One House/Garden Home Improvement a Day Challenge

[BloodiedGhouloshes]

Does anyone want to join?

I seem to get bogged down in the day to day grind of keeping the house running and never have time to do the stuff I want to do.

I have so many projects I want to get done... from small (washing curtains!) to large- renovating the kitchen/conservatory and the back garden into a patio.

I thought if I made it an imperative to do something each day, by the time one year is up this place will be transformed.

My place... mid-terrace Victorian. 3 Dcs. 3 dogs 2 cats. Total chaos.

Today I:

1. bought from the local charity shop 5 little cut glass tiny vases of varying heights and put roses in them and bundled them together 'artfully' on the mantelpiece.

1. strung fairy lights up our bannister.

Okay- it's two things. :)

Tomorrow I plan to repot some plants before winter.

Anyone want to join the 365 day challenge?

Haven't been on for ages
But have ...

Had old granny suite painted ( by a decorator , not me )

Washed and rehung 3 sets of curtains

Bought 2 new bedside lamps

Bought new lampshade

Sorted out a million different light bulbs and now have matching lights
everywhere

Hung a mirror

Hung 2 pictures

Bought the sticky back plastic to put on windows that need frosting

Swept patio and collected hundreds of leaves

Planted 18 hyacinth bulbs in various planters

Not bad for a weeks work ( though I say it myself )

Nothing achieved today...spent the morning mooching about town with dd2 and the afternoon finishing Christmas shopping online for both girls....have given dp the responsibility of getting them each a surprise gift since I've done the rest

Jobs for the weekend are...

dp to sort dimmer switch, break a few bits small enough to go in wheely bin and sort dd2's light switch.

Me...erm, I think sort the back hallway and try to get rid of sofa should be priority, a friend of mine manages a charity shop so will text her and see if they want any of the bits in the under-stairs cupboard too. Will take down front net and clean the window for if we put lights in it this year. Not sure whether it's worth it tbh, am already not putting my lovely wreath out because the street has got to be really awful the past couple of years & it'd end up wrecked

Have a fab weekend everyone! Will check back in later.

Nothing done here as have horrible fluey thing.

Good morning! Hope you are better soon Cider.

Well, last day of the first month of Operation365. Here is the full list of what I have done;

1. Bought cut glass vases from charity shop
2. strung up fairy lights up the banister
3. Potted cyclamen for winter
4. Tipped broken pots and stacked other pots
5. Tree surgeon to horse chestnut
6. gardener came and mowed lawn
7. charity shopped books
8. cleaned windows and mirrors inside
9. Bird pictures into study
10. cleaned window sills
11. shoe racks
12. 1 bg childrens toys to childminder
13. other pictures in study up
14. cleared and sorted hallway
15. cleaned tile grouting
16. new bins and recycling bin
17. Charity shopped a bag of toys
18. bought a new chopping board
19. Garden hose rolled up and put away.
20. charity shopped baby clothes
21. DC's paintings framed and hung
22. Windows cleaned outside.
23. linen cupboard part-sorted
24. DH dresser sorted
25. My dresser sorted
26. Our mantelpiece sorted
27. books in sitting room sorted.
28. Lamp for hall table.
29. 5 small cypress trees planted along boundary.

Just short of one thing a a day, but I am pleased! Also, already the house is looking so different!

Looking forward to the next month!

Back again, really didn't feel I'd achieved much in last few days, but

I Have Dealt with The Front Garden. 3 new pots planted, five plants planted, window box, completely swept, bulbs planted, rubbish removed.
Do need to water it though!!!

Just going to tackle the sewing stuff now, as I've finally hung my clothes up, and felt I couldn't deal with sewing until the first was achieved.

Also made some big saltdough centrepieces for Christmas which I need to paint with acrylics. They look hideous atm though Like someone's spat out burnt toast

Today I have come over all Christmas. I have put up wreaths for our doors, put up the tree and put up the stockings on our bannisters.

Last year we were so disorganised that we never even had a tree, as it got to Christmas eve and we realised we had forgotten to buy one. So this is unusual.

Mind you- I was delighted to discover that our churchwarden was similarly disorganised last year and also failed to buy a Christmas tree.... so they put one of those fir tree car fresheners up on the mantelpiece with tinsel around it. I thought that was great!

Made a temporary greenhouse/coldframe out of an old glass showerscreen and another piece of recycling. Very pleased with myself. Will see how the plants fare (nothing valuable, just lots of geraniums and some nice scented ones which it would be nice to keep for next year) before I commit myself to a real greenhouse (which of course takes up a lot of space if it is a walk in one. At least if I do get a greenhouse in the next month, the plants will still be alive to use it!

Am wondering if I can join please. I know a month too late but have only just plucked up the courage to join in threads. Also just joined another thread to keep me motivated in the housework dept and now have sooo many little niggly jobs to do in the house I thought joining this thread might spur me on. Just reading some of the lists of jobs people have done makes my head spin. Will post my list tomorrow. Many thanks.

