#something something burn yourself burn cds burn whatever all that sort of stuff a lot a lot of it is about 90s music industry

[mobiused]

I have a lore question if you habe the time: do we know why yyxy is in Cher from Clueless cosplay?

I've spoken about this before, I can't find where I've spoke about this before, but I think it's to do with setting yyxy's time in Eden as a story that takes place in the 90s. A lot of the lore is set in the late 90s, indicated primiarly in Vivi's and yyxy's arc with fashion and technology, such as the cassette tapes, walkmans, computers, VHSs and whatnot. As mentioned in the 1/3 section of this post, I think there might be some geopolitical signifiers too, that suggest a lot of the story is set in this time period. Talking about Walkmans at all reminds me of this theory, from ChoerryColour, whose theories are focused on metanarratives and the music industry and really worth checking out.

By using one of the most iconic outfits from the 90s, right in 1995, it helps indicate when this part of the story is taking place, and what that means. If yyxy's arc occurs at the same time as Vivi's pre-robotification life (as suggested by EDILY's retro vibes) then you can more easily make connections between the two, like why Yves shows up on Earth in The Carol 2.0, why Vives go on a date in 'new', why a lot of strange things happen like they do. What message are they trying to deliver by setting it specifically in the 90s, over setting it in present day, or a nonspecific time all together?

[glitterge1pen]

Have You Ever Considered Craft Supplies Instead Of Drugs? Then This Might Be For You.

Kyōtani Kentarou x reader, sfw, fluff, 1,691word count 

His room for the most part was clean. It’s main function was for sleep though. This was apparent. His clothes, which were mainly basketball shorts and blank t-shirts, were scattered about in a way that told you he threw them there when going to bed.

Kyotani had told you to give him a few minutes, while he was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and struggling with the cap of his eyeliner pen. You felt comfortable enough in his apartment to check the fridge and see if anything was worth your while. But still you felt a bit like an intruder in his bedroom, which is where you had wandered off to.

The walls were white, mostly bare. There was a poster up for some band you didn't recognize, and another one advertising the Sendai Frogs that looked like he had ripped it off one wall to get onto his. You smiled at the thought of him stealing the poster from the grocery store display window or stadium parking lot.

You give his room one last once over before turning to leave. On your way out you trip over a shoe box. You would have just ignored it but a few tufts of paper flew out from the lid. You bend down to collect them but find that these aren't just trash from the shoe box. Quietly, and with a tinge of guilt, you kneel down to gently put the papers back in the box. The little scraps of paper you had found were actually sticky notes, you couldn't decipher the writing on them because of how faded and old the paper was.

You get one quick glimpse inside the shoe box on Kyotani’s floor. There are dozens of papers, printed photos, receipts, tickets, and what you assume are old keys. You feel like you've seen something very private of Kyotani’s and when you turn around to find him standing in the doorway, you gasp in shock.

“What are you doing in here?”

He seems more concerned and confused about you versus the fact that you are in his room. You decide sarcasm is the best choice of action.

“What? You embarrassed about me being in your bedroom?”

“Shut up and get out!”

Kyotani puts his hands on your shoulders and tosses you out into the hallway.

“Hey, hey, what time is it because we might actually be late to the movie now,”

You say pulling out your phone to get a glance at the clock. There was only twenty minutes before you were supposed to be at the theater.

“We’ll be fine, the trailers always play for too long anyways”

He says leading you out the front door.

☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

When the team wins a game and you head out to eat with the guys afterwards, your eyes don't usually follow Kyotani’s hands so closely. You hope that no one else has picked up on your new habit. But last week's venture into his bedroom has left you reeling in thought.

Kyotani doesn't really like to be hugged. During movie nights he sits separate from the pile of pillows and bodies. He tolerates head pats and high fives. When he hangs up the phone you can feel how difficult it is for him to say something like “bye I love you” platonic or not.

You hadn't really considered it before, at least not so intently in relation to Kyotani. Most people were easy to understand in their affections and how they garnered it. Or if they weren't so obvious, they made some sort of distinction, a simple “I don't like when people do this” or “I prefer this”.

Being friends with Kyotani you had assumed that he was content with what people gave him because he never asked for more. He didn't hug you when you two parted ways, and you never forced him to. He didn't ask or push on others boundaries but now after seeing that shoe box you wondered why he had never advocated for his own. You thought perhaps it wasnt that Kyotani disliked those other forms of affection or care, but rather he didn't regard those other acts as affections at all.

The sounds of the restaurant fade back in as your thoughts simmer down. You feel Tsukishima and Yamaguchi next to you. Enthralled in a conversation about some show they had been binging together. Apparently Yamaguchi had watched a few episodes without Tsukishima and everyone found the annoyed, bitter expression on Tsukishima hilarious, the table erupting in laughter.

“You good? You've been staring at nothing for five minutes,”

Kyotani said to you before taking another bite into his food. He sat across from you, his elbows propping him up over his plate of food.

“Yeah, just tired today,”

You say shaking your head as if trying to wake yourself up.

As the evening wears on, your eyes still follow Kyotani’s hands. Trying to catch the moment of thievery in action. To see if your contemplations are grounded in Kyotani’s actions or rather thoughts with nothing to hold as they pass you by.

But as everyone files out of the restaurant, the bill already split, the copy of the receipt abandoned on the table, you watch as Kyotani lingers for just a moment, to pocket the slip of paper.

☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

You couldn't remember the last time you had attempted to burn a CD. Was it you who did it or a friend? It was years ago though that was for sure. You had made three playlists on spotify, checking and double checking that they were private playlists. After arranging them and finding the songs that fit just right with each list you started finding youtube videos of each song. From there you converted the links to MP3 audio.

While your computer whirred and the audio filed loaded onto the disk you thought about decorating the CD cases. Of course covering the clear plastic case with glitter gel pen and cute stickers was very tempting. But you weren't sure that was Kyotani’s style. At the same time this was supposed to be a gift from you. You met yourself halfway.  Decorating one CD case like how you would have wanted, and the other with more of a Kyotani flair, the third somewhere in between the two.

When the CD’s were done you carefully placed them into their new plastic homes. Grabbing a black sharpie to scribble the playlist names onto each. You felt like wrapping them would be too extravagant so you settled for tying a ribbon around the two.

☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

“What the hell do you want?” Kyotani says as he pulls up next to you on the curb outside your place. You had texted him earlier while he was at work, asking if could stop by after he got off. He has the window rolled down and you take it upon yourself to unlock the passenger door and climb inside.

"I wanted you to test these out"

You were hoping that you had done everything right with the computer.You hand him the CD's, he flips them over in his hands inspecting them.

“Is it cool if I take these ribbons off?”

You nod and he turns the car radio on to insert the CD’s. As the first song starts playing you turn to him.

“This is that band you like right? The one on that poster in your room?”

Kyotani is visibly flustered by this.

“Yes? Did you...did you make these for me?”

You throw your head back in a laugh.

“Yes, I made them for you,”

“Oh,”

He says in a rather soft amazed tone.

“Look, I didn't mean to, but when I was in your room the other day I tripped over that shoe box you have,”

You keep your eyes trained on the street outside the dashboard window. Unsure and a bit nervous to see what Kyotani is thinking. Tempted by curiosity though, you do look at him for a brief moment, only to find him also intensely staring off into the street. His face lit up red with embarrassment.

“I’m glad that I saw it though. Because that stuff is important to you and I want to know what you think is important”

The air in the car feels like it is clinging to your skin with tension. You think the pressure will start to crack your bones when Kyotani’s voice splinters the suspense.

“It's easier to feel something when its tangible, when you can hold it, it's why people still buy polaroids and go to museums and shit”

You nod, a jovial ease overcoming you as he continues to speak.

“I don't really like, uh, I guess physical affection or even talking or it’s not like talking, people call it words of affirmation or whatever,”

You hold the smile of your lips down, you don't want him to think you’re teasing him in this moment. You're just happy that he is comfortable enough with you to say such things.

“I know lots of other people like to have those types of things though, and I worked really hard to get used to stuff, but I don't know, this is what I like,”

He says gesturing with the CD case to you.

“I mean so like, birthday cards, post-it notes, bus transfers? Things that are directly attached to memories and people? Anything else you want me to know about?”

While it hurts a little that he’s struggling to talk about this matter, you can't help but revel in the unusual brash shyness of Kyotani. He does mutter something, but when you lean in closer to signal that you didn't hear him the first time he repeats himself.

“Event pamphlets. I know it's trash but I like it”

“Promise you won't get mad?”

You drawl your voice out and make it sweet so he knows you're messing with him.

“Hm?”

He says, eyebrow quirked in question.

“I think you'd be really into scrapbooking”

“Shut the hell up before I kick you out of my car”

☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

A/N: Took a break from my current writing obsession to spit this out .

[novantinuum]

Creative Outlet (Drabble)

Fandom: Steven Universe

Rating: G

Words: ~1K

Prompt: "Harmony”

Heyo! Lately I’ve been writing prompt-based drabbles together with a group of lovely writers. This is my week’s contribution!

Note: This runs off the HC that music is saved for the Gem elite back on Homeworld, and thus (as suggested in It Could Have Been Great) isn't something well known or partaken in by working class Gems like Peridots.

Link to our AO3 drabble collection in the reblogs! Please do go check out all the other stories, there’s some great stuff in there!

___

“Log date, 7 14 9.

“Today, the hybrid creature Steven attempted to further secure my loyalty by introducing me to a concept he calls... ‘music.’

“He claims it’s something that everyone should know about and partake in, and that I should allow myself to ‘loosen up’ and write a ‘song’ about what I’m thinking, but I still have my doubts.

“I spoke with Amethyst on the topic shortly before starting this log, and strangely, she seemed to be under the delusion that all Gems already should know what this so-called music is. Despite her unquestionably higher status as a quartz soldier, I must contend that she is mistaken. Clearly, the fact that she’s never stepped off this useless rock in the first place has left her... unlearned. My old peers back on Homeworld never spoke a single word of such a concept, and as a peridot, my memory is perfect, of course! It’s why they only trust Peridots to be Diamond-certified Kindergarteners!

“...I can’t deny, though, I’m curious at the prospect of exploring a new mode of vocal output. I’d be a fool to refuse any opportunity on this Gem forsaken planet to improve myself. But given Steven’s vague description, I can’t even envision how I’m supposed to properly begin such an endeavor! Loosen up?? I don’t have any of my limb enhancers anymore! My touch stumps don’t screw on and off like bolts on a ship! My hard light form is incapable of fulfilling any such physical purpose, beyond of course, the one I was made for.

“Hmm. Obviously, I’ll have to perform my own research on the matter.”

___

“Log date, 7 14 10.

“I’ve made up my mind. If they want a song from me, then it’s a song they’ll get! It’ll be the best song! I’ll write the greatest song any silicate or organic life form has ever heard, and everyone will learn to fear my music powers!!

“And I’ll do all of this on my own, lone Peridot against the word! And as an extra bonus, when I finally show them my creation, maybe they’ll finally be convinced that I’m fully on their side! It’s PERFECT!

“More logs to come as I record my progress. Peridot, out.”

___

“Log date, 7 14 11.

“As it turns out, apparently making music is... difficult.

“Upon further consideration, I have decided to ask for Steven’s assistance in writing one of these songs. The hybrid has previously expressed high skill in this activity, and is— of all the Crystal Gems— the one that’s least likely to pass judgement on my abilities. But strangely, even if creating music isn’t what I was made for, I find myself eager to try.

“...Eheh heh heh! I’ve already broken enough of Homeworld’s regulations in my time here so far, after all. What’s one more?? What’s ten more?? In fact, maybe I should just sign my eternal loyalties to these Crystal Clods while I’m at it! Hah! It’s not like any of this will really matter in a few days, right? Right??? Ahahahah, ahh hah hah hah—“

“Uh... Peridot? Are you-?”

“NYEH! QUIET, STEVEN, I’M BUSY CATALOGUING MY EARLY PRE-DESCENT INTO MADNESS!”

___

“Log date, 7 14 12.

“The following is an account of my final practice with Steven.

“—Song copyright Peridot. Facet-2F5L, Cut-5XG.”

__

“—see, now you’ve got it! That was great!”

“Yes, I am pretty magnificent! Can I... I mean, we... do that again? Once more? And preferably in front of this primitive communicator log?”

“Oh, like, you wanna record it? ‘Cause if you want, I could probably call my dad. He has all sorts of cool high tech music stuff! And once it’s recorded he could even help you make a CD, or upload it online, or—“

“No! It’s mine! I, uh- I mean... I only wanted to record it for me.”

“Oh, that’s okay! I understand that. There’s a lot of songs I write that I don’t share, either.”

“Hmm...”

“Um... Hey. You all right? ‘Cause we can take a break, if you want.”

“Unnecessary. I’m just- thinking.”

“About the drill, or Homeworld, or... is this about something else?“

“It’s- a mixture of everything. Truth be told, I don’t know where to begin comprehending it all.”

“Well, that’s actually what‘s so great about music! You can pour whatever part of yourself you want into it. For me it’s always been my way to burn through stress, but maybe for you it can be a creative outlet, a tool, y’know, to help you understand what you’re feeling. And from the sound of what you wrote, I kinda think it’s helping.”

“Huh. That’s a good point. Perhaps there can be a practical use to this ‘music,’ then. I think... I’m ready now.”

“D’ya want your starting chord?”

“—yes.”

“I guess we’re already here, I guess we already know... We’ve all got something to fear! We’ve all got nowhere to go.

“I think you’re all insane!! But I guess I am too... Anybody would be if they were stuck on Earth with you!”

[commonalex]

Broken Nose

-Oh my, a talking fox!

-Oh my, a talking fattie!

-Wait, what?

   I don’t know what else I could expect coming down here from the tower today. I had this bad feeling stepping into the woods for the first time. It was really on the nose.

-He he, “on the nose”. Never gets old!

-Huh?

   The fox keeps on giggling but maybe not on purpose. Judging by the dirty yellowish fur and the burnt patches on its weak body, you could say this creature has seen better days.

-Uhhh girl? Still here. I can hear, you know.

   Wherever this fox was (before it comes to horrify me) the fire must’ve get it just in time, but it doesn’t look like hurting. On the contrary, the fox is playfully stretching like a cat on the dirt. I guess I seem so damn funny (or pathetic) for it to dare to come so near. Not that I would mind some chit chat at the time, I haven’t spoke to a person (or whatever that is) for far too long. But the way it follows me around with this sarcastic laugh rubs me the wrong way.

-Come on now, foxxy, I’m seriously busy right now. I can’t afford spending time with you. Stay away and no one gets hurt, nosey.

“Nosey”? Ha ha! It’s like you already know!

-Whatever.

   I throw middle fingers and keep on my route putting in and out the batteries of my walkie talkie. No luck. Dad (or whoever was talking at the frequency I was catching from the tower) didn’t speak a word again and of course no one’s around here as far as I can see. So I already had my misery, but I guess I should come down here to play hide and seek besides still life. Thank god it’s still afternoon with the sun beaming through the trees so I am not scared shitless yet.

But still, the fire keeps on burning whatever is on its way and no one bothers if I’m burned alive or not one of those days. So here comes the panic again. I’m climbing a tree to see the valley burning a bit better, while screaming furiously on the walkie talkie in case signal comes up. I scream my lungs out, touch my throat, lose balance, slip of the trunk and fall face first. When I managed to get up blood was pouring off my nose like a fountain. I guess I knew better when I was staying in the watch tower picking my…

-...”nose”, huh? He he he. You are funny, but you really don’t listen.

   I turn around to stare at the fox in a way so it gets the message and run away from me but here it is with its eyes shining like it’s waiting for something. I walk slowly to a direction, here it is following me, here it is talking shit about me, here it is turning to go somewhere else, here I am trying to catch her from going towards the fire, and we’re back at the start. Fuck it, I say. I let her leave to stop worrying. And that’s how I get lost in here. You see, all this time I had the smoke as compass and with all this chasing I failed to notice that the fumes scattered all over the place. I raise my head to see the sun radiating this weird red-like colors. Why on earth am I still here?

-Does anybody listen on this channel? I know some of you do. Dad, can you hear me? I’m the fire lookout and try to find you all this time. If you hear me, tell me your location so I can get to you. Copy?

   I’d be damned if this walkie talkie thingy is even necessary at this point. They have probably gone deaf by my stupid screaming.

-Just hoping you understand how futile this is. It’s like the thousandth time I tell you that at this exact point, but I have my hopes that one day you will stop doing this. Mainly to yourself. Just like I have my hopes that you will stop wearing shorts that make your thighs look unevenly thick.

