Re: Tell us: What projects have you taken on? Wha... - Page 6

AARPTeri · ‎04-01-2020

What projects have you taken on? How have you accomplished tasks by being resourceful with what you have on hand? What advice do you have to help others through similar projects? Share your ideas here and earn 50 AARP Rewards points for participating in this weekly discussion. We also will choose one post as our weekly winning post for an additional prize: a $50 HelloFresh gift card. Click here to see our Rules for participating.

AARPTeri

p795804c · ‎04-25-2020

I had boxes of data for a church project.( I'll have to postpone until next year, due to the quarantine.) They were taking up space and depressed me every time I looked at them.

I remembered my old file cabinet out in a storeroom. It took a lot of sorting but

I found if you attack it with the mentality of a "move," it goes well.

Sometimes it's emotional going back through old data, cards and especially correspondence, but it had a cleansing effect in more than one way.

I now have a guest room I am happy to share!

patricia crain

JudyL812171 · ‎04-25-2020

Oh, and I joined AARP finally! I've been meaning to for years. I am spending lots of time (unexpectedly) on the website. So much more than I ever imagined.

JudyL812171 · ‎04-25-2020

You know all those spots in your house where you just toss things forever? A kitchen drawer, a corner on your desk, on in my husband's case, on the floor under his computer)? I've been looking thru them all. It's been very interesting what I once thought was worth saving ~ that I don't anymore!!

I also made masks for my local senior center, and neighbors that are immune compromised. I am still making "ear savers" for Kaiser staff.

My flowers are actually getting fed as regular as advised, vs whenever I think of it, this spring. They're happy. I made new pillow covers for my patio chairs.

I have been volunteering for our local cemetery district, inputting grave info into their database so it can be viewed online.

I have to say having all this uninterrupted time all to myself has been kinda nice (sorry friends and family!)

TracyP305057 · ‎04-25-2020

So thankful i have a yard to care for!! I've been weeding the yard! I've made a habit out of pulling a couple of big bunches of weeds daily! I get some exercise and feel a sense of accomplishment. Also, i get to enjoy the view as i stand at my kitchen sink!! As i am also doing more cooking with my family of 4 at home these days SIP.Also thankful for our cute kitty!!

vfinsterwald · ‎04-25-2020

I began this stay-home period by cleaning out my kitchen pantry so I could use up the products with the nearest expiration dates first and to get it organized for efficiency. Check!

Then I began making masks and after a couple of attempts, found a pattern that went together fairly quickly and had a good fit. Since then, I've made a little over two dozen for friends, family, neighbors, etc. Now I'm making them for charities.

Inspired by the success I had with cleaning and organizing my pantry, I took on my closet(s), pulling out items I haven't worn in awhile, that don't fit, or that I'm just tired of. A lot of them I put up for sale on eBay and Mercari and I've probably made @ $100. The rest are in boxes, ready to donate as soon as my local thrift shop begins accepting donations again.

Next goal: As a consequence of the pandemic, I also learned how to make bread - something I'd been meaning to do for years. Unfortunately, yeast is now hard to come by so I plan to learn how to make sourdough with my own starter.

Not one to ever have a problem occupying myself at home, I'm continuing to read every day, take on sewing projects, watch the news (and my favorites shows plus some Netflix movies), and help my grandson with his home schooling.

Karenmarie49 · ‎04-25-2020

I downloaded Skype and am using it to chat with my grandkids. They only live 15 miles away and I;m used to seeing them frequently. I miss them so much!! More fun than a regular phone call.

I also took up an old hobby again--latch-hooking. My youngest grandson has been obsessed with pandas since he was an infant. Ir;s a fairly large rug, so I think it should be done by his birthday in December!.

kariann · ‎04-25-2020

I have been reorganizing the garage and the basement storage room with a few items I had on hand.... I discovered that I shouldn't try and do it all in 1 day nor should I try and carry the heavy items nor should I try and put up a shelf with just the few items I had on hand....lol. I did manage to move and organize a few things so I'm ok with it for now.

mkscott52 · ‎04-25-2020

I live in a seaside town and finished this painting, "Going Coastal.""Going Coastal" by Mary Kolada Scott

TracyP305057 · ‎04-25-2020

Thats a beautiful painting! I paint too. You might try a tiny blurry line of muted purple at your horizon line. The purplish color will help set your horizon back or increase your paintings depth or distance (hope I'm explaining this right).

smithent1 · ‎04-25-2020

We moved across country almost 2 years ago. This large a move resulted in quite a few procrastination projects. The most gratifying has been tackling the boxes that remained unpacked and hidden in our basement. We started with just 2 and set a time limit, we stopped when either the time was up or the 2 boxes were tackled (not just unpacked but contents put away/donated/etc), whichever came first. This has been an easy way to use a bit of our excess time and actually accomplish a task that needs to get done. We still have more boxes to do but now we have a easily manageable plan and have done the hard part...gotten started. Stay safe...

