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Archive through April 22, 2007

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Apr. 2007 ~ Jun. 2007: Home and Garden (ARCHIVES): TVCH's Home & Life Organization (ARCHIVES): Archive through April 22, 2007 users admin

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Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 3:10 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
:-) Vee

The room is cleaned. Now I have a large bag going to the Good will and a few other things went to the basement. I know..clutter in the basement, but we have just purchased a camping trailer and I need to go through the crap in the basement to see what will go in there and then what I will get rid of...so it will go eventually lol

Happy Cleaning

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 7:21 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
My next few days are going to be devoted to real baby proofing. I'll be keeping my nephew a couple hours most mornings and all day a couple days a week. Since he'll be here on a regular basis I won't be able to keep him confined to just the living room, lol. I'm trying to remember everything ya do for that, but I'm sure I'll miss a few things!

The laundry room is probably the most neglected room in my house. I'll admit it, lol. No one ever sees it so it's not a priority. I think once my nephew leaves, I'll devote some time to it and follow Flylady's missions for this week.

Vacanick
Member

07-12-2004

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 7:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vacanick a private message Print Post    
Sorry about the flooded basement Vee! How are you going to get that taken care of??

My washer & dryer are in the garage, which I cleaned out last summer. So, hopefully, I'm off the hook for this chore. I really need to clean my kitchen cabinet doors .... I think I'll look for those microfiber cloths.

Hugs!

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 8:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
Well I got something cleaned today and I didn't have to lift a finger to get it done. It is a task I've found myself doing a lot more times than anyone should have to do - cleaning the street/curb. The street cleaner came by!

My washer and dryer are also in the garage and there is no way I'm tackling a garage cleaning job today. I try to keep the machines clean all the time and gripe at people who want to set things on top of them. That's a no-no. The cupboard above it could use a cleaning though, so I may do that.

Vee, how awful to be with a flooded basement. It is now raining here, again. We go so long without rain that any and all that comes to us is welcome.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 4:16 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vee a private message Print Post    
*Wednesday's Mission*

Hi everybody! Great to see that you're all still fluttering and haven't run out of ideas. :-)

Well, Vacanick and Urgrace, a flooded basement in Maine is not really as big a deal as it sounds. Let's just say that many many of us are in the same boat. Ha! (My contractor has a moat around his home and wades through cold water up to his knees every night and every morning. Yuck.) I have a sump pump that handles most of the load and my fingers are crossed that it'll continue without burning out. It comes on every five to ten seconds.

Here's a little diversion for you...*Brighten Your Home for Spring*

Happy Wednesday!

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 6:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
Vee, that would have been nice to add to the Tips and Hints Thread.

My Wednesday started with the usual things before heading out to the bowling alley and then lunch after. Since we had lunch way out on that side of town, I treated myself to another pedicure (notice the accent on cure). It really is, because I don't walk around with ingrown toenails anymore. Then I followed up with some much needed shopping.

The shopping also fit into today's mission, since I purchased a few new towels for the bathroom.

Hope your sump pump keeps on keeping on, Vee.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 3:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vee a private message Print Post    
*Thursday's Mission*

Ahhhh, Urgrace, the sump pump died. It pumped its little heart out for three days straight. At least the rain has stopped for now because there are no sump pumps to be had anywhere for any price.

Happy fluttering, all!

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 5:01 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
Hope the rain stays away Vee and you are able to locate another one soon.

I got rid of the clutter in the laundry room and I have kept the majority of my home decluttered and looking neat so far this week. About the only thing in my life that is not screwed up this week lol

Todays mission for me..well doing a bit of laundry and hanging it on the clothes line. I am also going to just stay home (was suppose to help out at mil's place cleaning all day - but with the week I have had and with my in-laws (or outlaws lol) I have decided to just stay home, avoid all situations - let my dh be there with the rest) - I am planning on working totally in my office today - I have filing from the first barn building, first fire, gst audit, 2nd barn building, 2nd barn fire and then filing that was out for forensic accountants/insurance etc., and then year end for 2006. Plus I have not input any information for this year into the computer - so I think I need a me day, and a office day (or week lol)



Vacanick
Member

07-12-2004

Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 5:10 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vacanick a private message Print Post    
Sorry about the pump Vee! I hope at least the rains are done.

For me, all week it's been 3rd grade homework. I'm lucky if I get the dishes washed and put away. lol! 2 pages of homework a night + reading takes up most of our time. This weekend I will tackle the kitchen cabinets ... I will!!!

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 8:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
Hey, somehow I got back on track. Today, after taking care of Kit's needs (he is not doing very good) and after dh came home, I tackled the dishes and started on the main bath. Funny thing is I had already taken care of the laundry room trash - put in a new bag, too! I have several errands to run, so the bathroom will have to wait to be finished later.

