Tag: Fusteration

Christmas is Coming!

On By jackiblosblackisIn PersonalLeave a comment

I have been away, clearly. Christmas is almost here and then soon will be the end of the year. Missy’s birthday has passed now and that I really dropped the ball on. I wish I could say things are getting caught up but it does not seem to be that way at all.

I missed doing my 3rd quarter update and in just 4 weeks I will be doing the update for the end of there. At this time, there is no point in typing it up. Missy’s room should have been finished months ago now. My room should have also been done but of course it is not even started yet. This means I am still stuck sleeping on the couch. I am completely over that.

I bought a new planner for the upcoming year, I am still giving my current organization a shot, and a bright shiny outlook! Well as much so. There are people in my life that are not doing well health wise. I have my ups and downs. There seems to be a never ending task list of things that NEED to be done. I HAVE to make myself a priority (after Missy) because the truth is no one else is going to do it. I need to be some form of productive in my own life.

I know it will get there and I know that I really am my worst enemy. I think we all have these moments in life and that more people can relate than they would like to admit. Documenting these things helps me take responsibility. Also, if I can make any movement in my life, hopefully I can inspire someone else.

Cleaning and Organizing – Office – Paperwork Part One

On By jackiblosblackisIn House, OrganizationLeave a comment

Something that has been stopping me in my office and causing me grief has been my personal paperwork. I did not have a place to put these things and the piles were everywhere. Literally everywhere in the house. One day I said ‘screw it’ and went out to purchase whatever filing cabinet I could from the local Staples.

Now the first place I started was mine and Mister’s tax returns. I did have them in another place but I wanted to put them in the filing cabinet. The reason I opted to move these first was because I knew there were NOA and what not mixed up in these piles and they needed to go with their corresponding year. In the above picture are the folders I had my taxes organized in up until 2015 I believe.

The entire bottom drawer is taxes and nearly full. I did not have tabs at this point so I just marked all of the hanging folder with whatever stickies I could locate. I also did not have folders (the ones I have in my office are for clients).

This lid did not contain much but I started with this box and moved onto the sorter that is on top of my desk (no picture). Which was stuffed full!

This basket was also over flowing with paperwork. As you can see though I had emptied it. I started putting my manuals here.

This ended up being my pile of recycling.

This is also where I stopped. I ran out of hanging folders and needed someone to pick me up more the next day. I was completely beside myself on the fact that I used an entire box of hanging folders and I was not done yet.

I did work on emptying out the desk the night after. Why I only took pictures of two out of three drawers I have no idea. But they were all full. I also want to get the desk out of the way. I am repainting it and using it as my vanity. Plus, it was just simply in the way. I cleaned off the desk top and emptied out the drawers. Desk was moved out to the shed in the mean time.

Now at this point my basket of manuals has grown ha-ha. Before you say I can get these online. I am aware of that but I honesty like having them immediately on hand.

In the end I got tabs for the folders. I also got folder to micro-organize.

I know it is not very exciting for photos and I am getting this together so that you can also watch a video of it if that is your thing. Despite all that though it was so weight-lifting to be able to put such a big aspect of my life a way. I do even now still have to go through the manuals and I have a few more piles that have accumulated since this was done.

I want to add about my office that  I do not take very many pictures in here because I also work from home and those things do not need to be shared. So, even if I am making progress I may not be able to document it.

Cleaning and Organizing – Update Part One

On By jackiblosblackisIn House, OrganizationLeave a comment

So far this series has not turned out how I wanted it too. It is not that I do not want to post. The problem is I do not have my phone with me all the time to take photos. I always think about it after the fact. I want to catch my daughter growing up and I never have my phone to take those pictures either.

Not going to lie; I have no clue where my phone is at the moment ha-ha.

I also organize things as I go along. While something works in theory, it may not work in practical. This means systems need to change until it works the way it should. If it takes too much effort to put things back where they belong, than the system does not work.

An example of this would be my cookie sheets. I did have a system that worked. I have since consolidated three drawers into two. I needed a drawer for ‘healthy’ snacks that would be in reach of Missy. In this case unless I add another set of drawers in the pantry I will just get over it. It really is just a pain in comparison. So this one does not have an end yet. Until I find my happy place the sheets just keep getting shuffled around.

Another example would be….who knew this would be so difficult. I am having trouble thinking of a decent example. Even from the duplex before this place was purchased.

I will have to come back to finding an example. Rather than trying to do the full room, I am going to split some of the areas in to parts. I also have to go back and change what I have organized in the first place. I do not want to go over the entire room again if I have only touched a small area (which usually has a large impact). Breaking things up to simply just what I have done, if there is enough content, will make me feel less overwhelmed. It will also keep you feeling good about your place compared to mine.

Fallen Behind

On By jackiblosblackisIn Gardening, Organization, PersonalLeave a comment

Wow! I have really fallen behind with the blog. This of course was not intentional. I have had a lot going on in a very short period of time. I mean it is almost time for a the 2nd quarter goal updates. This year has been flying by.

As I mentioned I have quite a bit going on right now. While I am not going to indulge on what those things are at the moment. Do not want to jinx things before they are actually set in place. In the mean time though I am doing a declutter. Everything has kind of just been put in the rec. room in the basement. It is time those things are either put a way in storage or they need to be donated.

I will be figuring out what I would like to put up though. I have things planned but they are not till the end of July. However, there will be introduction post(s)? I have not quite yet decided what I am going to do as a series or just as life proceeds.

Speaking of series, I have not done a ‘Container Gardening’ series for this year. There are reasons for that and I will hopefully still get some plants but will not be growing them from seed. That will come back in 2018. If anyone was looking for that.

Ya, I will be posting regularly again. Something to look forward too!

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Goal Update – 1st Quarter

On By jackiblosblackisIn Personal1 Comment

Things have been crazy for the first half of the year. Things were going to happen and then things did not happen. As I did last year though, I am doing updates through out the year of things I wanted accomplished this year. You can check out the post which tells us what happened in 2016 and what I am going after in 2017 here. So lets look at where we have made it so far!

  • I have to quit smoking again :(. This time it will stick though because of surprise reasons.

This hasn’t happened yet, I have a date though.

  • Moving back to the small town.
  • Than buying a place in said small town.

These two go hand in hand now actually. There was a place we were going to move into for a time being but things fell through. It was for the better anyways.

  • Dealing more with clients in the office.

It is tax time so I have not had much contact with anyone really. Things are a little different from last year though.

  • Making sure things stay caught up in the office. Keeping the new procedures in place.

We are not quite there yet. This has become more important than ever though.

  • Having my debt cut in 1/2 from what it was at the beginning of 2017.

Here is the big one. Now I have not and will not post amounts of monies owing for obvious privacy reasons. It was not the biggest amounts but when you live pay cheque to pay cheque it makes quite the deal on a budget. I was able to go back and check what I owed on one of the debts in the beginning of the year. Two debts have been paid off as of March 2017.

At the end of the first quarter I have paid off exactly one third! Give or take a couple dollars of course. This means having the half paid off is very close. I chose only a half because sometimes things happen and changes need to be made. I have had to alter my payment plan and expectations more times than I want to admit. I will do a full post on this in the near future.

  • Staying on top of the blog.

Clearly this has fallen behind. No need to go into it any further.

  • Keeping my time and life organized.

I did try to start working on this but tax season happened. This has become even more important now. I just need to find my own personal system that works for me.

If I am going to be honest things with the blog are going to change a little. It will still be a personal blog but with new topics. I have said that before in the past and I still have my heart set on previous series. Things cannot be forced when it is not their time.

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