Organizing Checklist

As we were organizing "Janis's" attic storage, she came across this list. We had a bit of a chuckle and she suggested I share this with you. Overtime Janis's home became overwhelmed with stuff, or junk as referred to on her checklist.

Let's look closer at this checklist:
1. Pick up our junk - A very good start, don't you think? Leaving items lying around for you to grumble as you walk past does not lend itself to help in the happy harmony of your home.

2. Put our junk upstairs - OK, this is alright though just putting item upstairs could be where this list begins to stumble. You want to put your "junk" back in its home. If you are keeping an item, the item needs to have a positive purpose in your life and it needs its own home or place to live in your home.

3. Clear our tables - Another good start. Tables and other nice flat surfaces are perfect places to set your "junk." Tables are also great places for your stuff to begin to pile upwards ... this is not such a great thing. Work to keep your flat surfaces clear by putting your items away in their home after you are done using them.

4. Do any other little think you can do - Uh oh. This will tend to lead your family to do whatever they wish, which will be the easiest, fastest path to nothing. Hey, if you gave me the opportunity to do anything I could think of ... whoa, I'm lying on my hammock to take an afternoon siesta ... zzzz... You have to give direction to what you wish to have action taken or you will end up with your teenage kid sleeping, eating, texting ... repeat.

5. DON'T YELL!!! - My personal favorite, even blogged about screaming. Yelling has it's time and place, though in the midst of your organizing project ... maybe not so much. Getting organized can be a big task and staying organized is a daily battle (even for me the professional organizer and don't let other organizers kid you. They struggle too). Take your time. Remember you will be far more successful breaking down your big organizing projects into smaller ones.

Janis thank you for sharing your family's checklist with us. You are doing a fabulous job at getting organized and staying organized.

What is your organizing checklist?

stiL esreveR ... Reverse Lists

We have all made lists at some point in our life. You may be someone who loves to make them. I know I am. There is a great satisfaction in making a list and making a big, heavy, think black line as you cross items off. It creates a sense of accomplishment.

When looking to get organized, one suggestion is to create a list of tasks you wish to complete. Though sometimes you get a little too crazy with the number of items, then you've got this monster of stuff to do. UGH!

You just can't win ...
or can you?

Set out the day to accomplish a few tasks.
Then write them down as you complete them.
Continue about your day, when you complete a task, big or small, put it on your list.

You will end up with a list of things you finished all day, rather than making a list then crossing off items (hey, there's a fraction of your energy savings there). It may not be a big change, but it might be enough to encourage you to get a bit more done throughout your day.

You don't have to walk around with a paper and pen all day long. Work at your goals and perhaps prior to having a meal, jot down the things you have accomplished. You will be surprised at all you DO throughout the day. Toss a couple 10 or 15 minute organizing projects to stay ahead of the curve, and you'll be rockin' and rollin' to organizing happiness.

What did you accomplish today?

One Darn Happy Chick

This morning I woke up thinking I must be one of the luckiest people I know. Perhaps luck has nothing to do with it and it all comes down to blood, sweat and tears. I am extremely thankful for all that is going on in my life.


Amazing boys
Best friends
Challenging projects
Darn good man
Everything I need
Fun, fun, fun
Great mom
Happy home
Intelligence
Jacob
Know how to fix anything
Love
Matthew
New clients
Opportunites to grow business
Possibilities are endless
Quite alot
Really cool grippy toes
Scuba diving in 2 months!
Time to be involved in my boys' lives
U for reading this blog
Vacations ... planned and all to come
What I do, I do well.
Xtra crunchy fun
Y can't more people be happy
Zzzz ... man, I sleep so well at night.

It's great to look back at all that has been built in the past 5 years. I'm feeling like a locomotive screaming down the track. Good things are happening in my life. For that I am extremely thankful.

What are your ABCs of life?

Lucille Ball vs. Rachel Ray

These questions are from
my bloggin' friend, Soul.
We're just going to jump right into it:

Name 3 things in your refrigerator:
Chocolate milk (not mine), eggs and spinach

What's your current relationship status?
Single and dating this really, really great guy

Ever have a near-death experience?
Oh Yeah - stage 4 cancer at 22 years old

Name an obvious quality you have:
Obvious? I have great deep, brown eyes.

