Mini Lessons: Post-Snowpocalypse Edition

It’s not really relevant to organizing, but I’m a weather nerd. I got a D in Meteorology 101 so I don’t understand it at all, but if a storm’s coming and you need info, I’m your gal. So I was preoccupied for much of last week with the forecasts, especially since it was tricky for my local meteorologists. But we were able to easily find the snow shovels and the other necessities without too much trouble. I had enough books on hand. And I avoided the people at the supermarket who were shopping for a supposed nuclear event. I should do everything as efficiently as I do storm prep.

In the end, we got about a foot, and as of today I’m over it. I didn’t go anywhere all weekend, other than walking down the block Saturday to get Emma from her friend’s house. She and I played in the snow yesterday too, which was fun. snow

  • Bedtime Routines, Munchkin Edition: When Emma was younger, we had a pretty simple routine which I didn’t need to write down. Often, she was more than ready to go to bed when the time arrived. But she’s getting older, and I think night-owl tendencies are starting to surface. Last Monday she was awake until almost 2 a.m. and was an exhausted mess when she had to get up for school. I ended up keeping her home because she was also very congested. She had a few more nights that were hard, where she was up later than she should have been, so now we have a specific but flexible routine which so far seems to be working. Here’s her routine:emmabedtime
  • Donations: I gave away more stuff last week. I sense this will be the last pickup for a while. For some reason they left the magazine rack, which is now in my car. My intention was to drop it at Goodwill with some other odds and ends, but Bob said he would like it. Unlike me, he hasn’t sworn off periodicals. He gets a few academic journals so unlike me he has a need. I was really determined not to bring it back into the house but it may help him corral his work stuff, which would be helpful. donation2
  • The Garage Fail: So we had our first big snow came and went, and my car was not in the garage like I hoped. And that’s ok. I need to get a battery for my camera so I can take some good photos very soon, of the garage and the house. There is a definite difference even though there is a long way to go. And now that we’ve carved out more space, I’m tossing around the idea of insulating part of the garage and getting a treadmill. I know I’d never use a gym membership but I do like using a treadmill when the weather’s not great.
  • The Family Sock Problem: Even though I pared down my clothes a lot, I realized I (we) have too many pairs of socks. The other day on the Be More With Less Facebook page I inadvertently started a long thread about do’s and don’t of donating socks. I learned a bit but still don’t know if it’s ok to donate socks. Since I wear out my gym socks frequently, and have more of those than any other kind, I think I may store my extra pairs. Then when I need replacements, I won’t need to buy them. I may not have to buy socks for a year or two.

From here on I’m going to focus more on my other objectives. Even though there is more to get rid of, I need a little break from purging. I can live with what I’ve accomplished on that front. Maintenance has never been my strong suit! But I am hoping to succeed this time.


5 Responses to Mini Lessons: Post-Snowpocalypse Edition

  1. I have 7 pairs of regular socks, 3 pairs of knee high socks (brown, black and gray) and 2 pairs of knee high stockings (brown and black) but I a) live in Florida and hardly ever wear socks and b) don’t go to the gym regularly.

  2. I culled my sock drawer last month, keeping way too many but choosing the most rarely used socks to give away. I listed them on Craigslist in the “free stuff” section and almost immediately got a response from someone who was really happy to get a bunch of extra socks for the winter. So that may be another option for you.

  3. FYI – you can donate ANY textile even socks as long as it’s not wet or mildewed to a major place (such as Goodwill or Planet Aid) even a single shoe! If it’s not resold in the store it will be sent to textile recycling to become industrial rags or padding for things like envelopes, boxing bags, and stuffed animals.
    http://www.weardonaterecycle.org/

  4. Pingback: Objective 2: Final Grade | The Simple Year

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