So. What are your nagging, neglected "to-do"s?

[Canice]

There is a wicked corner in my bedroom, between a night table and wall. It looks innocuous enough, not scary at all. If I told you I need to "deal with it" you'd say, "Sheesh, put the sweaters in the closet, the photo albums on the shelf, and the newspapers in the recycle bin - DONE." But no. All those sweaters must be hand washed and laid out to dry. The newspapers (just Food sections that I never got around to reading) must be read --because there's something life-changing for me in there :rolleyes: -- and the recipes clipped (I am otherwise studiously ignoring the subject of recipes in this posting!). Under the photo albums are...the loose photos to be sorted and organized. More albums must be procured.
AAAAAAAArrrrrrgggghhhh!! How can this small pile of stuff in the corner be such a torment? I won't even SAY how long it's been there.....:o

[Kathy B]

I have a LARGE box in the corner of my closet that is overflowing with photos that need to be sorted, organized and placed in albums. It has been haunting me for years. Some are from when DH and I first got married, and that was 17 years ago!

At one point I actually had them sorted chronologically, which was a good start. Then one afternoon I walked into my room, and the kids were sitting on my bed with pictures everywhere. They were having a great time, but they totally undid all my organizing! Since then I haven't been able to get myself back to it. It just seems overwhelming. And I find myself taking less and less pictures, because I don't want to add to the box. (At this point, I really need to start another box!) :eek: :rolleyes: :(

[Jodi]

You mean aside from my shoe collection, my to-try recipes, and my home office, Canice? Apparently, 5 months isn't QUITE enough time to settle into our new home for me...

[imloulou]

Originally posted by Canice
All those sweaters must be hand washed and laid out to dry.

LOL!!! I have one of those only the pile moves. It went from the side of the bed to a corner close to the laundry. Someday they may make it to the laundry room...lol! Right now there are 6 sweaters that need handwashing...sweaters are big!:D

[Peggy]

Funny you should bring this subject up! I was thinking about restarting the "Procrastination" thread that was active a few years back. I have numerous "DREADED TASKS" as I call them that just never seem to get tackled. DH and I are still scrapbooking our Europe trip from last fall. We are almost halfway down but the task was so huge we were almost afraid to start!:o This week I have been forcing myself to complete something on my DREADED TASK list each day. I finally wrote a belated thank-you letter to the principal and staff at my DD's school that helped us create her independent study course last semester. Tonight I finished the huge mending pile that had been growing for months. My handwashing sweater stack is a mountain.:rolleyes: But I am really trying to plug away at it every single day. I don't want to even discuss the boxes of photographs that are sitting in one of the bonus room closets begging to be noticed!! As Fly-Lady says, "THINK BABY STEPS"!!:)

Peggy

P.S. I forgot to mention that I also finished my ironing today. It hadn't been done for over 2 1/2 months and was growing weekly!! Very sad...

[Canice]

Hey, Lisa - my mountain of black sweaters aside, I also had a couple of lighter, cashmere sweaters, a pair of silk pyjamas, a couple of pieces of lingere, and blouse or two --all waiting to be toted into the house and hand-washed, dried flat. I'm not saying how many oil changes later they were still in the car.. But I will say that it was almost a relief to me when the car was stolen and the thieves swiped my dirty laundry! :o :p

[masimmons]

Pile of ironing - I hate it and by the time I do iron it takes a couple of hours. I bought a steamer and its better than regular ironing, but still not one of my top ten fun things to do. I so hate to hand wash sweaters that I end up taking them to the dry cleaners. My washer has a 'hand wash' setting that I use too.

[badunnin]

My closet needs to be cleaned out. All the binders from university need to be gone through, all my old clothes, the boxes with goodness only knows what in them, my duvet for a bed I don't yet own... it all needs to be put someplace else. But I have the summer off, right? I'm sure it will get done then. :rolleyes:

[rosie_one]

Originally posted by Canice
Hey, Lisa - my mountain of black sweaters aside, I also had a couple of lighter, cashmere sweaters, a pair of silk pyjamas, a couple of pieces of lingere, and blouse or two --all waiting to be toted into the house and hand-washed, dried flat. I'm not saying how many oil changes later they were still in the car.. But I will say that it was almost a relief to me when the car was stolen and the thieves swiped my dirty laundry! :o :p

Too Funny!! :D

We have a rather large, rambling old house and there are, unfortunately, more of those spots than I'd like to count. The ones I feel active remorse over are my desk and "file pile" and the kids art projects. I have three very large corkboards in our den that hold fun kid projects that I, supposedly, should rotate in and out. Unfortunately there is a pile of newer projects on the table below it and all the old ones languish on the cork boards. It's not that difficult, the kids would gladly help, I just need to DO it!

