Friday, February 05, 2016

Five on Friday ... Random

Good Morning!

I'm linking up at long last with Amy of Love Made My Home and her world famous Five on Friday!

I haven't joined up in a while. With all the decluttering I've been doing blog posts have been minimal as of late, although I'm trying hard to visit everyone who has stopped by. Which brings me to my first "five".

One: No-Reply Bloggers

I'm getting more and more comments from "no-reply bloggers" these days. I had been replying through my email to all of you, and there has been no error message in my email account that my messages have not been delivered. But do you no-reply bloggers receive my reply to your comments? It's been a question I've been meaning to ask for awhile. I assume you know if you are no-reply or not. But if I'm sending out all these replies to comments and they are not being received, I'd like to know if this is a complete waste of time for me. I have been trying to visit everyone who leaves a comment too, but some days I just get bogged down with other stuff. Anyway, since January I have not been replying to no-reply comments, but I don't want to offend anyone by ignoring the comments all the time. I don't reply to comments directly on my blog, I find it more convenient to reply through email.

Two: A Valentine Craft

Had my little peeps work away at this yesterday morning. An easy craft with minimal assistance that I always liked. We cut a heart shape from plastic canvas, tied a string (or yarn) onto a plastic needle, and they thread on pony beads, foam shapes and whatever you have that you can poke a hole into. I still have the one my son made many moons ago!


Three: Cody

Someone asked recently about Cody, and yes, he is still here ... underfoot ... which has actually become his new nickname. With my decluttering, there are always piles of stuff just outside the kitchen door where he likes to lie down and keep an eye on everything. Now he's taking up the last of the little space that you need to walk out of the kitchen, or down the hall, or out to the front door. It's a very central location, and he's constantly underfoot! He's got the boot more than once, and I think he's feeling a bit neglected and unappreciated. Last night I let him hop up on the bed while I sorted through more papers. He can settle into a cozy spot in a matter of seconds.




Four: Sunup

The sun hadn't quite risen yet when I came out to the kitchen this morning. Now it's blinding me as I sit at the kitchen table typing this! I love that the sun comes in through my kitchen all morning, and then into the living room on the front of my house in the afternoon.


Making time for tea ;)

Five: Decluttering

I've been making great progress with the decluttering. There have been two full van-loads of stuff gone to the thrift store.

First load ... full front to back!

Second load ... thumbs up from my husband ;)

There have been more garbage bags at our curb (I'm glad we still are allowed four bags of "residual" garbage ... friends of ours are allowed only one). The blue paper recycling box has been heaped the past two weeks as I work through the "important papers" category. And there's a lot of papers to be burned as well. I hate this papers category. It's very tedious. I worked through loose photographs from my parents' house last week too ... depressing and tedious! The photos need to be dealt with again, but at a later date ... like at the very end of this task! I've added more information to my page on my sidebar on decluttering if you're interested. Thanks again to all of you for your continued support and rallying me along on this. I'm slowly starting to feel a huge weight lift from my shoulders ,and my husband almost, but not quite, has a skip in his step at the amount of things leaving the house! These totes that I'm showing (how exciting!) are empty. All of them used to be chuck full! See? Progress! All the stuff that I had/have has always been very organized, and my husband used to call me the Tote Queen.

It's been very surprising to me too that a lot of people have told me that I have inspired them to also declutter their homes this year. Wow! I don't think I've inspired anyone to do anything before, so this was such a nice compliment. I wish everyone who has begun this job the best of luck. If you want any help in this, I would love to help out if I can ... just send me a note (email is on my sidebar).

big totes
little totes

And that's my five for this week!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend everyone!

Wendy :)





37 comments:

  1. Well done on the decluttering, Wendy! I did this before we moved to our cottage, and I know that feeling like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Keep at it and it will soon be done. I'm not sure what you mean by a no reply blogger, but I get emails from you after I post a comment if that helps.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's a great job you've done on decluttering. I'm working on it, but it's hard. The paperwork decluttering is looming.
    I don't know if I'm a no reply, but I do get your e-mails and they are much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm glad that your decluttering has gone so well Wendy mine is going very slowly but I will get there. I used to reply to all comments by email too not realising that there was such a thing as a no comment blogger when the light finally dawned I was quite annoyed at all the time I had wasted sending comments to folks who weren't even going to get them, I wonder where they go? I don't have the time to reply to comments very often now anyway I would prefer to visit the blog and leave a comment there. Have a great weekend. :) xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations on all your decluttering, a job well done.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yup the time of year to declutter is upon us all I think lol ! Yes Miggs gets underfoot to and can drive me nuts as she is right there and I usually trip over her as I am busy and she seems to sneak up when I am busy then OOFF I trip over her the silly dog she gets the nick name Numpty ! They get all the comments I find that not all bloggers reply at all or only reply to a few or only reply on their own comment section and not through email at all and some get so many comments I can imagine they dont have the time to truly respond to each and every one of them I know I don't at times lol ! so I just try to reply the best I can to those who comment on my posts through email in hopes they received it ! I have the sun in the reverse all day to you in the house lol I love it . Hope you get all your decluttering done and have a good weekend !

