To-do Lists

I love lists.

I'm one of those people who makes and actually uses grocery lists. I have a stack of lists at the office (and there, I'm also the queen of Excel files...nothing better than sorting a list!). I recently signed up on DayZeroProject.com for a list of 101 things I want to accomplish in 1001 days - my "ultimate" list for the next 3 years. I make wishlists - the count on Amazon.com is up to about 4 (gift list, someday list, dream list, shopping list). And then of course there are the lists for the house. With all of the progress we've been making, I've noticed that my ambition and lists themselves keep on growing.

We have a list on our fridge right now of the little things that need to happen in the week or two. These items include:
-Schedule upstairs insulation installation (YAY!)
-Fix the upstairs bathtub
-Touch up paint
-Fill in holes in grout (outside)
-Get rid of cobwebs
-Winterize the garden
-Clear out the weeds
-Wipe down walls upstairs (dust and construction dust still linger)
-New TV for upstairs and take current TV downstairs...I'd like this to happen in the next week or two, but may take a little bit longer, since it's the least pressing item on the list

Then there are a few more things on our winterizing list, which will happen sometime before the end of November:
-Plastic the windows (kitchen, upstairs bedrooms, dining room)
-Get out cold weather bedding (flannel sheets, down comforters)
-Put recreational stuff in the attic (bikes, lawn mower)/get out the snowblower
-Put rubber mats in our cars, get out shovels and ice scrapers
-Re-organize coat closet so that hats, gloves, and winter coats are within reach
-Buy a bag of salt/put salt in trunks to weigh down our lightweight cars

Last year, we didn't have much of a list about the house. The few items in our winterizing list were pretty much the only things that got done. Andrew and I were too busy and stressed to really think about the house, and thankfully, it was still standing by the time we got to this summer. But this year, it's list city, and I'm excited about it. There will be plenty to do all winter.

Winter Projects List:
-Remove upstairs bathroom medicine cabinet and replace with mirror and light fixture
-Grout/lay down ceramic tile in hearth
-Possibly stencil ceiling borders in the bedrooms using craftsman inspired patterns...not sure if I want to to do this or go the more expensive route and install crown molding
-Build additional shelves in the cellar
-Make a master plan about what goes in the cellar, attic, upstairs cabinets/organize all
-Organize decorations and storage in basement closet
-Re-organize important documents/filing cabinet system
-New sound equipment for basement TV area (this is all Andrew - I have no idea what's going on with this project)
-Go through attic and sort through storage (this will be closer to spring - hopefully we will be able to list some items for sale)
-Add organization system and finish overhead lighting in the laundry room

This list doesn't even bother to go into my "Holiday Lists" - which include gifts (both purchased and made), baking, party hosting, decorating, etc.

And then there is my 101 in 1001 project that I mentioned earlier. Sometime this summer, I made my Day Zero list (http://www.dayzeroproject.com/). It's like a bucket list, with a much shorter span of time. So far, I have 912 days left and I've completed 10 items (for the curious, the items I've done are: kiss in the rain, ride the bike trails, make fresh crepes, organize my recipes, make made from scratch tortillas, refinish the porch, go to Brookfield Zoo, join the church choir, make a new friend, and learn to sew...okay, still working on the last one, but I felt like I could mark it as done since I'd attempted).

When I organized this list, I made a point to put things in a do-able order, and group items according to the season that they're most likely to be completed. I have some very clearly winter-themed goals, like iceskate in our neighborhood park, go skiing (I've never been), attend a Madrigal dinner (something I haven't done in years), host a New Year's Eve party, and make cinnamon rolls from my grandma's recipe. One of my 101 in 1001 items is to collect copies of Andrew and my grandparents' wedding photos - so I'm planning to ask for this as a Christmas gift from my parents and in-laws. In an album of pictures from my mom, I found a black and white of my maternal grandparents holding their wedding cake, which made me realize how much I'd love to frame of all of our grandparents' wedding photos together (or wedding-era photos...I'm not sure that an actual ceremony photo exists of my paternal grandparents, since they married in the middle of WWII).

I may not actually finish my 101 in 1001 list...Andrew pointed out that to finish it, a person has to do about 1 task every 10 days. Technically, I'm about on target, but some of the items on my list will take more time to do than experiment with a new recipe or go somewhere over the weekend. But, as a chronic list-maker, I just enjoy having a place to put my miscellaneous plans.