One Christian Mom: Projects List

Monday, January 19, 2009

Projects List

I have started a list of things I need to complete... I feel I am getting more done if I have a listing and cross them off as I go. I usually don't like lists, but in this case, I am trying to get the house in order, and it seems proactive to do so.

So far I have completed:
Cleaning the kitchen and dining area (and keeping it clean - that's not easy!)
Cleaning the living room (and keeping it clean - that's not easy, either!)
Cleaning the bathroom.

On the list is still:
Cleaning daughter's room - DONE! 1/22/09
Cleaning sons' room
Cleaning my room!

This is just the basic straightening up, putting things away, sweeping, etc. I also have projects that I want to get started on, here is a listing of them. I will start doing them when the rooms are all relatively cleaned.
Go through toys - organize and donate
Clean refrigerator shelves
Clean off top of fridge
clean out and repair bookshelf
clean out TV stand
put Pyrex in bottom of hutch
put lennox inside hutch
go through and organize craft items
go through and donate clothing not worn

This is just what I can think of right now. There is always more that I want to do but never get to.

Today I have been taking pictures through my day, and I will post a "day in pictures" tomorrow. I know I don't usually do pictures, but I have been seeing all of yours and decided to go ahead and do one :-) It seems cumbersome to upload the pics to the computer, download them to blogger, reposition them, caption them, etc. We will see :-)
In hopes of getting it all done,
One Christian Mom

3 comments:

Kim said...: Your list looks a lot like mine! Good luck! can't wait to see your pics!; January 20, 2009 6:38 AM
~Bren~ said...: Lists are great. Crossing off a task makes it feel finished and there is a real live goal there in front of your eyes (hab. 2:2, i think, tells us that); January 20, 2009 7:26 AM
Martha said...: I started a project list very recently too, wow, it's true what they say... Great Minds think Alike!! ((winks))

I scribble two special errands/chores per day and post it up on my fridge so it'll remind me to get workin' every time I grab a soda... err.. I mean a water bottle ((whistling))

Good luck with your list!!; January 21, 2009 12:54 AM

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Frugal Tips

**Still under construction - please check back for more!**

Recently, a lot of people in real life have been asking me about my tips for frugal living. I have gained quite a few of them through the years as our family grows and the cost of living is skyrocketing. This list is ever growing, so check back for updates! If you have a frugal tip, let me know, and I will add it to the list, with credit to you!

TIP #1
The first thing I did was join The Grocery Game at http://www.thegrocerygame.com/. I think it's $10 for three months, but you can save way more than that. You do need to either live in a metropolitian area, or have access to the city's newspaper in order for it to work well. I have saved between 25% to 100% off of grocery items. This works best if you have no brand preference for most items. I only subscribed for the first three months. After that, you pretty much get the gist of the savings plan, and can do it on your own. It basically follows the sales at the stores, and the coupons in the paper. When the store has rock-bottom prices on the item in the coupon, it will tell you to use it. Sometimes the item is free!

TIP #2
Another GREAT tip that most people don't do is cut back on your disposable items in your household. I wrote a post on this sometime last week, I think! :-) I am not just talking about cups and plates, but also paper towels, napkins, even things like yogurt. For the paper products, just replace them with cloth. We bought dishtowels at WalMart for $5 for a package of 6, the initial cost is higher, but you will make that back in a month or two (depending on your family). We use those instead of paper towels. For napkins, we use dishrags, pretty ones! They were also inexpensive, and they wash well. When we have company we break out the "real" cloth napkins, it just looks nicer.

For things like yogurt, milk, etc - buy the larger items, then package it yourself in smaller containers. If you like to take yogurt to work, put some in the small tupperware containers from the large container. That way, you are saving money, and helping keep the earth cleaner by not throwing plastic away every day.

TIP #3
For those of you who have babies, CLOTH DIAPERS! Here is a great site for you to learn about them: http://www.diaperpin.com. There are forums there where you can ask questions, read about others who use them, etc. They also have a rating scale on how well the diapers work for others. I, personally, went with the cheapest option, which was prefolds with covers. You can get quality prefolds for $2 per diaper (if purchased in a dozen) and covers for around $9-$11 each. So for the cost of one month's diapers, you have enough to fit your baby for at least a year. Most people will have to buy two sizes over the baby's diaper-wearing lifetime, but it's still way cheaper than buying diapers to throw in the trash! Also, washing them is easier than you might think. Dump all solids into the toilet. Store wet diapers in a wet-bag or dry diaper pail or trash can. When you wash them, put them on a cold rinse cycle. Then add detergent (home-made, preferably, which I will talk about later) or about 1/4 the amount for commerical detergents and put on a warm wash, cold rinse cycle. Dry on medium in the dryer, or hang to dry! Which leads me to:

Tip #4
Hang-dry your clothes. I can hear it already. "But my complex won't let me have a clothesline!" OK, here are some remedies for that. The first solution is to have a folding rack that you can put outside when you dry your clothes, then take it in when they are dry. Since it's not a permanent fixture, most complexes will allow this. Another solution, which may take longer, is to put your clothes rack up inside near a heater (in the winter) or a fan (in the summer). It may take longer for them do dry, but it has never taken mine longer than a day to dry, and I do about a load a day.

Problem with stiff clothes when you hang? Here are two solutions. The first is to add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the rinse cycle in the washing machine. They won't be as soft as in the dryer, but they will be softer than if you didn't. The second solution is to hang them until almost dry. Then put them in the dryer for 10 minutes. You will never know they were hung to dry, and you will save 80 minutes of drying time in the dryer!

More Tips to Come!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Projects List

3 comments:

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