January Goals Update

January has come and gone so it is time to check in and see how I did with my January goals.  I’m hoping if I blog about it, it will hold me a little bit accountable to actually do the things I want/need to do rather than just think about them in my head.

My big goal for January was to clean the office.  I’m happy to say that I completed this goal very early in the month and we have been enjoying a very clean office for the past few weeks (and it has actually stayed clean, which may be a miracle). 

Another goal I wrote about was my 365 photo project.  I have taken a picture every day since January 1st and have actually already put them all in a book using Blurb that I will print at the end of the year.  So far, so good, although there have been a few times where I was heading to bed and remembered that I still needed to take a picture that day so I snapped a quick picture of Kyle sleeping on the couch, or my sewing machine, or the pile of laundry sitting on the chair. 

I also wrote down a few smaller goals that I didn’t post on the blog for fear that the office would take me so long that I wouldn’t get to anything else.  I have a thing with failure so in my mind if I don’t write it down and no one knows about it, it is ok if it doesn’t get done.  Bad, I know.  So…my other goals were:

* Write thank you notes for Christmas gifts. I got them done for my gifts, now I just need to get some out for all of the presents the girls got before I have to start again with Hannah’s birthday gifts.

* Find my transcripts for all of the continuing education classes I have taken and find a class to attend so I can renew my teaching license.  I found the transcripts and found a class!

* Start Avery’s Christmas present.  Yes, I said Christmas present.  Her birthday and Christmas are so close together that we got her a small little something in December and I’m making her something to give her when we see her in April.  The project has been started and let me just say, this thing is a labor of LOVE, baby!  It it going to take a looooong time to get this thing done- actually two things, I’m making one for Sadie at the same time. 

Now, for the moment you have all be waiting for (ha ha!).  Here is what the office looked like pre-cleaning.  Actually, this is what the office looked like in October.  Dare I say that it actually looked worse than this when I began? 

Just a side note, it is really painful for me to look at, much less post these pictures for thousands, hundreds, tens, five people to see.  I am generally a person that likes order and things in their correct place but when things get out of control, I just give up.  Like I said before, the office never really got unpacked when we moved in so there were boxes of books, papers that needed to be filed, my sewing supplies all over the place, craft supplies for Hannah, toys that Hannah brought in there, etc, etc, etc. Not to mention the fact that anytime we had guests over I would throw all of the tools that were around the house in there and shut the door.  Embarrassing yes, but I like to keep it real here so I will provide proof of our very, very, VERY cluttered office.  This was when it wasn’t even at its worst.  In December you could barely walk in there!    

Here is what it looks like now!  This office organization was by no means a real “make over.”  I didn’t want to spend any money on this project so I used tubs and totes that we already had.  One day when I have a few hundred extra dollars I will buy some matching boxes/totes and make it all look beautiful.  Today it is all function and zero style. 

Books

Desk and printer

The top part of this shelf has DVDs and the bottom shelves are some of our children’s books.  The middle houses my Silhouette SD, which I am in love with.

This area has bins with various sewing notions and craft supplies for Hannah to make projects.  It also stores her “school” activities that I do with her every week. I’m pretty sure Pooh bear is there because Hannah didn’t want Sadie to play with it.

Sewing area 

Whole room view

You can actually see the floor!!  Kyle told me he was quite impressed with my work!  The only thing I would like to do is figure out something better to do with my fabric that is stashed under my sewing table.  Stayed tuned tomorrow for February’s goals.  I know you are all waiting on pins and needles.