Fall Check-In: My To-Do List 2.0

In the blog-o-sphere, there are some things that I want to be anonymous and others where a swift kick in the hiney is needed for accountability.  Looks like this is the latter.

Originally, I posted a February Vacation-week to-do list.  I needed a jump start, a reboot, a refresher on my life.  I figured, I could make a to-do list, get some things done, and feel accomplished, especially since I wasn't going anywhere for the vacation other than some local trips with the kids.  I posted it, revisited it after the week was over... and it flew off into internet space...

Well, time has passed, and some of these original items are still pending... so it looks like I'll tackle the To-Do List 2.0

1) Credit cards will be paid off monthly. Yipes - still the #1 on the list.  I really want to get on the envelope system before 2013 is done... Dave Ramsey's Envelope System is something that I have wanted to do for years, but have never quite gotten around to it... There has to be a way of doing it as well as online banking... I just need to figure out how!

2) Finish the Fireplace Mantle and Stairwell.  Got the stairwell painted the last week of June, but have yet to put on the railing, fix the last three stairs, or finish the fireplace surround.  Would like to get all that done before the holidays.  Might have to bite the bullet and hire someone...

3) Train my kids to clean up after themselves. Still.a.work.in.progress...for ALL the kids.

4) Extend this new mantra to my classroom. New school year, with the same potential issues.  I'm vowing to do the 5-minute clean up each day before I leave, with the expectation that I will be able to set out my first period items before I leave.  Good habits need to be formed.  This is a must!

5) Make two loaves of bread each week. It's interesting what people won't eat, especially when they dislike one-pot meals that I favor.  I'm going to focus on the basics now - rice, beans, soups, breads, Crock-Pot meals and shopping lists and encourage those who complain to help with the planning.

6) Pay bills online and automatically. This is hard when you are living paycheck to paycheck, which I admit I am.  An auto pay works well - when you have money in the bank.  Unfortunately, my employer also had three separate times last school year where there was an issue with direct deposit, so I'm a bit reluctant to put the BIG items like the mortgage on auto pay.  But some of the others are on a credit card to be billed automatically, then I'll pay the card when the money is in.  Hopefully that will work.

7) Automatic savings transfers This one is partially in progress again.  I really want to have the little amounts each month for the annual expenses like scout camp or school field trips.  Five dollars per week isn't missed - but is very easy to spend if it's there...  Little by little, a little becomes a lot!

8) Slow down and smell the roses. This is easier said than done.  I think a part of me is addicted to staying busy, but I know that I need to slow down and pay attention to little things along the way.  Tell those around me what I appreciate about them and model that behavior for my kids.  Just gotta do this one...




9) Assault the piles of junk. The never-ending piles of stuff:  appliances, clothes, old school items, books, toys...  I don't feel I have enough 'big and generic' items for a tag sale, but I do have specialized items that should be posted on Ebay.  Even a small item might be of interest to someone who is searching for that last item for their collection.  I just need to start parting with my collections.  Slow and steady (and maybe it will pay for Christmas!)



10) Put away what you take out.  This also sounds goofy, but is hard for me.  I'm a sprawler.  I spread my stuff out on the table and work, not in piles, but in almost a fan-like array.  Then I stack.  I sort items in piles with the intention of filing them or recycling them or taking them to school to put away there (and then they find their way into yet another stack of papers with good intentions).  I will find a location for everything.  And then, put it in it's place.  I think that's why I really am in LOVE with my label maker (Brother PT1290).  With it, I have to commit to a location for an item, and train myself to put said item back to it's home.  Of course, I may need an intervention after I over label everything, but it's putting me on course to a path of organization.

We'll see what the future of the fall will bring.

Check out my other blog HERE where I try to document my journey to curb the chaos in my life both at work and a play.  Feel free to leave a comment or a suggestion, especially any ideas to help me tackle all my figurative dirty laundry (and the actually dirty laundry...)

Thanks -

Post Winter Vacation Clutter Update:

Have I made the grade? Status report after one week of tackling the crap in my house...

1) Credit cards will be paid off monthly. Have to check in on this, however, I did add some to the cards to complete the insulation in the attic. Hopefully the tax rebate will offset the expense, and I'll save money on the heating oil.

2) Join the Do not call registry. Cross this one off the list

3) Clean out the closets and Rotate seasonal clothes. Waiting on this one for the warmup in the weather. Maybe Spring Break will be a better check in point.

