Mystery Bin Decluttering

My mission (because I chose to accept it) is to look in the opague mystery bins in my laundry room and pare them down.

And today I dedicate this mission to Erin at unclutterer.com.

I've been avoiding the bins because:
a) they fit in the shelves
b) they are opague and therefore look organized
c) there was so much more obvious stuff to declutter first!

With the rest of the house in show-home condition there is no time like the present to tackle this hidden hoard... man that's a lot of storage, and man oh man thats a lot of "stuff" that I don't use everyday!

My mantra for this mission:

Will my life LACK without this?

Odds are -- for most of this -- the answer will be an easy "NO". And for the rest of it I can ask "Am I honouring this item?" "Is this the best place for this?" and "Why is this in a bin?"

I look forwarding to posting the results soon.

The house drama

The other offer was accepted.

What that means is they have invoked the "24 hour clause" for us to remove all subjects by tomorrow (Tuesday) at 9:00 AM or lose the house. All the subjects are already removed except our subject to sell our house... so that means if we don't find a way to come up with the money to sustain our house AND buy that house in writing by tomorrow morning (but effective August 31st), then the decision is made for us.

I feel sick with wanting that house and yard and location.

But I just got off the phone with the bank. Between what we owe on our home (small) and what we owe on our rental place (more) we do not qualify for the full amount of the other house on top of it. They don't include very much of the rent as income (it makes sense to save people from stupid borrowing)... so the decision is made without us. We can't have it.

I have to live with my pretty house and tiny mortgage and NOT pay atrocious fees and taxes and lawyers... awwwwww.....

(Actually I can still have a tiny spark of hope that the other deal gets broken somehow between now and closing, so we will keep our house listed until we know for 100% sure that it's no longer on the market)

Fingers Crossed... for what exactly?

Well... I'm not sure what to say. I feel very apprehensive. Someone else is submitting an offer on the house T & I want to buy. Emotionally I have already moved in, so this is heartbreaking to me. My BRAIN says "it's okay, you are fine in this house", but my heart is saying "waaaaah I want the other house!"

Maybe it will be a low-ball offer and we are still the best deal on the table?

Maybe the others will get cold feet?

Maybe the open house will go AMAZING tomorrow and we can rescue our offer on the other place in the required time period?

It's beyond my realm of influence at this point, so I just have to relax and let the chips fall where they may.

(If it all falls apart, we will have wasted quite a bit of time and the cost of the inspection, but the projects around this house are done and we know where we stand here.... not a total loss by any means.)

OPEN HOUSE ON SATURDAY!!!

We have an open house on Saturday!


But EEEEK.... I had the garden outside my bedroom 1/2 ripped up and literally a tonne of gravel that I forced my husband to get last night in the bed of the pick-up..... a whole storey down and 50 feet away from the destination. What to do?!

Well, hiring youth is the way to go! My 14 year old, Steve, called a couple buddies and they had it all unloaded and up to the garde -- DONE  -- in 2 hours! Other than directing buckets, and moving plants and paving stones, all I had to do was offer sweet beverages, a bag of chips and some pizza from Little Georges.

I wish I had taken "before" pictures but it all happened so FAST.

(new view from my bedroom window....)

(new view from the deck...)

(new view from the North...)

 (new view from the gate that leads into the yard...)

I simply couldn't be happier with the results.... now that part of the yard looks "on purpose" instead of like a dead zone. One less thing to do for the Open house HOORAY for Steve and Friends, and the power of teens!!!!

Navel Gazing

House is ready.... nobody is looking.

Summer is here... the summer weather is not.

Cat pooped in an open office drawer last night ... WTF??? (Good thing it was full of paper things I should have decluttered already!)

I have big plans for a pretty gravel garden in the backyard by my bedroom... no grass grows there anyways... but no truck to get the gravel, T has the big wheels today.

We need to get a "letter of consent" notorized so that my kids can go cross the boarder to Seattle with their grandpa to see the sights... it means organizing documents and getting T to meet me at the notary's (he will whine).