I have just been warming up to start properly on 1st Dec so last 3 days of November:

• Shoe cupboard on Freegle/Bag of clothes to friend
• Boxes into bin/garage
• Bags to Hospice shop

On to December when I started on my 335 day challenge :)
Yesterday - old dead hoover to tip - much rejoicing
Today - Leftover laminate and vinyl moved from hallway to garage

Good afternoon

Finally got through to charity shop; they're picking up two buggies, a sofa, one of those pull along shopping trollies and a dollys pram on Friday morning so that frees me up a lot of space in the understairs cupboard for bigger toys like the Cosy Coupe and scooter to live in (daren't leave them out over winter, they'd be nicked round here

We need to move by the end of Jan (property needs a lot of work - walls/bathroom ripping out, stuff like that) so I think I'll concentrate on clearing out unused stuff for the moment and making it easier to pack up.

Hello! Welcome all newcomers. :)

Me today - I am removing three dead hostas from a pot and replacing them with white cyclamen.

I am hopeless at counting - so we are on Day 32 of Operation365, is that right?

Today has been fairly productive. Took down shower curtain in our en suite and bleached and scrubbed it back to life. Cleared out pots ready to plant up with tulips and winter bedding. Cleaned to kitchen window sill which has been out of sight out of mind ! Bit yucky. ! Bought shelves down from dusty attic and will fill with DD2 books tomorrow.

Need to write a big list room by room and get the house ship shape. !

Have just about finished the room we want to do B & B in .

Bought the correct lightbulbs for the table lamps

Moved out old wardrobe ( tatty falling down Argos job )

Moved in small old 2 sweater sofa .
Took off loose cover which was covered in cat fur and ripped by cats claws by my Dads cats to find a bare sofa underneath , wondering about having new covers made ?

Think about that another day ...

I have 2 bags of toys and 2 bags of clothes to go to charity shop , that will be Wednesdays job I think

Bought 2 bunches of red roses , and will cut some holly and ivy etc tomorrow to make a Christmas decoration .

Crikey, haven't updated for a week. I've kept up a project a day and in the last week I have:

Dug and forked ground for raised beds and assisted OH to make the wooden frames. That job is done, at last.
Discovered yet more of DD3's belongings and dropped them off at her new home. Bedding, toys, clothes.....
Sorted out a big tub of paperwork, envelopes, printer paper and the like. Found proper home for everything, then washed out tub ready for its new job ( yet to be decided).
Made a Christmas Wreath which is now hanging on front door.
Transferred stuff from old shed to new shed. Now we can actually move around in old shed.
Took bag of stuff to charity shop.
Advertised larder fridge on Gumtree and FreeAds.
Put stuff in loft including large fan which had never actually made it back into loft between summers for three years. Just stood about, getting in the way for 48 weeks of the year.
Sorted some items from future bathroom.
Freecycled some items.

Some of these things I would have done anyway- eventually, but this thread has been the spur to stir my stumps and get on with it. I'm nearly at the one month mark and I can really see a difference.
The stuff I've recycled, dumped, given away though! Good grief, where did it all come from? Why was I keeping it?

Also tidied up my inbox . Read many unread emails, deleted lots, sent some to folders and most importantly unsubscribe s from various emails.

Less clutter!

Evening

NameoftheRose I've cleared out loads of junk too, and a fair bit of useable stuff has been charity shopped as well! Thing is....where did it all live? Because there isn't that much more room although the difference is noticeable!

Tomorrows job is a small one, I want to keep clearing out the kids bookshelf (figured do it slowly ish and replace every now and again might not be toooooo moaned at ). Am aiming for ten books squirreled away to take in next week when dp is on earlies and I can do an afternoon school run without dd2 to pester to see what's in the bag .

Am also going to see if school want some baking for the Christmas fayre next week, in the morning, and maybe do a batch of mini christmas cakes to freeze until then.

Also enlisted my dad to pick up another 2x80L storage boxes for me, not sure when he'll pick them up due to work/other stuff going on for both of us but it saves me trying to trek them back from Poundstretcher on two buses.

Will nip into butcher again for some more packing boxes this week and see if I can get some banana boxes from somewhere for my books too.

Have been away and busy on a new work project so it's good to see you are all still going! Over the last few weeks I have:

Tidied up the disgrace that was my spare room!
Taken set of 6 chairs to be sold at auction
Been to the dump 3 times.... I know it's not good, but there's a limit to what can be usefully given to charity. A lot of stuff I had been keeping for ages did actually turn out to be useless rubbish - why did I ever think it would come in handy??
Taken 4 bags of outgrown children's books to charity shop
Sorted out 'the making things' cupboard - all old craft stuff sorted, dried up bits discarded etc to make room for new projects
Sorted through the cable / charger drawer
Cleaned out under the bed
Helped 12 yr old DS sort out his room / desk avalanche
Helped 8 yr old DD sort out her artwork/desk mountain and clothes barn
Moved all furniture out of sitting room as ceiling is coming down (not good, but meant I had a good sort out!)
Ditched/shredded 2 carrier bags full of old papers, bills, receipts etc
Sorted summer clothes as they were put away - no point storing anything I no longer wear
Redecorated sitting room (with help!)

