All Things EARTH... part 2

Pam, I burst out laughing. I moved a box of nail polish to a back bedroom from the family room )beside the couch) today [emoji23][emoji23][emoji22]. My problem is our house is WAY too big for us. Melody

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Laurie, we officially move on July 12. That's when the new lease begins. We told our current landlord that we'd be out on June 16, so not too much overlap. We pick up the truck July 13 and the hired moving labor is also schedule for July 13...and the unload crew on July 15.

Margaret...the single seat cushion on that couch mean good things for seating. And the fitted back is nice for keeping the couch from looking like such a mess as time goes by. Which size are you thinking? Do you have any furniture that you are keeping or are you starting completely from scratch?

Our new living space is roughly the size of our currently family room...except that the long wall is at an angle. DS' bedroom is literally the only room in the house where all four corners are 90 degrees. Every other room...the main living, the master, and the office are all trapezoids. Should be interesting and challenging to figure out...especially since we've never seen the inside of the apt. I mean, we've seen pictures...the floor plan...and DH and DS toured the building...

Quite the adventure!

Needing to make space for the boxes as they are packed forced me to rearrange the family room. Forced me I tell you. ;p And I moved things around to be more similar to the way I envision the lay out in the new place and I'm really liking it...so that's a happy.

Melody, the need to sort through all our belongings is one of my favorite things about moving. I think other's might cringe at that thought, but I love it! I was just saying to Mom last night that I figured out another reason why I love packing so much...I don't have to deal with what I just packed for like a month...it's the clean up job that STAYS clean...unlike laundry, dishes, toilets, etc.:')

I did a red and aqua color scheme in one of DS' childhood rooms. The walls were a happy aqua blue...but the bed quilt was solid red and I made the curtain and a pillow sham out of a red print. I think it was fireman themed with some blue water included somehow. I think I still have it.

That area is the one area where I have a major challenge to lighten the load. DS' baby clothes, etc.

In a similar topic...I did get rid of about one half of my Zumba clothing after my knee injury. I gave it away to the other lady that worked at Curves that got her Zumba license. I've decided to thin it down some more. The latest book I'm reading along the topic of minimalism was to not try to get rid of ALL...get rid of most and keep the very best. So I'm going to sort through and pick out one or two outfits max and give away the rest to the ladies at Curves. I think. I thought about selling it...but that seems like a real hassle for not much return after researching the resale market for Zumba clothes.

I might have to apply the same thought to some of those baby clothes. I haven't looked at them in a while...

Sadly...this move is seriously throwing a kink in any big celebrate 20 years of marriage plans. Not really sure what to do about that...other than maybe wait until we get to NC to do something.

Anita, the family shelters would be thrilled to get baby clothes & little boy clothes, they never get boy stuff. I always loved the packing process too. Maybe I just need to pretend that we're moving...

We were involved with a major marathon race for 25 years (I was the merchandise director). I decided that this year I wasn't hanging on to the 50+ boxes of new shirts, jackets, mugs etc anymore. I contacted the race director & said I needed a booth at the women's evening to give away a lot of swag...he was thrilled cause it'll save him from having to shell out any money. I'll gain an entire bedroom out of it!!! They didn't sell what I had because they'd changed brands & couldn't sell the former brand, but I checked with legal & I can surely give it away. I'll have a blast! Melody

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My problem is our house is WAY too big for us. Melody

 

 

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We're staying, it's paid for & close to the kids. The yard is way too big (corner double lot) & 4000 sq Ft house is too much

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We have the same thing except not close to my daughter .4,000 sq. feet and a double lot plus a pool .

OMG, Margaret...OMG!!!! You could be talking about my husband. Seriously. I cannot believe how much alike they are.

You know, I sometimes say to my husband that this still feels like his house, not our house. That is not meant the way it sounds, really. I think it's simply because I can't do what I want all the time. I got used to making all the choices. My husband just acquired this house to himself (family home) so when I met him, it was the first chance he had to make decision of his own on paint color, furniture, etc. As a result, we make choices together. I can't imagine it any other way, but because of how different we are, my mind has a way of seeing the indirect result.

So if I look at the shelves here in the den, and I see the stamp collection on the bottom shelf, I want to get rid of it. It's Brian's, he wants to keep it. Therefore, before I've disowned the stamp collection, it's not ours. It's his. So it's his house.

Is that crazy? You have no idea how hard it is to say something like that. It isn't sensible. I don't think it's type 4. But maybe it is...

