January To-do List Recap

I can't believe that it's February.

I figured I'll state my monthly big to-do's to ensure some accountability - and for some of these, lets just be honest, I need all the motivation I can get.

However, January was a doozy. Being sick for 3 weeks didn't help. This didn't help either:

Yep - our basement flooded. Neighbour's pipe burst. They live in a different state. Great fun. Not that I was personally involved in dealing with it...I was sick in bed from a stomach bug and taking care of my kid who had some kind of flu. Poor hubby.

The January List:

1. Bake muffins for neighbour as a TQ gesture  Revised - invited them over for breakfast instead. It was nice to have interaction with other people

Those ham & apple puff pastry quiche bites were the best thing I've ever made - the recipe was from the Stocked Kitchen cookbook I got for Christmas

2. Work on Baine's quilt  Did not start. Why? Because my study/impromptu sewing room looked like this:

Why? Because it was better that, than have my guest room look like this:

3. Add floor trim to base of LR stairs Did not even attempt

4. Flip guest room mattress Completed

5. Thank You note and picture to A.Cindy - Isabel's godmother  Nope

6. Organize linen closet  Revised - redid the guest room closet instead. Which should probably get me bonus points since that closet had it way worse than the linen. And do I love that beautiful dark gray...Can't believe that it was a mistint.

  

7. Have 1 good outfit per work week  Eh

8. Replace LR window trim  Nope

9. Return recalled IKEA roman shades 28.57% completed. 2 down, 5 more to go

10. Finish nursery's curtains  A big fat YES!

10a. Work on LR roman shades  Key word here is "work on". So yes.

So far, February ain't looking so good either....=S

Nursery Re-do: Curtains

See the window treatment at the top left corner?

I like that.

It's from Restoration Hardware, and it would cost me $119 for the size of the nursery's window.

That's waaaay over my budget.

So I made my own.

My version probably cost about $20?

I also bought enough material to make full-length curtains for the other window, that's inspired by this one from the Little Green Notebook

I was too lazy to look for striped fabric that I'll like (and that will match the roman shade on the other window), so I just made the stripes myself, one piece at a time.

I need to buy a thicker curtain rod and I can cross this out of January's to-do list

Phone Books No More

How many of you still actually uses the physical phone book?

We get 4 different kinds of phonebooks, which are "republished" twice or three times a year. I've never used them.

They just sit there, taking up space (which I don't have), until the next batch comes around, and it's into the trash they go. To put a stop to all this unnecessary waste, I finally signed up to opt out of it.

For anyone who hasn't done so already, here's the link:

http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/stop-yellow-pages/

Project 2010

Also known by the more common name of "Resolutions". To take the work jargon spin to it, here's my Top 10 of '10

1. Frugality is king

With the economy still recovering and experts now saying that you need EIGHT months of savings in your name, and with a kid while living in the most expensive state in the country....trying to be smart with the $$ is just common sense. I have set financial goals to meet by the end of 2010 for not just my personal savings, but also for Isabel's. 2009's was met, but just barely. It's time to up the ante, because you just never know what might happen.

2. Organize, consolidate and minimize

2010 is going to be one big spring cleaning endeavor -- because the closets that we have in our 1950's cape are pint size (seriously, did people back then have only 3 outfits and 2 pairs of shoes???), to say that they are crammed with crap is an understatement. There's also a healthy spillage of stuff in the rooms that's honestly driving me nuts. I can't wait to reorganize all closets, and go through all our junk and get rid of stuff that we have absolutely no need for, and have no sentimental value attached. Also, before we make any purchase of items that are not perishable, the question would be - do we need it? Do we really want it? Is it going to be used often? Is it a good investment?

(Random thought --- Hugh Jackman is gorgeous)

Image by Nrosa on Photobucket

3. Going green saves green

We've been dabbling with green efforts here and there - but I really would like to make a more firm commitment to it --- there's only one planet - there's no do-over, no second chances - And often times, going green will save the other kind of green --- most grocery stores, and now, even Target, will offer cash back if you use your own non-disposable bags. Using the power of the sun to dry your clothes in the summer will not only leave your clothes smelling fresh, but will save your gas bill by not running your dryer. Being smart and buying and using up all the food purchase you make will reduce waste and prevent you from tossing hard earn cash into the garbage bin. You get the idea.

My brother-in-law gave us a copy of "The Stocked Kitchen" that uses a set number of ingredients that will allow us to make all the recipes in the book -- common, normal ingredients that shouldn't cost much, and will be utilized fully. I've attempted a couple of the dishes tonight, and hubby loved it...So hopefully it will be useful tool for the cooking aspect of this resolution

We received a "how to be green" book for christmas from my mother-in-law, and I am quite excited to see how we can incorporate more of those into our lifestyle.

4. Kitchen goddess

Now that Isabel is to get majority of her nutrition through table food, it's time I started focusing on actually cooking meals that are healthy and tasty (and since I'm a working mom -- easy). No more skipping meals, or calling a pint of ice-cream: dinner (even if it is Starbucks' Java Chip Frappuccino ice-cream).

Again, that "Stocked Kitchen" cookbook will help a lot, I think.

5. Health and fashion goes hand in hand

To be honest, I used to be obsessed with fashion. I had a whole bedroom as my closet. I used to scour Shopbop.com daily. I buy designer handbags. I was on a first-name basis with the UPS guy. And then - I got pregnant.

For almost 2 years of not particularly paying attention to what I was wearing or how I was representing myself, I think it's time to pay some attention back to me. I'm not talking about reverting back to the way I used to shop - but just actually taking the effort to throw on something more than a pair of jeans and a shapeless sweater. Taking the time to actually slap on some face paint, and perhaps actually styling my hair rather than pull it back into a non-flattering ponytail.

And as for health --- I'm not particularly into exercise, so it'll be a bit over gung-ho to say that I'll take up a regular exercise routine -- maybe 2011. But I'll be happy if I can just incorporate healthy eating habits - again, no skipping meals, or actually eating something green once in a while (and I don't mean Andes mint chocolates)

6. Learning is a never-ending adventure

I would like to learn how to take better pictures to document our mundane lives-- and more importantly, to document Isabel's . So I'll be looking for a photography class -- and perhaps even more socialization circles -- book clubs, baking classes, dance classes....? 

7. Home is where the heart is

I'm tired of living in a place that is still sub-par to me....it's time to fix those little details that are unfinished, put up that photo wall that's shows that there's actually people living here -- give our house an identity, so that it's truly a home, not just a roof over our heads

8. Work is....work.

Considering the fact that I spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week at work, it better amount to something. Else why bother?

9. Supermom

A combination of 4, 5, 6 and 7....basically, I would love to be a good role model to my daughter. And that includes showing her that she can do anything that she puts her mind to (except stick her finger into the electrical socket)

10. Errr --- since my primary (silent) readers are family members, I'm going to keep this "E"....no need to send my mother into a tizzy ..... =D

So I'll replace it with a psedo-10: I like being organized. I love to-do lists. I hyperventilate when I step into the Container Store. Unfortunately though, the actual following-through is a little iffy sometimes. So I'm going to try to be more Process-oriented, and try to tame down the "Results" portion of my personality (a little more work jargon)

Here's to a fabulous 2010!

(And if you're still reading this, give yourself a pat on the back and a check in the head)