My Desk at Work! :(

Ei Yi Yi! This is my work area. I am the office manager/full charge bookkeeper of a small business. Scary, huh? lol I don't like having the computer up on my desk but other than the floor and hidden under my desk where it would be difficult to get to this seems to be the only option. I need to reorganize my in baskets and it would be nice to have more space to spread out my paperwork and do my invoice and payroll. :) My desktop is a pic of 4 of my granddaughters ready for their first day of school. :)

I am showing you this by taking part in Marcia, The Organising Queens, show me your desk challenge.

Thank you, Debbie!!

I can't believe I am the winner! I REALLY want to thank Debbie of Virtually Organized for the Procrastination Challenge. I won her October Challenge with the reorganizing and decluttering of my craft room! This really was a huge undertakinn for me. I love to craft! And I always think I have to have every material/craft need under the sun! lol My craft room had gotten so out of control that we affectionately called it the "crap" room!!! and that isn't not a word I am fond of at all!!!! When I got started, I didn't know if I could finish this. It got overwhelming at times.... but I had taken the challenge. I am not a young woman anymore! I am an OLD lady! lol But, I had the before pics. I had started to post them and that accountability along with the encouragement of Debbie, Marcia and Laura and MANY others who were working on projects REALLY helped and make me accountable. I was kind of hoping and expecting a little help from my #1 granddaughter but she is a teen now and stays pretty busy! lol... so I tackled it and at times had to walk away! But got thru it and that is the important thing! SO, what is my prize you say? The 2009 Entertainment Book!!!! I love them!! And we had not gotten one this year so I am so delighted!!! We will use it that is for sure! It does help save money and also for dining it gets you to try out new places and you never know the discoveries you might make! :) Thank you, Debbie, very much! I will certainly be taking part in more challenges, not for the prizes (although they are the frosting on the cake - and I do love frosting) but because each new project, each new challenge gets me closer to the goal and the feeling when you have accomplished that goal is tremendous! I still have a few procrastination projects to tackle!! (Alright! A BUNCH of projects!)

PS When the girls were over yesterday when we went to the movie, I showed them the craft room. When we came in the house, #1 said, "Wow, gram, you really cleaned up the kitchen too!" lol. Now what does THAT tell you!? WAY too much clutter!

Please check out their websites thru the links above! I really am appreciative of all of them and each of the friends that I have made along this decluttering, organizating, STOP procrastinating journey!!!

Time for this week's decluttering challenge!

I didn't declutter quite as much this week as in the past weeks. But this is a box of books that I decluttered from my bookshelf and sent to a blogger/crafting/recipe friend! :) I also "decluttered" my rose bush! I know it isn't the right time of year to trim it but it had to be! It has gone WILD this summer and took over the window and was branching out dangerously into the yard and against the house... so it is also a procrastination project because I have been putting it off since at least July! I can now see out my office window and Doug can mow the lawn without being attacked by thorns! lol Also have the usual paper clutter that builds and gets thrown. Although I still have more major clutter to conquer, I am very happy and comfortable with my decluttered areas! :) Makes life easier!

Want to join in this challenge and/or see what others are doing? Please visit the Organising Queen to see!

Christmas List! -

I am SO going to double dip (NO - wait!) TRIPLE dip on this one! lol. I have been putting off my Christmas list for my grandkids. I have had in my mind what I wanted to make for them but hadn't gotten it down and organized. Earlier today I was reminded that it was 100 days to Christmas.. or there abouts.. I had just said a few weeks ago that I needed to quit procrastinating and get planning. With making homemade gifts it takes time to plan, get materials ready and make them!!! So I printed out some gift list forms and said I gotta get this done. Then I visited my friends blog. Here again, Diane reminded us that it is getting close. Ok... stress level going up. Checked out another website, 100 Days to Christmas, and decided to linkup. You know when you hear it once that is important, but when you are reminded a second time, you better sit up and pay attention! Hence, I did my Christmas list for the Grandchildren! I am getting materials collected to get a Christmas organizer going so that this year, I don't get behind with the unexpected! I am getting the patterns/instructions gathered to go in the notebook with these lists so that everything stays together and I don't have to go hunting each time I start/work on a project!

So how am I triple dipping? I did a "Tackle it Tuesday" (my first), crossed off a project from my procrastination list, and joined 100 Days to Christmas! WAHOO! Now that feels good!


Want to see what others have/are doing for these challenges? Click on the buttons above or on the highlighted areas in my post and check them out. All are GREAT websites!

Procrastination Project #6

I have had these little decorative plates since July. I bought them on sale at Joann's just after the 4th. They have been sitting around waiting to be put up above my kitchen window. Another that you can't see is to the left of the window. I have a pig cutting board that used to be my mothers. I remember using it and her using it way back to our Lincoln, Nebraska days. It has been stripped and retired but I wanted to keep it and now it has it's place of honor in my kitchen!

