Rediscovering my organizational skills

I've always prided myself for my organizational skills.  I loved being able to find what I wanted easily.  To do so, I used a lot of color coding, and didn't let things accumulate until it was a mountain I didn't want to attack.

Lately, I've been having trouble finding motivation to getting re-organized.  Quite honestly, I don't know when I allowed myself to get so disorganized.  Years...  It frustrates me, and though I've wanted to be much more organized for a long time, I haven't known where to begin.  Too many projects, and not knowing where to start.

Well, I put a stop to that a couple weekends ago.  And while I can't get everything done overnight (which is a frustrating fact), I've acknowledged that I have to start small.  So I did.

I made a list of 8 things I want to get done before the end of 2015.  I know that it may not be realistic, but accepting that this is what I want and need to do, was a big step.  And should I only get 5 things done, then I will complete the other 3 next year.

After making this list, I placed them in order of importance, and also, in order of what can be accomplished that wouldn't be such a daunting task.  From there, I added steps for the first 3 on the list.

1. Clean up the basement
1. Separate basement into 3 areas - "Keep", "Throw Away" and "Sell/Giveaway"
2. Go through 5 boxes every weekend until everything is in one of these areas
2. Meal planning
1. Create a list of meals we like and/or want to try
2. Separate them into categories (chicken, beef, pasta, salad, etc.)
3. Each Saturday select a few meals to make
4. Create grocery list
5. Create meal calendar (keeping a couple days for left-overs)
3. Inventory baby things
1. Go through what we have to determine what we need and/or want

The basement has been something I've wanted to do for years.  We have so many boxes that we haven't unpacked, which tells me, there's a lot of stuff down there that we don't need.  It's just been so daunting because there's soooo much stuff!  I'll go through 1 box and get discouraged.  However, I think with this plan in place, I can do it over the course of a month or two without it being so time consuming.  And without it just feeling like a never ending task.  Seeing the piles go from one corner to 3 corners, should assist in getting that perception of accomplishment.

I wanted to start a couple weekends ago, but that's at the same time the contractor started working on the roof and new staircase for our patio.  Since the basement door goes to the backyard, they've used part of it for storing tools, and have also had to place some supports in the wall.  So the basement is a mess, and kind of unworkable.  Instead of feeling defeated, I started working on the meal planning project.

I made a list of over 80 meals that I know we like, but also went through my magazines and found several things that I've wanted to try.  For the 3rd week in a row, from this list, I've created my meal calendar for the upcoming week.  This has also helped me create a grocery list instead of just going down each aisle, one at a time grabbing what I "think" we'll need.  

How well has it worked?  It's worked great actually!  I know what I'm making for dinner when I get home from work instead of spending time trying to make a decision and landing on something easy, and not necessarily healthy.  Best of all, it worked fantastically in being organized for the party we had here on Saturday.

For the 5th time, I think, we hosted a fantasy draft at our house.  We've done this for our baseball and football leagues (though I don't play in the football one).  I planned my menu a week prior to the event, I created my grocery list from the menu, and everything was absolutely ready 15 minutes after our first guests arrived.  Basically, I just needed to empty and re-fill the dishwasher.  Not bad right?? :).  See pictures below - perhaps you'll want to join us for our next draft!

Next on my list is doing an inventory of what baby things we have, as we prepare for Samantha's arrival.  For sure, this won't be the easiest task.  It will probably mean going through Preston's room...  which #4 on the list is cleaning up his room :(.  Maybe early October, we'll be ready to do this.  I think we've landed on placing a lot of his things into a chest.  It'll allow us to access them when we want, and make us feel like we haven't just written him off, replaced him.  He is and always will be our special little guy.

One day, maybe we'll have a special place in the house to display our favorite Preston things.  At this point in time, it's still too painful to look at every day.  Don't get me wrong, there are reminders of him everywhere - a picture of the quilt square I made is in the living room, a photo book of his best pictures is in our front room, many of his things are still on display in our bedroom, his sonogram pictures are still on the fridge.  These things, make us feel like he's with us every day, and at the same time, hopefully aren't overwhelming to our visitors.

Rediscovering my organizational skills comes at a great time.  I'm finally feeling ready to tackle the many projects that have been crowding my mind.  And as with everything, one day at a time.  No reason to feel overwhelmed even if the list is long, because only so much can be accomplished in a day.  And the more organized I feel, the less I feel like these things aren't going to get done.  Imagine that?

What are your favorite organizational tools?

Quiet night

I don't like loud things.  As I sit writing my entry tonight, I hear the crickets chirp.  I hear the jingles of Acro and Calex's bells from their collars as they run the night away downstairs. I hear the hum of the fan from Brett's desktop computer in the office just behind our bedroom. I hear an occasional car go by on the side street.  I hear my fingers hit the keys on my laptop as I type.

