Tues/Weds/Thurs

Tuesday's declutter: I took out the garbage.

Wednesday's declutter: I changed the cat litter and threw the old out, recycled a newspaper that had no puzzle (grrr), and gave away two body butters that don't seem to agree with my chemistry.

Thursday's declutter: I shredded 16 papers at work.

Results: I spoke with the friend who wants me to do some work for her, and I'm going upstate this weekend to get started! Will probably work next weekend up there as well. I love that I get to go out of the city for a couple days. Miss the country when I'm here too long. My friend also gave me a referral for more work - I am going to call the lady tomorrow, have not really had time.

I hung out with friends Tuesday night, which was fun :) Then on Wednesday, I got a call on the apartment. The lady saw it today, and she liked it! I have begun her credit check - I'm sooooo relieved to make some progress on this. Hopefully I'll have a new tenant by next week or so. That's really all I need to get me out of my debt hole - having to pay half the mortgage out of pocket has made paying the other bills excessively difficult. With the apartment rented, it will be covered and that money can go toward other bills and my quality of life, haha!

Sunday and Monday

Forgot that I recycled a newspaper on Sunday.

Today's declutter: I threw away an out-of-ink pen.

I also called three credit cards to ask about hardship programs. I got reduced payments on two of them - for the third they actually referred me to a debt management company to come up with a plan. Well. I can figure out a plan on my own so that was not the most helpful idea. But these folks have an in with the bank so know who to contact to get a plan submitted. So it might be useful down the road.

Results: I got reduced payments on two credit cards!

I'm just hanging out today, finishing up Christmas presents and otherwise doing pretty much nothing other than those calls. :) Tomorrow I'll get some work done around the house. I'll be getting antsy by then, wanting to clean.

Oh! I also just got an email answering a query I made about a prize I won! It's getting processed now! Yay!

Christmas and Sunday

Friday: I cleaned up the place in anticipation of dinner with my boyfriend, and then went over to his place instead! So the dishes got done and the papers and TV tray and other clutter got put in the closet and drawers. I brought out candles and lit them and it looked really nice in here.

Saturday: I got up early and scanned all the purchases I'd made in the last couple weeks, so I was able to recycle three or four papers after that (had to hang on to the UPCs till I could scan).

I also gave people Christmas presents! One of them was a regift, something that I really appreciated but was unlikely to use. It was something the recipient loved, so that makes me happy and I feel it's a good way to honor the person who gave it to me as well. I also continued working on the handmade items for several people - they got IOUs along with another small gift each.

Sunday: I got up early today, and despite the forecast of a big storm, there was no snow yet, so I did the laundry! It's drying now on the rack and radiators, which makes the house smell really good.

Results: I Spent Christmas Eve with my guy, having a delicious dinner that included a mix of yukon gold and sweet potatoes that we both really liked and will make again! I spent Christmas morning with good friends, and received some really nice gifts - among them a beautiful pashmina, some wonderful soaps, and a donation in my name, which makes me happy cuz I didn't get to donate much this year. When I got home, my honey had left me a very sweet message that made me happy.

Today I had the enormous realization that happiness is the goal of everything we do. All the things I want in life, I want because I think I'll be happier with them. So if I could just be happy, I would have achieved the end result, and none of the stuff that I think is important would need to happen! It's not the first time I've realized this, but it struck me very strongly this time. Think about it - if one can be happy no matter the circumstances, one has pretty much mastered life. And I think that's the point at which everything I have ever wanted will come to me. When this revelation happened, I was focusing on my heart's desire, a dream that has felt less and less possible as the years pass, and it suddenly felt like a sure thing.

It's hard to put into words, but it was a huge thing to understand, and I've felt really good ever since. :)

Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday's declutter: I shredded papers at work but spaced on how many! It's either 13 or 20. Weird, I know.

Thursday's declutter: I shredded 40 papers at work.

Results: When I got to work Wednesday, I found a Christmas gift waiting for me from a co-worker! So nice of her. I also got unexpected free time Wednesday afternoon when my afternoon work appointment got canceled, so I used the time to get do a little gift shopping, and got myself some new gloves and a lunchbox! Then I went to spend the afternoon with my guy. When I got home, a Christmas card was waiting for me, with a gift card for Barnes & Noble inside!

Later that night I got a call on the apartment. The girl was going to see it this morning, and I'm waiting to hear how it went. I felt encouraged that she wanted to see it even though it's Christmas Eve.

Thursday morning I started knitting a gift on the way to work. Then after work, on my way to play D&D with friends, I found another gift at the grocery store, for the person I have the hardest time finding good gifts for, so that made me pretty happy. I got stuff for Christmas Eve dinner, and had fun playing the game.

When I got home after the game, my dad's Christmas card was waiting for me, with a check inside! And this morning I went to pick up a package that my sister sent me. I have such generous people in my life. I'm very lucky, and very grateful :)

Winter Solstice

Today's Declutter: I shredded 21 papers at work.

Results: What a crazy good day! I meditated first thing this morning, to a recording about relationships, and that plus Thomas Dolby on my iPod put me in an excellent frame of mind for having people be nice to me all day :) I got a lot done at work with minimal stress, I got paid, and I got some major good deals on groceries - most of the stuff I needed was on sale, and I mean SALE. I bought hamburger at a price I haven't seen in ten years!

When I got home I opened my email for the first time all day, and there was yet ANOTHER job referral! Looks like my off week is going to be occupied by some work days. That's OK with me, money is GOOOOOD! I was planning out how I'd really clean house and declutter during the week between the holidays, but making money is a very good way to spend it too! And there will still be mucho time to get the place in better shape.

I am on a major positive roll, and it feels great!

Sunday Addendum, and Monday

I forgot that on Sunday I took a postcard of pizza coupons down to the lobby.

Monday's Declutter: I took 13 bottles and cans to the store to get the deposit back.

Results: Things are moving and shaking in the money department! I spoke with a new client about working this week - will be starting Wednesday :) I also got another call on the apartment and set up an appointment for showing it today. I've since received another call, and am waiting to hear about the showing to see if I have an application to submit. I got my credit check service application in, so that won't be a problem.

I also listened to a replay of the most recent trading class that I'm subscribed to today, and did a trade based on that class. I made $20! First profitable trade in many months so I'm thrilled. It's a small win, but it's a win! I'm just going to go with the class ideas for now - my subscription runs out in January, unless the teacher cancels classes, so I've got to use them while I can. I plan on watching some old ones just to see what I can learn about charting, until I run out of time.

I even saw my boyfriend today :) Finally, when I got home from the store, a refund check was waiting for me in the mailbox, for an item I bought and returned! I have recycled the envelope.

It's been a very good day, after a very good weekend - things are definitely looking up!

Sunday

Today's Declutter: I did the dishes first thing this morning. Then after some goofing off, I cleaned the bathroom, and swept the whole apartment (except my room).

Results: I woke up to find an email work request! I'll be speaking with them tomorrow. I also got a call about my apartment. The interested party didn't make it to the appointment, but will try again tomorrow. So things are starting to move again!

Saturday

Today's declutter: I did dishes first thing this morning. I also took a coupon down to the lobby, took out the garbage, and threw dead flowers into the empty lot to become fertilizer.

Results: I continued catching up on the internet marketing webinars, and got a really good idea for an ebook! It's something that's needed and will help people, and I think it has a shot at being chosen for promotion by the people running the webinars! It's so nice to have ideas popping for me at last :)

Monday - Friday

Monday: I don't recall if I decluttered anything Monday. I worked, but stopped for my replacement knitting needles on the way, and took a walk part of the rest of the way. It was a nice brisk day for walking. When I got home I started knitting a sleeve for the sweater I'm making.

Tuesday: I shredded 25 pages at work. I also went to visit my friend and former boss, which was really nice.

Wednesday: Shredded 20 pages.

Thursday: Took a small food container to the lobby (it's hard to get the lid off), and shredded 16 pages at work.

Friday: I advertised my apartment for rent. It will be a relief to get that done. Too bad I picked the week before Christmas to do it - could take a little while :)

I also had to move some boxes to get into the closet, and the bottom of one fell out, so I looked into it, and found three or four notes to recycle, and about 30 photos and an envelope - shoot, I counted the photos but forgot how many there were!

Results: OMG, I got inspired today. FINALLY! I decided to catch up on internet marketing webinars cuz I'm so broke I need to try whatever I can reasonably do. In watching one I explored a website for outsourcing called fiverr.com, where you can find all kinds of services and items for $5! As I browsed through the ads and various categories, I realized I could do some of this stuff! I can write cute poems using people's names. I can also knit and sew and got inspired to think of things to do with that.

I ended up getting out a pile of fabric scraps that I've had forever, and started making a potholder out of fun fur! It looks kinda crappy now I've done some work on it, but I'll get it right and post an ad. I already posted an ad for the poems. I am just so happy that some ideas finally surfaced - I've felt ideas coming on for a long while but they finally popped! I'm going to use up fabric scraps and yarn remnants, and make money in the process!

Oh, I also was reminded today that I won a cash prize in this internet marketing challenge and have written to them asking about the check!

Finally, I found an old workbook in that broken box, that I got at a seminar on wealth. It's 90 days of mental conditioning for wealth, so I thought, what the heck, I'll do it again. I remember it working fairly well in the past. I have a copy of it on my computer that a friend emailed me, so I'm using that.

Sunday Final Post

Sunday wrap-up: I dusted most of the furniture, and vacuumed up some cat hair cuz my honey was coming to see me and he's allergic. I also put away all the clothes that were out, as well as some towels that I had piled on the dresser.

I also looked up sewing machine repair places - I think I'll go in to one and find out if I can get a replacement bobbin hook if I don't sell my machine.

Results: I got to see my honey! He asked me to cook for him, which I love to do, and then we watched a football game together. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon :)

Sunday Decluttering

OK, so far I have done the dishes, filed the bills I paid (mostly - gotta make a new file for one), and posted an ad on craigslist for my sewing machine, which needs service.