Annhat · ‎04-25-2020

Trying to clean up, clean out drawers, closets, things I have been putting off. Hope to make more space and be better orgnized.

@AARPTeri wrote:
What projects have you taken on? How have you accomplished tasks by being resourceful with what you have on hand? What advice do you have to help others through similar projects? Share your ideas here and earn 50 AARP Rewards points for participating in this weekly discussion. We also will choose one post as our weekly winning post for an additional prize: a $50 HelloFresh gift card. Click here to see our Rules for participating.

jserramcorder · ‎04-25-2020

Attempting a garden. Permanent kale, apple, chayote all doing ok. Will try beans and peas. Last year these did not do. Well.

NicoleM886561 · ‎04-25-2020

I have tried to clean or organize something daily. It may be a room, it may be photos or my kitchen cupboards. I take it in small steps so it is not so overwhelming and am less likely to give up right away.

pamh528693 · ‎04-25-2020

I have done quite a bit of sewing in the past, and save leftover fabric. Previously, I have made and given baby blankets made out of the smaller pieces. I have been making masks out of the larger pieces that I still have on hand and given them away. The smaller pieces I'm cutting into quilt squares for blankets. This will clean out my fabric closet. I have cleaned out and shredded years of non-essential paperwork in a filing cabinet. We are also converting our VHS home videos to digital to share with our children. I have also scanned all old photo albums to our computer. Hopefully, all of this will make less for our children to go through in the future.

angiej666013 · ‎04-25-2020

I have cleaned every room of my place,

Inside and out, Top to bottom, starting with ceiling fans, windows,dusted, washed walls,swept,vacuumed or mopped.. cleaned out drawers,closets, corners, and cracks..lol

Car was loaded for Goodwill..

I fill so clean & uncluttered! 😆 This was better than my regular spring cleaning.

Now I’m Working on outside..

mf2284 · ‎04-25-2020

My husband and I have planted vegetables in the backyard and have made minor repairs around the house. I had an old guitar, and started taking guitar lessons with an app. I've made progress and is very rewarding. I also take free drawing lessons online. I also take yoga and exercise with youtube classes.

sw7912 · ‎04-25-2020

We are getting ready to list our house,so I have been cleaning and doing lots of updates and repairs to prepare for selling our home. I wll be doing those outside projects now that the weather has turned warmer and freshing up the outside as well.

KarenW132043 · ‎04-25-2020

I'm digging up flower beds, and converting them to prepared veggie garden spaces. I have a couple raised beds, that contained perennials, that I have as repeats/ transplants. I dug up the plants, wrapped the root balls in packing paper, and put them into the many boxes now arriving. Text my cousin, who is in the want/need for her perennial bed project- She picks them up safely, from my driveway- keeping social distance. It's a win win. I not only rehome the plants, but also reuse the packing paper and boxes that's been taking over the garage!

The growing of edibles, will be a learning experience, for my adult son. Amazing, how this new Covid life, sparks interest in my "old fashioned" ways, of DIY, among my children. A ironic positive.

DarlingA441526 · ‎04-25-2020

I have taken on a major family crisis, being a member over 60 is never easy and its even harder when you have a mother over 80 with severe health problems. Being home allows me to enjoy and care for my mother in the way I should with love and patients. I've learned more about diabetes, blood pressure strokes dementia and a feeding tube, This is definitely a challenge and it allows me to get the experienced to carry on to the next person or love one in need. These past few weeks have given me a tremendous awakening to many mental and physical challenges. I thought this was going to be more then one person can handle but I've come up with a plan and schedule it out step by step. People grow older and this is part of life but living it is even harder when times or rough enough then being worried about something so severe as a air borne virus. With AARP allows me to vent as a senior being this is a senior program. Steps I have taken to better my mothers care.

1 Start by communicating with the health care systems

2.Stay focus on task at hand

3.Take notes

4. Do one thing at a time

5 .Keep everything sterilized

6. Stay calm and patient

7. Google information

8. Remember this could be you

9. Care enough to over look the physical strain or you will burn out

10. Hug them and let your family member know its okay and they are in good hands

11. Talk to them let them know everything you are doing so they can feel safe and comfortable

12. If they are bed bound turn them keep them lotion down always keep them clean

13. Change thier pampers often and keep them moisturized

14. If on insuline get a pickle plastic container and put all used needles stored away

15. Keep accurate list or time and dates

16. If on a feeding tube keep it flashed and clean after each feeding(distilled water)is better

17. Keep Alcohol on hand and used it to clean around area

18. Check for bed scores often

19. Start with love and end with love and at the end of the day you can say you did your absolute best.

20.. God bless america

t535135l · ‎04-25-2020

I'm normally organized or so I thought I was. I usually make meals based on ingredients that I have in my pantry or fridge , or so I thought. Now that I'm home all day and night alone and eating all meals at home. I've discovered how much stuff I have in my pantry and freezer. I started a list of all the items in my pantry and freezer on a nice pad that sticks to the fridge (pads that were bought month ago) It has been so helpful with preparing meals and has helped me save money because I haven't had to go to the store in three weeks. I will definitely continue because it will help me save money, space and avoid duplicating items .

