Hello it's friday!

I have been busy working like crazy in my yard - I LOVE it.  Love being outside.  During the last couple years I have frantically downsized, but during this quarantine I actually thought to myself yesterday how grateful I am to have a nice big (1 acre) yard.

My biggest task of the past week was moving 7 large bushes out of my sister in law's yard.  She is making her yard less maintenance and I seem to be doing the opposite.

Here are four.  The middle forsythia was already there.  Not a place I would have chosen.  But I keep it pretty trimmed.  So, I figure what is 4 more?  I like how it softens the yard and make a welcoming look.  I also planted 2 (1 each side) of driveway and couple flanking my barn in the back yard.  So I guess its closer to 10.  Only 7 large ones tho, 3 small ones.

My azalea.  I also have started my veggies.  The square ones mostly planted.  I have seeds and plants I can fill in, I am staging the planting so that they are ready at stages.  The round ones will be 5 nice tomato plants.  2 cherry tomatoes will be in pots on the deck.

Well today it is cold and rainy.  So I cleaned the house.  Made DH help me.  I hope you all are staying well and finding nurturing things to do for yourself.  I signed up for an online yoga class and have been doing a few times a week.  It is good.  

Oh, my most exciting news...I think I have a job!  Working from home.  Stay tuned for more on that later.  Ta ta.

When Is One's House Really Ready to List?

I did touch up paint vanity and trim in master a week ago Sunday.  I also thoroughly cleaned master shower, door and kitchen appliances...that was week ago Saturday.  I still have little bit more caulking and touch up...then plant flowers and mulch front and back beds and help DH repaint deck and I think we are ready. 

When I came back from the wedding, my husband had packed up a dresser we are giving my niece and cleaned out his closet.  I took a huge load to Goodwill after work yesterday.

Anticipa-ation...

Remember the ketchup commercials?!

We have waited about 4 years to list our house and we still have a little while before we are ready.  But we will be listing in less than 60 days!  Last night I looked through FB and eNeighbors and saw that other people were creating evens/pages for homes that they will be soon listing.  Seemed like a good idea, so I did too and put up profile and cover picture with our view and said "View available soon!"  It really is exciting!

Last night I dropped off taxes paperwork to CPA and I am happy to have that off my plate onto his.  This weekend, we take another full load in suburban to RH.  Can't wait to get my new rug down in sitting room and bookcases in library/dining room!  So exciting.  I will post photos soon.

I also prematurely maybe, but I don't care.  packed my warmest pj's, wool sweaters, turtlenecks, coats and winter boots.  No going back now!  I am just trying to make sure that 1)  we are packing as much as we can take each trip (is 400+ miles round trip) and 2)  keep the organization going, as we unpack and put into place our long term storage/organization plan down there.  In the beginning it was easy, we just took a load and unpacked quickly.  Now, with things getting more occupied I have to do some planning to get things put away.  It is a good problem, in a way.  But some days I feel like stuff is winning.  Want to have that part behind me. 

Have a wonderful Thursday!  How is your spring cleaning/organizing/lent going?

Two Steps Forward

One step back.  At least that beats one step forward, two steps back. 

Some great strides in decluttering and saving, then I see something shiney.  Oh well.  I had saved up some money for a couple of things and so I feel ok as long as I try to stay away from impulse buying.  I had planned to get something nice for DH retirement and now that is out of the way.  I can work almost a year trying to add back to my savings to make up for that. 
 

Lots of festivals this time of the year and that is so fun!  Yesterday we went to an art show and a car show.  We had a great time, even though it was in the 90's and humid!  We also went to a great meal out Friday night and they serve family style, so LOTS of leftovers!  Also 3 friends have given us fresh produce, so I am not going to the store until late in the week, we are working on our pantry and freezer. 
 

Today we are going to a movie which is a rare treat.  We almost always do matinees due to keeping cost down.  Then we go pick up our used car that has been very challenging with all the repairs we had to shell out within months of owning it.  But I look at it like, now the vehicle has basically been rebuilt, so should last us several years. 

My DH also sold his newer truck recently so we could put that money in the bank to be able to pay off RH when we sell our CH.  It should happen still.  I also recently did a small financial assist for a family member and gave to Red Cross for hurricane and bought a shirt to help animal shelter.  So, that makes me feel really good.
 

This weekend, I thoroughly cleaned master bath everything!  Lights, doors, baseboard and floor.  I will finish up tonight with scrubbing the grout.  I also caulked a place around front door window panel and repainted that trim. 

I read another blog who recommended you hire an inspector to go through and point out stuff you can address beforehand.  I may just have BIL who has built houses do that.  I also have a friend who is really good at staging and when she was here last month, she gave me lots of ideas that I wrote down on a list.  I did not get rid of much this weekend, but now that we will have our big SUV back, I can take a giant lamp to my aunt (A2) and I am taking a large houseplant and 2 giant planters to my SIL2. 

I wish I had started blogging sooner so I could remember all the stuff I have sold, given away to family/friends and given to thrift stores.  It has been pretty substantial.  Here are a few examples:  clothes, shoes, jewelry, collectibles of certain name brands sold.  I have used Facebook market place, ebay and Poshmark.  Furniture: FB, garage sales and Craigslist.  Plus I have given plenty away.  Sentimental stuff goes back to where I got it, or on to younger people in my family.  Sporting goods, expensive small items mostly ebay.  I had a freezer that we called bulk item pick up and I have put several large things we don't want, that have little value that I have sat by the curb with a "free" sign during our neighborhood garage sale.  I will do a whole post on Poshmark sometime.  All these things I have probably make over $5000 in the past 2 years.  I also gave away some large houseplants free on Craigslist. 

The older I get, the more I think about cleaning and maintaining certain things.  I am getting tired of houseplants, but I still keep a few.  DH and I really hate to kill houseplants.  I would rather give it away.  My health condition is cooperating with me great this weekend, feel great!  I walked yesterday before it got warm and I will walk later today again, AFTER the NFL game!
 

Hope you are getting a lot of fall projects tackled!