August “I Will” and Re-post of “Summer of Sleep”
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@MadisonMolly2017 I can’t bring myself to get rid of my curriculum files. I have my old MacBook with all my files on it that I can’t transfer (floppy discs). If that computer would just die, I could do it, but every time I turn it on it chimes and greets me with a happy face. 🤣 As for old letters, I only save them if they are very special- I figure the emotions they initially created are stored in my soul even if I don’t remember them.
@SummerSkier how nice that Bandit stole your heart 9284 days ago!4 -
@MadisonMolly2017 I can’t bring myself to get rid of my curriculum files. I have my old MacBook with all my files on it that I can’t transfer (floppy discs). If that computer would just die, I could do it, but every time I turn it on it chimes and greets me with a happy face. 🤣 As for old letters, I only save them if they are very special- I figure the emotions they initially created are stored in my soul even if I don’t remember them.
@SummerSkier how nice that Bandit stole your heart 9284 days ago!
Thank you @77tes! Very helpful
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@MadisonMolly2017 Thank you for starting us off for August. The intro is truly a timeless and important post!!
Thank you for sharing your experiences and especially what worked for you.
I have the TED talk set up to listen to another time... I enjoy TED talks!
And thank you to @themedalist for the original post that I quote from below, and the Infographic. Being a visual learner I always have appreciated the ones that you have shared over time.
Oh, my goodness... "I gave sleep the day’s leftovers. Whatever time was left after I finished doing what I needed and wanted to do, that time went to sleep."
That is the perfect description of what I do so often, but never thought of it in quite that way...
@SummerSkier Oh, my, do take care of yourself and be safe! I am certainly happy that you are able to work from home again. Yay!
You wrote: "...a purring cat is a wonderful sleep aide...." Awwwww 😍
Great storm clouds picture!
I spied teenybonandbanditinthephoto 👍! But I wouldn't have if you hadn't mentioned it!! A bit over 25 years of you loving your beautiful Bandit 💗.
@nebslp I think that there just may be a few of us who may need a night owl intervention?!? At least two for starters.... 🤣🤐😲! Because I'd definitely be on their list also. Just last night I was ..." I know that I will be tired tomorrow morning, but.... I really do want to finish listening to this one... and then the next one...
@MadisonMolly2017 You wrote: One thing that took me a couple of days to realize: the hour or three I lose at night, I get back in earlier & more rested AM..
This is so true! My next mornings/days are getting noticeably harder for me the older I get 🙃.
I just read about how well your August sleep habit is coming along. Super awesome!! Yay 😴👍.
@TerriRichardson112 well done decluttering all those items so far, and especially even mending two clothing items! And for how you managed the paper the other day. I like your declutter goal for August! Your origami containers are so colorful and pretty! Nice work!!
Thank you for sharing the picture of your beautiful arum lilies 🌼, and your colorful tracker.
@akern1987 enjoy your upcoming vacation 🙋♀️ .
@77tes I just love the idea of your early Downton Abbey sewing project! What fun!
Your chemise is absolutely gorgeous 💗.
@BodyTalking great questions you asked on the 9th. It is getting late now so I will try to remember to answer at another time. I'm trying to catch up reading and post a bit as I have been out of the loop for a while.
For me, as usual, some nights have actually been good and others appallingly not good regarding when I get to sleep. Nights that I have purposely stayed up have been before mornings that I have no need to awaken early. So no alarm had been set. But nevertheless it would definitely be much better If I kept better routine hours. And I do know it. Also, even though I didn't set the alarm doesn't mean that I was able to sleep in as long as I thought I would have liked to. That certainly does makes for tired mornings and days. And increasingly that is beginning to be even more definitely not worth it. And I have also been accomplishing less on those days.
I want to do a little work in the garden next week so I will want to be awake very early before the August Texas sun becomes scorching hot. So it is time to start again... 😴👍.
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@texasgardnr what a fabulous catch up post!!! And of course you espied the tiny mirror reflection. LOL. Yes - Covid here is no joke. And the folks who are getting it are ending up with more serious cases etc... I am glad I was brave enough to push my manager and their uppers to be remote again. whew!
I want to know what you are going to put in your garden also. My moonflowers took off from seed but they are not opening fully. They are gorgeous but I wish they would open.. sigh. My desert willow is doing well. We really haven't had as dry and hot a summer as some have been in the past here in Austin.
summercheckin3 -
texasgardnr wrote: »@MadisonMolly2017 Thank you for starting us off for August. The intro is truly a timeless and important post!!
