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| Pena Palace, Sintra Portugal |
I haven't taken any good pictures lately so am sharing a couple more shots from our April 2014 trip to Portugal.
It rained a couple of times this week signalling a hint of the Fall to come. September is usually just an extension of summer on Vancouver Island, with warm weather but the leaves start turning color, the light is fading faster in the evening and the mornings have a crisper cooler feeling to them.
Hubby is flying out of town next Sunday and will be gone for 10 days on a long business trip. Until then we are working madly to get all the preparation done for it. Dinners this week have suffered, I admit to serving up hotdogs and frozen french fries for one meal, a frozen pizza for another. Yuck. In order to gain control back of our life and our diet I have decided that this week I will give my part-time employer notice that I will be quitting at the end of September. We own a business and I need be able to be there for it. That is four weeks notice and also means I will not be leaving them high and dry in their busy season which ends at the end of September as I consider them friends and a very decent employer.
We managed to take advantage of a few sales this week due to back to school sales. Good quality copy paper was on sale for $3 for 500 sheets, which is way cheaper than even Costco so we bought 27 sheafs for the business. That should be more than enough for the year and hopefully we can take advantage of a similar deal next year at this time. We have a college in town and there seemed to be a few college-aimed deals as well. I got bulk laundry detergent on sale, again, cheaper than Costco, so bought a six month supply (there were only a couple containers on the shelf).
We have only been in the house for two years after downsizing and purging before our move but my linen closets were overflowing. We had used extra bedding to cover most of the furniture when we moved ourselves and instead of giving some of it away when we got here it went into the closets. I cleaned them out and hauled away two huge garbage bags to the thrift stores. The linen closets look so much better now.
I also went through all our old towels and anything that looked beyond redemption went to hubby's rag pile for the garage (for washing cars). We now need a couple new towels so those are next on my list to find in the coming weeks on sale.
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| View of Lisbon from the Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal |
We managed to take advantage of a few sales this week due to back to school sales. Good quality copy paper was on sale for $3 for 500 sheets, which is way cheaper than even Costco so we bought 27 sheafs for the business. That should be more than enough for the year and hopefully we can take advantage of a similar deal next year at this time. We have a college in town and there seemed to be a few college-aimed deals as well. I got bulk laundry detergent on sale, again, cheaper than Costco, so bought a six month supply (there were only a couple containers on the shelf).
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| Town of Sintra, Portugal |
We have only been in the house for two years after downsizing and purging before our move but my linen closets were overflowing. We had used extra bedding to cover most of the furniture when we moved ourselves and instead of giving some of it away when we got here it went into the closets. I cleaned them out and hauled away two huge garbage bags to the thrift stores. The linen closets look so much better now.
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| Pedestrian only street in Cascais, Portugal |
I also went through all our old towels and anything that looked beyond redemption went to hubby's rag pile for the garage (for washing cars). We now need a couple new towels so those are next on my list to find in the coming weeks on sale.
Have a great week everyone!
Love your pics and - like you - I am embracing the first signs of fall!! As in September First!! No matter it may be 100 degrees here in Texas!! It remains the FIRST of September!!!
ReplyDeleteI love that you love Fall so much. You are inspiring me to think about it!
DeleteThose Portugal photos are gorgeous. Always love the grand front doors and intricate tiling.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to hand your notice in, those weeks will fly by. x
Yes, only 20 shifts left! I loved the tile there too. I am sure you saw a good lot of it in Goa left over from the Portuguese there as well
DeleteSome beautiful pictures, I've always wanted to go to Portugal so thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteJulie, you should go, it is not as expensive as the rest of Europe, and is so bloody pretty with fabulously friendly people. One of our best trips ever!
DeleteLinens have a way of piling up. I just gave some to my nieces recently to make room in my closets too. I'm loving your photos. That palace is so awesome and the pedestrian street looks so inviting. Why can't everywhere look as beautiful as that?
ReplyDeleteEven the cruddy stuff in Portugal looks pretty as you will see in my next post :)
DeleteGreat photos. I can't wait to start purging, liquidating, and downsizing! I'm so tired of the stuff and trying to take care of a large home!
ReplyDeleteEven after downsizing I keep finding stuff we don't need. The secret is to ensure it keeps leaving the house - take purged items immediately away so you can't change your mind.
DeleteAt one time I was great about that, but now it's all stuff I've inherited when my mom passed away. I'm getting ready to start selling online soon! :)
DeleteBeautiful photos! I'd like to do a 12 month challenge on decluttering, as we'll likely move again in a year, or extend our lease. I'd like to be prepared, should we choose to do the first. :-)
ReplyDeleteDecluttering is especially difficult with kids. They have this way of accumulating so much, be it gifts from others or stuff they bring home from school. The sooner you start the easier it will be.
DeleteLoved seeing your photos of Portugal! Sintra is such a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteI did love Sintra but I loved all of Portugual just as much. The day we were in Sintra was the only day we saw any rain on the trip and it was still beautiful!
DeleteBEAUTIFUL PHOTOS!
ReplyDeleteI dread the thought of ANOTHER Very Cold Winter, but I DO so LOVE Fall!! I guess all we can do is enjoy every minute as it comes :-)
BRAVO on the 'cleanout'!!!!
I can't complain about our mild winter, just rain generally, but Fall is such a pretty time here. We get a late summer pretty much to the mid to end of September but the mornings are definitely cooler.
DeleteIt has been rainy and cool this side of the Strait. Sunny, colourful Portugal was just the pick me up.
ReplyDeleteWe had some nice weather the last two days and today we are off to enjoy yet another sunny day at the beach. Portugal was so beautiful - I would go back in a heartbeat.
DeleteNo fall here in Florida for a while. Your Portugal photos are gorgeous and like you, forever de-cluttering :D
ReplyDeleteWe had a couple of cool days but today is back to hot so we are headed to the beach while we can :). I see a cleaner junk drawer in my future and the kitchen needs a good decluttering - more to come!
DeleteYour pictures are stunning. Just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI love getting rid of things in the house. Kids especially. LOL
I am sure they left you a nice mess though when they moved out. I see Sluggy's pics from cleaning out her son's room and don't envy her.
DeleteLove love love decluttering!
ReplyDeleteGlad you've made a decision re the part time job. Sounds like things are going well with your own business and it's good to be able to commit to that as much as you need to.
We had the first signs of a beautiful spring last week for our last week of winter but this week when it is actually spring, it's raining and wintery again!
xx
I have even more decluttering sessions on the agenda :) I got a little inspired.
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