Friday, January 8, 2010

2010 Resolutions!!!

Here's hoping 2010 is off to a good start for everyone! It has certainly been a cold start for most all of us in the US, that's for sure. Even some of my blog friends in Florida are complaining about the cold temperatures.

In thinking about resolutions for the new year, I am planning on taking advantage of this cold weather and my time indoors to get things better organized in my house. I am tired of having so much "stuff" and things that I don't really need or use. I am going through each room and getting rid of things that I haven't used in a long time. I am pretty good about keeping my clothes closet purged of things that I don't wear, but I need to organize my craft items that I have for knitting, quilting and card making and get a better handle on all that stuff.

I also am working to try to get my recipes retyped and put in notebooks so that my favorite ones are readily available and easy to read. Lots of my recipes are on small index cards and I hate to admit it, but I am getting older and my eyesight is not what it used to be and I like having my recipes printed larger. I am retyping them on the computer and putting them in plastic sleeves to go in notebooks. In the process, I am throwing away recipes that I have never used or will probably never use.

There has always been something about a new year, new month, etc. that makes me want to clean out, straighten out, organize and just have a fresh new start on the year. I always like to get my "spring cleaning" done in the winter when I have to be inside and then when the weather gets nicer in March, I can be outside doing things in the yard and enjoying walking at the park.

I have my whole preschool classroom in one side of my garage where I normally park my car, so needless to say, that needs going through as well. For some of you who are new to my blog. I taught preschool for 16 years, but lost my job at the end of the school year due to downsizing at the preschool. A teacher can accumulate LOTS of stuff over the course of 16 years. Some of my really special things I will have to keep, but a lot of the things I am going to donate, so that it can be used by others.

As you can see, ORGANIZATION is my key word for the new year. In the process, I hope to simplify my life and try to slow down a bit. I go 90 mph most of the time, so this will be a hard thing for me to do. In getting my house in order, hopefully I will have more time for the fun things that I enjoy doing... quilting, knitting, card making, cooking/baking, reading, Bible study etc. Plus, I especially enjoy my time with friends and family.

With being more organized, hopefully I will have more time for ME! My personality is such that I always want to be doing something for other people and I tend to neglect myself. I hope in 2010 to be able to do more for myself and to enjoy this life that God has blessed me with. As many of you know, I am a cancer survivor and I cherish each and every day that God gives me!

Here's hoping that you all have a wonderful 2010 and that you live it to the fullest each day. A favorite verse I have taped to my computer is: I Thes. 5:16-18

Be JOYFUL ALWAYS, PRAY continually, give THANKS in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus!!!!!

Love & blessings in 2010,
Melinda

22 comments:

  1. We sound like two peas in a pod. I too am trying to get a handle on organization in my house. Good luck to us both. Happy New Year to you and your wonderful family.

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  2. Oh, I so want to slow down and just "be" in the moment and take life in.

    Have a Blessed 2010!!

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  3. Good luck with ALL your projects! I have similar ones in mind!

    Suzanne

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  4. I didn't know you were a cancer survivor. Truly a blessing and congratulations on beating it!!! I also do card making. I have a friend that sells Stampin' Up and so we get together a lot to make cards. :)

    Your daughter told me you guys made the Beer Bread she won and that it was good. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

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  5. I like to do my cleaning and organizing now too. I haven't gotten started yet but soon I hope...soon! Have a great day!

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  6. Good luck with all the organizing...I'm not looking forward to the kids going back to school Sunday but I am excited about getting the house cleaned and back in order. I've just left it all to have fun with them but its getting to me a little bit now

    Happy 2010 to you too...great to see you back on the blog!

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  7. Organize and simplify are two of the words I am concentrating on too. But I may have to wait til Feb to get much done. Right now Taxes and Fafsa take priority.

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  8. I'm glad you realize you need to take time for yourself this year. You can't help others if you don't take care of yourself. You deserve the best! Happy new year!

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  9. I have read your blog for a long time and either I didn't KNOW or I had forgotten that you lost your preschool job due to downsizing. I think I thought you had *retired*. I know that is hard but I love seeing that you are making the best of things!