I love reading financial blogs... but I have a complaint. They are always about reducing debt, minimizing debt impact and fast-tracking debt payments... but what about those of us that don't have crippling debt? I want to know how to boost my savings and maximizing my returns with minimal risk and finding ways to cut taxes, and where the best interest rates are hiding for TSFA's.... boring, yes. But it's what I want. Just because my debt isn't out of control doesn't mean that I don't have money stress too.... day to day expenses and my fluctuating income keep me plenty worried.

My dog is a good dog. But he sheds, and he stinks and he tracks grit from one end of the house to the other... oh how I am tired of that. But he is a good dog.

Steve had the same migraine that I suffered in April at least is seemed the same... thundering head, violent vomiting, short gulping breaths, etc... after his stomache had emptied, I gave him some Gravol, Tylenol and tucked him into bed with 2 cold magicbags for his eyes and skull. Oh my poor boy, I am so very sad that he suffers these!

Photo Op.

This is a first for me. I've never seen a Garter snake in a tree before... he looked very content., laying in tidy coils, taking in the rare sun about 4 ft off the ground on this dense shrub. He was very accommodating letting me take his picture!

(Good thing I'm not frightened of them anymore)

I found his colours juxtaposed against the bright green of the tree very pretty.

I'm getting anxious

(picture source)

What can I do?

Nobody calls for showings, nobody is calling to see (let alone buy) my house!

The realtor says we have done everything right, the house is clean and decluttered, we priced it sharply compared to others in the neighbourhood -- we even got the pre-inspection done so there would be no surprises. However, the crappy weather seems to be making a dull market. It's not just our house, all price-points are sluggish.  The only good news is no one is looking at the one we want to buy either, so there is little chance of them enacting the "24 hour financing subject" by getting another offer.

BUT I'm going crazy with anxiety! I feel in flux and it's uncomfortable. Everyday we do a little more to improve our house (trimming unruly ivy yesterday) but what's the point if no one comes to see?

There will be an open house next weekend.... if anyone comes...

It could be worse.... we could be peskered night and day for showings with no offers... well I think that would be worse but I have no frame of reference do I?

On a side note: I feel sorry for the kite festival, silly boat race and sandcastle competition going on this weekend, yucky yucky weather. Heavy rain and so dark its just eeewwww.... never seen this particular weekend so ick before. I have no desire to go to any of these fun events with the rain, I want to just stay home and sulk by the phone.

Your Money or Your Life Rant

I follow some finance blogs. I find them grounding and they help me stay on my goals. Right now the poor dears are fretting about the slow recovery of the "economic downturn" and ways to combat the losses.

Thinking ahead and preventative financing are great ideas in any economy. However, I am not a fan of the "get a second job" approach when there is a young family at home. If mom is working a full time job (and something on the side) and dad is working full time (and something on the side) then WHO is spending time with the kids? (note: I'm not arguing the merits of daycare, there is some excellent quality childcare out there, and it's expensive.)

Of course, if you have dug a hole of debt so deep that it's the only option, that is a whole other argument you gotta do what you gotta do... BUT if you want more money so you work 2 jobs, that's the issue I am talking about.

Just think about it.... One parent or the other could cut back or rotate with the other parent and then not as much money is needed - it's a tough concept to wrap the head around -- working less = spending less = more opportunities to save. (The bonus of actually seeing your kids grow would be nice too.) Some would argue that then they couldn't afford to give their kids the finer things like ipads, cellphones, video games and trips to Disneyland! To that I say "so what?". Wouldn't life be finer without having to worry about paying for all that crap? No iphone means no iphone bill! And if you are home, why do you need a cellphone? Maybe all those extra curricular activities that cost so much are more for you than for them? Twenty channels instead of over 500 isn't really that bad, especially when you don't have to work more hours to pay for the excessive bill!

I don't want to hear any whining about "I deserve it because I work hard" that's crap.
You HAVE to work hard because you WANT it. That's the truth. The whole needs/wants things is so distorted... I'm a victim of it too, I didn't NEED to go to Italy (or England) and I don't NEED about 80% of the stuff in my house either.

