That’s me these days — finally tackling the lingering to-do items I’ve been putting off and actually getting things done. A reader recently asked whether my old “Dude, Get On That Already” updates would return. Those posts were little wins: painting, hanging, finishing small projects like a wall plaque, a box, a coat hook, and a high chair. Lately I’ve actually been checking a few of those boxes, so here are the details.
#1: The dining room table is finally cleared. In a recent house tour video the dining room and guest room looked cluttered — a reminder that when one room gets attention, nearby spaces sometimes suffer. I cleaned things up, moved craft supplies to my new craft closet upstairs, and tucked decorative items into the lower living-room cabinets where other vases and cloches live. It’s nice to see the wood of the table again (after a good dusting).
Some readers asked if I’d use the dining table as a workspace now that it’s clear. I still prefer the kitchen table because it offers a better view of Clara playing in the living room. The dining room is a quieter, more private spot when solitude is needed, and it’s nice to know we can host a slightly fancier dinner now and then. The kitchen counter, meanwhile, still looks chaotic thanks to our ongoing pantry re-organization — everything’s painted and drying, so we’ll reload storage systems soon.
#2: I hemmed Clara’s overly long curtains. Her curtains were about six inches too long — I liked the drapey look but that extra fabric felt sloppy. While Clara played nearby, I used Heat N Bond hem tape to trim and hem them. It took about half an hour to cut and finish all the panels. They still skim the floor a bit for a relaxed vibe, and it feels satisfying to finally check that off the list. Small projects like this can nag at you weekly until they’re done, and finishing them really does feel good.
#3: Extra sectional pieces found a new home. Our full Karlstad sectional didn’t fit our cozy living room, so we kept the pieces we needed and stored the extras in the attic. We figured we might only get a small amount for the leftover corner and loveseat pieces, so we kept them just in case. Months later someone contacted us and offered $250 for the two pieces — not a blog reader, but a woman who had been searching for those specific Karlstad parts and happened to be driving from New Jersey to Florida. She squeezed them into her SUV and gave Karl’s unused pieces a new sunny life in St. Augustine. Unexpected cash and less attic clutter — win.
#4: I sorted and passed along Clara’s outgrown clothes. In the house tour video I noted four large bins of baby clothes set aside for returning to friends, donating, handing down, or consigning. They lingered for months until I finally donated and passed along most of them, then tried consigning the rest at Once Upon A Child. Forty-five minutes after dropping everything off, I returned to find a check for $141. A few items weren’t accepted, so I dropped them at a donation bin en route home and that corner of bins is finally gone. Those clothes had sat there since early pregnancy — better late than never.
#5: Clara’s birdcages finally have birds. I picked up six colorful decorative birds on clearance and used their clips and ornament loops to perch them around Clara’s birdcages. I even added a small wood dowel in one cage to create a perch and a hanging spot. Clara named her favorite “Prince Sam Bluebird,” and we say goodnight to him each evening. It’s a small, playful touch that made the cages feel finished.
In other news, our new washer arrived early Saturday. Replacing a broken appliance is one of those underrated joys — I may be humming and occasionally pirouetting while doing laundry for the next week. After the inconvenience of a broken machine and waiting for a replacement, having a reliable washer again feels like a small miracle.
So those are a few real-life “I actually got on them” updates, plus a washer status report. I still have many more should-have-done-it-yesterday tasks bouncing around in my head, so maybe I’ll set a future check-in to force myself to finish them. Want to tackle your list with me and reconvene for accountability? What’s on your “gotta get on that” list right now?