So sorry about the sump pump, Vee. I hope there are no rain showers heading your way for days.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 11:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Ack Vee, I'm sorry about the sump pump!

My house is being seriously neglected. I'm getting basics done (clean kitchen, picking up living room, laundry, etc.) but no time to do much else other than what has to be done.

We are decluttering my 76 year old, pack rat, aunts house. The sheer amount of stuff she had is unbeileable. I opened the door to the back room of the house the other day and immediately shut it in despair. We not only got rid of a full, large trash bin of stuff (we're talking the size you'd use if you were doing major home renovations and tearing out walls, floors and roof) over the last couple days, we tore out some carpeting, tore out the deck in the backyard and ripped the roof off her garage.

The guys are replacing the roof this weekend, the new deck will either be built this weekend or within a few weeks depending on how much time they have with work. Sis and I have to reorganize pretty much everything, replace silverware and dishes, buy some new bookcases and at least one file cabinet, and get her out of the house for a day so we (mostly me since sis is in the middle of a high risk pregnancy) can do some major spring cleaning type stuff. Eventually, we will be replacing most of the carpeting and furniture as well.

I've got boxes and boxes of her paperwork sitting on my kitchen table, her good silver set, plus most of her dishes (I didn't tell her but we decided to throw all the dishes away and get her a new set since we found her dishes hidden away in a room full of crap.)

I'm trying to not be totally overwhelmed and failing miserably. There's just so much going on between aunts declining health (both physical and mental,) mom having some problems of her own, the house being in the state it's in, and with Darren and my bil working, we're only getting to do a lot of this work when they get off work because we need them for the heavy lifting stuff. My sis is really having a hard time with this, she's under doctors orders to do no lifting, pushing, pulling, etc and feeling quite guilty that she can't do as much to help out, while we feel guilty that she's doing as much as she is. LOL, yesterday I took my youngest niece and made sis stay home to rest. Me and bil were patting ourselves on the back over getting her to stay home most of the day and just stay off her feet. When she showed up at aunts to pick up my niece she said she felt much better, had gotten some sleep, but was pretty grumpy with us that we hadn't let her do anything!

Prisonerno6
Member

08-31-2002

Friday, April 20, 2007 - 2:49 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Prisonerno6 a private message Print Post    
Whenever I hear about packrats I think of something a friend of my mother experienced. Her mother was a major packrat -- to the point of the ceiling sagging from the weight of everything in the attic. When the mother died, the daughter thought about hiring someone to just come in a clear everything out, but then she started to go through things...and started to find cash. Tucked in boxes, magazines, books -- even old girdles! She had to go through *everything* in that house by hand. When all was said and done, she found over $40,000 in cash.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Friday, April 20, 2007 - 4:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vee a private message Print Post    
*Friday's Mission*

Awww, you guys are so sweet. Apparently, the sump pump was just tired. After a few tender ministrations from the contractor (who I am finding more and more amazing), it kicked in again. Phew! The water was on the rise and making me very nervous.

Wargod, you are doing angel's work. Really. If you can just continue to do what must be done in your own home, you'll find that you are not so very behind at all. I'll be thinking of you all as you continue to get everything under control and in good working order at your aunt's place. Wouldn't it be wonderful to find what Prisonero6 described?

When I was a child, my mother took on this work for an elderly aunt with "hardening of the arteries" now known as Alzheimers. Auntie had wrapped every single thing she could find as a gift. I remember my sister and I unwrapping "gifts" for my mother all day long for several Saturdays in a row. My great-uncle was awfully glad to find the household silverware, dishes, towels, sheets,etc. Plenty of money, too.

Yesterday, I decided to clean out dishes that I don't use. I had a pile on the dining room table and asked my sis to come take a look since I didn't want to toss out anything that might have been hers. That got her motivated and she cleaned out a lot of hers and then we moved on to bowls and pie plates. We removed three boxes of stuff. One box we gave to a young friend moving into her own apartment...she was delighted. The other two are being donated to a yard sale for some mission project. Yay! I feel lighter today.

Urgrace, you continue to amaze me with all that you do.

Vacanick, just 15 minutes for your fluttering a night could make a world of difference. I do remember what a challenge homework is, though. I tried not to assign more than 20 minutes of the stuff when I was teaching elementary school and my school had a strict policy of no homework on weekends or school vacations.

Happy Friday, Happy Date Night, and Happy Weekend, too!

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Friday, April 20, 2007 - 8:10 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
Yay on the sump pump, Vee! Donating all your good clutter is even better than tossing it, too.

Wargod, I hope I don't die with all this decluttering I'm doing unfinished! Troube is my kids won't be finding any cash tucked in the piles.

Today I worked on the decor in the main bathroom. I've changed it from floral and bows to tropical fish and shells! Now if I can just get time to actually repair the walls and replace the old 60s tile, mirrors and such, I'll be a lot happier with it.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Friday, April 20, 2007 - 8:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
You guys are all doing such fabulous work!! Gold stars for everyone!