-Can you please help me with your mouth shut? All it takes is a second to become human torches. I don’t need your kind of silly attitude.

-Pardon me? What attitude. I said what I said for your own good. But I don’t judge you. Spending all this time trapped in here, no wonder why your brain got a bit rusty.

-Trapped?

   The fox’s looking at me head to toes, sighs and sits in front of me waiting for something once again. What, exactly? No idea, but I wish it would be something that would take my guilt away and leave this thing get baked. It would smell like cooked fox all over to the watch tower.

-Highly doubt you could smell anything with a nose that fucked up.

-Shut-your-god-damn-mouth.

   I get caught off guard by the walkie talkie screeching with an incomprehensible voice. I don’t get much, just small phrases like “wish you could hear me” or “one sign of life” and such. All enough to hear my dad on this. I press to reply with my hands shaking by the stress. I keep on losing him, without ever getting my voice across. Signal worsens, but if I can hear him that must mean he is somewhere around here, right? But what if he is somewhere near the fire? I’m mic screaming “DAD JUST TELL ME IF YOU’RE HERE” like a ten year old and that’s where I lose all contact.

   Trying to catch a breath on a treat I get blood in my mouth (which has got everywhere and made me look sick) and burst into tears. I feel finished. I watch the ash raining down on my from the coal black slope on my right and I’m feeling shaky once again. I don’t even know if I’m crying being here all alone or because by the next few meters I could see my dad… You know how. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I see something like that.

-Come on, girl, please, don’t say that. I’ve listened to you say that like a hundred times and every time my heart is screaming for mercy. Come, get up.

Barely even remembered the fox is there all along.

-What do you want from me?

-Dunno. Company? A little adventure? This boredom you feel all this time on that watch tower all alone, I get that too. But you only make us the favor to come down here and spend time when you catch your dad on the radio. Only then I really have something to do.

-So you have seen me up there?

-If I seen you? What else could a fox occupy it’s mind inside those fucked up woods than stalk a fire lookout in her fourties? You know, playing with the binoculars, searching up radio frequencies, drinking beer and listening to the same music all day from her cd player? Is there anything better around here?

-What forties? I’m seventeen.

-Well I’m telling you, you absolutely are in your thirties at least.

-Why do I even bother.

   But chatting with the fox really makes you forget, whatever bs you have to endure. And you have to endure a lot. And a lot of stuff the fox says are disses that don’t make much sense. However company is very much needed at this point, inside a dirt pool filling up with ash and red smoke.

-I’m not here to make your life difficult.

-I don’t even know why you’re here. And how come you talk? If that’s not too much.

-Why are you stuck on these questions by now? You do this every time. Even though that’s the first time I see fire getting that big around here. And to be fair you got lost in the woods too early this time. And to be honest I’m kinda like a baby boy right now, asking for his mama, cause I have no clue what the hell is going on.

-”Baby boy”? Are you male?

   He looks at me with the most dead and disappointed stare a fox could ever have. I don’t know why I assumed he was a girl. But since he can hear me in my head, I apologize for perpetuating those kind of stereotypes. My bad. Ok? The fox nods as agreeing. we are ok.

   During all that I forgot I had the walkie talkie on my back pocket so when it started “whistling” again I got shivers. Trying to hold it with my shaky fingers I drop it like the useless scum I am. Even the fox gave me a disappointed look.

   The signal was better this time. I could hear for about five minutes non stop before I tried (with no luck) to respond. This is for sure not my dad. Those weird fast paced accents that invade the back of my ears are definitely from my mother. She even said her catchphrase “look at your own lil princess”.

“...should we keep on putting up a show anymore, darling?”.

“I’m tired. You wanna hear me say it? I say it right now.“.

“...I don’t understand? So am I the bad one and the heartless bitch once again?”.

“...please accept the bitter reality. We really missed the boat...”.

And then silence again.

   Same attitude, same lines played out a thousand times in the kitchen or in front of people. The same arguing over and over again with dad. The reason was always dumb, but her voice here doesn’t seem so irritating. Something serious must have happened for my dead mommy to cry like a pig.

-No crying? So you’re over it?

-Don’t know.

-I get it, we’re still at the point where you adapt to all this. We have a little bit of walking left till you have to get back.

-Tell me, what’s this thing you seem to know but I don’t?

-We know the same. I’m just here as a reminder, like an alarm clock of some sort. You know, like that fox alarm clock you had besides your bed when you were younger? Do you remember? You even brought it to the watch tower. Weird to have an alarm clock if you’re waking up at noon, though. You a freaking fire lookout, woman.

   It was a while until my brain got to work again. The fox was right, he is just like that alarm clock I have since a kid. How did I not see it before? And what does that mean now? Well, we know we won’t get any further just by asking. I don’t know if what I feel about that creature is trust, intimacy or curiosity. And those enigmatic stuff he throws here and there get tiresome. We walk and chit chat without noticing the orange fog swallowing everything within a meter around us. All we see in front of us now are burnt tree trunks and melting animals. All of them teddy bears I had while being a baby potato. If my heartbeat wasn’t hitting those three digits I would get goosebumps right now.

   I’m covering mouth and nose with my hand and try to guess where the fox is, as he’s running in circles stunned. He doesn’t seem to care if we find my parents before we all get barbecued anymore. He is too busy looking somehow concerned at all this damaged landscape.

-Tell me, how long have you seen me in secret? Spent all the summer over there and I never saw a single soul besides you right now, my secret admirer.

-Are you serious? What summer? Get it together. We wasted our young years here. But what am I even saying and basically to whom. Sometimes I wish I had your luck playing in this kind of playground. You could say disconnection from the environment has its moments.

-I’m volunteering for the summer, that’s all. It was written on the papers I signed, too. I think.

-Wait… Is that it?

-After all that I’m going back home to find out if where I’m studying by September. It’s pretty much over.

-...so this was it all along? Disconnecting? -Wait, did I take the entrance exams? My brain just froze.

-Would you shut up about your exams? Something’s wrong.

-How could I forget exams, though? After all this studying?

-Oh man. We really are in deep shit and now’s the time for you to turn your nose up at what is happening.

-Oh, here we go with these nose jokes again.

-No, no. Didn’t mean it in a literal way. That was unfortun… Ah, you get it, right?

-Maybe that’s why there’s not a single soul down here. You must’ve killed them all with your crap.

-I don’t have a good feeling about this. Our routine feels off. We have done this walk so many times and something’s not quite ok right now. It seems as if we’re stuck at the same place for hours and I guess…

-”Guess” what…?

-...we’re lost. I guess.

   Oh-you-don’t-say. When you spend so much time fucking with a broken person’s nerves, you tend miss what’s happening. We’re technically blind and we just go around for hours. Are we running away from the fire? Going straight at it? Only god know, because everything turned brown around here. We’re bumping trees and get shitless when we step on those blackened teddy bear bellies. I don’t lose my chance of cursing out the fox for driving us here, but all he cares about it digging holes while “trying to find our designated course”. That’s how we spend our next hour. Or maybe more since my watch stopped.

-How much battery is left in the walkie talkie?

-One line. And I swear I had it full, just like every time.

-”Just like every time”?

-Every time I climb down the watch tower to get here.

   The fox leaves the digging on the side and looks at me with his eyes wide open. My brain gets stuck for a moment and before he gets to respond I get vertigo. When I return to normal he keeps on asking again and again if I “know”, as if I get what he is trying to say. I’m searching for the sun above us to make everything around me stop flickering, but no luck, so I have the fox right beside me irritating me with these questions while I’m throwing up.

-Oh boy, you really don’t listen. That’s it, we’re going back. Now.

-Back where? I have my parents over here!

-You play the fool all this time. We have to go back to the starting point, don’t you get it? With you at the watch tower listening to your parents on the radio, coming down to the woods and find me while breaking your nose. Dunno how more fucked up your nose can be than right now, but we might save our asses.

-You are the most irritating talking fox I’ve ever seen.

-Wow, that’s a lot. Now give me the walkie talkie.

-Stop, YOU’RE GONNA BREAK IT!

-WOULD YOU STOP THE BULLSHIT SO WE CAN SAVE OURSELVES?

-DON’T.

   The walkie talkie slips, falls upon some cracked branches and shutters to a million pieces. Our eyes are glued to the ground, scanning for every piece in case we lose it. Time suddenly hits the brake, the orange fog from before has grown to this sick deep red light from the sun that sets down the edge of the valley as if we are in literal hell. Is this it?

-Nah. Not yet at least.

-Cut it out.

-Sure.

   I’m paralysed. My head can’t get through this twisted procedure anymore; days are marching one after another as the same exact instance being copied again and again. I tried so much to resist but my “job” here stopped helping a long time ago. Every bit on me seems hurt and rough. How long was I force to see everything slowly catch fire as I try to not get burnt alive? I could never know. All I know is how much washed out I feel here. Breaking my face, getting lost and playing chase with flames while asking for my dad through a stupid walkie talkie. Not that I ever need it to hear him. I got him right beside my ear all the time.

Even now.

“Stop acting like that, you’re an old man. It’s like you think I’m not in pain myself.”.

“But is it so easy for you?”.

“You think I’m not suffering inside? We’re in the same boat and we’re sinking.”.

“And what is she stood up right now? Looking at you and asking you what were we discussing just before?”.

“Twenty years, dear. Twenty years talking ‘bout the same damn things. Our daughter is gone, don’t you listen to the doctors? Am I wasting away on my own? Am I struggling to keep up with money by myself just to keep on hoping? Why are you doing this? Why in front of others, dear?”.

“I won’t bear this. I can’t bear this.”.

“It’s time to let her rest, us too. Or whatever is left there...”.

“Don’t cry, damn it. Don’t you see I’m holding it myself?”.

   That’s my mom. Stiff as one can be at first just to breakdown in the end. Now my dad must hug her with those big ass arms until she eventually calms down. What I’d do to see them now, even though they must got so old through all those years.

   When my mother stopped sobbing I wiped my eyes and saw the fire waiting ten steps away. Clothes, shoes, all of them slowly melt and drop to the boiling ground. I take the fox in my arms and run away in case we can get saved somehow. The fox doesn’t seem to have much time left. All I see is burnt fur and burst open skin. I barely have the courage to look at his face with this bloody tongue and two concerning little eyes.

-Can you still talk?

-As much as you can run.

   He knows what he’s talking about. My body is slowing growing heavy and lags to respond. We are really dead meat.

-So nothing in here is real, huh? It’s all in my head.

-Does it matter? The point was to get a bit away from all of this. To stretch this as much as possible, until you wake up or until you… You know…

   I’m not forcing the conversation any more. I’m grateful for his stance amidst all this chaos. He looks at me and nods to seal the mutual understanding. I smile and the saltiness from the tears and the blood goes right into my mouth. Awkward yet suitable.

   When my feet start to sink from the upward sprint up the hill, the watch tower is finally revealed about a hundred meters away.

-A little bit of patience, we’re here.

-All of this is so unnecessary. We’re gonna be consumed by the fire in the end.

-I need to talk to them. Last try. Promise.

-As if we had more.

   The rusty ladder moans while I climb it with the fox on my right soldier. The door of the tower room slams by the wind and all the glass windows are shattered with dust pilling up all the way to my knee. All the beer can thrown out, all the books and cds buried; only the desk with the main radio got away through all this. I lie down the fox on a corner of the bed and I examine the completely fucked up world outside. Everything is red and everything flickers in the flames. It’s a matter of minutes now.

   I plug the radio and fix the antenna that gets dragged by the wind outside. The fox is watching me like he wants to make sure I do everything right. I make a weird gesture with my hand to reassure him during his last moments and he smiles. Then I play with the mic switch in my hands due to awkwardness. How much time do I have left? Judging the fire coming close to the window I kinda get the idea. But it seems I don’t need this kind of boogieman anymore to live and move in here; just patience. So I’m looking the frequencies one by one, calling and waiting for a response.

-I don’t know if you can hear me, maybe you escaped. Old people don’t particularly stand those situations. I just called for the sake of it. I called to say it’s ok and I understand, dad. And please tell the other not to whine and be bitter. The only thing missing right now is one last hug with you. If only I could feel a touch on my hand, damn it. Anyway, I’m tired. Be strong. I have no idea if, but I wish we meet again someday. Somewhere by the sea if it’s easy. So much desolation and so much pine, I can’t stand it anymore.

   It’s like I had it written down with the words flowing so easily. I repeated them about twenty or thirty times out loud until my mouth went completely dry. I turn off the mic and look at the flame waving me from every direction. I wave back.

-We’ve said it well, even though no one got to hear it. The most beautiful in vain gesture ever.

How poetic. Didn’t know he had it in him.

   I leave the radio in a frequency full of white noise to scratch my ears to oblivion. I don’t wanna hear my head go off until they reply back. Afterwards I give a tight hug to the fox with all power I have left to a point I think I’m strangling him. He doesn’t flinch, he understands. We sigh together and watch in slow motion the whole process. Fire knocking on the door to come in, surrounding everything, painting them all with a different color as I leave my sweat (and something more) on this cheap mattress. Maybe they didn’t get my message, I think, and I’m kinda holding a grudge at myself. Maybe if I had another chance I wouldn’t waste so much time. Maybe I could even wake up and see them, even if that meant I would die right after. Talk about bad luck, twenty years here and the alarm clock never get me out of bed once. My nerves. I have so much anger I could a person right now. I swear if someone would close my nostrils right now I’d explode from rage.

-So much for breaking your nose, I guess.

-For the love of god SHUT UP.

[muwi-translates]

夏の陣 in 無人島〜戦国サバイバーズ〜家康V.S.政宗V.S.三成

Ikemen Sengoku Drama CD 2: Summer Camp in No Man’s Island! Sengoku Survivors ~ Ieyasu VS Masamune VS Mitsunari ~ Part Three [END]

**Please don’t move this translation or claim it as your own.**

Note: I will mainly be focusing on the Chinese subtitles, with light cross-referencing of the Japanese, since the former is the one I’m more comfortable working with. There may be some slight differences between the languages, but the general story should be the same. Enjoy!

Masamune: Sashimi made from the master of these seas and the One-Eyed Dragon’s miso mushroom stew - done!

Mitsunari: How luxurious! Well, then, thank you for the food.

Masamune: Thank you for the food.

Masamune: When there’s food around, you should eat it. You won’t survive in an emergency if you don’t. Looks like when it comes to survival, me and Mitsunari are even in skill.

Ieyasu: I never said I was going to participate in the beginning.

Masamune: But you didn’t escape by jumping the boat, and came here anyway.

Mitsunari: When it came to exploring an uninhabited island, you were making an enthusiastic expression as well!

Ieyasu: So you saw it...

Masamune: So it was like that. You still want to say you weren’t excited for this?

Ieyasu: That’s... just... because I was thinking about telling that girl what happened next time I saw her...

Masamune: Heeh~ so it was for her? I see.

Ieyasu: Let me just say; there’s no deeper meaning to it.

Masamune: Hooh.

Ieyasu: Please don’t pet my head like I’m some sort of dog.

Mitsunari: !!

(1:35)

Masamune: Mitsunari? What’s wrong?

Mitsunari: For some reason... my body... got really hot...

Ieyasu: Hey- don’t collapse in a place like this! Pull yourself together!

Mitsunari: Ugh! (slap)

Ieyasu: Ouch-!

Mitsunari: Oi. Don’t touch me. Or I WILL explode. (T/N: Mitsunari is now referring to himself with ‘ore’, a rougher more manlier self-pronoun, and finishes his sentence with ‘-ze’ instead of polite ‘desu’ which is more forceful and masculine.)

Ieyasu: ... What?

Masamune: Mitsunari, what exactly- ugh...

Ieyasu: Masamune-san too... are you alright?

Masamune: I am fine. If perhaps, I did fall here, then that is my fate. (T/N: Masamune is speaking in polite form, how Mitsunari would normally talk.)

Ieyasu: Eh. Ehh? Eh? ... Do you two... have a fever? God, your foreheads are burning! What- ... Don’t tell me it’s this mushroom stew? ... I knew it.

Mitsunari: What?

Masamune: What is it?

Ieyasu: There’s poisonous mushrooms in here. Judging by the color and the shape, it’s probably the Character-Changing Mushroom.

Masamune & Mitsuhide: Character-Changing Mushroom?

Ieyasu: When you eat it, your personality changes into something that you’re usually not compatible with. It’s a scary mushroom. Mitsunari, you just randomly dumped in a whole lot of mushrooms, didn’t you?

Mitsunari: Just thought it would be nutritious. If you got any complaints, I’ll be your opponent.

Ieyasu: Your attitude actually makes me more angry...

