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Friday, September 21, 2012

Lists, Packing and Organization

I am going to make a confession right up front. 

I'm one of THOSE people. 

You know the the kind - Those people that have their clothes organized in the closet, the canned goods sorted in the pantry and the spices in alphabetical order. I don't consider myself crazy.  Being organized saves me TIME and STRESS.  Fortunately I married a guy that grew up in a military family.  He believes in putting stuff back where you found it and cleaning up your own mess.  He has the DVDs sorted by three categories and then arranged alphabetical within the categories.  (and he lets me organize his closet)

I'm not as bad GOOD as I once was about organization.  After having our 3rd child (almost 19 years ago) things went downhill in a hurry.  I just wasn't my usual WONDER WOMAN self anymore (in fact I recently had to give my homemade WW costume to the baby girl because I can't even fit into it anymore sigh)


When I finally sort of accepted that I couldn't do it ALL - it was a new found freedom for me.  As I went through my forties, I let my perfectionist tendencies slide a little LOT and tried to relax more. But I still have the desire to be organized and I'm a list maker.

I've always been a list maker.  As a kid I made a packing list before going to summer camp.  It was part of the fun and the anticipation and I also didn't get there without things I needed. 

When I married and had kids I continued to make lists.  If you are like me and you've ever gone to shop and run errands with two kids in tow you know very well that after two stops you wouldn't know where to go next without a list.  And sometimes, even that doesn't help.  Like the time I set the blow dryer on top of the car while I buckled kids in the car and then left it there and drove away.  I'm sure I'm the ONLY Mom who ever did anything like that.

So.... we are down to single digits on our countdown to our adults only vacation and I've got a list or two.  SURPRISE!  I've also got baskets.  When we get ready for a trip, about 10 days prior to departure, along with my lists, we start filling baskets.

Laundry baskets - we just start throwing in whatever we need to pack.

Swimsuit, rashguard, sunglasses, camera, hat, insulated mug.  Can you guess where I'm going?



Toiletries Basket - keeping this one in the bathroom, basic toiletry items are very expensive in resort areas, prefer not to forget anything.

Lots of sunscreen (there's another hint), flashlight, frizz-ease hair products, toothpaste and mouthwash (very important, this is a trip with my sweetie) 



This way we don't forget anything and when it's time to put stuff in the suitcase, most of it is already together.

My latest packing tool is an app on my phone.  It's called 'Out of Milk' and it's a Shopping List and To Do List app.

On this handy app I have shopping lists for

The Grocery Store
Costco
Home Improvement Stores
Clothing/Home
Medications/Drug Store
Health and Beauty (not purchased at the grocery store)

I also have lists for

Errands I Need to Run
Projects and Household Chores I need to work on
Packing List
Blog ideas

My SuperDave tells me he would love to JUST ONCE have everything done on the list I make for him.  If he saw the multiple lists I keep on my phone app, he would probably wonder why I make all these lists think I've gone off the deep end. 

Some things have to be done over and over again, so I keep checking them off then adding them back to the list.  Grocery shopping, drycleaners, gas in the car, pay the bills, go to the bank, wash the laundry, stop at the drugstore, get my haircut, paint my nails. 

I would never remember every stop I need to make or every item I need to buy or pack without my list(s).  I'm a list maker, it's just in the DNA for people like me.

Are you a list maker? 


TGIF!

Laura

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2 comments:

Shenita @ Embellishments by SLR said...

Well, you are Miss Organization! I used to be more like that; and somewhere along the way, I just started winging it. In the past year or so, I've gotten back into it, as chaos drives me crazy!

Sara said...

Yes it is in your DNA and you passed that DNA on to me! I had to giggle about the list for camp because I did the same thing! Wes lets me organize his side of the closet. I have my canned goods sorted and the list goes on!
I'm definitely my Mother's child!
Love you Mom!