I hope all my US blog friends who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful time with family and friends. I didn't make any traditional dishes, but attended the Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's place.
I was looking forward to the four day weekend, but it soon disappeared. Now it's already Sunday afternoon. I had time to complete almost everything on my to-do list, and relax. I could have mended everything in the mending pile, but I spent sometime reading and watching Netflix. I'm still reading Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham. I will have to renew the loan, because the book is due in 4 days. I also watched several episodes of Anne with an E on Netflix. It is based on the novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
I transplanted green beans, made deodorant, sewed curtains, and decluttered a bookshelf.
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| Green beans. |
I culled a shelf full of cookbooks. It was hard to get rid of books, but I knew I had too many. And I haven't tried a single recipe from some of those books. So I removed 18 books. I'm sure I could have removed more, but I think this is a good start.
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| Before & After. Can you see any change? :) |
These are the removed books. I will either donate these to the library bookshop or give them to friends if they need any. I thought about posting several books on Amazon, but there are millions of cookbooks there. I have sold several of my old textbooks at a reasonable price, and only one cookbook. I think I made less than a dollar, so it's not really worth the time and effort. Anyone wants a cookbook or two? (Edited to add : They are free!!!) 😊
My decluttering challenge is going well. The goal was to get rid of 30 items in November. I have already exceeded 30 items. Getting rid of 18 books really helped. I also got rid of a stack of plastic placemats. I didn't even bother to count them. And I'm a hoarder of glass jars, so I removed some jars as well. I think I will continue to next month as well.
The next two weeks are going to be busy with the final exams and grading, so I am not sure if I will have time to complete everything on the to-do list, but I will try my best.
Results of this week's to-do list:
1) Mend clothes. - Mended two.
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Tasks for the next week:
1) Mend more clothes.
2) Prune a flower bed.
3) Take measurements of the sofa.
4) Cut quilt blocks.
5) Paper work.
6) Do yoga.
7) Sleep 7 hrs.
Do you watch Netflix? What are your favorites?
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Nil
Congratulations on your decluttering project. I finally got my cookbook stash down to under 30 and it feels so good!
ReplyDeleteI love Netflix but I tend to binge watch. I really do like Orange is the New Black, Travelers and Grace and Frankie
That's great Anne (Ha! You are also an Anne with an E! :) ) One of these days I will further reduce the number of cookbooks I have.
DeleteI've read good reviews about Orange is the New Black , and Grace and Frankie, but haven't watched them. I'll look up Travelers. :)
If you keep the cookbooks you love, you are doing well. I have just culled about 10 from my pile.
ReplyDeleteThat's great earthmotherwithin. :)
DeleteI have several more bookshelves with fictions and non fictions. They are next. :)
Hi Nil, Congratulations on all that you have accomplished. I donate most of my books to the library, too. When I worked in Europe I traveled with a suitcase of clothes, and a suitcase full of books. It was so expensive to buy books in English there.
ReplyDeleteThanks Stephenie. It feels good to declutter. :)
DeleteI have a few cookbooks I could probably let go of too, Nil. It sounds like your decluttering is going well. I find when I get started I can quickly make a little pile of things to give away or take to the op-shop. It's the getting started bit where I might get sidetracked!! Meg:)
ReplyDeleteThat's true Meg. Getting started is the hardest. Once I start, I tend to go to the other extreme and toss out a lot. I think twice (or more) when decluttering books, but everything else is easier once I start. :)
DeleteHi Nil, I know what you mean about cook books I am always picking them up cheaply but sometimes they just don't get used and like you I think if you only use one or two recipes no point in having a book taking up valuable shelf space, what I do is photocopy the recipe put in a folder and get rid of the book, I do have my favourites which perhaps I will write about sometime. How do you make deodorant?
ReplyDeleteHi Marlene, I have several deodorant recipes. The current one has 1 tablespoon each: arrowroot powder, vegetable glycerin, Shea butter, and 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda and several drops of lavender essential oil. Mix everything well and it's ready. :)
DeleteYou are doing well, Nil. I haven't been able to do much recently apart from cleaning up after tradies at the end of each day. LOL! I am looking forward to getting stuck into more decluttering when they have gone.
ReplyDeleteI hope it will be soon Chel. I understand how stressful it is to live in a construction site. :)
DeleteSure I can see a difference on your bookshelf, nice progress! Glad to see you got your sleep this past week. I do watch Netflix. This time of year I like to watch all those sappy Christmas movies.