Masamune: Please do not be angry, Ieyasu-sama. It is more wonderful when you smile.

Ieyasu: Ugh, this is so annoying. ... It looks this is the right measure to take, then.

Masamune: That is... the grass from before?

Ieyasu: I’ll put them on this rock... mash it... then boil some water... that should do. Here. Drink it.

Masamune: Even though this dark green... is unappealing to look at.

Mitsunari: Ugh! The flavour is so goddamn intense! I’m gonna die if I drink this stuff!

Ieyasu: Just drink it!

Mitsunari: Gross- oh... It looks like my body temperature is going back down.

Masamune: You’re right. My head feels clearer. I also feel like I had a bad nightmare...

Ieyasu: Great, looks like it worked.

(4:18)

Masamune: Was that medicine you made just now?

Ieyasu: I found some plants that can neutralize poison so I picked them. Didn’t know that I would use them like this though.

Mitsunari: Ieyasu-sama, to have troubled you like this, I’m truly sorry.

Masamune: Thanks, Ieyasu. So, this competition about our survival skills - I guess you won today.

Ieyasu: Eh?

Masamune: No objections, Mitsunari?

Mitsunari: Yes! Of course. It was Ieyasu that saved our lives, after all.

Ieyasu: Stop exaggerating. That poisonous mushroom wasn’t life threatening. Well, in a way you did almost lose something that was more important than your life.

Masamune: Ieyasu, I’ll definitely repay you.

Ieyasu: You don’t have to... there just happened to be medicinal grass growing nearby. You don’t have to repay me anything. Besides, this competition... wasn’t not fun.

Masamune: Hm~ Looks like our plan worked.

Ieyasu: Plan?

Mitsunari: A certain somebody came to talk to me and Masamune-sama before she left with Nobunaga for an inspection trip. She said she was concerned about Ieyasu-sama who was always reading, so she hoped we could bring you outside for a bit.

Ieyasu: Eh? That girl did?

Masamune: We knew that if you just invited you like we normally do, you’d definitely say no. So we just randomly threw together a competition as bait since you never admit defeat.

Ieyasu: So because of that, you took me to this island?

Masamune: Even if it was just an excuse to get you outside, I really planned to enjoy myself, so I used a lot of effort to find a place.

Ieyasu: You’re joking... I can’t believe it.

Mitsunari: We’re sorry for hiding it from you.

Ieyasu: If you could fix everything by just saying sorry, then we wouldn’t need warlords. How could I have taken the bait so easily...? Looks like I still have some ways to go. ...I guess I have to concentrate more on studying.

(6:21)

Masamune: Oi, Ieyasu, where are you going/?

Ieyasu: Back home. So I can keep reading my books.

Masamune: Hey! Don’t push the boat out without warning!

Ieyasu: Can’t hear you! If you don’t hurry and get over here I’m going to leave you behind.

Mitsunari: Ieyasu-sama, please wait for us!

Ieyasu: The shore... is pretty far away. ... Today was a terrible day.

Masamune: Stop grumbling, Ieyasu. Look at the sky.

Ieyasu: Eh? Ah...

Mitsunari: Wow... the stars look like they’re about to fall.

Masamune: This scenery... it would be nice if we could show it to that girl.

Mitsunari: Yes, it would be wonderful if that person was here.

Ieyasu: I suppose.

Masamune: Hm? You think so too?

Ieyasu: Ah- I guess...

Mitsunari: I’m looking forward to her coming back.

Masamune: To us, that girl is an existence that is like the sun. Even when we’re in the dark like this, we want to see her again as soon as possible.

Mitsunari: Truly.

Ieyasu: If you meant that she irritates people then I agree. That said, thanks to that girl who talked about weird things with you two, I had a terrible time.

Mitsunari: Are you still angry?

Ieyasu: Not really. Whatever. Besides, if I stayed in my room all day, it would get too hot and it would be too hard to read. So...

Masamune: So what?

Ieyasu: Didn’t I say it already? It wasn’t... not fun.

Mitsunari: Ieyasu-sama...

Masamune: Good grief, just be honest and say it was fun.

Ieyasu: But it wasn’t fun.

Mitsunari: I’m relieved to see that you have forgiven the both of us. ... Oh dear, being relieved has made me feel sleepy. 

Masamune: Now that you say it, so am I. Playing around has tired me out a bit. 

Ieyasu: You two just got better from your illness, at least rest a bit. There’s a tailwind so we don’t have to row that much to get the boat going.

Masamune: Sorry, guess I’ll just do that then. ...Night.

Mitsunari: Goodnight.

(9:05)

Ieyasu (monologuing): Looks like I was just made to run in circles today. If it was the old me, I would have thought that spending the whole day playing around would be a waste of time. Weird, isn’t it. It must be because of that girl’s influence. ...There’s so many stars. And all the clouds are gone too. Will you be as dazzling as the sun like an idiot tomorrow, as well? So warm that its irritating, radiant; even though sometimes there are moments where I just want to run away because you’re so bright- now... I... really look forward to seeing the sun rise. ... I’ve made up my mind. When that girl comes back, I’ll be the first to tell her what happened today. And I’ll... make her laugh. I... want her smiling face all to myself.

[eldritchsurveys]

1114.

1 - When you wake up, do you get up straight away or do you lie around in bed for a while? >> I usually wake up at around 6.30 and the latest I’ll Officially(tm) get up is around 9. It depends on how caught up I get in reading and looking at TikToks.

2 - Who was the last person you video-called with? Have you done this more often since COVID hit? >> I don’t video-chat. Intro to Judaism is restarting in the new year and it’s going to be on Zoom, of course, and at first I was just like “yeah, sign me up!” because I missed going to classes but I immediately regretted it because I hate video-chatting so much. I still don’t know what to do. :/

3 - How many times a week do you go out for food or drink? >> Well, zero, now.

4 - Do you prefer getting takeaway or actually sitting in a restaurant and eating your meal there? >> I like eating on-site sometimes because it adds variety and visual interest to my (normally home-centric) life. But I also like eating takeaway sometimes, because it’s nice to eat in my own comfortable environment. It just depends on how I feel. ...And, you know, what the public health status is.

5 - Where’s your favourite place to get takeaway coffee (or whatever your drink of choice is)? >> There’s a little cafe in Bridge Street Market that is now my favourite place to get hot beverages. Everything I’ve had there has been excellent.

6 - Do you tend to keep your phone on silent, vibrate or loud? >> Vibrate. DND at night.

7 - If you have pets, when was the last time one of them annoyed you? What happened? >> Sparrow’s pet lowkey annoys me all the time, just because I don’t find a lot of cat behaviours as charming as most people do. It’s something I’ve learned to live with.

8 - When was the last time you went into a bookshop? >> Early December, to get Braiding Sweetgrass.

9 - What was the last thing you ordered off Amazon? >> I don’t remember the last time I ordered something off Amazon. I’d like to keep it that way for as long as I can.

10 - When was the last time you took a dog out for a walk? Is this your own dog or did you borrow someone else’s? >> ---

11 - What jewellery do you have on at the moment? >> Just the jewelry in my piercings, as usual. I forgot to put my bracelets on :x

12 - Do you have any products in your hair right now? What are they? >> No.

13 - Have you ever used a VPN to access foreign content online? >> No.

14 - Who was the last artist you listened to? Is this someone you’re a fan of? >> I don’t remember, but it was definitely someone I’m a fan of because it would have been from my Spotify playlist.

15 - What was the last thing you had to drink? >> Water.

16 - When was the last time you cooked something for the first time? Did it work out the way it was supposed to? >> I don’t remember.

17 - Black cats are considered to be bad luck - is this a superstition that you’ve ever believed in? >> No. I literally live with a black cat, lol.

18 - Would you ever eat blue cheese or do you find the idea of eating mould to be pretty repulsive? >> I’ve eaten blue cheese before and I’m not repulsed by it. I don’t normally eat it just because I don’t care for the flavour.

19 - Do you visit the dentist every six months like you should? >> I don’t know if I’m ever going to do that. Maybe once a year. Maybe. But I can’t see myself going to the dentist that often, I hate it there too much.

20 - How old were you when you first used the internet? Was it dial-up or did you have access to proper broadband? >> I was in single-digit ages, I think. 10 at the oldest. It was off an AOL disc.

21 - Are you old enough to remember using floppy discs? >> Yes.

22 - When was the last time you purchased an actual DVD or CD? >> I don’t remember.

23 - Do you shave? Which body parts and how often? >> I trim some body hair, and I buzz my head. Every other month or so for the body stuff, every couple of weeks for my head.

24 - What’s your favourite season, and what are some of your favourite things about that season? >> Spring. I just love watching the earth come to life again, that’s really the bottom line. It’s very rejuvenating. Also, nothing beats that first day I can open all the windows to let in some mild, sunny air.

25 - When was the last time you burned yourself? >> I don’t remember.

26 - Have you ever been the victim of a theft or robbery? What was stolen? Did the police ever catch the person who did it? >> I was mugged for a really shitty iPod Touch once. The irony of being mugged by people who probably had actual money and homes while I was literally walking back to the city shelter at the time was not lost on me. (And no, I did not report this to the police. Or anyone, except to mention it in casual settings like this one. What the fuck for?)

27 - What was the last TV show you discovered that you really liked? What was it that got you to watch it in the first place? >> Fruits Basket. I mean, I’ve known about its existence for a long time, I just finally decided to check it out.

28 - Have you seen any of the live-action Disney remakes? Which one is your favourite? What about your least favourite? >> No.

29 - Do you have any exciting plans for tomorrow? If not, how are you planning to spend your day? >> No. Sparrow is off all week so I’m mostly hoping I don’t lose my mind too much, is all.

30 - Would you ever keep a working dog as a pet? Do you think it’s fair to keep dogs like huskies in flats when it’s so different to their natural environments? >> Probably not. I want to be conscientious of things like that if I ever do get a dog. (I don’t know if it’s fair or not, I don’t know enough about huskies to say. I would like to do research about that sort of thing before making a commitment, in which case I’d then find out if it was fair or not.)

[thisisheffner]

STABBING WESTWARD To Release First New Music In Nearly Two Decades

Industrial rockers STABBING WESTWARD will release their first collection of new music since 2001 early next year. A new EP titled "Dead & Gone" will arrive on January 3. The group said in a statement: We have been working on new music for a few years now and are finally ready to begin releasing it starting with our first new music since 2001. 'Dead & Gone' features 3 brand new songs and 2 remixes and will be available as a digital download as well as a CD with full color artwork." STABBING WESTWARD released an EP in 1992, followed by four studio albums between 1994 and 2001. The band achieved its first certified gold albums with both 1996's "Wither Blister Burn & Peel" and 1998's "Darkest Days". After STABBING WESTWARD disbanded in 2002, frontman Christopher Hall formed THE DREAMING, with whom he recorded three albums. Hall and keyboardist Walter Flakus reformed STABBING WESTWARD in 2016 to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, and they have continued to perform. in 2016, STABBING WESTWARD released a re-recorded version of the song "Plastic Jesus" on the "Cold Waves V" compilation. Another track called "Home in You", which was originally written for the band's 2001 self-titled album, was made available in 2017 via the "Cold Waves VI" compilation. STABBING WESTWARD's current lineup includes Hall, Flakus, THE DREAMING's Carlton Bost on bass, and former ORGY drummer Bobby Amaro. In an October 2018 interview with CrypticRock.com, Hall stated about the prospect of new music from STABBING WESTWARD: "We discussed it a lot. We played Cold Waves festival last year and the year before. Both times they asked us to contribute a song to a compilation record they sell to give to the anti-suicide charity they work with. The first time we did an old song that was off the original four-song EP from 1988 that we never released. We re-recorded it and gave them that. We played it at the show, and that was the very first STABBING WESTWARD show we had done in twenty years. People were just so stoked to see us at a sold-out club in Chicago that no one cared they played a new song they didn't know. Then, the next year, after we played around a dozen shows, we gave them another new song. It was a song we had written for the self-titled album that was too heavy for it. It was a really good song; we had written 20 songs, and only used 10. We played it and I thought people would be sort of excited to hear new music. That was the moment it dawned on me, maybe people don't want to hear new music. We put the song sixth or seventh in the set, played a bunch of songs they knew, people were pumped, then I said, 'We are going to play a new song.' People cheered, then we started playing, and I saw everyone's head drop down and started looking at their phone. Everyone started glowing blue as they started looking at their social media. I thought, 'Maybe they are tweeting how awesome the new song is.' Then they never looked up again. [Laughs] I thought, 'Oh, no, they are just bored! They don't know the song, so they are taking a quick break to check their Facebook or whatever.' We lost them, and it wasn't until a couple of songs later that we regained the lost energy. That was when I was, like, 'Shit, if we do a new record, is anyone going to hear it at a show?' THE DREAMING, they always expected new music, because that's all there ever was. We mixed in some STABBING WESTWARD hits, but mostly it was all songs I had written over the past 10 years. People expected that. But at a STABBING show, people are in a mind frame of wanting to hear the songs they knew in high school or college." He continued: "I think perhaps if we release some material, an EP or something, let people hear it, get it on Spotify, and get a chance to listen to it first. Then it's not new, and you don't know what's going on. Hopefully people are open to it, because I don't want to sing the same old songs forever and ever. We will never be a band that says, 'I'm tired of 'Save Yourself'; we are not going to play that anymore.' We will never be that band. We will always give the fans what they want, we will always play the hits and songs they want. It would be nice to occasionally toss in a new song. [Laughs] There is stuff I want to say and new stuff I want to sing about. I just don't know how excited people would be to hear it."

View this post on Instagram

Brand new 3 song EP coming out Jan 3 2020! Cover art by @seidmanart

A post shared by Stabbing Westward (@stabbingwestward) on Dec 6, 2019 at 11:28pm PST

This content was originally published here.

[welcomeeatery]

January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet

If you're ready to make a change and get rid of all of that unwanted clutter in your home, start the year off with this January decluttering challenge!  This home decluttering “detox diet” will help to jumpstart all of your decluttering and organization habits and set the tone for an ongoing organization plan!

The Household Organization Diet 2019 officially kicks off on January 1 with my January decluttering challenge – The 31 Day Home Detox Diet!  Whether you just have a few trouble spots in your home or are completely feeling overwhelmed with all of  the clutter, this challenge is for you.  Who's ready to make 2019 the best organized year yet?

What is The Household Organization Diet?

The Household Organization Diet is basically a year-long, systematic plan to get every room in your home decluttered, cleaned, and organized.  You'll receive monthly to do lists, tutorials and tips to get it all done, and tons of cleaning and organization inspiration!  It's designed to help you learn strategies and systems to create your ideal home and {most importantly!} how to keep it up on an ongoing basis.  You can read more about it HERE and see last year's posts HERE.

What is The 31 Day Home Detox January Decluttering Challenge?

The 31 day detox decluttering challenge is designed to jumpstart your decluttering and organization habits and will help you clear out all of that obvious unwanted and unused “stuff” that is clogging up your home.   For the next month we will be doing a quick rundown of our homes and getting rid of at least 10 items per day {feel free to do as many as you would like!}  The idea is to keep it simple and easy to keep up with. We will be going more thoroughly through each room during the year, so this is not the time  to be taking on any time consuming projects or major re-organizing.  Just 15 minutes per day – anywhere you would like.

Inevitably, I always get at least a few comments from readers laughing that they would never be able to do this in 15 minutes per day.  While it's true that you may not be able to completely declutter and organize the space – we'll actually be doing that later in the year – this will hopefully give you a good head start and inspire you to keep going.  It feels SO good to start clearing that extra weight out of your home and the benefits you see should encourage you in the year to follow.

What do I need to get started on this decluttering challenge?

All you really need are some garbage bags for trash and recycling and some bins or boxes for items that you will be donating.  I also recommend that you get a binder to keep all of the printables in.  You can find the title page OVER HERE and the January printables below.  Each month, there will be a new calendar for you, as well as a task sheet and notes page.  You can use the filled in printables that I have already completed or use the blank printables to customize the plan for yourself.

Let's Get Started!

JANUARY TASKS DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD A BLANK JANUARY TASK SHEET HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE BLANK JANUARY CALENDAR HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE JANUARY NOTES SHEET HERE

Tips for a successful home decluttering challenge.

Remember that this is just a quick decluttering – NOT an organization project!  We have a whole year of organization ahead of us so don't get burned out now!  Remember that it has likely taken you years to accumulate all of your stuff so don't feel bad if it takes you some time to get rid of it!

Get rid of any possible distractions.  Put away your phone, turn off notifications, and keep your kiddos busy with something else for 15 minutes {or better yet, get them involved if they're old enough!}.