Maybe spending some time actually living in that house more than just dusk to dawn and using it's stuff that you are working so hard to pay for would be a refreshing lifestyle change? You may even discover that you could use a smaller house? Or less vehicles?

Working costs money too. so working 2 jobs has to cost more. There is the obvious, like the transportation costs, the wardrobe, the "occasions" that crop up, eating out, coffee to-go, DAYCARE, etc etc. Then there are the subtle increases like the cost of not having time to cook from scratch, being exposed to more advertising or shop windows, the peer pressure from coworkers to have or do things that you may not have thought of at home, not having time to keep up with home maintenance (so having to hire people), needing to "unwind" after work with entertainment or pampering, and the GUILT-presents for the kids and spouse to compensate for the lack of attention, etc, etc, etc.

I've seen it first hand, I've experienced these expenses myself!
I love making meals for the family- taking the time to chose the ingredients and prepare them the way I like it. I also love being home for my kids when they get home from school (and being able to call the teachers if I have to). I like knowing who my kids are (and knowing their friends). I like using the house every day all day. T sacrifices 40 hours a week to help give me the freedom to stay home. I sacrifice about 10 - 20 hours a week at the computer to pay for the "extras" like dirtbiking and trips. We work together to decide what is a WANT and what is a NEED so that we are on the same page about how much money has to come in and how much we will let go out. They aren't reactionary decisions because we have the time together to really think about it.

I chose to live with less and live more. And I am a pretty happy gal for the most part. Sure I drool over the occasional gadget, and I wonder at the idea of a NEW car or deluxe family vacation, but the truth of it is we have a mighty fine life and I would challenge any parenting couple working more than 80 combined hours a week to see if their life is happier more balanced or richer than my family's.

I'm blathering on all self-righteously... Is that vain of me to say? Probably.

Oh ya, it's my blog. I can blather on about how great my life is all day long!

Good side effects of listing my house.

My home is a lean, mean, decluttered show-home at the moment. I am completely amazed at how much FASTER it is to clean, and how much easier it is to find things!

And of course I HAVE to keep it clean, laundry caught up and paper piles hidden just in case the phone rings for a viewing. T has been LOVING this, it's something he has wanted as long as I've known him... I am enjoying his calmer at-home-self, and the kids seem to be enjoying the tidy rooms too.

HOWEVER there is a bunch of boxes sitting in my sister's garage with my name on them. They are things that differentiate my home from a show home... family photos, etc. This perfection of decluttering is a tad sterile to me, just a bit too much echoing upstairs, y'know?

It is a lesson in my comfort level with stuff. I am happy with the practical sides of this streamlined life. But I need a bit more "me" to show. I do have more removing to do and I can do it with the confidence that it is a good thing!

How does your garden grow?

Mine's looking pretty pathetic, I'm telling you!
The plants are stunted from the cold weather, and then when it starts brightening up and things start showing some real growth.... the DEER come along and nibble the peas, beans, peppers and strawberries to the ground! Cute but annoying... I love a good venison roast, too bad Bambi's are protected in city limits....

oh well... I had 2 good GREAT years of veggies out of it, lets hope next year (in our new place maybe?!) will be better.

On the bright side, I went out berry picking today while the REALTOR tour was on at my house, and found 3 cherry trees in behind the lake we are moving closer to! I managed to reach a few ripe little cherries on the lower branches and they are YUMMY! And of course the last of the salmon berries and the first of the thimble berries and even some tiny huckle berries were ready for my eager hands. I came home and made genuine "fruiti di bosco" (forest berry) biscuits with my walk's harvest. Yummy.

I didn't want to get my hopes up about that other place, but it's happened. I am 100% ready to let someone else live in my house and move onto the other one. Even the rest of the family is on board. Steve was the foot-dragger but now he is keen on moving too. I am ready - really really ready.

My house is online

... and the first viewing is tomorrow afternoon! EEEEEK!

Check out the pictures though... that REALTOR has some skills with the fancy camera, heck I want to buy that house!

brain full - no room for whimsy!