Little or big, what have you been procrastinating doing? Click here to see what others are doing in this challenge!

Procrastination project #5 - Family pictures!

I am not good at hanging or arranging pictures. I have been putting this off and putting this off. This is as far as I can go at the moment as I need two updated pics but these are finally up and out of the way! YAHOO! Another procrastination project crossed off the list!

Click here to find out what others are crossing off their list!!

Procrastination Project #4 - The radio/cd/tape player!

Underneath the table you will notice that the "black" glob is gone. That black glob was a radio/cd/tape player. Many moons ago, my husband switched this player out for one that someone had given us. I really didn't like the other one as well. This one has lurked under the table bugging me and bugging me. It was out of sight in a way but it didn't belong there. It nagged at me. Finally I got him to take the other one out to his garage for him to groove to out there and we put this one back up in the family room so that I can finally play music again!! Such a simple little project! YAHOO! Another procrastination project attacked and completed!

Edited to add this comment because it is SO true!:

Debbie (Virtually Organized) said...

Whether it's something HUGE, or just a small, annoying task you've been putting off, isn't it a great feeling to cross things off your "To Do" list!

Do you have a project that you have been procrastinating about? Want to see what others are doing? Click HERE and maybe you will join in!!!

Decluttering Challenge Week 2 of September!

I am still decluttering! It is amazing how stuff just collects over time if you don't stay on it! The cookbooks.... yes, another bunch of them; given away. A wastebasket full of paper work and such from the office. Then I cleaned off my Dresser in the bedroom and got rid of and took care of the stuff on it. I cleaned the corner next to my hutch. These boxes had been there WAY too long. And do you see the radio/cd/tape player under the table in this pic. It was decluttered. DH had put this here several months ago and put a different system where this had been. I put this one back and he took the other one out to his rockin' garage!

Simplify 101 has an excellent article on decluttering, organizing and storage today! Check it out!

All of these projects feel so good!!! What have you decluttered this week? Want to see what others are decluttering, visit the Organising Queen and see!

Procrastination Project #3 - My dresser top

This is my dresser. Yeah! MINE! Got rid of the socks and storage containers to their home, threw away some of the stack of papers and book, decluttered the dust!! Done and now my bedroom feels that much more comfortable!

The jewelry box is not quite my style but it was my mother's and it is lovely. The framed object in the middle is also a music box, plays our favotite: "Unchained Melody."

Have something you have been procrastinating doing? Join us! Click here to join and to see what others have been doing!

September Procrastination Project #2!

This is what you saw when you walked in my front door. Yeah! Really! The bottom box is family pictures - it has sat around since we moved in here, waiting for me to update and find where I wanted to put them. (We moved in here in December 2004!! Granted we don't use the front room much, we sit in the living room more when company comes over, but if they use the front door, this is what they see! How disgusting! The big green storage box is a bunch of antique pics that I need to store and/or find a home for! The top black bag is my fall autumn arrangement. It is the first floral arrangement that I have ever made (back in 95) and I am so very proud of it and love it. I put it there after the end of the LAST autumn, because I really needed to redo it... between my special angel, grand children and the DOG, it has been messed up a bit! And yes, it STILL needs to be renewed! There was also my album of Webkinz cards that I have collected that the kids like to go thru. Ok... Now it is all cleaned out of this corner and my guests are greeted by a more pleasant sight. The box of antique pics is out in our storage area (and a note in my organizer to sort). The box of pics has been picked thru and a couple of pics have been tagged for my wall (a future procrastination project) and a couple frames taken out for updating pics for the family wall. The autumn arrangement? It is proudly being displayed on my table in front of our window. I will show you it in another post. The floor has been vacuumed and I am a happy decluttering fool! :)

To see what others have been doing in the challenge, check out Virtually Organized! And feel free to join us in the challenge! It doesn't have to be a huge project. This project took me about 40 minutes! :)

FINISHED! :)

Here is the finished product! Click HERE to see what it USED to look like! I cleared off my pigs from the top of the desk and put them on my shelf in the 1/2 bath with the rest of my collection. I added a basket in the middle for mail to be put in and sorted once or twice a week. The baskets on the far end are one for me and one for DH to keep things and be sorted as desired (BEFORE piling high!) I moved my paperclips to the drawer after I took the picture. They don't need to be on the desktop. I decluttered a lot of stuff off the desk top. Pictures and recipes were put into two seperate bins to sort and take put away. I decluttered the dust! I have paper to make notes on to the left of my computer. On my right I have a coil file holder for receipts, coupons to be used and in the back I have a couple of checks to deposit. :) My notebooks contain my TOH birthdays that I post every morning and my CURRENT Secret Sister information! I think it will work. But if it doesn't I am prepared to make the changes as needed. I now feel comfortable sitting here and making out my menu and grocery list and I feel more comfortable visiting with YOU! What do you think?