Thank you for sharing your experiences and especially what worked for you.
I have the TED talk set up to listen to another time... I enjoy TED talks!
And thank you to @themedalist for the original post that I quote from below, and the Infographic. Being a visual learner I always have appreciated the ones that you have shared over time.
Oh, my goodness... "I gave sleep the day’s leftovers. Whatever time was left after I finished doing what I needed and wanted to do, that time went to sleep."
That is the perfect description of what I do so often, but never thought of it in quite that way...
@SummerSkier Oh, my, do take care of yourself and be safe! I am certainly happy that you are able to work from home again. Yay!
You wrote: "...a purring cat is a wonderful sleep aide...." Awwwww 😍
Great storm clouds picture!
I spied teenybonandbanditinthephoto 👍! But I wouldn't have if you hadn't mentioned it!! A bit over 25 years of you loving your beautiful Bandit 💗.
@nebslp I think that there just may be a few of us who may need a night owl intervention?!? At least two for starters.... 🤣🤐😲! Because I'd definitely be on their list also. Just last night I was ..." I know that I will be tired tomorrow morning, but.... I really do want to finish listening to this one... and then the next one...
@MadisonMolly2017 You wrote: One thing that took me a couple of days to realize: the hour or three I lose at night, I get back in earlier & more rested AM..
This is so true! My next mornings/days are getting noticeably harder for me the older I get 🙃.
I just read about how well your August sleep habit is coming along. Super awesome!! Yay 😴👍.
@TerriRichardson112 well done decluttering all those items so far, and especially even mending two clothing items! And for how you managed the paper the other day. I like your declutter goal for August! Your origami containers are so colorful and pretty! Nice work!!
Thank you for sharing the picture of your beautiful arum lilies 🌼, and your colorful tracker.
@akern1987 enjoy your upcoming vacation 🙋♀️ .
@77tes I just love the idea of your early Downton Abbey sewing project! What fun!
Your chemise is absolutely gorgeous 💗.
@BodyTalking great questions you asked on the 9th. It is getting late now so I will try to remember to answer at another time. I'm trying to catch up reading and post a bit as I have been out of the loop for a while.
For me, as usual, some nights have actually been good and others appallingly not good regarding when I get to sleep. Nights that I have purposely stayed up have been before mornings that I have no need to awaken early. So no alarm had been set. But nevertheless it would definitely be much better If I kept better routine hours. And I do know it. Also, even though I didn't set the alarm doesn't mean that I was able to sleep in as long as I thought I would have liked to. That certainly does makes for tired mornings and days. And increasingly that is beginning to be even more definitely not worth it. And I have also been accomplishing less on those days.
I want to do a little work in the garden next week so I will want to be awake very early before the August Texas sun becomes scorching hot. So it is time to start again... 😴👍.
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So good to hear from you @texasgardnr !!
Thank you for all your encouraging comments!
My sleep continues to be much better. I’m still adjusting but it’s been surprisingly easy!
🌸
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Hi habit builders. 😂
August Focus: Get to grips with all the clutter that has accumulated in my cupboards and drawers over the years. It has been out of sight out of mind for long enough.
For August:
After I have finished my breakfast .....
..... I will Declutter 5 items.Sun 1: I sorted out my every day glassware cupboard. At the back of the cupboard I found a stack of small yoghurt/dessert tubs that I had been using for small amounts of ingredients when I was cooking. I hadn't realised how many of these I had gathered up. I have kept half a dozen and the rest have gone in the recycle bin.Tues 10: 1 kitchen cupboard dealt with. Binned about a dozen out of date packets/jars of foodstuffs.
Mon 2: I sorted through the clothes that were lying on my bedroom seat. I mended 2 items, put 3 of them into the donate bag, and several more into the recycle bin. The rest of the items I put away where they belonged.
Tues 3: I did some more paper decluttering of my filing cabinets. I am gradually filling up my upstairs paper recycle bin which I will put into the outside bin before bin day next Tuesday. Downstairs, I have a recycle box in our lounge, and I have a routine for dealing with junk mail each day when it arrives. Today, I also filed all the papers that had been piling up on the dining room table.
