These days I’ve actually been making progress on long-standing tasks — finally checking off those lingering to-dos and finishing projects that have sat around forever. I figured a Friday roundup would be a good way to share a few wins. A reader recently asked if my old “Dude, Get On That Already” updates would ever return, and the truth is: they already have, in small ways. Here’s what I’ve been tackling around the house lately.
#1: The dining room table is cleared. A recent house tour showed the dining room and guest room looking cluttered (it’s almost a rule that when one room improves, another nearby gets messy). I managed to find better homes for a lot of the stuff that had collected on the table. Craft supplies moved up to my newly organized craft closet, and decorative items were tucked into the two lower cabinets in the living room with other vases and cloches. It feels good to see the tabletop again — and yes, it did get a dusting before this photo.
Some readers wondered whether I’d start using the dining table as a workspace now that it’s clear. I still prefer the kitchen table for work because it gives a better view of Clara playing in the living room — the dining room is more isolated. Still, it’s nice to have the option to retreat there when I want solitude or when we host a slightly fancier dinner.
The kitchen counter, meanwhile, remains in flux thanks to our in-progress pantry reorganization. The cupboard interiors are painted and we’re waiting for them to dry before installing new systems, so some counters are still full of projects-in-progress.
#2: I hemmed Clara’s comically long curtains. Her curtains were about six inches too long. I liked the drapey look, but the extra fabric edged toward sloppy. While Clara played with her dollhouse, I hemmed them using Heat N Bond tape. It took about half an hour to cut and hem each panel, leaving them slightly skimming the floor for a relaxed look. It’s a small fix, but it felt great to finally close that loop — a little victory that made the room look tidier and more intentional.
#3: Extra pieces of our sectional have been passed on. We kept a corner piece and a loveseat-sized end from our Karlstad sectional in the attic for months, thinking we might find a use for them. Unexpectedly, someone reached out to buy those exact pieces for $250. She drove through town on her way to Florida and was able to fit them into her SUV, so the unused cushions and frame moved on to a better fit and we got a nice chunk of cash in return. It felt good to clear out the attic and know the pieces will be used, not hoarded.
#4: I cleared out and passed along a lot of Clara’s outgrown clothes. I finally dealt with the four large bins that had been waiting to be returned, donated, handed down, or consigned. After sorting and passing along items to friends and relatives, I took the rest to a local secondhand baby store. They accepted many pieces and issued a check for $141. The leftovers went to donation. What had been cluttering a corner for weeks is now resolved, and it felt great to free up space and pass items on to other families.
#5: Clara’s birdcages finally have birds. I picked up six colorful decorative birds on sale and used clips and ornament loops to perch them in the small birdcages in Clara’s room. I added a small wooden dowel to one cage so a bird could sit and another could hang. Clara named one Prince Sam Bluebird, and it’s now part of our nightly goodnight routine.
One more household update: our new washer arrived early on Saturday, which was a huge relief. After living with a broken machine and then waiting for a replacement, having a working washer again feels like a small luxury — I’ll admit I’ve been singing while doing laundry. New appliances make a surprisingly big difference in day-to-day life.
So that’s the short list of recent wins: decluttering and organizing the dining area, hemming curtains, selling unused sofa pieces, donating and consigning children’s clothes, adding decorative birds to Clara’s cages, and enjoying a working washer again. I still have more tasks to tackle, so I might set a future check-in to keep myself accountable. Want to get things done with me? Share what’s on your “gotta get on that” list — sometimes a little public accountability is all we need to make progress.