Work quickly.  Put on a timer and work as quickly as you can for the full time.  Don't spend time debating about things that you're not sure about.  Instead, target all of those obvious items that you know need to go.  There will be more time for other items when we work on the individual rooms.

Stay focused. If you have a lot of decluttering to do, it can be easy to get overwhelmed.  Just remember – it's only 15 minutes and it is only one small space.  Pull out only what you have time for.  You don't want a bigger mess in the end than what you started with!

Have a donate bin {or two!} handy.  Trust me.  You will probably be making multiple trips down to The Salvation Army this month. Have a bin or tote {and garbage bag!} nearby when you are decluttering to sort out all of your items that you will be getting rid of as you come to them.

Don't let perfection get in the way.  Again, this is a quick decluttering.  Spend all of your time getting rid of things and we will be coming back to make things look pretty later.  Don't think about it too much – just get started!!

If you come across items that belong elsewhere when you are decluttering, put them away where they belong!

If you need a little extra motivation to get your going, read this post on tackling procrastination and this post on conquering your decluttering paralysis to help get your started on your way.

The Home Decluttering Diet Book

For those of you that really want to get your home decluttered and organized, my book, The Home Decluttering Diet, is the perfect companion to the plan!   You can find it on Amazon, {plus it's currently on SALE!} as well as Barnes and Nobles, Target, and many other online retailers.  While the blog is a great place to get inspiration, I really wanted to create a book that had all of my thoughts and organization ideas in one place and would allow my readers to easily keep referring back to the information that they needed to keep them motivated and encouraged.  The book is based on the basic idea of The Household Organization, but is filled with additional organization inspiration, strategies, and simple DIY projects.  Think of the book as your ultimate organization text book and the blog as your workbook.

What's the plan for the decluttering challenge?

To help get you started, I have a daily plan set up to cover pretty much every area of your house. Feel free to just use this as a guideline though. You can really pick and choose whatever areas of your home need the most work.  For extra cluttered spots, you may want to spend 2 or 3 days going through things and skip some of the other tasks.  It's all up to you!

Here is the plan that I will be following for this year's decluttering challenge…

Day 1: Paperwork.

Do you have a pile of paperwork {or two?} collecting on your kitchen counter or in your home office? Go through bills, receipts, and any other paperwork, tossing {or shredding} what you don't need and sorting whatever is left over into its proper location.

Day 2: Front entry way and coat closet/mudroom.

Donate any coats, shoes, or accessories that you no longer use. If you are short on space, put items that are out of season into storage somewhere else in your home.

Day 3: Purse.

Empty out all garbage and items that you do not use regularly. Sort through any receipts and either put them into paper recycling or file away. Use a small pouch to hold make-up and other essentials that can easily be transferred from purse to purse. Donate any purses that you no longer use or love.

Day 4: Cleaning supplies.

Go through your cleaning supplies {wherever they may be!} and get rid of all of those products that you don't use. Try to use multipurpose cleaners or green cleaning products whenever possible. If you have multiple partially filled bottles of the same product, combine them into one bottle. Toss any old rags or cloths that are at the end of their use.

Day 5: Fridge and Freezer.

Remove all items from that are expired or you know you will not use. Minimize packaging when possible to save space. Find other organization ideas HERE.

Day 6: Pantry and other dry food storage.

Toss all items that are expired and get rid of anything that you know you will not use. Don't forget to go through all of those spices too! Place items that will be expiring soon towards the front of the cupboard.

Day 7: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home and spend a little extra time there.

Day 8: Kitchen Cabinets.

Look for any kitchen items that you do not use or have room for. Ensure that all Tupperware has matching lids and eliminate as many unnecessary kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, and duplicate utensils as you can.  You can see how ours are organized HERE.

Day 9: Medicine Cabinet/First Aid Supplies.

Medicine is actually best stored outside of the bathroom in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. Go through all medications and look for items that are expired or that you no longer need. Return expired medications to your local pharmacy for proper disposal. Find more ideas HERE.

Day 10: Dining Area.

Commit to keeping your table clutter free.  Find storage solutions for all items that frequently find their way to the table. Donate any dishes, serving ware, or other items that you do not use.

Day 11: Entertainment Area.

Make sure all CDs, DVDs etc are in their proper cases and evaluate what you really will use. Music and videos are so easily accessible through our computers and mobile devices, that your CDs and DVDs may be a thing of the past.

Day 12: Magazines and Books.

Let go of your magazine hoarding and get rid of any outdated editions.  Cut out pages that you would like to keep and sort into a filing system.  Recycle or donate old books that you will no longer read and sort the rest in a logical order.

Day 13: Junk drawer.

Get rid of everything that is not needed. If you have time, use inexpensive plastic containers to store similar items together. Put items that belong elsewhere away.

Day 14: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 15: Desk.

File away any needed paperwork and shred remaining papers. Sort smaller office supplies and only keep products that you use.  Get rid of those 2014 calendars!

Day 16: Bathroom cabinets.

Go through all beauty products and keep only what you really use. Do you really need all of those hotel shampoo bottles?

Day 17: Linen closet.

Donate any linens that you no longer use that are still in good condition.  Toss any items that are really dingy or have holes.

Day 18: Make-up.

Toss anything that is expired, cracked or no longer your style.  Pick your favorites and get rid of those other 10 lipstick tubes that you never wear!  To find out more about the recommended shelf-life for various make-up, check out this post on how to organize your makeup.

Day 19: Jewellery.

Sort through all of your jewellery and decide what items you still wear. Donate or toss the rest!  If anything you would like to keep needs cleaning or repairs, put them aside to take care of as soon as you can.

Day 20: Bedroom closet.

Sort through all clothing and ask yourself if you would still buy it today. If not, it is time for it to go!

Day 21: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 22:  Sock and underwear drawer.

Go through all of those socks and underwear.  Make sure you have matching socks with no holes and only keep what you still wear.

Day 23: Nightstand.

Clear off table top and sort through drawers keeping only what you would need before bed or during the night.

Day 24: Kids' Toys.

This is always a fun one. Sort through toys to see what your kids still use {and have your kids help out on this one if they are old enough}. Check to see that toys have all parts and are in working order before donating or selling.  Toss the rest!

Day 25: Kids' Closets

Check to see what clothes still fit and donate the old ones or sort them into a labeled storage bin if you are saving them for younger children.

Day 26: Craft space.

Be ruthless and really evaluate what items you still need and use. Schools will often take extra supplies that you are looking to get rid of.

Day 27: Laundry Room.

Sort through cupboards for any laundry products that are old or not used.  Toss any unpaired socks that are hanging around.

Day 28: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 29: Basement.

Chances are this is one of the biggest source of clutter.  Set a timer and try to get rid of as many items as possible.  Use large storage totes to store seasonal items together.

Day 30: Garage.

This one is also a big clutter offender.  Again, set a timer and collect as many items as you can that you no longer use or need.

Day 31: Car.

Grab two bags – one for garbage and one for anything that needs to go back in the house.  Put everything away in its proper place that you bring back into the house.

Get a support team.

The best way to stick with any new plan or habit is to find a support team.  Try doing this challenge with all of the members of your household, a friend, or an extended family member. And for even more support and inspiration, follow along with Instagram or Facebook  and subscribe to my emails {the sign up is right on the side bar!} so you won't miss a post!  There is definitely strength in numbers and I love to hear how things are going for you all!  Please email me with any questions you may have or tag me in your social media posts.

Happy Organizing!!

For more information on The Household Organization Diet and to see last year's spaces, check out this post HERE.

The post January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

[timdjohnson131-blog]

January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet

If you're ready to make a change and get rid of all of that unwanted clutter in your home, start the year off with this January decluttering challenge!  This home decluttering “detox diet” will help to jumpstart all of your decluttering and organization habits and set the tone for an ongoing organization plan!

The Household Organization Diet 2019 officially kicks off on January 1 with my January decluttering challenge – The 31 Day Home Detox Diet!  Whether you just have a few trouble spots in your home or are completely feeling overwhelmed with all of  the clutter, this challenge is for you.  Who's ready to make 2019 the best organized year yet?

What is The Household Organization Diet?

The Household Organization Diet is basically a year-long, systematic plan to get every room in your home decluttered, cleaned, and organized.  You'll receive monthly to do lists, tutorials and tips to get it all done, and tons of cleaning and organization inspiration!  It's designed to help you learn strategies and systems to create your ideal home and {most importantly!} how to keep it up on an ongoing basis.  You can read more about it HERE and see last year's posts HERE.

What is The 31 Day Home Detox January Decluttering Challenge?

The 31 day detox decluttering challenge is designed to jumpstart your decluttering and organization habits and will help you clear out all of that obvious unwanted and unused “stuff” that is clogging up your home.   For the next month we will be doing a quick rundown of our homes and getting rid of at least 10 items per day {feel free to do as many as you would like!}  The idea is to keep it simple and easy to keep up with. We will be going more thoroughly through each room during the year, so this is not the time  to be taking on any time consuming projects or major re-organizing.  Just 15 minutes per day – anywhere you would like.

Inevitably, I always get at least a few comments from readers laughing that they would never be able to do this in 15 minutes per day.  While it's true that you may not be able to completely declutter and organize the space – we'll actually be doing that later in the year – this will hopefully give you a good head start and inspire you to keep going.  It feels SO good to start clearing that extra weight out of your home and the benefits you see should encourage you in the year to follow.

What do I need to get started on this decluttering challenge?

All you really need are some garbage bags for trash and recycling and some bins or boxes for items that you will be donating.  I also recommend that you get a binder to keep all of the printables in.  You can find the title page OVER HERE and the January printables below.  Each month, there will be a new calendar for you, as well as a task sheet and notes page.  You can use the filled in printables that I have already completed or use the blank printables to customize the plan for yourself.

Let's Get Started!

JANUARY TASKS DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD A BLANK JANUARY TASK SHEET HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE BLANK JANUARY CALENDAR HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE JANUARY NOTES SHEET HERE

Tips for a successful home decluttering challenge.

Remember that this is just a quick decluttering – NOT an organization project!  We have a whole year of organization ahead of us so don't get burned out now!  Remember that it has likely taken you years to accumulate all of your stuff so don't feel bad if it takes you some time to get rid of it!

Get rid of any possible distractions.  Put away your phone, turn off notifications, and keep your kiddos busy with something else for 15 minutes {or better yet, get them involved if they're old enough!}.

Work quickly.  Put on a timer and work as quickly as you can for the full time.  Don't spend time debating about things that you're not sure about.  Instead, target all of those obvious items that you know need to go.  There will be more time for other items when we work on the individual rooms.

Stay focused. If you have a lot of decluttering to do, it can be easy to get overwhelmed.  Just remember – it's only 15 minutes and it is only one small space.  Pull out only what you have time for.  You don't want a bigger mess in the end than what you started with!

Have a donate bin {or two!} handy.  Trust me.  You will probably be making multiple trips down to The Salvation Army this month. Have a bin or tote {and garbage bag!} nearby when you are decluttering to sort out all of your items that you will be getting rid of as you come to them.

Don't let perfection get in the way.  Again, this is a quick decluttering.  Spend all of your time getting rid of things and we will be coming back to make things look pretty later.  Don't think about it too much – just get started!!

If you come across items that belong elsewhere when you are decluttering, put them away where they belong!

If you need a little extra motivation to get your going, read this post on tackling procrastination and this post on conquering your decluttering paralysis to help get your started on your way.

The Home Decluttering Diet Book

For those of you that really want to get your home decluttered and organized, my book, The Home Decluttering Diet, is the perfect companion to the plan!   You can find it on Amazon, {plus it's currently on SALE!} as well as Barnes and Nobles, Target, and many other online retailers.  While the blog is a great place to get inspiration, I really wanted to create a book that had all of my thoughts and organization ideas in one place and would allow my readers to easily keep referring back to the information that they needed to keep them motivated and encouraged.  The book is based on the basic idea of The Household Organization, but is filled with additional organization inspiration, strategies, and simple DIY projects.  Think of the book as your ultimate organization text book and the blog as your workbook.

What's the plan for the decluttering challenge?

To help get you started, I have a daily plan set up to cover pretty much every area of your house. Feel free to just use this as a guideline though. You can really pick and choose whatever areas of your home need the most work.  For extra cluttered spots, you may want to spend 2 or 3 days going through things and skip some of the other tasks.  It's all up to you!

Here is the plan that I will be following for this year's decluttering challenge…

Day 1: Paperwork.

Do you have a pile of paperwork {or two?} collecting on your kitchen counter or in your home office? Go through bills, receipts, and any other paperwork, tossing {or shredding} what you don't need and sorting whatever is left over into its proper location.

Day 2: Front entry way and coat closet/mudroom.

Donate any coats, shoes, or accessories that you no longer use. If you are short on space, put items that are out of season into storage somewhere else in your home.

Day 3: Purse.

Empty out all garbage and items that you do not use regularly. Sort through any receipts and either put them into paper recycling or file away. Use a small pouch to hold make-up and other essentials that can easily be transferred from purse to purse. Donate any purses that you no longer use or love.

Day 4: Cleaning supplies.

Go through your cleaning supplies {wherever they may be!} and get rid of all of those products that you don't use. Try to use multipurpose cleaners or green cleaning products whenever possible. If you have multiple partially filled bottles of the same product, combine them into one bottle. Toss any old rags or cloths that are at the end of their use.

Day 5: Fridge and Freezer.

Remove all items from that are expired or you know you will not use. Minimize packaging when possible to save space. Find other organization ideas HERE.

Day 6: Pantry and other dry food storage.

Toss all items that are expired and get rid of anything that you know you will not use. Don't forget to go through all of those spices too! Place items that will be expiring soon towards the front of the cupboard.

Day 7: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home and spend a little extra time there.

Day 8: Kitchen Cabinets.

Look for any kitchen items that you do not use or have room for. Ensure that all Tupperware has matching lids and eliminate as many unnecessary kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, and duplicate utensils as you can.  You can see how ours are organized HERE.

Day 9: Medicine Cabinet/First Aid Supplies.

Medicine is actually best stored outside of the bathroom in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. Go through all medications and look for items that are expired or that you no longer need. Return expired medications to your local pharmacy for proper disposal. Find more ideas HERE.

Day 10: Dining Area.

Commit to keeping your table clutter free.  Find storage solutions for all items that frequently find their way to the table. Donate any dishes, serving ware, or other items that you do not use.

Day 11: Entertainment Area.

Make sure all CDs, DVDs etc are in their proper cases and evaluate what you really will use. Music and videos are so easily accessible through our computers and mobile devices, that your CDs and DVDs may be a thing of the past.

Day 12: Magazines and Books.

Let go of your magazine hoarding and get rid of any outdated editions.  Cut out pages that you would like to keep and sort into a filing system.  Recycle or donate old books that you will no longer read and sort the rest in a logical order.

Day 13: Junk drawer.

Get rid of everything that is not needed. If you have time, use inexpensive plastic containers to store similar items together. Put items that belong elsewhere away.

Day 14: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 15: Desk.

File away any needed paperwork and shred remaining papers. Sort smaller office supplies and only keep products that you use.  Get rid of those 2014 calendars!

Day 16: Bathroom cabinets.

Go through all beauty products and keep only what you really use. Do you really need all of those hotel shampoo bottles?

Day 17: Linen closet.

Donate any linens that you no longer use that are still in good condition.  Toss any items that are really dingy or have holes.

Day 18: Make-up.

Toss anything that is expired, cracked or no longer your style.  Pick your favorites and get rid of those other 10 lipstick tubes that you never wear!  To find out more about the recommended shelf-life for various make-up, check out this post on how to organize your makeup.

Day 19: Jewellery.

Sort through all of your jewellery and decide what items you still wear. Donate or toss the rest!  If anything you would like to keep needs cleaning or repairs, put them aside to take care of as soon as you can.

Day 20: Bedroom closet.

Sort through all clothing and ask yourself if you would still buy it today. If not, it is time for it to go!

Day 21: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 22:  Sock and underwear drawer.

Go through all of those socks and underwear.  Make sure you have matching socks with no holes and only keep what you still wear.

Day 23: Nightstand.

Clear off table top and sort through drawers keeping only what you would need before bed or during the night.

Day 24: Kids' Toys.

This is always a fun one. Sort through toys to see what your kids still use {and have your kids help out on this one if they are old enough}. Check to see that toys have all parts and are in working order before donating or selling.  Toss the rest!

Day 25: Kids' Closets

Check to see what clothes still fit and donate the old ones or sort them into a labeled storage bin if you are saving them for younger children.

