Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Multiplying Magazines

Yikes! The magazines in my home are multiplying or so it seems. I didn't think I had that many under the coffee table until I had to move it. I started a stack (several stacks, in fact) of the ones that had interesting articles, recipes, home decor ideas, etc. with the notion of referring back to them someday soon. My someday soon has become someday never. Since the oldest issues date back to 2002, it is definitely time to let them go. It was so easy to allow something as benign as a magazine to become a hoarding issue. Is there anything multiplying in your home? Sparkling Blessings!

P.S. Hail and Welcome to all those joining this site from Facebook and Twitter links! A special thank you to my friends for passing on this blog site!!

Friday, June 25, 2010

A Pain in the Neck...Literally

Ever get a pain in your neck or shoulder because of your purse? It has become my catchall for life away from home. In addition to the must haves {wallet, keys, cellphone} I was also hauling around almost two months worth of receipts and bill statements. Plus an umbrella, make-up case, datebook and enough loose change to fill a piggy bank. Last night I dumped everything out, sorted it into piles and eliminated what was no longer needed. I set up a receipts envelope and coin jar by the main door as reminders to lighten my load when I come home. So, what's in your purse? Sparkling Blessings!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Procrastination Made Me Do It

Funny how time seems to fly when you're procrastinating. Its been several weeks since my last post and I had all the good intentions to post before now, but a seriously dreadful case of procrastination set in. Under this month's new moon, I have renewed my commitment to blogging about my quest towards domestic well being.

I celebrated Vestalia (Festival of Vesta) on June 9th. To honor Goddess Vesta I baked a loaf of bread. Okay, I did cheat a little by buying the pre-made dough at the local grocery, but nonetheless the warm bread warmed my soul.

I'm in the mist...um, more like fog of organizing my books. This should alleviate the multiples problem as I have found that I own two copies of a few books and embarrassingly three copies of one. If anyone would like to have my extra copy of Earth, Air, Fire & Water by Scott Cunningham please let me know.

Sparkling Blessings!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Never Seems Clean Enough

No matter how much I straighten and clean, I believe that it never seems to be enough for my mother's visit. Floors done. Dusting done. Magazines straighten. Top of the refrigerator.....um, no. Funny how its something like this that I feel will be noticed the most during her visit. Which leads me to think, if I clean the top of the refrigerator, dust the vertical blinds and vacuum beneath the couch cushions, will an unswept floor, dusty coffee table and askew magazines be just as noticeable? Hum. Okay, so maybe the white glove test isn't really administered but in the eyes of my mother I'd like to be seen as a perfect housekeeper. I'd even settle for being a pretty good housekeeper. Oh, only 10 hours before her arrival...make that a decent housekeeper who still needs to clean the top of the refrigerator. Sparkling Blessings!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

I'm Rich!

Ah, the yards sale is over and the unsold items were donated to the Salvation Army. It was a beautiful day despite the South Florida heat (I was sweating by 8am). With everything tallied up it can be said that I'm rich...or better yet enriched. I spent a great day with my family, I joked and haggled with my neighbors and I got to share the memories I had attached to the items with those adopting them into their homes. As for the money....well the $28 I made (most stuff was marked $1 or under) may not be enough to retire on but will benefit the Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary. Sparkling Blessings!

Friday, May 14, 2010

The Final Walk-Through

I'm ready to let go (both physically and emotionally) many things at tomorrow's yard sale. Just need to do a final walk-through of my home tonight to see if there are any other items that I can thank for their service and send on their way to a new home. I realized that things do outgrow their purpose and need to be released which in return clears space in my life to attract the things needed on the next part of my journey to domestic well being. Anything not sold will be donated to local charities. A win-win situation as I've got more breathing room and hopefully the items will be a benefit in someone else's life. Now, if I can only get my family to agree to start the yard sale at 9am instead of 7am. Sparkling Blessings!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Almost Gone But Not Forgotten

Unfortunately, I allowed myself to be in such a foul mood yesterday that I didn't post anything. My family is having a yard sale on Saturday and I have boxes and bags full of things to be sold. For weeks I have been riding that high you feel when purging the items no longer of value or of use. Then yesterday, I crashed...literally in my living room where all the stuff to go is piled up. Logically, the items no longer have a place in my life, but I'm going to miss them anyway and in the light of a new day I know its okay to feel this way. So, out with the old but not to be forgotten and in with the re-newed sense of domestic well being. Sparkling Blessings!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Houston...We Have a Mail Problem

I still get excited to check the day's mail. There may be a letter from a friend or the new issue of a favorite magazine. Then there's the bills and the filler (i.e. ads and flyers, etc.). It's the filler that created the problem as it's the non-urgent and non-important stuff that got launched into my to-do-someday in-box. It got to be where you couldn't see the in-box anymore. I did managed to sort through a good portion of it and then stuffed the rest in a cardboard box to be dealt with after Yule and the other December holidays. To ensure 2010's mail does not become a problem, I established a Mail Control Center. I have a counter-top size shredder, a little plastic mail sorter and a basket to hold pens and sticky notes to keep due dates in check. Any unwanted filler goes right into the recycling bin. There are those days when I just let it pile up. When I do, it becomes my first chore on Saturday morning. This reminds me...I think the box with last year's filler "accidentally" got put in the attic with the Yule boxes. Sparkling Blessings!

Sunday, May 09, 2010

8~8~8

For me, Sunday is dish wrangling day. Most of the heard is already in the holding pen awaiting the weekly hose down (pretty fancy way of saying dishwasher, right?) but before turning it on I search the plains of my home for any dish gone astray....a bowl on the coffee table, a plate on the nightstand and so on. Being a Solitary (in more ways than one), in a week's time I go through my dish set (8 plates, 8 saucers and 8 bowls). It is what I like to see in my kitchen cabinet at the end of the weekend 8~8~8. To me, it's a silent tribute to Vesta....to wash away this week's crumbs and to prepare for what the new week will serve up. Now, if only I could say the same about my laundry....so if you see a stray pink argyle sock wandering out on your plains be sure to steer it back my way. Sparkling Blessings!

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Welcome!

Welcome to Calling Vesta! As the saying goes, every journey begins with a single step and in my case a single blog post. I'm calling on Vesta, the Goddess of Hearth, Home and Family to walk with me on this journey. By sharing my experiences with a hoarder and how it has affected me, I hope to re-route my path from hoarding to domestic well being. Also, I hope to join hands with other like-souls (over the current piles of laundry, books, etc) as we walk towards cleaner pastures. Sparkling Blessings!