CheriR881378 · ‎04-25-2020

I have spent much of my quarantine time with my family making face masks for our community. My granddaughter does the measurements and cutting, my daughter pins everything together and I sew. It's been a great bonding experience!

I used social media, ie. the Facebook and Nextdoor apps to put out the word that I and my family are making the masks and donating to anyone in need. Through this method, we not only have made too many masks to count, we have received generous donations of the materials needed to continue our efforts!

in addition to making the masks, I also began a project in the backyard. Our landlord had installed a drainage system with pump which has not been able to do its job. (Not the landlord's fault.). The patio floods so badly, that we cannot sit outside and enjoy the rain without water rising to our ankles! Anyway, I'm working on a trench around the border of the patio. With what I have accomplished to date, much of the water is now being pumped out via the drainage system that the landlord has installed.

Staying safe and healthy! Prayers for the end of this COVID-19 virus.

cv5222 · ‎04-25-2020

I was on a temporary lay-off for about a month. I used the time to finish up a picture with plastic canvas I'd started a few months ago, for a birthday present for a friend's son. As soon as I knew I was going back to work, I used some fabric I had on hand to make a face mask. Because I work overnights, this was a change in my routine because I normally sleep days. I also tried to get some fresh air every day, which is very important.

wowrcl · ‎04-25-2020

It has been more than a month since California has instituted 'shelter-in-place'. So the priority task was to complete our 2019 taxes and while doing so we turned-over (decluttered) the long neglected office of ancient historic documents and filesl State and federal taxes were filed prior to April 15 despite the shift in deadline! Next I tackled the garden, at least 90 minutes everyday, mostly weeding; some rearrangement; new plants and lots of trimming; this is still ongoing. When indoors, I have cleared off my sewing cabinet and surrounding area. Initially I made a dozen cloth facemasks from material I already had onhand. I gave them to family and friends. They are a bright aloha print cotton broadcloth with cotton flannel backing, reversible and washable, complete with a wired nose bridge for custom fit. Just in time for going to store to buy groceries. I've received so many positive comments on the masks, that I started another batch for friends in need.

ICEMAN63100 · ‎04-25-2020

General cleaning.

bekala · ‎04-25-2020

We have decided to downsize and sell our house of 26 years. One of our projects has been to go through the basement and decide what to keep, what to give away/donate and what to throw away. Our basement holds a lot of stuff...power and hand tools, fishing and hunting equipment, cans of old paint, Christmas decorations, baskets, baseball caps, furniture, and pots and pans that haven't been used in years. Have we really "collected" this much stuff? We don't always agree as to what to do with everything, but at least we're acting on it one way or another. We had originally planned to have a yard sale this spring, but the Corona virus kind of put the brakes on that. So now that we have our separate piles in the basement, we can't act on anything until Goodwill is able to open their doors again and we can interact with anyone that wants to take some of this stuff off our hands. In the meantime now that we have more room in the basement, we can collect more stuff!

tamarah584747 · ‎04-25-2020

I'm rummaging through my closets, cabinets, and drawers taking this opportunity to post items for sale online (at bargain prices) on apps like Next Door to help clear out clutter. As an additional benefit to neighbors, I can pass on items I no longer need to someone else at a steal. Things like kitchen gadgets, books, office supplies, sports equipment, etc. Curbside pickup is the rule, of course.

sw5974 · ‎04-24-2020

This has been a wonderful opportunity to catch up with old friends but I haven't and in touch with for a long time.

I am staying with my daughter and my three grandsons. This has given me the opportunity to learn more about technology. For example, I learned how to do video calls with my son who is taking care of my home and our kitties. I can talk to my kitties that way, too! I have also learned how to do Zoom, as the place I volunteer at is having meetings to keep to keep us all connected.

I enjoy essential oils, and am experimenting with new blends of sanitizers, and we are making masks, too.

I have other little projects, too, but most of all, being with my family is a blessing. Cooking, eating together, movies, art projects, and spending time together without having to rush here and there. There have been challenges. My daughter and my grandson worked at the same company, and it closed and their positions were terminated. But we have managed very well, and have learned ways to make things work. Everybody shares responsibility, and we are grateful for the gift of Family during this trying time.

sh8782593 · ‎04-24-2020

After seeing my husband and I do our spring yard work. We trimmed our fruit trees. Rebuilt our headgate where our ditch water gets to our property. Mowed our lawn and cleaned all our flower beds. Our older and less able neighbors asked if we would completely clean up their back yard. So we did! Later in the week we will be taking a trip to the local landfill.