I have a soft voice and don't like to speak loudly or yell.  I don't like being yelled at, does anyone?  I guess I do enjoy blasting a good song while driving in my car... but that's about all the loud I can stand.  We were so blessed as Preston was a very quiet baby boy.  His cry was sweet.  His coos were adorably soft.  He was never loud.  I'd trade anything to have him back, even if it meant having him be the loudest baby in the world. 

It's the first time that I'm alone in the house, overnight, since Preston passed away.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet, but I know it's something I was going to have to do eventually, so why not bite the bullet now?  Brett went over to his parents' house to help with a project tomorrow morning.  I had a few things to do around the house and since I also want to be able to take some time to relax over the weekend,  I felt I wouldn't have the chance to do too much of that if I went with. He'll be spending a big chunk of tomorrow up there.  And, like I said earlier, I needed to bite the bullet at some point; He'll have to go out of town on business at some point.  At least, right now, he's close-ish if I were to totally go crazy and need him home with me.

I spent the evening emptying out the china cabinet in preparation for Brett to remove the carpet and start the tiling project.  All I have left are the delicate wine glasses and other drinkware.  I need to go buy thinner paper to wrap them in. What I used for the rest of the dishes and various trinkets I keep in the cabinet is just too thick.  How is it that we accumulate so much stuff?  And I'm one of those people who doesn't like to throw out anything because of the memories.  I was starting to think that I need to get rid of a lot of things, but you know, sometimes memories are all you have left.. so if you want to hold on to them, do it!  Go down memory lane one day and let yourself smile by remembering happy times.  If they don't make you smile, then maybe it's time to get rid of the things that just create more clutter.

Back to my evening, I emptied the cabinet, and caught up on General Hospital, woohoo.  Looking forward to next week, looks like Nathan aka Detective SexyPants is about to figure out that Levi is a crook!  Yay!  Can't stand Levi - lol.  Ah, yes a glimpse into my addiction to GH...  That is a topic for another day ;)

When I finished with all that, I tried listening to a song I liked to sing to my sweet P when I was trying to get him to fall asleep - Show 'Em (What You're Made Of).  Yes, that's a Backstreet Boys song.  Sue me, I grew up in the 80s and 90s and I still like their music.  No shame here.  Interestingly enough, whenever I hear a new song of theirs, it becomes my new favorite BSB song: first it was "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely", then it was "Drowning", then it was "Incomplete".  Now it's "Show 'Em (What You're Made Of).  I liked the song when I first heard it because it rang so true to me (sound familiar? lol).  I liked singing it to Preston because he was so tiny and it talks about not giving up and fighting.  I felt like he was my little fighter, growing as fast as he could given that he didn't get the chance to "bake" for 40 weeks.  Part of the lyrics say: "You find the truth in a child’s eyes/When the only limit is the sky/Living proof I see myself in you".  I did see myself in him.  He had fight, just like I did especially in the past years with all my health issues.  But, since I'd like to eventually make a post about this song, I'll stop here.
I couldn't get through the song.  I tried singing it and only ended up bawling my eyes out.  Sometimes, it just has to come out though, so I had my good cry, and I feel ok right now.  I'd been having this weird and strong urge to go sit in the rocking chair in Preston's room and read him "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish".  After all, he can probably still hear me talk to him.  Well, I hope he does, because I often do speak to him.  But this one time, I wanted it to be about Preston, and not about me and what I am feeling.  So I did.  I was still crying some when I went to his room, but I did it.  I read the whole book, out loud, like I used to read it to my little boy.  I touched a few of his things.  The cats even came in the room to visit.  I wonder if they realize what happened.  It really doesn't seem so.  But, I think I tried to do a little too much because I eventually couldn't take it anymore and had to close the door again.  And now here I am.

Was all this therapeutic?  Probably, in a sense.  I want to be able to go into Preston's room.  We had a lot of good times in his room.  I want to be able to go in there and smile, instead of just feel heartache and pain.  Was it worth the self inflicted heartache?  Totally.  I got to read to my baby again.  I know I wasn't holding him in my arms, but it made me feel close to him for a few moments.  Is it hard to be alone right now?  Absolutely, but, I also think that it's good for me.  I needed to do these things, and I don't think I would have done them if Brett was home.  I wouldn't want to risk hurting him more than he's already hurting.  Is it something I want to do every week?  No, not really.  I think I need these moments to be special and not routine.  I think letting it become routine could be dangerous for my psyche.  Confuse dream with reality.  It's too easy to do.

One day at a time.  One moment at a time.  One step at a time.  I feel like I've taken a big step today, even though it was really difficult.  Is there something you are needing to bite the bullet on, but just haven't taken the plunge?  Is something holding you back?  I will hold your hand, as you continue to hold mine.