Tracking To Do Lists

My mother has always been good at keeping a list of her to dos in a spiral notebook. As a matter of fact, there was even an occasion when my sister-in-law was running errands with her and they wanted to eat at Whataburger. When Suzanne looked at the list, it wasn't on there so she quickly grabbed a pen and added it to the list!

My mother has even gotten my dad using one since his retirement! But this never worked for me. It would work for a couple of weeks but then I slowly stopped using it and didn’t even realize it until a few months later when I came across the notebook by accident. I tried keeping track on my iPhone but I didn’t want to buy an app. Surely there is something out there that will work.

Yesterday, it hit me – what about using the Reminders app? I had started a couple of lists to track ongoing projects and possible needs around the house but nothing else until I realized that I could create a list for each day. If something is accomplished, it gets checked off and you can look back at your completed items and they are even shown by date! If something doesn’t get accomplished on the assigned date, it is moved to the next day when I could work on it. For example, Sunday was the day I was supposed to finish the laundry but it didn’t happen so I moved it to Monday.

You have to look quickly before the completed tasks disappear from the screen

You can even change the order the lists occur. So I might try keeping the current day as the first list that way when I open the app, I see today’s list. Since I’ve only been using this app for a few days, it’s hard to tell if it will work long term. After all, other systems have worked for a couple of weeks and then “fell apart at the seams.”

Here is a screen shot of Monday’s list. You can see that I moved laundry from Sunday to Monday.

I would love to know what you have found is way to keep track of your To-Do’s. Do you use technology or are you from the old school of pen and paper? How does it work for you? What do you think? HELP!

Weekend Warrior, Pt. 5

Friday night, Bobby spent the night with Michael’s parents and his cousin. This was the first time that he has done that since Michael died. It is kind of weird being home by myself. The good news is that I was able to drive the Cruiser home finally! It had been parked at my in-laws house for over two weeks. Michael’s best friend came and checked out the clutch and discovered a leaking clutch master cylinder. Evidently Michael knew about it because he had extra fluid inside the Cruiser.

Saturday I had to work longer than usual so I didn’t get much done. Bobby had a Boy Scouts Pack Meet at the football field. So we didn’t get home until almost 5 o’clock! I had a list of things to do that didn’t get done at all! Which means that all had to be moved to Sunday plus church. WOW! Weekends like this remind you of how difficult it is to be alone in this experience. I was afraid that I wasn’t going to be able to take B to Boy Scouts. That would have been the first time that being alone would have truly interfered with my ability to be there for Bobby. But God has a plan and He has control so I was able to leave work in time to eat lunch, change clothes, and take a breather before heading back to town! AWESOME!!! (BTW – in case you were wondering about the size of the trunk in a Mustang – yes, it is big enough for a large cooler but no, the opening isn’t large enough for the cooler to get in the space!) 

Sunday after church, we ran our errands and returned home to begin the Weekend Warrior projects. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough hours left in the weekend! I was determined to get one fun project accomplished though. I saw the best idea for storing shoes on Pinterest and knew this would be the best way for me. Here is the before picture:

Pretty scary, huh? The funny thing is there was an unmatched shoe! You would think I would find it after all the cleaning up but nope! I have no idea where it is or what happened to it!

1. Clean out shoes
2. Hang rod
3. Bend wire hangers to correct shape
4. Hang shoes on rod

Easy right? WRONG! First of all, I bought PVC pipe assuming my shoes wouldn’t be heavy enough to justify needing a metal pole but it turns out I was wrong, as you might be able to see from the after pictures. (For future reference, a 10’ pole will fit in a Mustang with the back seat folded down.)

I would also recommend extra care when you are bending the clothes hangers because I stabbed my thumb with one.

And so I leave with you this week with another picture of the goofy dog named Radar. This time he tried to find some food in a Sonic bag but couldn’t get his head out! DUH!! He’s just not the brightest dog I’ve ever known!

Weekend Warrior Pt. 3

Another weekend of lots of projects and very little time! My parents were here again. I had to work Saturday morning while Bobby had another basketball game. He only scored one time this week. One more game next week and then we are done until baseball season after school is out for the summer.

Dad had big plans for the house while Mom and I headed to Home Depot and Wal-Mart. A couple of hours later...we arrived back home to find Dad in the bathroom and Bobby playing Wii. Luckily, I had taken pictures before we left the house!

Bathroom Ceiling Before

Bathroom Ceiling Before

 

This is how my bathroom ceiling has been for several months. The original ceiling was falling in so Michael removed it and we hung up mold resistant drywall up but we never made the time to go back and finish the job. (If you look carefully you can see the screws and the joints between each piece.) And now for the “after” pictures…

Bathroom Ceiling Part 2

Bathroom Ceiling Part 2

Bathroom Ceiling Part 2

 

These pictures show the mud that now covers the screws and joints. But there is still one more important task ahead and that is mine, all mine! PAINTING!!! That’s for this weekend.

Here are a couple of before pictures of my pantry which has been driving me crazy! 

