Cynthia’s Blog

My main projects (focuses? goals?) this year are:

• Develop our gardens to the point where we can be as close to self-sufficient foodwise as possible.
• Totally declutter our house and stuff until we get to the comfortable “enough” without clutter.
• Lose weight and get fit (of course ;-))
• Complete the final version of Goodbye Chaos, Hello Peace!  as a three part-one year course to take you from chaos to peace in  your home and life.

There’s more, but these are the main ones. You will see me blog about them along the way, so visit here regularly. I’ve started blogging on the decluttering (see last several posts). Right now I’m preparing to speak at the TEACH conference in Hamilton next week, and really looking forward to it. Once I’m home from that, it will be back to concentrating on these main goals.

Today I decluttered my computer desk - on, around and under. Cleaned the monitor and printers too. No pics today.

Today I was working on routine housework - can’t let that slip behind while decluttering, or it’s a losing battle! Every time I passed through my entry foyer, I noticed some of the clutter problems there and started thinking about WHY those problems kept occuring, and possible solutions. So after the rest of my chores were done, I decided to spend extra time in the foyer and completely declutter it. Here are a couple of before pics:

This first one is looking across the foyer from the kitchen doorway. The door to outside is to the left, the door straight ahead goes to the laundry and bathroom, and the blue duvet cover hanging to the right is covering the entry to the dining room and living room - it’s hanging there to cut down on the dust that spreads around from the renovation work we’re doing in the living room right now.

The second pic shows the view from the door into the house.

I have this cabinet which in theory was a good idea - it holds boxes which are labelled and used to store recyclying, newspapers for lighting fires etc, and paper to be burned. The side shelves hold tubs of animal food, and the top had a basket of things to return, and a basket to hold those little bits and pieces that always seem to end up lying around. But the problem is, it always ends up messy.

As I was cleaning, as I mentioned, I was mulling over the issues in the entry foyer.

Next to the lockers was a bag with old sheets used for dropcloths etc during our current renovations spilling out of it. I tidied them up. There was also a half full bag of stuff for the thrift store - I filled it as I decluttered, and later dropped it off at the local Salvation Army store. I emptied the bag of stuff someone had brought in from the van and put it all away.

 Next I turned my attention to the lockers. Each member of the family has a locker (my husband has two). They are a place to put things that are coming in and out of the house - eg purses, library books etc. And also a place I can deposit smaller items belonging to the kids I pick up around the house. It’s been a while since they were emptied, so I decluttered each one. I also emptied the spare lockers, creating space for some of the things I wanted to keep in the foyer, but need to move from elsewhere. Above the lockers was hanging an oil painting I liked 6 years ago - it looked good in our old house with a spotlight on it. But there’s never been a good spot for it here; I moved it above the lockers “temporarily” two years ago because heat was warping it in it’s spot above the fireplace. Time for it to go to the thrift store too. One of the lockers has animal supplies in it - brushes, combs, coats for our wee Maltese, spare packets of dog biscuits etc. Another contains my hair cutting gear.

Next came the cabinet that contains so much we use every day. But is always untidy. Plus it makes the foyer seem too crowded, and it’s position makes it hard for my wheelchair bound mother to access the toilet when she visits. I’ve was thinking it would be good to have a tall bookcase in the corner instead, but it would be in the way of the curtain. Then I realised, why do we even need a curtain here anyway? It used to get shut when the kids were watching a movie in the living room, to cut down the glare. But now the living room and tv are in a different place, and it no longer matters. So I took down the curtain.

I emptied the cabinet and removed it. Recycling can now go straight out in the to the recycle bin in it’s cupboard outside the door. Had a hard time getting my kids to do that when we first got the bin - this has been a good intermediate step, but I think now they’re used to putting recycling somewhere, I can train them to take that extra couple of steps. ;-). Newspapers we keep for animal cages and lighting fires now have a locker to call their own. The animal biscuit tubs are on a small bookcase next to the lockers; I opted not to have a bookcase near the windows for now as there are several places along there the roof leaks in heavy rain. This part of the house is due for re-roofing.

I cleaned the ranchslider, and wiped some walls. Not perfectly, but better than they were. Deep cleaning another time. I pulled out the freezer and cleaned behind it. In the corner you can’t see in the photos is a small ledge plus a row of hooks for keys. I decluttered that area too. Vacuumed and mopped the floor. Had to go buy a new bucket first, so took the bag of stuff and the oil painting to the op shop at the same time. Took the carpet mat from in front of the door outside and beat it, then shampooed it. It should be dry tomorrow. I filled a large trash bag, and tossed out two automated insect spray units. They were not very reliable, so we swapped brands, but I’ve been keeping them “just in case.” LOL.

All in all this took me about 5 hours, including breaks and cooking dinner etc. But if feels soooo good! No more clutter. All that open space. It could use a nice plant and a colorful rug, but all in good time. The floor is rough concrete someone ripped the vinyl off of. It has a crack across it from earthquakes. Unattractive and difficult to clean. One day we’ll put in a nice flooring. The walls will get painted etc. But meantime, it’s good to keep it as nice as I am able. After all, it’s the entry to our home. Here are the after pics:

The basket on top of the bookcase if for “returns” - items that need to be returned to the library, the church, or people who have left them here. Each time I go out the door, I check it to see if there’s something I can drop off.