I found a sewing machine at Target for just $80! I want to get it so I can get some creative stuff going! That's what the knitting needles are for also - I started a sweater months ago and want to finish it. It's definitely an experiment. I'm trying intarsia knitting for multiple colors, and also have been knitting it in the round. I want to make the sleeves and then do a yoke if I can figure it out :) I started the ribbing with the wrong size needles so I'm now I'm stuck with that size for the neck and sleeve ribbing as well.

OK, what else? I am thinking about straightening and then dusting and sweeping the entire place. It really needs a good dusting. Oh! And I have microfiber cloths so, hurray! The dusting will be easy!

Sunday update

Michael's is going to replace my lost knitting needles! That's what I call customer service!

The Rest of the Week

It's gonna be a little sketchy cuz so much has happened this week and I don't remember all of it.

On Tuesday, I lost a glove at Target. Inadvertent declutter.

On Wednesday I forgot to take my shreddables to work. I had a massive headache but after working I got together with a friend I hadn't seen in a couple years, and we talked for hours! It was wonderful, and lo and behold, my headache was gone at the end of it :) She needs some help so I will likely be doing some work for her in the near future.

On Thursday I forgot my shreddables again. I went straight home after work and didn't do much that I recall.

On Friday I paid four bills and recycled the envelopes and inserts from two of them. I moved some money around and got a balance transfer to pay down another debt before I close all my accounts and go on hardship programs preparatory to determining my own debt repayment schedule. I have to open a new bank account soon because Chase is going to start charging an exorbitant fee and is making it impossible for me to avoid it. Not impossible for others, but for me it will be pretty much impossible. So I have to pay off my taxes before I close the account because it took them forever to get me on an auto-payment schedule and I won't be able to just switch them over. Hence the balance transfer.

I also had another inadvertent declutter in that a friend who wanted to be more dumped me as a friend. I was upset at first cuz he seemed so unreasonable - I told him I'm in a committed relationship, and he wanted me to date him anyway! I was not up for this, so he more or less accused me of leading him on, which I never did. I was interested at one point months ago, but decided against it because he couldn't answer a simple question about what he wanted from it. He disappeared for two months and then showed up still wanting this. When I told him my circumstances had changed, he basically blamed me for basically living my life in his absence. A little irrational, I thought.

It finally dawned on me that the poor guy must have been suffering from an extreme case of chemical attraction - the kind where you want someone so much you get a little nuts and pretty much scare the object of your attention off because they feel like you want to consume them. It feels really icky to be on the receiving end of that. And it feels AWFUL to want someone so much and not get anywhere, so I know what he's going through. It's a good thing that he doesn't want to be friends - he couldn't really be my friend with this going on anyway. His previous agreement to be friends was only in the hopes of something happening. It's always that way in these situations - I've had so many guys say they still wanted to be friends. One of them had used put-downs to try to convince me that I needed to be with him, and then said I should be his friend anyway! I asked him why he'd want to be friends with me if I was such a loser? That actually happened with TWO guys.

Anyhow, extreme chemical attraction = not a good place to go for romance! I learned that from PAX. Great company, really helpful in understanding the differences between men and women and how to make relationships better as a result. I highly recommend their workshops, and they have a free intro! Go here for more information: www.understandmen.com

On Saturday I deleted 24 emails. And I had yet ANOTHER inadvertent declutter. I bought knitting needles and they were lost before I got them home. I am hoping that either they will turn up at the apartment of the friends I hung out with before going home, or that the store - Michael's - will replace them since their cheap plastic bag is the reason I lost them - the package of needles actually slit the bag and fell out. There is a slit the exact size of the package. This is a seriously crappy bag and they are going to hear about it because that's $5 that is basically thrown away.

Today, though, I watched a video that elevated me to a state of feeling so good that the money troubles aren't bothering me, the knitting needles aren't bothering me, and the mess in my house isn't bothering me. I feel full of energy to get things done - especially weird because it's a rainy day and I usually just want to sleep on those days. I see the big picture and none of this little experiential stuff matters. I feel the power of who I am and there are no worries in that.

Results: I found a quarter and a penny last night and got a free ride home on the subway by someone who said he worked in the station (I'm not so sure about that now, he wasn't dressed like an MTA employee)! Also have been finding pennies almost daily this week. And of course I've had good times with friends this week :)

Time to do some work!

Tuesday

Today I unsubscribed from seven email lists and deleted 190 emails.

More Sunday, and Monday

The last stuff from Sunday: Three mail inserts and two envelopes.

Monday: I shredded 20 pages at work.

Results: Wow, on Monday I wanted to: Buy a book with a 33% off coupon; buy cat food with a 20% off coupon; get a few groceries. I was sure I'd have to make a stop on the way home, using an extra train fare, in order to accomplish the cat food part of these errands. But I checked online for the stores that had these deals, and lo and behold, there was a new, smaller version of Petco in the area I work in, a block away from Whole Foods! So all I had to do was call the bookstore and mini-Petco to find out if they had the items I wanted. They did, and I got all the shopping done in the hour after work, got on the train, and went straight home!

Then today I got a phone call from a friend I haven't talked to in awhile - it was a nice surprise and we might be able to get together tomorrow after work for a bit!

Finally, I just called one of my credit card companies to see about hardship programs. The lady wasn't able to tell me anything, but she did lower my interest rate by 4.25%! That will make a difference to my minimum payment for sure!

Side note about that call: When I got the initial customer service rep, I asked if I could speak to someone in the United States. It's my patriotic duty to support jobs in the US! Anyhow, she said yes and immediately transferred me. So if you are bummed about jobs going overseas, ask to speak to a rep in the US. It may be that the law requires that any US corporation must have some customer service reps in the US, I'm not sure. Whatever the case, you'll be supporting jobs in the US.

More Sunday

I'm still decluttering! Just recycled four more newspapers, a flyer, a menu, a prospectus, two brochures, a post-it, and a coupon. I did more filing, and threw away ten pieces of credit cards/ID cards and a piece of plastic-coated paper. Finally, I recycled three magazines and a piece of paper.

Sunday Continued

Since my other post, I've recycled two envelopes and three mail inserts, and taken out all the recycling and garbage. I've also done the filing - that's two more items off my list. And I've recycled five and a half (haha!) old newspapers.

I'm also working on paperwork for a claim to get money back from a Ponzi scheme I paid into. This paperwork is very detailed and I'm a little nervous that I won't fill it out properly. I don't what I expected - of course they want proof of my involvement in order to pay me. Anyway, I have some time to get it done but it will be good to do it as soon as possible.

I've also paid a bill and recycled the envelope and inserts.

Results: My bank is giving me $5 to go to paperless statements. So I did it. And I can't find any info whatsoever on the $5! Will have to call them tomorrow to see how long it takes to get it.

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday: I did not do a thing on Saturday. Except lose a glove at Target after going to the Farmers' Market.

Wait, I did declutter! I took my bag o' textiles to the Farmers' Market for recycling! THEN I did nothing.

Sunday: I've gone through another mag looking for recipes, and have recycled two postcards so far. I made a list last night of must-dos and have done one and a half of the items: Throwing away old food, and half of the dishes (there are a lot!). I feel energetic today so there will be more.

Thursday and Friday

Thursday's Declutter: I recycled a post-it and a postcard. Don't think I did anything else :)

Friday's Declutter: So far, I've recycled six postcards, three envelopes, five receipts, two menus, and 11 papers. I've also thrown away six pieces of credit/ID cards. I went through several old cooking magazines and found some recipes to rip out or copy, and two mags to take to the lobby. Finally, I'm taking two coupons to the lobby as well, when I go out to do laundry and mail a package. Oh, yeah, I paid two bills as well. They're going to the PO with me.

It's later and I did my laundry and took the stuff to the PO. I then recycled a mailer, letter, envelope, and insert from a free calendar I was going to return (it was sent as part of a donation campaign, and I felt bad) but couldn't since I opened it.

Results: I spoke with a friend yesterday who I'd been thinking of incessantly. I used to work for him and he is definitely one of the best bosses ever. It was SO NICE just to say hello - really made my day!

It also feels really good to get things done. :)

Oh, I also called the lawyer who handled my great-aunt's will to find out about advances on the inheritance. He called back to say none could be given till the period to submit a claim was over. I think that ends this month but I called back to verify it. If so, that's good news, cuz I don't think there have been any claims and that means I might be able to get some of the money and pay off some of my debts! That would be wonderful :)

Finally, I found 11 cents while I was out!

Tuesday/Wednesday

Tuesday's Declutter: I shredded 100 papers! Woo! Also took out the garbage.

Oh, I think I recycled a couple of store sale flyers on Sunday or Monday also, and I definitely recycled two newspapers on Sunday.

Wednesday's Declutter: I brought a few things to work to shred, and forgot to shred them! But that might be because while researching recycling programs for old office equipment, I discovered a recycling event that's happening Sunday, where a document shredding company will be offering FREE disposal of documents! So I'm thinking I'll take the remainder of my three reams of paper to that event - along with whatever else I can recycle that they will take. They take a lot of stuff! Maybe I'll use my shopping cart!

Anyway, so on Wednesday I almost recycled a post-it, haha :) I had it ready to recycle and then forgot until this morning. I did do most of the dishes - there's still some baked-on apple pie filling on my cookie sheet that is NOT coming off. The thing has been soaking for days. Eventually I'll get it off, but man!

Results: Yesterday was payday for two jobs. Oh, I also received my rent payment on Monday. And today is the beginning of four days off - just in the nick of time, I've been SO irritable! I'm not going ANYWHERE that requires the subway until Sunday.

The Rest of Thanksgiving Week

On Wednesday I totally forgot to take any shreddables to work with me, so none of that got done. I don't think I did much in the way of decluttering when I got home either.

Thursday: I went to Thanksgiving dinner at the home of some friends. It was amazing! Many courses, all delicious, and good company. It was just what I needed :)

Friday: I paid a couple of bills online, and recycled the envelope and inserts for one of them. The other doesn't come in the mail, so nothing to recycle. Also cleaned the catbox. I did a few hours of work (and got paid) and then went out for dinner and a trek to a musical singalong bar! Quite fun!

