Operation Minimize- Week 51 (1,902-1,953 )- More Basement Junk!!

I was able to unload items from my three most important categories

Donate, Recycle, and Trash

This will definitely get me closer to my 2011 goal. Here is the breakdown.

Donate

13 Frames

2 Candles

1 Sony CD Walkman

1 CD Holder

1 CD (Michael Jackson)

1 Zion National Park Water Bottle

Notebook

3 Sets of Stationery

Hairdryer

Soap Holder

Nail File

Loofah

Glow in the Dark Lipstick

1 Makeup Bag

Recycle

Pentax Box

Razor Phone Box

Dell Laptop Box

Water Heater Box

Trash

2 Pairs of Shoes

14 Tampons

Bottle of Hair Goo

Bottle of Bath Salts

51 More Items GONE. I Rule!

58 More Items and I'm DONE.

"Lost" Photos

I was given several CDs, from my MIL Andrea, with photos that I hadn't seen. We hope that you like them like we do.

June - October 2011 Photos

New Organizer for 2012

Along with a normal 2012 calendar (about $5 that works great for me), I'm having my office purchase me THIS, undated, planning notebook with circle the date and my annual work calendar.

I'm going to use this notebook to start planning my weekly meals. I really hate going to the store multiple times in a week to get things for dinner. Hopefully, with this, I can organize meals better and use my crock pot more. I'm hoping to schedule meals in 2 week increments.


First, I need to go through my freezer and cookbooks to determine what food we already have at the house and what meals can be fixed with those items.

I guess it's time to bookmark A Year Of Slow Cooking Blog and a few other slow cooker recipe sites- This, This, and This.

Wordless Wednesday- Not My iPad Anymore

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.  :)