January and some new starts!

 What is it about January that makes us want to reorganize, declutter, and make our homes easier to take care of?  Or is it just me??  As I am getting older, I am finding I want to have things easier for my husband and myself.  This means with gardening too, like planting perennials over annuals.  I am also watching you tube, and the people who are decluttering and organizing their homes!!  So much motivation!!  

When we took down Christmas, as we packed away, we tossed broken things, got a box for things we no longer decorate with, why keep them, right!!  It is finally sinking in.  Today, I said to my dear hubby, do we really need all these knives??  We have big serrated, carving, and I don't even know the special uses for some.  He actually decided to purge them with me.  Its a start.   I have a few soup bowls, that have chips, and I tossed them!!   

This past week, I have gone through my drawers in our closet.  I tossed stained, too big items I donated, tossed old shoes that saw better days.  It is so freeing!  The You Tube videos are making it easier for me.

The weather has gotten so cold since yesterday.  I don't even want to go out.  I am totally happy staying in.  The wind is howling, and I am grateful it isn't snowing!!  I am already getting spring fever!  I can't wait to be outside, having our coffee in the gazebo, watching nature come to life!

My son bought me a large print bible for Christmas!  I am so happy with it, my other bibles have such small print for my 71 yr old eyes!  I am enjoying my Bible reading again without squinting!

I have also started a better routine, for keeping my house in order.  Certain days, I do certain rooms.  I just can't go cleaning the whole house in one day.  I do daily tasks that keep things in order, do the room of the day, and if I don't get to everything that day, I note it down, and do it the next week day for that room.  For instance, this Wednesday, I didn't get my windows cleaned in our bedroom, so I will do it next Wednesday.  I also take breaks, and don't stress over it.

Here is our Olivia, at 5 months!!  We are so blessed with our  beautiful granddaughters!  Each day brings us such joy!

And this is our Sofia!

Preparing for the New Year!

 We had a wonderful Christmas!  Our best gift was our newest grandaughter, Olivia!  The joy that she  brings us!  What was also wonderful, is our granddaughter Sofia, and our son Chris were able to come from Florida for Olivia's baptism in November, and they stayed 10 days!  Also a great present for us!

 

We had our son Michael, his wife Kristin, baby Olivia, my brother in law and his wife, with our other son Sandy, and hubby and I for Christmas Day.  Christmas Eve we were at my sil for 7 fishes dinner.  Oh boy, so much eating at the holidays!!  Christmas Day, we made cappelletti soup (we made the cappelletti)  and a huge pot of Chicken broth.  Then I made a turkey breast, roasted, stuffing, mashed potatoes, two pumpkin pies, hubby made sausage stuffed mushrooms, we also had charcuterie board, Christmas cookies I made, my sister in law, prepared breaded veal cutlets, I also made a salad.  I think that's it.

New Years Eve, we will be watching our Olivia for a few hours for Michael and Kristin to go out to dinner.  We will celebrate, warm and cozy in our home, happy and grateful to enjoy all the Lord has blessed us with!

I have also begun purging again.  Our sons gave us a beautiful 14 pc, three ply stainless steel set of pots!!!  So we tossed all our old pots.  Which started a chain reaction in the kitchen.  Making space for new pots, purging old ones, then that led to the next cupboards... and on and on.  Yesterday I grabbed a garbage bag and tossed 56 items!!!  I am on a roll!

I would love to get all our rooms decluttered and neat for the New Year.  My friend mentioned to me that she had started going through her things and donating them to Goodwill or charities.  She has 4 boys,  all grown and married.  She asked them if they wanted dishes, pictures, just anything, and they said NO!   I think girls are more sentimental with things, I wanted some things that were my Mom's.  I had all boys as well, and they have everything they wanted, and don't want old sentimental things.  

This is how I plan on making it easier to keep our home clean and neat.  Less items, means more peace for us.  I tell my hubby the same, when the weather is warm, he loves working outside on our flower gardens and all.  I said we need to get all plants that come back every year.  Easier on us.  We are in our 70's, so I am all for easy!!