My Minimal Hoarding Life - Anything Counts

Ahh, the months of the holidays, Some like to do a special cleaning but sometimes the way life is just cleaning anything counts. 

We pull out more to have to dust but hey its the holidays! Right? I have learned to put other things in the empty boxes from where the decorations came so that its not piled upon each other. Just the Christmas items displayed for these few weeks.

Since I did not have a huge get together on Thanksgiving day and I spent the evening alone I decided to clean up the house. 

 What Got cleaned? :

I stripped Tony`s bed and got a load of laundry going.

I began in the living room and I vacuumed and dusted that room. Next was the connecting dining room, it got the same a good vacuuming and dusting. 

In the kitchen I cleaned up the dishes and whipped down all the counter tops, I swept and mopped the floors, I also dusted, swept and mopped the connecting breakfast nook.

Last thing I accomplished for this one evening was I filed all the paperwork and went through all the coupons and filed or threw them away.

Yesterday I got to my bedroom and I stripped my bed sheets, washed a load of clothes.

I was still tired from going to work on Friday I did not do nothing else, just kept up what I had already cleaned.

And we all know the daily washing the dishes (I hand wash) and its back down again to washing laundry a couple times a week and a couple loads each time but in the Winter with the pants, jeans, socks and long sleeve shirts seems I always have that extra load, its much easier in the Summer with the shorts and little t-shirts.

What is new? 

I cannot recall buying anything but I do seem to be getting rid of more around here but for the most part its trash.

For The month of November I only bought newspapers once for the coupons so I have even slowed down in that area as well.

The Plan :

Well, the plan that I wanted to accomplish did not make it, working outside, it seems like I had to work every single day and the hours were such that I had no daylight left when I got home. I am somewhat getting adjusted to the new Winter hours and I am learning to work outside in the day and clean after dark.

So, that is still the plan! I need to clean the garage and shed.

I had also planned to clean my closet, I did not but it has to be done sooner or later, I need long sleeve shirts.

At work, I was looking around the old homestead and there is nothing there of real value and I was thinking about where to take and give this stuff away, a place or to people? Just thinking about how much easier it would be to clean it up and get it painted.

Nowadays I have to look at life as "anything counts" when cleaning or getting rid of things, small or big.

How well are you doing during the holidays? Can you part with things? Have you asked for things? 

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

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My Minimal Hoarding Life - Am I Normal?

November 13, 2017

Minimal can be a struggle. Hoarding can be a struggle. Reaching that middle comfortable area is where I wanna be.

If you are embarrassed for anyone to see it, then its time to get rid of it or clean it.

I have felt this way for a while now. I am embarrassed about how the garage and shed looks, the wind has blown things over and some out into the rain ruining it.

The Weekend :

Saturday I began the long and slow process, I did have to add stuff but I also cleaned up a section, hoping that all snakes have went into hibernation. I am a long way from getting this area complete but I did start by taking a trunk filled with trash in bags to the office trash can, filled it to the max.

Sunday I did the normal cleaning around the house that included vacuuming all the rooms and wiping down the living room, not dusting but wiping it down with a wet cloth and then using a dry cloth. 

I did what I call a job not finished to my bathroom, I cleaned the sink and toilet but did bot tackle the shower. 

Washing clothing and washing sheets was the deal. I had a load of colors and a load of jeans, next was bed sheets and towels, I feel like I am always folding clothes and putting them away. I chose to use the dryer and not hang them out.

I did not buy coupons this week so not clipping and filing. I did file all the paperwork so the dining table is clear.

What is new? 

This week I bought myself a pair of jeans, I had too I am low on pants, I have several pair but one pair fits just right, if I am bloated any, can`t wear them. The other pair is straight leg and one pair drags the ground and needs hemmed. The new pair is looser but just right in length. 

I also bought a load of lumber, its seconds but that is okay, at times with the rentals I need a board to fix something and it does not have to be pretty because usually its not seen.

What Left The House? :

While I was working inside Tony finished the electric fence so all that stuff is not longer in the breakfast nook. 

Magazines are in the car ready to go to my sisters.

The Plan :

The plan for this week is to finish cleaning the house and clean out the closet, switch Summer clothes for Winter. And possibly getting rid of some of them.

Get another load in trash bags, cleaned up from the garage. 

If I can manage this little while still working I will be doing good.

Life can look messy even being minimal but with the right organizing tools, containers and cleaners you can have stuff and it look very nice on your home. 

How was your past week? Did you clean something or  toss something in the trash?

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry

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My Minimal Hoarding Life - Lazy Days Over?

November 5, 2017

That moment when life feels like Deja vu and you stop and think " I feel like I have already been within this moment in time." But you carry on and let that moment pass.

However, I do feel like some things have already happened before or that they happen for a reason.

