Month by Month: April Highlights

It's been a while since I've blogged here....sometimes living life gets in the way of blogging....and if I have to choose....I'm going to live life. That's as it should be!  However my home is a wreck, my notebook is a mess and I have no routines what so ever...so it's time to buckle down and get back on track. I had divided my Month by Month Notebook into four notebooks...one for each season. Now the notebooks are lovely but not really working. I am planning to keep them as files for all those great holiday and seasonal ideas but set back up my original Month by Month Notebook.  The home notebook can not be under used if one wants to stay on track.

I'll have a divider for each month as I did before as I'm just taking them out of the four seasons notebooks.  As I was cleaning house for Easter, I reminded myself that having routines and regular decluttering and cleaning plans keeps things from gettting so out of control.  Reminded myself of all the Organized Home and SHE stuff from the past. It's not NEW but it works. So I took some plain paper (for not) and wrote down each month of the year. Under each month is a list of big chores and cleaning items that you don;t have to do every week but that do need scheduled work. In additon each month is going to have a declutter room or area assigned to it also. This is my own take on the Room A Month cleaning approach but with the major emphasis on DECLUTTERING. I'll keep you up to date on how it all transpires.  I don't have all the list established yet but here's the tentative one for April.

APRIL

Declutter Focus: The Office (I'm developing a check list for decluttering this room also)

1. Clean Pantry (I'm planning to have this on the list every other month)
2. Clean Linen closet  (I plan to start with twice a year but will see how it goes.)

If I find additional items to add to the list I will update later. I want to start out small as the problem in the past has been mile long lists that NEVER get accomplished. This month the declutter area is really bad....so I figure keeping the rest of the list small might help!

Cheers....I'll update later. I'm trying to blog this to get myself motivated. If I can bring myself too...I might even take before and after photos...oh it is so bad...I'm not sure I can. We will see,

Weekly Forecast 1/11/09

For 2009 I am going to try to give you a little update on what to expect each week here at Month by Month...I say "try" cause sometimes life gets in the way of my best plans ....But here goes for this week...each day I will try to post about the topics outlined in the Forecast!

Monday Jan. 12th:

• Move It Out Monday
• Soup Recipe
• 3s and 3s

Tuesday Jan 13th:

• Track It Tuesday
• The Budget Notebook (tracking your bills)

Wednesday Jan. 14th:

• Wild Card Wednesday (I'll give you an assignment idea)
• Friendship Focus: How to stay connected in a hectic world

Thursday Jan. 15th:

• 30 Minute Thursday (I'll give you an assignment but you can choose your own too)
• Celebrate Me: This is my date so I'll let you know what's up and give you ideas for future use.

Friday Jan. 16th:

• Fifteen Minute Friday: (my focus every Friday is my desk)
• Notes from the Notebook (more notebook tips and ideas)

I am not going to include the weekends in our Weekly Forecast because I think that's just unrealistic for me BUT I still may pop in and write on the weekends...lol...if the mood strikes.

My Pre-Holiday Plan...Plans

The Houseworks Holiday Plan starts August 31st....how can that be...the year has just evaporated. Well, every year...try as I might...I never make it through the plan. So this year...I got to thinking....part of my problem is...I try to do it ALL during one plan. What I really need to be doing is establishing my routines...get on track again BEFORE the plan starts. Returning to work next week...makes me realize that I goofed around a lot this summer...LOL....okay it happens to the best of us...doesn't it?

So I will be working my daily routines EVERY day between now and August 31st...no exceptions...and I will do our Special days....like Move it Out Monday...whenever possible I will make the special day project...fit in to the room that's on my daily rotation! Bit by bit...I'll be on track and then it will just be a matter of adding the Houseworks Holiday Plan....AND this year it is going to be simplified....can't do everything...so I will take seven items each week...and do ONE each day...that's.... it just one of the household chores...AND I will add three-five holiday prep items per week during September/October and then November I will most likely increase those...my goal...is usually to be done with all Christmas shopping/chores etc by December 10th...I never have made it...so this year I plan too!!!!

To make all this happen....first routines, then SIMPLIFY....and even with just a few extra things accomplished I will be ahead of the game. So tomorrow...I'll follow my routine and do a tiny bit of holiday prep by updating lists and getting some stocking stuffers and 24 days of Christmas gifts into one organized storage spot!!

Look Ahead to the Week

Okay...back on track for the week...I hope! I have not felt too inspired lately...at least in the area of home management...LOL...so hopefully this week I will. I need to get back on track with my daily lists...I had skipped them for a week or so and spent the WHOLE weekend digging out!

For the coming week I would like to:

• Get up a Cinco de Mayo recipe or two for you...this will be here before we know it.
• Get up some pictures of ANYTHING...this has been a down fall lately!
• Work on a Summer Sensations kit to share with you!
• Start sharing a few things from the Summer Section of the Seasonal Notebook.
• Get my new May divider created...still need to show you April...see pictures are a problem!
• Start a Magic Maintenance Challenge

Looking Ahead To This Week

Well I looked over last weeks list and I still need:

1. Post April Monthly Magic (it is March 31st tomorrow)
2. Post April's Personal Life Goals

Those two are carry overs from last week and will be my main priorities. Then if I get a little blogging time this week I would like to:

1. Post one of the recipes from my April Menu
2. Get up a few pictures of my April section of my notebook
3. Post another Simple Tips for Busy Lives
4. Any other random stuff that pops into my head....lol...you just never know.

Looking Ahead to This Week

Wonderful Easter today even with the off and on snow throughout the day. Hard to dream of spring with winter's last grasp holding on tight!

I need to go back and review the list from last week....I sort of lost track of what I was planning here at Month by Month...but I know I got at least some of it accomplished! The poll is showing me three popular topics: Printables, Home Notebook, and the Seasonal Notebook...so we will continue in that direction with some other random stuff thrown in here or there...sorry thats just the way I write...whatever strikes my fancy on that particular day. The Seasonal Notebooks I definately want to talk about...but right now mine is set up as one Seasonal Notebook with the four sections...I think it's working okay but I don't really have time to jump in with the spring section so let's plan on starting with summer. Whether you want one notebook or four smaller ones will be up to you!

Some things I'd like to get up this week:

• Another good recipe...shhhh it's a secret...lol...really I haven't decided on one yet!
• Get our April Monthly Magic ready for printing
• Reflect on my March Personal Life Goals
• Write April Personal Life Goals
• Review the home notebook...talk about some roadblocks to avoid.
• AND as I said probably some other random stuff that pops into my head!

My house is still looking spiffy from Easter....plan to work hard this week to keep it that way cause next Saturday we are hosting a Game Night at our house...more about that later!

Looking Ahead to Our Week

I just reviewed my post for last week and was amazed to discover I got posted almost everything I wanted to. I just need to get up the link to Sunday/Room of the Month Weekly To Do List and the whole list will be done! I am so amazed!!

So let's look ahead to this week:

• Do you have your Magic Maintenance list done or at least started? I will begin sharing with you how I divide my list to make it a bit more manageable.
• This week we will do a quick run down of Easter To Dos just to get in shape...in case you have not been following the Easter Countdown.
• I want to share another recipe with you this week....ummm but I'm having a hard time deciding which one.
• Photos are on my to do list to share with you. I want to give you a peek at one of my recipe notebooks...but right now the memory card is full...so down load and burn a CD before this is gonna transpire! LOL
• Simple Tips for Busy Lives is due for another installment.
• Last but not least...I will share with you some desk set up tips that I am trying out. I will explain my weekly file box that has files for Sunday-Saturday and explain how they are helping me tame the paper monster!