One project a day- 2nd thread!

[BlueLobelia]

Welcome to everyone, old hats, lurkers and newbies.

This is a thread where we try and achieve something, no matter how small, a day.

This was the preamble to the previous thread ;

''......many years ago when i was first on MN I started (or maybe just actively participated in, cannot quite recall) a one (house) project a day. It made the most profound difference to my home. The project could be time consuming or not. It could take seconds, minutes or hours. I recall things like changing the lightbulb and lampshade in a hallway table lamp for example as a single day project. One day i also threw away holey and raggedy cushion covers and bought news ones. Little things, that really mattered.

If anyone is interested I wish to start another thread.

Today, as my one project a day, I cleared out my dehydrated and weed-ridden window boxes (2 of them). I put new compost in them and planted them with lobelia (obviously!); red geraniums and some dianthus. I am happy looking out (and in!) my front windows now. :) ''

everyone welcome!

Today's project was to make a list of all the things that need to be done next week when on leave! But I finally (might) have booked a rubbish clearance person.

List sounds like a good idea! Earlier today I started to write a list of things I have accomplished in the last year. It’s so easy to forget the journey! I have also written a list of goals for the next year. I wonder if I could start a project a day journal?

I find when I make a list it's helpful (to me) to put things like "make list" and "put washing on" - easy hits that you can see ticked off quickly.
I'm painting my kitchen in strips of about eight inches a time to minimise disruption.

Today (amongst other things) I'm making friendship bracelets for the Year 6 leavers....

Hi all

Thanks for all the good wishes.

I’m back home now. Shattered so taking it easy this weekend. Planning lots of reading in the garden.

I have two weeks to sort the house ready for my sister and her family to come to stay at the end of the month. Lots to do. Will make a list.

Can’t do much upstairs until the decorator finishes painting. He’s fitting our small jobs in around other work and school pick ups so it’s popping in for an hour here and there. Thankfully I think he will finish today.

Today I unpacked (I flew back yesterday) and did some washing. Cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed. Once I’ve put some stuff away that might be it for me for today.

Hope your DS is ok @Sparklynewname. Really scary and worrying for you.

I have finished painting the door for the cupboard under the stairs this evening after a frantically busy day at work.
We will rehang it tomorrow when I get home from work.
DS has a job interview tomorrow so 🤞
He has CAMHS on Monday and I have breast clinic on Tuesday.
Talking to the girls at work, life is utter carnage for several of us. We are a fairly large team so have had our fair share of heartache over the years but this past fortnight is hideous. Suffice to say that I was not the only person who had to take urgent sick leave for mental health last week.
We all had a good cry on Tuesday and pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps ready to go home and try to keep our families afloat. I thought the first wave of Covid was the worst time I could ever encounter but I am nearly on my knees now. And DD has had a positive lateral flow test so needs a PCR tomorrow. She is also very unlikely to follow the rules 😬

Great thread! May I barge in.

I've actually been doing this for two weeks, tackling horrible jobs I couldn't face doing, one small thing at a time.

For instance there was a hamper in our hall way from Xmas, I actually emptied out the straw and moved it into a better place in the living room! 7 months it's taken to do that 🤣🤣.
I also hovered my bedroom and got some spiders webs down, and tackled some ironing. Small steps.

However I must say I went into the they garden today and it feels like that has run away after all the rain.

@Peridot1

@Sparklynewname

Welcome @Lemonmelonsun :)

Door to the cupboard under the stairs has been rehung. New bathroom door has been hung but still needs handle cutting in and fitting and needs to be painted.
My plants have massively died. I will try getting a bucket of water and submerge all of them for a bit tomorrow to try and revive the poor things.

Hi all! I’d like to join if I may. We struggle to keep on top of things - 3 bed flat, 2 under 4 and both WFH most of the time. Feeling quite down about how much there is to tackle, and then I remembered this thread and decided little-and-often will hopefully be the answer... Would love any top tips you’ve all gained along the way!

little and often really helps!

My main top tip is that when i am feeling like I cannot get started I set my oven timer for 10 minutes and do whatever task I am doing. I always then get in the rhythm.

Another thing that works for me is if I am watching Downton Abbey in the evening then I get up and tidy or do chores in the ads. There is usually about 16 minutes of ads in an hour. That really works for me. :)

Today I clipped our long haired dog and cleaned all the bathroom mirrors.

It’s been a busy few days between school uniforms for September start, social outings, birthday presents but the bathroom walls have had touch ups and second coat! Officially done! Might need to do the ceiling next!

Today I started buying a few pieces for DC’s birthday next month, sent out some updated images for a manuscript (not my day job), did the ironing and am generally knackered.

Tomorrow will pick up meds from pharmacy and cake for DC’s friend’s birthday. A small group of them are meeting up to celebrate together.

I haven’t posted for a while so hello again.

Peridot, if I could give you teensy piece of advice? Don’t rush yourself. Back in the ‘olden days’, there were prescribed mourning periods that depending on your relationship to the deceased. In Victorian England, you would mourn a parent for a year. Yes, society is very different now. But what I really want to say is that it is ok to not be yourself for quite a while.

In other news, I have an annoying cough. Not enough to make me feel bad but enough that I can’t go to work in the current COVID climate. So I have today off even though I have had a negative test.

