Frugal Village Forums banner

2011 Home Project Organizational Challenge

20K views 451 replies 46 participants last post by  MyMelody 
#1 ·
Twelve months, twelve projects.

I noticed, immediately pre-Christmas (which is when I always notice, because it is too late to do it before company arrives) all the projects around the house that I *meant* to do before the end of the year. While it is still fresh in my mind, I am making my list (and checking it twice) of all the moderately difficult projects I have put off for too long. I am sure I can come up with twelve - all those, "Oh, I ought to take care of that" projects that caught my eye throughout the year. I have a section of drywall that needs repairing; the decking needs a new coat of paint; the garden beds need an overhaul; etc; etc; etc....

January's project, for me, will be figuring out a better system for storing and retrieving my Christmas stuff. I don't even know what I have, and it all gets wrapped in bags post-holiday and stuffed in the crawlspace behind my wall, so when Christmas comes around again, I have to unwrap everything, haul it down a flight of stairs, and wash it before it can be used. Usually, I get tired of unwrapping stuff, so decorations don't get put out (or not until the last minute), or I end up buying more serving dishes because I don't know where I put the ones I had last year.
 
#28 ·
Ugh, so many projects to do here. I'm going to need about 50 months in 2011 if I'm going to do 1 a month and still get anywhere.

I'll break it down by room & mini projects.

First up is my youngest girl's room. She needs:
  • chalkboard painted and installed
  • window treatment
  • trim painted
  • edges of closet door planed down
  • transition piece in threshold
  • bedding
  • wall appliques
  • closet & clothes organized
 
#29 ·
I'm not sure if joining this one or not, but may I ask how long some of you are keeping paperwork?

My paperwork is organized but I think I'm keeping too much.

7 years? Last year's until you do tax returns then keep those?

If this is hijacking, please move the posting or tell me and I'll start a new thread elsewhere.

Thanks!
 
#33 ·
I'm not sure if joining this one or not, but may I ask how long some of you are keeping paperwork?

My paperwork is organized but I think I'm keeping too much.

7 years? Last year's until you do tax returns then keep those?

If this is hijacking, please move the posting or tell me and I'll start a new thread elsewhere.

Thanks!
For me, it really depends on what it is. I don't keep bills and such after I pay them, but I have my last ten years' worth of tax returns and supporting docs. I keep all my house records, but I finally threw out the paperwork related to my previous house last year, so about seven years after moving to this one.

I keep vet records forever. Just hate to throw out the old ones. My medical records, however, I don't keep at all, because I figure the doctor can get them, and I have been going to the same doc for about seven years, and he has already obtained all my old medical files.

Warranties and such, I keep until they expire. Instruction manuals get tossed immediately, unless they are for something tricky (like my stupid digital light switch timer that resets when the power goes out), then they live in a drawer in my file cabinet for the life of the appliance.
 
#30 ·
January is the living room for me - hopefully to get it completed this time - it's been a WIP for a looooong thime!!
 
#32 ·
McD, beautiful china! It looks so delicate I'd be afraid of it getting broken if left out. What a great way to display your key pieces, while keeping the others safe!
 
#34 ·
Whew! Got everything sorted. Key pieces are in the curio, and all my big tea pots, chocolate pots, etc. are on a shelf above the doorway in that room.

Have the majority of the remaining pieces wrapped and in a box for hubby to take downstairs. It looks like we'll need another box before we can continue.

Hubby also got one of the nasty dressers out of what will soon be just dub's room. We still have one to be taken out of what will soon be Moo's rooms. Lesson Learned: Don't trust your MIL to pick out second hand furniture for you.
 
#36 ·
Before and stage one pictures are in my album for the project.
I am SOO glad I started working on this instead of putting it off like usual.

Our Christmas dinner was today and most of the family found some excuse to go into that room .. I would have been so embarrassed by what it looked like yesterday when I started.

I brought a 3 drawer plastic storage unit in from the garage (already priced for the garage sale). I put the "mess" from beside the desk chair so it would at least "look" neat until I got it sorted and assigned places. I also "stuffed" the bookcase so I could semi-clear the endtables.

I already feel calmer and more "with it".
 
#37 ·
Okey dokey, I'm in and I am going to REDUCE my paperwork!! Make decisions on it instead of filing it away. I have a large desk in the basement, covered in dust, and filled with papers. Time to face the music.
 
#38 ·
I was going to reserve January for getting my Christmas stuff in order, but I am making a good-sized dent in it already, so I have decided that my January project is to get the bird feeders all cleaned up and to set them up a little differently to make it a little easier for me to get to them for refilling and cleaning purposes. I have about four feeders out there, and I wouldn't mind a few more, or at least more of a variety, but I may set them up closer to the tack room, rather than near the house, because: a) that is where I keep the seed, so less back-and-forth to fill them; and b) if the ground squirrels get interested, it keeps them near the tack room, where they are already established, rather than near the house where they aren't (yet).

