After I posted about eating on my trip, several people asked how my digestion was. Well, it was kind of up and down on the trip. Not great, but nothing that I ate caused huge problems, and nothing ruined the trip in any way. So, it was probably the best I could hope for.
As soon as I got back, I went back on the diet (as a reminder, it’s an anti-candida diet) very strictly, and started two different supplements to kill yeast:
So far, so good! My digestion has been in a good phase, but I’ve been down this road before so I don’t want to get too smug and say things like “I’ve fixed the whole problem!” These supplements are a month’s supply, and at the end of the month I’ll reassess the situation again. IF, and only IF, I feel like things are consistently good, I’ll continue the diet but add back one thing, which is my Earl Grey tea, OBVIOUSLY. Then I’ll take it from there.
When I talked about my big closet clean out, Nicole said she was wishing for a “before” photo. There’s a good reason why I didn’t post one- I was afraid people would report me to the Department of Health, or have me committed. It was so, so bad. Part of what I cleaned was my dresser, which was in the bedroom next to the closet. It’s a short dresser which actually used to belong to my son.
Except, I wasn’t using it as a dresser, in that, I didn’t even know what was in the drawers anymore- I just piled clothes on top of it. And this was the first thing you saw when walking into the room- it looked like a disaster. I cleaned out the drawers, getting rid of about half the things. Then, I had room to put the clothes on top INTO THE DRAWERS. Lastly, I moved the whole thing into my closet.
In its place, I put a shelf that had been in my closet. The problem with the shelf was, it wasn’t really accessible because things were piled in front of it. This caused me to constantly “lose” things- I would be saying “What happened to those postcards I bought?” or “Where’s that book I wanted to read?” NOW, the shelf is out in my room, where the dresser used to be. I will include a photo here, but remember, this shelf used to live in my closet so it’s not the most attractive piece of furniture. Still- it looks way better than that dresser, and now I can find all my books, notebooks, and postcards.
Speaking of postcards… I sent some postcards while I was on my trip. I purchased and wrote out three postcards from Fabled Bookshop in Waco, but my time there that day was so limited, I didn’t get to mail them. That night we stayed in Lonoke, Arkansas, and I asked at the front desk of the hotel if they had a place for outgoing mail. The guy working there said no, but that he would personally mail the postcards for me. Er… okay. Did anyone get a postcard??? I’m wondering whatever happened to them. Sigh!
23 Responses
Absolutely yes to Earl Grey being first back on the list – solid priorities!
Isn’t it amazing how satisfying a good clean-out is? I’m a minimalist to begin with, and still find cupboards to declutter.
And those postcards… oh no. Hopefully they didn’t end up in a random Arkansas junk drawer. I used to work at Zurich Airport in the 90s and passengers often handed me postcards to post – I always made sure they got mailed! 😄
I would say I’m a “lazy minimalist.” I really don’t want a ton of things around, but I get lazy about getting rid of them. It feels good when I finally do it though!!!
I got a postcard! Thank you so much! I have been meaning to thank you in a comment, but things have been… a lot lately (more on that on my blog when I finally post about it). I’m planning on sending you one from Maui so watch the mail in the next couple weeks!
Also, your closet clean out sounds amazing! I also have furniture that I just throw stuff on. Getting spots like that cleaned up is so satisfying.
I have never met anyone who loves Earl Grey Tea so much. You love it more than most people love coffee! I hope you get to drink it again soon, and that you can buy the Rishi tea (was that the company you loved) and savor every sip of it.
Yes, it was Rishi! And I do love Earl Grey- similar to how people love coffee. When I meet someone who doesn’t like it, I’m like “Really? How can that be?”
I’m glad you got the postcard! So, at least one made it. I wonder where the other ones are?
Enjoy your time in Maui! I’m sure it’s incredible.
I haven’t gotten a postcard, but FWIW I’ve seen them take an incredibly long time to go through the mail. Like a month.
Each passing day is bringing you closer to Earl! Being in a good phase right now is a very promising sign.
Yes, I’m very hopeful. And I think I just need to write more postcards and mail them from an actual mailbox. I know they can take a long time though.
