Simplify: Week 7

I have been wanting to do this time consuming project, that would hugely simplify my life, for a long time! I should have taken a picture of the pile of old address books, envelopes, sticky notes, ripped off corners of papers and outdated lists with addresses and phone numbers that used to reside in my secretary. Sometimes the pile wasn't so much a pile, but instead a cascading mass that would fall all over the place when I would open my desk. So frustrating! Finally, finally, I sat down with a spreadsheet at the computer and entered all the information into one long spreadsheet. I even added email addresses. So it's ALL there, at my fingertips. The minute I was done, I threw my pile into the fire and burned it. It felt good! Really, really good. You should see my desk now...Ahhhh.

My goal was to get this done before I sent out my New Year's cards. I'm not quite through my mailing yet but maybe after the kids go to bed tonight I will finish. Instead of a letter, I just included the address of our blog on the photo card. I didn't want to bore everyone who reads this blog with all the details of our life when you already know them. And anyone who doesn't read our blog probably doesn't care to read a letter either. lol!

And if you don't get a card from me it either means that I lost your address one day when I opened my desk and it didn't make it onto my spreadsheet, or I have an old address from 15 years ago, or I don't have your address at all. I have plenty of cards so drop me your address at hugsfromus(at)yahoo(dot)com.

I wanted to do a quick update on all my other Simplify posts (click on the blue links below to read the posts)...

Simplify: Week 1 - Sandwich and snack organizing containers. This still works great! I'm pretty sure I'll keep doing this as long as I'm making lunches.

Simplify: Week 2 - The ten cents pick-up bin. This is amazing! It works! At first I used the big rubbermaid with the big sign on it saying "Ten Cents per Item Please, Thank you" to keep the kids aware of it. Now they have the idea, so I use a decorative basket that slides away in the bookshelf. I seriously don't have a pick-up problem anymore in the main area of the house.

Simplify: Week 3 - Workout routine. Well, with a teething and sick baby at the end of the year and the holiday happenings, this workout routine mostly fell by the way. I have, however, severely changed my diet since the new year and I am working back into my workouts.

Simplify: Week 4 - Organization boards, chore charts, and daily household routine. Some days work and some days don't work. It's been great to have the boards and to check the charts and lists. Definitely a good step in simplifying my life.

Simplify: Week 5 - Getting rid of stuff. You know what? I don't miss any of it.

Simplify: Week 6 - Bookshelves and organizing playroom. On Saturday, Randy and Colter ripped apart another room downstairs so they could make it into a bedroom for Colter. Guess where all the stuff in that room had to go... into the playroom. So now I need to go through all that stuff. Ah life, it's an ongoing project...

So this will be my last "Simplify" post for now. That doesn't mean I'm done off line... only just beginning. Some of my future projects include my sewing/craft/guest room, my laundry area, meal planning and getting my digital pictures organized. From now on, every month, I'm going to go through my picture file for the month and erase bad pictures and then save them onto our remote drive.

With just one project at a time, I will conquer my world!

All for now,
Alison