War, maybe you could let your sister go through paperwork, unless you really want that job, then she could just sit on the sofa and you could bring her boxes of stuff to sort. That way she would be resting but helping. Anyway, just remember "15 minutes at a time", take breaks so it isn't so overwhelming. I know how hard it is, I couldn't believe how much stuff my Mom had when we had to close her house! Darn I wish she had hidden money, then at least it would have been a treasure hunt.

Good decluttering to everyone! Have a great weekend.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Friday, April 20, 2007 - 10:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Prisoner, we are facing the same situation with the money, though nothing on that type of scale! We've already found some small stashes and have discussed with her that if we find a lot, it will either have to go to the bank or we'll have to get a larger safe. Going through paperwork last night, I pulled out a large manilla envelope that is full of jewelry. I have no idea if it's real or costume, but I'm gonna have to talk to her about that too. My aunt loves her jewelry and I find it kind of sad that I'm finding it in a box of paperwork thats all dated before 2002. She should have it somewhere she can get to it and wear it!

Dipo, my mom actually found the perfect job for sis this morning. She discovered boxes and boxes and boxes of old pictures, some going back to when my aunt was a little girl growing up. Sis called me this morning and asked me to pick up a couple of those photo organizer boxes and was so excited (she does scrapbooking.) When we get the house settled, I'm going to make some albums and sis will start the scrapbooking so we can get at least some of those pictures into something aunt can look at on a regular basis.

The weather has turned pretty bad today and we might get rain. Bil said as long as it doesn't rain they'll start on the garage roof. If it does though, they'll be in the house replacing the floor in the back bedroom (which will totally put them in my way, lol!)

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Friday, April 20, 2007 - 10:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
oooo, Wargod, that is perfect job! Plus maybe you can get relatives to identify all the people in the pictures. I can't tell you how many photos we have where none of us know who the people are, not even sure if they are relatives and we don't have many of our older relatives around to ask!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Friday, April 20, 2007 - 11:07 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Yup Dipo, that's what we were talking about too. My aunt has a brother and two sisters still living, and that's it of the older generation. They all live out of state and haven't seen each other in years, so having sis and aunt go through them and identify who is who is important. Last time we went through her house we stumbled upon a very rare find, a picture of my great grandparents, and all six of their children (my aunt and granny and their brothers and sisters) including the baby brother who died when he was just a few months old.

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Friday, April 20, 2007 - 1:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
Well that picture of the ggp and all 6 kids a treasure in itself, War! My brother is getting all of the old family pictures. He loves them and I'm happy he has them, but when he goes I have no idea who will get them. His son and only direct heir does not care about the family still alive let alone the ancesters.

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Saturday, April 21, 2007 - 4:49 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
today, my mission.

Going shopping with my friend hehe - well actually looking to purchase another behind the toilet cabinat...ours is just about falling apart and its is an eye sore.

This afternoon....it will be almost 70 here today..so it will be all outdoor stuff. I am hoping to take out our patio furniture etc., and put it back out on the deck etc. Anything to keep me outside will be great.

We have purchased a camper so when I get some time, I will start cleaning it out and then I can go through the crap in our basement and decide what to put in the trailer and what not to put into it and give away. Looking forward to my new home on wheels :-)

Have a great day/weekend all

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Sunday, April 22, 2007 - 10:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Update on my aunts house. We finally finished cleaning out the one back room and a small room that was built off of it (it was originally built as a large walk in closet but through the years has been used as storage for earthquake supplies, a nursery when my kids were little and staying with mom during the day, and most recently a junk room. We'll be building bookshelves in there at some point and turning it into a library.

The garage is totally cleaned out and the backyard cleaned up. We got totally lucky the other day (I think I mentioned this?) when we had the big pile of throw away stuff out back and some guys stopped to ask if they could take an old fridge because they recycle scrap stuff. Over the course of two days, they took six loads of stuff and then came back a couple times when we found something else they might be interested in. Yesterday my bil and our friend found all the equipment needed to open their own donut shop (no joke, my aunt had deep fryers, racks, ovens, a freaking sink) except that all of it had been sitting there about 20 years. Bil called up the recycle guys and they were busy, so he told them he'd sit it in the alley and they could pick it up Monday if it was still there...they understood. They pulled all of it out in the alley and not ten minutes later, another set of guys had pulled up and asked if they could take it, lol! The big trash bin, even with these people taking all this stuff, is completely full.

I got all of her paperwork sorted and am ready to shred probably 90% of it. The rest I put in files (she's got bank statements going back to 2000!) Sis and I picked up a file cabinet yesterday though that's sitting in my garage until we figure out where it's going in her house. I still have to polish all her silver, plus I have a box of dishes and another of silverware I found in the back room to do. I'm debating throwing it all out and buying her new silverware and plates.