Saturday: Paid another bill and recycled the envelope. Then did dishes so I could make surprise pies for my friends'/neighbors' annual Thanksgiving get-together. Big party this year, really fun, and delicious food as always! I stayed up soooo late!

Sunday: I did NOTHING all day. Oh wait, I recycled three post-its. But I didn't take a shower or even put my contact lenses on. I watched a couple movies, took a nap during a football game, and went to bed early, where I developed a horrific case of heartburn that kept me awake long enough to make me extremely cranky about having to go to work Monday, haha! That was really weird - I think I've had heartburn once in my life before last night.

Monday: Today I forgot my shreddables again! But this morning I cleaned the catbox, and I did some dishes when I got home. Also weeded out the deadest roses to toss and mixed those that still have life with the alstromeria I got on sale last week. Work turned out to be very productive today - got a lot of loose ends taken care of.

Results: I was really cranky yesterday and today. I forgot how much I need alone time, and evidently when I don't get it it's really hard for me to deal with being crowded on the subway! So I was really irritated with every bump into my elbow, or leg pushing over into my seat. Luckily, my honey came back from Thanksgiving and came over for awhile, and that made me feel better cuz I was really missing him over the weekend.

Despite the cranky mood, I got a lot done at work today - surprising amounts of stuff. Unfortunately much of it was brand-new stuff that just became an issue today, but at least I crossed a couple things off my list, and should have time tomorrow for some others that are much-needed.

I also got a free coffee this morning just because they had to refill the milks! That was at Pret a Manger, a great place to eat - they use organic milk and chemical free meats, and free trade coffee, and the food is really good! They are always doing nice things for me there - it's a great place!

Finally, I am feeling so much happier! I guess if you can't have alone time, the next best thing is time with your sweetheart :) He also brought me some really good beer and dark chocolate that he knows I like.

Time for bed! Tomorrow is another busy day. This time I'm shredding stuff!

Monday/Tuesday

Monday's declutter: I shredded 22 pieces of paper at work. When I got home, I did the dishes and cleaned the catbox.

Tuesday's declutter: I recycled two envelopes and a post-it, paid a bill, and shredded 82 pieces of paper at work. And I've done the dishes and am about to clean the catbox.

Results: I got paid yesterday :) And there is so much to do at work that I am increasing my hours on the days I'm there, which will help me make ends meet a little more easily.

Sunday

Today I changed the cat litter, took out the garbage, and got those dishes washed.

Forgot that I put the laundry away Friday night. This doesn't always happen the day the wash gets done, so it counts :)

Results: My remote-work friend deposited my check into my account for me so I wouldn't have to wait for the mail :)

Saturday

Today I have deleted 15 emails, and emptied my email trash (334 previously deleted emails). I have lots more to do but am feeling curiously lazy after an excessively hectic week during which I felt under the weather the entire time. So it's quite possible the dishes will sit and the catbox will not get changed till tomorrow, to say nothing of the vast dust bunnies which need to be swept up. I can think of nothing other than how little I want to move.

Maybe I'll put the time to use in catching up on missed internet marketing webinars.

Thursday - Friday

Thursday's Declutter: I shredded 33 or 35 papers at work. It's 33 or 35 because two of the papers were more like leaflets, so they were double-size papers. So they were single papers, but as big as two. I couldn't decide.

Friday's Declutter: I did TWO LOADS of laundry this morning before going in to clean up the mess I left at work last night, haha! Seriously, I need to work more hours there cuz I can't keep up with the stuff that has to get done. This week my desk looked like a paper explosion had occurred, both the days I worked. I HAD to go in for three hours just to get it all filed away in preparation for Monday. The fun part of the chaos is that I've gotten a lot of stuff done.

Back to my decluttering. I shredded 16 papers today. I thought I'd put more than that in the folder. C'est la vie.

I thought there was more, but not yet I guess. Oh, wait, yes there is. I paid one bill and made a payment on another bill!

Tuesday/Wednesday

Tuesday: I had a surprise day off, so I spent another hour or so completing my Quicken updating. I got all the checking info entered through this week. I also recycled an envelope and receipt, and paid a bill and recycled the envelope and insert. Finally, I did the dishes.

Wednesday: I shredded 14 more papers. Could have done more but I was on my way out the door and felt funny about shredding my personal stuff at work. Since getting home I have cleaned the catbox and am waiting on the hot water to do the dishes.

I think I recycled two newspapers on Sunday or Monday also.

Monday

On Monday I shredded 33 more papers from the pile. Also paid two bills and recycled the envelopes and inserts.

Results: I'm getting work offers right and left the last couple weeks! It's amazing how it's feast or famine with work sometimes...

I had a great day at work, very chaotic and busy and I loved it! I had to crank out a bunch of stuff in a couple of hours, and I got it done :) It's hard sometimes to do ten things at once, but the feeling of getting stuff done is so satisfying!

Sunday

Woohoo! It's a gorgeous Indian summer day, and I went to buy slippers and found the exact style I wanted for TEN BUCKS! Not only that, but I decided to put my November expenses into Quicken so I'll have a spending record.

Once I did that, I updated all my cash expenditures since the last time I entered them - from July on - and as a result have recycled 67 receipts, two post-its, and two pieces of paper!

Next is updating checking. This takes longer cuz of deposit breakdowns and such. But I'm on a roll so I'm doing it!

The windows are wide open, the sun is shining in, and I feel good!

Addendum: Caught up on the checking account through August and recycled two more receipts.

Saturday Update

I have cleaned the catbox, deleted 278 emails, and washed the dishes. There were surprisingly few dishes - it looked worse than it was. Now I'm gonna go dirty some up again :)

Additional update: I recycled a post-it and a library receipt, and froze all the meat I got on sale before cooking. Then after cooking, I opened my mail, and recycled an envelope, a sales letter, five inserts, and a pet food sale postcard.

Results: Got a pet food sale coupon for one of the brands I use, YAY!

Friday/Saturday

I don't think I decluttered anything Friday. I did take the garbage out on my way to do some work for a new client. But after the busy and emotional week, I collapsed when I got home.

Today I slept in and have done nothing except an hour of remote work to finish up my friend's project. Going forward I'll be her bookkeeper :)

I need to do some things around the house today: Dishes, catbox, freezing the meat I bought the other day. But I'm still feeling a bit wiped out. I am going to have to employ the "owns my time" trick for these chores. It doesn't help that I have noxious paint fumes mixed with natural gas permeating my apartment for the last four days. My landlord clearly buys the cheapest paint he can find, and I suffer every time, but for some reason, it is much, much worse this time. I thought I had a gas leak and when Con Ed's repairman got here he told me the pilot lights draw the paint aldehydes to them, so that's why it's so gross in here. Whatever the reason, it's pretty sickening. I've had windows cracked open, but the only thing that seems to work is cooking - running the gas. Guess it clears it out.

Just more chaos to add to the other declutter chaos. I guess it's good in the end cuz it means I'm making progress :)

Time to get back to it.

Decluttering Gets Good

Thursday's declutter: I shredded 17 pages of the three-ream pile. Notice how the number of pages is shrinking daily, haha! I never intended to do 80 pages the first day, but 17 is a bit on the low side. My plan was about 30 pages each time. I think if I do 50 I'll get through it faster.

Results: This week in my life has been what decluttering is all about. From all I've read and the segments on hoarders I've seen on TV, clutter stems from emotional issues. Each story is different, but the basic, bottom-line issue seems to be one of security or feeling safe.

I've also found that when I reach a certain level of unclutteredness, I stop decluttering and stay at that level or let the clutter build up again. There's a comfort zone for me and going beyond it has been very tough. I think this is also common with clutterers. I have found on the few occasions that I've done massive decluttering, that things tend to get chaotic for a bit afterward, which brings me to this week.

This week I've been on the most intense emotional roller-coaster I've experienced in a long time. On Monday I saw my boyfriend for the first time since returning from my vacation. I had decided to break it off because things weren't moving forward and I had been feeling hopeless about my dreams. But when we talked about it, he said some things that made me realize just how much he loves me and how committed he is to me. I didn't get that right away - first I reconsidered breaking up, then freaked out about it and told him, and THEN I thought about what he had said and finally GOT IT.

So for the next two days, I was flying on a cloud. Nothing bothered me, I had great days at work, everything went according to plan, I had job offers coming in - I was in the zone. Then Wednesday he told me something I hadn't known about him that brought up all these feelings of being the loser that no one had ever wanted to marry. I was right back into the despair of dreams unfulfilled. I was also very upset that he hadn't mentioned it before because it was important. Oh, the places we go...

So I went into a spiral of intense hurt feelings, which were really mostly about being the one no one ever wanted to marry rather than about my guy not telling me this thing about his life. It's a place I haven't visited for awhile, and while there I discovered something had changed. In the past, when I went there I'd go into the despair of being unlovable, worthless, a loser, and anything else bad I could feel about myself. But this time, in the middle of crying over what a loser I was, I knew that I was NOT a loser. I knew I was NOT worthless. And I knew I AM lovable. I was able to feel this enormous hurt from years and years of zero self-esteem, while having self-esteem. For the first time in my life, I was hurt but not broken.

On Thursday I started to get my equilibrium back. I remembered two men who had been crazy about me when I was young, and thought they probably would have married me if I'd been in love with them. So I wasn't the loser no one wanted, I was just the loser who didn't want the ones who wanted me :) And, I still knew I wasn't a loser, I just have had commitment issues of my own. My guy told me more about his past, and said it was so long ago he hardly ever thinks about it.

So today, I'm just marveling at having my self-esteem back. It took a very long time, but it's amazing to be able to look at events in my past, feel the old feelings, and yet know it was not about me.

I credit this crazy, amazing week to the big paper declutter I did last weekend. The EFT exercises are a part of this as well - appropriately, this week involves feelings of hurt! Best of all, I don't need to hide from these feelings any more, so I bet I'll be able to get past my clutter comfort zone now! YAY!

Wednesday

Today I shredded 28 pages of the three-ream pile :)

Results: Holy cow. Well, first of all I forgot that last night I got a terrific one-day deal on hamburger at Whole Foods! I bought several pounds.