What project have you been putting off? Tell us about it! And go over to Virtually Organized and join in this Procrastination Challenge! It doesn't have to be a big project and you never know! You might win the prize! Of course I think I am going to win it but who knows! LOL

The Friday Declutter Challenge - Sept 5, 2008

Well, as I posted yesterday, my desk is my challenge for this month! And I have started decluttering it. Here are 2 pictures of the piles I have decluttered this week. Magazines in a pile, glanced at the Pfaltzgraff catalog, first time to see one.. way too cool!!... in the garbage... woman's catalogs... in the garbage... Terri's Village, glanced at it.. oh.. some cute things.. in the garbage (it is online if I find I really can't live without something!)... Cooking With Paula Deen... yummy recipes.. ok this is one I never throw out.. Into the Magazine holder with other Paula Deen magazines... a couple of other mags, tossed, flung.. into the garbage...

Next Pile: Oh good grief! A Whoopers container! recipe clipping, old receipts.. flung, filed in the round file neverr to see their way back to my desk again. Gift certificates.. one I forgot I had! Put into my purse and a note in my organizer to USE them with a list from the stores of what I need. A couple of computer disks put away in my box where I store them. My new gas card put into my purse where it belongs! A stack of paper clips that won't fit into my paper clip container - in a plastic baggie to go to work with me. Vehicle repair receipt from August 9th, filed in my vehicle file. An OLD QVC schedule - garbage. The desk is improved but a long ways to go! But sure feels good to get rid of the clutter and working on my plan! Plus I decluttered my camera. I erased the pictures after downloading them to my computer! :)

The third picture? It is a yearbook. It is not my yearbook. It is not my husbands. It is not for any school that I attended. It is for a neighboring school ... I don't remember the circumstances but it was given to me because someone thought I might like it! I remembered this book while visiting Virtually Organized this morning! She was talking about the most bizarre thing she had decluttered and it brought this to mind. I had only to glance over to my bookshelf to see that yes, I still did possess this yearbook. It doesn't bring me happiness, it doesn't make me smile. I don't get it out and look at it! It is GONE. FLUNG! Not needed to clutter up space!

Want to see what others are doing? Check out The Organising Queen to see! While you are there check out her new layout! Looks so chic! What have you decluttered this week?

OK! Here is my procrastination project!!!!

This is my desk! :( Yes! Honestly! This is where I sit and visit with you!! Can you imagine that? I'd rather visit in my kitchen! LOL This is my procrastination project and my declutter project! :) I have my mail stacking up on my left along with recipes. There are some great cubby holes that I need to put to good use rather than stuffing junk in..... On my right are a couple of notebooks; one is my TOH birthdays that I post every morning the other is... oh wait I have to grab it and find out... Oh, my! It is my January 2007 Secret Sisters group! Good grief.. Well, I am accountable now so let the work begin! I will keep you posted! Meanwhile, click on the Virtually Organized icon to see what other procrastinators are working on!

My Kitchen - Talk About Tuesday!

With organization and decluttering comes peace of mind. .... deep inhale!..... sigh... This kitchen has been a work of art in the process! lol I LOVE my kitchen but it has always seemed "disjointed" to me since we moved in December of 2004. I think that I have conquered some of that feeling now. I took part in the decluttering challenge that The Organised Queen sponsored in August and found out a lot about myself and my decluttering style! Check out my complete blog for all my projects, please. But back to my kitchen. Somewhere in the challenge, I was reading other blogs and organizing articles. Someone suggested putting ALL your baking needs together. I had my mixing bowls in one place, my flour and sugar in another and my vanilla, corn starch, baking powder, etc in another cupboard and my measuring cups and spoons in another cupboard. SO, I would go to several areas to get what I needed. What do I have NOW? My mixing bowls, mearsuring cups, pie pans are on that top shelf. The baking ingredients are below, shortening, flours, sugars, all! In a drawer are my spoons and dry measuring cups.This cupboard is above the counter top oven/convection oven on my counter! Works perfect there! Behind me on the stove are are the container of spatulas and wooden spoons. All nice and neat. Large free standing Kitchen Aid. On the counter... no! Don't want that.. want it out of the way but handy.... Pantry... No.. too heavy and large... Hmmmm, what can I do? Hmmm, I have a nice kitchen cart right around the corner in the breakfast nook. There you go. Looks nice and out of the way... when need to use, wheel the cart around the corner plug in and use... More space and works perfect! So why am I posting my pictures again? Because I wanted to take part in the Talk About Tuesday at The Lazy Organizer! : and share again the wonderful serene feeling that I get from my kitchen without the pictures showing the clutter.
One of the BEST things to happen to me in August was to take part of Declutter Challenge. Just wait until you see what I am going to work on for my procrastination challenge at Virtually Organized!!!!

