I didn't post anything yesterday on my decluttering efforts simply because my camera died, so I could not take a pic of my efforts. However, I would like to post saying that I did end up purging two large black trashbags filled with old clothes from myself, my son, and my daughter. (The hubs barely has any clothes to begin with.)
So, keeping that in mind here I am at Day 3 and this is what has gone on today.
Hubby dragged over some more things from the old apartment, and put most of them in the kitchen instead of in the basement as per our plan. So, now I have 2 large bins, 2 large boxes, 2 boxes of baby clothes and 3 laundry baskets worth of things to go through.
I tackled the smallest and quickest thing first, the baby clothes. Hubby found these, I guess, in one of the closets at the old apartment and they contain lots of things given to me while I was still pregnant and working by an ex-coworker. I never even opened up the boxes! Needless to say, some of the items were too small for my son, however I was surprised to come across quite a few that actually did fit him.
So out of 2 diaper boxes stuffed full of baby things, I have resorted and will be keeping barely one box worth of it all. The rest will be brought over to Salvation Army first thing in the morning.
1/10/09
Chores Made Fair
Last night, I worked real hard on coming up with a chore list for the new apartment, so that hubby and I can keep up on all the in's and out's and keep this place looking spic and span. I didn't want it to be too complex and as fair as possible, so we alternated most chores and each had our own chores (i.e. he empties the cat box because I am pregnant and can't, while I pay the bills because I don't trust him too LOL).
Then I sat down with him (while he was playing one of his video games, so I didn't really have his full attention), and asked what he thought and if it was fair enough. I got a quick read through and an 'Uh hmm,' as if that was supposed to really give me the feedback I needed. Then I tried to ask if he thought I had forgotten anything, but the answer to that was a very simple and quick 'Nope.' But of course, after thinking for a few minutes and looking around the house some more, I had forgotten some things and proceeded to add them.
Then this morning, I woke really early (4:00 AM) and could not get back to sleep, so after some quick cleaning and toy pickup, I decided to do some Internet surfing. With the chore list still fresh in my mind from last night, I decided to read up on some household organization tips and such. Throughout my searching, I came across a wonderful review from Money Saving Pro about a unique and free website that helps organize family chore lists online! Hmm... that got my attention.
The website is called Chore Buster, and it is designed to help families or couples fairly assign the chores of the household. And yes it is 100% free. Although there are a few nice features that can be used if you donate to the site.
Even so, without paying anything, a user is able to enter the names of as many family members as they have, customize each member's chore settings (i.e. No chores on Sunday or 75% less chores for kids), and set a list of chores. This service is so helpful that it can email each member their chore lists on a weekly or even daily basis. Or you can simply print a master one out and hang it on the fridge for all.
It also lets you customize the frequency and desirability of each chore. Desirability? Yes, you can set things like pick up toys to 1 for easy and cleaning the bathroom to 6 for medium and then cleaning the gutters to 10 for extreme. You can also set certain chores as not being assigned to certain members, such as I won't let my daughter clean the cat boxes or the oven, and my hubby won't be paying the bills or folding/putting away the laundry (he can never tell who's is who's). Also, since I cannot clean the cat boxes because I am pregnant, that is all hubby's job.
You can also set rewards for each chore (dollar amounts only), and then there is a checklist that you can tally up the rewards for each person. I have this set for simple dollar amounts from $1 to $10 for each chore. Then instead of giving each person the exact amount they earned, I am using it as a percentage from our allowance fund. I am not sure about the nitty gritty just yet, but I will work it out once we get this more underway.
Some examples of my amounts are $1 for picking up and vacuuming a room, $2 for taking out the trash, $5 for cleaning the whole bathroom, and $10 for 'Surprise husband/wife with something nice.' (That last "chore" I found in the preset list, and just had to use it for us). That is another nice feature, you can search through a list of popular chores or look at other member's lists entirely. This helped me to find some things I was missing in my list.
Then after all that nitty gritty, Chore Buster will divide up the chores based on your settings for each (frequency, members, and desirability) so that each member will have a fair amount of 'points' for chores to do each day. *It even has an option to set a random quality for surprises.* The points are the ones you assign as desirability and difficulty. I set my daughter's chores to 75% less, because she is only 6 and has school. She also gets the weekends off from any chores.
