The Cottage on the Hill

Again, I made it well over 25 things today. Here's what I tackled: Stuff laying around the floor of the basement The refrigerator door The filing cabinet Recent junk mail The bedroom closet (I remembered I had some nice blankets that haven't been used in years. They're going in the yard sale.)

People have been asking me where I find 25 things to purge every day. Yesterday I purged well over 100 things. This morning, I purged 52 things as seen in that pile in the picture above. So, here are some places I'm purging and some ideas for you: 1. Children's clothing. I am given SO much that I am able to be selective. My 6 year old does NOT need 35 pairs of size 5 jeans. 2. Catalogs and Magazines. 3. Junk Mail. 4. Junk Drawers (yes, little things count, too.) 5. Paperwork 6. Medicine Cabinet. 7. Pantry 8. Garage/Shed 9. Books 10. Hobby supplies 11. Unfinished projects 12. Household cleaners 13. DVD's, CD's, Video Games 14. TOYS!! 15. Your refrigerator/freezer

Oh the stuff that I am letting go of! In just a few spare minutes, I filled to overflowing a large tote with stuff for a yard sale! Earlier today I emptied two boxes of papers and I continue to list certain things on the internet to sell. I still have to whittle down toys. I am not sure how that will fly. I am also conveniently avoiding my kitchen, though I know I have some sellable goodies stashed in there. I keep imagining that we are selling our house and moving into an RV. We can only take so much and are only allowed a small storage space at my brother's house. Imagining that has me really reevaluating all the stuff we have.

I want to have a yard sale now! I won't be able to for a while, though, but there's so much to get rid of! I've even begun tackling my fabric stash and turning it into cash! I tackled our storage shed, too. I've got some postings on craigslist. I dove into my vintage clothing collection. I've got some things on ebay and other stuff lined up to be shown to the local antique store for considerations. A friend of mine called me today so excited about my purging. Her enthusiasm really was contagious. She really encouraged me in this. The children have become a bit protective of their toys, though.

I have quite the goal set out before me. I've decided that every weekday this Spring (for as long as I am physically able) I will get rid of 25 things out of this house. This is going to be tough.

For some reason I cannot post pictures today. I cannot get over this weather! It was up to 80 degrees today! March! We should be buried under at least 3 feet of snow. Instead, my children ran around outside in t-shirts and bare feet. We had our first cook-out of the year. Hubby did a ton of yard work. I had to change into a sleeveless maternity shirt to keep cool. A part of me is thoroughly enjoying this. Another part of me wonders what sort of weather is to come.

I can thank God it is nothing serious. I just have a triple whammy of seasonal allergies, sinus infection, and a little bacterial infection. However, all 3 together coupled with pregnancy, exhaustion, and antibiotics (which I sometimes react to) has left me one sick mama for the time being.

I never guessed it, but the signs are there. After all, I sleep at night. Not always through the night, but I sleep. I nap. I sit around most of the day. But, apparently, I may be suffering from exhaustion. No matter how much or little I sleep, there is little to no improvement. I'm constantly fatigued. Bone fatigued. My muscles ache all over. They feel very weak, too. Getting up is a great effort. Moving is slow. I feel short of breath and sometimes need to take a breath during a small sentence. My digestion is extremely sluggish and if I eat something that's not as simple as applesauce or yogurt, I feel worse. A smoothie and a small infant-size bowl of oatmeal yesterday had me so stuffed, I was sick most of the night waiting for it to digest. My blood pressure is normal. Baby is active and growing normally. I feel like I need a lot of fluids, some oxygen, and I need to just sleep. I wish I could spend just one night in a hospital getting these things, but I was

Is your home a patchwork home like mine? A patchwork home is a house where nothing really matches. My rooms are painted different colors. I do not have one complete set of furniture. For example, in my living room my sofa came from Big Lots when we got married. My chair was in my grandma's bedroom. Hubby's chair came from a local furniture store as a birthday gift several years ago. The side table was my great grandmothers. The piano I got on craigslist for $50.00. The media cabinet is from the closet organizing section in Target. My desk was my mothers. There is also a footstool from a local antique's shop, a homemade rocking horse given to us by friends, a wicker hamper from Target, and an old stool from a vintage sewing machine cabinet set. Things are a bit topsy-turvy, too. My children occupy the master bedroom while hubby and I squeeze into the 7' by 9' 2nd bedroom. The dining room serves as the library, too. The sun porch is our homeschool room.

I guess there is a little bit of a rebellious streak in me. Or, am I just being realistic about my situation? I don't know. All I know is what the doctor told me and how everyone else around me keeps telling me to pretty much do nothing. And Momma don't like that! Funny, though, it got me out of my funk of pretty much sitting around doing nothing. I'm now doing some highly modified yoga, getting light housework done and feeling more human. Oh, I have to take it easy a lot. I can tell when I'm pushing my limits. Mornings are good. Afternoons are rough. I'm not doing anything crazy. I'm not doing anything that'll harm this pregnancy. Thankfully, I am getting a lot of help. I appreciate that so much! But, unless the doctor tells me I'm on bedrest, I'm not going to be sitting still, feeling my muscles atrophy and my blood coagulate. Yes, I need to take it easy and not do certain things, but it isn't healthy for baby and I to be bedridd

Thankfully, the exit is still secured for my unborn baby! Preterm labor is not happening, but the contractions are. Therefore, the doctor has put me on limited mobility. I am not on bedrest, per se, but I cannot lift anything, including children. That includes them into their carseats, or into the tub, or into a crib..... No lugging groceries. No pushing my big ol' vacuum cleaner. I can do light housework. I can cook. I can wash dishes. I cannot load my outdoor furnace. I cannot carry laundry up and down the basement stairs. This is going to be quite an adjustment for the next 9 to 12 weeks. Already my children are understandably NOT happy with the changes, especially my youngest. Well, I have to go diffuse a fight between the kiddos.

I have been experiencing BH contractions since about 17 weeks. I've also had many episodes of cramping and pressure. They never really concerned me too much as a change in position or a little heat would stop them. However, I realized that they are coming more frequently in bouts. Longer, stronger bouts. Yesterday, they were less than 5 minutes apart with the need to breathe through them. It lasted about an hour that way. Walking about slowly and drinking water was the only way to calm them. They calmed, so I did not head to the hospital, but the evening still held off and on contractions. I have decided to call my doctor when his office opens today. These are far too many contractions to be having even if labor is not progressing or occuring. Has any of my readers dealt with this at 26 weeks?

www.robynobrien.com Why do so many kids have food allergies these days? What's up with the genetically modified crops? Why is organic food so expensive? Robyn answers these questions in this must-watch video. Watch and share....it must go viral.