What's the name of the song that's stuck in your head right now?
"Brickhouse" It's my new ringtone for friends. I have different ringtones for different groups of people.

Any celeb you would marry?
Been there, done that (marriage that is) ... no.

Who will cut and paste this first?
Leasa, or Cheryl, or JYankee ... no pressure ladies

Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity?
I client recently told me I reminded her of Rachel Ray, though a friend said I reminded her of Lucille Ball. I Love Lucy!! (nothing against Rachel mind you)

Do you wear a watch? What kind?
Nope. Never have.

Do you have anything pierced?
only my ears.

Do you have any tattoos?
No Way! I do not like needles

Do you like pain?
Only if the pain is from something good

Do you like to shop?
No, I hate shopping.

What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
I gave my boys quarters to buy gumballs.

What was the last thing you paid for with your credit card?
Dinner at The Blue Nile in Ann Arbor ... yummy Ethiopian food!

Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?
Great guy mentioned above (not sure if he is ready to be named here)

What is on your desktop background?
View of the Carribean Ocean in Cancun

What is the background on your cell phone?
Jacob's mohawk
(His own design. He's quite creative with hair.)

Do you like redheads?
Only if they are fun and happy people and they are nice to me, too. (that goes for everyone I know, too)

Do you know any twins?
Yes, my brother's wife

Do you have any weird relatives?
HELLO?! How boring would life be without weird relatives?
Yes, of course.

What was the last movie you watched?
Kung Fu Panda - EXCELLENT!

What was the last book you read?
"The Lorax," to my boys.



Is there such a thing as "love at first sight", or it is more likely to be "lust at first sight"?
I've taken part in the 'love at first sight' bit.
Now, I'm pretty much into the lust part.

What's your favorite book?
"The Lorax," by Dr. Seuss

When was the last time you visited the street where you first lived?
20+ years, no need to go back there.

When was the last time you googled your own name?
probably a month ago

What was/is your favorite subject at school?
Physics - OK I'm a total geek. The stuff I learned in there was wild. It is amazing what you can do if you understand the physics of any challenge.

Do you like having your photograph taken?
Absolutely. CHEEEEESE

What time were you born?
Wednesday, 8:15 am - I had to know for something and now I just remember it.

Ever seriously questioned your sanity?
No. Why? What are you trying to tell me? Well, maybe ... yeah definitely maybe ... OK, absolutely YES!!!

How many phone numbers do you have remembered and can say off the top of your head?
3 - my home number, my cell number and my mom's home number

Can you limbo?
Oh yeah!

Have you ever killed your own dinner?
I have caught many fish, though I cannot clean the fish to eat them.


How long have you been living at your current residence?
2.5 years

What phobias do you have?
None

What's your ideal breakfast?
Breakfast in bed made by my boys.

Where are you right now?
In my office.

What's the longest time you've stayed out of the country/where?
3 weeks - Israel. Can I just say there is no place like home!

Why do you blog?
Partly to show my projects, part to help people to know me better and part to get drifting thoughts out of my head.

What would you call your autobiography?
Adventurous Angie: Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs of One Crazy Chick

It's the weekend!!
Get out there and have some fun.
Me - I'm completing my open water,
SCUBA diving certification.
That's right ... I will be certified.

Whatcha doing this weekend?

50 Random Facts

Been awhile since I posted some random facts about me. I found this list at Soul's blog and thought I would answer them about myself. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.


1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
Ooh, I'm so tan

2. How much cash do you have on you?
$110

3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?
Floor!

4. Favorite planet?
Mars. Standing joke in our home is Uranus, but I have 9 and 7 year old boys.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
Oh, my cellphone was crushed by a car while crossing a busy intersection to get some of the delicious Arby cheesecake bites. It was hysterical! That phone gave me nothing but hassle....though to answer the question: I have no idea.

6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
"Shake Your Booty" means a girlfriend is calling, though "Dueling Banjos" always makes me laugh when I hear it.

7. What shirt are you wearing?
long sleeve red shirt

8. Do you label yourself?
Yes, Adventurous Angie. I am one damn fun person!

9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing?
uh oh, barefoot.

