My 2012 To Do List

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I've always got a to do list going - whether it's written or mental.  I think Andy's blood pressure rises every time I say, "Hey, I was thinking..."  Well, maybe not, but it does make him nervous!  

With the new year here and the anticipation of our baby girl (yup, it's a girl!) arriving in June, I've had about a million projects running through my mind.  So, with that said, I thought I'd make my "official" list.

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• Paint main entryway/hallway, stairwell, and upstairs hallway (never been done since we moved in, so... white, flat paint that shows every ding my 2 year old and husband have put in it)
• Actually finish decorating our bedroom (curtains, real nightstand(s), new/upcycled headboard - like this, only a different color)
• Convert guest room to our baby girl's nursery (requires doing something to the badly water-damaged hardwood floors that had old, stained, wall-to-wall carpeting that we ripped up)
• Replace the half fallen down fence in our backyard (since we live in a parsonage, this is pretty much out of my hands... but I'm really hoping it gets done this spring!)
• Have a yard sale this spring (may sound crazy with a baby coming in early June, but this has to happen to create room for baby girl... I've been setting aside yard sale items for years now.)
• Start a scrapbook for Jadon (I have nothing scrapbooked for him yet... and I have to at least have a good start on one before the baby comes)
• Paint the trim and baseboard heat in areas of the house that we just didn't get to before we moved in
• Make a growth chart (like this)
• Rough sand and wax coat the kitchen island so that there is no more chipping paint
• Paint the screen porch and replace/patch broken screen (wanted to get that done last year, but it didn't happen...)
• Purchase a new/used patio set (We have a nice, big deck but no patio furniture except for a couple deck chairs... It's sad, really.)
• Paint the deck (Ours is in desperate need of something.  My talented father-in-law did his last spring and it looks awesome!  Inspiring... hopefully.)
• Re-work our built in shelves on either side of our fireplace to be a little more practical (like for storing books and DVDs in nice covered baskets, of course)

Well, I think that may be it for now.  This list is a little scary to me... especially since I'd like to see the majority of it completed by the time baby girl arrives.  I'm realistically optimistic - meaning, I know not all of it will get done, but hopefully enough will get done to keep me sane.  The next several months will no doubt be a whirlwind, but hopefully I'll be able to share a few "to do list" accomplishments with you.  Well, here's to making my list and checking off a few things soon!  

~ Carrie ~

21 Day Organizing Challenge - Week 3 (ish)

Well, it's official - the 21 Day Organizing Challenge is complete!  Last week actually should have been the last week, but life got unexpectedly busy for our family so it didn't happen.  So, here is my final week!  (There aren't as many pictures as in prior weeks...)

Day 15 - Medicine/Vitamin Storage

All of my medicine and vitamin storage was done on days 4 (linen closet) and 13 (medicine cabinets).  I don't know where anyone else would store these items!  This was a welcomed moment to see that I already had this done!  

Day 16 - The Fridge

This was a job that I had been putting off for some time (I won't share how long, but let's just say that I'm lucky it wasn't worse than it was!).  Several years ago I spent much of one summer cleaning the grossest refrigerators you can imagine.  In fact, one refrigerator had to be disposed of because there was so much stuff growing in it that there was no hope of ever getting it properly cleaned and disinfected!  Thankfully, my refrigerator was nowhere near like that, but it got worse than I ever let it.  

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

 AFTER

  

Day 17 - The Mail

We may be some of those rare families who don't have mail piling up.  We're pretty good at throwing out junk mail and newspapers.  The only real problem we have is in filing away bills, statements, and important documents.  We have a basket that sits on top of our 2-drawer filing cabinet that collects all of these things until it's so full that we are forced to file.  (Hey, it may not be ideal, but it works for us!)  Way back on day 1 of this challenge (the desk) I took the opportunity to go through this basket and file away.  It's stayed pretty empty, too!  There really isn't anything to see as far as before and after, but here is a picture of the basket!  

 
Day 18 - Keepsakes (My Craft Supplies)

This was the biggest project of the entire 3 weeks.  Over the past couple of years I've gotten more in touch with my crafty side.  I've been into scrabooking for a while, but am now branching out now that I've got a basic handle on my sewing machine.  After some major scrapbooking accomplishments over the past few months, in addition to a few other projects, my craft supply was... a huge wreck.  :( 

 BEFORE

So the problem was not so much a lack of storage space as it was a lack of organization.  Now everything has its place and looks so wonderful.  It makes me want to go do something crafty (and put it all away in its spot!).  Props to my hubby for putting the shelves in the closet - at his suggestion!  No joke, he suggested it one morning and the shelves were installed that night!  So great!  

 AFTER

The only items purchased for this reorganization was the wood for the shelves and the baskets for my scrapbooking supplies ($1 each from the dollar spot in Target).  Everything else I already had.  The white container on the big cabinet is holding all of my fabric.  I decided it would be a good place to put my sewing basket.  The craft table in the closet is easy to pull out when I'm ready to craft and saves valuable space in our basement playroom.  I LOVE this!

