I actually did what I said I would do last night. I had several items in my cupboard that had expired in 2005 - ick. The one problem that I've found is that some items don't have an expiration date on them. Muir Glen canned tomatoes, which I for some reason have a TON of, don't appear to have any expiration date. I searched the Internet for some sort of UPC decifering method to no avail.
I did, however, find an interesting article on the meaning of use by, best if used by, and sell by. So, I have contacted Muir Glen via e-mail with my question. If I don't hear back within a week, I am afraid that I will have to toss the tomatoes. Alas....
TODAY'S GOAL: Clear off the chair in my living room. Do you have one of these? It's the place that things on the sofa or table get put. My goal this evening is to find a new home for EVERYTHING on the chair. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Inspiration
Messies Anonymous
So, what has finally gotten me inspired to start (or quit, as in quit being messy)? For about the past month or so, I have been subscribing to the daily newsletter of Messies Anonymous. It is the only place/program that I have found that is for hard-core messies, not simply people aspiring to live like Martha Stewart. Most of it is aimed towards families, and it can tend to get a bit Holy Roller-ish, but overall, it offers great advice in bite-sized pieces. If you're a messie too, you know how easy it is to get down on yourself and discouraged. This program knows that and works to counteract it.
The Weekend Cleanup
This weekend, my boyfriend and several friends went over to "Bill" and "Hillary"'s house to help them declutter and dig out. I arrived after they had made substantial progress, but I was still stunned by the condition. At least twelve contractor size bags had been filled with trash, and they had only tackled the downstairs. According to reports, when the friends arrived, not only the top of the dining room table was covered, but stuff was on the floor underneath the table. I was afraid of their bathroom. Upon further discussion, it was revealed that this was not the first time that Bill and Hillary had requested their friends' assistance.
I, for one, would rather walk naked through Times Square than have my friends sort through my crap. The friends were not very nice about it, but considering this is a periodic adventure, I can understand their consternation. Still, it made me realize that, no matter what, I do not want to allow myself to get into that bad of a situation. Poor Hillary looked so defeated.
So, what has finally gotten me inspired to start (or quit, as in quit being messy)? For about the past month or so, I have been subscribing to the daily newsletter of Messies Anonymous. It is the only place/program that I have found that is for hard-core messies, not simply people aspiring to live like Martha Stewart. Most of it is aimed towards families, and it can tend to get a bit Holy Roller-ish, but overall, it offers great advice in bite-sized pieces. If you're a messie too, you know how easy it is to get down on yourself and discouraged. This program knows that and works to counteract it.
The Weekend Cleanup
This weekend, my boyfriend and several friends went over to "Bill" and "Hillary"'s house to help them declutter and dig out. I arrived after they had made substantial progress, but I was still stunned by the condition. At least twelve contractor size bags had been filled with trash, and they had only tackled the downstairs. According to reports, when the friends arrived, not only the top of the dining room table was covered, but stuff was on the floor underneath the table. I was afraid of their bathroom. Upon further discussion, it was revealed that this was not the first time that Bill and Hillary had requested their friends' assistance.
I, for one, would rather walk naked through Times Square than have my friends sort through my crap. The friends were not very nice about it, but considering this is a periodic adventure, I can understand their consternation. Still, it made me realize that, no matter what, I do not want to allow myself to get into that bad of a situation. Poor Hillary looked so defeated.
April 1: The First Day of My Decluttering
I have spent alot of time trying to get going on decluttering and organizing. You might even say that I've wasted alot of time trying to get started. So, I've done what countless others have in my quest to do something that I am loathe to do - I started a blog.
Each weekday I will post my goal for the evening. Don't make too much fun of the small nature of my goal. I have learned that babysteps can lead to a mile can lead to a marathon. I will follow up with the results the next posting day. I will post weekend goals on Fridays and follow up on Monday. For my weekend tasks, I will try to include before and after pictures.
TODAY'S GOAL: Throw out at least 10 items from the kitchen that are expired or will definitely not be used and are not appropriate for donation (opened items).
I am planning on cooking dinner, so I will multitask.
Each weekday I will post my goal for the evening. Don't make too much fun of the small nature of my goal. I have learned that babysteps can lead to a mile can lead to a marathon. I will follow up with the results the next posting day. I will post weekend goals on Fridays and follow up on Monday. For my weekend tasks, I will try to include before and after pictures.
TODAY'S GOAL: Throw out at least 10 items from the kitchen that are expired or will definitely not be used and are not appropriate for donation (opened items).
I am planning on cooking dinner, so I will multitask.
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