10. Bright or Dark Room?
Depends, I'll go with bright since I'm ready to get moving.

11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
Never met her in person. She makes me laugh and because of that I like her

12. What does your watch look like?
Never, EVER, have I owned a watch.

13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
"Thinking of you." He always makes me smile

15. Where is your nearest 7-11?
I have no idea.

16. What's a word that you say a lot?
I seem to be saying "delightful" a lot lately.

17. Who told you he/she loved you last?
My son, Matthew.

18. Last furry thing you touched?
Rocky, Jacob's guinea pig

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
Beer and various drink concoctions while vacationing

20. How many rolls of film do you need developed?
Do they still make film? None

21. Favorite age you have been so far?
It used to be 22, though 38 was awesome and I got a feeling this 39 coming up is going to be phenomenal.

22. Your worst enemy?
I don't feel I have enemies. Perhaps my mouth, sometimes I speak my mind a bit too much.

23. What is your current desktop picture?
Beach scene from Cancun.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
I miss you!

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
Cash baby! Then I could buy a plane to fly.

26. Do you like someone?
Yes.

27. The last song you listened to?
I don't know, though I can't get "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night out of my head.

28. What time of day were you born?
Wednesday, 8:55am (yes, I know the exact time and day I was born)

29. What’s your favorite number?
Five, because it fits on one hand.

30. Where did you live in 1987?
Monroe, MI the first half. Then onto West Lafayette, IN -- Go BOILERS!!

31. Are you jealous of anyone?
No, I don't have time for jealousy.

32. Is anyone jealous of you?
Maybe.

33. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
I was rewiring my basement lights in my Royal Oak, MI home.

34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
I consider it a donation to the greater good.

35. Do you consider yourself kind?
Absolutely

36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
I am terrified of needles. No tattoos for this chick!

37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
Italian, it's sexy.

38. Would you move for the person you loved?
My gut is telling me no.

39. Are you touchy feely?
No, but I do like to touch and feel.

40. What’s your life motto?
I have two: "Laugh everyday" and "No regrets"

41. Name three things that you have on you at all times?
Cellphone (except when crushed), a smile, a thought of what fun is next.

42. What’s your favorite town/city?
I love where I live. Sydney, Australia was spectacular.

43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
Taxi ride.

44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
Last week, a thank you card.

45. Can you change the oil on a car?
Yes. Change a tire, too.

46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
I heard my ex-husband's finally engaged. It's about time.
Time to pay the piper baby.

47. How far back do you know about your ancestry?
8 generations on my mother's father's side through the civil and revolutionary wars back to England. I've traced all our ancestor lines back to the immigrant relatives from Europe. Very cool history!

48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?
Last month, Christmas dinner party.

49. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
Nope

50. Have you been burned by love?
Once.

Thanks Soul for the blog idea. You ROCK!!

Pick three of these questions:
What are your three random facts?

Who Am I?

I'm not sure where I came across this list. It is very interesting and showed me a little bit about myself.

I challenge you to complete these questions for yourself.
-Copy and paste it to your favorite wordprocessing software.
-Delete my answers and fill in your own.
-Post it somewhere in your home.


These are great little reminders of who YOU are.

For now, this is who I am:

I know ~ I will accomplish ANYTHING I put my mind to.

I believe ~ happiness trumps all.

I fought ~ so damn hard to get where I am today.

I am angered ~ by doctors and government systems almost equally.

I love ~ my boys, my family, my friends.

I need ~ to laugh everyday.

I take ~ nothing for granted.

I hear ~ music. "Don't do me like that. Don't do me like that."

I drink ~ water all the time.

I hate ~ cauliflower and brussel sprouts.

I use ~ my cellphone to see in the dark.
(wanna join the facebook group?)

I want ~ a convertible.

I decided ~ life is too short to do boring things.

I like ~ me.

I am ~ honest.

I feel ~ lonely at times.

I left ~ a bad relationship for freedom.

I do ~ love to dance!

I hope ~ my boys treasure their creativity.

I dream ~ of franchising Organized Solutions.

I drive ~ a Buick Rendevous.

I listen ~ to music constantly.

I type ~ pretty good.

I think ~ mean people are great.

I wish ~ for romance.

I compensate ~ for no one.

I regret ~ nothing.

I care ~ .

I should ~ workout more.

I am not always ~ good at keeping my mouth shut.

I said ~ "I'll try anything once. Twice, if I don't get hurt the first time."

I wonder ~ what the world will be like in 10 years.

I changed ~ for someone else. Never again.