So today, I worked almost 5 hours and could have done more but had to race home to help my friend I've been working for. Anyway, the upshot is I'll be getting a large paycheck next week, much larger than I've gotten in months. Things are definitely picking up there!

I also talked with the second referral that I got this week, and I'm going to do two or three or four hours for her on Friday!

Finally, I'm getting a check from the friend for whom I'm doing the remote work. I should get paid on Monday for my other job, so I'll have plenty of cash for all the bills that are due next week :)

I also felt really really good all day again. Then tonight I found out something that threw me for a big loop, but I called my sister and freaked out on her shoulder, and I feel better now. I want to get back to that good-feeling place as fast as possible, because everything just flows when I'm in that space. Goodnight!

Tuesday Night

Today I shredded 80 pieces of paper! I didn't know it was that much!

When I got home I did the chores I had written down this morning - I am saying they own my time instead of calling them chores (thank you, Lisa Nichols and Lisa Garr!). I cleaned the catbox, scanned my purchases for the previous week and transmitted them (I'm in the Nielsen program), and did the dishes. Then I attempted to duplicate the yummy sample of pasta bolognese I had at the grocery store. It came out good, not quite the same, but still good!

Results: Great day at work! I got another job referral today. And I had a meeting about a job one day a week. My cash flow is looking up!

OH! I got a free product at Whole Foods cuz the barcode wasn't scanning! That's the second time that's happened - love it!

Best of all, I just feel GOOD! Everything is flowing well, I'm happy, life is great :)

I Forgot! And Tuesday Morning

I totally forgot about this, and I think it happened Saturday. I took a catalog and sale flyer with coupons down to the lobby.

Today I am taking shreddables to work. Just a few, don't want to overload any shredders :)

Results: My sweetheart brought me roses last night! We had a talk about things that had been on my mind, and at the end of the evening when I was lying in bed thinking about him, I could feel how much he loves me. It is wonderful to be able to see that you are deeply loved. He wants to give so much to me. I feel grateful.

In other news, I have a meeting about work this evening! Hopefully I'll be able to get started this week. This is another recommendation from my wonderful colleague Debbie, who has gotten me so much work this year, and for whom I'm very grateful as well!

Gotta go!

Monday Continued

So I realized that instead of doing laundry, I could simply iron the 15 shirts that had been sitting on the ironing board for a month or more, and I'd have stuff to wear. So I did :) It was really only 13 shirts and a light cover-up. But it's done :)

In addition, I recycled 14 papers, two brochures, 10 post-its, an envelope, and two receipts. And I'm putting 26 papers/post-its in a folder for the work I'm doing for my friend, and notes for my webinars and stock classes in folders. Finally, I have put all my bills in a pretty box so they look friendly :)

Interestingly, one of the post-its I recycled had a note about my recycling 45 receipts and a piece of paper. I have no idea when this happened or if I noted it down, so I'm doing it now!

Monday

I started early this morning and set up a Facebook business page tab that I meant to do yesterday. Take a look! http://on.fb.me/FBMake4K

So far, I have decluttered 19 emails. Today I plan to clean up the paper mess on my table. It is deceptively messy, but really will entail very little work - tossing about 50 post-its about sums it up :)

Also will have to do laundry. Not really liking this as it's rainy and sleety out. But I have to do it or there will be no clean clothes tomorrow. And I'll feel better having accomplished it.

Sunday

Today I had a lot of plans and by 3pm I was so sleepy that some of them didn't get done. But a bunch still did:

I took two dead plants out to the empty yard next door, and threw out the garbage. Also picked up some stuff at the store, and did dishes.

Results: I used my FREE MOVIE CARD that my brother sent me! Got to see "Let Me In." The acting is brilliant. Story is slow but good - a little gory - not at all a horror story, more about two lonely kids. Very moving and deeply unsatisfying. Which is actually a good thing in this case :)

Saturday, and More

I forgot that I also recycled a paper bag on Thursday.

And, last night I recycled one more newspaper, making the total for the night 28.

Today: I decided to go through the boxes of papers in my closet, cuz I knew I was keeping old bills and such that I didn't need anymore. After going through three boxes, I have about three reams of old bills and bank statements to shred. I also went through a couple of the bill folders in my file cabinet and took out some old stuff, and went through my user manuals and warranties to see what was expired.

Apart from the stuff to shred, I recycled: 72 info booklets, 24 envelopes, 202 pieces of paper, 5 prospectuses (which are thick booklets and account for probably another 150 pieces of paper), 10 pieces of cardboard, 2 small boxes, and 1 receipt. It took about three and a half hours. I took the bag of paper to the recycling bin, then recycled another envelope and insert after checking the mail, caught up on the filing, and recycled two more envelopes and inserts, and a voting brochure I just saw as I typed this. Plus another envelope!

Results: I feel like I accomplished something. By putting all these old files in the shred pile, I was able to put the old credit card statements, and my 2008 taxes, in the box that held the old files. There is still room, too, for when I need to put away 2009 taxes. The place is still far from done, but the paper is reduced to post-its scattered all over my table. Most of them have to do with work I'm doing for a friend, so a folder will take care of them.

Other results: I went to the Farmers' Market this morning and while I didn't find much of what I wanted to buy, there was a special FREE clambake going on, so I got in line and had some delicious mussels and clams, and even shot a raw clam! My, that was a yummy breakfast!

I also decided I'd buy a bottle of wine from the Finger Lakes wine booth, because that book I'm reading is in part about enjoying your life while also being responsible for your debt, and I realized that my life has been very low on enjoyment in recent years. I've been so focused on just getting the bills paid that I haven't saved anything or spent any money on entertainment or decor or much of ANYTHING. I've been living a very, very deprived life and it's time for that to change. I have to do it within my income, of course, which is going to mean closing credit accounts and negotiating significantly lower payments for awhile, but I can do that.

So tomorrow I am going to make use of my free movie card and go see something fun!

This Week

Monday: I got home and did some work for my friend. Oh, and cleaned the catbox.

Tuesday: I did more work for my friend after getting home from work.

Wednesday: I did dishes, cleaned the catbox, cleaned the toilet, and got the garbage ready to go out. Also recycled a box.

Thursday: Took the garbage out on the way to work. Also recycled some papers, I don't remember exactly what.

Friday: Declutter bonanza! I paid three bills and recycled the envelopes and inserts. Later, I went through old bills to see about getting rid of them. To shred: Old storage bills and many old balance transfer offers from credit cards. Recycled: 12 envelopes, 2 post-its, 1 program, 20 pieces of paper, 1 price list, 1 flyer, 32 brochures/info pamphlets, 1 receipt, 27 newspapers, and 1 cardboard CD sleeve. The pile is undented but the couch and table are newspaper-free. I am going to have to work at this awhile :)

Results: I got a book at the library that I put on hold so long ago I'd forgotten about it. It's about getting out of debt and I am thinking I'm going to follow the program. It requires closing all one's accounts, but if I do that I can get on several hardship programs and get my payments reduced. On the other hand, the book recommends creating your own payment schedule after examining your expenses to see what you can actually afford without sacrificing quality of life. It can be a drastically lower amount, but usually holds up in court if you're paying as much as you can. It beats bankruptcy for me, since I do want to pay all my creditors, however long it takes. But what happens with this system is people start to find their incomes increasing. I think it's from Debtors' Anonymous. Pretty cool :)

Oh, yeah, I also have been finding pennies every day since I got back from my vacation, and several dimes as well - today it was 22c altogether! It's really fun to find money :)

Finally, Monday was free pizza night at the gym, and yesterday I got an email from my bookkeeping friend, referring me to another potential job! So the money crunch may be abating at last.

Weekend

I was at my folks' place this weekend, so no declutters per se, but I did get my empty unit clean with their and my sister's help. Only took two hours! My tenant in the other unit also did some work on the door jamb, which was making the door stick. So those issues are solved. The inspection didn't happen because the electric was turned off and there was no way to know when it would be back on. But it will get done soon.

I also got some advice on how to declutter my paper - my mom is VERY organized and I'm going to start with what she suggested! It was a wonderful mini-vacation: I got to see my parents, sister, and niece, and my dad drove down for a day as well. Also got to sing a Beatles song with my sis and a family friend who I hadn't yet met, and enjoyed Halloween with my sister and niece :) My mom even gave me a haircut! I came home feeling good and even ready to get back in the gym!

Tuesday - Thursday

Tuesday: I went to the laundromat and came home to do the dishes while the wash was going. That's what I call efficient!

Wednesday: I don't know if I decluttered anything - maybe some cat food cans went in the recycling. Did dishes too.

Thursday: I recycled a post-it and a notepaper. Also did dishes and swept up the cat area after cleaning the catbox. I put the laundry away, and put an old sock in the recycling bag - it had been used for a rag.

Sunday/Monday

On Sunday I put away the dry laundry and put two sheets in a bag to take to the textile recycling booth at the Farmer's Market. And I sorted out another load of laundry. I was too tired again to do much else.

Today I woke feeling MUCH more rested. I have paid four bills, recycling the envelopes and inserts from three of them (the other is online), and also recycled two inserts from an account statement and 24 post-its! Also printed a bunch of statements I needed.

Results: I got a great deal on an airline ticket over the weekend. Am taking a mini-vacation to work on my house and hopefully give my dad a birthday surprise visit :) I also got the inspection on the place set up to take place the day I arrive, which is awesome! I am excited to get out of town for a few days.

Friday/Saturday

On Friday I slept in till 11:30 to begin the weekend of rejuvenation. I also drank lemonade with camu in it for energy. I think it helps. I'm trying it again Sunday to see.

Made soup and Listened to another webinar on Friday afternoon, and got the garbage ready to go out and a load of laundry ready for Saturday. I don't think I actually decluttered anything, just had lots of downtime.

