Organizing Our Buena Vista

Well, we've been in the Buena Vista for nine months now. It's a work in progress. We make progress, take a break, work some more. For the most part, the rooms we need are usable. Everything that can be unpacked is with the exception of the guest room, office and the basement. My challenge for 2018 is organization.

(Put a blindfold on to ignore my eyesore behind the house.)

We unpacked hurriedly in some rooms to get boxes cleared and projects completed. I have so much storage space that is poorly used and in desperate need of help. I also have rooms that have terrible storage space that I need to figure out solutions. The linen closet, bathroom storage and kitchen come to mind as major red flags.

In January, my plan is to tackle the kitchen. The cabinet space is pitiful. Maybe because there is another kitchen - who know? I need to figure out a way to make it usable. To make all of the items we use daily available in cabinets. To figure a better way to store food other than on carts, which is what I'm using right now and which Carter loves to move if he is in the kitchen and also throw his plates down the basement stairs. Task accepted.

OK, January let's do this!

Pinterest Round-Up: January Projects

It's cold out and I have a sleeping baby after 8 p.m., so what better excuse to dive into some Pinterest projects on these chilly, winter evenings and during baby naps on weekends. I've been waiting until the holidays were over and my schedule to not be as crazy to start some of these. Here's what I'm hoping to work on this month.

READ Box for Library Books

Maybe it's the librarian in me who knows how often library books go missing or get mixed up with books kids already have, so I'm making Carter a READ box for his library books to keep in the living room. His books stay in the bedroom.

Baby Shadow Box

It's taken this long for me to realize that the pile of items in Carter's room that I set aside for a shadow box are still sitting there - his hospital bracelets, rose from church, bassinet name tag, etc. 

[Image from Pinterest.]

Space for Dennis' Stuff in the Living Room

This isn't really a Pinterest project but an organization task I need to accomplish. We have a large ottoman in the living room that doubles as a storage bin. I'm going to organize the inside for all of Dennis' mail, magazines, textbooks, etc.

Baby Size Hangers

Finally, I want to make size hangars for Carter's closet. Four months late again but at first I thought I didn't need it but I realized again tonight that it would be nice to have to separate his clothes.

[Image from Pinterest.]

And I hit the jackpot last weekend at Target with Christmas ornaments, so I think an impromptu Pinterest party might be in order to make holiday wreaths. Then I don't have to store the ornaments or I won't forget until it's too late that I bought them.

[Image from Pinterest.]

What Pinterest projects are you working on this winter?

2016 Halfway Done: Goal/Resolution Progress

I like writing mid-year posts about my New Year's goal/resolution progress. Writing this though, I literally had to go back and find that blog post because I had know idea what my goals for the year were. Obviously, I'm off to a great start!

I started the year just happy that it was no longer the Year of the Knee. I wrote about pretty much the same goals I have year after year regarding traveling, friends and family and buying a house. It was still too early to say anything then but 2017 is most definitely the Year of the Baby.

I had some quotes posted but this one pretty much sums the year up so far and what is ahead.

(Photo Credit: Pinterest)

Read

I've been reading a lot lately. Not really following my original reading list but working on a summer one right now. I've read some great books, which you can read about in my other posts.

Organize

I had hoped to be further along organizing by now but it's been busy. Obviously something worked though because the office is finally a nursery!

Travel

We went to Denver, Colorado Springs and Boulder in April! What a great trip! I loved the mountains and riding the train to Pikes Peak. Next stop, Key Largo to see Annie!

Workout

I found yoga this year. After three-four months of prenatal yoga, I think I actually learned to relax and I feel much more flexible. Hopefully, continuing it after Baby Lane arrives.

How are your 2016 goals coming?

Happy New Year!

Today I'm looking forward to a fresh start in 2016. 2015 revolved around my knee surgery and recovery. Nothing much else happened, so I'm excited for more travel, time with friends and family and hopefully a house!

These are some great quotes and inspiration I found on Pinterest that I hope to live by in the New Year.

I've said this before but Pinterest is one of the best and worst things in the world. There are so many wonderful things to try, make and do but definitely not enough time. This is a round-up of  a few pins I'd love to try this year.

Reading Lists

I used this pin to make my reading list for 2016. I've already started reading. It's great to be reading again after a long absence. I know that sounds crazy but I started 2015 off reading a lot but after my surgery I kept falling asleep when I read. Then I read a lot in the summer but got really busy in the fall and during the holidays, so I'm back at it.

Organization

The paper trail in our life has gotten out of control. I need a new system. Hence why I'm pinning so many paperwork organization ideas. This is a must for 2016.

Travel

I have a conference in Denver in April, so we are making a vacation out of it. Neither Dennis or I have ever been to Denver, so I'm pretty excited to see as much as I can in a short amount of time while not in conference sessions. Pinterest is a great resource for travel suggestions.