I know I am overworked with not enough rest and with that being said I threw caution out with the wind and did something very stupid, I cut down poison oak vines, not just any but straight off the mother vine that is now as big as a small tree. 

A few days later I wake covered in a rash that did become giant blisters before the day was over. I treated it as I always do but it seemed that each day it got worst and worst, so I ended up at the clinic and on prescription medication. I was completely stopped from working outside and for the most part in public with wrapped itching arms, or full show of leaking blisters. 

AND....

This careless lack of good judgment caused me even more work, I have to back tack to everything I touched that whole day that I was clearing the small area in the backyard.

I wiped off every door knob and handle in the house with hot soapy water to begin with.

Next I took off the bed sheets and made sure that every time I wore an outfit it was washed. 

I also wiped down the inside if the car, just in case.

To The Normal Cleaning :

I have been battling laundry, especially this week, seems I get three loads done and I see another three waiting. But I have been dealing with this and doing well washing, drying and folding, plus putting them up, right away.

I had a day or so that I was so.... feeling bad with this rash I let the dishes go and Tony washed those :) but since then I have kept the dishes washed and put away. I have cleaned the microwave. 

I scrubbed the main bathroom, swept and mopped. I also changed the bathroom rug.

I have filed all the paperwork and went through the coupons, filed the ones I kept. This cleaned off the dining room table.

I have the recyclables ready in the car to be taken off tomorrow.

Last week I brought in eight house plants/ tree, I keep the mother plants and put the plants I plan to sell down in the new greenhouse. This makes the house feel so good because I am not cluttered up with plants all over the place. 

Outside : 

When I took all the plants down to the greenhouse I did a massive cleaning on the front deck, nothing left but the table and chairs and the grill. I also cleaned those two windows outside and the glass screen door.

I mowed the front field down and started on the back field. Cut down and cleaned off grown over shrubs in the back yard.

What is New? 

I did buy a new bathroom rug last week, an unplanned buy. It was $20, marked down to $5.80. Its also a purplish color so I can swap it out when the other one needs washing and hung out to dry.

Within the past few weeks I have bought new shoes, a pair of walking shoes and a pain of what are called riding boots.

What has left? 

Nothing. I have not gave away anything, well besides a bottle of lotion and some food items to my sister but nothing as part of bring one in and take one out. I will work on that this week.

In my own defense, I will say I am working two full time jobs and doing 98% of the homestead alone. Not to bad for a working sickly girl, huh? And a wonderful excuse. 

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

The 2017 Resolutions - Check In For October - What Did I Accomplish?

October 30, 2017

Now lets tale a look back at the month of October and see just what I did get done toward my resolutions for the year, remember I make two easy and two hard each year, sometimes I make them all but more than likely its three out of four.

This year I also picked a word for my year, what I wish to accomplish. My word for the year is : Satisfaction. I picked this word because I want to feel satisfied with everything I do in the year 2017.

My 2017 resolutions are :

1 - Buy Solar Panels and the accessories - Get off the grid

See I am not one to "just do it" and learn after the fact. I do my homework and I have to know the prices and if its doable for me. Where one year I dried laundry outside, just about every load, but this was the rainy year and there was no way to get this done like I did the year before, so I used more power. Plus I still have not decided to go all solar or solar feeding the power company my extra. I need to be careful about making the expensive decision, plus I still am not sure if I will move or not.

BUT..........

I did get the green house up and going. I used the plastic pipe and the super thick mil of plastic so this one is portable if I chose to move. 

What I did different was th size, my instructions called for a 10 x 12 foot but I can tell you now that was to small because I am also heating it with the sun, but I have not got that part done. I made it a 10 x 24, yes I doubled the length and when I add the heat source it will feel smaller.

Although I did not buy anything solar I still feel like I am moving forward so this month I will call a  100% success.

 2 - Write more- Finish the book and write another. Blog more for money

Nope, those books are still waiting, two half done and the other still mostly in my head.

But I have started to blog more. I, just this past week, am writing the "Cooking with Angie" blog again and I am linking it to "Learning to live free" blog. Why? Because I home can a lot of foods and some want to know how to make meals from those jars of food.

I have also began to put up a article on Virily, although I do not have much time to spend there I am slowly building my bank and will cash out sooner or later.

So I have to say I think I am improving on this goal. 75% is what I will go with this month.

3 - Lose 25 pounds and get back on a vegetarian diet

This is the one hard resolution I was talking about. I did drop around 10 pounds when I began in January but then I bounced up and down all year but never getting back up to the beginning weight number. 

However, I have gained so much muscle its unreal! Since I have been solo for 90% of this year on all the work I have been doing the work of a man, so I wonder if my fat went down and my muscle mass went up?

