Post-Holiday Decluttering

Before packing up all the ornaments, lights and decorations, take a hard look at your inventory. Do you really need everything you have? I make it a habit to sort through my items and toss those things I don’t absolutely love. The result is I’m not repacking stuff I don’t want or use and I know that what I do have is what I want to keep.

Once I have decided what to keep, I make sure those items get a good cleaning before I pack them. This saves me a step next Christmas season when I unpack and decorate. A feather duster and even a bucket full of a mild dish soap should be all that is required. Once clean, I packed the items in clear storage boxes with an inventory list attached to each box.

The decorations that I have decided to part with are donated to a charity or listed on Freecycle (check freecycle.org for a location near you). This is also a good time to sort through toys and donate or list them as well. For those items that just aren’t in good enough condition, I don’t mind pitching them in the trash.

Here’s another tip: place all those wonderful hand-made school projects in scrapbooks. If you happen to have three-dimensional gifts, you can take pics of them and include them in the scrapbook as well. If you cannot part with these precious gifts of love, pack them carefully and store them for next year.  In our home, we have a tree that we set up downstairs that showcases all those beautiful hand-made ornaments and decorations.

The Art of Positivity

Working full-time in an office has forced me to deal with my own negative tendencies.  Previously, I would never described myself as a negative person.  But the more I deal with other people, the more I see that I rarely experience the bright side of life.

Faced with this tendency, I am now responsible for my own reactions and outlook.  This past week, I have decided to be a positive influence in my small realm.   It has not been an easy week.  One of my co-workers is volunteering to fill-in at other places in the agency, which causes me to fill in the gaps she has left behind.  This is something I just don’t have the time to do.  I am already several stacks of papers behind in my own work; now I am behind in her work as well.  To top things off, my boss has daily added to my list of responsibilities.  And then, my back decides it’s time for a vacation (aka horrendous back spasms that make getting out of bed in the morning a real comedic event – trust me it’s not pretty). 

I think God is throwing everything and the kitchen sink at me to see how serious I was about being a positive influence in my realm.  I am learning to work through each moment’s difficulty with a smile.  But I will admit it isn’t easy.  Instead of complaining about a task, I tried to be thankful about something in the task.  For example, instead of complaining about having to clean the bathrooms for the fifth week in a row (mind you, this is supposed to be a shared chore among everyone in the office), I am grateful that the bathroom is clean and I don’t have to dread the germs lurking beneath the toilet seat. 

For me, one component in staying positive is not looking at how the decisions – or lack of decisions – effect me, but rather look at how I can serve those around me and make their lives a little more pleasant.  It is a true art to be others focused.  And, I am positive I can serve others in ways that will bless them and help make their work experience a joy.

Family Fun Nights

     It’s just worth writing them into the schedule.  Tonight, like many other Friday nights, included a rousing game around the kitchen table.  Some nights we play board games; other nights we play card games.  One of our new favorites is Dutch Blitz.  However, our youngest still doesn’t quite get the hang of it, so we let him choose tonight’s flavor of fun.  His choice:  Hit the Deck.

     We didn’t get started until after 7:00 because the living room needed to be cleared of toys, shoes, papers, and other miscellaneous things to prepare for tomorrow’s cleaning day.  But, once the game got going, the laughter came.  I’m certain the giggles, chuckles, and loud outbursts were heard by our neighbors.  We had to stop the game unexpectedly when our son made a mad dash for the bathroom because he laughed a bit too heartily.

     I think the best part of the night was when, for once, Dad lost the game (and Mom wasn’t too far behind him).  Yes, the kids were the winners tonight.  For me, it was the incredible memories we made that made it a night worth having.  A few weeks from now, this night will be a dim flicker in their minds, but for me, I will hold dear to my heart the time we spent having fun together – even if I was the second loser.

I’m Back Online

Whew! It has been a crazy few months. We were living in a friend’s apartment while she was vacationing in Hawaii (thanks, Joy) but didn’t have an internet connection. We are finally in our own home and settling into our daily routines. It is GREAT to be back to normal (whatever that looks like, right?).

Something new in my life is I am now working part-time. I am redoing some of my cleaning schedules to adapt to our new floor plan – but all in all I am finding my cleaning plans and notebook have been lifesavers. I hope to start posting regularly next week. Thanks for being so patient with me.

The Phone Divider – Household Notebook Part 5

The Phone divider is somewhat self-explanatory.  I tire of looking up phone numbers and addresses so I created a phone and address directory for those I contact frequently.  I have added a document to the Box.net file sharing widget on the right-hand side of my blog.  You may use those if you like, or just create your own.

 

Additionally, I have a copy of our Christmas card mailing list in this section.  I have another copy in my Christmas planner.

 

Recently, I have added a Family Yellow Pages to my phone divider.  I include listings for child care, piano tuners, car repair, hair salons, schools, lawn care, book stores, and other favorite business places.  I am able to find numbers and names quickly because I have them located in one place.