On Saturday I did a lot: Slept in till 12:20! and then got to work right away cuz the cat decided to take a nap in the filthy catbox cover - I'd left it off cuz the litter was so pungent I was afraid the cat would choke on it - so I had to give her a bath. Then I cleaned the catbox cover and changed the litter. After a shower and a little goofing off, I took out the garbage, did laundry, and bought ink (using my Staples rewards for a little money off), then came home and put the laundry on the roof (I have a rack) to dry while there was still a little sun, took out the recycling, uprooted my tomato plants and tossed in the empty lot, took pics of a couple of things to sell on craigslist, did dishes, and ate soup. Finally, I cleaned the bathroom sink.

I was really tired again after this little bit of work. It's so weird for me to be this tired. I used to be a little whirlwind, always bouncing off the walls with energy. I haven't been that energetic for a long time, but this is a new level of tired. I'm taking more vitamins and getting more sleep, eating more greens and drinking more water, and generally hoping the energy comes back a bit soon. I am convinced, though, that it has to do with the EFT exercises I'm doing daily. I am releasing so much emotion that I didn't really think was still there, and I think that's just wearing me out. It'll be over in another month! and the benefits will outweigh the temporary inconvenience of dragging myself around. :)

Tuesday - Thursday

The last couple days have been a blur. I've been so exhausted at the end of the work day that it's just silly. I know I recycled some papers and things, but I don't remember what they were.

On Tuesday after work, however, I tried this trick I learned on a teleclass from Lisa Nichols. She schedules time for certain tasks and then tells herself that task "owns" that time. So I made a list of things to do when I got home that night, cuz I didn't know exactly what time it would be. It included catching up on some stuff I'd put off, but also included the dishes and catbox. And I did them all before doing anything else! It was good - I think I can make it a regular thing.

I did throw out some rotting grapes on Tuesday or Wednesday. And I cleaned the catbox again on Wednesday and will clean it tonight. Finally, I paid a bill today.

Anyway, this weekend I have big plans for getting rid of some stuff or at least some dirt. First I'm going to get a LOT of sleep.

Weekend Decluttering

What a weekend! I know I decluttered some stuff, but I was busy doing a 3-day online business webinar series and I don't remember anything other than that! I think I recycled a few things: A paper towel roll, a tea box, and maybe even a regular box. I definitely took a book down to the lobby - a dictionary, which is STILL sitting there. It's a pretty poor dictionary, so maybe no one wants it for that reason. Also the binding broke so pages are loose, haha! Oh, I also decluttered a friendship that blew up out of nowhere. It served a purpose but it's OK that I get to move on.

Then yesterday I took out garbage and returned a book to the library - overdue because I was a space case last week and didn't take it back on my day off, grrr! I also paid a bill and recorded an auto-pay on another bill, and recycled their envelopes and inserts. And I decluttered major anger with the EFT.

Results: Majorly cool! The webinar was so awesome. They taught us what we needed to know to make $100 in 3 days. I didn't make $100, but I didn't promote it as heavily as I might have. I made just under $20! I am very excited about that because I really doubted that I'd make anything. I have had such negative beliefs about money that I just thought nothing would ever work for me. But evidently my beliefs are changing cuz this worked and it's duplicatable and easy to promote. I had to take a break cuz I was so fried after Sunday, but I'll get back to it and continue to promote it and watch as people find the page. In any case, I have two cool business pages on Facebook now!

I forgot to mention besides that on...Tuesday, I think, I found a subway card with 20c left on it! Also found some pennies but the 20c was very cool! I've been finding pennies this week too, two today and a couple yesterday or Friday. AND, I got asked if I had time for another job today, which I do, and need! And when I got home there was a letter from the Dept of Labor about a job opening that fits my skills. It's already been filled apparently, but it was full-time and I can't do that anyway. I was just curious as to the salary.

Finally, last night I noticed my near vision was better! And my mood has improved drastically the last couple days (it's been very up and down from the EFT) since releasing that old anger. Today I was able to keep myself on an even keel and even feel better than that by playing an ABC game where I think of all the uplifting words I can for each letter. I'm exhausted from a busy day at work, but I feel good and that's the main thing!

OH YEAH! Best thing of all! I came home tonight to heat! Yes, I no longer have to deal with the torture of a 60-degree apartment! Only had to freeze for four days, AND my landlord got a violation notice from the city, which showed up this morning to take the temp in my apartment! I am sorry for him, actually - he's been really nice to me lately, actually called me back Friday when I couldn't leave a message about the heat. He didn't DO anything that he said he would, but I'm starting to think he may just be overwhelmed and not a jerk after all. Whatever it is, I GOT HEAT!

Friday

Today I recycled an expired coupon and sticky note, and paid a bill and recycled the envelope and insert.

This Week

I forgot that I also took out garbage on Monday en route to the laundromat.

Tuesday: I paid a bill and recycled the envelope and insert. Also recycled the envelope and insert of another bill that I was going to pay but had to wait on till a deposit cleared. I made crock-pot roast overnight too.

Wednesday: I invited my guy over for dinner, and by the time he accepted I was lying on the couch exhausted from the occasional hormonal exhaustion that hits every couple years. But despite the disreputable state of my apartment I told him to come over anyway. I figured I could lay there a little while longer and then try to clean up a bit. The fatigue passed off and I got up and put the clothes in my room away. Then - this is not necessarily in order - I cleaned the toilet and catbox, put the clean laundry away, swept the living room and entry, bathroom, cat area, and kitchen, and did most of the dishes. The place actually looked and felt much better and it really didn't take that long.

Oh, yeah, I also shredded 10 old bank statements and such at work.

Thursday: I paid that bill. But I don't think I recycled anything - oh, maybe a plastic container for some candy I bought. I've been recycling them lately. But I did change my sheets and put my heating pad on my bed - just in time, it is much colder this morning than it's been yet this fall, in the upper 40s.

Results: I have gotten some ideas for things I can promote online through this webinar series I'm learning from. Had a nice call on Wednesday with the gal who's running that show and she got the brainstorming started.

Sunday, Monday

Thought a little twist on the Mamas & Papas was in order today :)

Sunday's declutter: Had to think about this one. I paid a bill and recycled the envelope. I also recycled another envelope. I felt like I did more but nope. Oh, yes there was, I cleaned the catbox.

Monday's declutter: I did laundry and swept part of the living room. Also swept the hallway and the area just inside my bedroom door. And I'm in the process of making black bean and ham soup. It's really not much soup when I'm done with it - I leave very little liquid. It's GOOOOOD, but I screwed up and starting cooking the soup without first cooking the beans, so had to stop and try to separate the beans from everything else in the soup. Not so easy. It will be interesting to see what I get!

Results: I had a major mood swing from good yesterday to bad today, but then I snapped out of it with this radical thought: What if I could be happy no matter what was happening?

Not really radical since I've read it a hundred times and have thought it before, but when you're in the dumps and it comes into your head, it feels radical. It shocks you out of the dumps and into a hopeful feeling. I felt like a loser today, like a failure at life, and then this thought pops into my head and I remembered that the only reason we go after anything in life is because we think we'll be happier in the accomplishment of it. So if I start with being happy, it takes all the sting away from failure or lack. It was pretty cool.

Friday and Saturday

Friday's declutter: I recycled a priority mail envelope, and paid a bill and recycled the envelope and insert. I did dishes and listened to a webinar about making money on the internet. I'm listening to them every week and there seems to be some potential there that I might be able to put to use.

Saturday's declutter: I recycled four newspapers and a bag of clothing and textiles, which I took to the farmers' market. It contained three wearable shirts, a wearable tank top, an old bra, my torn up slippers, an old pair of underwear, and 11 rags. I was excited to find this booth earlier this summer because it is so hard for me to throw away old shoes, for example, and this way I know they are being recycled. And usable clothing is being used. And they accept rags and old sheets and anything that's fabric, really. I've known about textile recycling for years, but didn't know how to get my stuff to the recyclers. So I was very pleased to find out about this group.

Results: Mixed bag this week. I have done several bad trades over the summer and did another one on Friday. I've come to the conclusion that I have a comfort zone for success with money and start sabotaging myself whenever I get too much success. So many things happened this summer with money that I am really seeing it as being stuck in an income zone. I grew up poor, and despite considerable skills and earning power, I continue to struggle for money. It's something I'm working on with the EFT exercises. I am interested to see how things change around me as I let go of my beliefs about money. I look around me and notice that there are people around me also struggling with lack of money. It's not a coincidence - we congregate with those who are most like us in terms of belief. And if we stay around people with different beliefs, one or the other has to shift for the relationship to continue. I have seen my unwitting influence on someone who is used to having much more money than I am, and I have also seen the influence of another who is always broke, on me - not that it was a leap for me to go there. I spent a lot of my life being constantly broke and I'm only now realizing now how very little it takes to get to that point again. It's a good thing to notice. Can't do anything about what you don't know. I think it is starting to work, though, because along with my usual pennies on the ground, I found a dollar bill yesterday!

As for the vision EFT, I am moving lots of emotions from old incidents of fear and guilt. It's really cool. My eyesight is not yet vastly improved, but the health of my eyes is better. I have had a problem with dry eyes for several years, and since the day I started this process they have felt less dry. That alone is worth the price of admission (the price of the program)! My eyes no longer feel as though they've been in contact with sandpaper by the end of the day. For me, this is a major thing. I'm so grateful that I got this program. :)

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday

I have an addition for Monday: I took out a couple bags of garbage.

Tuesday: I took two books down to the lobby. Also recycled a shopping bag, a shopping list, a sale flyer, and the wrapper from FLOWERS MY HONEY GAVE ME! I didn't even ask, he surprised me :) I also cleaned the catbox.

Wednesday: Took eight old bank statements to work and shredded them. When I got home I roasted a chicken and worked for a friend until after midnight.

Thursday: Today I...just recycled a post-it and postcard (after ripping off the very tempting coupon).

Results: I had a long (for me) workday on Wednesday, which will translate into a nice paycheck in two weeks. I'm hoping this means things are picking up and I'll be putting in a few more hours each month - this year I've been down to about two hours a week at that job.