Day 19 - Master Closet

This was easy... just some quick tidying.  I tackled this on my own accord a few months ago (since I was feeling guilty that there were still a couple of boxes in there that had not been unpacked from when we moved in over a year and a half ago!).  No pics of my closet, but it's looking good!  

Day 20 - Photos

I'm picky about my photo organization... have been for a while now.  So all of my pics are organized on the computer in folders by year, then by month - all the way back to 2006.  There was really nothing to be done to better this part of it.  I will say 2 things though that I need to do better.  1) Delete bad pictures ASAP or else you will have horrible pictures that you will never use taking up valuable space on your computer.  2) Back up your pictures (I need to do this).  

I have been feeling guilty that I've done nothing with any pictures of my son yet, other than a few in frames around the house - no scrapbooking or photo albums.  Since I had an offer from Shutterfly for a free 7x9 photo book, I decided that this would be a good way to actually use these pictures.  Since Jadon's 2nd birthday recently happened, I thought it would be fitting to do a photo book of his second year.  It came out great!  Shutterfly is incredible.  Jadon loves his book and it's something that is definitely his to keep.  In fact, I love it so much that the next time I get a free photo book offer I'm going to make one from his first year.  I'm thinking this will be something I keep doing each year from now on.  Here's a picture of the book I made on Shutterfly.  

Day 21 - My Pick (The Jelly Cabinet)

I didn't have to think too long about what I was going to do for this day.  The jelly cabinet is near the doorway between our living room and dining room.  It held a variety of items that include art supplies, games, candles, lined paper and notebooks, DVDs, and some decorative items.  I got rid of a lot of these things so that there's actually enough room to see everything!  

Cute on the outside... Scary on the inside!

BEFORE (Chaos)

AFTER (Sanity)

I can't believe it's actually done.  Tons of thanks to my hubby who has added his touch to a few things (shelves for my crafts and a shelf in the spice cabinet, to name a couple of things).  I also wanted to share that this was not a $-consuming project.  In fact, I'm quite certain that I spent less than $35 in the entire 3 weeks, mostly because I made use of things I already had.  This was a lot of fun and a stress reliever!  I hope you've been inspired to start your 21 Day Organizing Challenge!

~ Carrie ~

21 Day Organizing Challenge - Week 2

Week 2 of my 21 Days of Organizing has been accomplished.  It wasn't easy... and I didn't get one thing done for each day, but by the end of the week I've cleaned and organized all 14 areas!  One more week to go.  Here's an overview of what I accomplished this week. 

Day 8 - Coat Closet

BEFORE

AFTER

This was done not too long ago, but definitely needed to be done.  It's clean, but I'm still not satisfied with the overall organization of the area.  At least winter things are put away, unnecessary shoes were put away, and the top shelf is cleaned up. 

Day 9 - Toy Organization

BEFORE

AFTER

 

Oh... this has been something I've been meaning to get to for a while.  I've started to a couple of times, but never fully got the job done.  Now the toys Jadon has outgrown are packed and ready to be taken up to the attic, and the toys that he still plays with are organized a little better (although I'm on the hunt for a better toy basket in the living room).  There are no pictures of the cabinet, but the books and few toys are as organized as they are going to be.  

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

Day 10 - Laundry Room

No pics here.  Our laundry is in the unfinished portion of our basement, which mostly serves as my hubby's fix-it and puttering space and a storage area.  It's pretty much always a work-in-progress to get it organized.  So even though there's not much to organize, I did take the time to clean my washer and dryer (wiping them down inside and out).  

Day 11 - The Freezer

BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE (Yucky...)

AFTER

AFTER

 

I'm glad I got this done and am actually looking forward to the fridge this week.  The basket with frozen veggies was the worst.  Now I know what I have and can see it all!  My stock of meat and chicken is also better organized and in an area that is easier for me to see.  

Day 12 - Spice Cabinet

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 

This has been a very aggravating cabinet for me.  I can't tell you how many times things have fallen out at me (bottle of olive oil in my cookie dough?).  My husband's biggest beef with this cabinet has been the number of cookie cutters scattered throughout the shelves.  Well, after some reorganization and a couple of small baskets, the cookie cutters are taken care of and nothing is falling out now!

Day 13 - Medicine Cabinet

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

There are two medicine cabinets in my house and neither of them was all that disorganized.  I was able to purge a few expired/nearly expired medications and logically think through how things could be organized better.    


Day 14 - Under Bathroom Sink

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 Only one of our bathrooms has a cabinet under the sink... but it definitely needed some help.  There were some random things under there (some that weren't even ours!).  

That's it for Week 2!  Here's what's coming up for the final 7 days...

• Day 15 - Medicine/Vitamin Storage
• Day 16 - The Fridge
• Day 17 - The Mail
• Day 18 - Keepsakes
• Day 19 - Master Closet
• Day 20 - Photos 
• Day 21 - My Pick!

~ Carrie ~

2 Thumbs Up

This week's 2 Thumbs Up goes right along with the organizing theme I seem to have going on this week.  (I must really be craving more order to my life!)  While looking through the A Bowl Full of Lemons blog I came across a link for Cozi.

It was a recommended family organization site, so I thought I'd check it out.  We've used it for 2 weeks now, and let me just say... We LOVE it!  I almost don't even know where to begin!