ReplyDeleteThanks Priscilla. :)
DeleteHehee I too like to watch sappy Christmas movies, especially the ones that show lots of snow. :)
I love seeing your "warmer weather" photos! If you lived here where I do, you'd have a 5 day weekend as the schools have off for the first day of deer hunting (rifle) season! Andrea
ReplyDeleteAh, 5 day weekend would have been nice! :) Now I'm waiting for winter break.
DeleteI cleared out my cookbooks a few years ago but then this summer ran across a sale on them for 15¢ each, so had to buy a few of those LOL I can see a difference in your bookshelf. It's so nice to get rid of things we no longer use. We sold an old doghouse this weekend for $25 since none of our animals wanted to use it anymore. It free up a lot of space on our back porch.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for selling the unused doghouse, Belinda.
DeleteI still have too many fictions and non fictions. I have to tackle them next. :)
Of course I can see a difference in the bookshelf. You certainly seem to have had a very busy and productive long weekend. I don't have Netflix. We really don't watch too much TV anymore. Good luck on writing and grading final exams. And good luck to your students as well!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Anita.
DeleteI normally don't watch TV, but once in a while tend to binge watch Netflix series. :)
Hooray for the cook book decluttering!!!!! Wonderful accomplishment! And for all the list items, you crossed off!!! You are doing wonderfully, and should feel proud of yourself!
ReplyDeleteI have been watching more on Prime, than on Netflix of late. But last night, I found that Netflix has Christmas Time movies. One with Curt Russel looks like it will be fun.
I did not watch The Anne film. But heard from some, that they did not like it. Guess it went too far, from the original story.... According to them, that is.
I'm actually having a lot of fun, just watching the Christmas Time films on both Hallmark Channels. :-) They always have happy endings. Lots of beautiful decorations and delightful snow covered villages, as settings. Some plots are very thin, though. -grin- But don't even have to have the sound on. Can just look at the Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!!!!!! :-)))
✨🌲✨🎄✨🌲✨
Thank you wisps of words. :)
DeleteI haven't read the books, so I don't know if the Netflix series is too different. I know that normally if I read a book and then watch its movie I tend not to like the movie. Because the movie is almost always not as good as my imagination. :)
I used to watch Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel, but I don't have cable TV now.
Are those ducks outside your window, they look big? Well done on your book disposal, I have only 3 cookbooks......an ayurvedic, a vietnamese my son gave me many years ago when he was a teen, that I keep for sentimental reasons and a Buddha Bowl book I picked up recently for a couple of dollars...it's my favourite, I love piling all sorts of things into a bowl. You accomplished a lot in your 4 days off, that must feel good.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are ducks Nanette. There are some pretty big ducks out there near the lake. :)
DeleteI had to look up what a Buddha Bowl recipe is. There are many recipes online and they all look very nutritious.
Well done on decluttering your cook books! I, too, went through my collection of cookbooks, several years ago, and got rid of a lot (I used to belong to a cook book of the month club and used to order lots of interesting sounding cookbooks through them!) I still have more I need to get rid of, but have been holding on to for one reason or another.
ReplyDeleteYou accomplished a lot during your Thanksgiving break! Hope the week ahead is a good one, too.
I don't watch Netflix (don't subscribe to it), but, I know my daughter watches it sometimes with one of her friends who has a subscription.
DeleteI too still have too many cookbooks Bless. Next year I'm going to try more recipes. There's no point of keeping them if I don't try at least one recipe from each book.
Happy thanksgiving Nil. It sounds like a lovely celebration over there. I will need to start decluttering again next year, after Christmas when it is cooler and all the visitors have left. You are very productive. I am using my cookbooks quite a lot however it seems everyone finds it hard to resist them. Cheers, Pauline
ReplyDeleteYou always post delicious recipes Pauline. I'm sure your cookbooks are used often. :)
DeleteIn my case, most just sit on the shelf and collect dust. :)
You struck a chord here, Nil, as I too have cookbooks that I have never used or used infrequently. Several were "good buys" at the library book sale, and I may donate them to the next sale which is coming up in March 2019. The thing is that I should be careful NOT to buy any to "replace" the ones I remove. Congrats on your being able to do that and your Free offer is great and hopefully some of the cookbooks will find new homes...perhaps as gifts to co-workers? You do have much warmer weather if you are transplanting beans now.
ReplyDeleteCookbooks as gifts is a very good idea, Beatrice. There's a colleague who's celebrating her birthday next month. I'll add a couple of books to her gift box. :)
DeleteI think the weather here is much warmer compared to yours, though it was in low 40s last night.