November is upon us.. and instead of hibernating let see if we can make the most of it

so are you ready? back at it again.. this would be so much easier with my own computer.. ahhh an excuse.. none of that but I will be back to work soon and and and.. NO I have been cleaning and I know so has Teri.. but getting back into a commitment of doing it.. can I do it.. YES!! Teri are you with me.. ready to take on motivating each other through the winter? ok this week i am tackling my hall way some how it has become a catch all of stuff to bring in and put away and for things that need to go.. sooo its time to put the stuff away.. and get rid of what needs to go..

Wow ... we did it! We sent my son Sebastian, off to collage. I had the help of my 2 sisters and niece.. along with the support of my hubby and love from Dez. So now maybe I can get back into this blogging thing ... as I need to get rid of ohhhh so much more crap!

Searching for that ONE thing

What is it that holds you together?  Let's you breathe easily. Brings you back to remembering? Connects you with a set of wings. Take time this week to pay attention and find out what that is...

Do NOT feel bad if you cannot name it - for naming it can be very scary. Do NOT feel bad if you do not have it now. Do NOT feel like you have somehow blown your chance or don't deserve it. Do NOT feel bad that it is not what every one else wants for you, Do NOT think it is not unreachable. Just sit with the possibility of it.

You will be tempted to scoff at it or throw it away.  Would you scoff or laugh at a small child's beautiful smile?  Of course not.  So do NOT throw this away. It does not take up much space.

Blessings to both of my sisters. xoxoxo teri

I think this weeks challenge will be "to just let things happen..oh and make the most of it"

To just let things happen ... this will be a challenge I will have NO problem with lol.. cheating? I say not! why? because I know Teri will at least be challenged by it... Let thing happen and make the most of it.. lemons to lemon aid. WE CAN DOOOOO IT...
ok so its 4/21/2012 and hears my lemonade
The blanket I have been knitting I really messed up square #5 by knitting the pattern backwards... so I thought and thought about what to do.. i did not want to tear it all apart so I finally found a way to just separate the logs.. and then knit a few rows on then sew them back in the order they where meant to be ! yippy.. also on mid week had a bit of trouble sleeping so I made cookies to make every one feel better(they are already gone)on Thursday Phil had work to do with a friend and dan asked for a bit of help on a yard he was doing so I decided I would go vist Amy for a bit then headed to Dans and do some work.. all and all I think I may have made a bit of lemonade.

Ok I wont call it a fail of a week...

I have had a good productive week, just most of it had nothing to do with "cleaning out". Instead was more of giving back kind of week. A very good friend of mine started chemo for stage IV lymphoma cancer. The treatments went "good" now she is dealing with a persistent headache and belly upset. And all of this she still is full of smiles... how is it the people who are going through the most have the brightest smiles.. is it just perception?
I never did text Gina her challenge.. so no blame on her for not sending her pics...
I did finish another square for my knitted blanket.. but I did it all backwards.. so not sure what I will do with that mess up. I also hemmed a new pair of jeans they where 8 inches to long and put lace on them here is a pic:

I did get some tomato seeds started for my veggie garden and getting very ready to dig in. I wish gardening season was longer here in buffalo.
I did receive a pic from Teri who did great on her challenge!Here is the pic:

GO TERI GO!!!!!!

April 8, 2012 Challenge Them

So Mary Anne put the ball in my court, so to speak. 

I have been hoping for another, "Get rid of JUST ONE box" of stuff  and take it to the Goodwill. In fact I have been "cheating" and have a pile of clothes that comes up to my thigh, just waiting. At this time in my life, I feel driven to-"get rid of the junk".  Also I do feel a bit badly because I did not really "do"  anything for last weeks challenge. BUT now I am rambling, avoiding coming up with a challenge. 

HOW about we each come up with one thing for the other two to do.

• Here is my challenge for Gina- Text me and Mary once a week for two weeks in a row

• Here is my challenge for Mary Anne- well I wanted her to copy her photos to some CD's ---but that is not possible.... so hmmm what shall I challenge her to do? Send me 30 of your all time favorite images over the course of the next two weeks (3  a day, or so) ... then I will send you a CD.  Let me know if this is dumb too!    

•  And here is a challenge for me from me- Box up those clothes and take them to  Goodwill, sell my old medium format camera on ebay, get my husband to help me decide what to get rid of in the basement.