4) Train my kids to clean up after themselves. Still working on this...it's a daily battle of wits, though they're better at emptying the dishwasher and (partially) folding clothes...cleaning up their own rooms is definitely an uphill battle.

5) Extend this new mantra to my classroom. Of course, didn't set foot in the school over break, so I can't claim I did anything to chip away at this one...seems that I can work on this one one piece at a time. 5 minutes of cleaning each day is a good way to start. Break out the timer!

6) Eat through the pantry and freezer before shopping for more. Breadmaker is running; muffins in the freezer; this one is in progress, but can't quite cross it out yet.

7) Pay bills online and automatically. Still in progress here, but making more steps to complete it.

8) .Automatic savings transfers CHECK! Both the kiddos accounts and mine are automatically added to each month. Every penny counts.

9) The year of the backyard vacations. Once the mortgage situation gets finished and I can figure out what my work status is for the summer, I think I can start thinking about this one...but we certainly are taking a journey to the river this summer!

10) Assault the piles of junk. Worked a bit on this one, but still need to hit the boxes of stuff that I've set aside. But the basement workshop got sorted (still need to go through the drawers, organize & label). Once the weather warms up, we can tackle the garage (yet again, this seems to be an annual event!)

So, after one weekend, we are in progress. I may not have completed EVERYTHING on my list, but did get several big things accomplished. Vacation week is a success!

Declutter and de-debt my life

As I'm working towards streamlining my life, I am officially on the 'declutter' and 'lower my debt' campaign.

I have too much stuff. I routinely clean out the junk drawer, sort through the closet for Goodwill, clip coupons, and send the hand-me-downs to my nephews. However, there also seems to be a perpetual wave of stuff...I have a new mission to assault the debt and clutter in my life.

1) Credit cards will be paid off monthly. This will be a challenge for me. I typically haven't had this as an issue, but realize that I need to use the cards as only an emergency lifeline, not as a normalcy for life.

2) Join the Do not call registry. and are resources that can begin the process of eliminating junk mail and phishing phone calls. I also will begin calling catalogs that I don't want anymore (somehow I keep getting added to many more mailing lists...) and removing my name from their registry.

3) Clean out the closets and Rotate seasonal clothes. I like the idea of having a new wardrobe each change of season, but often I forget what I have until I open the box. Feel the need this year to organize a bit more, so in the 'off season' I will remember if I have a pair of khaki shorts or black wool pants. Getting the body in shape is also affecting my wardrobe (a good problem to have I suppose) but I also need to not go crazy over work-out clothes, hiking shoes, or flip flops.

4) Train my kids to clean up after themselves. A never ending battle, but still a valuable skill that I alone am responsible for. Cleanliness = rewards. Whatever their currency is, I need to capitalize on it.

5) Extend this new mantra to my classroom. Clutter and my classroom seem to be attached at the hip. I need to make an effort to clean up and organize a piece at a time, then maintain it. I'd like to see my desk BEFORE the last day of school.

6) Eat through the pantry and freezer before shopping for more. A slow process, but a necessary one. The pantry doesn't have to be full, but does need to be eaten. I think I can save money in shopping this way if we just ate what we had and didn't throw away food. I also want to utilize the breadmaker & wafflemaker more this year.

7) Pay bills online and automatically. This will allow me to save money on stamps as well as manage the bank account with more accuracy, especially with only two paychecks per month.

8) Automatic savings transfers. That 'rainy day fund' and 'college savings account' that doesn't get added to needs to have constant attention, without getting ignored with some excuse. To I pay myself first? That's a goal for this year. Get the accounting in order and take care of those emergency funds NOW!

9) The year of the backyard vacations. This year will be the year of the 'staycation' where we will visit family & friends, rather than the monumental trip. Documenting these trips also make the journey last longer - a DVD of pictures or a scrapbook book that we can look at over and over again.

10) Assault the piles of junk. Each day, I'm going to tackle a pile of junk in my house...and not just to 'move it to another room'. I want to trash it and pop it in a box for later. If I haven't looked at it in 2 weeks, maybe I don't need it. The problem I do have, is I put much of it aside until I 'have the time to deal with it'. This is the week to deal with it...

Status report in a week. We'll see what kind of grade I'll give myself!