So January will be taking down all the feeders, assessing which are keepers and which need to be replaced, cleaning and disinfecting them, getting them all put back up again, adding new feeders as needed/desired, and stocking up on each type of feed, so I can help the little guys get through the winter and figure out where the feeders are before spring nesting season starts.
 
#39 ·
Today:

I'd like to get the rest of my geisha girl china wrapped and put away.

I'd like to get all laundry sorted and put away. I swear I go through Moo's clothes every few weeks! She is constantly outgrowing things, but luckily for us, we have some awesome friends who enjoy passing down their daughters' gently used clothes to us. (We're passing ours down to Zac's sister!)

This weekend is a long weekend for me as I get off at 12 today and am off tomorrow for the holiday. I am hoping to get the desk in the office measured, photo-ed, and posted on craigslist. I'd like to get Moo's cradle upstairs and in her closet to hold her blankies. I'd also like to get the rocking chair upstairs and the last ugly dresser down.

I've been taking photos of the process but was having a bit of trouble uploading last night.
 
#40 ·
So many projects listed on here appeal to me! I should be able to keep busy all year long thanks to you folks. Bird feeders will go on my list, I need to move them to the front of the house because my dogs keep getting to them in the backyard.

At first I thought this was a once-a-month pick a project thing but there is so much I could be doing.

My holiday stuff is already put away, but I gave away unused items when I unpacked it so didn't need to reorganize it before putting items away.
 
  • Like
Reactions: madhen
#41 ·
Okay so started in on the laundry pantry room. I got lots of stuff reorganized. I had just been flining it in there and not putting it away. So I did all that.

Next up is to wash all the jars and plastic containers. I will be buying some items in bulk and will be putting them in these containers. Some haven't been used in awhile and some had expired food that I already cleaned out.

sweep/vac/mop/dust/wipedown is next.

After that, I will be starting the stockpiling of food. This is where it will be stored and I want the place in good organization order.
 
#42 ·
I got the tree, mantel swag, and all ornaments put away in the still-messy closet. I dusted and damp-mopped the den, so I feel like Christmas is officially "done" now. Like madhen, I may have to pick another project to round out January, but that's a good feeling.

I plan to get some of the cardboard boxes with the reinforced edges ?(the type milk jugs are packed in) from Wal-Mart or the grocery store to use for my closet clean-up. I also will ask DH pretty-please to carry the bed frame that's cluttering the whole works up downstairs to the garage.
 
#44 ·
Okay! I'm done for tonight since I have plans with a group of girlfriends, but as of right now the only thing that does not belong to Wesley in his room is Maggie's crib!

Hubs has to finish sorting through his clothes to get them transitioned downstairs. He is also going to measure teh desk for me .
 
#45 ·
I'm not sure where to start on my project for January....organizing food stuff and canned goods...maybe working on my menu plan will help? Feeling like it's one of those "which came first" things. So I guess I'll just do a little bit and see where the momentum carries me.
 
#46 ·
I'm in!!!!!!!!! For January I need to organize the "christmas pit" aka under the stairs storage.....I need to pitch,organize and all that jazz. Next month will be closets, march kitchen.....sad I already have it planned out that far!
 
#47 ·
Pouring rain today, so I didn't get much done on the bird feeders. I did put up a new glass hummer feeder that I bought a few weeks ago. They seem to come round all year, so I try to keep food out for them, especially this time, when there isn't much in the way of natural resources out there for them.

Tomorrow, I will try to get a few of the other feeders washed and disinfected, at least.
 
#48 ·
I got a good start on the kitchen today. Almost all of the cabinets have been gone through - I have 3 more to do. DH helped with everything today, which definitely made it go faster and was a lot easier (especially since I can't reach everything, even on the step ladder).

I still have to finish up with the cookbooks, but I'm getting closer. YAY!

Also, as we took down the Christmas decorations, we reorganized and consolidated. I managed to get rid of 2 boxes, which was nice.
 
#49 ·
MadHen my christmas stuff is organized in bins and was put away yesterday. I'll join you here,I need to organize my craft room I have bought lots of new christmas paper and need to organize it to do my card projects so that's on my list. I need to go thru my youngests pics and pick out some for his open house in May! Need to cut some out to put in an accordian picture book also.
 
#50 ·
Did some work in little girl's room today. The chalkboard is done and up. Also put up her wall hanging and a picture, which I had forgotten to put on the original list.

  • chalkboard painted and installed
  • window treatment
  • trim painted
  • edges of closet door planed down
  • transition piece in threshold
  • bedding
  • wall appliques
  • closet & clothes organized
 
#51 ·
My project for going through the entire totes for Christmas is finished. I got rid of more than 1/2 of it. I donated balls and garland etc from my first Christmas tree from 1971, whoa, I need to go through it more often. Now its in its place and I know what I have. I'm not sure what I will do next.
 
#52 ·
Braved the weather and picked up two more feeders from outside. Washed and dried them, and they are sitting in my kitchen, waiting to be filled with seed. One of them is a larger feeder for peanuts or grey stripe sunflower, neither of which I have, so it may have to sit a day or two. The other is a thistle feeder, and I have a bag of thistle ready to go.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top