•  

What do you think they will have me do???

April 8th challenge

I think the challenge this week will be to let Teri come up with the challenge.. Surprise!!!

time to push back at the things that close us in

Comfort Zone April 1 -7th challenge
Had a hard time thinking just what this weeks challenge should be. Tried to think of something that would be very hard for Teri to do(yes I really did want to make this one hard at your expense..bad me being jealous)But I think maybe I have another idea. This week I would like use to explore and expand our comfort zone or at least try to.. this does not mean go to an extreme if you are afraid of heights to go bungee jump or something .. perhaps climb a ladder (and while your up there may as well do a bit of cleaning...lol) Or try to get rid of something with out the "safety" things we do..I may be cheating a bit as I made a commitment to a VERY good friend that kind of encompasses this. I really .. really.. ok I mean REALLY dislike having short hair, and today I made a promise that when my friend loses her hair...(she will be starting chemo the 10) that I will shave my head.. I don't intend this being my only part in the challenge.. but i would say its a good start!

and there it is a day or so late on the posting of the pic.. but its short and its green!

Toot my own horn....

Yup, that's right- I am just going to toot my own darn horn.  This is my sisters blog. BUT I can start my own posts...(after this she may take that privileged away). Just had to say that I did indeed finish a project for last weeks challenge. The quilt I started on December 15, 2011 is completed. It is on the guest bed upstairs. Now I need to make one for the other bed-

However this was taken with my cell phone... because I was too lazy to go downstairs and get my real camera...NOW I need to get some sleep. SO I can complete this weeks challenge. :-)

Be good to your self

Week of March 26-April 1,2011 Do something good for your self
Well this week was meant to be ore "week off" but I though it would be good to keep going. So this week we should do something good for our self's and take time to listen to our body's. Take a long walk, remember to stretch, what ever. just remember to treat your body with something good.

Challenge march 19-25 2012

Complete a project you have started
This week we will look at that "to do" list and the projects we have started and get them done. Again pics are to be sent to show the projects. This challenge ends march 25. I hope to do a bit better this week and at least get my boxes from last weeks challenge dropped off... here is to hoping!

a pic of my nails even though I said they dont count as a project I just like them so much I have to share anyway:

Challenge of March 11, 2012 -pics to be sent by March 18, 2012

Re-home a box of items from your home, fill one average box-(a photos of said box to be mailed to each sister) and taking it to the donation center of choice. Simple, right? It can be. Look around try starting in a closet or a junk drawer. Even if its little things they add up. TIP: when looking at something try asking your self "Do I love it?, Do I need it? Can I live with out it and Do I have a home for it?" and the answers may change as weeks go by so do not be scared to ask the the same thing about the same object more than once.

Week 1 project complete
Gina's Pics

Teri's pics

Mary's pics

The "Rules"

Ok the rules we have are simple and more like guide lines (but feel free to make ones that work for you):
1) YOU NEVER have to get rid of anything you don't want to
2) Be honest with your self it feels so good
3) Try to find new "homes"(goodwill, churches, friends) for your items less into land fills and it makes it a bit easier knowing all your cherished things are going to new homes
4) Take pictures of the things you get rid of and share them with us, or keep them in a folder
5) Be kind not every one finds it easy to de-clutter
6) Get a friend or family to join in with you the more support you have the better
7) most important HAVE FUN! and just let it go!!!

"US"

So here is a short bio on us to get started. "Us" is(from left to right) Teri, Mary(myself), and Gina and this picture was a perfect pick by Teri. It was taken during a desperately needed refueling during a very "empty tank" time of all our lives, it stands as a reminder together we can do anything and come out OK in the end. We are from a family with 6 kids (the other 3 are our brothers). We span a few decades from oldest to youngest and all have very different lives. One thing remaining the same we all have a bit of de-cluttering to do, be it things in boxes tucked away in cubby holes, things that we just "can't let go" of, or even the clutter bogging down our heads.
How it all started: I am not sure exactly when but at some point over a period of a few years during one of our many on-line chats Teri and I started motivating each other. Sometimes by bragging about what we got rid of, other times by daring the other to fill a bag in one hour and this built into what it is now with our sister Gina joining in. We send each other pictures, and words of encouragement now I would like to share our adventure. I welcome you to join in our challenges or just follow along... but I warn you getting rid of "crap" can be just as addicting as getting it =).