What is Cozi?  According to their site, "Cozi is a free web service that helps families manage crazy schedules, track shopping and to do lists, organize household chores, stay in communication and share memories—all in one place."  


What do we use it for?  There are a bunch of tools on the Cozi site, but the ones that we use are the calendar (which can be synced with Outlook and other online calendars), to do lists (which have many options... like for each family member, or for home and for work, or an actual Hunny-Do list!), and shopping lists for specific stores.  

the Cozi calendar feature

What is my favorite feature?  There are a lot to choose from, but I think my favorite feature is the app for the iphone or droid.  We don't have an iphone, but we do have an ipod.  The ability to access my shopping and to do lists wherever I am, including checking off items as I'm in the store has been wonderful!

Why use Cozi?  Whether you have teenagers in your home or it's just you and your hubby (or even singles/students), you can benefit from Cozi.  If you want to be more organized, plan ahead, and accomplish more goals, Cozi is a great way to help you out. 


I am in no way benefiting from sharing this info with you.  I've just enjoyed it so much I wanted to spread the news!  What's the harm in trying it out?  It's free!  Take a look!


~ Carrie ~

21 Day Organizing Challenge - Week 1

It feels good to say that the first 7 days of the 21 Day Organizing Challenge (from the Bowl Full of Lemons blog) is complete.  To be honest, by Friday I was having second thoughts about doing this - particularly my timing in all of this (right before Easter... which I was hosting).  Now I can easily say that I'm glad I started it, and I'm now excited to share some of the results from my first week.  

Day 1 - Junk Drawer

BEFORE

AFTER

This drawer was actually recently tackled by my husband (a month or two ago).  He was a little put-out that I was re-cleaning it, but I told him that I hadn't gone through it yet.  I was able to get remove a bunch of my stuff that was in there (old baby things of Jadon's, a few small decorative things that I've not made a decision on where to put, and some other odds and ends).  This was a good place for me to start - and took all of 10 minutes to do!

Day 2 - Computer Desk

BEFORE

 I LOVE my desk.  It's a Craig's List find and probably over 100 years old.  The two things that I love most about this desk are 1) all the compartments and drawers (for staying organized) and 2) the slant front (I can close it and have everything out of sight... even my laptop!).  Unfortunately my desk had become cluttered with old lists, receipts, coupons, and just other junk!  I think the after came out pretty good!  I admit that I did not tackle the drawers underneath it because in all honesty, I completely forgot!  Maybe I'll get to that this week!  

AFTER

Day 3 - Tupperware Cabinet

My tupperware wasn't too bad.  I love the Rubbermaid containers I have.  Not sure exactly what they are called, but all the lids snap together for easy organization.  I would definitely recommend them, if I remembered what they were called... :)

AFTER

BEFORE

BEFORE (minus a couple items)

AFTER (with everything)

 Not a whole lot to see here, thankfully.  But there are some major trouble spots coming (especially next week), so stay with me!


Day 4 - Linen Closet

So, the story of my linen closet is that I was very excited to finally have a storage area solely devoted to sheets, towels, extra bedding, and toiletry items.  So, I started out organized (the bones are there), but have not kept up with it very well.  

AFTER

BEFORE

I like to stock up on extra toiletry and medical supplies when I see a good deal... unfortunately some of those things have a shelf life, so I threw out several things that I forgot I even had.  I packed away tons of baby shampoos, lotions, and body washes that were being stored in this closet.  I also found a couple pillowcases that I thought we had lost somewhere.  Woohoo!  Needless to say, I think the space is now being better used. 

BEFORE

AFTER

Day 5 - Under Kitchen Sink

BEFORE - Very cluttered... no established place for anything

AFTER - Organized

Oh, under the sink.  Who really looks under there anyway?  My only real strategy here was to put the things that I use most often closest to the front.  The bin contains extras (like dish soap, dish scrubber, and dusters) and smaller items that often get lost under the sink.  


Day 6 - Dresser Drawers

I had to modify this day.  We keep our dressers pretty well organized and often sort through and give away clothing we no longer wear.  So, I was trying to figure out what to do instead and immediately thought of our closets - but that is day 19!  So, I decided to tackle the guest room closet.  This closet stores out-of-season jackets, irons, and ironing boards.  It also is a convenient area to throw stuff from Jadon's room that needs to be packed up and brought to the attic (clothes and toys he's outgrown).  There were some more things on the left, but I couldn't get that in the picture.

BEFORE

AFTER

 Day 7 - The Pantry


This was definitely my biggest challenge of the week.  This pantry has been a project since we moved in!  It's better now, but still not done.  My hubby has promised that in the very near future he will build me a shelf just below where the spices are located.  (Maybe tomorrow?)  For now, it is a lot better!

BEFORE

AFTER

That's all until next week!  Here's what this week's list looks like:

·              Day 8 – Coat Closet

·              Day 9 – Toy Organization

·              Day 10 – Laundry Room

·              Day 11 – The Freezer

·              Day 12 – Spice Cabinet

·              Day 13 – Medicine Cabinet

·              Day 14 – Under Bathroom Sink

~ Carrie ~