We do have similar likes when it comes to color and furniture/household style, so at least what we purchase feels like ours. You've seen pictures of the family room, and we both love the furniture in there. We eventually will replace the end tables, but that's another story. The living room we both worked hard on together. Dining room - i love it, but you know, the hutch is filled with stuff. Some ours, some his. :p:p

And if we sail out of Bayonne, we will do what we can to meet up with you! That would be great. I feel like we are all good friends here on this thread. My husband would love it too, I'm always talking about all of you.

I love a firm sofa. I don't know how people deal with the smushy couches. I have to have something firm. I generally sit with a pillow behind me because I like to sit up straight and couches tend to be too deep for me.

Margaret, how is your husband doing after his hip surgery? My sister is doing really well after having her second hip replacement earlier in the year. This one was rough - the had some issues because she waited too long and the remaining bones were taking a beating. I'm a little paranoid about my situation, in that I am hoping by doing the right thing, I can put off the surgery for another 10-15 years.

My doctor isn't very helpful, so I am going to go to a sports medicine specialist soon. When I asked what kind of exercises to avoid, and if there are specific movements that could be helpful, his response was "just don't overdo it." He also prescribes Naproxen and then tells me to only take it for 5 days, then stop for a while. It helps, but not a lot. And I bruise easily and excessively when I take it, to the point where someone actually asked me what happened to my arms one day. I had about 4 bruises on each arm below the elbows.

Anita, you talk of Zumba clothes. I always figured they were general athletic wear or gym wear. At one time, I know you indicated you liked wearing a lot of these things outside the gym, right? Or am I getting the info mixed up?

I am surprised sometimes about how specific I can be with what I like to wear at the gym and what I do not. I can say one thing - earth colors are almost impossible to find. I have an olive green capri length legging from Eddie Bauer, and I wear them with a somewhat muted orange top. That's it for earth colors. I wear a lot of navy and gray, and any chance I get to wear something colorful, I do. But I wear almost all racerback style tops. I can't stand a sleeve when I work out, for some reason. And I wear either 3/4 or full length leggings. I bought a pair of shorts recently that have the built in, compression short underneath. I'm going to try them soon to see what I think.

Our house is about 1700 - 1800 square feet, I believe. I can't imagine 4000 square feet, although I think I'd have fun treating the different rooms for a different function. I've always wanted a room to convert to an exercise room, or a sewing room even. If I had room t do that and could get one of those body forms, I might be able to putter and make my own clothing adjustments. I do some now, but just the really easy stuff because I don't have the room.

And bigger closets. That would be great.

Side note, after going through and rereading a few of the posts. My husband I together did clean up the DVDs! They're almost all his though. :'):')

Our current house is 2690 on two floors plus a full basement...so, just under 4000 sq ft.

And we are moving to 1315 sq ft!!! :eek:

I had a thing for the book "The Not So Big House" many years ago. I might try to find it again. The stats from the book that stuck with me were that a couple SHOULD be able to live comfortably in 1200 sq ft and then you add 200 sq ft for each added person, IIRC. So, we are falling short a bit from the "ideal" 1400 sq ft for our family of 3. BUT...I think it'll be fine because it is an apt and the ease of getting out of it into some common bldg areas should help...for instance, there's a roof top deck with grills and some lounge furniture. If the weather is good, that could be a great place to hang out.

Anyway...the book was based on the idea that most people don't really use all the rooms in their house...and those sq ft recommendations were based on actually using all the space you own/rent.

Laurie...we have dedicated exercise rooms in our house. It's really nice to have if you are committed to using them. I have a sewing room too. The one thing I don't like about the sewing room is that it is really isolated in the house...and if others are home, I don't want to isolate myself...I'd rather have company. I'm hoping to have dedicated time for projects...both the furniture I've mentioned recently and also sewing. I'm going to be very critical as I go through my sewing space and only move what I really want to work on. It's going to be interesting to figure out the best place for me to do sewing projects, but I know now that I would prefer to have a space within the main space more than a designated room.

When I mention Zumba clothing, I'm taking about the Zumba brand clothing...which was a very specific style of cargo pant and tank tops with Zumba related graphics/sayings on them. They were pricey at full price...but I included them as my uniform for a business expense...and I bought them with my discount and usually on sale.

