I couldn't provide a direct answer because I wasn't sure myself. And while I'm still not sure, I am going to do something that I rarely ever do: launch a public display of unfinished and uncertain.
I've been making lists since I was about 8 years old--but instead of "homekeeping" or "life" lists, they were "favorite animal" and "favorite subject" or "favorite salad dressing " lists. Bottom line: they organized me and made me much more efficient and much more sure of myself. And they were fun!
I've gotten away from lists over the years (well, I make them, just very haphazardly)--and it's time to get back to them. While I have lots of lists listed, I'm starting with the "homekeeping" list--little projects here and there that I've neglected for a long time but need to get to. I've color coded them by degree of difficulty or time requirement, included deadlines, identified people responsible, and a space for notes.
There are two multi-layered purposes for these lists and sharing them in the state they are in:
1. I do a great job of starting projects and finishing them in my working life, not so great in my personal life. So, I'm going to take some of the basic accountability principles I've used with staff and colleagues and apply them to my non-working life.
2. I think that people are the most interesting thing we've got going in this world and we need to find ways to learn about them and learn from them. You can learn a lot from a list--and that goes for how people organize their needs, wants, likes, dislikes and then how they go after them or what they do with them. The other major benefit is that people have a lot of experience--and list making is great way to tap into them. For example, you'll see in my homekeeping list that I'm looking for a new organizational method for my spice drawer (it's really a spice mess) and someone may have a really great solution for me that I never would have thought of on my own or picked up from HGTV!
Hopefully my public display of uncertain will inspire you to share some of your lists--they might be to-do lists, cleaning supplies list, running races list, favorite songs list, and so on--and send along tips, products, or solutions that are successful for you! Lists are fun because they're creative and their possibilities endless. So please, please, please: SEND THEM AND YOUR IDEAS ALONG.
There are a couple of ways to reach me:
a. Send me an email: splashesandsplurges@gmail.com (I will post comments anonymously unless otherwise specified)
b. Leave a comment on this post (check anonymous if you don't want your identity known, even by me!)
Don't worry about the format in which you send your lists or your suggestions--just send them and I'll format them for you if you'd like. Besides, seeing how the information comes will help me figure out where this is meant to go. I hope that what we end up with are lots of lists, lots of ideas for tackling them (or enhancing them) and lots of learning!
Please send them along and tell your friends to as well!
Splurge D'jour:
1. I had a great wine last night--a Cabernet Sauvignon from Honig Vineyard and Winery. It will cost you about $30, so it's not an everyday wine, but definitely worth the splurge.
6 comments:
love your list idea (surprise, surprise)! hope you all had a great weekend! J :)
I can't get through life without lists! If I write things down I can move on and not dwell on all the thoughts running through my brain, I won't forget something, and I can cross things off which gives me a sense of accomplishment. Here are some ideas when writing lists:
(1) Make a 5 or 6 "most important things list" - before going to bed, write down all the things you need to do the next day and then prioritize the list by circling or highlighting the 5/6 most important things that you "need" to get done, and actually do them. The other things are there if you have time to get to them.
(2) Organize your list in the order you need to do things - make your list and then number by the order you want to do them in or by the deadline. Sometimes it helps to remake the list after numbering so you can simply run down the list and cross things off one at a time.
(3) Write a few items on your list that you know you are going to do anyway (i.e. make bed, take a shower, walk the dog); that way at least some things are bound to be crossed off...and boy does it feel great when you can cross something off!
Hope even one of these ideas will be helpful!
Here are a couple ideas for organizing spices that have helped me in the past:
- If spices are located in a cabinet above the counter, get a small, stackable lazy susan/storage turntable that fits inside (available at Target for about $8-12) and organize spices from most used on outside to least used in middle. Very tall ones will need to go on top shelf of lazy susan. Put salt and pepper and any other very large containers to the side of lazy susan, where they won't take up space on your organizer and they will be easily accessible. If you want your spices to be in an upper cabinet, you may simply need to adjust the shelf so the turntable fits. You may also want to put them in a cabinet close to the stove or wherever you do most of your cooking.
-If spices are all in similar size jars and are located in a large drawer, you can buy organizers that fit in the drawer to hold them vertically flat at an angle in rows. That way when you open the drawer, you see them all in front of you with their labels clearly showing.
- If spices are locsted in cabintet below counter (typically if this is the case they are in a lazy susan cabinet), organize either by height, grouping similar heights together, by use, grouping ones mostly used, ones sometimes used, and ones hardly used, or by alphabet, if you are so inspired! You may want to buy circular labels that will fit on the lids so you don't have to bend to see the manufacturer's label or pick up several spices to find the one you are looking for.
This is great! I am definitely inspired to buy circular labels--I LOVE THAT IDEA! Thank you so much!
List of Top 10 cars to buy after you win the Lottery
10. Lamborghini Murcielago
9. Maserati GranSport
8. Maybach 62 (of course you'll need to hire a chauffeur for this one)
7. Bentley Continental GTC
6. Ferrari F430 Spider
5. Aston Martin Vanquish S
4. BMW M3 (for when its raining)
3. Porsche 911 Turbo
2. Audi R8
... and number 1 by a long shot
1. Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Just wanted to note that when I receive a list, I'll place it in the "Your Lists" column to the left...You can either email your lists or provide them in any of the comments
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