I've been continuing with EFT daily and letting go of more stuff. I'm super tired this week, and have felt stressed by the number of things I need to get done. I did have energy Wednesday morning before work, but by the time I got home I was wiped. Same thing today only no energy to start with, haha! Can't help thinking this is more release, though I'm sure my getting to bed late two nights in a row has had an effect :) Work doesn't normally take it out of me this much. A sleep day may be in order on Sunday.

Generally, though, I'm feeling good. The usual irritations are still there, and though I'm still getting just as irritated by them, I'm not holding on to them as long. It's been a lot easier to shift back into a more positive mode. Yay!

Saturday/Sunday/Monday

This past Saturday I went to a workshop that I had been looking forward to for some time and it did not disappoint! I did some mental decluttering there which I think is going to make a big difference in my happiness. I don't think I did any physical decluttering, but that's OK cuz really the mental stuff is what's responsible for the physical clutter, so the more of that I get resolved the better I'll be at ditching clutter.

On Sunday I did a lot more mental decluttering, working with EFT and sort of brainstorming. Got some good ideas for things. One of those things relates to an internet marketing course I'm doing. Part of the course involves coming up with a product if you don't have one. I realized I have one! It's a t-shirt slogan I came up with last year about the time I started The Clutter Project. It could be on mugs too, it doesn't matter, I just didn't know how to sell it. But now I'm gonna learn! Oh, I also put away some laundry - not all of it, just some!

Today I did EFT in the morning and got very inspired to clean. So I put away the rest of the laundry and the laundry rack, cleaned the catbox and swept up all the stray litter in the area, took one of the magical microfiber cloths to the bathtub and sink, and cleaned hair out of the sink drain. Then I did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen sink and stove. Finally, I recycled a post-it.

While doing the EFT, I also wrote out my rent check cuz my landlord called to say he was checking to see if he could fix my broken intercom. I recycled a newspaper and a postcard. And I paid two bills and recycled the envelopes.

Last thing I did was catch up on the internet training call I'd missed.

Results: My tenant paid the rent yesterday! Yay!

Wednesday - Friday

Wednesday's declutter: I shredded 13 papers at work - old bank statements and a couple other random sensitive papers. I also decluttered a lot of emotional mess by having a good talk with my guy. I think I am going to end up moving on, but he told me that he wants me to be happy even if it's not with him, and that was something I was never sure of, so it was really good. I also continued the EFT and developed the worst headache I've had in years. Sometimes things get worse before they get better - the important thing is, I'm stirring stuff up and moving it around.

Oh, yeah, I also made some copies I needed so I used up scrap paper and can take my library book back now :) And I did dishes.

Thursday's declutter: I think I recycled some mail or some newspapers. There's quite a bit of paper in the bin anyhow. I worked all day so I don't really remember.

Friday's declutter: I did the laundry.

Results: I got a $10 gift card from Whole Foods for making a complaint about the meat department's quality standards! You know, complaining is not supposed to be good, but I keep cashing in on it. What's that about?

My neighbor gave me a PILE of tomatoes yesterday - since the weather cooled off very fast his tomatoes have been splitting so he's had to pick a ton of them, and he likes giving me some of them :)

I am feeling happy or at least not mad or fearful or upset since talking with my honey. I finally got something about not letting what he does or doesn't do get in the way of my happiness.

My tenant called me yesterday with a list of repairs he thought needed to be done and could be done for about $60 in supplies. I'm giving him a rent credit for doing the work. He also told me that my former manager had been trying to convince him to move into one of their fancy new apartments they had built. I was really bummed when they "fired" me as a client, but now I see you never know what good can come of these things, cuz I'd be out both tenants if the manager had convinced mine to leave. I wasn't there so I don't really know what was said, but talk about conflict of interest! My tenant said the only reason they raised their rates on their customers was because they built all these new apartments, and bought a lot of foreclosed houses, and now they can't rent the apartments cuz they're charging New York City rents, and can't move the foreclosures cuz the real estate market's slow, so they need money bad.

Finally, I got paid yesterday! Yay, the rent is handled. It's been a good week!

Tuesday

Tuesday's declutter: I recycled an envelope, then paid two bills and recycled their envelopes and inserts.

Results: I forgot that I got a FREE can of cat food last week at the store because it wouldn't scan so the checker just let me have it!

Have done EFT for three days. Yesterday the tension continued to be gone from my face and eyes. It is amazing how much tension I was holding without my awareness. It took release of it to recognize it. Last night, however, all my sinuses ached severely for five minutes or so after tapping. This morning same thing only it's less severe and lasting longer. The e-book said it might get worse before it got better, so I view this as a sign of progress.

And, I just saw something about my past that I hadn't connected to my present before, so it's working in other ways as well. One thing that is common with nearsightedness is an unwillingness to "see" unpleasant things as a child or adolescent. "Unpleasant" can cover a wide range of events depending on a person's sensitivity. The tendency translates into poor vision and a focus on details. Farsighted people tend to see only the big picture, in contrast. It's exciting to think that I may get rid of old hangups and just physically feel freer of tension.

Sunday/Monday

Sunday: I put away Saturday's laundry, and that is about all I did. Maybe recycled a newspaper or two, though I think that was Saturday night.

Monday: Today I had energy again so this afternoon I took back the library books, recycled ink cartridges (and one plastic bag), and returned 24 cans and bottles. I also recycled the bottles I couldn't return - about 10 of them.

Mental declutter: I started some EFT exercises for vision improvement. EFT is Emotional Freedom Techniques, and it's based on acupuncture meridians. Anyway, I had a wonderful release of tension in my eyes and face, and more surprising, my mood shifted to a radically better place than it had been! I'm excited to keep doing it and see what happens :)

Results: I got a check today that I'd been expecting. Yay! Also got a FREE pizza from Domino's thanks to my complaint about the pizzas I got a couple weeks back. And of course, the cans and bottles netted me $1.20. OH! And I was in line behind a guy who was cashing in a $160 winning lottery ticket! He said it was small change and I just laughed and congratulated him. It was nice to be around someone who got a windfall!

My mood has stayed up ever since the morning's EFT experience. It's been a really good day!

Thursday - Saturday

I don't remember if I decluttered anything much on Thursday or Friday. I read all day on Thursday, except for a couple hours of remote work. Might have done some dishes. I worked Friday all day, so that was sort of a bust, though I think I recycled a piece of paper when I got home :)

Today, however, I have been cleaning. I picked up the clothes in my room and put away sheets I hadn't folded from doing the laundry oh, three weeks ago? Also put away towels and put clean sheets on the bed. I cleaned the catbox, then did some filing a little later, and took out the garbage and some recycling on my way to the laundromat. I took out the remaining recycling after doing the laundry, and organized my cans and bottles to return tomorrow. Finally, I did dishes. There's lots more to do but it's amazing how picking up a few clothes can make a place feel clean. The big job for tomorrow is sweeping the floors.

Oh yeah, I recycled four or five newspapers before taking all the stuff down.

Results: I got an extra hour in at work yesterday, which meant a bigger check than I had expected. If all goes well I should be going in there twice a month going forward, which will be helpful. Also got a call about a temp job. It wasn't right for me but it's good that they are calling me again. I'm feeling good today and just enjoying the sunny, breezy day and the energy to clean :)

Oh, I almost forgot, my tenant emailed me Wednesday night that he could do some work for me and had someone interested in the empty unit! I have yet to hear from the interested party, but I'm hopeful!

Wednesday

Wednesday's declutter: I think I recycled an envelope.

Results: I forgot that I got a giant free sample of yummy organic soap on Tuesday. And on Wednesday a guy asked me if I could change a dollar, and when I only had 50c to give him, he exchanged the dollar for it anyway! I like free money :)

Monday/Tuesday

Monday's declutter: I recycled a bunch of papers - a couple envelopes, an insert, a note, and a post-it or maybe two.

Tuesday's declutter: I balanced the checkbook and recycled the envelope and insert.

Results: Got a refund from Domino's for pizza I didn't like!

Saturday/Sunday

Saturday: I did dishes and froze chicken.

Sunday: I did NOTHING! I needed to rest and that's what most of my weekend was.

Results: I've been finding change just by thinking about it. I'll think "money" and then find a penny or a nickel or a dime. It's been fun :)

Thursday/Friday

Thursday's Declutter: I recycled a shopping bag that I broke on the way home. It was one of the few good ones I had left. :(

Friday's Declutter: I know I recycled something but I've been so tired the past couple days that I don't remember what. Now I do. It was an ad off the Wednesday paper that I forgot to toss on Wednesday.

I also recycled two newspapers at some point in the last three days.

Results: I'm working an extra day next week!

Monday - Wednesday

Monday: I took out the trash.

Tuesday: I paid a bill and recycled the envelope and insert.

Wednesday: I took 12 old statements/receipts to work and shredded them. And I paid a bill and recycled the envelope and insert.

Results: I have lots of hours in my next paycheck, and more remote work to do for my friend :)

Saturday/Sunday

Saturday: I recycled the paper bags I was using for a makeshift window shade during the summer. The sun has suddenly become very weak, so I'm not needing it now. I also did dishes and cleaned the toilet.

Sunday: I have spent most of the day WORKING! for my friend out of state. So no declutters yet.

Results: Looks like I'll be doing the books for my friend going forward. This is so great cuz there's no commute and I can work in the middle of the night if I want - LOVE that!

Friday

Today I recycled a BIG postcard after getting my name off the mailing list. I also unloaded an unprofitable trade. Sigh. Oh, well, onward and upward :) I recycled a page from a newspaper that I inexplicably held on to. And I just now recycled today's newspaper.

Results: OMG, a friend of mine needed some emergency bookkeeping and I needed work, so I went to work for her today, FROM HOME!!! She's got this neat thing called a remote desktop and I can connect to it from my PC and do whatever I need to do! I LIKE IT!

Thursday

Today I recycled two newspapers and a shopping bag that is beyond reusing. I also kept up the mental decluttering by remembering to focus on things that felt good. I did this several times today when I was irked by one thing or another and it kept me in a good mood all day.

Results: Last night I noticed that I HAVE PEPPERS GROWING! I think. Wheee!

Wednesday

Today I threw away those pizza boxes :) Oh, and I recycled a newspaper last night or the night before.

