband would probably say it's making me more than a little grumpy lol. 

I went for a walk yesterday (a little one) and tried to go today, but as soon as I got down to Asylum Lake and halfway around the lake the rain came down. I got really wet. Sigh. I did, however, get an early start on some errands and managed to get the housey things done on my list. 

The decluttering seems to be coming along slowly this month. I'm trying to keep the end goal in month, but I'm still finding it quite difficult to let go of things. The main area of the house is looking a lot tidier, but I don't think I'll be treating myself to that craft room air conditioner this year. Sigh. Perhaps next year. I think my goal for the end of this month will be concentrating on getting some more books donated and getting the remaining piles (2) sorted in the living room. I have five days left.

Some good progress - the porch is a useable space (if it was cool enough to sit out there!) and my husband has taken the protective plastic from the screens. I am really pleased with this. It was a goal to have this area done so I am definitely marking this as progress! I'm hoping once things cool down a little, I'll be able to sit out there and enjoy it a bit. 

Photo for the day

I found it quite amusing when this heron landed on the railing right by these people who were busy looking out at the herons across the lake. It made me smile!

Monday Monday

A bit of a moan about the weather - it's been really hot and humid here the last few days. We've been under a heat advisory for days. It always feels as though I'm breathing through a piece of cloth over my face when it's this hot and humid outside. I didn't go out at all yesterday. Today I did a small walk with my friend. It was almost 80f/32C when I went out at 6am this morning . We tried to stay in the shade, but if we do that the bitey flies (my name for them) get me. It doesn't matter what spray you put on; they bite. I'm allergic to this kind. I got bit the other day when we were out in the woods and first my thumb swelled up and then my wrist started to swell up too. Ugh. 

Okay, that's the moan out of the way.

Despite the heat, I have been quite productive. I got a couple of junk drawers sorted yesterday and started on the tall bookcase that I have. Today I sorted out some listing stuff and got that done. I also did a food shop - not my favourite thing to do, but it's done now! Because of the heat, I am trying not to turn on the oven too much. I need to find some slow cooker recipes as I think that would generate less heat in the house. The good thing is, we are eating more salads lol. 

Husband and son are back at work and things are slowly getting back to normal. They really enjoyed their week off. They did a lot of relaxing. They both work hard so it was really good for them to enjoy some time when they didn't have to do a lot of anything. I enjoyed walking the beach and the trails. There was some good bird watching at both places we went to. 

One of my favourite birds to watch - Black-crowed Night Heron

There were two hanging around the lagoon. I finally got to see one of them catch a fish and then fly away with it! They are really patient hunters. Much more patient than I usually am lol. 

I have lots of photos to sort through. I could end up getting distracted and spending most of the day sorting through them, but I am writing lists and trying to get things done. I have some work to do on time management. That's an ongoing struggle. I am definitely doing better than I was, but there is room for improvement. I can so easily get distracted. 

Back

Thank you so much for the comments on the last couple of posts. 

We had a lovely week away. It was quite relaxing. A part of me wished I could stay away for longer, another part of me wanted to get back home and get started on things with renewed energy. As I'm British I have to start off with the weather lol. It was up and down. At the beginning of the week, it was pretty chilly. We were glad we had taken warmer clothes along and we bundled up. It wasn't freezing, but the wind was...well, windy and the air was cool. Mid-week it got really hot, too hot really and we were all sweating (we'd taken along clothes for warmer weather too lol). Then it rained a bit - there were enough breaks that I could get out for a couple of long-ish walks. After the rain, the temperature was just right. The part of me that was glad to get home was also glad I wasn't camping this week as the temps are going to be really hot and humid. We're under a heat watch. Ugh. 

I saw some lovely sunrises and sunsets. We went to two different campgrounds and there was one morning at each that was especially lovely. 

After the chilly mornings and wind, I walked out to the beach one morning and the water was so beautifully calm and just peaceful. It was stunning. There was absolutely no-one on the beach for the longest time. 

The water was so calm it was hard to tell where the sky ended, and the reflections began. With all the bad in the world, this just reminds me that there is beauty. 

I am a little energised from my time away, though my energy seemed to wane a little as soon as I got home. I have to not let myself get sucked back down in the day-to-day things and keep my goals and plans in mind. I had some beautiful settings to do quite a bit of thinking while I was away. I'll have to see how well I do about keeping on track. 

I'll share some more photos in the coming posts. I have a bit of catching up to do. I hope everyone has had a good week. 

