3 in 30 - March Update - Week #3

I am continuing with the 3 in 30 challenge, and have made the following progress during the past week:

1. Do "Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff...for Lent." As with last week, there are some things that were easy to do, others that I wasn't able to do completely, and others that didn't apply.

For example, a couple of days there were some activities that didn't take long to do:

- Throw away all notices and announcements for past events and events that I have no intention of attending. Generally, I put the information right into my calendar so I don't have loose papers laying around. I'm also more likely to remember the event if it's in my calendar. I did have a couple of flyers and advertisements that were from the newspaper that I copied into my calendar so I could recycle those papers.

- Get rid of or repair broken furniture. The covers on the two couches had seen much better days. So, on Monday I purchased new covers for both of them. I threw away the ripped and damaged covers; and replaced them with the new ones. What a change! It looks like the furniture is brand-new now which is wonderful. I should have done this a long time ago.

One activity I wasn't able to do completely:

- Throw away all broken appliances. Give away or sell those that work but you no longer use.  I have a microwave that broke in January and a scanner that no longer works. Both appliances are in the hobby shed waiting for the local heavy metal + applicance recycling day in May.

I found a juicer and yogurt maker that I no longer use. These were donated to the local second-hand store.

Some activities didn't apply:

- Take all the address labels and notes, enter the information into an address book and throw away the originals. I do this each Christmas when I receive cards. Also, I updated and/or added people to my online label file (I don't have an address book) when I received cards in January after my dad died.

- Toss curtains you have replaced because they were ugly, faded, or worn. I only have curtains in one room. At this point they are fine to keep up.

2. Finish taxes; and determine a budget for homeschooling curricula and supplies for April. 

The taxes are done and electronically submitted! Although there is some money to owe to the federal government, the state is giving a refund. Now, I know what kind of budget I'm working with for the homeschool conference and curricula and supplies.

A good percentage of the refund will, unfortunately, pay for hotel lodging and conference fees. So, as I did for this school year, I plan to continue to use as many materials as I can that I already have on hand and limit what I need to purchase.

I have a list of resources that I'd like to use next year (in an ideal world). It may come down to getting the instructor guides and using free books available at the library. I'm going to be working more on this project this weekend.

3. Trim trees before spring. Another week passed and I didn't do this task. Last week there were no buds on the trees. This week, there are buds and small leaves. Some of the trees and bushes are flowering.

It's been a crazy week in terms of weather - hot on some days, rainy on others. Everything looks like May - not March.

At this point, I question whether I should monkey around with the apple trees since they are starting to bud. The trees in the pasture are fine to trim. Only a week left to accomplish this goal!

Additional Goals Met:

1. Wash walls in master bedroom. This was a goal that I had back in January. I finally did this yesterday along with washing the window on the west side of the room, dusting the room, and cleaning the ceiling fan.

2. Re-paint Sophia's room. Sophia wanted to paint her room purple (her favorite color). Before she was adopted, a friend beautifully painted the walls in multiple layers so the lower part looked like a grassy meadow and the top looked like clouds and the sky. It was lovely.

Throughout the years, the walls took a beating with furniture being moved, Sophia picking at the drywall (she did this when she was a toddler), and the sheets of drywall separating from one another (due to the house shifting each spring and fall with the freeze and thaw). In pictures, the walls still looked nice, but up close they were starting to look neglected.

So, after re-painting Olivia's room last week, Sophia was very motivated to have her room re-painted. Since the room is larger than Olivia's, I wanted to start early in the morning because I knew the job would take a longer time.

The girls and I were able to paint the room in one day. I still need to do some touch-ups and put the covers on outlets, but for the most part the job is done. Sophia is thrilled with the walls, and feels they more reflect her personality and preference in terms of color.

This is a look east...

Sophia's room before (above) and after (below).

 Then to the south...

Sophia's room before (above) and after (below).

A look to the west...

Sophia's room before (top) and after (below).

The north side of Sophia's room...

Sophia's room before (above) and after (below).