Day 26: Craft space.

Be ruthless and really evaluate what items you still need and use. Schools will often take extra supplies that you are looking to get rid of.

Day 27: Laundry Room.

Sort through cupboards for any laundry products that are old or not used.  Toss any unpaired socks that are hanging around.

Day 28: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 29: Basement.

Chances are this is one of the biggest source of clutter.  Set a timer and try to get rid of as many items as possible.  Use large storage totes to store seasonal items together.

Day 30: Garage.

This one is also a big clutter offender.  Again, set a timer and collect as many items as you can that you no longer use or need.

Day 31: Car.

Grab two bags – one for garbage and one for anything that needs to go back in the house.  Put everything away in its proper place that you bring back into the house.

Get a support team.

The best way to stick with any new plan or habit is to find a support team.  Try doing this challenge with all of the members of your household, a friend, or an extended family member. And for even more support and inspiration, follow along with Instagram or Facebook  and subscribe to my emails {the sign up is right on the side bar!} so you won't miss a post!  There is definitely strength in numbers and I love to hear how things are going for you all!  Please email me with any questions you may have or tag me in your social media posts.

Happy Organizing!!

For more information on The Household Organization Diet and to see last year's spaces, check out this post HERE.

The post January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

[chasenewton911-blog]

January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet

If you're ready to make a change and get rid of all of that unwanted clutter in your home, start the year off with this January decluttering challenge!  This home decluttering “detox diet” will help to jumpstart all of your decluttering and organization habits and set the tone for an ongoing organization plan!

The Household Organization Diet 2019 officially kicks off on January 1 with my January decluttering challenge – The 31 Day Home Detox Diet!  Whether you just have a few trouble spots in your home or are completely feeling overwhelmed with all of  the clutter, this challenge is for you.  Who's ready to make 2019 the best organized year yet?

What is The Household Organization Diet?

The Household Organization Diet is basically a year-long, systematic plan to get every room in your home decluttered, cleaned, and organized.  You'll receive monthly to do lists, tutorials and tips to get it all done, and tons of cleaning and organization inspiration!  It's designed to help you learn strategies and systems to create your ideal home and {most importantly!} how to keep it up on an ongoing basis.  You can read more about it HERE and see last year's posts HERE.

What is The 31 Day Home Detox January Decluttering Challenge?

The 31 day detox decluttering challenge is designed to jumpstart your decluttering and organization habits and will help you clear out all of that obvious unwanted and unused “stuff” that is clogging up your home.   For the next month we will be doing a quick rundown of our homes and getting rid of at least 10 items per day {feel free to do as many as you would like!}  The idea is to keep it simple and easy to keep up with. We will be going more thoroughly through each room during the year, so this is not the time  to be taking on any time consuming projects or major re-organizing.  Just 15 minutes per day – anywhere you would like.

Inevitably, I always get at least a few comments from readers laughing that they would never be able to do this in 15 minutes per day.  While it's true that you may not be able to completely declutter and organize the space – we'll actually be doing that later in the year – this will hopefully give you a good head start and inspire you to keep going.  It feels SO good to start clearing that extra weight out of your home and the benefits you see should encourage you in the year to follow.

What do I need to get started on this decluttering challenge?

All you really need are some garbage bags for trash and recycling and some bins or boxes for items that you will be donating.  I also recommend that you get a binder to keep all of the printables in.  You can find the title page OVER HERE and the January printables below.  Each month, there will be a new calendar for you, as well as a task sheet and notes page.  You can use the filled in printables that I have already completed or use the blank printables to customize the plan for yourself.

Let's Get Started!

JANUARY TASKS DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD A BLANK JANUARY TASK SHEET HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE BLANK JANUARY CALENDAR HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE JANUARY NOTES SHEET HERE

Tips for a successful home decluttering challenge.

Remember that this is just a quick decluttering – NOT an organization project!  We have a whole year of organization ahead of us so don't get burned out now!  Remember that it has likely taken you years to accumulate all of your stuff so don't feel bad if it takes you some time to get rid of it!

Get rid of any possible distractions.  Put away your phone, turn off notifications, and keep your kiddos busy with something else for 15 minutes {or better yet, get them involved if they're old enough!}.

Work quickly.  Put on a timer and work as quickly as you can for the full time.  Don't spend time debating about things that you're not sure about.  Instead, target all of those obvious items that you know need to go.  There will be more time for other items when we work on the individual rooms.

Stay focused. If you have a lot of decluttering to do, it can be easy to get overwhelmed.  Just remember – it's only 15 minutes and it is only one small space.  Pull out only what you have time for.  You don't want a bigger mess in the end than what you started with!

Have a donate bin {or two!} handy.  Trust me.  You will probably be making multiple trips down to The Salvation Army this month. Have a bin or tote {and garbage bag!} nearby when you are decluttering to sort out all of your items that you will be getting rid of as you come to them.

Don't let perfection get in the way.  Again, this is a quick decluttering.  Spend all of your time getting rid of things and we will be coming back to make things look pretty later.  Don't think about it too much – just get started!!

If you come across items that belong elsewhere when you are decluttering, put them away where they belong!

If you need a little extra motivation to get your going, read this post on tackling procrastination and this post on conquering your decluttering paralysis to help get your started on your way.

The Home Decluttering Diet Book

For those of you that really want to get your home decluttered and organized, my book, The Home Decluttering Diet, is the perfect companion to the plan!   You can find it on Amazon, {plus it's currently on SALE!} as well as Barnes and Nobles, Target, and many other online retailers.  While the blog is a great place to get inspiration, I really wanted to create a book that had all of my thoughts and organization ideas in one place and would allow my readers to easily keep referring back to the information that they needed to keep them motivated and encouraged.  The book is based on the basic idea of The Household Organization, but is filled with additional organization inspiration, strategies, and simple DIY projects.  Think of the book as your ultimate organization text book and the blog as your workbook.

What's the plan for the decluttering challenge?

To help get you started, I have a daily plan set up to cover pretty much every area of your house. Feel free to just use this as a guideline though. You can really pick and choose whatever areas of your home need the most work.  For extra cluttered spots, you may want to spend 2 or 3 days going through things and skip some of the other tasks.  It's all up to you!

Here is the plan that I will be following for this year's decluttering challenge…

Day 1: Paperwork.

Do you have a pile of paperwork {or two?} collecting on your kitchen counter or in your home office? Go through bills, receipts, and any other paperwork, tossing {or shredding} what you don't need and sorting whatever is left over into its proper location.

Day 2: Front entry way and coat closet/mudroom.

Donate any coats, shoes, or accessories that you no longer use. If you are short on space, put items that are out of season into storage somewhere else in your home.

Day 3: Purse.

Empty out all garbage and items that you do not use regularly. Sort through any receipts and either put them into paper recycling or file away. Use a small pouch to hold make-up and other essentials that can easily be transferred from purse to purse. Donate any purses that you no longer use or love.

Day 4: Cleaning supplies.

Go through your cleaning supplies {wherever they may be!} and get rid of all of those products that you don't use. Try to use multipurpose cleaners or green cleaning products whenever possible. If you have multiple partially filled bottles of the same product, combine them into one bottle. Toss any old rags or cloths that are at the end of their use.

Day 5: Fridge and Freezer.

Remove all items from that are expired or you know you will not use. Minimize packaging when possible to save space. Find other organization ideas HERE.

Day 6: Pantry and other dry food storage.

Toss all items that are expired and get rid of anything that you know you will not use. Don't forget to go through all of those spices too! Place items that will be expiring soon towards the front of the cupboard.

Day 7: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home and spend a little extra time there.

Day 8: Kitchen Cabinets.

Look for any kitchen items that you do not use or have room for. Ensure that all Tupperware has matching lids and eliminate as many unnecessary kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, and duplicate utensils as you can.  You can see how ours are organized HERE.

Day 9: Medicine Cabinet/First Aid Supplies.

Medicine is actually best stored outside of the bathroom in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. Go through all medications and look for items that are expired or that you no longer need. Return expired medications to your local pharmacy for proper disposal. Find more ideas HERE.

Day 10: Dining Area.

Commit to keeping your table clutter free.  Find storage solutions for all items that frequently find their way to the table. Donate any dishes, serving ware, or other items that you do not use.

Day 11: Entertainment Area.

Make sure all CDs, DVDs etc are in their proper cases and evaluate what you really will use. Music and videos are so easily accessible through our computers and mobile devices, that your CDs and DVDs may be a thing of the past.

Day 12: Magazines and Books.

Let go of your magazine hoarding and get rid of any outdated editions.  Cut out pages that you would like to keep and sort into a filing system.  Recycle or donate old books that you will no longer read and sort the rest in a logical order.

Day 13: Junk drawer.

Get rid of everything that is not needed. If you have time, use inexpensive plastic containers to store similar items together. Put items that belong elsewhere away.

Day 14: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 15: Desk.

File away any needed paperwork and shred remaining papers. Sort smaller office supplies and only keep products that you use.  Get rid of those 2014 calendars!

Day 16: Bathroom cabinets.

Go through all beauty products and keep only what you really use. Do you really need all of those hotel shampoo bottles?

Day 17: Linen closet.

Donate any linens that you no longer use that are still in good condition.  Toss any items that are really dingy or have holes.

Day 18: Make-up.

Toss anything that is expired, cracked or no longer your style.  Pick your favorites and get rid of those other 10 lipstick tubes that you never wear!  To find out more about the recommended shelf-life for various make-up, check out this post on how to organize your makeup.

Day 19: Jewellery.

Sort through all of your jewellery and decide what items you still wear. Donate or toss the rest!  If anything you would like to keep needs cleaning or repairs, put them aside to take care of as soon as you can.

Day 20: Bedroom closet.

Sort through all clothing and ask yourself if you would still buy it today. If not, it is time for it to go!

Day 21: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 22:  Sock and underwear drawer.

Go through all of those socks and underwear.  Make sure you have matching socks with no holes and only keep what you still wear.

Day 23: Nightstand.

Clear off table top and sort through drawers keeping only what you would need before bed or during the night.

Day 24: Kids' Toys.

This is always a fun one. Sort through toys to see what your kids still use {and have your kids help out on this one if they are old enough}. Check to see that toys have all parts and are in working order before donating or selling.  Toss the rest!

Day 25: Kids' Closets

Check to see what clothes still fit and donate the old ones or sort them into a labeled storage bin if you are saving them for younger children.

Day 26: Craft space.

Be ruthless and really evaluate what items you still need and use. Schools will often take extra supplies that you are looking to get rid of.

Day 27: Laundry Room.

Sort through cupboards for any laundry products that are old or not used.  Toss any unpaired socks that are hanging around.

Day 28: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 29: Basement.

Chances are this is one of the biggest source of clutter.  Set a timer and try to get rid of as many items as possible.  Use large storage totes to store seasonal items together.

Day 30: Garage.

This one is also a big clutter offender.  Again, set a timer and collect as many items as you can that you no longer use or need.

Day 31: Car.

Grab two bags – one for garbage and one for anything that needs to go back in the house.  Put everything away in its proper place that you bring back into the house.

Get a support team.

The best way to stick with any new plan or habit is to find a support team.  Try doing this challenge with all of the members of your household, a friend, or an extended family member. And for even more support and inspiration, follow along with Instagram or Facebook  and subscribe to my emails {the sign up is right on the side bar!} so you won't miss a post!  There is definitely strength in numbers and I love to hear how things are going for you all!  Please email me with any questions you may have or tag me in your social media posts.

Happy Organizing!!

For more information on The Household Organization Diet and to see last year's spaces, check out this post HERE.

The post January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

[niccoloharter-blog]

January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet

If you're ready to make a change and get rid of all of that unwanted clutter in your home, start the year off with this January decluttering challenge!  This home decluttering “detox diet” will help to jumpstart all of your decluttering and organization habits and set the tone for an ongoing organization plan!

The Household Organization Diet 2019 officially kicks off on January 1 with my January decluttering challenge – The 31 Day Home Detox Diet!  Whether you just have a few trouble spots in your home or are completely feeling overwhelmed with all of  the clutter, this challenge is for you.  Who's ready to make 2019 the best organized year yet?

What is The Household Organization Diet?

The Household Organization Diet is basically a year-long, systematic plan to get every room in your home decluttered, cleaned, and organized.  You'll receive monthly to do lists, tutorials and tips to get it all done, and tons of cleaning and organization inspiration!  It's designed to help you learn strategies and systems to create your ideal home and {most importantly!} how to keep it up on an ongoing basis.  You can read more about it HERE and see last year's posts HERE.

What is The 31 Day Home Detox January Decluttering Challenge?

The 31 day detox decluttering challenge is designed to jumpstart your decluttering and organization habits and will help you clear out all of that obvious unwanted and unused “stuff” that is clogging up your home.   For the next month we will be doing a quick rundown of our homes and getting rid of at least 10 items per day {feel free to do as many as you would like!}  The idea is to keep it simple and easy to keep up with. We will be going more thoroughly through each room during the year, so this is not the time  to be taking on any time consuming projects or major re-organizing.  Just 15 minutes per day – anywhere you would like.

Inevitably, I always get at least a few comments from readers laughing that they would never be able to do this in 15 minutes per day.  While it's true that you may not be able to completely declutter and organize the space – we'll actually be doing that later in the year – this will hopefully give you a good head start and inspire you to keep going.  It feels SO good to start clearing that extra weight out of your home and the benefits you see should encourage you in the year to follow.

What do I need to get started on this decluttering challenge?

All you really need are some garbage bags for trash and recycling and some bins or boxes for items that you will be donating.  I also recommend that you get a binder to keep all of the printables in.  You can find the title page OVER HERE and the January printables below.  Each month, there will be a new calendar for you, as well as a task sheet and notes page.  You can use the filled in printables that I have already completed or use the blank printables to customize the plan for yourself.

Let's Get Started!

JANUARY TASKS DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD A BLANK JANUARY TASK SHEET HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE BLANK JANUARY CALENDAR HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE JANUARY NOTES SHEET HERE

Tips for a successful home decluttering challenge.

Remember that this is just a quick decluttering – NOT an organization project!  We have a whole year of organization ahead of us so don't get burned out now!  Remember that it has likely taken you years to accumulate all of your stuff so don't feel bad if it takes you some time to get rid of it!

Get rid of any possible distractions.  Put away your phone, turn off notifications, and keep your kiddos busy with something else for 15 minutes {or better yet, get them involved if they're old enough!}.

Work quickly.  Put on a timer and work as quickly as you can for the full time.  Don't spend time debating about things that you're not sure about.  Instead, target all of those obvious items that you know need to go.  There will be more time for other items when we work on the individual rooms.

Stay focused. If you have a lot of decluttering to do, it can be easy to get overwhelmed.  Just remember – it's only 15 minutes and it is only one small space.  Pull out only what you have time for.  You don't want a bigger mess in the end than what you started with!

Have a donate bin {or two!} handy.  Trust me.  You will probably be making multiple trips down to The Salvation Army this month. Have a bin or tote {and garbage bag!} nearby when you are decluttering to sort out all of your items that you will be getting rid of as you come to them.

Don't let perfection get in the way.  Again, this is a quick decluttering.  Spend all of your time getting rid of things and we will be coming back to make things look pretty later.  Don't think about it too much – just get started!!

If you come across items that belong elsewhere when you are decluttering, put them away where they belong!

If you need a little extra motivation to get your going, read this post on tackling procrastination and this post on conquering your decluttering paralysis to help get your started on your way.

The Home Decluttering Diet Book

For those of you that really want to get your home decluttered and organized, my book, The Home Decluttering Diet, is the perfect companion to the plan!   You can find it on Amazon, {plus it's currently on SALE!} as well as Barnes and Nobles, Target, and many other online retailers.  While the blog is a great place to get inspiration, I really wanted to create a book that had all of my thoughts and organization ideas in one place and would allow my readers to easily keep referring back to the information that they needed to keep them motivated and encouraged.  The book is based on the basic idea of The Household Organization, but is filled with additional organization inspiration, strategies, and simple DIY projects.  Think of the book as your ultimate organization text book and the blog as your workbook.

What's the plan for the decluttering challenge?

To help get you started, I have a daily plan set up to cover pretty much every area of your house. Feel free to just use this as a guideline though. You can really pick and choose whatever areas of your home need the most work.  For extra cluttered spots, you may want to spend 2 or 3 days going through things and skip some of the other tasks.  It's all up to you!

Here is the plan that I will be following for this year's decluttering challenge…

Day 1: Paperwork.

Do you have a pile of paperwork {or two?} collecting on your kitchen counter or in your home office? Go through bills, receipts, and any other paperwork, tossing {or shredding} what you don't need and sorting whatever is left over into its proper location.