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lovely to see photos of Cody! You know me and comments! I am sure that most people are happy if you visit their blog when you have time and leave it at that. I reply if I can to replyable bloggers, but I imagine that the no reply ones are happy to remain that way and don't expect a reply. I do answer questions in the comments if it is pertinent. Well done on all of those empty crates!!!!! That is fabulous!!! You really have got rid of masses of things. Keep going! Oh, and get rid of the empty crates if you haven't already done so so that you don't fill them up again! Thank you for joining Five On Friday, happy weekend! xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gosh that is a productive week! I need a serious de-clutter but I don't think I am that dedicated. Oh look at Cody, they do take to comfort very well don't they ha! Have a lovely weekend xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow what a huge job you have done with deck uttering! Cody is so cute. Have a nice weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wendy,
    Great to see the progress you are making, I hear a real tone of commitment in your writing and see it as well.
    Those no-reply bloggers, I think are a waste of time to write too. There isn't any email address that shows up. I know, it frustrates me too. I need to research this more thoroughly.
    Sweet Valentines!
    Have a super weekend!
    Xx
    Jemma

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Wendy, so nice to see you are seeing some head-way with the de-cluttering! I love your little pooch. Mine love to lie right on my rug below my kitchen sink while I am trying to cook. You know, just in case I drop something tasty! haha! Those are cute little Valentines and the peeps must have had fun creating. Oh, I feel badly - I am a no-reply blogger. I don't expect replies to all my comments. If I ask a question I will come back and look at the reply on the blog. I have contact info on my sidebar if there is something specific someone wants to contact me about. I find it easier to manage blogging this way :) Sorry about that! xx Karen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen, I realize you are no-reply, but please don't think I'm judging at all! My question was only whether no-reply bloggers were actually receiving my reply to their comments. It appears that no, you don't. I will just visit no-reply bloggers instead. Thanks for visiting, as always, as I love hearing from you :)

      Delete
  11. Wow great decluttering. I too have begun and it's a long slow progress but I already feel better for it. I feel bogged down by too much 'stuff' but I think it will take me some weeks. As to replying I've been wondering g about this for sometime. I reply to every comment on my blog. I have no idea if this then is sent to everibe as an email also or if people even know I reply. How does one know?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Enjoy your dog ♥ Mine died in the summer at the age of 12 years. Now we have Sissi the cat..

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, wow, that's lots of empty boxes. Well done you! Have a restful weekend. x

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow that's some decluttering, liberating though no doubt! And love the nickname for your pooch, MOH's family dog was called Tripp for exactly those reasons - and it's a great name for them to live up to. On the comments, if I leave one I usually turn the notify on, purely because my comment is (to me) the start of a conversation. That conversation may be short lived, but I wouldn't want to miss it. Have a fab weekend

    ReplyDelete
  15. Always good to have a declutter it is something we must do again. I had to smile at your nickname for Cody as over the last few months I have started to say to our elderly cat Max - 'underfoot Max, underfoot' as he wanders slowly in front of me and especially on the stairs I'm afraid I'll kick him or he'll trip me up. He is nearly 20 and doesn't move as quickly as he used to. Have a lovely weekend:)

    ReplyDelete
  16. The thrift stores sure are benefitting from your decluttering. It seems I take a box each week. You are doing a great job.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Good morning Wendy,
    Getting some decluttering done sure does make you feel good. I will be doing this soon too. Since we plan to down-size sometime in the near future it has to be done. If we weren't planning to down-size, I would have changed the wall colour but we want it to appeal to buyers.
    I agree with you about teapots looking happy! That little pink teapot of mine was a Christmas present a couple of years ago and it always makes ME happy when I look at it. Thanks so much for your visit. Have a wonderful day.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete
  18. I did the decluttering process last year. It feels like a weight lifted, believe me...and the house actually feels much more comfortable to live in. Must warn you that it continues to be a struggle to not buy more things...I pick them up, realize what I'm doing and put them back...a good feeling for sure....and money saved!

