April Goals

[carolan]

Love your plan....you are an inspiration! Once you have finished decluttering, you might want to try my house rule....bring in a new pice of clothing and an old one goes out (preferably to the needy). The men in my house don't like it but they do it! Then they actually feel good about helping clothe the needy.

[marvholly]

I already apply your delutter system to clothes, shoes & household permanent typ items.

[marvholly]

I may need to give myself 1/2 to all of May to accomplish my April goals. Between time on the web, on the phone and actual visits to places I am lookng at for my Dad to live I am spending a HEAP of time. Add in 3 grandkid bdays & the holiday and I am WAAAY behind.

[snafu]

MH: I'd give priority to 3 grandkids. It helps to write down all your goals...I call it brain dump, and prioritize A's for those that have deadlines attached like finding suitable living arrangements for dad, bills to be paid, AC filter cleaned/replaced for example. Everyone has 'daily's' which can be made easier to zip through like personal hygiene, meals, tidy + one assigned task. Rate those that have consequences attached as 'B's' like meals plan, grocery shopping, gas up car/check tires/spring tune-up.

It's your agenda, your priorities, your days, weeks, months... 'C' assignments for me are confined to one room or one project that stretch an entire week, in at least, two, 20 minute segments per day. the 'D' stuff are tasks/projects I'd like to do, need to pass off on someone else or need to quit lying to myself and just deep end or prove it's worth paying someone [out of family] to do. Just now I am arguing with myself about hiring window wash firm [4 level condo] and will hire a painter to professionally spray cupboard doors.

When unexpected stuff happens, it gets added but I love to run a hilighter thru any task completed and liberally add 'rewards.'

[marvholly]

I may NOT make my reduced mileage goal this month. I am already at 272 as of Thur eve. I know I will be doing another 75ish by the end of the month so it is VERY tight. I did put on a bunch of extra miles checking new living places for my Dad, getting an estimate on my car and extra driving to DD1 (not a full extra as I did w/ a planned to visit my Dad). AND I have accomplished NOTHING on the spring-cleaning list this week. My current plan is to attack that this weekend along w/some decluttering, as I have no other commitments. That in itself will keep me from any driving or spending.

[marvholly]

I mostly did regular house stuff over the weekend. I did do cobweb patroll on my bedroom level.

Today is my day to make calls to follow up on places for Dad, look into a different cell phone plan (my phone is 6 1/2 yr old and battery is going) and really check out my 'planned' Medicare supplement so I can sign up for it to be effective when my Medicare goes into effect.

[snafu]

We are so envious of your cell phone choices, suppliers & plans...

Cell Phone Providers Review 2011 - TopTenREVIEWS

[marvholly]

Knocked 4 items off my list over the last 3 days but added 3 more as I spotted some thing I NEED to do. At this point the list includes 80 individual items and I have only managed to do 19. Most of the tasks that remain are BIG time eaters like wash windows (have about 20), wash & polish all wood furniture, wash or vac all window coverings. I do have broken these down on a room or level basis so they are less intimidating.

[snafu]

Good going on getting 4 tasks done. Expect to add to the list as you notice new jobs. Just keep up with daily's, tackling at least one item each and every day and remember you're w-aaay ahead of those who let tasks pile up and become overwhelmed and paralyzed. Give yourself a reward for a job well done!

[marvholly]

Snafu
My reward is going to HAVE to be extinding my deadline into/thru May. Actually, turns out my 'list' has become 85-100 items.

I am/have been having MAJOR problems keeping to my driving/limited mileage goal.
I think I am going to have to treat this like I do my spending by setting a weekly amount and when it is gone it is GONE!!! I will have to plan for something like a trip out to DD2 (82 mi rt) and save up/borrow in the weeks before & after.

I know how many miles I use on a shopping/errand/visit my Dad run (25 mi rt) and how often I go. I know how many miles a controlled drive run to Aldi, library, local fruit market and Walgreens is ((4 mi rt). For May I am going to limit myself to 2 Dad runs and 2 controlled runs/week. I also have to save/borrow for a trip to DD2 I know I am doing.

With the price of gas and what I NEED to do at home I MUST take charge of driving.

[marvholly]

I 'almost' met my milage goal. Drove 350 on a goal of 326. This is NOT bad since I did do some extra driving looking at places for my Dad. I've done very well on eating from my freezer & pantry but still have a LONG way to go.

I am extending into May BUT

Taking reward 4 OFF the reward list
MUST complete the list of chores and can only pick 2 of the possible rewards: mani/pedi, meal out and clothes/shoes spending.

[snafu]

Anyone deep cleaning/spring cleaning a bathroom...this week is designated for safely disposing prescription and OTC medicines. Check with your pharmacist for the process in your community. here's a list of expiration for commonly used products from our pharmacy...

Anything that directly touches your skin needs to be cleaned or replaced often like brushes, cosmetic sponges, eyeliner tips, mascara wands and lip liner. Look for the expiration date on products when opening. It helps to highlight these to reduce risk of using ineffective sunscreen for example. Don't risk using a product whose color or smell is off.


About 3 years...Shampoo/conditioner, hair styling products, soap cake,bath gel, body lotion, eye & lip pencils,lip balm, rubbing alcohol, mouthwash

About 2 years...body bleach, depilatories, shaving creme, deodorant,perfume,foundation

18 months.......lipstick,blush/bronzer,whitening strips,

1 year..........acne/anti aging serum, sunscreen,nail polish,creme blush, moisturizer, eye creme, bath oil

3 - 6 months....anti-oxidants, mascara, liquid liner, creme eye shadow, sunscreen

SPCA/pet rescue appreciate tatty/stained towels you would be willing to donate. A cardboard, six pack drink container is an efficient way to corral containers of cleaning products in each bathroom for fast clean-up. I hate cleaning toilets and found it efficient to dump a 1/2 cup of vinegar in the bowl at night. One quick swish in the AM and it's clean. The plumber sez... the chemicals commonly sold are damaging to the porcelain and the environment.