Posted in Anti-Procrastination Challenges

Well, it's that time of week again.  *sigh*  Time for an update on my original Anti-Procrastination project (the garage) and any other projects I may have committed to or completed in the last week.  If you would like to participate in busting our homes of STUFF, please go visit my friend Mary for more information.

Okay, so the garage is.... still there.  That's about all I can say for it.  I had a helpful friend suggest we may want to wait until Spring to work on it, but the fact is that our weather is just now beginning to cool down enough for us to comfortably work out there.  Come Spring, the weather will be climbing up towards the triple digits again, so now is the time to do it.  Plus, we will have other things going on in the Spring, so now is the time for the garage.  Slowly but surely we will get 'r done, we just haven't made much progress yet.

I did, however, bust a trouble spot that had developed much like mold:  my desk.  My desk is in our dining/kitchen area, and so has a huge impact when not tidy.  It was most definitely NOT tidy last week before I got my hands on it.  Now, however, it is a treat to look at.  Don't believe me?  See for yourselves:

Before:

After:

So, while my original project mocks me every time I step out in the garage, the inside of my home is becoming controlled and comforting once again.  I can live with that.  Heck, I'll just send the boys out to the garage if I need anything; they don't even notice the mess.

Posted in Anti-Procrastination Challenges

Welcome, dear Readers, to Anti-Procrastination Day with Canadagirl.  If you have a project you are putting off, a room you can't walk by without cringing, or a mental dusting you desperately need, please do join us as we encourage each other along the way.  And if you need the little boost, there's always someone on here whose project is far worse than yours.  I'm thinking mine is it right now, so be relieved and get your piddly little thing done. *grin*  Go over to Mary's to sign up, and let's get to work!

Having said all that, I'm sorry to report that my project is unchanged from my last update.  The weather has begun to cool, so that's not the issue anymore.  I could make excuses - I have some good ones this week, want to hear?  Um, all-day online conference both Friday and Saturday, emotional stress at the beginning of the week, and hubby's working second shift this week (and next, and the next... *sigh*) so he's home all day until 3.30 p. (am I the *only* wife whose productivity seems to drop to close to nil when her husband is home?).  See?  All reasonable excuses, right?  And I'd use any one of them to blow this off, except for one thing:  I have to be honest. 

So.  Here's my honesty:  the garage is winning.  I go out there, look around, and get so overwhelmed.  I set the timer for 15 minutes, I tell myself just to focus on one thing and take care of that one thing, etc.  I know the drill.  But for whatever reason, I seem to have lost the will to clean my garage.  I suspect I need a good mental dusting, so that's what I will work on for the remainder of this week.  I will keep desperately searching for the will to keep plugging along, however, and hopefully will find it soon.  Any words of encouragement or advice are greatly appreciated.  I hope you all are having much better luck, and will be around to see your progress and cheer you on.  THAT I can still do.

Posted in Anti-Procrastination Challenges

It's time again for an update on my Anti-Procrastination Challenge:  The Garage (dunh-dunh-dunnnnnh).

Thanks totally to my sweet, encouraging friend Mary, I have actually been making some headway on my project.  I have cleared three shelves of my things and made no less than four trips out to the garbage (which completely filled our garbage container, may I add.  Hubby asked if they had forgotten to take the garbage the previous day, lol.).  I have also created three boxes/bags of items to be carted off to charity the next time I leave the house (next Monday, I'm thinking).  We also cleaned the entire recycling corner of the garage, and the boys and I took the recyclables back this past Monday.  Pictures forthcoming.

I have been forcing myself to work out there, and it's coming along bit by bit.  I don't allow myself to stay out long enough to get discouraged; I just work on one box, one item at a time.  If I let myself think about it too much, I would get totally discouraged and think I will never get this done.  Thanks to this challenge, I know that I am not alone, and that when I'm working on my project, so is Mary.  You see, we work on our project at the same time, and then reward ourselves with a 'quick' chat online.  It's motivating, and you get to tell how/what you've done.  If you would like the support that this wonderful challenge provides, please go visit Mary for more information on how to partake in the, ahem, fun.  Right.  Fun.

Back to work!

Posted in Anti-Procrastination Challenges

Today we join our lovely hostess, Mary, for our Anti-Procrastination Challenge.  If you have something you've been putting off, please do visit her over at Canadagirl to learn how to join in.

Update on previous challenge (garage):  No progress has been made.  In my defense, we are still in the triple digits weather-wise, so working out in the garage hasn't been that appealing.  I am making a renewed effort as of today to get out there, though.  Hopefully I'll have something to report next week.

This past week, though, I tackled a project in my pantry that has been giving me the doldrums every single time I open the pantry door, which, if you've visited me before, you can imagine is pretty often.  I had a shelf that was driving me batty.  So, one day last week I took 2 HOURS to clean it.  2 hours, you say?  Well, due to my successful avoidance techniques, it has been many moons since I have sorted and cleared this particular shelf.  The food shelves get tossed regularly, but this..... junk collecting shelf has been ignored (due to the curtain I put over it, lol).  So, I vowed that when I cleaned it, every item my fingers came across would be dealt with in the here and now - not stash it somewhere else to be moved again at a later date.  C'mon, you know you do it too.... Now, however, it is wonderful to open my pantry and not see this:

This:

Or this:

Instead, I see this:

And this:

And again, let me just say that it is remarkable the deep, dark places I take you people in my home.  I'm flabbergasted.