You then have the option to create a chore list for 1, 2, or 3 weeks (and by member if you donate), and view it in web page, Word, or Excel form to print. There are many more unique and awesome features that are available if you donate to the site.
You can take a look at my chore schedule here, and sign up for your very own free account here. They have some advanced features, such as viewing chores via mobile or RSS feed, and also a dektop widget you can download. They also mention that soon they will be integrating Facebook with Chore Buster soon, so stay tuned on that.
Then I sat down with him (while he was playing one of his video games, so I didn't really have his full attention), and asked what he thought and if it was fair enough. I got a quick read through and an 'Uh hmm,' as if that was supposed to really give me the feedback I needed. Then I tried to ask if he thought I had forgotten anything, but the answer to that was a very simple and quick 'Nope.' But of course, after thinking for a few minutes and looking around the house some more, I had forgotten some things and proceeded to add them.
Then this morning, I woke really early (4:00 AM) and could not get back to sleep, so after some quick cleaning and toy pickup, I decided to do some Internet surfing. With the chore list still fresh in my mind from last night, I decided to read up on some household organization tips and such. Throughout my searching, I came across a wonderful review from Money Saving Pro about a unique and free website that helps organize family chore lists online! Hmm... that got my attention.
The website is called Chore Buster, and it is designed to help families or couples fairly assign the chores of the household. And yes it is 100% free. Although there are a few nice features that can be used if you donate to the site.
Even so, without paying anything, a user is able to enter the names of as many family members as they have, customize each member's chore settings (i.e. No chores on Sunday or 75% less chores for kids), and set a list of chores. This service is so helpful that it can email each member their chore lists on a weekly or even daily basis. Or you can simply print a master one out and hang it on the fridge for all.
It also lets you customize the frequency and desirability of each chore. Desirability? Yes, you can set things like pick up toys to 1 for easy and cleaning the bathroom to 6 for medium and then cleaning the gutters to 10 for extreme. You can also set certain chores as not being assigned to certain members, such as I won't let my daughter clean the cat boxes or the oven, and my hubby won't be paying the bills or folding/putting away the laundry (he can never tell who's is who's). Also, since I cannot clean the cat boxes because I am pregnant, that is all hubby's job.
You can also set rewards for each chore (dollar amounts only), and then there is a checklist that you can tally up the rewards for each person. I have this set for simple dollar amounts from $1 to $10 for each chore. Then instead of giving each person the exact amount they earned, I am using it as a percentage from our allowance fund. I am not sure about the nitty gritty just yet, but I will work it out once we get this more underway.
Some examples of my amounts are $1 for picking up and vacuuming a room, $2 for taking out the trash, $5 for cleaning the whole bathroom, and $10 for 'Surprise husband/wife with something nice.' (That last "chore" I found in the preset list, and just had to use it for us). That is another nice feature, you can search through a list of popular chores or look at other member's lists entirely. This helped me to find some things I was missing in my list.
Then after all that nitty gritty, Chore Buster will divide up the chores based on your settings for each (frequency, members, and desirability) so that each member will have a fair amount of 'points' for chores to do each day. *It even has an option to set a random quality for surprises.* The points are the ones you assign as desirability and difficulty. I set my daughter's chores to 75% less, because she is only 6 and has school. She also gets the weekends off from any chores.
You then have the option to create a chore list for 1, 2, or 3 weeks (and by member if you donate), and view it in web page, Word, or Excel form to print. There are many more unique and awesome features that are available if you donate to the site.
You can take a look at my chore schedule here, and sign up for your very own free account here. They have some advanced features, such as viewing chores via mobile or RSS feed, and also a dektop widget you can download. They also mention that soon they will be integrating Facebook with Chore Buster soon, so stay tuned on that.
Do you use Chore Buster? If so, what features do you like? If not, are you going to give it a go?
1/9/09
Baby Chaleco ~ Chic Baby Bibs
You could also stuff a wet nap in there for when they are finished eating to wipe down the baby's face. I know my son can never sit still while eating (especially at parties), so I would have to chase him all over, then pick him up, find my diaper bag, and struggle to get a wipe and wipe his face down. Having this simple little pocket saves me much running around.
