Week 8: Meal Planning and Weekly Cleaning

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #8: Meal Planning

Tuesday: Begin meal planning 

Wednesday: Fill out menu planning ideas form for inspiration for meal planning

Thursday: Create a menu board so everyone knows what's for dinner or other meals

Friday: Create running grocery list 

Saturday: Create weekly list of errands and shopping list

Sunday: Declutter and recycle batteries and light bulbs

----

We have used a running grocery list for quite some time, and it's brilliant. Some things are added to the list when we are running low (eg loo roll). Others are added when the last one is started (sauce), and others when the last one is finished (bananas). This means there is always a stock of the essentials.  

From the start of the year, we have been menu planning. This is also brilliant. The decision of 'what do you want for dinner?' no longer happens at the end of the working day, but at a relaxed time. When the menu has been planned, we check the fridge, pantry and freezer if an item is needed it's added to the shopping list.    

This week, I'll be working on creating a weekly cleaning list. One of the side effects of decluttering is the cobwebs, dust and grime is far more visible!  This needs to be tackled.  My plan is to concentrate on one room/zones each day. entry/stairs, sitting room, kitchen, vestibule/laundry/shower room, bathroom/loo, and bedroom.  At some point, the dining room will be added to the mix, but it needs to be decluttered first!

Sunday will be kitchen day.  

15 Minutes Organisation: Creating a Bullet Journal

A little while back I came across the idea of bullet journals, and thought 'That's cute', and promptly allowed it to dribble out of my brain. The examples I had viewed had too many drawings, fancy decorations and it didn't seem something that would be useful to me. The name 'journal' also put me off. To me, it has overtones  of writing a touchy-feely diary. I haven't done that since I was a teenager.

Then, a youTuber mentioned it, and I re-examined it.  I tried it out at work, in a simplified version, and it went well.  I've now set up my personal bullet journal, using the method found here. It is at one and the same time more complicated, and also simpler than my work one.  When I was doing it at work I was half remembering the set up instructions.  On Monday, I'll add in the sections I need to bring it up to speed.  I had also a rolling bullet point list. This will change on Monday.

Kitchen Goodies

My child has labelled me a hipster as I have just bought three sets of these lovely glass jars, that's 15 jars in total.  They will not be used to serve up sausage and mash, or trifle, but will instead be used to store such things as flour, sugar, oats, pasta, lentils, etc. I love the look of them, and they are so practical.

Another kitchen goodie is my new oil dispenser. I had been pouring oil from a two litre plastic bottle. The bottle dribbled and always glugged out too much oil. This oil dispenser does not dribble, and gives far greater flow control.

My kitchenware style can be summed up as glass, silver, uncluttered and simple.

Project 333: 17th February 2016

I am loving Project 333.  I'm finding it liberating.  Having a restricted palette means decision making is so very much easier.  There's a few pieces that don't go together.  The plum skirt and top are not a good mix, and neither are the green cardigan and teal tops.  Black and navy are not a combination I like. The navy trousers can really only be worn with the navy cardigan or the green one.  This is a bit limiting.  In the next cycle I will make better choices.

My choice of clothing for today is almost identical to the 13th of February, white top, purple skirt,  black cardigan, purple scarf, black shoes, and the twist is grey tights.

It was useful at the start of this project to keep a list of the clothing I have been wearing.  However, I'm no longer feel it to be useful.  I'm going to stop creating a daily list, and instead post only when I have something to say about it, or when a new cycle starts.

15 Minute Declutter: Packing up a Bedroom

A start has been made on packing up The Elder's books and CDs. It is going to take time to pack away and remove all of her belongings.

Project 333: 16th February 2017

Green and Blacks, makers of lovely dark chocolate, but also today's colours.

Black top, black sweater, black trousers, socks and shoes. Green cardigan and scarf.

15 Minute Declutter: Crafting materials dumped

Over time, crafting materials have been dumped in my bedroom.  It transformed into a huge, intimidating mound. I feared each item would be require a decision, and a decision filled with regret. It might be regret because of a poor purchase. It could be the regret was for items started, but not finished. It could even be general regret.

Hmm... about half of the mound has been sorted, and the emotion filled thing didn't happen.  There's one bag of rubbish, another of materials to be donated to the Children's Centre, and a third I wish to keep.  Well, keep for now. Things might look different when I start work in my craft room.

Project 333: 15th February 2017

Black top, grey merino sweater, black skirt, black tights, black shoes, rainbow scarf.

15 Minute Declutter: Packing Soft Toys

My elder child went off to university just over 3 years ago. Up until this Christmas she still had her room at home, full of her things. My younger child is moving into the 'Teal Room', but it's still full of Number 1's stuff. Over the next few days (weeks), I'll be packing up a bedroom full of stuff. Her belongings will be put away in boxes, and the boxes labelled. She can then decide what to do with them. Today, it's the turn of the soft toys.

Project 333: 14th February 2017

The Beloved gave me this brooch for my birthday last year. It works its magic holding my shawl in place. Today's shawl is purple, and it's being worn with a black top, black skirt, black tights, black shoes and black cardigan. Whilst at work a grey sweater was also being worn.

