My mom (age 86 now) always felt bad b/c she didn't wash the walls every year, b/c HER mom always did. (Never mind that my mom had 6 kids and went back to school & got 2 Master's degrees & worked as the Director of Nursing at big nursing homes, with a less-than-supportive husband). I'm I didn't inherit the cleaning guilt.
Your mother sounds like my mother. Mine never washed walls, but she cleans things I never think of cleaning, consistently and thoroughly, even at 81 and even after a bout of cancer. She's unstoppable. Funny story, years ago now I impulsively stopped at the house I grew up in, which my parents sold in the late 90s. So this was a good 15 years into the new owners' life there. I asked if I could look around, for the nostalgia. The owner hesitated for a second and then said, "well, it's not that neat right now. I don't keep house like your mother did." And I said, "don't worry, no one keeps house like my mother." I'm betting she never forgot moving into a house with two young kids and basically not having to deep clean anything first.
I filled out your survey a few weeks ago and I feel like you've been in my brain writing these posts for me! :) Thank you for sharing all these resources and your posts about caregiving and your mom. The NY gift links you shared about caregiving helped me find community while caregiving and help me feel less isolated.
I left a job in International Sales Operations to temporarily move into my childhood home to care for my mom during her last chapter and my goal was to also slowly clear out her house while I did this. She loved garage sales, clearance sections, and there are no shortage of shoes and wind chimes here :) After reading Adam Minter's book, "Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sales", I've been determined to declutter as responsibly as possible so FB Marketplace has been instrumental for me. I loved a reason to create a spreadsheet logging every $3 sale and see that it actually has been adding up to hundreds of dollars.
As a steward of a Little Free Library, I think that is a great flex that your books go quickly! I've been utilizing a LFL near a park for leaving small, little knick knacks and am proud when they are gone a few days later. I'm always surprised little knick knacks, crochet hooks, random small things can move quicker than lots of books.
So, I guess I don't have additional suggestions, but mostly want to thank you for your posts and they are great company to have while on this caregiver journey.
I habe used local freecycke Facebook pages to get rid of items. I always ask them to DM me so I can stalk their profile before I give out my addrsss for porch pick up and I never offer it as first come first serve
I also post on my individual Facebook page to see if anyone in need
I have sent in used medical braces etc to samaritans Pirse
Zappos has a free postage label to send blue jeans to recycle — no latter the condition
My mom (age 86 now) always felt bad b/c she didn't wash the walls every year, b/c HER mom always did. (Never mind that my mom had 6 kids and went back to school & got 2 Master's degrees & worked as the Director of Nursing at big nursing homes, with a less-than-supportive husband). I'm I didn't inherit the cleaning guilt.
Yeah. Who has the time?
Your mother sounds like my mother. Mine never washed walls, but she cleans things I never think of cleaning, consistently and thoroughly, even at 81 and even after a bout of cancer. She's unstoppable. Funny story, years ago now I impulsively stopped at the house I grew up in, which my parents sold in the late 90s. So this was a good 15 years into the new owners' life there. I asked if I could look around, for the nostalgia. The owner hesitated for a second and then said, "well, it's not that neat right now. I don't keep house like your mother did." And I said, "don't worry, no one keeps house like my mother." I'm betting she never forgot moving into a house with two young kids and basically not having to deep clean anything first.
I filled out your survey a few weeks ago and I feel like you've been in my brain writing these posts for me! :) Thank you for sharing all these resources and your posts about caregiving and your mom. The NY gift links you shared about caregiving helped me find community while caregiving and help me feel less isolated.
I left a job in International Sales Operations to temporarily move into my childhood home to care for my mom during her last chapter and my goal was to also slowly clear out her house while I did this. She loved garage sales, clearance sections, and there are no shortage of shoes and wind chimes here :) After reading Adam Minter's book, "Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sales", I've been determined to declutter as responsibly as possible so FB Marketplace has been instrumental for me. I loved a reason to create a spreadsheet logging every $3 sale and see that it actually has been adding up to hundreds of dollars.
As a steward of a Little Free Library, I think that is a great flex that your books go quickly! I've been utilizing a LFL near a park for leaving small, little knick knacks and am proud when they are gone a few days later. I'm always surprised little knick knacks, crochet hooks, random small things can move quicker than lots of books.
So, I guess I don't have additional suggestions, but mostly want to thank you for your posts and they are great company to have while on this caregiver journey.
I habe used local freecycke Facebook pages to get rid of items. I always ask them to DM me so I can stalk their profile before I give out my addrsss for porch pick up and I never offer it as first come first serve
I also post on my individual Facebook page to see if anyone in need
I have sent in used medical braces etc to samaritans Pirse
Zappos has a free postage label to send blue jeans to recycle — no latter the condition
Oooh, I like that blue jeans tip. I'll have to look into that!