I cry ~ when I need to.

I am ~ an amazing mother!

I am not ~ a liar.

I lose ~ battles that are not important.

I leave ~ later than I should.

Who are you?

Brain Dump

Ever just feel not in a workin' mood?
It's been awhile since I have published some random thoughts. Let's see what comes out of my cute little head.

1. OK, how many days until summer returns?

2. Happiness can be found in a piece of chocolate.

3. My desk is getting messy. Really my whole office.
(see ... it does happen to us organized people)

4. Last week Matthew's pants fit him.
Today, they are all short.

5. I still haven't seen a cartoon that can match Hong Kong Phooey.

6. We bought a hot tub!!
My boys and I can't wait.

7. I have met some amazing business women this week.
Thank you WEN.

8. Purdue 33 vs. University Michigan 24.
Just my prediction for Saturday's game.
GO BOILERS!!!!


9. "Treat a problem like a dog. If you can't eat it or piss on it, then walk away."
(thank you Leasa for the fun phone call. No problems today. I'll keep this in mind.)


10. Girls Nite Out tomorrow night!!
Avenue Bistro, Sylvania, Ohio, @ 7pm
All fun, happy chicks invited!!

Well, gotta run.

What are your three random thoughts at this moment?

Life is an Adventure

What a crazy fun adventure!!
So many things happened on my Habitat Build in Guatemala. The team was amazingly fun.

Random thoughts from this trip....

1. I appreciate cool drinking water!

2. When in Guatemala, drink Gallo beer. Chicken beer rocks! Not made from chickens, just chicken on the logo.

3. I do not want to eat rice or beans for at least one month.

4. No cell phone for 10 days is AWESOME!!!

5. Do not touch the shower heads in Guatemala. You can get an electric shock. (I found out the hard way)

6. Being nearly impaled by horns of a cow is a little scary. (and I didn't do anything to provoke the beast)

7. Glop is fun to make.

8. Land to build a home in Guatemala = $250
Cost to home owner to build a Habitat home = $2000(this is a third to fourth of the price to rent a single room home)

9. Kids in Guatemala look so happy, healthy and active. And they have nothing compared to the kids in the US.

10. Howler monkeys are crazy creatures.

11. Machetes are fun to use. Yeah, I had to buy one, let me know if you have something for me to chop.

12. "I am going to kill that damn rooster."

13. Letting the wound "bleed out" is better than cleaning it up ... when in Guatemala. (OK, I twisted my ankle and gouge my shin hauling dirt out of a house. I'm not a clutz, just an aggressive worker.)

14. Moving blocks, mixing glop, hauling "crack", shoveling dirt, tying rebar and sweating my butt off with an amazing group of people = I would do it all again in a flash!

There are so many more thoughts I have, perhaps some of my Guatemala "Hollas" will comment.

I'm sad today. I miss all you crazy Howlas from Guatemala!!!

What adventures has your life involved?

8 Random Facts About Me

I have been challenged by a fellow blogger, JYankee, to come up with some facts about me.

So, let's just jump into this:

#1: I hated kindergarten.
I would cry about going to school. I don't know why I hated school, I just did. My mom tells the story how I would have my feet and hands on either side of the door to the bus. She would be pushing me and the driver was pulling me onto the bus.

#2: I grew up in a mobile home.
You have no idea how embarrassing it was. No one ever teased me about it (except my ex husband). Though I knew how I was viewed. I had a great home and a wonderful neighborhood. No, this is not a picture of my home.

#3: I have been to the lowest point on Earth.
I have swam in The Dead Sea. I have a picture of me sitting with my legs crossed, floating in the water. It was crazy! Then I covered my entire body in the black mud, let it dry and showered off. My skin felt so soft.


#4: I have pulled off some great
practical jokes.
-Blacking out a computer monitor screen with an overhead.
-Signing up someone for a Jehovah Witness visit at 6 am.
-Swapping all the keys on a keyboard.
-Taking all the light bulbs out of our apartment before a college roommate came home....oh, there are more
These may not seem great, but their impact at the time was huge.

#5: I am afraid of the dark.
When I was a kid, I was certain there was an alligator under my bed. I would LEAP out of my bed if nature called in the middle of the night. Today, I cannot go into a haunted house. Even though Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (I know weird).

