Tag Archives: house

Change Is Good. (And Scary.) (But Mostly Good.)

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At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself.

danielfam

A big change is coming to my little family. After 13 years in our “starter” home we are planning a move. Naturally, because we are us, we’ve actually been talking about this move for years. Seriously, years.

Last summer my parents sold my childhood home (how DARE they?) and took up permanent residence down in sunny Florida (yep, that’s how they dared). However, before doing so they mentioned that they’d really love to snowbird with us, will miss our kids (maybe us too, I suppose), ectera, on and on and so forth… and it lit the fire under our butts. We took months prepping our home for sale.

greenhouse

Our sweet, cute, little home.

It’s where we came home to after our wedding. And had our first dog. And a few years later, brought our first baby home.

babylucas

It’s where we’ve had many first days of school.

preschoolucas

And an almost equal amount of last days of school.

summerdaniels

I’ve learned how to cook here, in a heinous kitchen. And become an even better cook in a way better kitchen.

oldkitchen

newkitchen

We learned about the trials and tribulations of home ownership in this home. We made questionable decorating choices (like painting our bedroom bright blue, for example) and then slightly better decorating choices along the way.

corkD

Our older son became a big brother in this house with the addition of our youngest son.

preg

The boys became best friends here.

brothers3

brothers1

brothers2

In this home I ran my first ever mile on my treadmill. Like, EVER. And many subsequent miles since.

treadmill6

I’ve been blessed by the amount of friends that have come to visit over the years and snuggle with me on my couch, whether it be for life celebrations, races they are running in the area, or just hanging out and going to the drive-in movies together.

We’ve had a lot of fun here. Some sad memories too, but mostly happy ones, filled with a lot of joy.

lemonadestandhouse

pumpkins

flowers

wheelbarrow

It’s been good to us these past 13 years. And change is hard. But we accepted an offer on our home after it had been on the market for just 2 weeks; there are new people who will live here in a few months and I hope it’s just as wonderful and memory-making for them.

We’re on the search for our new home at the moment and while it’s daunting, I’m remaining fairly zen about the entire process. I know that wherever we land it will be good, because we will be together.

What big moves have you made recently? How do you tap into your moment of zen? 

Spring cleaning (and other odds and ends)

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I will it away each year – the dreaded spring cleaning.

My goal is steadfast: clear out clutter, recycle paper junk and send boxes of gently used items to charity.

Check, check and check.

I don’t know about you, but I have loads more to tackle. Most years, unless I take days off of work to tidy up, paint and declutter, it falls to the wayside. This spring, I was on a mission to reclaim a few rooms.

It was Meri’s mom who offered the sage advice: Pick a room and start. The rest will fall into place.

So last month, that’s just what I did.  And for the first time in three years, I can once again see the floor of our office.

spin clean 028I wish I had taken a pic before I started my cleaning frenzy, but this part of the room was filled with office supplies and samples and old magazines. ALL GONE!

Among the personal goodies I trashed were my old discman and my answering machine, which didn’t record any more. Why oh why do I still own that? (Side note, if you call my home number, you no longer have the option to leave a message. Call my cell or email me instead.)

spin clean 027These boxes are ready to be donated

I love to share no-longer-needed items with a local charity, A Second Thought. It’s run  by a local Christian-based non profit and the proceeds benefit programs for people with disabilities. Every few months, I take bags of clothes there. It’s a win all around – they get items to sell or share with people in need, and I reclaim my closet.

Slowly, I am making my way through my house and items my husband stockpiled when he worked from home for a few years. We’re working our way through boxes and sending them to off their new homes.

However, I get easily sidetracked by trying new recipes – and new workouts.

spin clean 004 Easter Enchiladas!

spin clean 017

Spin class in the local YMCA’s new spinning stadium! I think I found my new Monday morning workout!

spin clean 025

And halfway through writing this post I decided I HAD to make banana bread.

Really, I know it’s a work in progress. It will never be perfect. It’s so far from ideal its not even funny.

Here are a few tips to help you declutter:

– While considering getting rid of an item – ask yourself when you last saw or used an item. If your answer is over a year, toss it.

Books get their own category in my home as I’m a complete bookworm. I hold onto books (and newspaper clippings) far longer than I should. I blame my profession. Lately, I’ve been clearing those away too:

– I ask if I have any plans in the next year to read or re-read the book. If the answer is no, away goes the book.

– Put paper junk directly into the recycling, shredder or garbage can. Don’t let it lay around. Cut it off at the pass.

– Not sure if you want to permanently get rid of a once-beloved item? Put it in the “not sure” box. Revisit that box a few months later. If you didn’t even think about the item(s) inside, you know its fate.

And don’t worry – you’re not alone. Here’s a look at the room I am dreading. (I just shut the door to cope.)

clutter 001No, really. This is real.

 Happy Spring y’all! Please share your tips on what works best for you when trying to declutter?