Wed 4: Decluttered fridge, binned 2 out of date jams, and several chutneys. Used leftover veg to make soup for lunch.
Thurs 5: Sorted through some old makeup. Binned several lipsticks, a couple of old nail polishes, and an almost empty tube of foundation. I haven't worn any of them for over a year.
Fri 6: I went through some more old paperwork and put some more into the recycle bin (a lot more than five Items).
Sat 7: I went through my sock drawer and put seven odd socks into the recycle bin. I’ve no idea where their matches went. Three of them had holes in them, and I never darn. 😂
Sun: 8 Today, I Decluttered some more of my hair ornaments which were cluttering up,the bathroom counters. I made pretty origami containers for them and sorted them into different colours et cetera. The containers stack into a pagoda shape on my bedside table. My bigger items are in the stripey box underneath.
Mon 9: Isn't it annoying the way clutter builds up! I had to give my writing desk another spruce up today. I binned a bunch of used post it's, several dud pens (why do we keep these? 🙄), and tidied away some small odds and ends into a couple more of my little stacking origami boxes. Making them feels very Zen. That should keep it tidy for a few days, surely! 😂
Wed 11: Fridge clear-out. This is one of my regular decluttering tasks in preparation for my weekly food shop. Usually nets 6 or 7 items.
Thurs11: I did a decluttering sweep of the downstairs and picked up an armful of empty envelops, newspapers, and junk mail that DH had been eating, which I,putmin the recycle bin, plus several of his coffee mugs (thankfully empty) which I washed and dried. I think this sweep is something that I will do in the future.
When my daughters got their own houses, I used to take them a present of a box of their belongings when I went to visit. It soon got rid of their clutter from our house. 😂5 -
Wow, I decided to get on my exercise bike and read all your posts at the same time. I've just done 10 minutes without even thinking about it 🚴♀️
Thank you for all your replies to the questions I asked. I'm definitely going to take a leaf our of your books. 400 active minutes!! That's fantastic! When I worked in retail and printing, I must have clocked up a lot but didn't have a tracker back then. I did have a pedometer for a while but I don't remember the numbers.
I haven't done much in the way of decluttering...maybe this weekend ☺️
A couple of nights this week, I've had hot milk with honey at bedtime, I've taken melatonin every night and used the sleep sounds app to help nod off better. 6h40m average sleep this week, still finding what's best for me. I know it takes time. On the days where I could have had a lie-in, I've been woken up by drilling and hammering in one of the neighbour's flats. This has been going on since the end of January and I don't know how many flats have been getting work done, maybe just two, but grrrr! Some days, when trying to teach online, it was nigh impossible to hear and I had to cut some lessons short. This has been one of the worst things to come out of lockdown - everybody decided to reconstruct their homes!
Tiny Habits List
I bought a children's school diary and will use it as a fun way of logging my progress and tasks from MFP. Since paring down my 'After I do..., I'll do...' morning routine, I've jotted down the main things on a sticker and placed it on this 'To Do' page 😁 I'll fill the page with the things I really want to get done throughout each day.2 -
@TerriRichardson112 “When my daughters got their own houses, I used to take them a present of a box of their belongings when I went to visit. It soon got rid of their clutter from our house. 😂”
I love this!! Unfortunately I’d have to ship it across the Atlantic!!!
So I’m just gonna be Ruthless! 😂2 -
Ok went nuts with the decluttering today. Over 4 hours, but the good news is I was able to get in the PITCH IT Mode & whittled my teaching memorabilia wayyyy down. A couple of YouTube videos helped!
Basically, I haven’t looked at this particular lot in 20+ years, so I wrote down what I cared about. And restricted myself to 5 letters from students per grade. I hacked through math sheets “I thought I might use someday.”
I’m sure I can find even better math resources if I ever do need them LoL
I also used the “If the house was on fire, what would I grab” method. I realized if only take some poems & writing I’d done, some photos of me 🤣😂🤣😂, and yeah.
So tomorrow I will decide whether to pitch a lot more of it.
I feel as though I may be in the middle of a breakthrough with my dastardly sentimental clutter (as many oldtimers in here have heard me grapple with before.”3 -
Well we made it thru Friday the 13th with no catastrophes.. LOL. I did have a black cat visit on the back deck and attack my kitties thru the window early on in the am (like 4 am I think) but other than that all went well. I see the CDC is now allowing a 3rd vaccine dose. Maddie, what does your Dr think about that? Would that be nice if you could feel a little safer? The little 9 yo girl who got a kidney from her Dad in Aug 2019 now has Chinkiri syndrome (spelling) and is scheduled for surgery the end of Sept if covid doesn't shut all of Dallas down for procedures..
