Tag Archives: organize

Packing Up the Holidays

06 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by in Changes & Progress, Home, Minimalist

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Last year the first thing we accomplished around here was clearing out the Christmas clutter and cleaning up the storage organization.  This year we had the decorations up, presents wrapped and the holidays ready to go (inside and out) in one day with everything easy to find.  All the lights worked, all the ornaments had hangers, all the wrapping stuff (boxes, paper, ribbons, bows, tags, tape) were in a single box.  In short, smooth and simple.

Today we are reversing the process and it is going just as quickly and smoothly. 🙂

January In Detail

02 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in Changes & Progress, Health, Home

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The checklist – to be edited/updated as we go along.

Finances – Tax Preparation

  • File all 2012 receipts, bills, etc. for tax filing.
  • Shred all unnecessary old records by schedule.
  • Set up 2013 file folders.
  • Save online statements as needed to archives.  (No paper)

Health – Exercise Journal

  • Join 2013 Challenge on Endomondo – done
  • Schedule 5K.
  • Enter mileage schedule for January to calendar – done
  • Pick a Kinect fitness program for “don’t feel like going out” days.

Home – Guest Bathroom

  • Buy & install replacement toilet seat, mirror, trash can & doorknob (budget $100, use rewards points where possible)
  • Deep clean
  • Touch up paint – matched and bought paint
  • Before & after pictures – dangit, took the door down before I got pics.
  • Sand and stain door, rehang to adjust to house settling – sanded

Career – ITIL Service Operation Exam

  • Schedule exam time
  • Study

Another Year, Another Set of Resolutions!

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in Changes & Progress, Cheapskate, Health, Home

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Last year actually went pretty well resolution wise, though there were things that didn’t get done or only got partially done.  This year the first resolution is to do a weekly blog article to keep up with progress (and because I’m a blog slacker who really needs to do a better job so my entire life isn’t Facebook postings).  Going to stick with the format from last year as it worked quite well – four categories of improvement, one new resolution per month.  Categories are – finances, health, home and (new for this year, replacing paperless) career.

For January:

  • Finances – have everything ready to file taxes as soon as the W-2 is available, shred old records, close out 2012, set up folders for 2013.
  • Health – this year we are going to do food and exercise logging using LiveScape & Endomondo with the goal of consistency.  January’s goal is exercise journal.  February is food journal.  The overall goals are to improve my 5K times and do a 10K this year.
  • Home – going to pick a room per month (2 months for the major projects) and do “the stuff that needs doing” in it.  January is the guest bathroom which needs the doorknob fixed (doesn’t close well) and toilet seat (scratched by dog) replaced, a mirror, new trash can and a top to bottom cleaning.  No paint necessary, though!  (Revision – door frame needs paint.  D’oh!)
  • Career – ITIL Service Operation certification complete.  This should have been done in December, but what the heck.

And we’re off!!!

Still Catching Up – Yikes!

28 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Books, Changes & Progress, Health, Minimalist, Paperless, Travel

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Amazing how fast the year has gone by – school getting ready to be out, summer vacations starting.  While I’m not taking the summer off, I’ve decided to focus on completing and extending goals – upping my game to a 10K, repurposing the office to the heir’s new room, home improvements too long neglected, finishing up all my certifications and updates.  So, the punchlist is:

  • Bill simplification – June is the month for the last utilities budget billing which should finish this off.
  • Bank changes – Need to close the last account and move my safe deposit box and all will be clean, neat and consolidated.
  • Will & Retirement – just need to get this one done
  • Certifications – upgrade the existing ones, move forward on my ITIL expert
  • Books, books and more books – Goodreads challenge
  • Health and fitness – 10K by the end of the summer, allergy testing
  • Bucket list – update and cross off one per month, cause I’m not getting any younger

And finally – upload all the pictures from the earlier finished goals!

Where Are the Batteries? (Stuff that Works)

29 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in Cheapskate, Minimalist, Stuff that Works

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I’ve had a battery storage rack and tester on the wall in my back hall for about 10 years.  A few months ago the tester part stopped working and I just ordered another rack (old one is going to the garage).  Hands down, this is something everyone needs.  No, really – this is an extremely useful organizer gadget and the most you will need to spend on it is about $15 (probably less).

My new unit is the Range Kleen 66 Battery Organizer with a removable tester (though I can’t imagine why you would really need to remove it).  It stores more batteries than my old unit which was a Battery Rack 40 Battery Organizer with tester and it also has a cool little drawer for flat batteries (watches and such) that the old one didn’t have (and I really wanted).  That said, it’s a bit cheaper looking and stores the batteries in slots instead of a top to bottom “rolling stock” manner, so you don’t have the “older batteries are used first” advantage.  I prefer the old rack’s tester as easier to use.  Either needs to be hung with a bit of a bottom out angle or you can have batteries slip out – easy enough, just shim the bottom before you screw it to the wall.  The Range Kleen layout can also be used flat in a drawer, but I find that encourages drawer clutter.

Either way you go (and it’s pretty much just a preference thing – both get great reviews) you will love having a battery organizer – no more running out of batteries (particularly if it is on the wall so you see those empty slots), no more wondering if that stray battery is good or not since it’s quick to test, no more grabbing a dead battery and no more digging around in drawers looking for the right size.

I consider this one to be a gotta have purchase – it does what it says it is going to do, makes life easier and keeps your batteries handy, usable and out of the way.