Healthy Lifestyle

2015 was all about walking again and finding workouts that fit my knee restrictions. I'm excited to spend more time in the pool and on the spin bike. I have enough swimming workouts pinned to last me a while.

That's just a few pins I'm trying. What are you hoping to accomplish in 2016 from your Pinterest pins?

An Organized Life: My New Planner

Yes, I'm a total nerd when it comes to my planner. I don't actually remember a time being without one starting in high school. For the beginning of the year, I was making my own, so that it provided everything I needed. The binding wasn't great though. I've had my heart set on an Erin Condren or Plum Paper planner forever but just couldn't bring myself to pay those costs. So, when we were in Williamsburg Dennis bought me a Lilly Pulitzer planner for one of my birthday presents. It's amazing!

It's Lilly Pulitzer. Did I mention that? I'm just a little excited still. There were so many to choose from. I went back three times before I actually made a decision. I got the biggest one since I have so much to plan and I write so big. It has sailboats on the cover, so of course it was love at first sight. There are calendars and daily sheets for 18 months. Plus pages to plan trips, list important dates and contacts and lots of note pages. Plus it has Lilly artwork the entire way through and there is a great folder and stickers at the beginning. It's so beautiful. I love to just look at it. Ha ha!

Here's a little peak inside my planner and how it is organized. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a little obsessed with my planners but it works.

Calendar Spread:

I color code my events. On the calendar it's pretty simple, navy for Dennis, lime green for me and pink for date night. My calendar is pretty straightforward. I don't really do anything crazy on the calendar.

Daily Spread:

Then I have my daily pages, which are also color coded.These have more than just the three on the calendar because there are colors for organization, financial, cleaning, etc. 

Daily and Weekly To-Do Lists:

I also have lists in the columns for items I'd like to do every day. These have codes because I write too big to fit it all in. These include drinking water, writing a blog post, exercising, stretching, etc. 

Then the weekly to-dos are on the opposite page and are items that I typically do once a week, including making a grocery list, checking the budget, updating the calendar, etc.

Post-It Notes:

Finally, I use post-its to mark my blog post ideas and daily cleaning tasks. That way I can move the blog post idea if I end up not using it. The cleaning tasks then get moved to the next Monday after I complete them. Eventually I will do this with my exercise routine as well but for now I have a chart that I keep in the folder.

That's my crazy life organized!

Simplify Sunday: Old Christmas Cards

Today, I was taking down the Christmas cards that were hanging in my kitchen. Don't worry! It's the only piece of Christmas that I'm taking down, especially considering that I didn't get my decorations up until late. I'm just trying to organize the kitchen and they needed to go.

What do you normally do with your old Christmas cards?

I absolutely love receiving and sending Christmas cards but once January comes around its hard to part with those that have been received yet it is also hard to come up with a good plan on why they should be kept year after year.

In the past, I think I either donated the cards to the library for projects with my teens or recycled them. Sometimes I even used them for my only DIY projects, which I didn't really get to do this year. What to do then?

I was searching around online and found that you could donate old Christmas cards. There is an organization called St. Jude's Ranch for Children, which uses the front of the cards to make new ones that are sold to raise money for the organization. Learn more here.

I decided to send them a stack. I didn't really have that many to send once I weeded out the picture cards and ones with sentimental value that I either hang on the refrigerator or use as bookmarks. They also don't take American Greetings, Disney or Hallmark so that dwindled the stack.

Just an option that I found interesting, especially since many don't know what to do with those old cards. Don't want to throw them away or spend the money to send them away...donate them to the local library!

In 2015, I will...

Honestly, I'm happy to say goodbye to 2014. Yes, I went on an absolutely fabulous honeymoon cruise and got an amazing new job but everything was overshadowed by the almost five months I spent wearing a knee brace, receiving physical therapy and other treatments and visiting UPMC Sports Medicine too many times. My knee and further treatment are in limbo right now but that's another post for another day. So, 2015 I'm more than happy to welcome you today!

Here's to 2015 and some accomplishable goals (a few repeats from 2014):

Do a weekly RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS.

Sometimes I feel like I get to caught up in myself and I forget to think about others. In 2015, I want to be a better person and do simple random acts of kindness for others.

Get back in shape with LOW IMPACT EXERCISE

Due to my knee injury, I haven't been able to do much the last few weeks. In the New Year, I have developed a work out schedule to get back in shape by doing all low impact workouts - swimming, cycling, roller blading, ellipitcal, etc.

(Pinterest)

READ.

I've already made a list of 28 books that I want to read this year, in addition to the book club titles. I met my goal last year, so I'm confident I can get some great reads in this year.

SIMPLIFY.

TRAVEL.
This year, we are hoping to take a trip to Williamsburg in the spring, New York City in the summer and Montreal in the fall.

