The loss of a dream? Or just time to move on?

Creating Keepsakes is a scrapbooking magazine. Or it was, I don't know if they're still around. I was there almost right from the start. I only missed the first couple of issues with my subscription and I bought those.

They are currently in a box. A file storage box, you know, letter in one direction, legal in the other. So yeah, there are a lot of magazines.

I stopped the subscription years ago so at least the more current issue isn't in there. But the problem is that ALL my scrapbooking supplies are buried somewhere in the garage.  (photos are in the house)

I was the type of cleaner that went . . . oh, we're having party, let's shove everything in a box and go through it later. Only later doesn't come.

So here I am, with a box of magazines but unable to find the supplies to do the ideas inside. Am I giving up my dream of scrapbooking if I give these up? I'm only recently even thinking about it. The whole industry has moved on from where it started with fancier machines and more add-ins.

Maybe the dream needs to be changed. The photos can be added to a journal rather than a scrapbook. Maybe go digital. We have a photo frame that we don't use. Maybe just be happy the photos are in a book people can look at and know what they are rather than hidden away in boxes.

The good news with all of this is that I already found a thrift store that takes magazines.

The Enlargement Principle

Kerry of The Simple Year had an interesting post and mentioned that "We expand to fit the space available to us". She called it THE ENLARGEMENT PRINCIPLE. She then mentions purse type items. huh, I know this to be true only it happened with our homes!

Our first apartment was a one-bedroom, one-bath with no garage. It was located on my parents property so we also had a storage shed (with a lot of wedding gifts in it).

Second home was a three-bedroom, two-bath condo with a carport. And while we also added two children to our home, our stuff expanded to fit our space. Still using that shed at my parents.

Third/current home is a four-bedroom, 2.5 bath single-family house with a two-car garage. We're still using the shed at my parents, stuff has expanded into the garage AND I have a storage unit with books in it. The good news is that I've listed the books at Library Thing so I know what ones I have, the bad news is that I've removed over 2,000 books from the house and . . . You. Can't. Tell. Also, I have to wait for business hours to access them and need to take someone with me (son) to shift boxes around. Here's another scary thought. What am I going to do with 70+ file boxes once the books are back home?

We don't have plans to move. We aren't downsizing our home or moving into a bigger place. It would be nice to have the space now that we thought we had when we moved in.

I'm getting there.

copyright Gina @ Book Dragon's Lair 2014

I'm a FitBit user

Not as good as I use to be but still trying to keep it on. I don't track sleep anymore but I am trying to up my activity. If you'd like to check out my progress, I can be found here.

Don't know what a FitBit is? Check out the store

copyright Gina @ Book Dragon's Lair 2014

First bag ready to go.

Several of the bloggers I follow have mentioned doing the easy stuff first. Kandice writes at The Simple Year and her post The Sock Situation inspired me to look closely at my sock drawer.

This is what it started out as. It does not include the bag of laundry that hasn't been put away.

I have socks I wear to run in that are in a different drawer. I have nylons that I wear with my favorite boots or with dress shoes. They are also in a different drawer. I haven't worn most of these since I stopped volunteering at the elementary school. (I'm not ready to tell you how hold my kids are now) Of course, the bottom half is mostly unmatched socks. The drawer is also missing my panties, they're in the laundry bag.

After going through the drawer and putting away the *cough* two bags *cough* of laundry, I'm left with this. . . .

All my clean panties and the unmatched socks. My running socks are in this drawer now along with a pair of compression sleeves, a headband and two elastic wraps. Oh, and a pair of wool socks for when we visit family. The trip was scheduled for November but they got sick and we didn't go. Keeping the socks because we plan on rescheduling and winter is the best time to visit them.

Result: One drawer cleaned up and one bag ready to donate.

There is still laundry to do so I'm sure I'll find more socks/panties but look . . . there's room! How am I able to donate/toss most of my socks? I live in sandals or go barefoot now that I'm not working.

copyright Gina @ Book Dragon's Lair 2014

Goals

I've read enough to know that the way I've been going at things isn't the best. The most current advice for goal setting I can remember is S.M.A.R.T.

• specific
• measurable
• achievable
• realistic
• time-targeted

I usually have a problem with at least one of these when I'm setting goals and while I know that I'm going to need to break things down at a later date, I'm all for a general improvement wish list right now.


Health: I'm a diabetic that has had blood clots so I've got to lose weight and get more active. I also have back problems, a messed up sleep cycle and am currently working with diminished flexibility in my shoulders. Yeah, I should pull up my big girl panties and get to it but doing so can be painful enough for tears. Also, my glucose numbers are all over so I don't really want to go for a "run around the block" by myself since I don't know if I'll be able to get home.

Ways to measure: The scale is a big one but so is the way my clothes fit. My blood work numbers can reveal the hidden truth. The use of my shoulders again, the hours I'm sleeping and the use of pain pills will also be indicators.

House: Four bedroom house, one child at home. There are two secondary bedrooms, garage, Master bedroom/bath, kitchen. That's enough don't you think? The living areas will be taken care of while the others are worked on.  There is also a room built into the garage area that we call the pantry and stuff under the stairs.

Ways to measure: Pictures and stress levels.  :-D 

There are also online things I'd like to organize, such as ebooks and my blog. My books should fall under "house" but as I've got enough for a small public library they almost need their own mention.

Shelves will be added to the two secondary bedrooms, books will be organized at this time but I'll still need to decide which ones I <i>have</i> to keep on display. There are also shelves downstairs.

copyright Gina @ Book Dragon's Lair 2014

Starting Over

 . . . again.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've thought, and maybe planned, to lose weight, declutter the house, and organize my stuff. I've started blogs as well as followed plans but here I am. Still overweight, unhealthy, in a house full of clutter, and not sure where to find everything.

This makes it sound worse than it is but in some cases it is. I've bought books to help and even read some of them. I've read blogs about the journey others took to health, DIYers fantastic home remodels, organizers tips. And don't forget the minimalists.

I'd love to have a place for everything and everything in its place but I've got too much stuff for the house we're in.

I should have be scared last summer when I spent a week in the hospital. sigh, I almost died from a blood clot but almost a year later, I've gained back the weight I had lost.

Do we need a starting place so we know how far we've come? Not sure. Before I'd wait to start any kind of program because I hadn't taken current "before" pictures. Not going to do that this time. I'll make goals, take pictures as I can, and get started!

First stop? Getting mentally ready and I think I can do that while walking around the block.

copyright Gina @ Book Dragon's Lair 2014