I decided yesterday to start decluttering with my desk, and make it my first “clutter free zone.” My desk is at one end of my kitchen, next to the fridge on one side and the computer desk on the other. Really, what we consider our “office” is one end of the room, with the two desks on one side, and two tall storage cupboards with kitchen stuff in them on the other.

I didn’t take a “before” pic, but here’s a list of what WAS on my desk (and the windowsill above it), and what I’ve done with it. After pic below….

• “In tray” - a basket for incoming paperwork, that nearly was always overflowing with stuff that needed dealing with, plus more piles beside it. Kept the tray, which is now for arriving paper of any kind which WILL be dealt with at least once each week during my “office time.” Now in there (after decluttering): supermarket flyers to use when prepping for grocery shopping tomorrow, forms for the chemist and bloodtests, a box of cards we’re letterbox dropping this week and a reciept.
• Small wicker basket - catches all those small items that end up on my desk. Initially I reduced it to just a few things (stapler, hole punch, note pads) but decided they could go in a drawer. After: basket is gone.
• Letter holders x3 - held various booklets, forms, paperwork. After: all but one is gone - this one has two tiers and now holds small booklets I refer to every day at the back (my routines flipbook, church directory, devotional and food additives booklet), and the front tier is for outgoing mail. Sits on my windowsill.
• Standing file - a box with some suspension files and folders I used to handle my paperwork “in process.” It’s had various reinventions ala “Getting Things Done” and “Homeschooling at the Speed of Life,” but bottom line is it wasn’t really helping me get things done, and it was taking up space and gathering dust. After: File is gone. Everything that was in it has either been dealt with once and for all, tossed, filed or (a few things) are now in the To-Do section of my binder.
• Three containers that stacked together of paperclips, paperholders and drawing pins. After: I made room for them in my drawers which I cleaned out.
• Pictures x 2 - one is an art creation of my husband’s which is now in his locker until he makes it so it can be hung on a wall. The other is a framed pic of me and my hubby going to my school ball (when we were 17 and 18!) I’ve moved it to my bedside table.
• Container of pens, pencils, etc etc. After: cleaned out, and the essentials now in a tray in my top drawer.
• Binder, diary, planners etc. My binder holds current paperwork. A To-do section has things I’m working on or need to work on in sheet protectors. The To-pay section has bills etc. After: My binder and main diary/planner are now in the cupboard under the desk. I have a pocket diary that is in the holder on the windowsill.
• “Procrastination Box” - ok, that’s not what I called it, but that is honestly what it was. A plastic box full of all those things I hadn’t quite figured out what to do with or where to put. After: everything dealt with, eliminated or put away. Box is out in storage shed temporarily until I see if I need it as I do more decluttering/organising.
• Letter covered bottle on windowsill. After: kept it, as my one a “just because I like it” decorative item.
• Items on my desk after: Plastic in-tray, Bible, file box (all my contacts etc are on index cards), memo cube, tile coaster for my hot drinks, lots of clear space.
• Items on windowsill after: Decorative bottle, letterholder, hand lotion.

After pic of my desk and windowsill:

New daily routine: check my desk is clear (it’s a spot where everyone likes to dump stuff!)

I’ve decluttered many times. But never quite got to “it” - the point where my home is streamlined and clutter free long term. Of course, repeatedly moving house, and now being in the middle of long-term renovations does not help! Neither does having 5 kids and a husband (most of whom are practical, hands-on visual types), or homeschooling (which brings out that hands-on stuff!). Now, I wouldn’t change my life for anything - I love my family, I love homeschooling, I love having a bunch of hands-on types where you never know quite what is going to happen next lol. But….

I do NOT like living with clutter. I DO want to have a house that is comfy, easy to clean, relaxing and welcoming. And I don’t want to have to go nuts to make it that way when guests are expected.

I’ve come to see that being clutter-free is more about your mind and heart than about STUFF. It’s about your attitude, your beliefs about things, your habits and routines.

One of my goals for this year is to get really clutter free - to change anything in my mindset that needs changing so I can let go of all that is holding me back. It will be a step-by-step thing, as all lasting change needs to be.

Want to see what I do? I’ll blog about it. Subscribe to the RSS feed for this blog. Want to join in? Let go of your clutter too, and post a comment.

Two things have converged in my mind to getting me thinking, and get me excited. Last night, my husband put on one of our favourite movies, Flywheel (if you haven’t seen it and the other movies made by the folks at Sherwood Baptist, you’re missing out!). The main character, Jay, is struggling in every area of his life. One night he’s sitting in the living room channel-surfing, and comes across the this television preacher, who says, in part:

“You’re in the shape you’re in today because of the choices you’ve made. Your marraige is in the shape it’s in today because of the choices you made. Your relationship with your wife [or husband] and with your children is in the shape it’s in because of the choices you’ve made. You’re in financial bondage today because of the choices you’ve made…..”