Day 2: Front entry way and coat closet/mudroom.

Donate any coats, shoes, or accessories that you no longer use. If you are short on space, put items that are out of season into storage somewhere else in your home.

Day 3: Purse.

Empty out all garbage and items that you do not use regularly. Sort through any receipts and either put them into paper recycling or file away. Use a small pouch to hold make-up and other essentials that can easily be transferred from purse to purse. Donate any purses that you no longer use or love.

Day 4: Cleaning supplies.

Go through your cleaning supplies {wherever they may be!} and get rid of all of those products that you don't use. Try to use multipurpose cleaners or green cleaning products whenever possible. If you have multiple partially filled bottles of the same product, combine them into one bottle. Toss any old rags or cloths that are at the end of their use.

Day 5: Fridge and Freezer.

Remove all items from that are expired or you know you will not use. Minimize packaging when possible to save space. Find other organization ideas HERE.

Day 6: Pantry and other dry food storage.

Toss all items that are expired and get rid of anything that you know you will not use. Don't forget to go through all of those spices too! Place items that will be expiring soon towards the front of the cupboard.

Day 7: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home and spend a little extra time there.

Day 8: Kitchen Cabinets.

Look for any kitchen items that you do not use or have room for. Ensure that all Tupperware has matching lids and eliminate as many unnecessary kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, and duplicate utensils as you can.  You can see how ours are organized HERE.

Day 9: Medicine Cabinet/First Aid Supplies.

Medicine is actually best stored outside of the bathroom in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. Go through all medications and look for items that are expired or that you no longer need. Return expired medications to your local pharmacy for proper disposal. Find more ideas HERE.

Day 10: Dining Area.

Commit to keeping your table clutter free.  Find storage solutions for all items that frequently find their way to the table. Donate any dishes, serving ware, or other items that you do not use.

Day 11: Entertainment Area.

Make sure all CDs, DVDs etc are in their proper cases and evaluate what you really will use. Music and videos are so easily accessible through our computers and mobile devices, that your CDs and DVDs may be a thing of the past.

Day 12: Magazines and Books.

Let go of your magazine hoarding and get rid of any outdated editions.  Cut out pages that you would like to keep and sort into a filing system.  Recycle or donate old books that you will no longer read and sort the rest in a logical order.

Day 13: Junk drawer.

Get rid of everything that is not needed. If you have time, use inexpensive plastic containers to store similar items together. Put items that belong elsewhere away.

Day 14: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 15: Desk.

File away any needed paperwork and shred remaining papers. Sort smaller office supplies and only keep products that you use.  Get rid of those 2014 calendars!

Day 16: Bathroom cabinets.

Go through all beauty products and keep only what you really use. Do you really need all of those hotel shampoo bottles?

Day 17: Linen closet.

Donate any linens that you no longer use that are still in good condition.  Toss any items that are really dingy or have holes.

Day 18: Make-up.

Toss anything that is expired, cracked or no longer your style.  Pick your favorites and get rid of those other 10 lipstick tubes that you never wear!  To find out more about the recommended shelf-life for various make-up, check out this post on how to organize your makeup.

Day 19: Jewellery.

Sort through all of your jewellery and decide what items you still wear. Donate or toss the rest!  If anything you would like to keep needs cleaning or repairs, put them aside to take care of as soon as you can.

Day 20: Bedroom closet.

Sort through all clothing and ask yourself if you would still buy it today. If not, it is time for it to go!

Day 21: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 22:  Sock and underwear drawer.

Go through all of those socks and underwear.  Make sure you have matching socks with no holes and only keep what you still wear.

Day 23: Nightstand.

Clear off table top and sort through drawers keeping only what you would need before bed or during the night.

Day 24: Kids' Toys.

This is always a fun one. Sort through toys to see what your kids still use {and have your kids help out on this one if they are old enough}. Check to see that toys have all parts and are in working order before donating or selling.  Toss the rest!

Day 25: Kids' Closets

Check to see what clothes still fit and donate the old ones or sort them into a labeled storage bin if you are saving them for younger children.

Day 26: Craft space.

Be ruthless and really evaluate what items you still need and use. Schools will often take extra supplies that you are looking to get rid of.

Day 27: Laundry Room.

Sort through cupboards for any laundry products that are old or not used.  Toss any unpaired socks that are hanging around.

Day 28: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 29: Basement.

Chances are this is one of the biggest source of clutter.  Set a timer and try to get rid of as many items as possible.  Use large storage totes to store seasonal items together.

Day 30: Garage.

This one is also a big clutter offender.  Again, set a timer and collect as many items as you can that you no longer use or need.

Day 31: Car.

Grab two bags – one for garbage and one for anything that needs to go back in the house.  Put everything away in its proper place that you bring back into the house.

Get a support team.

The best way to stick with any new plan or habit is to find a support team.  Try doing this challenge with all of the members of your household, a friend, or an extended family member. And for even more support and inspiration, follow along with Instagram or Facebook  and subscribe to my emails {the sign up is right on the side bar!} so you won't miss a post!  There is definitely strength in numbers and I love to hear how things are going for you all!  Please email me with any questions you may have or tag me in your social media posts.

Happy Organizing!!

For more information on The Household Organization Diet and to see last year's spaces, check out this post HERE.

The post January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

[julieslake001-blog]

January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet

If you're ready to make a change and get rid of all of that unwanted clutter in your home, start the year off with this January decluttering challenge!  This home decluttering “detox diet” will help to jumpstart all of your decluttering and organization habits and set the tone for an ongoing organization plan!

The Household Organization Diet 2019 officially kicks off on January 1 with my January decluttering challenge – The 31 Day Home Detox Diet!  Whether you just have a few trouble spots in your home or are completely feeling overwhelmed with all of  the clutter, this challenge is for you.  Who's ready to make 2019 the best organized year yet?

What is The Household Organization Diet?

The Household Organization Diet is basically a year-long, systematic plan to get every room in your home decluttered, cleaned, and organized.  You'll receive monthly to do lists, tutorials and tips to get it all done, and tons of cleaning and organization inspiration!  It's designed to help you learn strategies and systems to create your ideal home and {most importantly!} how to keep it up on an ongoing basis.  You can read more about it HERE and see last year's posts HERE.

What is The 31 Day Home Detox January Decluttering Challenge?

The 31 day detox decluttering challenge is designed to jumpstart your decluttering and organization habits and will help you clear out all of that obvious unwanted and unused “stuff” that is clogging up your home.   For the next month we will be doing a quick rundown of our homes and getting rid of at least 10 items per day {feel free to do as many as you would like!}  The idea is to keep it simple and easy to keep up with. We will be going more thoroughly through each room during the year, so this is not the time  to be taking on any time consuming projects or major re-organizing.  Just 15 minutes per day – anywhere you would like.

Inevitably, I always get at least a few comments from readers laughing that they would never be able to do this in 15 minutes per day.  While it's true that you may not be able to completely declutter and organize the space – we'll actually be doing that later in the year – this will hopefully give you a good head start and inspire you to keep going.  It feels SO good to start clearing that extra weight out of your home and the benefits you see should encourage you in the year to follow.

What do I need to get started on this decluttering challenge?

All you really need are some garbage bags for trash and recycling and some bins or boxes for items that you will be donating.  I also recommend that you get a binder to keep all of the printables in.  You can find the title page OVER HERE and the January printables below.  Each month, there will be a new calendar for you, as well as a task sheet and notes page.  You can use the filled in printables that I have already completed or use the blank printables to customize the plan for yourself.

Let's Get Started!

JANUARY TASKS DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD A BLANK JANUARY TASK SHEET HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE BLANK JANUARY CALENDAR HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE JANUARY NOTES SHEET HERE

Tips for a successful home decluttering challenge.

Remember that this is just a quick decluttering – NOT an organization project!  We have a whole year of organization ahead of us so don't get burned out now!  Remember that it has likely taken you years to accumulate all of your stuff so don't feel bad if it takes you some time to get rid of it!

Get rid of any possible distractions.  Put away your phone, turn off notifications, and keep your kiddos busy with something else for 15 minutes {or better yet, get them involved if they're old enough!}.

Work quickly.  Put on a timer and work as quickly as you can for the full time.  Don't spend time debating about things that you're not sure about.  Instead, target all of those obvious items that you know need to go.  There will be more time for other items when we work on the individual rooms.

Stay focused. If you have a lot of decluttering to do, it can be easy to get overwhelmed.  Just remember – it's only 15 minutes and it is only one small space.  Pull out only what you have time for.  You don't want a bigger mess in the end than what you started with!

Have a donate bin {or two!} handy.  Trust me.  You will probably be making multiple trips down to The Salvation Army this month. Have a bin or tote {and garbage bag!} nearby when you are decluttering to sort out all of your items that you will be getting rid of as you come to them.

Don't let perfection get in the way.  Again, this is a quick decluttering.  Spend all of your time getting rid of things and we will be coming back to make things look pretty later.  Don't think about it too much – just get started!!

If you come across items that belong elsewhere when you are decluttering, put them away where they belong!

If you need a little extra motivation to get your going, read this post on tackling procrastination and this post on conquering your decluttering paralysis to help get your started on your way.

The Home Decluttering Diet Book

For those of you that really want to get your home decluttered and organized, my book, The Home Decluttering Diet, is the perfect companion to the plan!   You can find it on Amazon, {plus it's currently on SALE!} as well as Barnes and Nobles, Target, and many other online retailers.  While the blog is a great place to get inspiration, I really wanted to create a book that had all of my thoughts and organization ideas in one place and would allow my readers to easily keep referring back to the information that they needed to keep them motivated and encouraged.  The book is based on the basic idea of The Household Organization, but is filled with additional organization inspiration, strategies, and simple DIY projects.  Think of the book as your ultimate organization text book and the blog as your workbook.

What's the plan for the decluttering challenge?

To help get you started, I have a daily plan set up to cover pretty much every area of your house. Feel free to just use this as a guideline though. You can really pick and choose whatever areas of your home need the most work.  For extra cluttered spots, you may want to spend 2 or 3 days going through things and skip some of the other tasks.  It's all up to you!

Here is the plan that I will be following for this year's decluttering challenge…

Day 1: Paperwork.

Do you have a pile of paperwork {or two?} collecting on your kitchen counter or in your home office? Go through bills, receipts, and any other paperwork, tossing {or shredding} what you don't need and sorting whatever is left over into its proper location.

Day 2: Front entry way and coat closet/mudroom.

Donate any coats, shoes, or accessories that you no longer use. If you are short on space, put items that are out of season into storage somewhere else in your home.

Day 3: Purse.

Empty out all garbage and items that you do not use regularly. Sort through any receipts and either put them into paper recycling or file away. Use a small pouch to hold make-up and other essentials that can easily be transferred from purse to purse. Donate any purses that you no longer use or love.

Day 4: Cleaning supplies.

Go through your cleaning supplies {wherever they may be!} and get rid of all of those products that you don't use. Try to use multipurpose cleaners or green cleaning products whenever possible. If you have multiple partially filled bottles of the same product, combine them into one bottle. Toss any old rags or cloths that are at the end of their use.

Day 5: Fridge and Freezer.

Remove all items from that are expired or you know you will not use. Minimize packaging when possible to save space. Find other organization ideas HERE.

Day 6: Pantry and other dry food storage.

Toss all items that are expired and get rid of anything that you know you will not use. Don't forget to go through all of those spices too! Place items that will be expiring soon towards the front of the cupboard.

Day 7: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home and spend a little extra time there.

Day 8: Kitchen Cabinets.

Look for any kitchen items that you do not use or have room for. Ensure that all Tupperware has matching lids and eliminate as many unnecessary kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, and duplicate utensils as you can.  You can see how ours are organized HERE.

Day 9: Medicine Cabinet/First Aid Supplies.

Medicine is actually best stored outside of the bathroom in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. Go through all medications and look for items that are expired or that you no longer need. Return expired medications to your local pharmacy for proper disposal. Find more ideas HERE.

Day 10: Dining Area.

Commit to keeping your table clutter free.  Find storage solutions for all items that frequently find their way to the table. Donate any dishes, serving ware, or other items that you do not use.

Day 11: Entertainment Area.

Make sure all CDs, DVDs etc are in their proper cases and evaluate what you really will use. Music and videos are so easily accessible through our computers and mobile devices, that your CDs and DVDs may be a thing of the past.

Day 12: Magazines and Books.

Let go of your magazine hoarding and get rid of any outdated editions.  Cut out pages that you would like to keep and sort into a filing system.  Recycle or donate old books that you will no longer read and sort the rest in a logical order.

Day 13: Junk drawer.

Get rid of everything that is not needed. If you have time, use inexpensive plastic containers to store similar items together. Put items that belong elsewhere away.

Day 14: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 15: Desk.

File away any needed paperwork and shred remaining papers. Sort smaller office supplies and only keep products that you use.  Get rid of those 2014 calendars!

Day 16: Bathroom cabinets.

Go through all beauty products and keep only what you really use. Do you really need all of those hotel shampoo bottles?

Day 17: Linen closet.

Donate any linens that you no longer use that are still in good condition.  Toss any items that are really dingy or have holes.

Day 18: Make-up.

Toss anything that is expired, cracked or no longer your style.  Pick your favorites and get rid of those other 10 lipstick tubes that you never wear!  To find out more about the recommended shelf-life for various make-up, check out this post on how to organize your makeup.

Day 19: Jewellery.

Sort through all of your jewellery and decide what items you still wear. Donate or toss the rest!  If anything you would like to keep needs cleaning or repairs, put them aside to take care of as soon as you can.

Day 20: Bedroom closet.

Sort through all clothing and ask yourself if you would still buy it today. If not, it is time for it to go!

Day 21: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 22:  Sock and underwear drawer.

Go through all of those socks and underwear.  Make sure you have matching socks with no holes and only keep what you still wear.

Day 23: Nightstand.

Clear off table top and sort through drawers keeping only what you would need before bed or during the night.

Day 24: Kids' Toys.

This is always a fun one. Sort through toys to see what your kids still use {and have your kids help out on this one if they are old enough}. Check to see that toys have all parts and are in working order before donating or selling.  Toss the rest!

Day 25: Kids' Closets

Check to see what clothes still fit and donate the old ones or sort them into a labeled storage bin if you are saving them for younger children.

Day 26: Craft space.

Be ruthless and really evaluate what items you still need and use. Schools will often take extra supplies that you are looking to get rid of.

Day 27: Laundry Room.

Sort through cupboards for any laundry products that are old or not used.  Toss any unpaired socks that are hanging around.

Day 28: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 29: Basement.

Chances are this is one of the biggest source of clutter.  Set a timer and try to get rid of as many items as possible.  Use large storage totes to store seasonal items together.

Day 30: Garage.

This one is also a big clutter offender.  Again, set a timer and collect as many items as you can that you no longer use or need.

Day 31: Car.

Grab two bags – one for garbage and one for anything that needs to go back in the house.  Put everything away in its proper place that you bring back into the house.

Get a support team.

The best way to stick with any new plan or habit is to find a support team.  Try doing this challenge with all of the members of your household, a friend, or an extended family member. And for even more support and inspiration, follow along with Instagram or Facebook  and subscribe to my emails {the sign up is right on the side bar!} so you won't miss a post!  There is definitely strength in numbers and I love to hear how things are going for you all!  Please email me with any questions you may have or tag me in your social media posts.

Happy Organizing!!

For more information on The Household Organization Diet and to see last year's spaces, check out this post HERE.

The post January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

[theresepattonlove-blog]

January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet

If you're ready to make a change and get rid of all of that unwanted clutter in your home, start the year off with this January decluttering challenge!  This home decluttering “detox diet” will help to jumpstart all of your decluttering and organization habits and set the tone for an ongoing organization plan!

The Household Organization Diet 2019 officially kicks off on January 1 with my January decluttering challenge – The 31 Day Home Detox Diet!  Whether you just have a few trouble spots in your home or are completely feeling overwhelmed with all of  the clutter, this challenge is for you.  Who's ready to make 2019 the best organized year yet?

What is The Household Organization Diet?

The Household Organization Diet is basically a year-long, systematic plan to get every room in your home decluttered, cleaned, and organized.  You'll receive monthly to do lists, tutorials and tips to get it all done, and tons of cleaning and organization inspiration!  It's designed to help you learn strategies and systems to create your ideal home and {most importantly!} how to keep it up on an ongoing basis.  You can read more about it HERE and see last year's posts HERE.

What is The 31 Day Home Detox January Decluttering Challenge?