    So nice that you are donating your items to charity.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I do like the valentine craft, Wendy. I think my niece will enjoy it. Enjoy the weekend.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am looking at a lot of "de-cluttering" before we move. We are giving what we can to the Disabled American Veterans, but have some things we'll be selling and lots of stuff to just throw away! We haven't de-cluttered in the last three moves so there's a lot of junk! :-) Sweet pup, Cody.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wow, you're amazing. I hope I can declutter at least half of what you have, way to go!! We had hoped to have a garage sale last year but ran out of time, maybe this year. It looks like your dog really needs you. If I get too busy, I always see the animals acting differently. They're too smart for their own good LOL. I have a large dog underfoot also, it doesn't work when you're decluttering or cleaning, that's for sure. Great post, I look forward to more. Kelly.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow, you're amazing. I hope I can declutter at least half of what you have, way to go!! We had hoped to have a garage sale last year but ran out of time, maybe this year. It looks like your dog really needs you. If I get too busy, I always see the animals acting differently. They're too smart for their own good LOL. I have a large dog underfoot also, it doesn't work when you're decluttering or cleaning, that's for sure. Great post, I look forward to more. Kelly.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Well done, Wendy! The stack of empty totes is thrilling to see!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Having had more years to collect stuff I'm afraid to think how many times I'll be loading my vehicle during the purge Wendy. I just think about how good I'll feel when I'm finished.
    It took me a while to realize I was replying to 'no reply' bloggers and I honestly believe many do not know they are set to this status.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Looking good! You are really winning the battle!
    Enjoy your Sunday....
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Whoa! That's a lot of plastic containers. By totes I thought you meant the fabric kind because I've got those all over the place filled with all kinds of projects and supplies. I do need to declutter and purge and organize but gosh dang it, take so much time. Ugh! Cody is a little love. Hope your getting your walks in with him every day. Your comments to no-reply bloggers are likely going nowhere. If someone has a blog, I prefer to visit them. Sometimes if you have a question or want to go into more detail, then it's understandable to email, but don't see any reason to reply to every single comment. Have a good Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Your decluttering is so impressive and I think the most impressive thing is that you're still doing it! I usually give up after the first day, so big well done :)
    Jillxo

    ReplyDelete
  28. Well done on the decluttering! Your determination is showing great results! I'm not a no-reply blogger and your email replies come through just fine. I don't reply to most comments directly, preferring instead to pay a return visit to someone's blog. It's hard to know just what to do.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Cute hearts and beautiful Cody!

    ReplyDelete
  30. A lovely and completely random Five. Those valentine hearts are very sweet. Well done Wendy. x

    ReplyDelete
  31. Well done on your decluttering. I did this a few years ago when I moved from a large house to something much smaller. I found it a great feeling, almost as if I was literally lighter once all the stuff had gone.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Isn't it wonderful to get rid of all that stuff? So freeing. Congratulations on doing all that hard work! You're right, papers and photos are the hardest to sort through, and most time consuming. I'm working on that -- again -- right now.
    Sometimes blogger switches me to a no-reply blogger without my knowledge. Unless I'm checking on it, I don't know unless a blogger friend tells me.. I also don't reply by email to people unless they ask a question. I just visit their blog. I tried emailing and visiting, but it got overwhelming to keep up with both.
    I enjoy reading these Five on Friday posts!

    ReplyDelete
  33. I've come to the same conclusion with no reply bloggers Wendy. I know some people reply in the comments section but I never think to go back and check if there is a reply when I leave a comment so why would anyone else. And yes, you are inspiring me to de clutter! By the way... You don't need to reply to this comment 😉

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi Wendy,

    Cody is such a sweet boy and looks oh so cuddly.

    I've decluttered quite a bit over the last few years. When we moved in here 20 years ago, there was a lot more than there is now. I find I like having the space as we don't have a big house but I also like having things organized. I find I appreciate what I kept a lot more and actually use these items. It's also made me stop and think more when I'm shopping (yes, thrift stores and yard sales are a weakness, lol!) It's good to see others decluttering as it makes me feel like I'm not alone. :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I am so happy to see Cody again!! The hearts are super cute. Are they to be given to the parents? I am happy to hear that your decluttering is going well. Making time for tea is most important at any time, but specially when you are decluttering. I made a couple of important decisions this week too and they were executed. Thanks for that :)

    -Soma

    ReplyDelete
  36. Cody is beautiful Wendy and he looks very happy that you let him up on the bed.
    Your journey through the decluttering has definitely had an effect on me and is making me look with a new eye toward cleaning up our own mess.
    The hearts are a great idea for a children's craft.
    And yes, unfortunately if you answer an email where the address is "no-reply" it just goes off into space and the recipient never receives it. Nor do you get an error message.
    Keep on being strong and ridding yourself of burdens!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for leaving a comment, it's nice to know when you've stopped by! :)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...