Pantry Before

Pantry Before

 

You couldn’t hardly walk in there because there was so much stuff on the floor. The shelves on the left are only about 7” deep which is just enough room for two cans of veggies or soup. The back shelves are about a foot deep but not very long. I used to think it was a huge pantry and there was plenty of room until I tried to actually start using the space. Now for the reveal:

 

 

Didn’t my mom do a wonderful job! My job was to throw away boxes and hand her new items from the Wal-Mart trip. (Basically, staying out of the way!) But it was so worth it because now we know where everything is and can find it!

I bought a new thermostat for our living room heater at Home Depot and Dad installed that too!

Old Thermostat

New Thermostat

But that’s not the end of our Weekend Warrior projects. I signed up to be the party chairman for B’s Valentine party at the beginning of the school year when I thought I was going to be a stay-at-home mom and we would be allowed to bring homemade goods to the party/class. But no such luck! Things change on a dime and we just learn to go with the flow! The school decided to no longer allow home baked goods and my dear husband died suddenly! I bought $12 worth of cupcakes at Wal-Mart but I know that there’s usually way too much food so I borrowed a Pinterest idea and wrapped the cupcakes up so they could take them home for another time and not have to waste them.

  

While I was wrapping cupcakes, B was writing his Valentine’s cards. Unfortunately, he sealed them all up inside out and you couldn’t see the names! Mom to the rescue! I sat at work Tuesday morning pulling each one apart and refolding them so he could see the names to pass them out. A mom’s work is never done!

And so I leave you with one more picture of the two cutest dogs! They are not brothers as a matter of fact, one is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the other is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi! They do look a lot alike except for tail vs. no tail! They fight like brothers but can also love like brothers like this last picture shows!

Buster & Radar

What would you do different? Do you see something weird in my pantry that can be done differently? (Yes, I know we eat too much packaged foods but one hurdle at a time!)


Please share this post with other women that you know who have recently lost their spouse. Maybe they need some encouragement to jump their next hurdle. I want to be an inspiration to them!

Esther 4:14b NIV And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Weekend Warrior Pt. 2

I made my list last week of projects to accomplish over the weekend - Weekend Warrior time! Of course, there’s the weekly household chores – laundry, cleaning, dishes, etc. But this weekend included some extras:

1.       B’s basketball game @ 9:30

2.      Get the Cruiser inspected

3.      Finally put away the Christmas boxes

4.      Organize B’s Lego & Transformer instructions

5.      Reorganize the pantry

Saturday morning started off with B scoring TWO baskets for the THIRD week in a row! My mom called him our ‘two basket guy.’ He’s extremely proud of himself!

Off I went to get the Cruiser inspected. Michael’s favorite toy was his 1975 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40.

My only concern was that it had not been inspected since June 2010. It passed with flying colors! Off I headed to do some quick grocery shopping and a quick Dollar General Store stop.
Now, to work I go! (Yeah for me because I remembered to take before pictures!)

And now the reveal of my newly regained dining room…

Ahhh, now that’s much better! Dinner anyone?

Next project would have to wait for the evening. I really needed a nap after all that work! LOL!
But, at least I did get it done! There is just no good way to store all of those instructions. Or I’m still looking for the best way to store all of those instructions! Looking at Pinterest has really inspired me and so here is what I came up with…

I combined Lego books that were multiple books from the same set. I also combined Transformers that were essentially the same. For example, all versions of Optimus Prime are in one sheet protector and Bumblebee is in its own pocket. B has a few Mini-Cons that are very small directions so those are combined into one protector. I created a cover sheet and a label for the spine. I also spent some time explaining to B how the system should work. (Take one out and use it then replace it as soon as you are finished.) The best part of this is that all of the directions are in one place. I realized that B really doesn’t use the directions very much but it was important that they all be kept together.

So, now you would expect to see some before pictures of the pantry, right! Well, you can keep looking and you won’t find them. Sunday morning we went to church and I was officially done for the day and weekend! I just couldn’t make myself do anything else! I don’t know what the problem was for sure but I have some theories.

1.       Monday was my 42^nd birthday. It was the first one without my dear sweet husband. Maybe I was mentally preparing myself for the sadness that I knew the day would bring.

2.      Maybe I was just tired.

3.      Maybe I just needed a break.

4.      Maybe I just didn’t care.

5.      Maybe I was just resting up for the Super Bowl.

6.      Maybe I was starting to get sick because I feel awful today.

7.      Maybe it was overwhelming to think about starting such a large project on my own even though I had already purchased baskets to organize the shelves.

Whatever the reason, it didn’t get done. But the good news is there is still food in there, organizing the pantry doesn’t prevent the outflow of food! So that project will remain on the Weekend Warrior list. My parents are coming again this weekend so we will see what exciting projects we can come up with. B has another basketball game Saturday. How about a 4^th game in a row of 2 baskets?

I'm still here!

It's been a long month around here! Michael had neck surgery on August 29 and has been off work since then. Yesterday he went back for his 2nd follow-up appointment and he was released to return to work - FINALLY! Don't get me wrong - I love my husband with all my heart, soul, body, and mind but there is such a thing as too much togetherness! Anyway, today, he went back to work. And so did I!