DH and I are pretty similar in our desires and abilities to lighten the load. Laurie, we have a similar situation with a few of the furniture and things we have being mine...and some being ours...and a few items being his. The mine are generally the items (furniture, etc.) that I inherited from family. Some of those things have become ours...but many of them are mine...or, as weird as it is...some of it is still my Grandmother's. But not in a bad way...in the same way that I totally own Margaret's dress! His items are usually outdoor/sports related...his rifle, his snowboard, etc. ;)

We like a good sit in our sofas too. We just rarely sit in them. They are the lay down on me and watch tv places. I'm not sure that I will buy a traditional sofa/couch again. It is SO rare that anyone sits on the couches...I'm going to rethink that whole concept. The one couch that we sat on regularly was a reclining couch. It was a sneaky couch that looked completely normal but had a hidden lever. That would the best sitting couch though...but it was SO HEAVY.

Margaret, when you mentioned how you and your DH have two totally different experiences sitting on a couch, reminds me of how they used to make his and hers chairs...and the his chairs were bigger and the hers chairs smaller...your DH and you are the prime example for who would benefit from such chairs. I used to have the pair my Grandmother owned.

We.basically live in about 1/3 of the house . Our first level is a three car garage and a large foyer ,the second level is where we spend all our time It has a living room, a family room ,a dining area , kitchen ,bathroom ,bedroom and den and huge deck. the third story is guest rooms and another bathroom so our house may be large but we only use about 1700 square feet .

Our apartment is a little under 1000 s.f. but we cheat because we have the lakehouse, which is just about 1900. I just LOVE single-floor living and even though we could have built up at the lake when we did our reno and doubled the square footage, we are really happy with it the way it is. We have a living room facing the lake, dining area, three bedrooms -- master, large guest (which gets used often), and small guest (not used so much, but has my formal gown closet), two full baths, large kitchen, and the den where the TV is. What I miss most in the apartment is having a separate TV area from the main living space. Apartment living entails lots of compromises. We use all of the apartment, all of the time.

We are lucky to be one of the few on the lake with a full unfinished basement. We are so close to the water table that we have anywhere from a damp floor to 8 inches of water in the spring when the melt comes. We store all our boating and water sports equipment down there, plus the W/D and even a ping pong table. We also have a small attic space that is too small to stand in. We try not to put anything up there but we do store some of DH's father's things up there, and some leftover renovation odds and ends.

Anita, when our lakehouse was finished our architect submitted it to The Not So Big House. We were just under the 2000 s.f. cut-off to be eligible. Sadly we were not chosen, I think in part because our house lives like a much bigger one, it doesn't need all those nifty space-saving storage ideas. My grandparents too had bigger his and smaller hers chairs, I always think of Archie Bunker when I see those, how nobody could sit in his chair. My grandpa was just like that.

One of the things I like about the sofa I posted was that the seat is tufted like the back, so there are cross pieces inside that tie into the springs making for a lot of support, and there are stitched-down seams running front to back that also tie into the springs and give it the feeling of separate cushions. We got rid of almost all the LR furniture. We kept a matching coffee table and end table to use only until we get new ones, a small buffet that holds silver and linens that I want to put in the "alcove," and a small antique desk that was in my family that we used as another end table, basically for the phone and lamp. We used to keep our chess set on the lower shelf until miss kitty joined us and then it had to go into storage (and never came back out... on the list to donate). The small desk was given to my grandfather, who did family law, in exchange for writing someone's will -- he used to barter with people who had no money, so there were often men working in their yard or shoveling their driveway in the winter in exchange for wills and divorces and whatnot. The desk then went to my mother, and she gave it to me when they moved to FL, even though I didn't really have space for it at the time (and DH didn't like it on sight). It's a squarish awkward piece and I don't feel sentimental about it, so I think it's going to go on Craigslist. I highly doubt any of my siblings want it.

Laurie, when you come to Bayonne, we can have our husbands bring their stamp collections, they'll have lots to talk about. LOL Mine just had me pick up the new eclipse stamps when I went to the P.O. yesterday. :)

I could talk about other things...but I wanted to ask. Margaret...about that chess set. You are going to donate it? What's it like? We have chess players in the family. DS enjoys chess. There are phases, but we don't have a nice chess set...I think we have a lightweight wood one? You have one you used to display? DH and DS play together. DH's pop is a big time player.

Anita, I'd like to say it's a beautiful antique carved set, but no. It's a cheap onyx one we got in Mexico years and years ago. Our previous kitty had knocked some of the pieces around and a few are glued back together. The few times we actually played with it, we didn't like it much because the rooks were the same shape as the pawns, just a little larger, making for some knuckle-biting mistakes.

