It has been very easy for me to fall in to the trap of excessive time online, planning and plotting, thinking about things I'd like to do around the house, reading organizing blogs and decorating blogs and business blogs and minimalism blogs.....and then not actually DO anything.
On top of the mountain of laundry that had piled up, I had a number of nagging tasks that I had been putting off for weeks. Then I started saying "As soon as we're back from Rome, I'll get right on it." And then we got back and I got sick.
So now, feeling much better and only slightly bedeviled by allergies, I decided to hit the week running.
The top goals are/were:
Do something about the sorry state of our lawn. There was an article in the Star last last week about how to repair lawns, so I spent a good part of Monday and Tuesday raking the thatch and have started to put down a layer of new soil where the lawn is patchy. I've got 200 litres of bagged soil in my trunk from my second soil run, and I"ll get that spread tomorrow. I've also got some good quality grass seed that I'm sowing over the soil. It looks like we're going to get some rain over the next few days, so that will help. Status: Half-done. To be finished tomorrow.
Replace the hideous window coverings in the master bedroom. They probably weren't hideous when they were first installed, and probably matched the previous owner's decor, but they are faded, dusty, brown-coloured balloon shades. The strings are broken and the seams are coming apart. So after doing the measurements, I headed out to Ikea yesterday and picked up some sheers, some chocolate brown panels, and curtain rods. We needed a total of six of each panel as we're in a corner room with a double window on one side and a bay window on the other. I've got some elbow issues right now, so I'll need Z's help to get the rods installed as I don't want to put pressure on my joint with a screwdriver or power driver. Status: Measuring and shopping done. Installation to be done this weekend.
Get a new washer/dryer. We have the machines that came with the house. The washing machine is ancient, doesn't spin well, and is leaking oil. So it's gotta go. I want a stackable pair as space is at a premium, so I spent some time on Monday researching machines, and whaddya know? The top rated front-loading washer is on sale at Sears at the moment. So I plan to order it in the next day or so. The city picks up old appliances free with a phone call in advance, so nothing to be done re disposal. And they offer a $60 rebate when you purchase a high-efficiency washer. Status: Research complete. Rebate form printed.
Taxes: Canadian taxes are due at the end of April. Before we went on holidays, I downloaded the current tax software, (electronically) transferred the data from last years returns, and did Alex's (very easy) return. Today, I did Z's and mine, and e-filed all three of them. Status: Done! Done! Done!
Laundry: I don't know how it happens, but it piles up! It took me a long time to get all our vacation laundry done because I was sick, But it seems that as soon as I had it all put away, there were overflowing baskets of dirty stuff. So today I sorted it all and got started. Status: Two loads done. Two loads in progress. Two loads left to do.
I've had a bunch to mini-tasks to do which I've managed to check off with some ferocity. Shoes and a watch to their respective repair shops. Getting some Canada Pension Plan info. Groceries, shopping, chauffeuring, dog-walking. You know the drill. But it's these things above that have made this week seem so productive. And it's only Wednesday!
I've been using this excellent Daily Docket from Simple Mom to organize my days. It really helps me stay on track and not get lost in online wanderings or excessive book-reading-napping. I print one first thing in the morning and fill it out while I'm having coffee. It also helps that I've started trying to get up a little earlier each morning now that I'm feeling well. I'm all done breakfast by 8 and have a good start on the day.
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