Everyday Crafty Goodness

I’m thinking of getting rid of my animals’ beds. Does that make me a bad pet mommy? It’s not like they sleep in them. Elliot the cat likes to sleep in my laundry basket, on the guest room bed, in my under-bed storage drawer (that is NOT a bed Elliot!), and under the dining table. Molly the dog likes to sleep under the coffee table, on the couches, and under the guest room bed. The whole house is practically a bed for them! I’m sure the animals at the pet shelter will get more use out of their beds. Of course, as soon as I donate their beds, I just know I’m going to get a call from animal control asking me why I’m making my animals sleep on the floor.

Here’s a nifty DIY pet bed tutorial in case your animals are crying for a bed of their own.  It’s a good way to use up extra fabric and old towels … one more way to reduce, reuse, and recycle!

Well, I’m still in major decluttering mode and since this is all I can think about nowadays, I’ve decided to create a new category in my blog called “Living with less”.  This way I can track my progress as I go through my earthly possessions.

Last night I pulled out my Martha Stewart Living magazines (which were stacked neatly on the bookshelf).  I decided that I was going to give them to my friend C. because I haven’t looked at them in a few years.  I put them in a tote bag and brought them down to the living room.  This morning as I was taking a picture of this stack, I started having second thoughts.  OK, I started having second thoughts as soon as I thought about the possibility of giving these away.  True, I haven’t looked at them in years but they’re chuck full of craft projects (look, the one on top has an article about quilting, I quilt!) and ORGANIZING ideas!  So I went back and forth and back and forth about these magazines.  I can give them to my friend and look at them at her house when I visit…I can keep them…but if I keep them I’ll get distracted and lose steam and then my decluttering would come to a stop…wait, just thinking about whether I should keep these is a distraction that’s stopping me from decluttering.  So I’ve decided to keep them for now  and move on to the stuff that will take less thinking, like the stuff that’s just sitting on the floor without a home.  And to show that I’ve already picked up some good organizing habits, I took the stack back up to my room and neatly stacked them on my bookshelf…where they were in the first place.

I’ve been chipping away at my “stuff” for a couple of weeks now and here’s a shot of my living room this morning.  OK, so I staged it a little because I chose not to show the left corner of the coffee table which has 2 remote controls but I’ve been pretty good about keeping the living room like this for a week now (I even put away the coaster when I’m done with it).  I’m still shaving down the stuff that I don’t use or don’t love and I still have quite a ways to go but I did figure out some things about the way I acquire stuff:

1. Although I’m not into clothes, shoes, or bags I am into vintage house stuff.  The fact that they are readily available inexpensively at flea markets and thrift stores means that I don’t feel guilty for buying them.

2. I like the “hunt” of looking for vintage stuff.  I really love it when I spot a cool vintage mug amongst a sea of mugs at the thrift store. I think the reason I’d buy it is because it’s like a prize for my keen eye (and because it’s only 99 cents).

3. I have a habit of buying something because I think it’s worth more than what I pay for even if I don’t need it or love it. 

4. I also have a habit or picking up stuff from the curb because they’re perfectly fine.

I don’t think any of these reasons are particularly bad but now I’m more mindful of how I acquire things so hopefully I’ll think a little more the next time I pass by someone’s garbage or a thrift store. 

And here’s a website I found yesterday about living with less clutter: http://unclutterer.com/

I haven’t been crafting much lately because I’ve been busy cleaning and organizing the FlyLady way but I did make more grandma’s flower garden pieces.  I think I’ll put these on some placemats now that I got rid of all the stuff that was on my dining table!

Some things I did this weekend:

Fixed friend’s toilet (now I don’t have to help her dig out an outhouse in the backyard)

Brought yard sale leftovers to the Goodwill and DID NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THE THRIFT STORE (this is definitely the NEW “less is more” me)

Hung out with friends at Malibu beach (a city beach in Boston).  Molly (the dog that doesn’t like most dogs) got along really well with a big yellow lab (hurray!) and they both went in the water.  Molly swims!

Gave Molly a bath (the dog seems to like creeks and beaches but doesn’t like baths or rain puddles…what’s up with that?)

I’m one week into the FlyLady regimen and I’m doing great so far.  My kitchen sink is still shiny.  The dishes are washed as soon as the meal is done.  My bathroom stays clean thanks to the daily Swish and Swipe.  I cleaned the living room windows and mirrors last night and now it looks like I have a high-def mirror hanging on my wall!  Who knew cleaning could be so, uh, fun?

So Wednesday is anti-procrastination day according to FlyLady.  I’m a big time procrastinator and I actually work better under time pressure.  Unfortunately, some tasks in life don’t come with deadlines so I never get to them.   Now I have a “deadline” on Wednesdays to do the stuff that I’ve been putting off.  Off I go to make some calls and appointments!