One more kitchen area!

Obviously this has been the biggest eyesore in the kitchen. This is just a small area between the refrigerator and the pantry. It became the catchall. It now houses my recipe/menu/planning tools and my household management/organizing files. My market bags now have a home on my shelves by the back door so that as I walk out the door, ideally I will remember to grab them and put them in the car for the next trip to the grocery!

Day 31 - Decluttering Challenge

Here is a pic of the junk I decluttered off my counter. One is a crochet magazine that I had gotten out awhile back to show one of the kids what I wanted to make for one of the grandkids for Christmas! Good grief! How hard is it to put it away??? I am feeling so comfortable in my kitchen again. I love to cook and it is such an inviting and comforting kitchen now! Oh and I declutter my camera when I down load the pictures to my computer. I always click erase from camera after download. :)

During this challenge, I won Marcia's Household Management Notebook system. I am loving it and using it! Thank you for this wonderful tool! :)

What have I learned from this challenge? First of all, I have learned that I am not alone. That each of us have decluttering needs from small to major projects. I have learned that decluttering does not have to be overwhelming. I have learned to take one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. I have learned that if I don't finish the decluttering project right now, that is ok. It will be there tomorrow and I can deal with it. And I have learned that decluttering can be planned and UNplanned and still be successful. Always have a plan - a goal but be prepared for the unexpected. (i.e. an unwanted critter! lol) Decluttering doesn't have to stop because you have guests - adjust your expectations for that time. Giving everything a home, a place, helps make your life easier. I used to declutter - from one area to another area! That wasn't really helping. It still left me stressful and unhappy! It was like the wound that wouldn't heal! Decluttering is not MOVING things, it is putting them in their place and removing what doesn't belong or no longer works for you. I have a close friend that keeps a lovely house and she has a friend that keeps even a MORE lovely house if that is possible. She asked her friend her secret one time. Linda answered her. "I never walk past something out of place without picking it up and putting it away, whether it is a weed in the flower box by the front door or a spoon out on the counter." I kinda looked at Billie, my friend and said, I would be running around forever if I did that!! I have found out not so. Seeing something brings on an automatic decluttering response - pick it up and put it away before it grows! lol My life is freed up so much more because things are decluttered, things are simplified and things have a designated place. Now mind you, I am not done yet. I still have a couple of major areas to deal with, but I am not overwhelmed with it and I have my written plan and my mental plan to deal with it. I love to craft but crafting often made me cranky because I knew that things elsewhere were not taken care of. Not so anymore. I am free to craft because things are in their place and not calling me to take care of them.

I have learned my decluttering style is basically NOT having a place/home for things. Bringing one item in, not putting it away and not getting rid of something to make place for the new. These are the habits that I am working on applying to my life.


I really want to thank Marcia, The Organising Queen, for starting this challenge and she is going to continue to have a weekly challenge for us. Marcia, you have been such a help and motivator and encourager to me. I just can't thank you enough! You are a wonderful new friend and "decluttering coach!" Somehow I found your blog when I really needed it in my life!!! Thank you, again!! And to EACH of the gals that have accepted this challenge and posted about it on their blogs, I thank you! Each of you have been an inspiration and encouragement to me in this journey. I hope that we will continue to encourage and keep everyone motivated when needed! I look forward to seeing how you will continue to be involved in our journey. This is not the end, it is the beginning!

The other side of the sink!

Here is the other side of the kitchen sink. Under the papertowels are my tea cups that I use for brewing and an ice tea carafe that I use with ice in the middle. These will probably end up somewhere else but for now they are here. My husband's diabetes testing strips will probably find their way to the cabinet above.

Also, a STACK of cookbooks/cookbooklets that I am getting rid. I copied a FEW recipes that I will put into my organizer notebook to try. These will go to my daughters, daughter in laws and some friends.

What did you declutter today?

Declutter Challenge - Week 4!!!

Well, we are down to the final stretch of the challenge but not the end of the journey. I finally got my laundry closet done!!! Well, there is space here so I can still grow! :) Also one pic is of the kitchen counter to the left of my sink. There will be more pictures of the other areas as I get finished. I decluttered each day, but I do have to say having the baby took more of my time and I wouldn't give that time up for anything!! I am happy with how the way things are shaping up and looking. The bag is not ALL that was decluttered, it was just what I managed to snap a pic. Several things were added to the Goodwill box. A slicer that I never use. I slice my tomatoes and onions the good old fashioned way, a hot pad mitten that was too small for me, etc.

To see what others have been decluttering this week, click here!