Our friend who has been helping has been a true blessing. He's been able to be there to help when Darren and my bil are working. His wife, who has been mostly working while we are over there, has been able to come over a couple times to help out some and she's discovered the real joy that is my aunt. I keep joking that aunt is going to call me and say oh, Michelle stopped by to visit me today! Our friend says don't be surprised, your aunt is a hoot, lol.

It has brought a totally different situation to light. My mom lives with aunt because she's not able to care for herself and needs help with cooking, cleaning, meds, showering, etc. My sis and I normally stop by and visit once a twice a week and chat with her on the phone, but the last five or six weeks we'd gotten out of that because the kids were home from school and just getting busy with our own stuff. Our aunt mentioned to our friend yesterday that she's really enjoyed having us over this week because she hasn't seen much of us or the kids lately and she's been lonely. That's just not acceptable to me! Sis and I talked about it and yep, we can put more effort into going and visiting her. Even if all we have time to do is stop by and visit for 10 minutes, there's no reason we aren't there more often.

Anyways, today I'm kinda debating if I'm going over to do more work or not. Besides her silver and her dishes, I need to clean my own house up and seriously need to do laundry or my kids are going to school nekkid. At her house, I have to clean her bathroom out, we need to rip some shelving units out and install safety bars (she fell the other day) along the wall because her bathroom is too small for her walker to fit in. Also need to go through her kitchen and talk to mom about what she has as far as silverware and plates/bowls/cups go before I either throw out her dishes or buy new ones. I'm thinking these boxes of dishes had been sitting in the back room for several years and she probably won't miss anything at all!

LOL, I should mention too that while mom does basic cleaning around the house, aunt won't let her organize or throw stuff out because she swears mom is stealing from her. When sis and I go over, aunt is all sweetness and sunshine and has no problem with it!

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Sunday, April 22, 2007 - 1:10 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
Wow, Wargod, that is an amazing amount of work. I am so amazed. That is funny about your aunt thinking Mom steals, but you guys don't. LOL.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Sunday, April 22, 2007 - 2:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Hehe, well truthfully my aunt gives mom a hard time about everything. Aunt really hates the idea that she needs this much help and fusses and argues about it and mom, after six or seven years of this, stopped arguing back and just tells her this is what we're going to do and we're going to do it now (like, take a shower, eat this healthy meal, etc.) Sis and I take a different approach and ask her first, would you like us to do this or that, but we're not there 24/7 for her to fuss at either, lol.

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Sunday, April 22, 2007 - 3:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
War, if her silverware is silver don't throw it away. It is being sold around here in the antique stores for several dollars per piece.

A lot of people in our town call the junk shop/antique dealers to come over and buy the whole decluttered lot of stuff that you've hauled out. It makes everybody happy, because the owner doesn't have to cart it off and the dealer resells it for a profit. Those guys who picked up that load of 'donut shop' supplies are probably pinching themselves over their good fortune, as well as the recycle guys!

You are doing an amazing thing by helping so many people, War. Give yourself a big pat on the back.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Sunday, April 22, 2007 - 4:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Gracie, she has a set of real silver silverware (that she got when she got married.) I'm cleaning that up for her though she doesn't have the whole set, unfortunately. The case for it is pretty tore up and I need to get her a new one. I don't know how much they cost, but I'm thinking they might be pretty pricey? I'm not even sure I can find a case without the silverware already in it? I told my sister though if I have to I know I can make one for her. Aunt lost her husband 24 years ago after about 35 years of marriage, and when we found the silver, she cried so I know she's going to want it in her hutch.

The other silverware we found is just cheap kitchen stuff. When my bil and Darren redid her kitchen 7 or 8 years ago, they boxed pretty much everything up and she went shopping for new stuff. I'm not sure if this box is that old stuff from that remodel or if it is the stuff she bought afterwards and for some reason boxed up, but I know she has very little in her drawers now (I found 1 spoon and 3 forks, lol, along with just two plates.) I'm pretty cheap normally and wouldn't dream of throwing it out, but this stuff is pretty nasty and the thought of her eating off of it makes me feel icky.

LOL, exactly with the recycle guys. The one dude told us that they do this for two reasons, they are trying to help clean up the neighborhood and for beer money! I asked how much they get if the most they are going for is beer money, lol, and the guy said it was something like 3 cents a pound. My bil said he had considered recycling it when he saw how much there was, especially since we are putting in a new deck, garage roof, etc. But then he pointed out that we'd have had to rent a truck, it'd take a while to do it, and during the week he and Darren both only have a couple hours to put into working over there it just wasn't worth it.

My aunts always been one of those people who'd bend over backwards to help someone else out. When she needs our help, it's just natural to go running.