January and February are our hunker down months. Except for the daffodils, almost everything is dormant, and while we do get some mild days, it's often too cold to enjoy outside activities. That makes January and February a good time to turn to needful indoor projects. Here's what my list looks like:
Mending. I have a huge basket piled high with mending! Admittedly, our lifestyle is rough on clothes, and mending usually gets put off in favor of the garden and food preservation. This month I plan to start tackling that pile.
Kitchen. I can't believe it's been seven years since we finished our kitchen remodel. The initial organization and set-up was done with thought and care, but as the years go by disorder sets in, and I find myself analyzing how to organize better. Plus I have a lot of shelves . . .
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| Photo from November 2012. |
. . . which in a 100-year-old house heated with wood means a lot of dust. Everything gets dusted periodically, but the kitchen needs a deep clean and I need to sort through the shelf and cabinet contents and reorganize.
Front bedroom (currently our storage room). I actually made a lot of progress on our storage areas last summer, when we finished one more room of the house for my studio/sewing room. I did an initial unpacking and purge, and managed to reduce storage space from two rooms to one. I feel that it's time to tackle that remaining room.
One disadvantage we have, is that we don't have a basement, garage, nor a readily accessible attic or crawl space. These are typical storage areas that we've had to do without. That means that during our slow repair, remodel, and room shuffle, we've designated rooms to use for storage until we get the house done. After 15 years, we're down to one room! And that's the room I want to declutter and organize this winter.
I confess I have an ulterior motive.
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| My Glimakra floor loom |
This loom was disassembled when we started renovating, and has been left that way for storage. At the moment, I don't know if I can manage to carve out space for it now, but I'd really like to. I have a hankering to weave some rugs and blankets, and this is the loom to do it. The room won't be finished this winter, but Dan said as long as he has room to work around the loom, it would be okay.
So there's my list. How about you? Do you have winter project plans, or maybe you just plan to take it easy. Care to share?
Post-Holiday Winter Project List © Jan 2024
16 comments:
At this time of year, I to sit and plan, poor hubby hears 'I have an idea' far too often, but it's always a starting point, and not everything goes ahead. I am planning my small veg beds, trying to get as much out of the space as I can.
Poppy, that's an excellent goal. Definitely one worth following through on!
Jan and Feb are the same "hunker down" months for us too. We too have no basement or attic. I may just have to write up a post for our current projects.
Winter here is a bit more of a down time. We love to explore on snowshoes all the crown and county land we are surrounded with, going where we can't in other seasons because all is frozen and water is iced over. Not this year! How I am missing those crystalline, sunny days when we'd head out with a small pack containing lunch and some fire starter for brewing up a billy of tea.
Garden planning is high on the list. Time for me to get immersed in some crafting projects as well. Hubby has projects ongoing in his shop, always things to maintain and repair, and perhaps build.
Restocking the wood piles is a fall and winter job that is pretty much done until spring when we have a splitting bee and pile it all under cover in the spot vacated by this winter's wood use. All in all, it is a slower time of year.
Have a wonderful day.
www.rsrue.blogspot.com
No garage, basement or crawl space? That would be a challenge.
It sounds like you have some fun projects ahead, but then, I love organizing.
It's fairly mild here in North Carolina, so I will press on with outdoor projects like redesigning the veggie garden, including redoing the drip irrigation to suit the newly placed beds.
Each January, I go through all of my storage spaces in the bathrooms, closets and kitchen storage areas, and purge. I enjoy doing well with less, so I make it a goal to see how I can thrive with minimal stuff.
We also would like to finish up our master bath by replacing the shower and adding backsplash around the vanity. A few other home reno projects may get done before the end of the year.
Wishing you and your readers success all of the endeavors!
Kristina, I find it really helpful to put my project list out there. It's a constant reminder and motivator! If I say I plan to do it, I find I want to also report that the job is done!
Rosalea, I would love the hiking and exploring part. We aren't so situated. Sounds like you have some good, productive projects planned.
Regine, you too!
Daisy, either basement or garage was on our original property hunting list, but as the years went by, the list became less picky. There were outbuildings, but we quickly turned those into animal housing. Dan's workshop came much later and now he can store a lot there. The spare room is filled with mostly household stuff, and it gets pared down a little more each year. I'm hoping to make significant progress this year!
I hope you have lots of nice weather for your projects. Garden improvements are always welcome.
I am always quite nostalgic when thinking about our old farmhouse with wood heat. But I had forgotten about the dust! That tempers my memories a bit.
I'm getting ready to start a basement reflooring project. I'm not looking forward to it, and thus have delayed it this week, due to the painting involved since with new flooring, the baseboard trim sits a bit lower, plus having to shuffle way too much furniture and other things around from side to side as I do it. But I went out and got paint from the paint store this morning. Thank heavens they keep paint records for 10 years so I could order the same color of paint instead of having to repaint several rooms in their entirety. I also have to start in a hallway with three doorways, which aren't the easiest to deal with when you are installing click lock flooring that needs to be tilted into place.
But perhaps this afternoon, or tomorrow, I'll get the gumption to just start and get it over with.
Leigh, here it is working on cleaning out things. I may actually take a crack at the garage this time as well.
Ed, your basement project sounds more needful than fun. I didn't realize they kept paint records that long! That will be helpful, at least.
TB, it's a good time of year to do clean outs. I've lined up a couple more since posting this. Hopefully, we'll all meet our goals!
Leigh, my your an ambitious person this month! I want to again wish you a New Year, happy to be determined later...
I just love old houses! My last house was built in 1920 and we completely tore off all the old lathe and plaster outer walls and the building had true 2X4 un-dimensional lumber, I furred it out by 2 inches and had closed cell polyurethane sprayed in full thickness after bringing the electrical up to code and more outlets and revamped the HVAC ducting up to the half attic. It made the house so much warmer! That was in South Dakota and it paid for itself the first winter especially since I did 98% of the labor. It is always fun to reorganize and see what has worked and what is superfluous.
I am sure with your menagerie you still have to go out and attend them! That is always fun in the winter, Alabama or South Dakota almost the same! That loom looks like fun! I wouldn't mind learning to make rugs and blankets. I spent many a night cutting out quilt shapes for my wife and her mother...
Find a space for that Glimakra. That is one very sweet loom. I always love seeing what other fibre artists are up to. Your work is always beautiful.
Kevin, good for you for helping the fiber artists in your family! I know they appreciate that.
Yes, the critters get us out into the fresh air several times a day. I honestly don't mind, though. And I can't say I see myself as terribly ambitious; I just don't like to be bored. :)
Nina, I actually think I've figured out how to re-arrange everything so I can set it up. We'll see!
Big list Leigh! I honestly just want to get back into a regular cleaning schedule and clear out more clutter!
Wow, it would be rough to have no garage or basement. Do you have an attic that will accept some storage space? We were able to stow quite a lot of light, bulky stuff up in ours.
I always thought I'd like to learn how to do weaving, but ultimately I ended up choosing quilting as my primary hobby. I don't have space for more than one.
I look forward to seeing photos of the projects you make.
Sharon, yes, it is tough! Our attic consists of a few pieces of plywood thrown down at the narrow pull-down stairs. It might could be developed into something more, but it would be a big job. I do miss a basement or a garage.
Your quilting is so amazing and creative. I can see why it's satisfying for you. :)
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