We quickly realized that playing chess together did not make for happy couple time. DH is wildly better at it than me and he didn't like talking during the game. I don't think that's even physically possible for me. :eek:

Margaret. I howled when I read your chess story. We taught our youngest grand girls how to play cribbage this week. They giggled the whole time & we had a ball. We teamed one girl to each of us & each team won one game. I can't play any game without chatting & laughing. SIL asked me once if I played chess & I said, no I talk, he just nodded. Melody

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I am currently at our desktop computer, which is in the den. This is a small room, but I've never measured it. I want to say it's around 11x11, maybe? It's very square. There is a double window on one wall, a single window on the next, a full wall, and then a tiny closet. Years ago, we put shelves in the closet because it didn't have a door and we needed storage for our many photo albums, odds and ends, and that darned stamp collection.

I mention this because it's a beautiful little room, but it does feel isolated. It also the first room to the right when you enter the front door though, so I never like having too much out. The room really isn't used the way it should be. I have thought a lot about this, and would like to make some changes down the road.

For example, at one time, we had this beautiful chair and ottoman in the corner. There was a floor lamp, and it looked like the perfect reading nook. However, I found the room too busy to be relaxing, and we had a white cat at the time, who thought for sure that it was HIS chair. I could never really use it, because it was covered with white fur all the time. We eventually brought in a rocker that my mom gave me when I was expecting my daughter. It takes up much less room so that is ideal. However, it isn't a comfortable reading chair.

Someday, I will go back to having an upholstered chair in here, but a smaller one. Then I'll have comfy throw, and maybe keep my headphones near by...kind of a little area to get away? So it is an isolated room, somewhat. I need to utilize it when that is what I am looking for - quiet time.

In other news, I am going to do my online check in today. Since I have 2 1/2 months until my cruise, I decided that it is not too early to plan. Who am I fooling...I've been planning for months! ;)

the teal dress and tango dresses are definitely going for formal nights. As you know, I have a lot of necklaces so I took out what I thought would be good contenders for the teal dress, and this is what I came up with:

My younger daughter hadn't seen the dress on but saw the picture. I was looking at stuff this morning, and she asked me try it on for her. She said she loved it more on than she did seeing the picture of me wearing it, so that made me feel good. I took the opportunity to try on some of the necklaces with it, and only two really seemed right to me. That was the first two necklaces. The pearls added a great, classic feel to it. I was hoping that this could allow me to wear the bronze sandals with it. I think it works, but there still seems to be a bit of disconnect between the necklace and the dress.

The second necklace was perfect. The others just didn't cut it. Although the one second from the right has a great styling in the pendant area, the heavy chain has kept me from wearing this hardly at all. It just didn't look right.

I did not try the necklace from the lower left on, as I forgot. But from wearing it before, I think this is a contender. So, I'm looking at the second from the left and the bottom left. I'm going to opt out of the bronze shoes and go with gold, as I think it's easier to bring one pair of sandals for both formal nights.

Here are the dresses I am planning to bring, as of now. You'll notice there are 6 dresses and it's a 7 night cruise. I haven't decided on the other night yet, but I want it to be a casual, comfy dress. Honestly, the tango dress is bright, but it almost looks fluorescent in this picture, and it's not. I think the far left dress is a bit cool, but it works. I think that as much as I always try to wear earth, it just doesn't seem possible to find what works for me all the time. This is a pretty good line up though.

So I'm going to have a whole lot of fun deciding on the last dress. As often happens, I sometimes let shoes do the deciding for me. I don't want to bring a zillion pair, you know? I am thinking three pairs of sandals to cover the 7 nights: gold for the formal nights, the leather style ones for a few nights, and then another comfy go to sandal for a few nights. So these here:

I have the daytime outfits in my head, but I have not actually put things out, other than a few items.

We are doing a rain forest hike, which requires a closed toe shoe. I had this in mind for an outfit. These are hiking sneakers I've had for a long time, and I really like them. If I utilize the gym on board, they will work. They aren't a first choice for the gym, but they are sufficient. I think proper shoes for a hike make more sense. One debate I have is that I'm wondering if they might required long pants, even if it doesn't say that? The clothing is tech fabric, which I really love when I'm getting sweaty.