All my Winter clothes still fit and some of the tops are to big, so who knows? What I do know is that I wont lose 20 pounds in three months.

I do not know how to rate this one, maybe 50/50? 

4 - Learn to ask people for help

This resolution is the hardest one of all, I have always hated to be needy. People become mean if they think they have something you need, even if its just a ride and or to talk to about a problem.

I cannot say I asked for anything from anyone last month. Nothing comes to mind.

So this one is a fail 100% I am not cut out to ask for help, I am to dang independent or hard headed, one or the other. 

As I look back I did a little better this month, July was the month from hell and August has flew by. September was  an improvement. October was a huge shift and went well. If its Gods will November will be an awesome month for me and I will do something to improve each one of my yearly goals.

How about you? Have to checked in on what you wanted from life back at the beginning of the year?

For a look back at July click here : The month from Hell! 

For a look back at August click here : Time Flies!  

For a look back at September click here : Things Change 

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry

Getting Off The Grid - A Scattered Week

Fresh Kale

October 20, 2017

I usually call life like this past week bouncing but scattered suits it better because while I did not finish anything I did make a few accomplishments, when bouncing you do not see very much of anything.

I have began the bartering with a friend, greens for pecans. Although I would give her greens for nothing in return and I know she would for me, I still feel better to give something for what I get. I dropped off a medium size mess of greens and I will pick up pecans next week and if the greens are big enough take another mess of greens with me that day.

Progress  Around the Homestead :

unfinished greenhouse

I did not have to take the plastic off the greenhouse because the unexpected rain and wind of last Sunday night did that for me, so I straightened out the wet plastic and turned it the right way so that two pieces could be put up. Tony came down to the field and helped, a bit mouthy but I made do with the help. Although its not done yet its well on its way. 

I have a few odd and end shelves to put inside until I can make shelves. I still have to get the heat source bought. I will try to buy those cheaper if I can possibly get the man to go down on his prices. 

I did very little work on the back yard for the dogs, I left Harley tied to a chain stake and he escaped! Broke his collar and took off into the neighbors field. Tony got the truck and Roscoe hopped on the back as I got in the front, off to find Harley. We rode down the rode and not in sight through the waist high grass, so Tony heard him, I got out opened the tailgate for Roscoe and said " Go get Harley," I watched Roscoe go straight to him, I had to tote Harley across the field and Roscoe ran back home. This is why I will use the electric fence. This was the reason I did not get much accomplished in the back, chasing Harley the beagle.

I did get a few of the basil babies transplanted, this is for my in home use, the rest will be potted up and hopefully sold next year, if its Gods will.

What`s In The Garden :

This is just a repeat of last week, a little more okra and new greens.

And the lemons are turning yellow and I will soon use them, maybe I will make a sugar free lemon cheese pie. 

I must remember to check and see if I have Swiss chard aka beets coming up, I forgot all about them.

The Stock Pile :

This week I did not put anything from the garden into jars. However, I did put to use the carrots and potatoes that needed to be eaten or canned and I used the dry beans, making meals. 

I have canned meats, vegetables and fruits but not so many meals in a jar and that is what I need. That quick homemade soup or chili. 

I made 14 pints of chili, seven with pinto beans and hamburger and seven with red beans, to suit the taste of everyone in the house.

I also made a Seven pints vegetable soup loaded with vegetables so one pint will fill you up! 

Learning :

This week was a working week, for both jobs. The landlady job and the caregiver job. I did not learn much and I am waiting on the new mushroom book I ordered last week. 

How is life going on your homestead?

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

My Minimal Hoarding Life - 5 Days Later

October 17,2017

Now many of you think "What can anyone accomplish worth talking about in 5 days?"

And I am here to tell you its a lot. When you hoard and are trying to be  minimal everything is worth talking about. Even the smallest of cleaning jobs or the removal of a magazine.

The past year was not kind to me and I am now just picking up the pieces and putting life back together. Less worry there and more time for my life and home, my dreams and wishes.

The Cleaning :

Last week I tackled the office, the spare bedroom, the hall and one bathroom.

To read more click here : Back into that grove 

On Saturday I had to do a major kitchen clean up it was just terrible. I had worked at the make a living jobs and did the whole days working with the back of the house (office and bedroom, bath and hall) so I let the kitchen go except for washing dishes. I had food from the garden that needed to be prepared for the deep freezer besides cleaning. The living room and dining room were due to be vacuumed and dusted as well. I also needed to clean the lawn and the fields.

Since Tony went hunting on Saturday I began by cleaning the living room and the dining room because he is in that area most so I got it vacuumed, and dusted, put every thing back into its place that did not belong in the living room. I also filed all the paperwork on the dining room table, vacuumed and dusted that area.