On today's agenda:
* Bible Study - done
* Wash sheets
* Bake dog treats - done
* Vacuum

* Cook dinner
* Pick up Bobby & his friend from school
* Football practice @ 5:30

Bobby has been looking forward to this day for 2 weeks! Last week he went to his friend's house but this week we are returning the favor. I'll pick up both boys from school and they'll hang out here until time for practice. This is a first for us. The closest we have had is the neighbor's grandson came over for a couple of hours twice. Since he lives in San Antonio that doesn't happen very often.

A few weeks ago, Bobby threw what can only be described as a "party" for the dogs. You'll notice in the picture that there is dog food all over my bedroom. That's Bobby's version of confetti for dogs! When his Aunt Pud found out, she sent us some dog treat recipes. Today I made a batch. Maybe this could be a way to earn some extra income? Okay it's not a full-time job but anything can help us out.

It's time to get back to work but I wanted to show something I have done today in the world of organization. I saw this idea awhile ago on Pinterest and am finally getting around to doing it for my kitchen. The original picture had a small board with cup hooks but I decided that nails directly into the cabinet doors would be fine for my purposes. After all, my cabinets are just plywood and very old. You can see from the picture that there has been a multitude of items hung with tape before we ever moved into the house. I don't know what they were but one of the cabinet doors still had something and I included a couple of pictures of those. One is a Calorie Counter and the other is an emergency information paper.











If you look closely, you might be able to see the phone numbers but just in case:
 
Local Poison Control 5-3235
    Physician 5-4125

I love this because it shows how phone numbers used to be written. And just think, in larger towns you now have to dial 10 digits!

Organizing 8-19-2011

Today we worked for 2 hours cleaning Bobby's Fathead Life-sized Batman. Yes, 2 hours! I used warm soapy water and a sponge to clean the dust, fur, and dead bugs from the sticky back. It never really stayed up very well and we used pushpins to make it stay but as time went by it got dirty and started falling and tearing small holes where the pushpins were located. Last week it finally fell almost completely to the floor. I bought 3M Command poster strips to attach on the back and rehang it. Five hours later, it is still hanging! We'll see!

My lovely sister-in-law, Ann, told me about Pinterest a few weeks ago. I requested an invitation and downloaded the app to my iPhone but never really messed with it until today. While reading a blog that I regularly visit, I'm an Organizing Junkie, I noticed she had a link to follow her on Pinterest. So I did and what a goldmine Pinterest really is!

Copied from the Pinterest About page:
"Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.
Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."
 I found some wonderful organizing ideas. Here is one that I used today:

You can't see the labels but they are from top to bottom:

• Bobby's Medicine
• Razors & Cough Drops

The drawers are:

• Ointments - Neosporin, Anti-itch creams, etc.
• Bandaids
• Misc. - medicine cups, oral syringes, eyedropper

My other tool we have actually been using a couple of weeks. Bobby was driving me crazy asking "What's for dinner?" I either didn't have an answer or he didn't like my answer. I have attached a dry erase board to the inside of our pantry door. It is labeled with the days of the week and I use dry erase markers to write "What's for dinner." It has been so helpful! Now Bobby will start to ask me what's for dinner and catch himself. He turns and runs to the pantry.

In the following picture, Bobby has written Saturday's menu. I asked him last week to pick something he wanted to eat from his New Junior Cookbook (Better Homes & Gardens Cooking) He chose Chicken Strips, but being the terrible mom that we can all be from time to time, I didn't realize that I was out of chicken breasts! So, it got postponed a few days. Then it got postponed again due to Michael being out of town and then Bobby had a sleep over. I had him erase it and rewrite it on Saturday night.
Our Friday night is almost always pizza night. I think I might have a Bobby's choice night and maybe even a Daddy's choice (although he usually doesn't care except nothing weird, no casseroles, or spaghetti!)
The final part of the menu is "YOYO" night. I read this on another blog that I can't remember where but it stands for "Your On Your Own." This is the night that Mom doesn't cook except maybe heat up something for Bobby. It seems to be working!

Sunday is blank because we ate out. Monday was quesadillas. Tuesday was YOYO. Wednesday is blank because I was home alone until around 8:30 when Michael got home. Thursday night we had roast and potatoes. Friday is our usual pizza. And Saturday night, Bobby and I will make chicken strips with Cheez-It crackers!

Some of my meal ideas are taken from my E-mealz subscription. What a great idea! Dave Ramsey had recommended it and then I found out another lovely sister-in-law had used it when they were working through their Baby Steps with Dave Ramsey. They are money saving meals and are available with approximate costs based on different stores. You can subscribe for 2 or 4 people, the grocery store, and even diet specific needs. I download my meal plan every Thursday or Friday and copy the recipes into BigOven, a digital cookbook. I can access my recipes on my laptop, online, or on my iPhone! Awesomeness!

WOW! Lot's of information today! Two posts in one day? Scary! Of course that means I probably won't post again for a week! LOL! No, I'll probably be back early next week to report on my job interview on Monday. Also, I have a surprise for Bobby's teacher to share with you but I want to wait until after Monday just in case she reads this!