I also happen to be reading a book at the moment by Robin McGraw, wife of Dr Phil. I don’t happen to be a Dr Phil fan (not against him, just don’t watch him or any tv); in fact if I’d realised who she was before I bought the book, I probably wouldn’t have bought it. But I’m really enjoying “Inside My Heart,” in which Robin’s faith in God and passion for her family really shine through. One of the things she emphasises is CHOICE. She grew up with 3 sisters and a twin brother. Her parents loved each other and their kids passionately, but her father was an alcoholic and a gambler. She has many good memories of her family, but also there were things about growing up that way she did not want to see repeated in her own family. Various events led her to a point of realising she could CHOOSE. Choose to marry a man who did not drink or gamble. Choose to love him passionately. Choose to be all she could be as a wife and mother. Choose to live so she would have no regrets. Choose to take care of herself so she would be around and able for as long as possible. And so on.

The life we live IS a result of the choices we have made. That thought might hurt. We might not want to accept it. But never the less, it is true. Yes, sometimes things come along we cannot control. We may not be able to control the circumstance, but we can choose how we respond to it.

My house is in the state it’s in, because of choices I’ve made. And remember, choosing not to choose IS a choice! If I choose not to implement routines, not to be consistent, not to train my children, to read a book rather than do my chores etc, then I have no one to blame for the mess but myself. On the other hand, if I choose to have a clean and orderly home, and choose to do what it takes to make that happen, then sure, it might not always be perfect (after all, I’m not perfect, and neither are those I live with), but it will be consistently better than if I’d made different choices.

My marraige is in the state it’s in because of the choices I’ve made. I chose not to leave my husband when our marraige hit rock bottom. I’ve chosen to be committed to him forever, through thick and thin. I choose to love him, to laugh with him, to encourage and support him. When he REALLY annoys me, I choose to work through it and forgive him. When I’m touchy and overreactive and snap at him, I choose to say I’m sorry. I need to keep making these choices and more.

My kids are who they are, to a large extent, because of the choices I and my husband have made. I chose to give birth to them (and yes, the biggest part was up to God, but I still did have a say in the matter). I chose to be a stay-at-home mother. I chose to homeschool them. I choose to love them no matter what, be their biggest supporter, help them develop into who God calls them to be. I chose to teach them that they will be who they chose to be; the choices they make will affect their lives.

Have I made all the right choices? Nope! But it’s never too late. In the things that need to change, I can make new choices!

The question is: What do I really, really want? What will I choose? How will I make it happen?

I believe God is in ultimate control. He has a plan. But he still gives us free choice, and in fact he expects us to make good choices. When we do, he is cheering us on! When we don’t, he is waiting for us to realise we made a bad choice, and has his arms open, waiting for us to turn to him, repent of our bad choices, and make a better one. He is, after all, the ultimate parent.

So, what do you choose? As we embark on this fresh new year, what good past choices are you enjoying the fruit of? What bad choices are you not enjoying the fruit of. What do you really, really want?

Make a choice, and make it happen!

All my Goodbye Chaos, Hello Peace ebook volumes are now on sale for only $5 each! Or, you can purchase all 6 for only $25.

Plus, I’m thrilled to now bring you FunnyMoms DVDs in Downloadable format for only $10 per set! Full instructions are given so you can burn your own DVD to play on any player. This removes postage costs for international customers, and avoids the problems I was having with NZ hardware burning discs that wouldn’t -play on some international players.

Visit my website for more details: www.CynthiaHancox.com

Our youngest daughter’s friend is staying the night. As we sat around the dinner table, tidbits of information and shared jokes were flying back and forth, along with the latin name for cat fleas, and my 14yo daughter’s favorite word - she loves to ask everyone if they suffer from hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia (the fear of long words ). The visiting teen commented “My family is never like this - that’s why I like to come here.”

 We asked, like what? Do you mean exchanging latin phrases and other useful info over dinner?

“Well, that too, but I meant, we never all sit down at the table for dinner like this.”

 Such a simple thing, but it makes such an impact on those who don’t get to experience it at home!

According to a Columbia University survey, teenagers who eat with their families at least five times a week are more likely to get better grades in school and much less likely to have substance abuse problems.

By simply sitting down together with your family for dinner each night, with the T.V off, and showing an interest in one another, you have the power to change your children’s lives and futures. And when their friends come to visit, you have the opportunity to influence them for good also.

Ok, so I’m not a great blogger! (Understatement of the century!) But I thought I’d post a quick note so those who are wondering know I’m still here, and my website/products are still valid.

Have had a lot going on in my life, and it hasn’t left a lot of time for things like blogging or posting group emails. I’m mulling over how best to use my blog to encourage and help others, and stay in touch.

More soon, I hope…

Love

Cynthia

Oops - forgot to post this earlier!

Shortly after my last update, the injuries to my knees from our crash in 2007 flared up, and prevented me from continuing our daily walks for a while. A bunch of other things came up too, and in the end my husband and I decided to just relax and enjoy the holiday season, and get back to dieting and exercising in the new year. We amended our goal to making sure we didn’t gain back any lost weight over the holiday period, and we’ve achieved that.

Love

Cynthia