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zchristy

Santa's Elves
Was looking at the "Get Organized Now" website and looking at their fabulous monthly checklists. It would be a perfect list for anyone just wanting to start small (one thing a day!), but make a real difference! Includes Seasonal Prep, Christmas prep etc. When I was looking for a place to start. I would have LOVED a plan like this.

September, 2008

____ September 1 Prepare a back to school kit for kids that includes paper, pens, pencils, markers, glue and other important back to school items.
____ September 2 Go through your medicine cabinet and throw out no longer used or expired medications. Find out about proper disposal methods for your area.
____ September 3 Enjoy the last of the summer days. Spend some time outside enjoying the sun with your loved ones. Fly a kite, throw a Frisbee, enjoy a walk,
or play hopscotch or jump rope.
____ September 4 Order, buy or make your Christmas cards now. If you start addressing one or two a day, you will be done well before the Christmas rush.
____ September 5 Launder all blankets, quilts, and heavy sheets in order to prepare for the chilly nights to come.
____ September 6 Wash the outside of the house or windows before the weather gets super cold.
____ September 7 Make a non-perishable donation to a food shelter or women's shelter in your community.
____ September 8 Clean or replace make up brushes that can be full of cosmetics and oils.
____ September 9 This month is National Preparedness Month. Create a Family Emergency Kit that includes items such as canned foods, bottled water, a can
opener, first aid, extra prescriptions, and batteries. Make sure to be prepared for your pets too.
____ September 10 Ensure you have a rake and bags to collect leaves. Start cleaning up debris in your yard.
____ September 11 ALWAYS REMEMBER (Hang your American Flag out today) Clean and get your leaf blower and snow blower serviced and ready to go.
____ September 12 Dust off and organize one bookshelf in your home.
____ September 13 Weed out any summer clothes that are torn, stained, not worn, or no longer fit. Do not pack them away. Donate them.
____ September 14 Schedule any doctor or dentist appointments that have been forgotten.
____ September 15 Buy or make Halloween costumes for yourself or your kids. Make sure you are prepared with containers to collect candy, batteries,
flashlights, face make-up, tights, or any other costume accessories.
____ September 16 Start preparing a gift list for Christmas including sizes, colors, and how much you plan to spend on everyone.
____ September 17 Weed out three file folders, make sure to shred anything with sensitive information.
____ September 18 Clean out your automatic coffee maker. Run white vinegar and water through it. Rinse thoroughly.
____ September 19 Donate three books to a charity, school, or library.
____ September 20 Deep clean your shower until it sparkles.
____ September 21 Weed out your purse or wallet of any torn or out of date papers, garbage, and discount cards, etc.
____ September 22 Do a paint touch up for any place in your home that needs it. Keep any old paint away from dampness or cold. Make sure you keep a sample of
the color for any future touch-ups.
____ September 23 Clean out your oven and the burners.
____ September 24 Empty your email inbox. Remember to also empty the trash folders.
____ September 25 Take care of yourself and do something just for you today. Enjoy a cup of tea, a magazine, a bubble bath, a new hair cut, or a manicure.
____ September 26 Toss any old socks that are missing their mates.
____ September 27 Family movie or game night. Enjoy some quality time with your friends or family.
____ September 28 Clean off one horizontal surface in your house such as your desk, night-table, dining table, end table, or coffee table.
____ September 29 Return one borrowed item.
____ September 30 Recycle all old newspapers and magazines.

Source: http://www.getorganizednow.com/cl-month.html
 

happy2bme

Well-Known Member
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Oct 18, 2007
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Awesome list!!!

:skate: Melanie
 

SparkleNana

New Member
Jan 3, 2008
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Thank you, zchristy! It is so good to change the way we look at things! Easy, guaranteed successes are what I love!
 

luludou

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Dec 28, 2007
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This is good! you take some, you leave some... but you DO something!
 

cmerth

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Dec 19, 2007
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I like the list. Very do able items. I find they incorporate with my plan for September. It reminded me of some things I don't have on my lists-- that should be there.

Like others have said, there are a few things I can skip but over all it is a good list.
 

Snowbelle27

Santa's Elves
Oct 13, 2007
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Great list, TFS!

:flower:
 

InstantMom

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Aug 2, 2008
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Oh, how I love a list (especially a do-able one!) TFS!.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Even I could manage that list TFS
 

Sapsorrow

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Jan 5, 2010
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Out of curiosity, has anyone seen the holiday notebook that the GetOrganizedNow site is selling? The description sounds promising and it would be nice to have a kit all ready to go for my first attempt at this.
 

Pamelajane

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Apr 19, 2008
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Thanks for that, loads of great ideas.

Pamelajane
 

Christmaslvr

Active Member
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Oct 18, 2007
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Just checked out the site...here's January's list, from tomorrow on...very doable!


____ Jan 11 It’s International Thank You Day! Take time to
write to a friend and let her/him know how much you
appreciate their friendship. You could even write a thank
you to a former teacher who meant a lot to you. I know many
teachers and they always love getting notes from former
students.