I like doing regular small jobs ( bag to charity shop) with the odd big 'whack' job to feel I'm really making progress with things that have been on my to-do list for a long time.

Still need to tackle the huge but useful cupboard that holds everything... but may have to think about Christmas a bit first!

Not a huge amount achieved today due to bad back Xmas shopping and a whingy teething baby !! Did plant up my tulips in pots ! A small achievement but they had been sat waiting to be potted for 6 wks !!

Need to aim higher tomorrow !!

Ten books cleared off bookshelf, baking done and frozen, and butcher is going to save me some more boxes.

MIL is going to take the toy pram to hers for the girls to play with, and take the shopping trolley (both were going to the charity shop on Friday) so need to organise getting them there....will probably have to do in two trips because she's supposed to be resting after just having a hysterectomy and dp is working 12hour shifts until the weekend.

I think tomorrow I'll clear out outgrown clothes from the girls' wardrobes, unless I get busy doing something else first, & try and get them over to the charity shop/put away for dd2 all at once.

Could do with tidying up outside over the next few days too...squishing things into bin & just general stacking pots kinds of things. Might make that thursdays job maybe

You are all doing so well. I'm feeling much better. Flu thing gone. Went t Bath Xmas markets yesterday for day wth friends. Bought lots. Mainly for me! Went into town here today to take some stuff back to Next and M&S. Bought me stuff for me! And Xmas presents but mainly stuff for me. . No wonder my house is a disaster zone.

Operation 365 was suspended while I was on sick leave. Did a job today. We have two glass lantern lights in th hall which end up being spider cemeteries. It's a two person job to get them down and emptied and washed and dried and put back. DH and I did that today. He is off to Poland tomorrow for two days and my plan is massive effort to blitz before he comes back. Want to put Xmas trees up etc this weekend but want house tidied before then. So massive decluttering and I want t do the floor tile grouting.

I thnk I need to ban myself from mn to get anything done though!

I love reading the lists of what everyone has done.

Lucysmam, there has to be more space? Surely?
Many years ago two of our kids left home at about the same time and we got rid of the equivalent of a room full of furniture + all their clutter. Yet the house was as crowded as ever. The real mystery was how we'd fitted it all in, in the first place.

Madhouse, doing anything with a whingy, teething baby, even think straight, is an achievement.

I did the same as you today, Cider, bought DH's Christmas presents but also bought myself a sweater. And three books. And had my eyebrows threaded. So there's less clutter, right there. My face is tidier.

Yesterday I washed down a large expanse of woodwork. Today I filled the brown bin to the brim with all the nettle and couch grass roots I have been forking out of the ground. Somehow I managed to drag it up the drive for the bin men tomorrow.

I didn't manage much today. dp has been at home feeling sorry for himself with d&v . Looking like I'll have him here cluttering up tomorrow so I'll water change the fishes I think (haven't done them for a good few weeks & they're desperate).

Might clear the 'pantry' shelves too (unfortunately not a proper pantry, just shelves in the back hall) of the trays and randomness we don't use I think too.

Name...there will be space on Friday when the sofa and bits go to the charity shop & I organise getting pram/trolley to dp's mums on Friday hopefully.

Hi all.

Feeling very motivated today. One load of washing done and bread in the bread machine (which hasn't been used for about 3 years!). Dishwasher on.

Yesterday I decluttered my cookery books shelves. Have a pile to go to the charity shop. Space for more - yay!

Also wrote Xmas cards.

Today's job list:

More washing - towels, shirts and bedding
Clear off kitchen table
Clear magazine baskets out
Sort recycling and put out
General house tidy as cleaners coming tomorrow but I won't be here so need to tidy today
Put new cushion covers on living room cushions
Clear clutter under side tables in living room
Clear my desk - has been on list for weeks!

Get package ready to post to my cousin for her new baby
Post Xmas cards

Hoping to do Xmas trees this weekend so need downstairs tidy and as clutter free as possible.

Hope you are all still going!

Well that went well Man from charity shop has just been & doesn't want the sofa because it's a bit worn (nothing major btw, just the arms where they've been used). Wouldn't mind but most of what they have in the shop is knackered and in need of a lot of tlc So now I still have a perfectly good sofa sat here.

Going to try it on a fb freecyle page later & see if anyone wants it so long as they can collect it.

Didn't give them the buggies. Dd2 has been playing dollies with them all.morning & cba with the tears

Life, eh, Lucysmam?

Freecycle sounds like a good option, hope it works.