Laura from orgjunkie.com is starting a new weekly organizational challenge. This is perfect timing for me, and I am more than excited to join. We’ve been coasting along enjoying this exciting time of anticipating our first baby, but planned to get down to the business of actually making space for the baby in 2011.
If you’re interested in joining, Laura has created checklist to help you plan out your projects and keep track of which ones are completed.
I’ve come up with a preliminary list for the first 12 weeks. Before writing it all out, my original plan was to do all these projects in January. That may have been a little too ambitious so I’m glad I filled out the checklist (and hopefully 12 weeks is more reasonable).
Here’s my list with a few “before” photos:
Week 1 (Jan. 02) Purge holiday decorations that we didn’t use and try to fit everything into one box instead of two when putting away. Finish selling/donating items in garage before FIL trashes everything
Week 2 (Jan. 09) Scan poems and memories from Aunt Pinky & photo album of mom’s childhood photos (to be returned to mom on Feb. 26)
Week 3 (Jan. 16) Sell or donate boxes of unwanted items in small bedroom
Week 4 (Jan. 23) Sell or store second desk in small bedroom? Purge some paperback books, find best layout for desk(s), bookcases and sleeper chair in small bedroom
Week 5 (Jan. 30) Move white bookcase to kitchen for jar storage so we can have more counter space. Purge & organize large bookcase with filing cabinet and move to white bookcase’s old spot
Week 6 (Feb. 06) Attach shoe cabinets to wall in bedroom. Get glass cut for top of cabinets. Hang art that is sitting on top of the cabinets. Figure out what to store in the cabinets! Can we move items from a dresser to make room for a nursing corner?
Week 7 (Feb. 13) Create “nursing corner” with POÄNG chair/ottoman and other nursing necessities (see book “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” for checklist)
Week 8 (Feb. 20) Figure out best place for guests to sleep before family comes for visit this weekend (is there any way to sleep 4 guests?)
Week 9 (Feb. 27) Purchase and find homes for baby crib and dresser/changing table
Week 10 (Mar. 06) Combine contents of two dining room storage units and sell the big china cabinet (or sell both and switch to the new cabinets we’ve had on our wish list?)
Week 11 (Mar. 13) Organize freezer and plan/cook items for easy heating up once baby arrives
Week 12 (Mar. 20) Improve paper & cardboard recycling system (add another sorter to other side under kitchen sink?). We have been using empty cat litter bags but after having several house guests over the last few weeks, we are overflowing! It doesn’t help that the snow removal was a big fail here in NYC and there has been no trash or recycling pickup for a long time!
I’ve also linked this post to my cousin Allyson’s new “List It, Link It” weekly post.
Okay how awesome are you! I’m loving this so much, that is an excellent plan and with a plan like that I have no doubt you will succeed. Can’t wait to follow your progress!
Way to go girl!
Laura
awesome plan!!!
[...] give you an example of a terrific plan I asked A Real Housewife of NYC if I could use her as an example. She did up a great post listing out the first 12 weeks with [...]
What a great plan! I am a new reader of yours and am excited to see your progress and what you have planned for the other weeks. Good luck!
Thanks Christine! I will definitely keep everyone updated as I make progress.
When Laura Org Junkie said she asked a Real Housewife of NYC, I thought “there’s no way this woman watches that stupid show!” I’m pleased to see that you, a real housewife, has the same organizational and functionality issues that we all seem to share. You’re well on your way with such a solid plan!
Haha. Yep, I’m really real and definitely have the same challenges.
Hi, I’m a first time visitor from Org Junkie! Love your blog title!
You have so many inspiring ideas; I want to steal your clear glass jar idea for my laundry room. And, your neatly labled for sale boxes are especially encouraging. Generally I just dump everything to totes or boxes and have no real idea of what’s in there or why its there. lol
Here from Organizing Junkie. Love the idea of the pre-organized for sale boxes.
Great site, how do I sign up to receive updates to my email?
Hi Katy, I don’t have email updates set up right now but you can subscribe to the RSS feed at http://www.arealhousewifeofnyc.com/feed/ I’ll let you know when I get email set up. Thanks for following!!
Here from orgjunkie. Absolutely love your plan. What a concrete plan. You sure are gonna succeed in it. Best wishes to you.
Great first quarter goals! Congratulations on the blessing of motherhood, too. What great timing of Laura’s challenge to celebrate and prepare for a new little one. Looking forward to seeing all your successes!
Blessings ~
Wow great plan!! You gave me a couple of idea of things that need to make an appearance on my list, thanks!!
About your freezer meals, I did this too when I was preggo and I cannot tell you how much I loved myself for it!! Most meals I put into single serving containers and a few others I put into family meal size containers so it was a cinch to have people over for dinner & meeting the baby.
One HUGE boo boo I made though that I wanted to share with you, I looove lentils so I made a mega size batch and did single serve containers. Well…turns out it gave the baby gas, not me but since I was breastfeeding it passed the stuff on to the baby. I was NOT thanking myself at that point:(
Needless to say everyone that came over for a while was offered a bowl of lentils!
At least the lentils didn’t go to waste. Thanks for the tip! Do you have a blog that you are sharing your list on?