Where to Begin...

So yes, a bit of overwhelm perhaps, but in a good way, eventually at least! I think that Trav and I have decided that we might as well just bite the bullet and do what we need to do around the house and put it on the market...soon. We've been slowly chiseling away at the To Do list and now we need to up the ante a little. This is the part about moving that I've been dreading, the fixing up all those little things that you just deal with and live with on a day to day basis and accept as one of your home-sweet-home's charming quirks...The outside stairs and trim were replaced last spring and fall which were big jobs, the inside trim has been band-aided, but needs a bit more TLC before we move forward, the bathroom needs a little shining up, the living room walls may need a fresh coat of paint, and Trav and his friend took care of the light switches in the kitchen that weren't working (one switch stopped working probably last spring for the outside light and the other switch stopped working about 3 years ago! It had tape over it because it seemed to short out the light/make it flicker so we only ever just used the other switch for that light---thought nothing of it for our own needs but didn't think a prospective buyer would think highly of the shipping tape covering the switch!) And then there's the cleaning out and organizing of EVERYTHING! Keller's toys! Yikes! And really there's already a bunch in the attic already...we only have allowed a certain amount in plain sight at a time...I've just decided to get a little more creative about where to store them...which means getting rid of other stuff hiding in cabinets so that we can now hide some toys in cabinets. I splurged at Target and bought A LOT of bins and have been organizing the attic little by little, thinning out my closet/dresser between Goodwill, a consignment pile (which I'll never get around to actually doing), and a "Post Preggo" bin to remain undisturbed at least until the fall...Unused kitchen appliances, etc. get their own special bin as well. I'm trying to be careful about what I'm packing and where and if it should be packed or tag-saled. Who wants to keep carting crap around from house to house if you don't really need it/use it...I can be a "but it will come in handy when I _____" rationalist...which is good and bad. But really, I think we have a lot less stuff than a lot of other people out there, partly because we've had to keep things to a minimum with such a small house...

And so, after my initial wondering of Where to Begin, I don't think I ever answered my question and have been beginning all over the place. A little here, a little there, a mess here, a filled bin there, a pile for the attic, a pile for the basement, a rest on the couch, a rest in the bed...I guess once my scattered attempts at cleaning/organizing are done, I'll make an official list of what needs to be done from there...And then comes the crossing the fingers part in hopes of the stars and planets aligning just so that just the right person/people come along and fall in love with the little yellow house that I have grown to love. As for the timing thing, we're figuring whatever...while for awhile we were in the wait until things settle down with the new baby on the scene, but now it's more of the idea of sleep being a good thing and with a baby in our bedroom indefinitely, already compromised sleep will only be compromised more--not good! AND then would come the showing of the house with two kids on the scene (and therefore a less likely chance of the house being in it's optimal condition when someone comes to look) or else there being a mommy who NEEDs to sleep when someone wants to look, or napping children (being hopeful) etc, etc...So whether we put it on the market now or later, it's going to be a pain in the ass pretty much so why not just give it a whirl now. I guess a realistic goal is by the end of March...and so if anyone knows of anyone interested in a charming home in a great little friendly and convenient neighborhood, let me know!!

In the meantime, I really have to get stuff done in the mornings because come afternoon, I'm done, beat, exhausted, which brings me to my next post...stay tuned!