September Outside Projects

We completed 25 outdoor projects this month. We spent $60 on caulk, concrete supplies, paint, and mums. All our other projects were free.

Our Completed Project List for September:

• pull out all old caulk and re-caulk outside 2nd floor windows of the house (multiple days of work)
•  scrap/sand off the old paint on outside 2nd floor windows of house (multiple days of work) 
• paint trim on the outside 2nd floor windows of the house (multiple days of work)
• purge unneeded items from the shed (multiple days of work)
• reorganize and clean the shed (multiple days of work)
• fill cracks in concrete near Pete’s room 
• repair sidewalks with concrete (multiple days of work)
• sweep sidewalks and side porch 
• sweep front porch 
• pickup sticks in the yard 
• weed the gardens (multiple days of work) 
• pick vegetables in garden 
• deadhead flowers 
• remove grass/dirt overgrowth on the sidewalks in backyard and sideyard.
• chop and stack firewood 
• wash out the outdoor trash cans
• pressure wash sidewalks
• pressure wash house
• dig compost pile 
• buy and plant mums
• Set up fall display 
• repair van
• cleaning treatment on car light covers
• pick up black walnuts off ground in yard
• painted 4 main doors and 1 wood screen door white

Before:















After:

You may be interested in:
May Outside Projects
June Outside Projects
July Outside Projects

August Outside Projects

Clutter Busting Challenge September 2014 Part 4

This week we've been purging, cleaning and organizing our shed. Everything we purged this week has came from the shed. We haven't finished but its looking nicer with less stuff. We hope to work on it Saturday and get it done.  We've collected 394 items this month to donate so far.


My purge pile this week:


This was a box of kitchen stuff that we used for camping years ago.














The wood items I'm feeling guilty about cause our boys made them. They don't want them and they've been in storage for years. I can't see them ever wanting them so their is no point keeping them when someone else could maybe use them.

Canning jars and supplies. I don't can that often and prefer wide mouth jars when I do.

A bucket of cabling string for IT work, a tool, a hook, and several pairs of panty hose.

Our Living Room

I wanted to share an update on my living room since my last post 6 months ago Home Tour: Living Room. Wow, our living room has changed so much. I purged a good amount of stuff and bought a few things.  I'm proud of my new living room with a minimal cost of $124. I purged more from this room than I brought. I need to paint the walls, redo the floor, and buy new curtains but it looks so much fresher.

Before:

After:















I purged a large amount of the decorations from the room. I bought the owl and shoe figurines at the thrift store for $3.00. I might paint the little wood box on the floor that holds my grandkids books. I wish it fit on he entertainment center but it doesn't

I bought 2 new sets of pillows for the couches at Walmart for $60, 2 sets of metal curtain tie backs at Walmart for $20, and a new curtain rod above the picture window for $20 at Walmart.

I donated everything that is no longer in the room including my country style pieces like the birdhouse and floral arrangements

I got the little chair for my grandkids at a yard sale for $1.00.

I bought the TV tray set behind the door at the Habitat store for $20.

I need something to fill the empty spot on the entertainment center.

The received the bird plates for mother's day. I moved around some of my decorations on the entertainment center and corner cabinet.

Clutter Busting Challenge September 2014 Part 3

I've collected 203 items this month to donate so far. The purging has slowed compared to previous months but my husband and I have completed several home projects.

My purge pile this week:

I'm purging baking items that I've never used.

I'm purging games from the guest room. This is the last of the standard board games that we have. My guys prefer games like Catan, Kingdom Builder's, Dominion, and Kingsburg.

My husband and I bought 4 new chairs on clearance for $6 each so we are purging 2 older chairs and the bags the new ones came in.

I'm purging the last of the soap and lip balm supplies along with the plastic tote. My daughter Nastasja and I had a little summer business at the farmer market a couple years ago. We sold homemade sweet breads, soaps, lip balm, and garden vegetables. It was fun but tons of work.

I'm donating the book I've finished read to the library since it is new.

I'm not going to be able to use all the flour before it expires. I'm trying to cut down on my cookbooks again. I still have 15 cookbooks. I bought 6 this year at thrift stores with 5 being diet cookbooks. Why did I buy the Crockpot cookbook when I already have 4 that I hardly use? UHUH One step forward, two steps back. I hope to one day have nothing but my Cooking Notebooks.

Cookie Mix Jars

 Freezer items

Storage Containers

A bag, computer part, cards, fan, and other misc. stuff

 Toys Cars

Star Wars toy

You may be interested in:
Our Barn
Clutter Busting Challenge September 2014 Part 1
It's Not All or Nothing
Clutter Busting Challenge September 2014 Part 2
Guest Room