In case of Fire, grab child, spouse, pets, and file cabinet

So today's task as been one I've been putting off, but alas with only days left in the countdown I had to tackle it. Our household filing cabinet looks like we were the victims of a FBI raid looking for crack. About once a year I decide to go through the mounds of receipts, tax info, "hey I should keep this newspaper clippings" and then file them or toss them.

Bill doesn't help with this task, but assures me that we MUST keep things like his file of guitar chord practice charts (although he sold his guitar long ago for 5 bucks in a yard sale). So for the last few hours I have been purging files and have made a commitment to file and toss on the first weekend of every month.

On the brighter side I can mark the following things off my list as they have been accomplished while in Florida on vacation last week:

Read (at least) 5 books that do not relate to raising kids- ok- 3 were audio books, but I am desperate at this point to mark it off (in addition to Barrel Fever and Dress your Family in Denim and Corduroy, I re-listened to Freakanomics- all on audiobook) I finally finished This I Believe collection of Essays. Earlier in the summer I read An Ordinary Man (audiobio leading to the movie Hotel Rwanda) and The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Purge my recipe file box and reorganize them into a more usable way. As I hope to start a weekly meal plan this fall, this too has been on the to do list for a good 5 years. As I collect cookbooks as well as have had a family recipe shower when I got married 10 years ago, I have a TON of things that sound good on paper, but I have never made. Here's too (NOT) making the recipe for marinated shoe peg salad that someone gave me!

3 tasks in one day!!!

So the heat is on to finish my list by the 27th. Today I got three very easy tasks completed, but still they had been on the list for the better part of a year.

1. Contact Buggy Bag about a replacement (my shopping cart/highchair cover) that broke after about 3 times using it. I love the design and the concept and it is the only one to work in places like BJ's carts. They offered to repair my bag at no cost!!!!

2. Order a NPR car decal and the book of collections of "This I believe" to use in class

3. Research the cheapest place to order my dog (Vegas) heartworm and tick medications and make an order!!!!

Ok, not a a witty entry, but then it's hot, I'm working on 5 hours of sleep, and we were asked to "leave" a library story time today due to my son's behavior- I do not get the good mommy award.

I am now equipted to take out someone's spleen on the interstate

Task #11- First Aid Kit update

Not really, nor do I have the desire to, but I went through our cars and home first aid kits and restocked them, checked exp dates, and updates with numbers of poison control, dr numbers, blood types, and the like. I really HOPE that I never have to whip out the abdominal pad, or recall my CPR class, but I am prepared to do so while administering a dose of Motrin, and applying anti-fungal ointment to the hurt masses.

Over Halfway there!!!

So just an update as in three short weeks I will be heading back to school and my "official" time to complete the 70 task will be up. Here is a list of some of the items I finished that have been marked off:

• Hosted/planed 3 separate parties (Baby Steps Birthday, Book Club, Mary Kay- this counted as 3 items as it required planning , cleaning, and food prep)
• Plant perennials in outside porch (got all at 50% off- you know I am coupon crazy)
• Make appointment with contractor for the house addition possibility
  
• Call about snack tray for stroller and car seat (none exist for my McLauren :-(
• Restart gym membership and shoot for going at least 3 times a week (this is an ongoing thing to keep up once school starts)
• Try 3 new classes at the gym (tried yoga, gentle yoga (no difference) and Pilates) Going to keep up with the yoga on Monday nights if possible
• NHS stuff (3 tasks- meeting with Dean of Students over setting up tutoring program, meeting with officers to rewrite the bylaws, set up student help with Freshmen Camp)
• Join Weight Watchers (I keep loosing and gaining the same 5 lb, Bill has lost almost 20)!
• Try 10 new healthy snacks and meals with Ben
• Go and have lunch with Bill at his work- had great Sushi!
  
• Practice baby signs with Ben and introduce 5 new signs (still really working on these going to a class on Monday at the library)
• Clean out hall closet, pantry, scrub out fridge/freezer, laundry room, drawers in kitchen
• Make a donation of money and goods to Guardian Angel (local charity that runs a thrift store)
• Hang all 12 month pics ofBen in Living Room from Duke Garden photo shoot
• Work on a tan (ok it's really vain, but I love to hang out at the pool and going to the beach for a week helped)
  

Oh for the love of clean carpet!!!

So one of my items has been to steam clean all my carpet upstairs, especially the stairs. It finally got done today!!!!!! I am kinda fanatical about clean floors and damp mop my hardwoods and the kitchen almost daily (especially if Ben has had a food fest), but the carpet I felt was getting the "hey you must have pets" smell. I bought a Bissle little green steam machine and it worked nicely on the steps. I am going to shoot for doing this once a month (which will likely be once a quarter), but I can dream. Unless Glade makes a "wet dog" or "14 year old cat with accidents" air freshener I think I am going to steam clean.