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  10. Hi Melinda! I taught 2nd and 3rd grade AND preschool for years....so I know how those materials pile up! I've given all of them away at this point! I, too, am organizing like crazy this month/year. And I LOVE that particular Bible passage!! Here's to a more organized 2010~

    Carol

    p.s. Thank you for the dear comment about Fawnie~xoxox

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  11. Sounds like I'm not the only one on an organization kick. I finally gave away my classroom materials about three years ago, a good seven after I left the classroom. I like the recipe idea. I tried to start putting together recipe collections for each of my children a few years ago but the project fell by the wayside. Might be a good time to pick it back up.

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  12. Recently I loaded up a bunch of my daughter's "stuff" she had in her room. She's married and they just moved into a new house with a lot more room than we have. That helped free up some space for me to rearrange. I'm so ready to get rid of some things too. It's hard for me, but I am going to do the very same thing.
    I need to work on my recipes too. I have a million here, there, & everywhere. I usually know where the ones are that we use most often, but I know there are tons of great recipes that I would use if I knew where they were. :)
    Take care and stay warm. Ohhhh, it's cold here in OK today.
    I've decided to stay in and be lazy.
    Love ya,
    Valerie

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  13. I am determined to slow down and live in the moment.....


    I have a fun giveaway on my blog...a $100 prize ..comments will be closed on Monday night, but today's entries get extra chances...so stop by and join in the fun.
    teresa
    http://teresa-grammygirlfriend.blogspot.com/
    http://grammyababychangeseverything.blogspot.com/

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  14. I'm happy to have found your blog and will enjoy following it. I've been working on simplifying my home and life for a few years now and it's still a work in progress.

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  15. Hi Melinda,

    Just wanted to be sure you saw that this group is currently forming:
    http://trianglemodernquilts.ning.com

    Hope to see you there!
    John (aka Quilt Dad)

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  16. I am SO happy to see you blogging again!

    I don't have any suggestions for craft stuff as that is also my focus for the year. It would probably be a lot easier if I didn't like doing so many different things! :)

    As for recipes, I've been using the program Mastercook and it works very well for me. The print nicely and I can can export them to the daughter and daughter-in-law that also have the program.

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  17. I'm so sorry about your job. I have found that the old cliche that "one door closes and another opens" to be quite true. It's just a matter of time before you see that crack of light and the door will swing open. My oldest son was telling me last night that he and his wife are looking into NC preschools for their 3 year old. Never too soon to think about those precious little minds! My husband bought her My Baby Can Read for Christmas, and she already knows the word "eye." She lines up her baby dolls and "reads" to them. So cute.
    XX00

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  18. I started typing my recipes up this past fall. I am not done yet, but I love how my books are coming together. I have a binder of recipes and a binder of desserts. The larger font size is great and it is easy to email copies of the recipes to friends when they request one.

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  19. I had a wee computer issue today. I went in to change something in my blog profile and I ended up changing the wrong thing and I think I may have severed all connections I had - links and blog followers and that sort of thing. I still want to be your blog friend. If you still want to follow me, you may have to redo it. I learn everything on the computer through trial and error and this was one big error! Sorry about that.
    -Gayle (GardenofDaisies)

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  20. Thank you so much! I don't like taking pictures after dark; it's a challenge! I'll pass along your sweet comments to Bandwidth about his turnover.

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  21. I so need to organize my craft room, too.

    As far as the recipes, this year's project is a recipe scrapbook my sisters and I are organizing of our old family recipes, along with favorite stories about who the recipe came from. Once it's all organized we will make a digital book so we can send it via e-mail to other family members to print, or they can have it printed professionally into a book. This is something I've been wanting to do for so long, I'm really looking forward to getting it done.

    Happy New Year!

    Rebecca
    www.Stamp4Joy.com

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  22. Happy 2010 to you too! I agree that there's just something about a new year that's rejuvinating and hopeful. Makes me feel like I'll actually be able to accomplish the things that I meant to last year but never did. :-) Hope you're having a wonderful day.

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