My Minimal Hoarding Life - The Balancing Act

I know I am not given more than I can handle, the problem is I should have handled it long ago and not waited, being lazy and not making up my mind, although I knew what I wanted all along and it was never so much junk.

And.....

To top off the one hoard I am also dealing with home, keeping it minimal as much as possible.

But! I got this and I know I will have this place clear and cleaned and ready for the next stage in its life.

Lets take a look at what I have been up to, since I mix two lives I will give you the link to my other life. Getting Off The Grid  

Sunday April 28th

 

At Home :

I had planned to work outside all day but when I walked into the pantry I knew this is what I needed to get done.

I cleaned off another shelf, I has a few boxed of food that was expired so that was tossed first and then a couple flavored coffee that had gotten old. I removed a few things that were stored in the plastic mayo jars and put that into glass jars I am reusing, for instance the coffee jars. Now I will send the plastic to the recycle bin.

I had began to clean out the office closet so I had things everywhere, I put what I want to keep back in, a little more organized.

I filled the car with all the stuff to go, one bag to the trash can and the rest to be donated and recycled. 

I mowed  half of the grass.

Monday - 29th Through Wednesday May 1st. 

I had to go to work and I did nothing  toward the clean up and clean out.

Thursday May 10th.

I cleaned out the one huge deep freezer a little more, what was good for the dogs to have they got, what needed to be trash canned I put in a plastic trash bag and placed it on the empty shelf till Friday.

Friday May 11th.

I loaded the car with what had to put in the trash can at the old home place, the freezer stuff I felt was not safe to be eaten by anyone or animal.

At the old home place :

 I placed that trash bag in the can and went inside, I knew I had a tub that had to be emptied, the books I wanted to keep but knew I couldn`t but was still having trouble tossing them. I did it! I tossed two tubs of books. They did smell like the basement and I know that smell would not allow me to be able to read them, much less the thought of those silverfish being inside them.

Tuesday May 14th.

Heading back to the old home place, I needed to make sure the trash can was emptied and not laying in the road. I took a worn out, falling apart blue tarp to start filling the trash can again. 

Wednesday May 15th. 

Did not work, had an all evening appointment.

The rest of the week sort of falls toward homestead/home working that I write about so.....

Monday May 20th.

Its Monday again and I am headed for the old home place. I have to get up the trash can and I will mow the grass again, hopefully before any rain moves in.

Weekly Have To`s

I have been so good at keeping the dishes washed, the laundry washed, dried and put away and keeping all the paperwork filed. No mess. I have vacuumed all the floors and swept. 

I have not dusted or completed the cleaning on the bathroom, just doing the toilets.

But I do think I am doing an awesome job so I will keep it up :)

How has your week been? Toss or donate anything? 

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry

My Minimal Hoarding Life - 2019 Resolution - April Check In

Wow! A month already gone but that is life, we have to make the best of the time we have because before you know it, time has slipped passed us. Don`t put off what we can do today till tomorrow.

I make four resolutions, or goals, to accomplish each year. Some years I make it with all of them, some years I do not. Usually two are easy and two are hard.

I make a word, or phrase, of how I plan to be for the year and this year I have chosen " Dream it, Do It." I chose this because I am making my dreams come true a little at a time, the time to get them finished is now, year 2019!

Here are my 2019 resolutions :

1 - Reduce Spending By Half

I do have to say that I did not spend much on myself, however, being stuck at the hospital I had to buy food, food at the hospital is extremely expensive.

I did restock peanut butter for a year and getting JIF for .35 a jar using a sale and coupons was worth it, to me, in the long run. I have cut back so much on buying food and using the stockpile more. 

75% accomplishment.

2 - Reduce Stuff By Half

Yes! I am on a roll, I have taken off more than half. I am still working on this but I am getting this done, a little at a time since I have a couple "make money" jobs too.

