Chalkboard paint
rocks.
It's on my front door, the door to my garage, my tv armoire doors...if my walls weren't textured it'd be there too.
As my birthday approaches, I've been working extra hard on getting my "stuff" together and here's some of what I'm happy about:
A binder clip that hangs on the front closet door for outgoing mail
A place in the front closet for all outgoing things: things to Goodwill or to return, etc.
A small corkboard on the front closet door with 4 envelopes to help keep coupons organized and easily accessible (categories are Baby, Groceries, Services, Dining and time sensitive or special ones just get tacked up by themselves - like the ones for IKEA or Victoria's Secret)
8 rows of chalkboard paint on the front door - 7 to help us plan for the week and the bottom for Adele to draw
Chalkboard paint on both the in and outside of the tv armoire doors. Outside doors for random reminders and for drawing. Inside doors are to remind us what needs done so we can do them during commercials (!)
Chalkboard paint on the door to the garage (which is visible from the kitchen) to remind us what's on the menu for the week
Mise-en-place:
I made a place for things that need to be checked on a weekly basis (bills, temporary items - receipts, etc., and money matters - things we may want to start budgeting for) This place also houses my "Command Central" binder which has folders for things salient but not on a daily basis - house inventory and maps, important papers, somewhat important papers, just in case papers, budget planning & record, health, auto and house repair summaries
I made a place for things to be used daily: my planner which also has lists of "good things" - the methods and products that best meet our day-to-day needs, health tips and other life-minders
I also made a few journals where I will transcribe and continue capturing certain bits of information:
Only Connect: is to keep track of correspondence, gifts given/received, visits
E's Quotes and Notes: is to keep track of the most salient quotes I like, notes of experiences we've had and hope to have
Resource: is a journal for parenting reflections and teaching/academic reflections (I think they each inform the other)
-
Right now I'm searching for the perfect 8x6 box that will house random pieces of paper with my dreams scribbled on them dating back to 1987.
Still working on getting the garage in order. I moved all the books and their shelves in several months ago and I like them there. I'm planning a temporal approach to this space's organization: Present items - current projects and plans - closest to the entrance, future items - things used with some frequency in the middle and past items - memorabilia, etc. in the back. Right now I have a ton of future items - mainly empty vessels. I'd like to make a plan for each of them and pass on the rest.
Bill and I have discussed that my attraction to the empty vessel is not about the vessel but ultimately about the possibility it's emptiness represents. Unfortunately, I keep collecting them and not using them so now I have a garage full of wasted possibility. I'm working on this though - I recently had to order an extra blue recycling bin since I decided to actively release my attachment to food jars, plastic containers, styrafoam peanuts, 6 year old scrap paper, and boxes of all types. Sadly. I still collect bubble wrap, silver tin cans, buckets, and boxes with a handle hole. By my birthday - by the end of this month, I hope to release much of these too.
It's on my front door, the door to my garage, my tv armoire doors...if my walls weren't textured it'd be there too.
As my birthday approaches, I've been working extra hard on getting my "stuff" together and here's some of what I'm happy about:
A binder clip that hangs on the front closet door for outgoing mail
A place in the front closet for all outgoing things: things to Goodwill or to return, etc.
A small corkboard on the front closet door with 4 envelopes to help keep coupons organized and easily accessible (categories are Baby, Groceries, Services, Dining and time sensitive or special ones just get tacked up by themselves - like the ones for IKEA or Victoria's Secret)
8 rows of chalkboard paint on the front door - 7 to help us plan for the week and the bottom for Adele to draw
Chalkboard paint on both the in and outside of the tv armoire doors. Outside doors for random reminders and for drawing. Inside doors are to remind us what needs done so we can do them during commercials (!)
Chalkboard paint on the door to the garage (which is visible from the kitchen) to remind us what's on the menu for the week
Mise-en-place:
I made a place for things that need to be checked on a weekly basis (bills, temporary items - receipts, etc., and money matters - things we may want to start budgeting for) This place also houses my "Command Central" binder which has folders for things salient but not on a daily basis - house inventory and maps, important papers, somewhat important papers, just in case papers, budget planning & record, health, auto and house repair summaries
I made a place for things to be used daily: my planner which also has lists of "good things" - the methods and products that best meet our day-to-day needs, health tips and other life-minders
I also made a few journals where I will transcribe and continue capturing certain bits of information:
Only Connect: is to keep track of correspondence, gifts given/received, visits
E's Quotes and Notes: is to keep track of the most salient quotes I like, notes of experiences we've had and hope to have
Resource: is a journal for parenting reflections and teaching/academic reflections (I think they each inform the other)
-
Right now I'm searching for the perfect 8x6 box that will house random pieces of paper with my dreams scribbled on them dating back to 1987.
Still working on getting the garage in order. I moved all the books and their shelves in several months ago and I like them there. I'm planning a temporal approach to this space's organization: Present items - current projects and plans - closest to the entrance, future items - things used with some frequency in the middle and past items - memorabilia, etc. in the back. Right now I have a ton of future items - mainly empty vessels. I'd like to make a plan for each of them and pass on the rest.
Bill and I have discussed that my attraction to the empty vessel is not about the vessel but ultimately about the possibility it's emptiness represents. Unfortunately, I keep collecting them and not using them so now I have a garage full of wasted possibility. I'm working on this though - I recently had to order an extra blue recycling bin since I decided to actively release my attachment to food jars, plastic containers, styrafoam peanuts, 6 year old scrap paper, and boxes of all types. Sadly. I still collect bubble wrap, silver tin cans, buckets, and boxes with a handle hole. By my birthday - by the end of this month, I hope to release much of these too.