Now, show me yours! *Ü*

Posted in Anti-Procrastination Challenges

All righty.  Welcome to another edition of Anti-Procrastination Day with Canadagirl.  If you have a project you've been putting off, please do go visit Mary for details on how to join in and accomplish your goals!

I suppose I should begin this with an update on my original goal.  Since life has been full of other things lately, this goal has been put on the back-burner for the immediate time being.  Life is about prioritizing things, and while that is a priority, it's not as high as other things.  So, no date will be set for the immediate future, but it is a goal that we hope to have done within the month or so.

Instead, other projects that I have procrastinated on have been bugging me to death.  You know that of which I type:  those things that, when you walk past them, scream and taunt you until you'd like to chuck everything out the window.  Well, welcome to my former tauntor:  our upstairs supplies cabinet.

This cabinet holds our extra body care stash, as well as our new school supplies (pencils, markers, notebooks, filler paper, folders, etc.) and a shelf of computer books/ printer paper.  This cabinet has been a pain for awhile now, but since there are doors on it, I was always able to ignore it.  Until the school supplies went on sale in JULY.  Enter new school supplies that need a home:

Well, the temporary home they found was on my dryer, and today I snapped.  I'm tired of working around them, and they have to go!

So, I pulled out all of the garbage and assorted items one finds in a cabinet that hasn't been cleaned in over a year:

and voila!  I found room for the supplies and gained a clean and silent cabinet out of the deal.

All went well except for an incident involving an empty tossed marker box and a sleeping dog.

He was less than thrilled.

As as aside, I find it amazing that I show you all the contents of my cabinets (BEFORE and after), when my own mother isn't allowed to go in one.  Isn't blogging amazing?

Posted in Anti-Procrastination Challenges

Well, well, well.  Here we are, September 2nd.  The due date of some of our members in the Anti-Procrastination Challenge hosted by Canadagirl.  I know that my due date to have my challenge finished was September 2nd.  I'm sorry to say that my challenge did *not* get completed as I thought it would, and so will be taking an extension of another two weeks.  I would say a week, but who am I kidding, really?

I don't feel as bad about it as I thought I would, because in its place I did a higher-priority job I had been procrastinating on, namely lesson planning for the school year.  I am happy to report that as of 15 minutes ago, my lesson plans for the whole upcoming school year, which begins tomorrow, are fleshed out.  Of course I still need to organize the week-by-week science, history, geography projects, and assign topics for papers, but the overall lesson plans are done.  Here is Piper's plan (sorry for the photo quality; do you have any idea what time it is here?  waaaay past my bedtime...):

And here is Jigger's plan:

I also had hubby install another bookcase, but this one is downstairs in the living room (the library just can't plumb hold anymore).  This one is for current school books only, along with some of my daily books.  I just love it, and plan to put fall decorations up top real soon.

So, while I didn't finish my original project, it was only because I prioritized my projects and school won out.  I hope to have a lovely update for you all next week on the status of my OP.  Until then, if you would like to participate in our Anti-Procrastination Challenge, please do go visit our lovely hostess Mary for more information.

Posted in Anti-Procrastination Challenges

Well, apparently it's time for an update on my A-P project.  (kicking the ground with the toe of my shoe, hands clasped behind my back, eyes studying the ground in avoidance)  Here's my update:                      .

(blush)

Ahem.

Yeah, about that.  Remember how last Tuesday we all chose a project?  Then, remember how my family left on Wednesday for five days to celebrate hubby's birthday?  (thank you all so much for the wonderful wishes, by the way)  Welllllllll, that kinda sorta means that nothing got touched.  Nothing.

But, I still maintain that next Tuesday is our project's due date, so don't worry.  On the other hand, if you've actually seen my project, you probably could worry with good cause.  On that note, I have work to do... 

Posted in Anti-Procrastination Challenges

Today is the beginning of a new meme from the lovely Canadagirl, Mary.  This one is different from the others, however, in that it challenges and encourages you to tackle projects you'd rather pass with your eyes squeezed shut.  Today is our first Anti-Procrastination Challenge.  This challenge was born out of the support, encouragement, and plain old nagging Mary and I gave each other in previous projects, and we feel that everyone should feel that love.  (grin)

To participate, choose a project that you have been avoiding like the plague, snap a before picture, write a little bit about it, post your photo, set a time limit, then head over to Mary's to be held accountable.  Yes, posting a photo of it is absolutely necessary.  Otherwise, that mortification that is 90% of your motivation is absent.  Trust me, you are not alone.  For proof of that, may I present my project, our garage:

As you can see, it needs a *liiiiittle* bit of work (blush).  Hubby and I are motivated now, thanks entirely to Mary, and we will have this done by September 2nd, which is two Tuesdays from now.  Come you-know-what or high water.  If you don't see my post two weeks from today, then the garage won.  Call the proper authorities.