The old home place is where I made the most progress. I think I made two trips to the dump this month, and I know at least three trips to the donation bins. As well as giving a few things to people.

100% accomplished this month.

3 - Set Up Sunshine`s Homestead Creations Store

This one has taken the back burner for the moment, working a couple jobs and doing the massive clean out has taken any time I had, however, I am still selling online and I have made a couple new products.

100% fail, although everything I do now is more or less about this business.

4 -  Cut Out Sweets - Kick diabetes ass!

 100 % Failed! there is no excuse. I have used absolutely no self control.

So, that is how I am doing with my 2019 new year resolutions, how are you doing with yours?

By Andria Perry

My Minimal Hoarding Life - The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Here I am with another week of getting rid of the hoard. I am actually feeling accomplished.

I had sort of, in a way, stopped working on what mattered the most. The home itself, because of waiting for the section of flooring to be replaced in the kitchen and I went to the basement to get rid of trash down there. I got back to the home part although the floor is not finished, I can work in the other rooms. Yes, it was furnished, and no all that stuff is old and was not, in my opinion, good enough to keep.

As life is at the moment I am splitting my time from the old home place and my own home, and work as a caregiver.

However, I am making progress and keeping up my own home.

Saturday - April 20th.

I did little work inside here at my homestead then went out to plant tomatoes and make a small garden so I played in the dirt.

Sunday 21st.

While it is Easter Sunday I did not do any cooking, on the way to go eat out I removed more from this house, jars and more jars. I did add more to the trash from here to the old home place.

Back at home I cleaned the laundry room, taking the large rug up and shaking it outside before vacuuming it. I mopped the floor and wiped down the washer and dryer, applying a clean cloth over the top of the dryer.

I got the kitchen swept and mopped, and the counters wiped down and the dishes clean.

Monday 22nd.

I got the quilts and throws washed, dried and back in use.

Changed the sheets on one bed. and got those clean. Total of 2 full loads washed dried, folded and put away.

Wiped the lower cabinets down with warm soapy water.

Changed the curtains in the spare bedroom from white allowing full sun to block outs, to keep the house cooler.

Swept the kitchen after dinner dishes were washed.

Tuesday 23rd.

Back to the old home place/rental house.

I began to go through more of the stuff I had put in the front bedroom. I also pulled everything from the closet out. I have a couple tubs of books and holiday decor to get rid of.

I half filled the trash can and set things aside to donate.

I just worked a couple hours

Wednesday 24th.

I finished cleaning the closet, swept it out.

Next I cleaned out the back bedroom, there was not much left in there but I did pull out the rug and finished filling the trash can with old books.

I had and extra 3 trash bags full, I will take those to my sisters trash can.

I have a load ready for the dump and I took another load to donate.

Worked 3 1/2 hours and I have two rooms and the closet cleaned and ready to be painted. One room the floor will be replaced first.

Thursday 25th. 

Went to work as a caregiver.

Friday 26th.

Another super clearing and cleaning day.

First I took a load to the dump before they closed, all furniture that no one wanted.

I filled my sisters trash can with stuff that could not be donated or recycled.

I make another load to donate, more Christmas decorations, CD`s, yarn and cross stitch stuff. An entire tote of pillow cases, these were part of an inheritance and I do not need that many.

When all the hailing was done I swept and mopped the room that had all this stuff in it. I just have one chest left to go through, some stuff to deliver to someone else who wants it and this room is clear.

I worked several hours, most of that time was hauling stuff off.

Now that its Saturday the 27th of April I will rest from working on the rental/hoard and take care of the homestead, I have grass to mow.

How did your week go? Are you still seeking the minimal lifestyle? 

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry

My Minimal Hoarding Life - You Might Think "What A Nasty Hoarder!"

A friends hoard I cleaned up 2015

I know I would if I  was following a blogger like me, writing a real time "deal with the hoard," clean up life, what a mess, thinking oh that is nasty!

