Am I Going to Make It??

I have 11 days left in 2011, and I still have over 100 items to remove from our house. I know that there are dark, scary places in my basement that have items that I can purge. I just need to find them. I think I'm going to check under the stairs.


Brian is already talking about getting a couch for the basement and putting up a TV, but before we can do that, I want to get rid of as much stuff as possible and have my husband and his father build us some shelves for the items that we need to keep. This will definitely include my craft desk so that I can catch up on scrapbooking and do some sewing projects that I have been eyeing on Pinterest.


Old Basement Photos
   

I don't know how we ever had this mess in our house. At the first of the year, I'll post pictures of where we are now. Hopefully by St. Patrick's Day, the shelves will be built and everything will be off the floor.

Early Christmas

Because we are flying to Florida, late this week, to visit my dad for Christmas, we celebrated Christmas with Brian's parents yesterday. They are WAY too generous.


The first thing I opened from them will help save me from the wrath of my son, Samuel. No more black eyes for Mommy.

At first, Samuel wasn't interested in anything but my iPad.

I think it's so cute when Sam takes other people's
fingers to activate items.

It's also funny when he uses his nose.

The first present that really got his attention was a Fisher Price camera. I just knew that he would love it, because he has so much fun taking pictures with my camera.

Sam needed a little help from Grandpa,
but definitely learned quickly.

The next thing that he became interested in was the Thomas And Friends Wooden Railway - Misty IslAnd Adventure Set that Brian bought along with the train table I purchased from a local mom's group for only $60 (Score!!!).

Next thing that really caught his eye was a set of Sesame Street figures.

Chewing them wasn't the only thing he did.

He also had them step on each other. Poor Elmo.

Sam and Grandma with his Christmas outfit. The orange cap
was a present that says "My First Fishing Cap."

Sam also got a play mat that has a town and streets,
so that he can drive his cars (and anything else) all over it.

Sam also received a lot of other presents (Crayola Mess Free Color Wonder Sound Studio, Fisher Price Thomas' Chocolate Delivery Train Set, books, coloring pages, etc.), including an outfit from his great uncle and aunt that I'm going to make sure he wears this week. It's so cute.


Thank you, Andrea & Jay, for helping to make yesterday a great day for Samuel. I'm not sure if there are enough days in the year for him to play with everything.


We had a blast!!

Wordless Wednesday- My Kid Kicks My Butt

On Saturday, my son threw back his head and it went straight into my nose. Crack!!



Here’s what they look like today.

These pictures look like I'm a disembodied head. :)

Update on Black Eye

Quick Organizing Project

A few weeks ago, I looked at our dining room table, and there were quite a few items hanging off the back of some of the chairs that should be put outside or in our garage. I purchased this small, 4 knob coat hook and had my husband install it in our garage.

Now, items that are used for automotive endeavors and outdoor activities, can be hung up away from our living room, and are able to dry and not stink up our house.


YEA!!!

Breakfast With Santa- December 3rd

Literally, 5 seconds after I opened an e-mail from Maggiano's Little Italy advertising Breakfast with Santa, at their downtown location, I called for a reservation.  I guess I opened my e-mail at the right time, because the person that answered the phone said that I was the 2nd person to call for a reservation. It must have just been sent.

 The closest that Sam would get to Santa was taking a candy cane and doing a fist bump.

The Boys (Daddy, Samuel, and Grandpa)

Other than eating, watching Elmo on my iPad, he did get a hold of my camera and took some pictures of things from his point of view.
 

We shared our table with a grandmother and two of her grand kids.
They were very nice.

Hi Grandma!!

 
Don't tell Samuel, but Santa is bring him his own Fisher Price camera, so that he can take all the pictures that he wants.  :)

Operation Minimize- Week 50 (1,806- 1,901)

I squeezed some time this weekend to go into our basement and look through a few more boxes to see if I remove the final 206 items from our home to complete my project of removing 2011 items from our house in 2011.

Earlier this year, I donated a lot of CD's that didn't have cases. Yesterday, I finally found a lot of those empty cases, so I was able to throw out a bunch. I was also able to find CD cases with CD's in them and cassette tapes that I'm going to donate to ARC this afternoon.

I also had some items that I needed to return to my ILs that were removed yesterday.

Here is this weekend's update.

Returned to ILs
2 Pans
1 Bowl
1 Lid
1 Outdoor Stove

Donate to ARC
11 CD's
8 Cassette Tapes
1 Cassette Tape Holder

Trash

59 Empty CD Cases
12 Blank Cassette Tapes







96 Items Leaving Our House

That drops me down to 110 items left to remove from the house. I should be able to do that in the next 2 weeks.

Two Black Eyes-- Thanks Samuel!

On Saturday, Samuel was looking out our back window, standing on the couch while I was laying on it. I asked him to come down. He stood up, turned, sat on me and then, flung his head back, straight into my nose. My husband was across the room and could hear the crack. I immediately had one of the worst headaches I have ever had (I'm still feeling it now). Even with ice, the left side of my nose is swollen and today, you can see the start of 2 black eyes.

I don't think it's broken.

Not the best picture, but you can see what's coming.

Someone needs to come up with a human airbag to help save my poor eyes (and my poor nose).

Donations for 2011 Taxes

Since I have been donating a lot of items for my Operation Minimize Project (HERE is where I got the idea) and participating in raising money for charity, I have amassed a lot of receipts for donation items.  I have collected them all and put everything together so that on April 14th we aren't going crazy adding up everything.

Monetary Donations- $490.20
American Cancer Society- $160.20
Team in Training (LLS)- $180
Denver Museum of Nature and Science Membership- $60
Denver Zoo Membership- $90



Goodwill Donations
869 Individual Items- $1,796
ARC Donations
307 Individual Items- $1,103

Book Outlet
53 Individual Items- $71


2011 Total Donations (so far)- $3,460.20Just to let you know, I low balled all of the estimates for the donations. I still have another 200+ items to donate or throw away in the next 4 weeks.

Operation Minimize- Week 48 (1,771- 1,805)

This past weekend I found a few more boxes with items that haven't been touched since we moved it. A lot of people may not have opened the boxes, but since I'm keeping count, I did.

I found a combination of mismatched pint glasses (mostly souvenir glasses) and large Starbucks coffee mugs that we obviously haven't missed over the last 5+ years.

Away they go.

I also found a box with sheets for a full size bed that I haven't owned since 2004. That's another few items out the door to Goodwill.

• 30 Pint Glasses & Coffee Mugs
• 1 Full Size Comforter
• 1 Full Size Fitted Sheet
• 1 Full Size Flat Sheet
• 2 Full Size Pillowcases
• 1 Full Size Bedskirt

I better get on the ball. I only have 4 weeks to get rid of 206 items. That's 7 items a day. I can do that.