The Baby Chaleco features an absorbent, poly-cotton blend on top, and a 100% nylon liner underneath. So, all the drool will get absorbed into the material and stay there without soaking the baby's clothes underneath.
Personally, I not only go through clothes like no one else, but also bibs, because my son will drool right through the bib and onto his clothes. I can never just put him in a cute outfit and have it stay that way for long. Or I have to cover that outfit up with a possibly, but most often not, matching bib. And let's face it, family parties/events always seem to happen right when baby is in the peak of cutting a tooth.
But let's be honest moms out there, after the age of 6 months, there are no outfits that you can buy in stores with matching bibs. Why is it only cute for an infant that can't even sit up to have a bib and outfit set? Plus those bibs are just for fashion, and barely large enough to cover their necks.
Other bibs with this same waterproof concept that I have found in stores are usually pull over kinds with no snaps or velcro. However the problem with those is that they are never snug enough to the neck and my son will drool underneath the bib anyways. So, they are just pointless. Also, my son tends to pull on bibs of any style, however with the Baby Chaleco it was just like another shirt. He didn't even realize he was wearing a bib, so he left it alone as if I had put a vest or sweater on him.
The Baby Chaleco's fit very snuggly (but not too snuggly lol) around the baby's neck with an easy-to-snap two button enclosure over one shoulder. This makes getting the bib on and off very easy because the neck and arm hole open to one wider opening. It also makes the bib what I would like to call "pull-proof." This feature also helps when the baby is done eating and covered in whatever he was eating, because you can lift it straight off of him instead of pulling it over his head, which usually causes food to get stuck in the hair or on the forehead.
The Baby Chaleco is very chic and stylish looking, and as long as my son is wearing blue/black jeans, khakis, or blue/black sweatpants (which is just about all the options he has), this bib matches all his outfits. The shirt matching is not at all an issue, because it wraps competely around him covering his entire shirt. The velvet material in back is a very fancy touch. I was able to show my son's new baby bib off at a recent family party for a very wealthy relative, and everyone was in awe at the style and craftiness of this bib. Well, that was after I told them it was a bib. They thought it looked like a little vest, but that's because it does! I can even leave him in the bib while he is running around and no one can tell the difference. He looks just as good as ever.
You would never know that he is wearing a baby bib it looks so good. I recommend this stylish baby bib for any mom with toddlers, because it is stylish yet affordable. And it will save you loads of hassle time during family parties.
Do you have a Baby Chaleco? What do you love about yours?
If not, would you want one? Why?
Visit their website to enter to win your very own Baby Chaleco.
If not, would you want one? Why?
Visit their website to enter to win your very own Baby Chaleco.
1/8/09
Decluttering ~ Day 1
Yes, I will be updating my progress everyday of my decluttering project. I outlined the steps here for this, but in case you missed it, they are:
My Plan to Declutter Our New Place
1. Everything that is not 100% essential to our everyday survival is being moved into the basement here.
2. Each day, I will bring up one bag at a time and go through it.
3. I will only keep things that are essential, and not keep things simply for material or sentimental reasons.
So, that is the plan, and I am asking you all to help encourage me to keep at it. Emails, comments, tweets, anything to keep me motivated, updating, and moving. This is a new year, and I am determined to not force my kids to live in clutter anymore.
Okay, well rant over, this is supposed to be an update. What have I gotten done today? Well, I finally went through Ronin's old toys to make room for the new ones he got for the holidays. Here is a pic of the box I brought over to Salvation Army.
It is hard to tell from the picture, but this box is really deep. I counted and it is about 20 toys in all (maybe a bit more). Not a bad start in my mind.
My Plan to Declutter Our New Place
1. Everything that is not 100% essential to our everyday survival is being moved into the basement here.
2. Each day, I will bring up one bag at a time and go through it.
3. I will only keep things that are essential, and not keep things simply for material or sentimental reasons.
So, that is the plan, and I am asking you all to help encourage me to keep at it. Emails, comments, tweets, anything to keep me motivated, updating, and moving. This is a new year, and I am determined to not force my kids to live in clutter anymore.