BLOG.

Obviously I never make this goal and my blog goes neglected for months. That's changing today.

ORGANIZE the apartment.
This was one of my goals two years ago. Well, we are still in the same apartment, so it needs done again and I want to be prepared to move easier.

Save money and BUY A HOUSE.

Be HEALTHY.

Spend more time with FRIENDS and FAMILY.

Well, goodbye 2014. Take the knee brace with you! Looking forward to a happy and healthy (sinus infection free) 2015!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

My Crazy Type A Personality

This weekend I saw a BuzzFeed list circulating about Type A personalities, which of course I had to read. Man...it was me to a T! I think everything applied to me except for like two of the points.

Here is the article: "28 Problems Every Type-A Personality Will Understand."

And this is my personal take on the points...

1. Not being stressed does stress me out. I thrive on stress I think.

2. I do need everything done ASAP. My husband reiterated this to me. I'm always working on deadlines set by no one but myself.

3. I HATE BEING LATE! I have a panic attack if I'm late.

4. This one doesn't really apply to me...I sometimes take quite a while to reply to emails or texts. Depends on the day I suppose...

5. I am a total wreck until my project is complete. I can't think about anything else.

6. I HATE WHEN PEOPLE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN OR RELAX! It isn't that easy!

7. Yes, and even when I'm relaxing it is regimented.

8. Weekends are definitely not for relaxing! They are win I work on my ultimate to-do lists and run lots of errands.

9. Dating wasn't really hard because Dennis definitely has some Type A tendencies.

10. I really don't like notifications that are unchecked.

11. Dennis' desktop is my nightmare. Too many items on the desktop!

12. Unless for some crazy reason, I have extra time I do hate waiting in line. The G6 needs air in the tires but I wouldn't wait yesterday in the line, so I'm just driving on really low air pressure.

13. I can not waste time. I always feel like I am though.

14. I would say I'm pretty competitive.

15. I probably wouldn't say everything in life for me is a competition though.

16. My to-do list is my guidebook for life. I would not survive without it.

(Case in point. My work planner and my non work planner.)

17. I normally just have Post-Its everywhere. My planner has Post-Its stuck everywhere.

18. My calendar is ridiculous. I schedule bills and workouts too.

(And this is just my personal calendar! Google Sync wouldn't work, so this doesn't even include my work meetings, etc. which are below.)

19. I'm not gonna lie. My books are color coded in the office at home. Not sure if I like it though...

20. I definitely do more than two things at a time.

21. I can't handle not being in charge of group projects because then nothing gets done!

22. Slow walkers are like my biggest pet peeve.

23. No one can keep up with my pace! Ha ha!

24. I don't do all nighters. I've only ever done one when I was rewriting my honors thesis because I didn't like it. Ha ha!

25. I can't procrastinate. It's impossible.

26. I don't drink any caffeine, which I guess is weird for Type-A personalities.

27. I definitely bite off more than I can chew but I get it all done.

28. It is stressful!

Are you Type A? Do you have these problems?

I cut my planner out of my life...cold turkey.

It is hard to believe I'm actually saying this...I have parted ways with my planner. Yes friends, I am currently out of the house without my planner. I do have my work planner still. Yes, I use two planners. Getting rid of one is progress...

 

It  was necessary. Pages were falling out. Both covers were gone. Papers were everywhere. It was a mess and stressing me out instead of helping me organize my life. I could not find a planner I liked at Target, so I had to find other options.

 

What am I doing to manage my life without the planner? I bought a to-do list app and updated my Google calendar. The app is called Clear List and I can now color code my list and check off items as I complete them. Its fabulous! I keep daily to-do lists, so my app has lists into June already. I know, I'm crazy! I like my life to be organized. Sometimes it doesn't work tho, so hopefully this will now that it is literally in the palm of hand.

 

Giving up my planner is refreshing and I feel a little less stressed yet its weird too. I have never been without a planner since high school. Its my life. This is kind of like giving up smoking for me.

 

Well, I can now say that I've finally embraced the technology my phone has to offer. We will see how long I last...here goes nothing. 

Board Game Organization

A few posts ago I talked about how I made artwork for our entry way out of box lids (read post here).  Well, I had to find a way to organize the games that now were missing box lids.  Yes, thanks to Pinterest, I create a ridiculous amount of projects.

We don't have that many but they still take up a lot space.  The boxes are bulky and when you think about it there really isn't that much in them.  So, I emptied out the boxes and placed all of the pieces for each game in a labeled Ziploc bag.  Then I put them in alphabetical order with the game boards at the back.

I had an extra storage bin that I used to hold all of the bags and boards.  It seems like a good start.  If we get more games, we'll need more bins but for now this works.  It will be nice for game night, if we ever have one, because we can just grab the entire bin instead of multiple boxes.