Laurie, where is your rainforest hike? I've hiked in several. I normally wear (Anita & my) skort & Keen water shoes. I've never needed hiking boots/shoes (they're too heavy)

Our next cruise is November & I booked my first excursion today, Windwood Snorkel (4-hour trip for $65 each, includes lunch & beverages) in Bonaire today. They are very highly rated on Trip Advisor & offer a Tribord full face snorkel mask. I had to return the one I'd purchased as it came damaged & I decided to use my regular mask. We're flying first class ([emoji41]) for this cruise (it was cheaper than coach for exactly 35 minutes & I caught it) which gives us 3 pieces of luggage each up to 70 lbs each, that means the snorkel gear gets its own duffle bag. We'll do Boatyard Beach in Barbados as our favorite snorkel boat there (Calabasa) is sold out there the day were there (we're on the waiting list).

Sally, are you on Empress (Royal) for Cuba? When exactly are you going, Les really wants to go.

Ok, now I'm getting excited for November; Laurie, you're contagious! We're taking the grands paddle boarding this week, always my best day. Everyone have a good week. Melody

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Melody, the rainforest hike is in St. Kitts. In the specifics on the excursion, it says this:

What To Wear

• Hat and sunglasses
  
• Closed-toe shoes
  

Important Notes

• Guests must consider their physical fitness level and medical history when determining whether this tour is appropriate.
  
• Guests with pre-existing neck, back, knee and/or shoulder injuries, cardiac conditions, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, other heart or respiratory conditions, or any other medical condition must take particular caution when selecting a tour—particularly tours categorized as “strenuous.”
  
• Guests who have concerns must consult with their personal physician before engaging in any activity that may be strenuous for them.
  
• Terrain and footpaths can be uneven and wet.
  
• Hiking boots or sneakers recommended.
  

I don't have water shoes, and I wasn't sure I wanted to buy something that I wouldn't wear again, you know? I've had these hiking sneakers for quite a few years now. The were my initial gym sneakers, until I got something else.

The shorts in the picture are a quick drying, stretchy hiking short by Eddie Bauer. The shirt is a tech fabric. So I think those are good choices. The description doesn't say anything about pants, but you never know. I would imagine that since there is nothing online about this, if there is some sort of requirement, they will include that info in with the tickets when they leave them in your room, and we can make sure we are wearing them.

I am super excited for the cruise, and feel really good bout the dresses I'm bringing and the other outfits I'm planning. When I am in port, I try to be comfortable, yet look nice. If I feel the fabric on a particular shirt is nicer, I'll wear it on a sea day. But I don't dress up during the day. You know the aqua print shirt I wore in Boston? I plan to bring that. I have a pair of yellow shorts I purchased that are a chino type style, if you know what I mean. I'm going to wear those with them. This isn't a good picture because of the weird lighting in my room, but since you've seen the shirt in natural light, I think you can get an idea:

I also have a shirt that I was wearing yesterday, and I think it would be great to bring. The review of this isn't very good, but I've had no issues with it at all.

http://www.nyandcompany.com/7th-avenue-crochet-trim-tassel-accent-halter-blouse/A-prod10790003/

Laurie, we've done that rainforest hike! It's not that strenuous (other than heat & humidity). Tech shorts & shirt are perfect. I wore my Keen water shoes on this hike [emoji6] I'd add a hat & definitely some Bullfrog sunscreen that has insect repellent in it. Melody

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Melody , We are on Carnival Paradise for Cuba & only doing an overnight in Cuba . If we like it I am sure we will be returning since cruising out of Tampa is so easy .We already booked a private old car tour of Havana and have picked out our car . We also booked a Havana Club for the evening . Living near Tampa going to Cuba is like going to Key West very convenient .

Laurie, Good choices for your dresses and jewelry . Have you booked all your excursions ?

Sally, Royal's Empress is going out of Tampa for Cuba as well. Melody

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Sally, Royal's Empress is going out of Tampa for Cuba as well. Melody

 

 

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We looked at the Empress but Carnival Paradise was an overnight and we wanted to check out the Havana nightlife . If we enjoy it we will probably go on a longer one to several areas on the island .This is to just get a taste .

Empress had a couple of options, one was an overnight. I'm trying to fit it into our schedule which would be much easier if my high school would settle on a date for our 50th reunion in 2018!!! Melody

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Empress had not released their sailings when we decided to book so Carnival was the only option from Tampa .If we like it I may book the Empress for May of next year . We have to see when Gary's son is getting married .

We went paddleboarding with 4 of our 5 grands today. Wonderful day . Hard to believe that the one doing the yoga had never been on a paddleboard before. Melody

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Looks like a great time! It's been cool and rainy here. We had a few hot, humid days last week but the rest of weather has been spring or autumn like! It's to the point where many people really need to mow their lawns but can't.

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It was 94 here today we could use some rain

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