____ Jan 12 January weather can be brutal, especially to
your hands. Place bottles of hand lotion all around your
house, and use them liberally. Your hands will thank you!

____ Jan 13 Did you have lots of foot traffic during the
holidays? Your carpets will likely benefit from a good
cleaning. You can either call and schedule someone to come
in to clean for you (and many are now advertising specials
on carpet cleaning) or you can rent a machine from your
local supermarket and do it yourself.

____ Jan 14 When was the last time you fixed a big pot of
soup? January weather almost begs for soups. Dust off your
recipes, look for a few new ones to try, and buy or make a
loaf of hearty bread and enjoy a big bowl of steaming soup.
Yum! Yum!

____ Jan 15 Today is National Strawberry Ice Cream Day!
Celebrate by visiting your favorite ice cream shoppe and
enjoying a cup or cone of this tasty treat!

____ Jan 16 How are your school supplies holding up? The
last half of the school year is starting so now is a good
time to evaluate what might need replenishing.

____ Jan 17 Clean out your pantry. If there are expired
foods, toss into the garbage, or into your compost bin if
you compost. If there is food you know you won't use and
it’s not expired, donate it to a local food pantry to help
those less fortunate. Once you have purged, make sure you
set your pantry up so the oldest items are in front to be
used first.

____ Jan 18 Today is Martin Luther King Day. Take time to
reflect on the importance of his actions. Spend time with
your children discussing how his actions impact us even
today.

____ Jan 19 Are you trying to go green? Now is a good time
to switch over to more green cleaning products. You can
also find many recipes on the internet for making your own
environmentally friendly cleaning products. Not only are
you doing the environment a favor, you are also limiting
your exposure to hazardous or harsh chemicals. A win-win!

____ Jan 20 Are your bed linens in need of replacing?
January white sales are in full swing so now is the time to
replace. Simplify things for yourself by buying all one
color. If you stick with one color, it doesn't matter which
top sheet goes with which fitted sheet! You'll also have
that hotel feel if you stick with all one color.

____ Jan 21 Now is a good time to replenish items in your
guest room. Sample size bottles of shampoo, conditioner,
body wash, toothpaste, etc/ will be great items to have in
a basket in your guest room. To get a better feel for what
might be missing, spend the night in your guest room. This
will help you to know what else guests might need.

____ Jan 22 Do you have a bill paying station? If not,
spend a little time setting one up in a convenient spot.
Make sure you have plenty of envelopes and stamps,
somewhere to sort the incoming mail to, a shredder for all
that junk mail and some type of filing system. Set up a
budget system at the same time and keep it at your bill
paying station so you can easily track where you are on
your spending.

____ Jan 23 Schedule today as a ME day! Take the day off of
house work and treat yourself to a day of doing whatever
you would enjoy doing to relax. You will appreciate the
recharge time. Can't do the whole day? That’s OK. Even a
few hours will help.

____ Jan 24 Do you live in an older home? Schedule a test
for Radon Gas. There are EPA guidelines for acceptable
levels of radon in the home. If your results exceed the
acceptable levels, there are ways to mitigate the gas.

____ Jan 25 Set up a clutter box. This box is for those
items you can't bear to part with, but haven't used for at
least 6 months. Label the box with today’s date. Then on
1/25/11, if you haven't opened the box, go ahead and donate
it without opening it

____ Jan 26 Sit down with pencil and paper, or at the
computer and start planning your spring garden. By now the
seed catalogs have likely started arriving. Just imagining
how your garden will look is a good cure for the winter
doldrums.

____ Jan 27 Buy a bird feeder and fill it with seed for the
birds. Make sure you get a seed rich in sunflower seeds. Be
sure that once you hang the feeder, you keep it filled.
Your feathered friends will depend on you for that seed
during the winter.

____ Jan 28 Now is a good time to start gathering your tax
papers for filing your taxes. If you start now, by the time
all of your statements have arrived, you'll be ready to
gather everything up and take it to the accountant, or even
sit at the computer and do them yourself. Think how great
it will be to have them done early this year.

____ Jan 29 Are you needing an owner’s manual for an
appliance? Chances are that you can find it online at the
manufacturer’s web site. You only need the model number of
your appliance. And, rather than printing it out and having
to deal with the paper, save a copy of it to your computer.

____ Jan 30 Do you keep a box of baking soda in your fridge
to absorb odors? If yes, change it out for a fresh box. Use
the old box to freshen and clean your sink drain. Pour the
contents of the box down the drain, followed by vinegar.
The two together will bubble up and clean out your drain
and freshen it at the same time.

____ Jan 31 Gather the kids, or some friends, and bake up a
batch of cupcakes! Make a party of it. When they are all
baked and frosted, sit down with hot chocolate and enjoy
the fruits of your labors!
 
Last edited:

appleton

MHH Member
Nov 7, 2007
231
1
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Wow, thanks for the link! I'm adding a few of January's to my list for the month. Excellent starting point! Very inspiring!