Please don’t ask me to post any closet or dresser pics!!! Disaster!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Every time I think about de-cluttering, I find something else to do. LOL
Darlene, that’s how I usually am. Then when I do declutter I find all sorts of things that have been lost for years. I’m glad to hear someone else has a disastrous closet.
The top of my dresser is a dumping ground for SO MANY things. I love that you swapped yours out with a shelf that has all your goodies on it!
Yes, this way is much more functional. But I have to admit I’m already putting things on top of the dresser in the closet. Why can’t I just open the drawers and put things in??????
I do love looking at closet clean-out pictures… that’s usually the only thing that’ll motivate me to get to work on my own stuff!
I’m going to add my request to Nicole’s, Jenny–please share closet pics! Nice work on the shelf, BTW! I’m good with books somehow–maybe because there’s no laundry involved–haha.
Oh yes, there was laundry involved. I think that’s part of why something like this is so hard- there are layers and layers of things that need to be done. Now I just have to tackle a few other areas of the house…
I hope your postcards were sent. Great job on reorganizing and decluttering your room. That sounds so productive. I meant to post about my closet clean out months ago, and I never did. I also meant to store all the pack and play portable cribs in my closet for the summer, but that never happened. They’re all propped in a corner of my room. I would like my room to be a sanctuary and a peaceful place, but alas. Here’s hoping the restrictive diet pays off and that you an soon reintroduce your early gray tea.
Yeah- my bedroom is definitely more peaceful now. But, I lived with it the other way for a long time and managed to survive! Sometimes there are just too many other things going on, to take on a big decluttering project.
I love pictures of people’s living spaces. Like you, I often forget to take pictures of before! But I’m adding my voice to the hope that you post pictures of your closet!
It feels so good to declutter!!!
Yes, it REALLY feels good! In the end I’m glad I had that week of “jury duty”- otherwise I probably wouldn’t have done it.
I got a postcard, too, and have meant to text you about it! I loved your fountain wish of me getting to Waco someday! I would love to see Fabled some day!! I asked the front desk to mail my postcards in Chicago (I sent very few) and they were a little bit weird about it. I would think mailing postcards would be a pretty standard ask from guests! And then Paul’s postcard took forever to come… but it eventually did, like 2 weeks after it was mailed!!
I love a good purge and I understand not showing before pics as it can be a bit shame-inducing to show a before pick, even though we all probably have the equivalent of Monica’s closet on Friends… The important thing is that you put the work in and have a much better set up now! I’m so glad basements are a thing in the midwest because storage would be way harder without our basement! Especially since our garage is a teeny tiny urban garage that barely fits our cars, snow blower, and lawn mower…
Oh good! Yes, it seems like in the old days you could always mail something at a hotel desk. Maybe people just don’t send regular mail very much anymore.
Yikes, hope the postcards got sent!
Yay for using a dresser like a dresser! That made me laugh. I love photos of people’s homes so I’d love to see more of yours!
The next time I do a decluttering project, I’ll definitely take a before photo, no matter how bad it looks!
I think your plan to reintroduce Earl Grey first and then see how that goes is a good one! I feel like a tea can’t really be that upsetting to someone’s digestive system so hopefully that’s the case for you.
I have a lot of stuff on top of my dresser (and in the drawers — it’s where I keep most of my running clothes and I have three drawers dedicated to them, yikes!) but it’s mostly organized because I have a box that I’ve had there since I moved in almost 3 years ago where small miscellaneous items go that I’ve never bothered to actually find a place for, but at least it doesn’t look cluttered since it’s all contained in the box.
Yes, things in a box definitely look a lot better than clothes piled all over the place. And, I found a bunch of clothes I had forgotten about because they were buried under the rubble. Maybe organizing my workout clothes should be the next task- most of those are piled on top of a drying rack in the garage, SIGH. Why am I such a slob???
I always forget to do the before picture when I’m decluttering a space! It is nice to see the before and after, even if the before is a bit embarrassing. But we can all relate! We’ve ALL been there.
I’m glad the supplements are helping and I cannot WAIT for you to add earl grey tea back into your life!