My plans are lesson prep (8 weeks worth, at least in outline). Sort out my donations for charity (yes, I think I mentioned that a while ago). Possibly start sewing slip covers for a chair (again,yes, that has been on my list for a while).

I quite like having a ‘found’ day like this. I had other plans that I legitimately can’t complete so I suddenly have a whole lot of time on my hands - which I intend to put to productive use!

Thanks @DifficultBloodyWoman. I am definitely taking it easy. Yesterday was hard and I just acknowledged it and didn’t do much. We used to live in Bulgaria and the tradition there when there is a death in the family is to hang a big black bow on the gate so everyone knows there has been a death in the family and the bow is usually there for a year. I think it’s useful as a reminder that people are grieving. We do have a tendency to try to rush the process of grieving here. And in Ireland the funeral takes place much quicker than in the UK which can be a good distraction but then you sort of feel you should be back to reality. I’m letting myself have lots of time sitting in the garden reading or just sitting.

I didn’t feel like doing much yesterday but then had a burst of energy late afternoon and unpacked some new place mats I’d bought and not opened.

Today I’ve done a few things. Went to sort out membership of CostCo with DH and we did a big shop. Then we did some sorting out of stuff upstairs. Put up a lampshade and moved the trundle bed into the spare room for my nephew. Put the main bathroom back together a bit.

Going to sit in the garden now with my book for an hour.

I'm still in lockdown, in NSW Australia. I'm really up and down with my mood. I'm a bit better today. I've put some laundry on. I ordered fruit and veg today.

I am going to do some sewing this evening.

Morning all.

Hope you feel better @DownUdderer

@Peridot1

Today is a mega washing day. I set the washing machine for 4 am this morning (I finally worked out how to do that) and it will be on all day. Elderly incontinent dogs....... (we have 7 waterproof dog blankets- brilliant things, fluffy on one side and with a waterproof inner core) and they are just being washed on a rotation- but thank heavens for the current hot weather.

Plus I need to get the spare room sorted as one of DH's friends is coming to stay as he has some medical appointments nearby.

Sounds like people are doing a lot more than one job! I’m going room by room, I’ve decided. I sorted out the baby’s change table yesterday as the drawers were full of stuff from when he was a newborn (he’s now 19mo...) and ordered a shelving unit to help sort out a wardrobe space that is just piled high with junk. That will arrive by Mon! Very pleased with myself for biting the bullet.

Sounds like people are doing a lot more than one job!

Quite the opposite! I may have had three things on my list but I haven’t done any of them to my satisfaction yet. Life has been getting in the way at the moment.

I have scaled my jobs right back to regular house keeping as life gets in the way too!

But the boiler man came today and explained why the new boiler we want will not do. We have been without hot water (but thankfully have an electric shower) for a month now. It will be a good month until sorted.

That sounds rough Mind you, don’t seem to be needing hot water in my part of London atm- it’s boiling here.

Tomorrow I’m planning to sort out one toy box. The issue I keep having is that one single task actually has multiple steps. Empty toy box. Clean empty box. Sort toys that are staying, choose the ones to go to charity/be sold. Store elsewhere (hello, clutter) and then sell/give away, which invariably requires a password reset, strangers not turning up at agreed times, etc. Nothing is ever simple!

My project for today was batch cooking three different recipes. Waiting for it to cool so it can be frozen as portions. The other side of that project, by necessity, is tidying up the freezer to make more space!

I've had an ok day.

I've set my expectations really low during lockdown so that helps!

Morning all.

Today the only thing on my agenda is a family project. Packing up children and picnic and we will go to the beach. I have been on leave this week and ti has actually been filled with medical appointments and trying to sort out various things so today will be FUN. (I hope).

Hello. Can I join this please?
I’m on a mission to get my house sorted this summer and this seems like an excellent approach to an overwhelming task.
I actually don’t know where to start. Every cupboard, wardrobe, drawer is too full. Utility area is a dumping grown. Door handles don’t work. Extractor fan doesn’t work.
Kids wardrobe is falling apart.
I need to buy a new bed and redo my bedroom as I hate it. It’s so dated.
The bathroom needs a total revamp but I’m getting a company in to do that so I need to sort out quotes. That’ll probably end up being done in September or October.
And it all needs to be done on a modest budget!

Hi all

A beach days sounds great @BlueLobelia. Enjoy.

Welcome @LakesAndMountains - doing little and often really helps. Sounds like you have quite the list!

@DownUdderer - keeping your expectations low in lockdown is definitely the way to go.

I’m not doing too bad. I’m prioritising sitting out on the sofa in the garden every day with my book which I’m really enjoying. Cleaners were in yesterday so I did a big tidy up beforehand. And we cleared the hallway! Totally utterly clear. No random pieces of furniture waiting to go somewhere else. No piles of shoes. No piles of random crap. Can’t see it lasting long sadly but fingers crossed!

Neighbours are coming in for a bbq this evening so pottering around getting sorted for that.

Tomorrow is sorting the landing and putting up pictures day. And a few mirrors.

Prioritizing fun and being content are vital life skills and ace projects of sorts! That’s a brilliant idea!

Enjoy the space in the hallway Peridot1.

Today has been lots of chores and errands so my teeny tiny project was gathering up the soft blankets we use when watching a film or reading books and washing them. Fluffy, soft and sweet smelling! Bliss.