Results: I am feeling so good! I'm seeing things all around me that I want to have too, and it's wonderful because I know I'm drawing them to me. The more I think about them, the more I draw them in, and soon, they will be HAPPENING to me instead of just in my sights. YAY!

Tuesday Continued

Well, my mood eventually got almost as good as it was all last week, which is really good! I got proof today that when I'm happy, things start to go my way, which is what put me over the top.

Declutters: I recycled a note and a postcard. And I took out the garbage on my way to the gym this morning, forgot about that.

Cleaning: I did dishes and laundry, including my shower curtains and bath rug. I will be doing the catbox later.

Oh, yeah, last night I recycled a couple of sheets of pizza coupons. The pizza boxes are ready to be taken out with the garbage too.

Results: A very happy day! and more yummy tomatoes from my neighbor :)

Tuesday

Wow. I just decluttered my brain. I was feeling lousy this morning about stuff that always seems to get to me over long weekends :) Then I sent an email to a friend who I thought might be mad at me, and then started singing my kitty song - it's a song I made up about how much I love my cat, sung to the tune of "Rubber Ducky," Ernie's bathtub song from Sesame Street! I went looking for the cat and got inspired to brush her. Well, when she saw the brush in my hand, she ran to her food bowl, cuz she just LOVES the multiple stimuli of being petted while eating, and I guess being brushed while eating is even better to her. She cheered me right up, and then I started thinking about my friend again, and thinking about why I sent the email, and the stuff that was bugging me went away!

YAY! Now I feel energized again and ready to do some physical decluttering and maybe some cleaning and laundry. And I'm going to milk my good mood for MORE!

Labor Day

I haven't decluttered anything today as of right now. I DID watch the MDA telethon for a good part of the day - my nephew has MD, so it's very important to my family. I made a donation during a match period, which was great! I may still do some decluttering before the night's over - there is certainly filing I could do and paper to recycle. Oh, and dishes to wash.

I did do the catbox this morning, actually.

Results: Funny thing, all day I've had a money-making idea rolling around in my head. It won't go away. If I can make it work, well, that would be extremely awesome :)

9:15pm update: I did recycle that piece of junk mail, and a grocery coupon that I forgot to use before it expired at the end of August :)

Sunday

I am in the weirdest mood today. I feel completely neutral about everything - no wants, no likes/dislikes, nothing I'm happy or unhappy about - and it is about the deadest feeling ever. I much prefer the fun of wanting stuff - whether new grout in my bathroom or to marry the man of my dreams. I don't care how big or small, it is just way too boring feeling OK about everything!

Today's declutter: I did laundry and recycled 36 plastic bags at Staples! The entry looks much better with the giant bag o' bags gone. And I bought ink so I'll have it when I run out, and used my Staples rewards to pay for it - I didn't have to pay the sales tax so I still have credit left!

Right now I'm trying out Domino's new and improved pizza. They have that $5.99 deal so I figured what the heck? Hope it's good!

Oh, yeah, the broken tomato branch is in water and doing just fine - already has tiny little root hairs starting, and all the leaves were perked up by last night. The tomato is still getting bigger too!

Friday/Saturday

On Friday night I recycled four or five newspapers.

Today I took out the garbage and some dead flowers, and took an aromatherapy diffuser that I never use down to the lobby. I also recycled a jar.

Results: Still feeling pretty good. Had a frustrating Friday but am back to a better mood today. I have felt energetic for much of this week, and today was no exception. There are lots of things I can get done this loooonnnngggg weekend.

I had a slight glitch with my container garden this morning - was putting it back outside and broke off the one tomato stem that has fruit! I tried taping it up but the wind has been so strong all day that it just couldn't hold together, so I cut it all the way off and potted it, then decided to put it in water instead, so it can reroot. It took all day for the wilting leaves to recover, but they have and I feel hopeful about the tomato that's on there continuing to grow - also the blossoms that are about to bloom.

I also have four or five pepper blossoms now! I brought the container garden back in after losing a couple more tomato blossoms to the wind, so I'm really hopeful that the peppers will set fruit this time. The weather is cooler and peppers are self-pollinating so having them indoors is not a problem. I'm also trying rooting some tomato suckers in water to see if I can grow a few more plants :)

Friday

Oh, I forgot that on Monday night I swished the toilet. Hey, that's a big deal!

Friday: I got up early and went to the gym. Then I came home and did the dishes and cleaned the stove, and cleaned the catbox. And I looked at my printer to see what ink I need to buy!

Wednesday/Thursday

On Wednesday night I did dishes and cleaned the catbox.

Thursday: I took my shreddables to work again and shredded 20 pages. When I got home I paid four bills and recycled three envelopes and an insert. And a box from products I ordered Tuesday that arrived already :)

Results: I figured out last night that I had money in another account that I could use to pay the rent, so I transferred it. But then today I got paid so I'm transferring it back! Yay!

Also feeling really good about my dreams this week - I'm getting closer to having them become a reality, which is very exciting!

Tuesday/Wednesday (and a little more Monday)

Monday: I took out some garbage.

Tuesday: I took out some recycling. Also got my address off a catalog mailing list and recycled the catalog.

Wednesday: I took my shreddable file to work and shredded 40 pages of old bank statements/checks.

Results: I am having a great week, really feeling good and not letting things bother me much (I did just have a meltdown over my computer crashing due to a screwed-up program, though). I am feeling like my best self. I even looked younger when I came home from work last night!

And one of my tomatoes finally fruited!! YAY!

Monday Continued

I put a box of real estate programs in an empty space in the closet. Then I paid two bills and recycled the envelopes and inserts - and filed the bills!

After that I swept the living room - not a get-in-every-corner sweeping, but still got up a lot of dirt. Then swept the hall and cat area - it's amazing how much Feline Pine's scoopable litter tracks. I love the stuff but it is a major pain to keep the area clean. I need to get a mat to put in front of the box to catch it all. Finally, I swept the kitchen - and then mopped it cuz it was SO dirty. I had to mop a small section and then sweep it again after each mopping because the mop was spreading dirt around too. Probably swept it five times at least. But now it's nice and clean! :) And that's it for today.

Oh, wait, I forgot! I cleaned the bottom shelf of the fridge too!

Monday, Monday

I am motivated to clean today! I did some decluttering - a couple hours of Quicken catch-up. Recycled 45 cash receipts and a piece of paper. I am watching the market too. I'm going to make a quiche and then do some dusting and sweeping and maybe mop the kitchen floor.

Results: It's a gorgeous day out, and one of my INDOOR pepper plants flowered today! I'm so excited - hopefully this one will actually grow into a pepper.

Also, my tenant called to say he was paying me via PayPal today! I got the payment right afterward :) Now all I need is a good trading entry point, and I'm golden!

Saturday/Sunday

Well, I did pay a couple more bills on Saturday, and recycled the envelope and insert for one of them (the other had notes I needed all over it).

On Sunday I took a nap and did nothing else till late in the day, when motivation struck! I did the dishes and cleaned the catbox, and cleaned up hairballs the cat barfed up. I even swept a little bit, then put away my puzzle and the card table. I also took out four of my bill files and removed anything prior to 2008 for boxing up. My file cabinet is now usable again.

Results: I had SO MUCH FUN Saturday night. I went to play D&D for the first time ever and it was a blast! I got a great character and got to kick some monster ass. I always thought I'd like it but it seemed so complicated that I never ventured into it. But since one of my singing colleagues teaches it, I asked him about playing and he set up a game for newbies. I can't wait for the next one! It was so fun that it completely distracted me from any negative things I was thinking about. My mind was empty at the end of the day, which is a very good thing!

Saturday

Today I paid a bill and am filing all the bills I've paid over the past month, plus anything else I can find that needs filing. Starting...now!

That took 17 minutes, and included recycling two envelopes, a list, a post-it, a Spanish user's manual (I have no idea why I held on to that since I have the English version), and a broken hanging file folder. My files are way too full - I'm going to have to box some of the stuff up soon.

Gonna pay two or three more bills today, then have lunch and head off for fun with friends!

Friday Additional

On Friday I recycled four or five newspapers, a couple of boxes, a sale flyer, and an envelope and some mail inserts. I also did dishes and cleaned the catbox. And I sent an invoice to my tenant.

Given how lazy I have felt lately, getting these few things done was a Herculean effort.

This Week in Decluttering

Wow. Almost a week gone. I didn't declutter much stuff this week - took a folder to work to shred and only did about ten pages of paper. And I took out the garbage a couple times.

Most of the decluttering has been mental - I've had quite a few hits about things that are holding me back. It's been good.

Results: A friendship of mine has taken an interesting turn that may mean competition for my boyfriend. :) And I've made a ton of money working this week - my invoice will be huge by the end of the month. All in all, a good week.

Friday - Saturday

Wow. I don't remember what I decluttered on Friday - seems like there was some paper stuff, envelopes or something.

But today, I did a ton of stuff early in the morning. I went to the gym, then the Farmers' Market, and then did laundry and dishes and changed the cat litter and took it out with the garbage. Oh, yeah, while doing laundry I mailed a bill and took back three library books.

Results: OMG. I forgot to record a deposit I made the other day, so I have WAY more money in the bank than I thought I did.

Aldo cleared the air with a friend today - after spending a couple of days trying to see it from a different viewpoint. And I got paid by my neighbor! Bringing Up Baby is on right now - what a great day!

Mon - Thurs

I find that I'm spending less time on this than I used to - less time noting what I decluttered, less time thinking about it, and obviously less time posting. It may be time to make this a weekly thing since the daily isn't happening anymore. But we'll see.

On Monday I paid three bills and recycled the envelopes and inserts. During the rest of the week, I paid another bill and recycled the envelope, and recycled two or three newspapers. Oh, and I might have recycled a spare price list for my herbs. Unless that was last week.

Results: OK, this is interesting. Most of my decluttering this week has been mental, in that I've been focused on making sure I feel good about various subjects and in general. On Tuesday I got paid a balance due to me for work, which I didn't expect. And work went really well - my boss was on top of things and communicating with me, and I got a lot done. This was one of the subjects I was focusing on.