@BodyTalking I adore the diary. Funny how children's tools are so bright and happy and adults are just boring.. LOL.
As far as August. I am quite happy with progress so far. It's not perfect but there is method to the madness..
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SummerSkier wrote: »Well we made it thru Friday the 13th with no catastrophes.. LOL. I did have a black cat visit on the back deck and attack my kitties thru the window early on in the am (like 4 am I think) but other than that all went well. I see the CDC is now allowing a 3rd vaccine dose. Maddie, what does your Dr think about that? Would that be nice if you could feel a little safer? The little 9 yo girl who got a kidney from her Dad in Aug 2019 now has Chinkiri syndrome (spelling) and is scheduled for surgery the end of Sept if covid doesn't shut all of Dallas down for procedures..
@BodyTalking I adore the diary. Funny how children's tools are so bright and happy and adults are just boring.. LOL.
As far as August. I am quite happy with progress so far. It's not perfect but there is method to the madness..
@SummerSkier
What a lovely post!
Bad 🐈⬛!!
What a lovely tracker! I’m so impressed with how you’ve handled the “going back to work, requesting WAH, and adjusting again!! Really. That’s why you are so successful at maintenance. You anticipated, adapted, succeeded!! Very inspiring thank you!
Re the 3rd booster, my team is waiting for CDC & International Assoc of Transplantation. Recommendations.
Sadly the research I’ve read (preliminary ) showed no improvement for folks like me with 0%!response after two shots. However a recent research study shows none to some improvement for the same category. So there’s hope!! Thank you for thinking of me. I am having several “play dates” with friends each week in our rejuvenated backyard area. So far, that is working really well for me!
Hummingbirds have arrived to savor one of the flowers we planted!!!
I’m sorry for the 9 year old. I’m not familiar with that syndrome, but my heart goes out to her & her folks.
🌷🌸🌻🌺🌷🌹🥀
Enjoy your well-deserved weekend!!
🎊Maddie3 -
It's 4 am and I haven't been able to get to sleep yet 🤷🏻♀️ Sometimes, this is just what night-time is like for me.3
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Update on last night's wide awake post, I eventually nodded off around 6:30 and managed to get 4h46m sleep, so I'm feeling fine now 🌞2
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Hi! You are all doing so well! I'm sorry you had trouble sleeping @BodyTalking. Hopefully that doesn't happen too often.
I've enjoyed seeing the trackers/diary. It looks like there are a lot of great habits being formed.
My goal was to set a reminder to get my body to bed at a reasonable time. The reminder worked to tell me it was time to get ready, but I didn't heed it except for a few times. Those times I would go to bed, toss and turn, and an hour later was still tossing and turning. I figured out that you can't force your body to do something when your mind hasn't set the intention to do it. I was trying to change my late night behavior because the experts said it was important, that going to bed early was a good thing. I realized I can't do something because someone else thinks that I should do it. So I'm following my old schedule...go to bed when I'm finished with the day's activities and I'm tired, and getting up whenever my body says it's time to. I'm still getting around 7 hours of sleep so it's all good. I do like early mornings outside though so I may reconsider at some point.
My August Part II habit is going to be something that I did for a month and it actually made a real difference in my life. That is to meditate daily. I quit because my meditation spot no longer worked due to nesting birds overhead and I didn't want to scare them away. Now that nesting season is over, I'm going to go back to sitting on my front porch every morning to meditate. I am going back to our original habit format and will post my I will in another post.
Happy birthday to @SummerSkier! I'm glad we get to celebrate another year of knowing you
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@nebslp I love love love that you are accepting the way YOU work. Some folks are just night owls and some are morning larks. @bodytalking I am sorry you had so much trouble last night...
In addition to my brushing of my own kitties yesterday I started doing the barn kits too. Think Fluff enjoys this?
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1. In the second half of August, I will meditate every morning.
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal: every night I will set a pillow by the door ready to take out to the bench on the front porch.
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit: I will see the pillow when I watch my morning TV show.