The 31 day detox decluttering challenge is designed to jumpstart your decluttering and organization habits and will help you clear out all of that obvious unwanted and unused “stuff” that is clogging up your home.   For the next month we will be doing a quick rundown of our homes and getting rid of at least 10 items per day {feel free to do as many as you would like!}  The idea is to keep it simple and easy to keep up with. We will be going more thoroughly through each room during the year, so this is not the time  to be taking on any time consuming projects or major re-organizing.  Just 15 minutes per day – anywhere you would like.

Inevitably, I always get at least a few comments from readers laughing that they would never be able to do this in 15 minutes per day.  While it's true that you may not be able to completely declutter and organize the space – we'll actually be doing that later in the year – this will hopefully give you a good head start and inspire you to keep going.  It feels SO good to start clearing that extra weight out of your home and the benefits you see should encourage you in the year to follow.

What do I need to get started on this decluttering challenge?

All you really need are some garbage bags for trash and recycling and some bins or boxes for items that you will be donating.  I also recommend that you get a binder to keep all of the printables in.  You can find the title page OVER HERE and the January printables below.  Each month, there will be a new calendar for you, as well as a task sheet and notes page.  You can use the filled in printables that I have already completed or use the blank printables to customize the plan for yourself.

Let's Get Started!

JANUARY TASKS DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD A BLANK JANUARY TASK SHEET HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE BLANK JANUARY CALENDAR HERE

  DOWNLOAD THE JANUARY NOTES SHEET HERE

Tips for a successful home decluttering challenge.

Remember that this is just a quick decluttering – NOT an organization project!  We have a whole year of organization ahead of us so don't get burned out now!  Remember that it has likely taken you years to accumulate all of your stuff so don't feel bad if it takes you some time to get rid of it!

Get rid of any possible distractions.  Put away your phone, turn off notifications, and keep your kiddos busy with something else for 15 minutes {or better yet, get them involved if they're old enough!}.

Work quickly.  Put on a timer and work as quickly as you can for the full time.  Don't spend time debating about things that you're not sure about.  Instead, target all of those obvious items that you know need to go.  There will be more time for other items when we work on the individual rooms.

Stay focused. If you have a lot of decluttering to do, it can be easy to get overwhelmed.  Just remember – it's only 15 minutes and it is only one small space.  Pull out only what you have time for.  You don't want a bigger mess in the end than what you started with!

Have a donate bin {or two!} handy.  Trust me.  You will probably be making multiple trips down to The Salvation Army this month. Have a bin or tote {and garbage bag!} nearby when you are decluttering to sort out all of your items that you will be getting rid of as you come to them.

Don't let perfection get in the way.  Again, this is a quick decluttering.  Spend all of your time getting rid of things and we will be coming back to make things look pretty later.  Don't think about it too much – just get started!!

If you come across items that belong elsewhere when you are decluttering, put them away where they belong!

If you need a little extra motivation to get your going, read this post on tackling procrastination and this post on conquering your decluttering paralysis to help get your started on your way.

The Home Decluttering Diet Book

For those of you that really want to get your home decluttered and organized, my book, The Home Decluttering Diet, is the perfect companion to the plan!   You can find it on Amazon, {plus it's currently on SALE!} as well as Barnes and Nobles, Target, and many other online retailers.  While the blog is a great place to get inspiration, I really wanted to create a book that had all of my thoughts and organization ideas in one place and would allow my readers to easily keep referring back to the information that they needed to keep them motivated and encouraged.  The book is based on the basic idea of The Household Organization, but is filled with additional organization inspiration, strategies, and simple DIY projects.  Think of the book as your ultimate organization text book and the blog as your workbook.

What's the plan for the decluttering challenge?

To help get you started, I have a daily plan set up to cover pretty much every area of your house. Feel free to just use this as a guideline though. You can really pick and choose whatever areas of your home need the most work.  For extra cluttered spots, you may want to spend 2 or 3 days going through things and skip some of the other tasks.  It's all up to you!

Here is the plan that I will be following for this year's decluttering challenge…

Day 1: Paperwork.

Do you have a pile of paperwork {or two?} collecting on your kitchen counter or in your home office? Go through bills, receipts, and any other paperwork, tossing {or shredding} what you don't need and sorting whatever is left over into its proper location.

Day 2: Front entry way and coat closet/mudroom.

Donate any coats, shoes, or accessories that you no longer use. If you are short on space, put items that are out of season into storage somewhere else in your home.

Day 3: Purse.

Empty out all garbage and items that you do not use regularly. Sort through any receipts and either put them into paper recycling or file away. Use a small pouch to hold make-up and other essentials that can easily be transferred from purse to purse. Donate any purses that you no longer use or love.

Day 4: Cleaning supplies.

Go through your cleaning supplies {wherever they may be!} and get rid of all of those products that you don't use. Try to use multipurpose cleaners or green cleaning products whenever possible. If you have multiple partially filled bottles of the same product, combine them into one bottle. Toss any old rags or cloths that are at the end of their use.

Day 5: Fridge and Freezer.

Remove all items from that are expired or you know you will not use. Minimize packaging when possible to save space. Find other organization ideas HERE.

Day 6: Pantry and other dry food storage.

Toss all items that are expired and get rid of anything that you know you will not use. Don't forget to go through all of those spices too! Place items that will be expiring soon towards the front of the cupboard.

Day 7: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home and spend a little extra time there.

Day 8: Kitchen Cabinets.

Look for any kitchen items that you do not use or have room for. Ensure that all Tupperware has matching lids and eliminate as many unnecessary kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, and duplicate utensils as you can.  You can see how ours are organized HERE.

Day 9: Medicine Cabinet/First Aid Supplies.

Medicine is actually best stored outside of the bathroom in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. Go through all medications and look for items that are expired or that you no longer need. Return expired medications to your local pharmacy for proper disposal. Find more ideas HERE.

Day 10: Dining Area.

Commit to keeping your table clutter free.  Find storage solutions for all items that frequently find their way to the table. Donate any dishes, serving ware, or other items that you do not use.

Day 11: Entertainment Area.

Make sure all CDs, DVDs etc are in their proper cases and evaluate what you really will use. Music and videos are so easily accessible through our computers and mobile devices, that your CDs and DVDs may be a thing of the past.

Day 12: Magazines and Books.

Let go of your magazine hoarding and get rid of any outdated editions.  Cut out pages that you would like to keep and sort into a filing system.  Recycle or donate old books that you will no longer read and sort the rest in a logical order.

Day 13: Junk drawer.

Get rid of everything that is not needed. If you have time, use inexpensive plastic containers to store similar items together. Put items that belong elsewhere away.

Day 14: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 15: Desk.

File away any needed paperwork and shred remaining papers. Sort smaller office supplies and only keep products that you use.  Get rid of those 2014 calendars!

Day 16: Bathroom cabinets.

Go through all beauty products and keep only what you really use. Do you really need all of those hotel shampoo bottles?

Day 17: Linen closet.

Donate any linens that you no longer use that are still in good condition.  Toss any items that are really dingy or have holes.

Day 18: Make-up.

Toss anything that is expired, cracked or no longer your style.  Pick your favorites and get rid of those other 10 lipstick tubes that you never wear!  To find out more about the recommended shelf-life for various make-up, check out this post on how to organize your makeup.

Day 19: Jewellery.

Sort through all of your jewellery and decide what items you still wear. Donate or toss the rest!  If anything you would like to keep needs cleaning or repairs, put them aside to take care of as soon as you can.

Day 20: Bedroom closet.

Sort through all clothing and ask yourself if you would still buy it today. If not, it is time for it to go!

Day 21: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas.  If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 22:  Sock and underwear drawer.

Go through all of those socks and underwear.  Make sure you have matching socks with no holes and only keep what you still wear.

Day 23: Nightstand.

Clear off table top and sort through drawers keeping only what you would need before bed or during the night.

Day 24: Kids' Toys.

This is always a fun one. Sort through toys to see what your kids still use {and have your kids help out on this one if they are old enough}. Check to see that toys have all parts and are in working order before donating or selling.  Toss the rest!

Day 25: Kids' Closets

Check to see what clothes still fit and donate the old ones or sort them into a labeled storage bin if you are saving them for younger children.

Day 26: Craft space.

Be ruthless and really evaluate what items you still need and use. Schools will often take extra supplies that you are looking to get rid of.

Day 27: Laundry Room.

Sort through cupboards for any laundry products that are old or not used.  Toss any unpaired socks that are hanging around.

Day 28: Free for All.

This is your catch up day if you didn't finish any of the above areas. If you're all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 29: Basement.

Chances are this is one of the biggest source of clutter.  Set a timer and try to get rid of as many items as possible.  Use large storage totes to store seasonal items together.

Day 30: Garage.

This one is also a big clutter offender.  Again, set a timer and collect as many items as you can that you no longer use or need.

Day 31: Car.

Grab two bags – one for garbage and one for anything that needs to go back in the house.  Put everything away in its proper place that you bring back into the house.

Get a support team.

The best way to stick with any new plan or habit is to find a support team.  Try doing this challenge with all of the members of your household, a friend, or an extended family member. And for even more support and inspiration, follow along with Instagram or Facebook  and subscribe to my emails {the sign up is right on the side bar!} so you won't miss a post!  There is definitely strength in numbers and I love to hear how things are going for you all!  Please email me with any questions you may have or tag me in your social media posts.

Happy Organizing!!

For more information on The Household Organization Diet and to see last year's spaces, check out this post HERE.

The post January Decluttering Challenge – The Home Detox Diet appeared first on Clean and Scentsible.

[nilabsakhi-blog]

Make Money and Think Like an Entrepreneur

http://www.businessmantraa.in/make-money-think-like-entrepreneur/

I’d like to draw your attention to some remarkable claims that I get to hear a lot from my list of customers and in forums and blogs around the place. I am still amazed that budding entrepreneurs are still getting sucked into the scams that claim you can be a Millionaire in a few short weeks and with little work. I want you to sit up straight and if you have a mirror look into it and say out loud while looking yourself in the eyes;

“I will be a Millionaire in 10 weeks time without having to work for it”

Did you see how silly you looked and how stupid it sounded? That’s because the only way you can do that is by winning the Lotto. FACT. Unless of course you have a rich relative or marry a Millionaire.

Entrepreneurs are unique from most people because they tend to follow a dream and believe me they dream a lot. Having dreams and striving to get them to reality is what drives us on. When things get difficult or tough or even if we have failed or made a huge mistake we learn from them.

You must pursue your dream of becoming financially independent or whatever it may be. Are you pursuing your dream or are you still just dreaming?

An entrepreneur never ever ever gives up on his/her dream.

BUT. There are some things you need to take into account when pursuing your dream and that is some sort of structure.

What is your vision? Are you starting to live that vision? What I mean by this is have you imagined in your mind that you are going to be wealthy. What house you long to live in, which car will you be driving and where will you be going on holiday? Think like an entrepreneur and talk like one. Mix with similar people who all have dreams of greatness.

Commitment is essential when you are pursuing your dreams. You need to know that you will have to work hard at achieving success and realising your dreams. That’s why you are an entrepreneur. You are the one who will be slogging away trying to get to the next step in your bid to live your dream. I constantly work 16-17 hours per day pursuing my dreams. I have more than one to keep me busy.

One is to transform the way making money online is taught in the UK. In my opinion it’s all gone a little stale. The same old faces telling the same old story over and over again and sucking money from your pocket for little in return.

IT”S SHOCKING!!

Take Action – As I have said, you will get nothing back if you put nothing in. Simple as that my friends. I don’t mean take action by starting some online business for the sake of it. I mean getting passionate about something you believe in. Create something that is useful and not some crap you want to sell off Clickbank that’s already been run ragged. All you have to do is hit the big fat GO button and get stuck in. Take action and something will happen.

ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS

Get results – If you are not selling then find out why? Do tests and see if little changes to your mindset or product can help. Set yourself some realistic goals that are achievable. Start off small. Get to the 5,000 mark, then the 10k then 50k and so on. Before you know it you will be well on your to making a lot of money online.

Get your product right, the pricing, the format – DVD, CD, EBOOK or whatever it is you use. Get to know your customers and find out what they prefer.

Decide on your strategy and decide how you will get to see your dreams in reality.

You need to make things happen – Build a plan for your first month income, one for the next 6 and then one for the year. Strive towards achieving that income goal from your online business. Entrepreneurs never think small. YOU must think BIG and push yourself beyond your comfort zones.

REWARD yourself when you reach this goals. Take a holiday or even go for a big celebration dinner. These are the times you will cherish the most. I remember my first sale off the Internet. I went and spent the whole 29 pounds on a slap breakfast at a local cafe. Nothing flash I know, but someone else paid for that breakfast. It was a proud day I can tell you that.

Find the time – Starting an online business [http://www.onlinebusinessmarketer.com] will take time and effort from you. At least 10-15 hours a week needs to be spent on this just to build some momentum to get traction otherwise you will sit and spin and get nowhere. Ever heard the saying, I travelled a million miles but got nowhere?

Care about what you produce – Please do not create junk or crap that will not help anyone and in turn will not make you a penny. Care about your customers and always return calls and emails. You may just learn something.

CARE ABOUT YOURSELF. Don’t burn yourself out. Maintain a constant acceptable pace that will let you also enjoy family life and friends.

Learn to trust your GUT FEEL – This is always your initial instinct that in most cases is right. Listen to your instincts as they will help protect you from making silly decisions. Just like buying a course for thousands that offers little in return.

Always be willing to LEARN from each and every experience you see or hear. Learn from others and learn from your instinct.

Reduce your RISK – Do this by making sure you do your research up front. Find out who is also in your market place and check out what solutions they offer before jumping in and losing face and money.

With this said it can be tough to let go of a product you thought would be interesting. It may just be that from your research this product has been over sold already and you may have to step back and start again. This is one of the toughest parts of starting out. Making the tough decisions and trusting your instinct will be worth it in the long run.

When checking out the competition take a look at what they do and if you think you can really do it much better then go for it. Think about some ideas and build on them. Turn them into a worth while solution. Somebody may have a great piece of software out there that they have no idea on how to promote. Set up a JV and you too could make a fortune from someone elses ideas.

DREAMS – Without them it’s going to be hard to an online business because without a dream you have no passion. You must do something you are going to enjoy. It’s no use trying to sell something online that you find boring. You have to be passionate about your product and ideas and believe in them.

Many self made multi millionaires have the same thought process and the same beliefs for success in business whether on or off line.

Online is where it is going to be and now is the time to get started so you are established when the Internet really takes off and you will have a good name built up over the next 2-3 years.

So please, don’t just buy some rubbish just because it sounds good. Don’t just buy off some GURU because he has many followers who I call wasters. Wasters because they spend most of their time just reading emails from these guys and buy all the crap that they never use. They go on forums and pretend to be experts but offer very little. Hey, anyone can copy text from an eBook and use it to answer questions on forums.

There are a lot ofso called gurus offering the same stuff and promoting each other. Make sure you follow your own passions and instincts and firstly establish what you are passion about and how you are going to promote and produce your products.

Starting an online business is not what I would call hard but it is going to burn you up alive if you get it wrong. Get it wrong from the outset and you will lose lot’s of money and time.

Take care

Ashley Banfield

[eldritchsurveys]

965.

5k Survey LVIII

2951. You are alone. You take a bus to the mall. The stop is right in the mall parking lot. You window-shop. You don't buy anything. You want to get back on the bus to go home when you realize you have lost all your money. You have no cell phone. All the payphones are jammed with gum. You can not get it out. How do you get the $1.50 you need to get on the bus and get home??? >> I’m sorry, but it’s 2020. I will definitely have a phone. Let’s say my phone was out of charge or something (which is also kind of implausible, I don’t leave home without either my phone being adequately charged or my power pack in my bag, but... hey)... in which case I’d just ask someone for a dollar-fifty. I mean, it’s not like I’ve never panhandled before, it’s not the worst thing in the world. (Also, can I just say... even if the pay phones weren’t jammed, if I was out of money I couldn’t use them anyway, lol. So... yeah...) 2952. How long would it take you to organize your bedroom? >> Not long. I don’t have a lot of stuff. Mostly my problem with organisation is that I get really into it and I want to have a particular dedicated place for literally everything, which is kind of unfeasible in reality. Well, my reality, anyway. 2953. Make up a nickname for your bedroom: >> I’d rather not. 2954. What comes after: I've got a love-a-lee bunch of coconuts (diddly dee) There they are a-standing in a row. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head... >> I don’t know any of these rhymes (I’m assuming they’re rhymes?). 2955. Where ARE the wild things? >> In the book.