Then yesterday I received the last of the late checks. I also ensured that I would get paid for work around the first. The only thing outstanding now is the money from my neighbor, which he's said he'll give me as soon as he gets it - seems to be taking a long time but maybe I'm wrong about that. Anyway, it's amazing how fast it all cleared up when I took a positive view of the situation. The last two weeks were difficult for me emotionally, but once I got that out of my headspace, things just turned around. So I'm going to continue the mental decluttering along with the physical.

Monday

What a great day! Today's declutter: A Verizon guy called me about fixing my phone today. I called him back when I got home and he came up and started working on it, and even though he didn't have access to the phone box, he and his colleague in the manhole managed to get it fixed! So since I had to move a bunch of stuff out of the way of the jacks, I dusted and swept around them, and then ended up sweeping the entire hall and entry, and the kitchen since it was there! So really more of a cleaning day. But I did get my shopping for last week scanned and threw away/recycled the containers and price tags.

I also did a lot of junk mail shredding at work, AND got some extra filing done that I'd been putting off.

Results: I took out some of my IRA contributions today, enabling me to pay my bills on time! I requested a wire and it arrived within hours of the request. And then! I got my phone fixed, as above. And then! I got one of the late checks, from my former property manager, and as a courtesy they didn't take their fees! And THEN! I got a pound or so of fresh tomatoes, picked by me, from my neighbor, who has an amazing garden!

I'm feeling good, needless to say. :)

Sunday

Another day of nothing. I slept in till 10 and took a nap for an hour or two also. Uploaded some photos to put on Facebook (did that yesterday too) but mostly have been a lazy bum.

Wait. I did throw out a bunch of chard and some salad greens that were going seriously bad. Oh, and I recycled a chopstick paper last night.

If I get bored enough I'll start cleaning again. I have a lot on my mind and have been attempting to turn my thoughts in a positive direction about everything. That could be why I feel the need to sleep today. Or it could be the cloudy weather :)

Saturday

Yesterday I paid another bill and recycled the envelope and inserts. I also took a magazine down to the lobby.

Oh, and the magazine I recycled on Thursday was actually a catalog. :)

Today I have done nothing. Just called my tenant's dad to let him know the rent was late. And renewed my library books so I wouldn't have to go anywhere :)

Results: Holy cow, things turned around for me yesterday! I made $320 on the trade in my IRA, and only lost $10 on the cash account (plus commissions). AND, I found out that if you have a Roth IRA, you can withdraw ALL the contributions you've made with no penalty, and you never have to put them back! It's considered an early distribution, but as long as the amount withdrawn is less than or equal to your total contributions, you're good! So I am taking a portion out on Monday to pay the bills that all these delayed checks were supposed to cover. Yay!

Tuesday - Friday

Well, on Tuesday and Wednesday I didn't really declutter anything that I can recall. Maybe an envelope. I did do a few cleaning things here and there like the catbox and taking out the trash, and maybe some more dusting.

Thursday, however, was a decent day. I paid a bill in the morning and recycled the envelope and inserts. I also recycled the envelope and return envelope from a bill I'm paying by phone. And I recycled a magazine, a menu, a piece of junk mail, and some music I'll never sing again. I also did a bunch of cleaning when I got home: Dishes, put a bunch of paper clutter in a drawer in my room, cleaned the catbox, and hid a bunch of programs I want to sell. (Aside: The cat was being extremely cute through all of this, perching on library books or on the TV tray I found on the curb last week, looking like the queen of all she surveyed!) Oh, and I also pinched off a few dead gladiola flowers - I bought a HUGE, bright pink bouquet of them at Whole Foods on Tuesday for $3.99! I mean, ten stems, full of flowers and buds, and the most amazing hot pink! And it's been cool weather for a couple days, so they aren't wilting, which is what usually happens to flowers in my place!

Oh, yeah, and I got a load of laundry ready to go and put my kitchen drawers in place just to get them off the floor till I can clean them.

Today was D-Day for the company I was expecting. I got up at 7:00 and went to the gym, then came home and started cleaning. I scrubbed the shower curtain, then used some of my bathroom wipes to clean the sink and the toilet. They have the right idea with this product, but it's a little too flimsy to really work well. I used a microfiber cloth to get the cat hair out of the tub and clean the tile. Then I got online to watch the market. I made some breakfast and emailed a couple people, put away a bit more paper clutter, and put the lone peach basket back above the stove. Then I checked my FB messages cuz I hadn't heard from my friend, and she'd answered my earlier message to say they weren't coming to the city after all! I was actually OK with that because there is so much more cleaning to do, and now I won't have to change the sheets or wash the shower curtain! So it worked out fine - my house is cleaner and neater, but I have more time to get it all done.

Results: I am getting paid soon for the work I did for my neighbor. I am in a profitable trade in my IRA and a very volatile and weird trade in my cash account, that looks like it could still go my way, and someone I wrote a check to is happy to hold it for me so I can get my bills paid next week. My gladiolas are still gorgeous, it's nice and cool outside so no need for the A/C, and my pepper plants are flowering! which should mean I'll have peppers in a month or so! So excited. :) And of course, I have a much cleaner house, which always feels good.

Monday

Today I did the second load of laundry, and swiffered the bedroom floor (with microfiber!) and vacuumed the rug. Also swept the hallway. Haven't done much more. I'm having company this Friday night, so I do have to continue with the cleaning - or at least do the dusting, floors, and kitchen drawers, and hide the clutter as best I can! But those things can be done before and after work too.

Friday - Sunday

I got a lot more done on Friday. I recycled four more newspapers, paid a bill and recycled the envelope and inserts, recycled two post-its and a brochure, took out the garbage, put away the clothes, and wrapped meat for the freezer. I also changed the sheets, did laundry, ironed four shirts, and dusted the bedroom. The cleaning system ended with the dusting - I didn't get to the floors, had too much else going on.

I made a list for Saturday, and crossed off most of the items: Went to the Farmers' Market and the gym, put away the laundry, and roasted a pork loin, all before noon. Then I did dishes, scrubbed some of the oven, cleaned under the stove top, and did some hand wash. I had another load of laundry ready to go, but didn't do it till Monday. I took the recycling out too.

On Sunday I did more dishes and did a bunch of filing. I also dusted the living room, which was not on my list, and recycled about 30 pieces of paper, envelopes, and so on, as well as making a folder of stuff to shred - this time mostly old bank records. I also got in touch with my tenant and told him where to send the rent check, and gave him the option to use paypal, with a discount if he pays on time.

I totally forgot that last weekend, Sunday or Monday, I recycled a booklet that was a duplicate of another I have.

Results: My paper trades did really well Friday. I'm about ready to take the strategy live. My plants are also doing really well - have several flowers forming on the tomato plant and they are gonna be BIG tomatoes, which is exciting :)

Communications have been messed up this weekend. A friend has this left-field idea about me and has been trying to shove it down my throat along with his "help," and I'm just like, "Where did he get this stuff?" And my landline isn't working because a phone cable is out. I don't know if this can be considered a result, but it does point up that sometimes chaos follows decluttering for a time. What's interesting to me is that I'm keeping a fairly even keel about it all instead of getting frustrated with it. I figure, if a friend wants to see things about me that aren't there, I don't really need that friend, and the phone isn't a problem at all cuz I'll get credit for the outage!

Wednesday - Friday

Wednesday's Declutter: I recycled a post-it (maybe two).

Thursday's Declutter: I recycled a bag that broke on the way home.

Friday: I'm in cleaning mode. So far have done the dishes, cleaned the catbox and the toilet, and recycled 15 newspapers! I'm cleaning up the clothes in my room next, and then I'll start this cleaning system I found in a library book.

Results: A guy offered me his Target bag Thursday just before my broken bag gave out completely! He saved me - my stuff was gonna be all over the ground!

Also, I'm working again next Wednesday for the guys who pay me each time :) And I am starting a new part-time job next Thursday (probably).

Finally, I've been paper trading a strategy my boyfriend told me, and it looks good. I think I'll go live with it next week. :)

Tuesday

Today I paid a bill and recycled the envelope and inserts. Also recycled another envelope.

Results: Did more work for my neighbor today. And I got a call about a bookkeeping job from my good friend at the temp agency I use!

Sunday/Monday

On Sunday I recycled six paper bags and four post-its. I changed the cat litter and threw away some very stinky garbage - I don't know WHAT was in there but it was like old person smell mixed with feet.

On Monday I recycled a post-it :) One item at a time.

Results: What a wonderful weekend. I felt so happy all weekend and just really enjoyed life.

And, I've started to work for that friend in my neighborhood!

Friday/Saturday

On Friday I did diddley-squat regarding clutter. And enjoyed it :)

Today, I remembered my textile donation! and took it to the Farmers' Market. The guy wasn't there yet! But there was someone who was taking the donations for him so I got to leave the stuff.

I also have been cleaning up a storm cuz I was coughing and realized it was probably due to the fact that my fan was filthy and was blowing dirt straight into my lungs. So I took it apart to clean the blades and then cleaned the grates too (grilles?). I was using one of the microfiber cloths I bought a couple weekends back, and discovered that microfiber traps dirt, but doesn't absorb it, so when you rinse the cloth off it's clean again! So I went a little nuts and started cleaning my bathroom sink, then wiping all the cat hair off my vanity and bathtub, then wiping down the bathroom door and walls. The cloth has two small stains after all of this. Pretty cool.

I also put additional potting soil in my plant containers. The one outside REALLY needed it cuz the plants were flopping around. The peppers, btw, have become hugely bushy!

Finally, in searching for a bill I found some papers to shred and recycled an envelope and a post-it.

Results: Oh, life is so good! I'm getting rid of mental clutter too, and it makes it so much easier to just enjoy what life gives me. So many worries that aren't worth worrying about. They just keep you stuck in the place that created the worry. I'm doing my best to stay out of the stuck places - when something bugs me, I'm trying to turn my attention to what wouldn't bug me instead of dwelling on the thing that bugs me. It's a much happier way to live.