#6: I'm afraid of needles, too.
My body just freaks out around them: cold sweat, pounding heart, clammy palms, forgetting to breathe. When I had cancer, you'd think I would have gotten over it. My boys immunizations are tough for me to go through. At least my fear did not get worse. No tattoos for me. I would like to be able to donate blood.

#7: I'm really not all there.
One permanent tooth never grew, tonsils gone, a few lymph nodes biopsied, gallbladder extracted, complete hysterectomy and I am certain I have lost several braincells along the way.

#8: I can only print when I write.
When I was in 7th grade, Miss Bumpus was my Language Arts teacher. (Never understood the difference between Language Arts and English, but I digress) She was ruthless with my handwriting. Everything had to be in "cursive" and I did not make my R's quite perfect enough for her. My homework would be riddled with little circles around all my imperfect R's, papers graded with an "F." Aaaaahh!!
Ever since, I print everything.

That's it. 8 random facts about me.
Now, as I understand it, I must tag 8 people.
1. Leasa
2. Debby
3. Sandy
4. Scott
5. Louise
6. Tracee
7. Pud
8. Debra

Play along if you wish. Just remember what happened to the kid in the neighborhood who never wanted to be "it" and ran home crying when he was "it."

Wanna play? Give me 3 random facts about you?

More Random Thoughts

It's summer time.



Tough to work when we have beautiful sunny days.



My mind starts thinking..........

1. Can a woman with a double mastecomy go shirtless?

2. If you don't have integrity, what do you have?

3. Pedicures ROCK!!

4. I can do anything.

5. You don't have to be powerful or well-known to make a difference.


6. If swimming is such great exercise, what's up with whales?

7. You just can't hang up on people like you use to with a cell phone.

8. Everything matters.

9. I need to call my roommates from college.

10. How does each of my boys eat twice the amount of food I eat?

11. I don't know what my boys are doing in the basement. Sounds like they are having fun.

12. I wonder what ever became of my first childhood friend, Ricky Matthews?

13. Rock The Block is going to be a blast tonight!

14. Water fights are fun.

15. I need to go play with my boys.

Get outside today.

Have some fun!

What If?

This is inspired by my post,
"21 Random Thoughts."

Specifically, #12 Why do we still need warnings on plastic bags?



So this got me thinking.....WHAT IF?

1. Everyone stopped and watched a bird floating in the sky.

2. You took the time to listen to your opponent's point of view.

3. There were no signs "employees must wash hands before returning to work."

4. You showed someone what you did, rather than told them.

5. The rain did wash away all our problems.
Would you wish for rain everyday?

6. We had those Jetson-like flying cars.

7. You live your life with no regrets.

8. You knew tomorrow would always be better than today.

9. Socks were sold in groups of 3, instead of pairs.
Then you'd have an extra one.

10. You knew what others say about you.

11. There was a news program that only presented positive stories.

12. You focused on creating a legacy, not a fortune.

13. Doctors had to go through all medical tests themselves, before ordering them for patients.

14. People just did what is right for others.

15. You took the time for everything.

16. You made someone happy today.

Hmmm, What are your "What ifs?"

21 Random Thoughts

I have seen many lists of random thoughts on Blogs.

I often wondered what would come if I came up with a list......oooh, let's give it a shot:

1. Think about where you want to be right now, what are you doing to get there?

2. Teaching your kids how to ride a bike is one of the greatest joys in the world.

3. If you could be any animal, what animal would you be?

4. Laughing everyday is key to success.

5. I LOVE jealous, mean people. Proves to me I am doing the right thing.

6. Life is precious, why waste it doing something boring?

7. Go to college.


8. Hong Kong Phooey IS the #1 super guy.

9. Everything in moderation is good.

10. Live life with no regrets.

11. You cannot fault honesty.


12. Why do we still need warnings on plastic bags?

13. Cheaters = Losers. Stay away from them.

14. If you are told, "Wow, you're cheap." Time to raise your rates!

15. Nothing better that people watchin'

16. F=ma

17. When in doubt, ask for help.

18. NEVER SETTLE!

19. Mountain Biking after a thunderstorm is Fantastic!

20. Don't be judgemental of others.

21. Singing to Meatloaf Videos with an electrical cord is perhaps the best night of my life!

That's the list I came up with.

What are your 3 random thoughts right now?