2956. You get a six cd changer for the car, only problem is that you know that once you put in six cd's you can NEVER take them out. Which 6 cd's do you put in? >> --- 2957. Let's play Jeapordy. (Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Dooooo-) I'll give some answers..you give the questions. Ready? Begin. The answer is: Purple Yellow Candle Pepsi Peace Lisa Cotton Flag 42 2958. Pick a letter. List some great words starting with that letter: >> V: Vindicate, vengeance, viridian, vermillion, verdant, vicissitude, verklempt... 2959. Is eight days a week enough to show you care? >> I don’t know, but there aren’t eight days in a week anyway so it’s moot. 2960. Have you told your parents you love them today? >> Of course fucking not. 2961. What is the difference between a number two pencil and any other kind of pencil? >> I knew this once, but I’ve forgotten. No matter, a simple google search would remind me, but I’m not going to do it for this question. 2962. Have you ever cross-dressed? >> I’ve worn clothes that were marketed to men as well as clothes that were marketed to women. Most of the time, I wear them because I like them, not necessarily because I want to specifically give the appearance of being a gender I am not. 2963. Are we living in a world without end? >> I don’t know, but from our short-lived perspective, it would certainly seem that way. 2964. What do you think of that couple that was just on the news who kidnapped a 16 year old girl for a week and forced her to be their sex slave? >> I might remember this, but I also might be confusing it with similar cases, because apparently, this sort of bullshit happens with some regularity. Anyway, I don’t recall having an opinion about the people that do this, aside from, “well, that sure is fucked up”. 2965. Wanna watch a movie about a cheerleading competition? >> Like Bring It On? Sure, that was a fun movie. 2966. Are you singing in the rain? >> Well, no. I’m inside, taking a survey. 2967. Should the sopranos actors ahve been allowed to march in the St Patrick's Day parade? >> I... what? 2968. Is oral sex. anal sex or regular sex more intimate? >> The act doesn’t matter. Intimacy can be present (or not present, as it were) in any situation. 2969. Is it time to switch to Decaf? >> For me, yeah. It’s been that time for a few years now, unfortunately. 2970. Why is it that the truth hurts? >> Oh, because. 2971. How do you feel about: ticketmaster? scalpers? >> I’m not fond of either of these and I avoid them whenever possible (for scalpers, that’s very easy to do; for Ticketmaster, a little less so sometimes). 2972. What are you guilty of? >> *shrug* 2973. Have you ever done any of the following in order to catch a buzz or get high? sniffed glue: sniffed magic markers: ate paste: drank Nyquil, or Robitussen or any other Over-the-counter drug: <-- this was my high of choice. 'huffed' (inhaled or sniffed) any kind of fabric softner, cooking spray or other household product: whip-its: I have also done this. 2974. What gives you inner stregnth? >> Er... I mean, I don’t know. It just happens sometimes? 2975. ::eyes you suspiciously::Where have all the COOKIES gone? >> I sure didn’t eat them, I don’t like most cookies. 2976. What is a good gift for someone you don't like so that it SEEMS to be nice but really 'gets' them somehow? >> This isn’t my area of expertise, you’ll have to ask someone who experiences this impulse enough to have ideas about it. 2977. If you don't like the service at a restraunt would you skip the tip? Why or why not? >> I have never experienced service at a restaurant that I did not appreciate, so... 2978. Apples or peaches or pumpkin pie? >> Er. *shrug* 2979. What Race/nationality was Jesus? >> I mean, I assumed his ethnicity or nationality was... Israelite. I don’t know, man, I really can’t imagine it matters all that much either. As far as I understand it, they didn’t even have the same ideas about race that we’re operating from. 2980. What was one evening you'll never forget? >> --- 2981. Name 13 ways to look at a blackbird: >> What? 2982. Trick or Treat? >> No. 2983. If you had money to burn, what 'toy' would you spend your money on (think monopoly game with real money, luxory boat, a train layout that takes up a house, etc.)? >> I’d prefer not to spend money in that way. I’d probably just be an art patron and throw money at people who just want to make art but don’t have time or energy because of capitalism. 2984. Are you having trouble with aol 8.0? Or if you don't have aol...have you ever been to a podiatrist? >> Whew, AOL... lmao. Anyway, yes, I went to a podiatrist at the beginning of the year to have my big toenails removed because they were basically ruined from, you know, hard living and suchnot. 2985. If you could write your own ten commandments, what would they be? >> I would not do this. 2986. When people lose weight, where does it go? >> -___- 2987. Your mate/partner/wife or husband/longterm boy or girlfriend/etc. has SOMEHOW gotten his or her FAVORITE celebrity's attention. Your sweetie has always thought this celeb was so sexy and now the celeb kinda fancies your sweety as well(although the celeb is not interested enough to stick around for more than one night). Your sweetie wants to have a one night stand with the celeb. Knowing that this is your sweeties one and only chance to bang (or even hang out with) a celebrity (ESPECIALLY their FAVORITE celebrity) you would say: >> I mean, duh, go for it. This sort of thing doesn’t faze me. I hope she has a great time and I hope the celebrity is not a fuckin dick and treats her with some class and respect. 2988. Have you ever seen an Ed Wood film? if yes, what one(s) and what did you think? If no, aren't you curious to see a movie by the person known as the worst director of all time? >> No, I’m not really curious about that. 2989. What kind of bread do you like to eat (white, rye, potatoe, grain, whole wheat, etc)? >> Potato or grain. Or sourdough. 2990. Are you emotionaly articulate? >> Not especially. It’s yet another thing I’m trying to work on. 2991. Does everything happen for a reason? >> Maybe. I’m not sure how pervasive cause and effect is. 2992. Do you take a piece of those you have loved and carry it around forever? If yes, than aren't they still with you even when you are gone? >> That’s how I see it. Also, our personalities are basically amalgamations of people we’ve known (as well as bits added in from media, observation, etc), so that’s another way that people remain part of you when they’re gone. They’ve participated -- even in a tiny way -- in the making of you. 2993. Is it true that the child is worth ten of the parent? >> I have no idea what this means. 2994. Can you think of a door that has closed in your life? Can you think of a window that has opened? >> I don’t really think of my life this way, so I don’t have any examples of this in action. 2995. What does this mean to you: 'Necessity is the mother of invention'?Do you believe that necessity is also the mother of:  courage? survival skills? independance? >> I mean, I guess necessity can be the mother of anything. IDK, man.

2996. What helps you to get over a Major heartache? >> Time and patience. Therapy probably would help, but I can’t afford that. 2997. Can you depend completely upon yourself? have you ever tried? >> Of course not. That’s... just not how humans work. I’m not going to try it just to try to prove biology (or whatever field of science that actually is a part of, I’m not sure lol) wrong. 2998. How can you tell the differance between the end of one part of your life and the beautiful begining of the next part? >> ??? 2999. Have you ever read any stories by Kate Chopin? If not, I suggest that you do. >> That name sounds vaguely familiar, but I doubt I’ve actually read anything by her. 3000. Do you often make the best discoveries when you really weren't looking for anything (or anyone)? >> I don’t know.

[voguingtodanzig]

SUICIDE, WHEELCHAIRS AND THE RESURRECTION OF DAVID PAJO (8 months ago on Clyrvnt)

By Raymond Cummings

Despite rising to indie prominence in the late '80s as a member of Slint and serving as a stage / studio utility player in more bands than any of us have fingers, David Pajo’s strongest music statements have been of the solo variety. Composing under a range of guises — Aerial M, Papa M and Pajo — this Louisville, Ky.-born musician has made breaking new solitudinal ground a mission.

Over the years, post-rock flickers gave way to electronic minimalism, which begat folk tradition variations, then straight-up rock 'n' roll; before you knew it, he’d cut an LP of acoustic Misfits covers. Highway Songs (Drag City), the first Papa M release since 2004’s Hole of Burning Alms compilation, seems to zip from one Pajo-esque iteration to another, lassoing together meditative drift, instrumental punk rock, demonic sample-juggling, aching folk and the thunderous pummeling of Dead Child, his short-lived metal outfit. Yet, somehow, it all feels cohesive and of a piece, even as the pathos of Pajo’s life circumstances over the past few years adds weight to every note played and lyric sung.

A few weeks prior to the release of Highway Songs, I interviewed Pajo via telephone.

Where are you right now? I’m in Los Angeles. I have a little place in Echo Park. My kids are out here, so I got a place to be near them.

I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time, and years ago, I ordered a limited edition Aerial M CD / EP from you by mailing you a check ... Oh, wow. ... and I think you were still in Kentucky at that point. It’s funny — I was just thinking when I was writing up questions for this that I haven’t really thought of you as being in any one fixed place since then. I’ve always thought of you as being sort of everywhere, in terms of the various different bands and projects. So, over time, I never thought, “I wonder where Dave Pajo lives now?” What’s it like to live in California? I’ve never gone out there. Oh, man. You should do it. I’ve only been here a year and a half, maybe, so I haven’t really explored it that much. I really like it; it still feels really exotic. It feels like I’m on an island when I wake up, and it’s nice, you know? And I can see palm trees and stuff. It still feels like a vacation. Everyone knows about the kind of fakeness of the culture here, and there’s definitely fake people. But I have a circle of friends that aren’t like that. A lot of people from Louisville moved out here, a lot of people from New York. You just kind of surround yourself with good people. Those East Coast winters — and not even the winters themselves, but the before and after — were just so dead and gray. But when the sun did come out, you really appreciated it. Here, it’s just taken for granted.

Highway Songs, when I first heard it, sort of stood apart from the rest of your solo and group catalog because it feels like a compendium of various styles you’ve explored, with a couple of new approaches included. When did you record this, and how it come together? Man, that’s a really good observation. To me, working on it, it was just a total mess. I didn’t know if I was making a record. I was just putting down ideas. I didn’t spend a lot of time arranging songs like I usually do. I just would let the songs go on tangents and run wherever they went. When I did put it all together, I had Brian McMahan from Slint help me. I needed an objective set of ears.

Did he play a producer role on this record? Towards the very end, once I knew what songs were gonna be on the record. He helped me just put 'em in order, and he would tell me if he didn’t like a certain drum sound. My original sequence, I put all the heavier songs at the end of the record, for what would be “Side 2.” I just figured that anyone who liked my older stuff would say. “I love 'Side 1!'” [Laughs] I think I was sort of ashamed of the songs. Brian helped me put them in an order that made it more of a listenable experience; it made me want to hear it again. But it wasn’t until it was sequenced like that that I realized there was a thread of continuity to it. It does kinda span different things I’ve explored in the past — the more electronic stuff, the glitchy stuff, there’s one sort of traditional song I made my own, some of the heavier stuff.

Which one was the traditional? The very last song, “Little Girl.” And I don’t even know what the original song sounds like; I just saw the lyrics in a song book, and came up with what I thought the music would be. What drew you to “Little Girl,” or to the words? I hadn’t been aware that it was a traditional, but it definitely struck me as being the most affecting song that you’ve recorded. The time I read them was a time when I was super depressed, and all I wanted was to be next to my kids again. Parenthood does that to you, where your kids become the most important thing. I felt really separated from them — I was going through a divorce — and so I really connected with those words. I feel like my kids are my teachers; I learn a lot from them. It’s my job to guide them, but it doesn’t mean I’m smarter than them just because I’m older and have more experience. Kids have a lot of pure wisdom, if you have the eyes to see it. Over the years, you’ve had a lot of different solo project names. For Highway Songs, why did you return to Papa M? I’d done some shows under that name in 2011 because I was playing songs off of Live From a Shark Cage. I just didn’t want to sing anymore, so I went back to my instrumental stuff, and really enjoyed it again. For me, Papa M and Aerial M, too, I always thought of them as my instrumental interests; it really evolved after Whatever, Mortal. I thought Highway Songs should really be a Papa M record because I was returning to that idea of focusing on the music itself.

Around the time Papa M Sings and Whatever, Mortal came out, I remember thinking, “Wow, he’s singing now?” And it took me a little while to get used to it, but then I did. I’d been touring a lot with Will Oldham, and he was really encouraging me to sing. I was always wanting to challenge the listeners, or challenge myself. “Wouldn’t it be funny if this instrumental band started playing folk songs?” Plus, I was only listening to that sort of music around that time; I wasn’t as interested in instrumental music.

One of the tracks on Highway Songs that really jumped out at me was “Walking on Coronado,” which has an integration of two different elements — it has the languid guitar, and it also has this very staccato pulse. That’s an interesting idea, because you’re trying to balance two things that aren’t necessarily alien to one another, but maybe shouldn’t work well together. What were you going for there? “Balance” is the right word. I think with that song, especially, it felt too staccato and I wanted to round it off. Sometimes combining and contrasting things will help balance a song. That’s another one I didn’t spend any time arranging. It kind of fit on the record because everything else wasn’t really like that; it was more odd time signatures or extended riffs. I like its place with the rest of the songs around it — something to contrast with everything else. And it’s weird that I still think of albums as “Side 1” or “Side 2,” since it really is an “iPod on shuffle” culture where you listen to one song at a time and not context. I’m an album guy.

Seventeen years ago, on Life From a Shark Cage, you had “Pink Hollers,” which was this plucked, drone-y piece. Now, on Highway Songs, there’s “Green Hollers,” which is more metal. Is there any thematic connection? Actually, I’ve always called songs “[something] Hollers” with a color in front of it. [Laughs] Sometimes that’ll just be a working title. I don’t think I’m one of those guys who sees colors in music, but songs definitely invoke a mood and a hue, a color tone — that one just happened to be green.

Is there a lot of music that you write that remains on the cutting room floor? Is there a 96-disc Pajo rarities box set hidden in a hard drive somewhere? There’s a ton of stuff that will never come out, and it’s mostly just me trying out ideas, whatever mood I’m in that day. And I’ll work and work on it, then say, “Yeah, that sucks.” I’d rather have a ton of stuff to choose from than a couple things I’m precious about. If I sit with a song for a while, I can usually tell if it’s just bullshit.

How did you get involved with skateboarding in Pine Ridge? Are you a skater yourself? I skated a little bit when I was younger, but I was never great at it. A friend asked me if I wanted to do the soundtrack he was working on about skateboarding, and I told him I would do it, but I hadn’t recorded my own stuff in years. I’d just relocated to California; all my nice recording equipment was in storage in New Jersey. So, I just quickly did it, and made do with what I had. I got so into it, because it’d been such a long time since I’d done solo recording — and I haven’t stopped. Even though Highway Songs is finished, I’m still recording as soon as I wake up. I forgot how much my identity is wrapped up in that process. To not do it for years? I didn’t realize there was a void before I started doing that.

Without getting too personal here, how are you feeling these days? How are you doing? Man, I’m doing a lot better. I’m still wheelchair-bound; I had a motorcycle accident in March. I’d only been in L.A. for a few months before I found out how L.A. traffic is way worse than back east. It’s how I kind of had the time to work on Highway Songs and record so much. I’m basically indoors all the time. For a while, it was physically painful to record those things, just to hold a guitar on my lap where I had all these surgeries. But it was the one activity where I could totally lose myself. It’s been a long time since the accident, and I probably have a couple more months before I’m walking again, but everything’s healing. It’s been a good excuse to be a shut-in.

I don’t know if you know, but I had a suicide attempt last year. I did know. That’s why my last question was framed the way it was. I didn’t know how much you’d want to talk about that. Oh, I like to talk about it, actually. Afterwards, I felt like it was such a taboo subject that it should be openly discussed. Certain words come up in our culture, and people immediately think “morbid” or “things are gonna get weird when we talk about this depressing stuff,” you know? I think there’s a real fear of the subject because people don’t want to imagine that kind of hopelessness and despair.

Ninety-five percent of people were super positive, encouraging and supportive. People kind of swarmed around me — my family and all my friends. All these feelings of worthlessness [dissipated] — like, “Man, all these people love me; there must be something lovable about me.” Everybody is lovable. Even fuckin’ Donald Trump. [Laughs] He loves himself too much.

There were some hater types that thought I did it with the intention of being rescued, that I did it for attention, like it was a cry for help; like they think suicide is for cowards. I really think it comes down to that fear — they don’t want to imagine what drives a human to do something like that, so they come up with other reasons. I think I felt like that for a while; I felt like suicide was a selfish act, but some of those ideas should be cleared up. It’s a real problem — yet, socially, we still suppress a lot of talk about it.

I feel a lot better now, and in a way it’s because I thought I wasn’t gonna see another sunrise. Now I kind of appreciate the moment a lot more; I have a second chance to see my kids grow up. Even though I was in a painful, shitty accident, I would still rather be alive and have that type of pain than not, you know? It’s really put a lot of things in perspective.