Okay, well rant over, this is supposed to be an update. What have I gotten done today? Well, I finally went through Ronin's old toys to make room for the new ones he got for the holidays. Here is a pic of the box I brought over to Salvation Army.
Have you donated or decluttered anything today?
My New Rakkiddo Shoe Wheel
During my move, I finally received my Rakkiddo Shoe Wheel. Haven't heard of this yet? Well, I won mine from Mommy Daddy Blog, and it is amazing.
The Rakkiddo Shoe Wheel is made by Rakku Designs, and it is the kid's version of their regular sized adult shoe wheel. Kids sized or not, I like it because we all do not have that many shoes. My son's shoes can all fit into one compartment, my daughter has only about 3 pairs she wears on a normal basis, hubby has only one, and I have downsized to 3 pairs as well (not including my slippers).
Unfortunately, hubby's size 15 1/2 shoes do not fit in the wheel, which is ok though because he would rather just be able to slip his shoes on and off quickly. He has been doing a great job of remembering too, because otherwise I have a fit when I walk into the kitchen barefoot and step on ice and snow that he has tracked in.
My mom also brought over 7 pairs of crocheted slippers that I put into one of the compartments for guests that come over. I am not going to be very big on sweeping and mopping three times a day once the baby is crawling. So, I will be enforcing a no shoes rule.
The Rakkiddo Shoe Wheel is made by Rakku Designs, and it is the kid's version of their regular sized adult shoe wheel. Kids sized or not, I like it because we all do not have that many shoes. My son's shoes can all fit into one compartment, my daughter has only about 3 pairs she wears on a normal basis, hubby has only one, and I have downsized to 3 pairs as well (not including my slippers).
Unfortunately, hubby's size 15 1/2 shoes do not fit in the wheel, which is ok though because he would rather just be able to slip his shoes on and off quickly. He has been doing a great job of remembering too, because otherwise I have a fit when I walk into the kitchen barefoot and step on ice and snow that he has tracked in.
My mom also brought over 7 pairs of crocheted slippers that I put into one of the compartments for guests that come over. I am not going to be very big on sweeping and mopping three times a day once the baby is crawling. So, I will be enforcing a no shoes rule.
1/7/09
I'm back. Did you miss me?
Of course, I have to start with a cute for the day.
Above is a pic of my son being his adorable self, playing with my cell phone.
How can you not love those eyes?
Now onto my update... we are here, we are getting settled, and the Internet is back on. *Angels singing* Very poor planning on our part, however with a 1 year old, winter storms brewing, and living in a poorly heated/insulated apartment, can you really blame us for up and leaving as soon as we signed the lease to our new place? All I needed for motivation was to wake up the next morning, realize the heat was cranked to 90, but we were all still bundled up and freezing, and to feel my son's ice cold hands that I can never keep covered.
By that night, we had the two kids beds, the couch, the spare mattress, and all of our electronics moved into the new apartment. I could barely get out a post saying that we had signed the lease. However my family's health was so much more important than any of that. I can sort of relate it to a fire, only much much colder and none of our stuff was burnt.
So now, we are here with the good majority of our things moved over, and just some more of the clutter to pack up and move over here. Yes, we are taking our clutter with us. However, we have a plan in place for getting through it all.
My Plan to Declutter Our New Place
1. Everything that is not 100% essential to our everyday survival is being moved into the basement here.
2. Each day, I will bring up one bag at a time and go through it.
3. I will only keep things that are essential, and not keep things simply for material or sentimental reasons.
I have many tools and advantages at my disposal now to help me keep up with this new plan. First, as I mentioned in my previous post, Salvation Army is right across the street! A declutterer and frugal shopper's dream, right? Also, this apartment comes equipped with a dumpster right in the complex. But of course, I think it is all possible, because of the basement storage space we have. No one else uses it right now, so we are free to store as much as we need to for now. But of course my goal is to tone it down to practically nothing within the next few months.
If you want to see some pictures of our new place, click here. So far they are all of the place empty before we moved anything in. I have a few as we started moving things in, but my flickr upload limit is practically reached just with these. So, I will wait to post better ones instead.
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