4. How often will you do your new habit: every day
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?: I will reflect on how I feel after meditating. If I use a fitbit meditation I will log my meditation and notice the drop in my heart rate from the beginning to the end.
6. What help would you like from us? Just keep posting how things are going for you.
7. What does success look like to you at the end of August? I feel more centered and be able to focus on what I want to achieve with less resistance.4 -
@SummerSkier I'm not planting anything new, anywhere. It's summer.... I only want to do a bit of tidying up (if) as needed. With all of the unusual rain during July I just let everything be in self maintenance mode and grow wild mode with the rains. Now in August my focus will be just to keep anything that is more tender alive. And a bit of tidy up if I feel like it. When Autumn actually comes is when I spruce up and cut back. and see what needs to be done. I only work with flowers 🌼, mostly perennials now. And a few potted plants on the patio.
I like your tracker! Your barn kitty is beautiful!!
@TerriRichardson112 great decluttering that you are doing following your plan to decluttering 5 items daily after you finish breakfast 👏!!
@BodyTalking I'm sorry about the loud noises of reconstruction going on around you. That is not pleasant, especially during the early morning hours. That is so cool that you bought a children's school diary and will use it as a fun way of logging your progress and tasks from MFP. What a brilliant idea!! And fun also 😁.
@MadisonMolly2017 Great idea of how to give your daughters back their stuff 👍. I had a rule that when each child was permanently moving out I had them take all (or if needed most things, but they had to have a plan when to get those left behind things) of their stuff with them. When the eldest moved out he decluttered everything that he did not want to take with him and gave to his siblings/ friends what they wanted, then donated/trashed the rest. He used to declutter his stuff regularly so this was no big deal to him. The next ones each followed his example. Then I also let each one "shop" the house (especially the kitchen) and ask for whatever they would like to take with them... either what was useful or just loved. It was amazing how that worked out. Now when I visit them I see bits and pieces of our lives together as well as their childhoods in their homes and kitchens. Together we also divided up their favorite Christmas decorations among them so they could have something from home on their first Christmas away. Years later they still send me pictures of Christmas decorations they are putting up which include ones from home 💗.
Awesome decluttering that you are doing, especially because you are tackling that sentimental clutter!! Good for you 🤸♀️.
@nebslp good for you to move on and make a new plan for the rest of August. You are on top of what will work best for you 👍
I'm still working on getting enough sleep. I am doing better overall, but definitely not every day. I do have more leeway than I used to have for when to wake up. So I get to sleep in if the evening ran later.
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I hate it when I lose a message just as I'm ready to hit POST!!!
I'll try again.
@Summer Skier I think Fluff is enjoying the brushing ALmOst as much as you are
@texasgardnr My flower beds have gone to self-maintenance and grow wild mode as well. As soon as we get a good rain I will don my gloves and wield my shears and bring some order to it.
I love your idea to let your kids "shop" for things that were meaningful to them in their childhood. What a great way to share before the dividing has to be done in a hurry or as a chore if it comes to that.
Meditation is going great, and I'm loving the regularity of it again. The birdies have moved on and I have been able to reclaim the front porch. I use FitBit Deepok Chopra meditations, usually about 10 minutes, but I don't want to stop then, so I continue a bit longer. This is a meaningful goal that will be sure to continue.
I have been observing my sleep habits and just going along with whenever I want to go to bed. Not surprisingly, I feel better the following day when I go to bed before midnight, so I will be sure to do that most nights. It will be more of a free will choice than a feeling of dread like when Cinderella hears clock strikes 12
Carry on! It's still summer here, but recent cooler nights have me hoping for cooler days ahead.3 -
@nebslp you wrote: "Not surprisingly, I feel better the following day when I go to bed before midnight, so I will be sure to do that most nights. It will be more of a free will choice than a feeling of dread like when Cinderella hears clock strikes 12"
I really like how you worded that 😁, and the last part made me laugh! But it is true😜.
Mine is by 11, but no later than midnight is my secondary goal. I also do better with a less strict goal. But if I do want/ need to wake up earlier the next day, then I strive to go to sleep even earlier.
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Finished my Decluttering job. 22 hours.
Now in to cassettes - which I finished in 30 minutes tonight because they were all labeled
Tomorrow on to CD/DVD’s from my teaching…
The Sentimental category is really beginning to click along 😃😃😃😃😃
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