And you would be right. Big swallow from me along with a big deep sigh.

I also add "it was not all me."

But..... but....

It was and I will own it, why? I had the power to say no but I listened to what was called other peoples reason and that was " I might need that later."

Let me tell you now, later never came!

What came was rooms of rotten junk that was never used, that was "given" to me and it was already broken, people asking me to keep things for them and they never came back for them and they rotted, things I got when people died.... All a bunch of crap!

Don`t do as I did, learn to stand up and say No! And it doesnt have to be a rude no, just a no thank you, if they push just let them know you do not have room for anymore.

This past week really got to me, I wanted to get it all done and move onto the repairs and making it all pretty again, minimal and pretty, easy to clean. To put this vision in my head to work on the houses.

Trying to keep up the cleaning and mowing at two places is so hard, and work on top of that, you know the pay the bills and earn money work.

Here is a little of how my life went....

April 14, Sunday

I got busy here at home, with the yard, it had grown up over the week of running back and forth and with the rain and sun. I used the riding mow from 2 pm till 6 pm, I got the whole thing, fields and front, except the back yard inside the fenced in dog area that has to be push mowed.

Monday - 15th.

I did not do much except clean up the house, I had errands to get done. I wanted to mow the back late evening but the mower would not work. Big sigh.

Tuesday - 16th.

I loaded up the recyclables and took those off to the bin. I went to the old home place and tackled the grown up grass there, the side (where I used to have a garden) had not been mowed this year, it was grown up waist deep, so I mowed that, took me over 2 hours, I got the next little level up while I was at it. I worked so hard I could not go any further.

While I should have taken a load of junk to donate I was just to tired.

Wednesday - 17th.
 

I changed my bed sheets and  wash, dried, folded and put them away. Washed a load of dishes, by hand. I cleaned out the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet that contains food, I threw most of it out.

I loaded the car with recyclables, aluminum cans, to be sold on Thursday.

After working on the push mower, I push mowed the back yard and around the old green house, I applied a bundle of straw to try and retard grass growth. I trimmed shrubs back away from the sage bush.

Another hoard left behind for me to clean up

Thursday - 18th.

Since I was going into town I loaded the car the night before. I sold the aluminum cans ($6.60) on the way to the old home place.

Back at the old home place I finished mowing, this only took about 30 minutes to do the top level.

Next I filled the car with lamps, small tables, a small metal rack, plastic clothes hangers and a few bags of Christmas lights.

I pulled the trash can up to the door and I placed a few black trash bags in that was nothing but junk and not worthy of donation. I cleaned out the old dresser, everything went into the trash, this is now ready to be hauled off, donate or dump, doesnt matter to me, I am just done with it. I do not want a dresser or chest of drawers in this space.

Back at home I cooked dinner, changed bed sheets on another bed and washed a load, I left them in the drier over night. Bad thunderstorms came rolling in.

Art by Andria Perry

Friday - 19th.

Since I killed myself all week I decided to stay at home and sleep, slept 12 hours and then another 2 later in the day. Muscles relaxed and totally rested.

But..... I did stop by to put the trash can to the curb for Monday pick up while I was in town for diet cokes and a short appointment about work. While there, in the neighborhood, I also gave away three boxes of cake mix, a box of instant oats and a box of instant grits to a couple elderly ladies. So, I did make more progress by giving stuff away that I did not want, even though I was resting for the day.

My clothes, in my closet.

Saturday - 20th.

Its almost 3 pm and I have done little, I folded clothes and put them away, made my bed. 

Made breakfast for lunch.

The sun is peeking out and its still cold outside. I will clean house a little, go through more here at home, load up and donate at one of the little boxes. 

I am thinking of more rest so next week I can get back to the heavy duty stuff, I want to get this place cleared out of old junk, memories and ghosts. Time for new and fresh.

My kitchen,.

How did your week go? Are you still seeking the minimal lifestyle? 

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry