List Love

I'm sure that I have titled many posts before "List Love" or something very similar. I just love lists. I know I get that from Ma and Grandma as they were always writing a list.

I remember one time Ma found one of Grandma's list. Grandpa read Grandma's lists, but didn't really help cross stuff off. Amongst all of the to-do's, Grandma was very busy, one item on her list was "fart." It makes me smile thinking about that. She had so much to get done that day, she didn't even have time to fart. :)

Today while going through my Google Reader, I noticed one of my favorite blogs had updates. Now this is a big thing, since they don't update all that often. The blog is called "To-Do List." On it there are pictures of peoples to do lists. I just love reading them. Maybe I have a bit of a voyeur in me.

For some reason today's post got me thinking about my lists. I write so many different lists, some electronically, some by hand. I'm wondering if I should randomly start saving them. I think that they capture part of my life. With my to do's and such. Would it be odd to save them? Or perhaps take a picture and save them? Maybe one day scrapbook them?

What are your thoughts on this?

Welcome to 2010

Wow, I can't believe it's already January 5 today. Where has time gone? I have to say that I truly enjoyed my Christmas break. I loved having the time off from my main job and only worked a few hours at my other job. I spent lots of time with Jason and Cullen. I only wish that I were still on vacation and home where it is nice and toasty warm.

Before going on vacation I decided that I was going to get so much done around the house. Do you think that actually happened though? Nope, it sure didn't. But it was a vacation so I should have relaxed and enjoyed my time off right? I hope so, since that's what I did. Everything is still there and will be there when I get to it.

As some of you know from my previous blog post I've done the "One Word" before. My previous words were Cultivate and Homemade Simple. Since December I've toyed with it off and on, and I decided that once again I'm going to do it. This year it's different though. I didn't wade through word lists, or spend too much time thinking about my word. I just felt a nudge that my word should be growth. I'm going with that nudge and that's my word of the year.

As always with a New Year comes with resolutions or goals. I've been debating about posting them here, and I figure why not. It's my blog, right? :) Without any further ado here are some goals/resolutions/things I want to accomplish this year.

• Get back to eating healthy and lose weight. (Again.) I realize that this is a typical resolution, but I recently started scrapbooking my 2006 pictures of our trip to South Dakota. I can't get over how much better I look there. I actually look fairly healthy even! I was still overweight, but so much healthier. I went back and read some of the journaling that I did in our travel book and I cried as I copied it into my scrapbook. I was making good choices then. I need to get back to that again. I need to do it for me. Thus it's one of my goals.
• Keep a list of all the books I read in 2010.
• Keep a list of all the scrapbook layouts I do in 2010. (I'm debating if I should also include the ones that I do for the scrapbook store, as they aren't for me. Hmmm...decisions, decisions.)
• Read at least 1 book off of the banned books list.
• Work on my Listology Bucket List. Cross off at least 1 item. (Hopefully more!)
• Get back on track financially. We slipped off the road so to speak, but I'm sure that we will get back on track. I'm re-reading Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey again. I'm already inspired. :)
• Learn how to use my new camera. I think I will need one on one instruction for this!

This year I also decided to try to do a photo a day again. I found a really cool site called ShutterCal and I've been uploading my pictures there as well as Flickr. I don't think I will scrapbook these, well maybe some of my favorites, but nothing like my self-portrait 365 that I still haven't finished! Instead I'm going to order the prints from ShutterCal and keep them in that nifty, sweet box! Isn't that neat? I love how they look! Plus I can then use my new camera more. :)

I don't think I blogged about my new camera. But I got a Canon Rebel XS from Amazon! I got it for a steal of a deal and absolutely LOVE IT! I can't believe the quality of pictures it takes and how fast the shutter speed is! It's amazing!!! I really haven't taken it off of Auto much yet, but I can't wait to learn how to use it! I am loving it!! Oh and I so want some of the fun lens filters too! :D

Oh and don't worry, I will share my daily photos here on my blog. Or if I'm behind, you can view them on the shutter cal link above, or on my Flickr account.

Speaking of pictures, I should go back and upload the ones I have taken so far and post them here! :)

Lists!

Everyone that has been reading my blog for a while knows how much I love lists. Love, love, love them! I carry around a notebook and a pen around just in case I need to make a list. They relax me, help me get cluttered stuff out of my mind and then I lose the list. Whoops. When that happens, I start a new one. One of the first things I did when I get my brand spanking new itouch was to look up list apps!!! That is so me, and such a geeky thing to do. Sadly it's the truth.

I found a free one called "Lists" and it's from MobilityWare. There are adds at the bottom of the screen, but they don't bother me. Hell, I don't mind ignoring the ads for a free app! Since downloading the app, I am absolutely giddy. I won't ever lose my lists again!!!!! I have only had my itouch since Saturday night, which is a whole 6 days! Since then I have been in list heaven.

The lists that I have created in this handy little app are Home To Do, Work To Do, RSC To Do, Pictures to Print, Pictures to Edit, 100 Favorite Things, Blog Entry Ideas, Wish List, Layout Ideas, Movies to Buy, Stuff to Make. That's eleven lists already. ELEVEN! I swear that my itouch is going to keep me so much more organized. I just love that thing.

Now brings me to a question for you, my readers. Do you like lists? Do you make lists? Do you make crazy long lists? and the big question....How many lists is too many?!?!

The To Do List

Since I love my lists and I seem to focus better when I have everything I need to do down on a list, I thought I would post a list on everything I need to before Jessi picks me up on Friday to go to the retreat!!  I'm hoping to get 90% of it done tomorrow.

• Cut up & wash Fruit--Watermelon, Honey Dew, Cantaloupe, Pineapple
• Cup up & wash Veggies--Broccoli, Cauliflower, cucumber, tomato
• Make Veggie Pizza crust
• Put together Veggie Pizza
• Make Salsa
• Boil Potatoes for potato salad
• Boil eggs for potato salad
• Make potato salad
• Make Bread Crust Cuban, and normal loaf
• Make Cinnamon Buns (If I have time and everything here, I think I do.)
• Make Muffins
• Make run to RSC so fridge isn't overflowing--DON'T FORGET FREEZER ITEMS!!!!
• Make one more run to Sam's to get last minute things.  Must do Friday Morning.
• Take Jessi's Thicker Picture
• Find RSC Halloween Picture for Jessi
• Scan Great-Great Baker Grandparents in.
• Scan Grandma & Grandpa's Wedding pictures in along with invite, napkin, etc.
• Order pictures.  Don't forget Cullen pictures and Nancy picture.  Also find a good Bellywing picture.
• Finish Nancy SB page.--Will do at retreat.  It is packed.
• Finish packing SB stuff.  Go through paper.
• Pack clothes for retreat
• Pack bathroom stuff for retreat
• Don't forget to pack Jam and popcorn.
• Paint toenails
• Clean off kitchen table
• Wash dishes
• Put dishes away
• Do load of darks
• Fold laundry
• Clean up area by couch
• Tires checked at 4 p.m. at Fleet Farm Thursday.  Don't forget to look at Pressure Canner, Tiller, and container for cat litter.  
• Deal with glasses issue--start at Pearle--only if I have time.  Might do Monday.
• Sync iPod
• Don't forget Twilight!!!!
• Mail PBS book out
• FIND FAMILY TREE INFO--I put it in a such a safe spot I can't find it now....(Looked in SB room, safe, file cabinet.   If you were my family tree info where would you be?)

Things that make me happy

It's been a while since I've done a list and I thought I would do one about things that make me happy. I woke up really happy and optimistic today and thought it would be a perfect day to do that.

• Pandora--I can listen to music at work all day and it's Free!!!! Great discovery. (Yes, I know I'm late in discovering that.)
• Jason--Best husband ever.
• Retreat this weekend--I have been looking forward to this for what feels like forever and I can't believe it's almost here. Looking forward to a fun-filled weekend!
• The Bellywings--I don't know what I would do without my girls!! Even though at the retreat will be our 6 month anniversary, it feels as if I have known them forever. I don't know what I did before them. They are the best.
• Books--I couldn't live without my books. I've been immersed "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop right now and I can't believe how the FLDS works and how horrid the women are treated. After this book I need to read a fluff book.
• Finding out that a book was released and I didn't know about it! Best part was, Jason knew it was in a series I read and picked it up for me.
• Caribou's Iced White Chocolate Mocha. Heaven on earth. Perfect. Will be getting that again! Best part was I had a coupon, and when I bought that, I got another coupon. Woot!
• Twitter--So much fun. I've "met" some great people on there and love conversing with them. Though the 140 letter limit is hard sometimes! I like to be wordy. It's the Nelson side of me. ;)
• Pictures of my sisters. I've been stalking my sisters on Facebook/MySpace and love some of the self-portraits that they take on there. So much fun! I really should steal some and print them to scrapbook.
• Getting a notification for a PaperBackSwap that I never thought I would get on there!
• I'm such a geek that I love mail. I love getting the mail and always hope for some fun mail.
• Sunny days. It feels like spring is just around the corner. I love spring. Not the muddy/icky part of it, but when everything starts to turn green and bloom. Nothing like that at all.
• Coming home to dishes done. Such a wonderful feeling.
• Fresh sheets on the bed.
• Pictures and memories. Going through pictures of my childhood brings back so many memories. I can't wait to go through all of Ma's pictures and get them all organized for her. Plus I can scan some in for me to scrapbook. It's so much fun. I <3>
• Cheese Burger Birds---You know the ones that sounds like they say Cheese Burger when they are tweeting? They are really chickadees, but in my world they will always be Cheese Burger Birds.
• Ma--She is always there when I have questions. She is an amazing woman and just awesome.
• Lists--<3>
• Scrapbooking--Such a creative release for me. I love the process. I don't always love my pages when I'm done with them, but I enjoy the process.

I suppose I should end this before you get bored reading this. Tell me what makes you happy. Either leave me a comment here or a link to your blog if you do this. :)

Have a happy day!!

Works for me Wednesday {Daily Tasks}

This is my first time participating in Works for me Wednesday. It is hosted by Shannon at http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/.

This Sunday I started something on a whim and I'm finding it is working fabulously!! I decided to start a Daily Tasks list in a weekly format. Yes, that does sound confusing, doesn't it? Well here is a screen shot of what my Daily Tasks document looks like. I actually fit 2 of these on 1 page printed out.



Note: Click on the image to make it larger to see what I have on my list!

Yes, I had to use different fonts to make it a bit pretty. I thought about doing color, but decided against it since that would use up my color ink faster.

In the past I have tried to do a formal schedule and it never worked for me. With being part time now and varied hours and schedules, I can't have a formal schedule. I decided to create a simple one of things to get done everyday. Since my husband and I don't have kids yet, it may seem to simple, but it works for us.

Once I complete each task for the days I simply place an X there. There is something about doing that, that makes me feel like I accomplished something good. When I work 10-12 hour days, obviously I don't get everything done on my list, but so far it is working awesome for me!! I am just loving this.