Photos were taken of my house last night.
I woke a 6:00 am and cleaned like a mad woman for 12 hours.
It's a sparkly model of decluttered ideal! (But we'll see how the pictures turn out. It's funny how all the things that make a garden private hinder good photo taking angles... oh well.)

The house has been on MLS(without photos) for HOURS now! Why hasn't anyone called? LOL.

* Professional inspection of the other house is happening this afternoon. A very expensive exercise that we managed to avoid with the last 2 homes we bought. A well... this house has too many variables - we need to be sure of what we are getting into. If it is a bad report, we will suck up the $500 learning experience and ask for our deposit check back. If it is the kind of report we can make the decisions to accept, then we will be wiser and ready to go.

Things are moving so FAST!

The offer on that house was accepted.

Our house is listed.

Inspection on the other house tomorrow.

We need offers on this one now!

I have just been informed that the comments part of my blog is broken. I am so sorry.
No settings were changed, so I'm not sure what's up.
IMO The blog word is just great when everything works and just plain annoying when there is a glitch.

My work has reached new heights..... literally.

I am typing this post from my new (and improved) standing desk position! I worked at it all day, and though I have to admit I spent more time on the stool than actually standing, it was really nice to have the change in position, and I felt more like working and less like reading blog after blog after blog (sorry folks, but it was really cutting into my productivity).

It looks a little bizarre when you first walk into the office, but it's VERY comfortable... and strangely I don't like seeing things on the surface (so far) so this could be perfect.

Another angle... space under the desk.... so nice!

This is what it looked like a couple weeks ago.... pretty okay, but still a clutter magnet.

And of course, the starting point. Oh man that's embarassing...

Here's to progress!

I'm at it AGAIN...

We put an offer on a house this weekend... yes, that's right, I'm once again threatening to move from my cozy home of 12 years.

After the initial viewing, I got very excited about the location, layout and yard. So we arranged a 2nd viewing. The rose coloured glasses came off for that one, time to be practical.

CONS:

It was built 19 years before my home, so of course it will have more issues.

The house is cheaply done inside.

There is only one bathtub (and it's rough), the en suite is just a 2nd toilet and vanity really.

The kitchen is not only VERY ugly, but in poor shape (and grimy too).

I don't think the house was re-roofed very well because there are places I think should have flashing that don't (then again I am no pro).

It looks like a timber in the very low crawl was replaced, why?

BUT! PROS:

Great price

It's exactly the right size for us. and I could see it working even after the boys leave home -- grandkids could be visiting us in that place.

The floorplan has nice flow.

The kitchen is ugly, but the layout is good -- huge, bright eating area too.

There is a mudroom off the back door (oh how we would appreciate one!)

Detached shop that is very nice actually, 6 years old, wired for everything, bright and insulated

Small 2 car garage attached to the house (my BMW and all the bicycles would LOVE to have a roof over them at night)

Fairly level lot, fully fenced and backing onto a forest/lake area... the birds are amazing (I bet the deer and raccoons are too)

PRIVATE backyard, the neighbours on both sides have shops and there are lots of trees so I'm sure my T's tinkering would be acceptable there.

Still well within the kids' school's catchment area and near friends.
Almost the end of the NO THRU road.

Rancher, so no stairs for my MS suffering MIL to navigate.

Enough usable land to plant things! (OMG I could have apples! plums! pears!)

The CONS are fixable (pending inspection of course) the PROS in that combination are hard to find in this neighbourhood.... I know I put offers on places almost annually, but this one has the least compromises of them all -- amazing!

A SLEEPLESS night was spent weighing the paralyzing stress of moving away from our dear home against the elation at the thought moving to a place that suits our lifetsyle so very very well. Then we rose early and at 8:30 am we met the realtor and put in an offer.... BUT not only that, we also agreed to LIST OUR HOUSE (that's a step we have never gotten to before)!!!!

There are lots of chances for it not to happen at this point.... we might not be able to sell our place in time, the inspection could be nasty, another offer could come that blows ours out of the water, etc, etc.... meanwhile I have to declutter with an intensity I never have had before and keep the house squeaky clean for the realtor to take photos, have an open house, viewings, stress, packing, stress, etc, etc, etc.....