Once or twice a year I go on the flylady kick ( www.flylady.net ) , and that helps, but I always fall off the wagon and it gets ugly again. Sometimes it feels like my life is just stuff management. Oy. At least I'm not alone in this. :)

[Blissful_in_TX]

- Learning how to use our “new” video camera and convert the video to the computer (that’s been there about a year and a half)

- My follow-up dermatologist appointment (over a year)

- I did have a huge pile of clothes that needed to be mended, but most of them eventually just find their way to the trash.

- Reading the book “Guns, Germs and Steel” (over 3 years....the book is still sitting by my nightstand)

- And the worst offender: Learning to speak Spanish. Given, that one is no small task, but I literally have a “To Do” list in my planner and I keep rewriting that entry for almost 10 years now. :o

- Photo albums are the one thing I won’t get behind on.....not after seeing my mom’s photo pile! :(

[CompassRose]

Basement. Attic. Giant piles of stuff that need to be dealt with or tossed -- but in order for that to happen, other piles of stuff need to be cleared to make room for the things that are in the wrong spots... Argh.

Bathroom. There are things I could be doing in there to move the renovation along.

The mound of cruft on the corner of the sideboard in the kitchen -- a whole heap of papers, notes, bits of this and that. This I do need to go through, because all the bills that need to be paid are in there -- but also in there are all the PAID bills that have to get filed. I don't know why I hate filing papers so much. The files are set up, I just stand there and ram them in...

speaking of which, I GOTTA go through the filing cabinet and pull all the ancient stuff that's starting to fluff out of the top of each and every folder.

Blissful, if you don't wanna read Guns, Germs and Steel, I will! :) I thought that looked interesting, but didn't buy it.

Maybe that's another thing I should do -- go to the library and find something new to read. I was so desperate for something, anything new to read the other day that I bought Vanity Fair's Hollywood issue, All Ads All the Time. (I didn't realise VF was so lefty. Interesting...)

Speaking of which, if I've got over 3000 books in the house and nothing to read, p'raps I don't need the books and should get rid of some. As a matter of fact, I often think that, but it is so embittering lugging, then selling my good books to used bookstores for a pittance (and then seeing them on the store shelves for three or four times that pittance) that I don't even want to start. And some of those books are good ones, and were expensive, so I truly don't want to donate them anywhere. Sheesh.

[Jessica]

--sorting papers and photos

--sewing the second of two throw pillows; I did the first last summer

--reading the approximately 7,422 books in my office

--learning to build a website for my business

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Kathy B
I have a LARGE box in the corner of my closet that is overflowing with photos that need to be sorted, organized and placed in albums. It has been haunting me for years. Some are from when DH and I first got married, and that was 17 years ago!

At one point I actually had them sorted chronologically, which was a good start. Then one afternoon I walked into my room, and the kids were sitting on my bed with pictures everywhere. They were having a great time, but they totally undid all my organizing! Since then I haven't been able to get myself back to it. It just seems overwhelming. And I find myself taking less and less pictures, because I don't want to add to the box. (At this point, I really need to start another box!) :eek: :rolleyes: :(


Yes!!! This is me! We love looking at the albums I put together when the boys (14 an 11) were babies. Then I ended .... I have boxes of pictures to organize. :confused:

[Gracie]

I also have the picture issue. The last time I put photos in albums was when DD was 7 mos old - now she's 13! :o

Canice - LOL on the car story. I tell everyone I live in my car. Between my 90 minute each-way commute and all the errands, I too keep stuff in the car so that it'll be there when I run the errand. I have a huge plastic garbage bag full of 13-year-old girls' stuff from DD's November sleepover that needs to be delivered (they don't miss their stuff, though), drycleaning, library books, rented DVDs and summer clothes for the tailor's that have been there since last summer.

Compass Rose - what about ebay for your books?

Loren

[lorilei]

Oh, gee.
I shouldn't have read this thread.

I have an office at home that is in desperate need of an overhaul. A filing cabinet packed full of who-knows-what... a few months of filing to be done... a closet packed full of coats that absolutely need to be pared down.

We also have a basement that could use some organizing. It's been two years since we moved in - and it went from being EMPTY to being 1/2 full. How DOES it happen??

[KimE]

Photos, photos, photos.. I have a rubbermaid bin that is FULL. I have been saying that is a "Winter" project for about 9 Winters now....
After reading this I don't feel so bad, and this year we have had such a beautiful winter, OK that was my excuse this year
:p

Kim

[CompassRose]

Originally posted by Gracie
Compass Rose - what about ebay for your books?

Loren
Actually, I was thinking more of the Amazon "sell used" -- ebay's getting too freaky these days for my taste.

However, in order to do either of those, I need to buy a new printer for printing shipping labels. Our old printer (very old) has a very specialised and briefly-manufactured HP cable, which is not compatible with our new laptop and can't be without an over-$120 connector (hence might as well just get a new printer...) See? :rolleyes: It never ends!

[Canice]

LOL! Apparently I actually tackled the photo issue a year and half ago - who knew?
"Finally - I'm organizing my photos!" (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49604&highlight=pictures+shoe+boxes)

[imloulou]

Originally posted by Canice
Hey, Lisa - my mountain of black sweaters aside, I also had a couple of lighter, cashmere sweaters, a pair of silk pyjamas, a couple of pieces of lingere, and blouse or two --all waiting to be toted into the house and hand-washed, dried flat. I'm not saying how many oil changes later they were still in the car.. But I will say that it was almost a relief to me when the car was stolen and the thieves swiped my dirty laundry! :o :p

Okay...that was funny! Well, probably not when it happened but it makes for a great story now! I would have felt the same way:D

[imloulou]

Originally posted by Gracie
I have a huge plastic garbage bag full of 13-year-old girls' stuff from DD's November sleepover that needs to be delivered.

Loren

This just reminded me of the 3 garbage bags of clothes...one is a hand-me down bag to a friens little girl and the others go to GoodWill. They have been behind the back seats for...uhhhhhh...hmmmmmm...at least 4 months!:eek:

Thanks for the reminder! Maybe this will be on the to do list this weekend...and then again...maybe we will see on Monday if they are still there...hehehe

[Gecko]

My list is quite long - sort of overwelming so I just don't get to any of it.
Photos would be high on my list. I really dread when one of the girls comes home and asks for a photo for school. I just know it is going to mean hours of sorting. And yes, one is star of the week next week for her class so I know my weekend will be spent in the closet.

Next would be personal papers. I just seem to hang on to everything, just in case I need it. You know how it is, you hold onto it forever and then the day after you throw it out you need it?

Magazines would be next. I just can't seem to pass up a magazine.
I am working on that problem though, and soon I will be sending some out to Missindi - sorry about the delay, but the good news is that there are lots, and I have the latest ones to send you too from Australia.

Of course recipes would be next. I ususally don't rip anything out of magazines (crazy I know but I always think of the next person who is going to pick it up, and the page I rip out might have the second part of a recipe they want). I ususally xerox them (conveniently we have one at home), or print them of the net. Piles and piles of them needing attention.

Now if there were just a few more hours in the day......

[imloulou]

Originally posted by Peggy
[B]But I am really trying to plug away at it every single day. I don't want to even discuss the boxes of photographs that are sitting in one of the bonus room closets begging to be noticed!! As Fly-Lady says, "THINK BABY STEPS"!!:)

I did the FlyLady thing a few years ago and stopped because it was just too darned much cleaning!!:p

Seriously though...I do still visit when I need a pick-me-up and some inspiration. Two things that I still do:

-Pick up 25 things and get rid of them (goodwill, trash, etc) I do this once or twice a week. Sometimes I make it 50 things...lol!

-I take a half hour (sometimes a little more) in the morning to take care of any hot-spots. I make the bed and clear off all flat surfaces (counter, table, coffeetable, etc) of bills, paperwork, misc things.

-oh and another thing...my sink SPARKLES (under the dirty dishes:D :p :D :p )

I will have to go check out the FlyLady page again...I need some inspiration.

STUFF MANAGEMENT! I love it...that is exactly how I feel.

[Canice]

I love this! Man can I relate.


Originally posted by Blissful_in_TX

- I did have a huge pile of clothes that needed to be mended, but most of them eventually just find their way to the trash.

[HejazSunKat]

Originally posted by Canice
All those sweaters must be hand washed and laid out to dry.

Must they really? Dryel is your friend. When our household goods shipment arrived from Saudi after a 3 month world cruise all our clothes smelled pretty musty. Dryel saved me alot in dry cleaning bills and/or having a pile of clothes for hand washing glaring accusingly at me from the corner of my bedroom.

[newcook]

When I moved in to this house 4 years ago, I had wanted to paint the shelving in the crawl space under the stairwell because I use it as a pantry. Then at one point some friends were coming over so I stuffed a bunch of unopened boxes in there to get them out of the way (it was stuff that was in the same boxes for the previous 5 years). I have been meaning to empty out the crawl space, go through the boxes to see what could be sold at a yard sale and to finally paint the shelving. 4 years later and ...

For those who have those hand wash sweaters, I would take my chances, put them in the washer on the gently cycle with Woolite and hang to dry as many as I could, laying flat only those that would completely stretch. Most would probably be OK, and if I messed a few up, Oh well, at least the pile is gone.

Daniele

[Blissful_in_TX]

Originally posted by newcook
For those who have those hand wash sweaters, I would take my chances, put them in the washer on the gently cycle with Woolite and hang to dry as many as I could, laying flat only those that would completely stretch. Most would probably be OK, and if I messed a few up, Oh well, at least the pile is gone.

Daniele

That’s what I would do. I’m not hand washing a thing! And I put mine in one of those white mesh-looking lingerie bags when I wash them.

Daniele-
I still have boxes that have made it through 3 moves without being opened yet. We’re moving again in 2 or 3 years, so I figure I’ll finally deal with them then. :D

[HejazSunKat]

Originally posted by Gracie
I tell everyone I live in my car. Between my 90 minute each-way commute and all the errands, I too keep stuff in the car so that it'll be there when I run the errand. I have a huge plastic garbage bag full of 13-year-old girls' stuff from DD's November sleepover that needs to be delivered (they don't miss their stuff, though), drycleaning, library books, rented DVDs and summer clothes for the tailor's that have been there since last summer.


You sure your crockpot insert isn't in there??? :D

[imloulou]

Originally posted by newcook


For those who have those hand wash sweaters, I would take my chances, put them in the washer on the gently cycle with Woolite and hang to dry as many as I could, laying flat only those that would completely stretch. Most would probably be OK, and if I messed a few up, Oh well, at least the pile is gone.

Daniele

This is how I handwash. I have a specific handwash setting on my washer and a dryer insert that dries clothes flat. But my problem is just getting them in the washer.

My husband is a Massage Therapist and I wash 6 to 7 sets of sheets and towels and washclothes a day PLUS our regular clothing (me, my husband, and a 7 and 9 year old). Our washer and dryer go non-stop all day everyday.

My poor pile of handwashing has been sitting in a pile for months! And the scary thing is that they are sweaters...it is almost spring here now...it will probably be fall before I actually get to them:eek:

(I even throw some dry cleaning in the washer:eek: :eek: :eek: )

[CompassRose]

Originally posted by imloulou
(I even throw some dry cleaning in the washer:eek: :eek: :eek: )
Me too. Just yesterday, only it was by accident. I threw in a big pile of blacks, only I forgot that my favourite wool skirt was in there (I dropped my lunch on it :mad: )

So there's another thing I have to do... take my formerly-pleated wool skirt to the dry-cleaners to get the pleats put back.

Fortunately, I almost always wash cold except for towels (I'm cheap) so at least it's not now Barbie-sized.

[stefania4]

Oh, let's see....

- setting up my computer (we moved in August; I've been using DH's)
- taking piles of stuff to the thrift shop to donate
- painting the trim in the dining room (I'm doing this one today! Really!)
- clipping those few over-achieving branches from the hedge
- accepting that my size-6 self may not return and closet-pruning accordingly
- going through the pile of papers on my desk. At the very least, I did spend an afternoon during an ice storm setting up the necessary folders in the filing cabinet

[lindaofthelakes]

TAXES!!!! :eek:

[Wendy w]

When I saw the title of this thread, I was afraid, very afraid to open it because it brought to mind way too many things, here goes:

Mom stuff: lots of it. My sister and I have been having problems with the credit union putting the bank account under the trust so we really should open an account with a bank who knows what they are doing. We need to change her pension and social security to be deposited into the new account (a pain in numerous body parts), close the other accounts at a later date. We keep talking about it and never get around to it because previous attempts have been overwhelming. There are also a bunch of medicare issues. :eek:

I also need to make her's and my tax appointments, the voices in my head are fearing that I may owe this year.

On the domestic front: I must organize my hallway "pantry" which is a nightmare and hard to find things. This was delegated to me when I first moved in here and I don't even want to go into it. I am very afraid of the drawers in my computer table, and I really should bid adieu to some cookbooks that will never get used in this lifetime.

[Gracie]

Originally posted by HejazSunKat


You sure your crockpot insert isn't in there??? :D

Linda if you see this I just spit Diet Coke on my keyboard!!!! I haven't laughed out loud all alone at the computer for awhile!!! :D :D :D

Loren