Mid-Week Post

I'm actually a little ahead of the game - well, rather our son who is coming with us, is behind - so I have time to write and schedule a mid-week post. Hopefully, I'm out somewhere reading a good book and enjoying the outdoors or taking a few photos. 

This week, when we go camping, is a good time to unwind a little and get away from the day-to-day routines of life. I'm going to take a little time to make some goals for the rest of the year. At the beginning of the year, I said I wanted to work on time management. So far, I think I've done pretty well, but I know there is some improvement to make! I think just being outside with no distractions will give me a little more time to think about a plan going forward. I have packed a pad of paper and a pen so hopefully I'll come back feeling refreshed and inspired!

I hope everyone has a good week.

Packed and Ready-to-Go

Almost. 

I'm not quite there yet, but almost. 

It will be nice to get away, to relax and not have to think about things for a while. I have packed a few books from the shelves which I am going to make myself read before any books on the Kindle. The bookshelves are dwindling but there are still too many books I have to read! I might even be able to update the reading list on the blog when I get back lol

I had a good walk today and managed to cross all the things off my list. I managed the drive to pick up husband okay. There was a little eek moment when I find out the road Google wants me to take is closed due to roadworks. I managed to find my way around them and to husband's work. He did drive the car back home! I also had a nice chat with sister. 

We're leaving around nine in the morning. It's about a four-hour drive to the first campground. We might be stopping somewhere on the way. We can't check in until later in the afternoon though. We might also stop somewhere to eat. 

I might check in during the week, but I am limiting internet time. It's a time to just relax and disconnect for a while. I hope everyone has a lovely week

Photo for the day - another collage of phone photos taken at Asylum lake

Plodding Along Through Life

It's been a busy few days. I've been writing lists to try to keep myself on track. We'll be leaving on Friday for our weeklong camping trip. I always feel a little bit anxious before I go on these. I'm not sure why. I know I'm going to have a lovely time. It's going to be very relaxing. I'll be taking a few books and my camera. I'll be walking, reading and sleeping. To be honest, I won't be doing a lot else lol

It's that craziness before you go away though, where you want (or rather I want) everything to be just-so as I leave the house. I'm not sure why, but there is something nice about coming back to a tidy house. I'm not sure everything will be just-so, though. I have to tell myself that's okay. I'll do what I can and be happy with that. 

I have remembered to get out my shower shoes. Last time, I forgot them. I ended up wearing socks in the shower lol. I could not bring myself to go bare footed in the communal showers. I also found some shorts to wear after getting out of the shower rather than struggling to not get my trousers/capris wet. I'll change back into my regular clothes back at the campsite. I have worked out that it will be easier that way!

Tomorrow is another full day. I'll walk with my friend in the morning, do some washing, sort some clothes, do the usual housework, then I have a haircut and later I have to go and pick up my husband from work. He uses a work van, but it has to be left at work for the week. Usually, my son would go and pick him up but he's working out of town. I'm not looking forward to the drive (it's about 40 mins away) but he'll drive back so it will be ok. I have done all of the shopping I needed to do today so I won't have to worry about that tomorrow! 

At the end of the day tomorrow (hopefully another blog post) I'll be all set and packed and pretty relaxed about leaving Friday morning. 

Some photos from our other walk on Sunday

Behind - As Usual

It's the story of my life to be behind on everything!

We had a nice morning out on Sunday. We went by the Poppy Field. It is a field of flowers planted in honour of their son (who unfortunately took his own life after suffering from PTSD) and a family friend. We went early in the morning, just after the rain had finished and the field was empty. We did see one lady leaving on her bike, but otherwise no-one came the whole time we were there. It was really lovely. I took photos with my camera (behind as usual) and a few with my phone. It looked as though they had put up more signs asking people not walk in the field. Last year when we went a lady had plopped herself in the flowers and was taking photos of herself with a drone. Sigh. 

After our visit to the flower field, we took a walk at a new park that has opened. It is currently only open on the weekends. It used to be where the boy scouts went camping but the city of Kalamazoo bought it and is updating trails and such. It was really quite beautiful. There is a Heron Rookery by the smaller lake, and it was fun to watch the baby herons in the nest making noise. It is supposed to open daily sometime in the near future, and I definitely think it will be somewhere to check out next Spring when the herons are building their nests. 

We were home by early afternoon. I did a limited amount of sorting a few bits and spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing. A good way to spend a Sunday afternoon!