The kitchen was next, I washed all the dishes and I began to slice and dice all the veggies for the freezer, got that out of the way. I wiped down all the counter tops and I swept the floors. I cleaned off the kitchen table, put thing back into their place, and wiped down those chairs and dusted the breakfast nook. I took out the trash. I did not mop.

Next I got to the laundry room. I had milk jugs filled with water that needed to go outside at the back door as well as a few recyclable items, those went to the garage. Why do I save water? Last winter I had a pipe freeze and bust, no water for three days but I used what little  I had in milk jugs to wash dishes and flus the toilet, so it saved me. I will hoard water!

So in two days, although split, I did manage to clean the house. 

On Sunday I went outside and I took care of the mowing. I picked up any trash that the wind blows into the yard, from God knows where, and I mowed for three hours. I also tackled one more section of the back grown over field, I still have about 1/3 of that area to get cleared. But Sunday I had help from Tony, he cleaned up one of his "dump" piles by burning the old throw away wood and he laid the metal aside to be taken off this coming Saturday. Although Tony is not able to do a lot right now I was proud to get that cleaned up and it was not a hard thing for him to do.

I feel accomplished with this massive clean up. 

Now its start over once again. Time to vacuum and dust my bedroom, clean the bathrooms and do the laundry. 

The Removal : 

I did not take anything out of the home within the past five days. I did not bring anything new in either, besides food.

How have you improved you life? 

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

My Minimal Hoarding Life - Back Into That Grove

October 12, 2017

I will say that life has not been kind to me this year but I cannot allow that to get in the way of what I need to do to keep up my own health and not just others.

I do not call people who hoard lazy although some laziness is my problem and I know some people say hoarding is a mental illness but I beg to differ, there are many stages of hoarding. Yes there are people who are mentally ill and hoard trash and feces and stack it up to the ceilings but I am not talking about that type of hoarding, I am talking about buying new stuff for yourself and not getting around to cleaning out the old and getting rid of that, This is how I hoard but never meaning to.

Since this was the year I had to take over everything, meaning all the work and heavy lifting, for the most part I have been just to tired to worry about cleaning out that closet. But now its October and winter is just around the corner I need to get things in order so I can relax a tiny bit ( if its God`s will) this winter. A plus is after doing everything I have built my body up with muscle and I can take on more than I could back in the spring.

So let`s see what I have been able to do to get this place in better shape.

Cleaning :

This fall has been killer on the allergies so I am making the effort to vacuum and dust more in my bedroom, for the longest I have been keeping the rooms that Tony live in cleaner due to the cancer and allowing my ares to go till later, then later never came.

And the office, I spend a few hours a day in the office and it was by far the dustiest room of the house, because no one came in here but me. Last Monday I cleaned the office from top to bottom, and the feel of the room is so much better, it feels happy.

Next I cleaned the spare bedroom/ stockpile room. I have cleaned this room more recently, just in case someone came over to stay the night, because of Tony being sick, I just about used all the stock except the home canned goods so that is what you see besides the bedroom suit. 

The hall and bathroom. I have been keeping these dusted and cleaned because this is one of Tony`s areas.

What I Got Rid Of :

For one I am tired of the recyclables, it seems they pile up by the back door waiting for me to get rid of them. I did. I loaded the car on Tuesday and took those to the local bin and cashed out the aluminum cans, got $7 and some change for those. 

I changed the toilet seat and the old one went to the trash at the office, but who keep old nasty toilet seats? Not me! but it had been sitting and waiting for me to change.

I had bought the dogs and the cat bags of the very expensive feed called Iams and they hated it! I stapled the top closed and sat it in the office, a side chair, with the thinking that " well if they get out of feed they might eat it" but I knew that would not happen, I took it to my sisters house so she could feed the stray dog that she has named, plus she has a cat but I am not sure it eats that kind, the dogs will love it if not.

Next I had a project of the greenhouse to erect and that stuff in the pantry floor, the fittings and rolls of plastic, It is now up and all of that is clear to walk now. 

I also got the outside flood lights in, another project done and those are not sitting on the counter awaiting to be installed.

I went through my underwear drawer and discarded a few pair of underwear and old socks.

What I Need To Do : 

In a around 10 days the local dump will have a free day to dump whatever you want to get rid of, I am being hopeful that I can get the help to take off a load of stuff left behind by tenants.

I need to also get a load from here and get rid of it, especially old metal stuff that does not rot.

I also "need" to clean out the shed and give that stuff away. I have some from an inheritance two years ago, almost three, and I just need to let go, its just junk to me and its not doing any good sitting. For the most part its glassware, you know pretty little knick knacks I no longer will sit around to collect dust, vases and kitchen dishes.

That is about it for the first 12 days of October. How are you dealing with life and your stuff?

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry