"I am not untidy,"

 "I am not untidy," I objected.  "I merely surround myself with a plethora of possibilities." 

Aggie Morton Mystery Queen: The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn

Things I Threw Out Today

or __Things I have Given Up On Today__ 

In order of least to most guilt: 

- 3 dishwashing gloves with holes (thought I could layer them together and use them for a little bit longer)

- some of James's daycare arts/crafts (but I did recover some of the bits for reuse)

- a whole loaf of mouldy bread (how did it go bad so quickly?)

Day 1, Item 1 (Again!)

Marie Kondo is apparently sweeping the nation now with her reality TV show Tidying Up.

I need some of that tidying magic now.  But mostly motivated because we need more space.  And strangely, I don't feel quite as attached to some of things that I did feel strongly about before... and I've managed to collect a whole bunch more new stuff.

So, here's to Fish Griwkowsky's "Minimalism Game again.  And again, it will likely take more than 31 days, but I aim to get rid of 496 items none-the-less.

Paul is delighted / ecstatic (all sorts of these words) when I told him... (Well, remember that when I start moving furniture around -- that needs to happen too.)

So, Day 1, Item 1: Orthotics foot moulds.  (James isn't the only one obsessed with feet...)

Back in the day, before they used pressure pads that can digitally measure one's foot, arch, and gait, they needed to make plaster foot moulds to make the orthotics.  And for some reason, I have mine (from when??).  Even though I got over the "they are parts of me!" feeling a while ago, their fairly long metal rods made me think: possible garden stake / ornament.  Now... scrap metal pile.  

Items 352 to 378

"Day 27": James has received so many great books (thanks to all the lovelies)... I've put some more effort to reading and clearing out my bookshelves to make space.  

Some of the 27

1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - Finally finished!  Started May 2013 and sat on the shelf at 85% done.  Good to read, not likely to read again.

2. Hamlet by William Shakespeare - Kept for Paul, who still hasn't read it.  He can pick up his own copy when he finally wants to.

3. Architectural Digest, June 2011 - "Open House: Stylish Living, Indoors and Out" - Looks like a architecture magazine, but reads like a lifestyle mag with luxury goods adverts that wouldn't be out of place in Vogue. Beautiful to look at, but no reason to keep.

4. BBC Knowledge, June 2010 Issue 11 - "Born to Sin: Science explains why it's good to be bad" - Souvenir from my 2011 UK trip, beautiful photos, but for reporting I prefer the radio version ;)

5. Very Grimm Fairy Tales: Cautionary tales from the pen of Trevor Strong - Read the first story and decided these were not for me.  Good!  It can go.

6. Discover, October 2005 - "Special 25th Anniversary Issue" - Fun to see what was speculative science 10 years ago, so much hope and potential that I see some are still being explored (e.g. nanotechnology) and some proven (e.g. Infectious Diseases drug resistance and microbe links to behavioural diseases).

7. Reader's Digest, June 2014 - Angela stocked these in her house and I loved reading them as a kid, probably because it made me feel like I was smart.  The topics are still really interesting, but not in depth enough for my taste.  Like a magazines, read and done.

8. Reader's Digest, December 2014

9. Trinny & Susannah's The Body Shape Bible - I think I was a skittle?  Am I still a skittle?  The slightly more balanced version of the pear (average shoulders, and chest rather than the latter's small) sounds pretty good right now... best not think of it until the dust (body) settles.

10. Azure, July/August 2011 - "The Best Architecture & Design: 2011 AZ Awards Annual" - This one is really about architecture and design.  So pretty, but don't need to keep.

11. National Geographic Traveler, March 2010 - "Undiscovered Maui" - Not really thinking about travel right now, but a quick flip through confirmed this might not be the right publication for me anyway.  Two articles of interest "The lure of secret places" (Yes, I love them too! But don't necessarily need to travel for them...) and "Adventures in Indonesia: Discovering the lessons travel can offer" (learned that I will have trouble trusting and opening myself like that for the ultimate experience).

12. Paper/Cuts, Volume I, Issue I, Winter 2004 - This student created writing magazine from Grant MaceEwan has lots of local flair, and some good writing tips.  I wonder if I would have appreciated it more back when I first got it.  Now, feel the tone and topics not quite right to help me with writing.

13. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - Was so good I kept it, but realistically won't read again.

14. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson - The first one was so good, I got the second one.  But now that I've finally read it, it's the same as the first book: really good, but realistically won't be reading again.

15. All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An American Misfit in India by Rachel Manija Brown - can't even remember when I got this. Now read, it can go.  

16. A Distant Soil, Vol. 1: The Gathering (A Distant Soil #1) by Colleen Doran - Picked it up for the beautiful artwork. Finally read it and do think the story has potential, but I'm not gripped enough to start collecting it.

17. Food and Wine, January 2008 - "100 Best Recipes, Restaurants + Wines for 2008" - Food, wine, travelling for food and wine... I can totally see Clarence or Christiana reading this magazine, but it's a little far out there for me.  Beautiful photos.

18. Bon Appetit, October 2012 - "The Home Entertaining Issue" - A little more accessible than Food and Wine (#17) with more recipes and a Canadian focus.  Nice photos.

19. National Geographic Traveler, July/Aug 2010 - "Europe Rail Trips, Paris in August..." - See #11

20. Group Therapy a novel by Shelby Hearon -  A chance to practice my "Southern Accent" for about 15 minutes while reading aloud to James. I didn't expect that much from the library discard that I've been moving from house to house, but it turned out to be worth it to read with some beautiful writing and scenes about a woman coming into own, and a glimpse into the North v. South conflicts in the US in the 70s  

21. Westworld Alberta, November 2008 - "Viva la Vida Latina" - While the headliner is about "3 fun, affordable, hot winter escapes", I think this AMA publication is most valuable in its Canadian and Albertan travel advice (from health insurance to driving tips) and trip plans. I'll consider picking up a more current copy when I'm ready / looking for a good road trip :)  
22. Westworld Alberta, February 2011 - "Shipwrecked! Burmuda's Best sunken-ship dives"

23. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill - While his graphic novel Locke & Key was pretty neat, this one was just o.k.  But then again, I'm not much of a horror reader any more.  


24. Lonely Planet Magazine, December 2008 - "First Issue" - This British publication has feature length articles that made me actually interested going to the places presented.  At the end of each article, helpful summary of annual climate and "3 Ways to Do It..." (Budget,Mid-Range, and Luxurious Sleep, Eat, See/ Tour / Ride recommendations).  Stephen Fry's Wild West Road Trip - a selection from Stephen Fry in America) and "In Search of the Perfect Chicken Tikka", in India, by Rob Bright were the highlights.  

Three books kept for the one beautiful / relatable passage: 


25. The Underpainter by Jane Urquhart - (p. 312) 

"... Now I understand that until that dreadful night he had clung to the belief that I might come to have some affection for the small, the delicate, the fragile.  At the time, I remained staring stupidly at the mess on the floor, this reprimand spelled out in shards, which told me that George believed that I had never understood, that I was responsible, that the scene that greeted me in this boyhood room had been created by me as surely as if it were a painting I had completed with my own hand.  It told me he was convinced that what had transpired was a deliberate act of cruelty on my part. 

But it was much worse than that. It was an act of carelessness." 

26. One Day by David Nicholls - (p. 263-264) 

"This wasn't the first wave of weddings. Some of their contemporaries had even got married at University, but in that self-conscious wacky, rag-week way, a let's pretend parody of a wedding, like the jokey student 'dinner parties' where everyone wore evening dress to eat tuna pasta bake... 

The second wave, the mid-twenties weddings, still retained a little of that tongue-in-cheek, home-made quality... 

... this year is the year of the third wave, and it is the third wave that is proving the most powerful, the most spectacular, the most devastating.  These are the weddings of people in their early-to-mid-thirties, and no-one is laughing anymore. 

The third wave is unstoppable.  Every week seems to bring another luxuriantly creamy envelope, the thickness of a letterbomb, containing a complex invitation -- a triumph of paper engineering -- and a comprehensive dossier of phone numbers, email address, websites, how to get there, what to wear, where to buy the gifts.  Country house hotels are being block-booked, great schools of salmon are being poached, vast marquees are appearing overnight like Bedouin tent cities." 

27. The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez - (p. 96-97)

"If two-year-olds are supposed to be terrible, so far Alison and I are lucky... Fortunately I've caught all the big milestones, but the really good stuff is nothing you can write in a journal.  It's an expression that only you can see the changes in, it's the emergence of a personality unique to the world, it's the way she comes out of the bath with her hair slicked back and you catch a glimpse of what she might look like when she's older."

Items 326 to 351

"Day 26":

Jackie's visit has done some good by encouraging me to throw things out, but also by adopting some new / nice and useful items for herself and Beccy.  And then some are for next door.  What didn't work for them went into another bag for the Fort Mac evacuees.

1 - Coach purse (or as they say, "handbag")
5 - Too tight / too short (no more bare-belly looks for me) tank tops and t-shirts
4 - Summer day dresses
3 - Rhinestone studded t-shirts
3 - Mascara (new)

1 - Shift dress - Pink, why do I keep trying?
1 - Trapeze tank dress
1 - Office-appropriate blouse
1 - Black and silver rose print cardigan
1 - Silk summer day dress - adopted from Catherine to be edited at some point, time to give up...
1 - Pair of tights - mauve, definitely not my colour, but they were warm
1 - Black t-shirt dress
1 - Lace and floral peasant skirt
1 - Pair of jeans
1 - Polka dot skirt

Items 277 to 325

Day 24 & 25:

Fires in Fort McMurray - with evacuees in need, more incentive to clean out the closet and share what I can. I easily fill multiple bags over night. Reading this list (and knowing it's only a small dent) really hits home how ridiculously much I have:

- 7 - Pairs of jeans
- 21 - Assorted tops and skirts
- 16 - T-shirts
- 3 - Toothbrushes
- 1 - Bottle of body lotion
- 1 - Package of newborn diapers

It's hard to figure out where these will be put best to use (Edmonton Emergency Relief told me they don't have the space to accept used goods), but I found this kijiji advert for a local effort nearby:

Wanted: Items needed for fire victims!

Date Listed: 05-May-2016

Hi I am at the coliseum inn. we have recieved a large quanity of childrens donations most of which we have passed onto the expo center across the road however we have been getting guest to fill out the items they most need.... adult clothing is very needed

Please drop off all donations to the coliseum inn in care of Cortney most people who came here came with nothing esp the adults....All help is appreciated!

Item 232 to 276

Taken over a month to get these days / items.  Better late than nothing.

"Day 22": Again, remember the "Simplify Processes" tip.  The simplest, though painful, is to just throw things out - that's were some of this stuff goes...

1 - Empty ice wine bottle
2 - Broken dishes - originally kept for photo project / mosaic project... will just have to break more dishes when we need them :P

2 - Pairs of sweatpants - hand-me-ups from Kevin.  The legs are short even for me how did they ever fit him? :P  Now that I feel the cold, they don't really work.
1 - Pair of runners size 1 - brand new, likely bought for Kevin and then passed on to me.  I could wait for James to grow into them... or pass them along to a good home (Found someone who can use them!).

1 - Small (medium?) stack of CGA magazines - 15 issues dated between May/June 2006 and March/April 2012. The articles always looked like great discussions and updates in the field (more technical than the CPA magazines) -- so I kept them thinking I'll eventually read them to keep up with what was happening industry... but they're probably outdated by now.  Yes, these moved with me from my parents' place.


2 - Pairs of ill-fitting pyjama pants - one made by Mom back in the day (20 years ago?), one a peach satin Hello Kitty hand-me-up (you can guess from whom)
2 - Beige brown sweaters - big, formless and what I thought would be good as maternity-wear, but was not flattering at all
2 - Glass jam jars
1 - Another empty cooking sherry bottle!
1 - CD "Congradulations! Class of 2004" - The music was familiar, but (maybe to be expected) of it's time and not that interesting now.
7 - Belts in various conditions, saved from Theresa for salvage

"Day 23" - More magazines:

1. Martha Stewart Living, September 2008 - "75 Pretty and Practical Decorating Ideas"; Between MS and decorating / renovating, this probably could have gone much earlier.  But, it was still fun to flip through.  One day, maybe I will frame my pictures and create custom photo mats... but not soon.

2.CPA Magazine, September 2015 - Didn't read "The Brainy Bunch" cover story of a family of 13 CPAs, but the regular columns on ethics ("The Right Thing") and "Canadian Issues" still very interesting and relevant.

3. Vanity Fair, July 2010 - Did skip some articles, but not the cover stories.  Wow to both "Liz Taylor and Richard Burton's Romance of the Century" and "The Untold Story Behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller"".

4. CPA Magazine, September 2014 - "The Next Warren Buffett?"
5. CPA Magazine, March 2015 - "The Postman"
6. CPA Magazine, January/February 2016 - "Education Special"
7. CPA Magazine, June/July 2015 - "The Future is Now"

8. Vanity Fair, September 2012 - "Our 7th Annual Style Issue" - Kate Middleton and Prince Harry make the 2012 International Best-Dress List; Lots of beautiful photos, but realised I wasn't that keen on reading the fashion articles.

9. Maclean's, January 12, 2015 - "The Shrinking Teenage Brain" - Article claims "poor decisions and bad parenting are doing lasting damage."  Great!  More for me to worry about.

10. Bust, Dec/Jan 2007 - Parker Posey on the cover - Librarian Fashion I can get with, but everything else, while really not that different from older issues, seems like a whole different life I can't really relate to any more.

11. Vanity Fair, March 2011 - "The One and Only Hollywood Issue!" - Beautiful photos of beautiful people.  Lost the appetite to read about this world too, but the article on the Thelma & Louise reunion makes me so want to watch the movie.

12. Martha Stewart Living, June 2006 - "Summer Delights" - Beautiful roses in the garden and in the vase. Perhaps most impressed with the arrangements that are solely hostas - I grow those!  But when they're actually out, there's already so much green, not likely to take them inside.  Painting furniture sounds fun, but will I actually go to the trouble of fading my own fabrics to get the antique / vintage look?  No.  No I won't.

13. Discover, November 2005 - "Will Humans Last Another 10,00 Years?" - From Catherine.  Ten years later, it's surprising some of these things are still making news or are relevant such as "Do antibiotics make us sicker?" and still, developing a bra with good support.  The adverts are also kind of fun: Jewelry with gems created in the lab for flawlessness (the tagline "Brains Conquer Beauty") - certainly someone interested in science would also be more interested in that aspect.













14. New Trail, Spring 2016 - "Move, adapt or die." - Climate change.

15. Ode, October 2008 - "The Upside of Down: Why failure is good for you." - The magazine's tag is "For intelligent optimists".  Stories on things with potential and positive solutions.  But are some articles too optimistic?  The electric car still seems so far away (even after 7 years).  Adverts are much more touchy- feely compared to "Discover".

16. New Trail, Winter 2011 - " Tara Whitten's Winning Ways"
17. New Trail, Autumn 2011 - "Dan Riskin "Bat-man" takes on science TV on Daily Planet"
18. New Trail, Spring 2011 - "Spruce Meadows: The Southerns create a show jumping Eden"
19. New Trail, Spring 2013 - "The Magic Touch: Randy Marsden is on a mission to make a dirty world a safer place"

20. Green Space AB 2008 - Sponsored by the Gov't of Alberta - something like an advert, some things still not implemented 

21. Techlife, V 6.2 2013 - NAIT's alumni magazine has some interesting features - some I hope we will see soon in the supermarket: Lentil and pulses made into cake mixes!  A very tempting healthy choice.  

22. Avenue Magazine, November 2015 - "Top Forty under Forty Class of 2015" - Congratulations, Leslie!  

23. New Trail, Autumn 2012 - "On the Front Lines: The Global Impact of Virology Research at the U of A"

Missing the Chair, Hitting the Fan

This is the face of someone who just shot poo over a meter away hitting the couch, the floor, and a diaper bag.  The thing he missed?  The one thing recently covered with a sheet (a chair), of course.

I actually laughed.  Not manic, but something close to acceptance.  The couch needs replacing at some point anyway.  And after disinfecting and a little scrubbing there was only a small stain, acceptable for someone with a baby (imho). 

Shared the story with Mom and Angela when they arrived.

 They laughed too.

The End.  

I wish.

A minute later "the storm" hit.

Can a stain be clean enough?

I'd read online that breastfed baby poo stains needed an enzyme cleaner.  I don't have that, and, see above, was going to let it go.

Mom however, was adamant: even if we can't get it out completely, it needs to be scrubbed, washed, it's too dirty! 

Angela seemed to accept that I'd already spot disinfected it, the stain would remain, and I'd just throw a cover over it.

Ugh.  Back and forth, there was so much yelling between them.  James had moved out of "playful"into "ultra fussy and crying" mode.  

I know, it's all about different fears and concerns:
- Mom's is directed at all things dirty, things you can see, so stains are still dirty.
- Angela's is directed at germs, disinfected is o.k. (in this case, usually she's more stringent, wanting visible and non-visible clean)

I was pleasantly shocked Angela was on my side.  But I'd moved quickly on to the "I don't care who is right, just stop flipping yelling" side of things.  Flipping hold James and I'll take the stupid cover off this flipping couch.


It's not too hard to take off an Ikea couch cover... but definitely harder when the couch is weighed down by books... and when removing it means revealing the area that hasn't been vacuumed in a while...

Once the cover was off, I let them figure it out.  Wash it if you want, bleach if you want, vacuum everything if you want... WHATEVER!  Just leave me alone. I had my own things (creating enough milk) to worry about (though they argued about that too: "She needs more protein!", "She needs more rice and soup!").

I try to return to a happier sillier mood, thinking: I'm going to have change my reflexes, aren't I, James?  Instead of ducking out of the way, I need to use my body as a shield (gross, but a shower and washing my clothes is much easier than all this).

The new (second layer) couch cover is red.  Though maybe we should just change our decor colours to mustard yellow and green.  And yes, a streaky pattern.

Items 191 to 231

"Day" 20: One thing to be said for nursing or pumping milk -- I can get back to reading and weeding through the magazines.

1. Good Magazine Nov/Dec 2007 - High Tech / Low Tech

From Good Nov/Dec 2007

From Good Nov/Dec 2007

2. Harpers Bazaar UK May 2013 - Karen Elson, flower issue

3. Martha Stewart Weddings Spring 2004 - Peonies - my bouquet flower!

4. Today's Parent, February 2016 - Right, this applies to me now.  Some food for thought on "Good enough parenting" (versus helicoptering) and how to get your kids to talk to you.  Really a lot of information for all sorts of stages of kids.

From Good Nov/Dec 2007

5. "Pregnancy" Today's Parent Guide - Turns out "James" is 17th on the Top 100 Baby Names from 2014 for Boys. "Picture Perfect" tips for gorgeous newborn photos had a picture of a naked baby with a hat, there's no way our baby would be that serene once unwrapped, even in the 5-10 day old period the professional baby photographer suggested.

From Good Nov/Dec 2007

6. Avenue Magazine, October 2014 - Battle of Edmonton and Calgary art work was the main reason to keep it.  Not needed now.

7. Vogue, Dec 2014 - Amy Adams on cover, with Benedict Cumberbatch inside!  Article on the need to connect to nature for good health (how fitting-for me and Paul)

From Harpers Bazaar UK May 2013

From Martha Stewart Weddings
Spring 2004

8. Bust, Dec/Jan '09 - Jenny Lewis on the cover.  The hat and fascinator craft that kept it around

9. New Trail, Spring 2015 - "The Cure for Cancer Research"

10. Canadian Living, April 2013 - 50+ Delicious recipes, but none (now that I've flipped through) are really right for us

From Vogue Dec 2014

From Vogue Dec 2014

11. Martha Stewart Living, June 2013 - Summer recipes!  But, again not for us.

12. New Trail, Winter 2013 - "The Impact Issue"
13. New Trail, Spring 2014 - "Map out your best summer ever"

14. Real Simple, March 2007 - Unfortunately, fashion and free stuff don't last for 9 years, makes for a quick flip through :)

15. New Trail, Spring 2012 - "Creative Currency". Campus Myths Revealed

16. Real Simple, December 2013 - "Your once-stop holiday guide" - The fashions are more relevant, but their tips for a simplified Christmas is still more complicated than what I do... and it's March.

From Bust Summer 2002

17. Bust, Summer 2002 - Cynthia Nixon on cover - was interested in the buying a title story (so I could match Paul's royal credentials back when we first started dating), now was caught up in the porcelain statues of giving birth.  Woah!

18.CPA Magazine, November 2014 - "The FinLit Issue"
19.CPA Magazine, May 2015 - "Fashion Forward"
20.CPA Magazine, March 2016 - "He's Lovin' It"

 

From New Trail Spring 2012

"Day" 21: Simplify processes tip... the simplest, though painful, is to just throw out - that's were some of this stuff goes...

2 - Out of date Yellow Pages (2014, 2015) - I'll keep only the current edition for a flower press :P
1 - Broken umbrella - Meant for salvage: Mom used to use the water resistant fabric to make or line hats or little capes, and the ribs and main stem had potential as garden stakes or decoration...
3 - Backpacks in various states of broken - Kept for salvage or repair.  Mom said throw them away... until she noticed too their salvage value (zippers!).  So there!  They're hers now.
3 - Pairs of socks, too big for me and too small for Paul.  Again, good for Mom.
1 - Cardboard moon cake box
3 - Maternity dresses from my "Spring / Summer" maternity box (though it wasn't likely I'd wear them anyway, weather-wise and style-wise; hand-me-downs from Theresa)
1 - Medium child's t-shirt with a black dragon playing electric guitar.  Kevin outgrew this awesomeness and I planned on saving it for a craft project... but, since it's in such good condition, hopefully someone will adopt it to wear.
1 - DVD, "How to Merry a Millionaire" - the Chinese pirated version of the classic, thought Mom and Dad might get a kick out of it... but not worth keeping for that slim chance.
1 - Stem of sequins for flower arranging - pretty, but...
1 - Almost new bottle of Tranquil Moments body spray - a demo for when I used to sell Avon actively, now perfect for Trish who was looking for this discontinued format.
1 - Box of green ice tea mix - was meant to for guests, but no one drank it
1 - Black purse with a broken clasp (from Mom) - was going to fix it before packing it for the Sally Anne...
1 - Beige belt - kept for repair or salvage
1 - "Flower Bomb" wedding favour box

Invasion || Intervention

"Why are you here?  What is that?  What are you doing?" 

Mom and Dad were at the door.  We'd agreed Monday, Wednesday, Friday - it's Tuesday.  My protests were completely ignored, they came in with cleaning supplies and set straight for our bedrooms.

I didn't want them to touch anything.  But box by box, my Dad emptied out my office, piling it out on in the hallway.  Mom was inside the room throwing things into boxes.  I was losing it.

"Stop it. Stop it. STOP IT!"
"You're living in squalor."
"Even if you think it's all garbage, it's my garbage!
"You can't have a baby sleeping in here!"

I was exhausted. I gave up.

They continued their efforts. I could hear Dad asking Mom why they were doing this, it was upsetting me so much. Mom's response was that it was all just wrong, it needed to be put right, the baby would get sick living in this dirty house...

They found my vacuum and asked where the big one was. That's the only one I have. You don't even have the right tools - how are we supposed to vacuum using this?! Don't then -- I didn't ask you to!

They did it anyway, making passes over the carpet 15 cm at a time, all the while grumbling. Once they were done that I told them they couldn't leave the boxes out here, everything needed to go back in. "That would just would just make everything dirty again." I said if they didn't, I would later. And, probably scared that I would pop my stitches, they put everything back in.

I wish I could say I did more to assert myself. But instead, when Mom cooked and put food in front of me, I ate it. I was seething and didn't say a word, but I ate.

"Why are you treating me like your enemy?"
"Because you don't respect me, you don't listen to me..."
"Am I just supposed to let you live like this?!"

I told her I had nothing else to say. But I kept eating. And I kept thinking. Angry as I was, I think I understood what she was doing. To her, I was a basket case, unstable, living in a horrible / unacceptable way, heading for ruin... it was just wrong and I needed this intervention, I needed to be stopped, helped, fixed, put right. My responses were proof to her I was not in the right mind.

I wondered then if it was true. Am I just like the drug addict / alcoholic living in denial, thinking I am fine?

Item 154 to 190

"Day" 18 and 19

Day 18
- 1 Potato masher (where did this even come from?)
- 1 Dell laptop user guide - laptop recycled long ago
- 1 Landscape Idea Book - Greentree catalogue (maybe one day, but not now)
- 2 National Post, Saturday, May 18, 2013 and Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - almost entire issue unread, from our Calgary 1st anniversary trip
- 1 2014 Calendar  "Garden Walk"
- 1 pouch of potpourri
- 1 hooded t-shirt from Celina, white with a cute purple and black cat print - feeling too old to wear this.
- 1 brown long sleeved knit shrug - wishful thinking for the flat stomach to wear it properly
- 1 Chanel t-shirt - at least that's what it says on the label... and across the chest. From Theresa, never worn
- 2 Silk skirts - beautiful colours, kept thinking I could make something beautiful with them... but realistically...
- 1 bottle of facial moisturiser - so old, it's separated
- 1 pair of black, velvet capris - so stylish and cool, but so unflattering for my height
- 1 magazine - Better Homes and Gardens Sep-2010
- 1 Grey argyle wool sweater - so pretty, but never quite fit right
- 1 Eyeglasses / contact lens "Complete Eyeware Case" from Avon
- 1 Babe Faberge fragrance gift set - from the 80s?  Salvaged from my parents house. Oh, the packaging!

Day 19
- 1 tea light holder, Avon "Crusade Tulip"
- 1 pack of 5 scented votive candles
- 1 tulip shaped vase (too many vases, not enough flowers)
- 4 picture frames
- 2 magazines - Bust Feb/Mar 2010 and Family Circle July 2015 (read both on the bus, second one got the attention someone was willing to comment on)
- 1 purse - faux Burberry print (oh, China :P)
- 1 Vogue magazine, September 2013 - Jennifer Lawrence on the cover, but it was Benedict Cumberbatch inside that gave me pause
- 1 Black blazer - New and oh so shiny - too shiny to wear to work
- 1 Red pleather motorcycle jacket - Bye, bye fantasy life
- 3 Blue t-shirts - originally meant for crafting
- 1 pair of jeans - So cool!  But was never flattering
- 1 black plastic catering tray
- 1 Clay pot - an interesting shape for a vase, originally held pickled winter vegetable

Not Nesting -- Spring Cleaning

I'd thought I was pretty good with my projects last year... but wow, I'm now seeing all the things I missed.  Need to dust the doors, wash the walls (since Wendy mentioned it, I now think about it)... Paul wants me to ignore it and take it easy: not too much lifting or bending.  But I just can't seem to let it go, it's all seems disgusting (so maybe it is nesting...?)

I can finally see why there are so many things out there with the purpose to cut down on cleaning time -- two afternoons and I've only made a small dent.  Oh, well, it'll be soon time to stop: new year!

Item 121 to 153

Day 16 to 17

Day 16
- 2 floral dresses, never worn (1 saved from a friend's closet, 1 "made to measure" from China under pressure from Mom, but never quite fit right)

- 2 mini jewelry-pouches
- 1 cardboard jewelry box
- 1 plastic baggy of plastic beads
- 4 blank note cards
- 1 packet stale tortilla chips (saved for maybe as a substitute for breadcrumbs... yes, I did tried to eat them first)

- 1 Magazine - CPA Magazine Nov 2015 "The Retirement Boom" - yes, actually, this is interesting... I should be reading more of these: boost my CPD credits and then I can get rid of them.

- 1 Calendar - goodbye 2015 and the year of the golden goats (ram, sheep...)

- 2 Avenue magazines - summer 2015 and Nov 2015, wow, I'm so not with the trends there are so many new restaurants in town... but then again I'm not likely to eat at them anyway.  And summer guide?  Dated!  Flip and throw!

- 1 sink strainer (the one that didn't fit)

Day 17
- 1 egg carton seed starter from 2014... yep, those aren't going to start.

- 4 empty bottles of cooking sherry (oh, all those yummy risottos)*

- 1 empty bottle of sparkling peach-grape juice (congrats getting married / welcome to the neighbourhood... our old one)*

- 1 small stack of receipts from 2010-2012
- 1 Garden Bakery moon cake tin
- 1 pair of knee high fishnets with red bows (for a costume -- really.)
- 4 expired credit cards (snipped into the garbage, thought maybe the chip or hologram could be interesting for collage...)
- 1 reusable fabric bag

- 1 Nuvo magazine, Summer 2012 Elijah Wood on the cover - the magazine is "Inspired by Quality", so not quite my kind of thing (yachts, luxury popsicles...) but had this dance article "Letting Loose"

- 1 cardboard gift box
- 1 brocade lipstick case

* Need to figure out what sorts of things actually have a recycling return deposit.