The 30 Day Wait and Buy Happy

A great tip I came across whilst watching video clips on decluttering and minimalism is to have a 30 day waiting period before making unplanned purchases. It's a chance to slow down and consider the purchase. There's no point in decluttering only to restock your home with new clutter.

During the decluttering of the linen cupboard at the start of January, I realised we only had one spare/guest bath towel. I added 'big fluffy bath towel' to the 30 Day list in the back of my journal. Whilst shopping for new tights at the start of this month, I realised 30 days were up on the bath towel, and bought it. Having a general browse around the shop I spotted this clock.

"Ohh!" thought I. "I like it," and it had been marked down from £89 to £45.  So it was added to my 30 Day list.  The temptation was there to buy it immediately, especially as it was half price!   

Last night, I bought a new Kindle (my old one is old, and is starting to wheeze and groan). The model I have just bought isn't the newest, but there was a 30% reduction, and it does all the things I need/want it to do. As I was removing the Kindle from my 30 Day list, I thought about the clock. I do like it, and it would look good in my home. But, I don't love it. The clock was removed from my list.

Another useful tip I picked up was "Buy Happy". Too often we buy things to cheer ourselves up, rather than because we need, want, love, or even like the item. If you are not happy, then stay out of the shops. Only buy when you are happy and content.

Week 7: Coupons, Gift Cards and Loyalty Cards

When a good system is set up it needs to be able to accommodate the needs of many people. This week's challenges will be just right for some people, but almost completely redundant for me.

Clipping coupons is a big thing in the USA, but it is almost none existent on my little island. With my store/credit card I accrue points when I shop. Periodically I am sent vouchers and special offers. Recently I received £24 in vouchers and a few 'earn triple points in X department'. This is the extent of my couponing.

Monday: Read Organised Home Challenge #7: Coupons

Tuesday: Gather coupons and declutter 

Wednesday: Separate coupons into categories and organise them

Thursday: Create grocery price book

We are in the very fortunate position of not needing to track sales, or the price of apples.

Friday: Declutter excess stockpile from couponing

Saturday: Declutter and organise gift cards and loyalty cards

Done.

Sunday: Declutter Valentine's Day cards, candy and decorations

The Beloved and I don't go in for Valentine's Day, and so there's nothing to clear up afterwards.

15 Minute Declutter: Bathroom

Three quarters of the bedroom has been decluttered. The Beloved has had a massive clear out of the things on top of his chest of drawers. And I have stalled with the crafting materials in my bedroom. I suspect it is simply I don't have a lot of brain power, and there are too many decisions for me to handle.

To simplify, I ventured into the bathroom today. Making decisions about old toothbrushes is far easier than deciding the fate of crafting materials. (I kept one as toothbrushes are useful for scrubbing small areas like around the taps on the sink.) Old bathroom products and toothbrushes were bid a fond farewell. A few bits of bed linen left lying around since the linen cupboard declutter were added to pile of things leaving the house. The sink, shelf, mirror and storage shelves were cleaned. There's more cleaning to do, but the room is looking better.

Project 333: 13th February 2017

White top, purple skirt, black cardigan, black tights, black shoes, purple scarf.

Project 333: 12th February 2017

A change from the norm today, navy was worn!  Navy spotty trousers, long navy cardigan, teal t-shirt, silk/merino socks,  and black shoes.

Project 333: 11th Feb 2017

Grey merino sweater, black trousers, black socks, black shoes, black cardigan, red mini shawl.

Interesting! These shoes were too tight for me a while back. Now they fit rather nicely.

Decluttering?

What's happened to the daily updates on decluttering? Tiredness, a grumpy body, and extra sleep have thrown decluttering out of the window!

However, meals have been cooked, dishes have been wash, clothing has been laundered, and the house is running smoothly. The Beloved has been engaging a little with decluttering. Progress hasn't ground to a halt. We are still moving forward, just at a very slow pace.

Project 333: 10th February 2017

Teal top, black cardigan, black skirt, grey tights, black boots,  green Borromean scarf, waterproof jacket and fleece.

The fleece was most definitely required at work today. Instead of my usual 8.30am start, it was 8am. The heating had not come on, and the office was at 12C.  

Project 333: 9th February 2017

My clothing choices were made almost in the dark last night. In the cold light of day, various substitutions were needed. The plum top does not go with the purple skirt, and it only fits in with the rainbow scarf. These changes have left me with plum top, rainbow scarf and black everything else (cardigan, skirt, tights, shoes).

The rainbow scarf was finished just after the news of Robin William's death came in. I had been wondering how to finish it off, and decided the thicker band of the rainbow would be a reminder of the braces Robin wore when he was playing Mork from Ork.

Project 333: 8th February 2017

Merino sweaters are great. They are wonderful for layering, and they are warm and snuggly. The previous ones were thicker than my current ones, and I'm on the look out for some new, thicker ones. The ones I'm wearing this season have been darned and could do with being replaced.

My black merino sweater is being worn with a black top underneath, a deep purple skirt and a lighter purple shawl. Thick grey tights and black boots finish it off. There's a pair of hand knitted purple socks too. The boots hide them from view, but they keep my feet toasty on a cold day.