So it's been a really long time. We moved back to Michigan after two years in Wisconsin. We arrived a week before the start of school. Cards was starting 10th grade, Dash 7th grade and Trixie 6th grade. Doc got his old job back. We bought a house in our old neighborhood, but on the south side. In January, I went back to work as lunch lady for the sister school of the school the kids went to after running into the principal at a band concert. I did that for 5-1/2 years which boosted college funds and paid off the mortgage. So the last school year, which was Trixie's senior year, I was home. Mostly because she had an internship and had to be picked up from school at lunch time four days a week. No way I could have done that with work and that would have required quite a commitment from my parents. All that time at home, but nothing really got done. What else is new. Doc got a new job in May. Financially, it is terrible. He may be making more money, but now we have to pay tuition for Dash and Trixie and the job is based in another state so the traveling he does comes out of our pocket. Thankfully, the house is paid off. Other financial goals will have to wait until the kids are done with school or I go back to work. Cards graduated from college and moved to Seattle for his first job. Trixie is living on campus. Only Dash is living at home. Our dog Brownie passed away in March and Buster is not aging well. I'd be surprised if he makes it to the end of the year.
I signed up for the Beautiful Home Beautiful Life summit in the spring. I watched a session by Megan Sumrell and learned about her TOP Program. I did her bootcamp right after that. I've been trying to save and cashed in reward points from various programs to sign up for her program which I did a few weeks ago. I also signed up for her Plan-a-Palooza for annual planning. I'm very excited about this program and look forward to learning a lot and becoming more productive.
A couple weeks ago I signed up for the Get Organized HQ22 event. Doc was out of town. I didn't buy the all-access pass which would let me watch the sessions anytime forever. Instead, I binged the whole week. I didn't watch them all but probably close to 75%. I'm in the FB group which has been motivating, encouraging, and celebratory. So many like minded ladies struggling with the clutter and chaos of our homes. Hence, the digging up of this space to hopefully track my progress as I once again attempt to Mt. Vernon my home. This is my third house and I have yet to make a complete trip through my home. I hope this time will be different. Why? Now I have a FB support group. I mentioned on there today that I was starting this journey with the goal of being done before the GOHQ23 event which will probably be in September. Second, I'm home with a lot less kid responsibility. Dash goes to campus twice a week for classes and he works two days a week. Third, Doc's new job, while remote at this time, could in the future require a move. If that becomes a reality, I hope it's after the kids are done with school. Hoping it doesn't become necessary because I'm not sure what to do with my parents. Future location is very expensive. I don't think we can afford it. If we can't, they can't. Better if we stay here although his travels there is a financial drain. The last two moves were a bit of a nightmare. Way too much stuff! I don't have a deadline, just a looming possibility which I should take advantage of now instead of it becoming a stressful sprint to pack and get the house in order.
I started today at the front door. Timer set for 15 minutes. I think that should be the bare minimum. I'm sure I'll have days when I'm rocking it and keep going. But at least 15 minutes. The only two rooms I won't do will be Dash's and Trixie's. I'll save those until they move out or we move. I wiped the wall and baseboards from the door to the top of the stairs. I used my Norwex with a bottle of laundry detergent and water and cleaned the hand rail. I glued the bit of trim at the top of the stairs that keeps popping off. I hammered the trim nail that has been sticking out at the top of the half wall and I sanded the gouges in the half wall trim from when the new fridge was moved in. I have a notebook to keep track of things like my wish list for improvements, like painting, list of repairs, list of furniture that is not moving with us, notes on where to relocate items, like I want to move Dash's recliner to the library and make a reading nook which won't be until closer to the end of this journey since the library is downstairs, and a list of chores. Once I clean something, I want to add it to a list for regular maintenance. Deep cleaning and decluttering in a systematic fashion counterclockwise from the front door through the house. I'm proud of me for not putting it off until January 1st which I had considered. There were ladies on the FB page tackling projects big and small even before the GOHQ went live. I should of done something to get a small win, like with a debt snowball. With the annual planning workshop coming up, I think I'll be able to use what I learn to actually keep this project going to completion. I'm really excited about this. It's something I need to do. I'm going to do it.
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