Here's my To-Do List for December...


____ Dec 1 Make a final list of anything you have to do in preparation for Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or the Winter Solstice.

___x_ Dec 2 Clear the clutter in your living room, being sure to discard old newspapers and magazines.

_x___ Dec 3 Buy a new 2007 calendar if you haven't done so already. Fill in all recurring events and known appointments.

____ Dec 4 Schedule your annual doctor and dentist appointments for 2007.

____ Dec 5 Finish up any Christmas Shopping. Seriously. You'll be happy you're done.

____ Dec 6 Finish writing your holiday cards (if you haven't already) and mail them out.

____ Dec 7 Assemble any gifts that need assembly, such as bikes or artist easel's. Rather than fully wrapping them, you can always add a huge bow. Stores also sell large gift bags for oversized items.

____ Dec 8 Make any final plans necessary for New Year's Eve.


____ Dec 9 Have a business? Develop your business goals for 2007.

____ Dec 10 Clean and organize your kitchen pantry. Too big a job? No problem. Just organize a few shelves.

_x___ Dec 11 Weed out clothes and outerwear you and your family members no longer wear. Make a donation to your favorite charity.

____ Dec 12 Visit a trusted jeweler to clean your expensive jewelry, and check to be sure gem settings are tight.

____ Dec 13 Polish your silverware so it sparkles.

____ Dec 14 Balance your checkbook once and for all. Too difficult a task? Close your checking account once all checks you've written have cleared, and open a new one. But this time, keep it balanced every time you write a check or make a withdrawal.

____ Dec 15 Start thinking about your goals for 2007. Write each of them on an index card. Then sort the cards in order of priority. Tie a ribbon around the cards and store them away until January 1st. Then, schedule time on your 2007 calendar to work on them.

____ Dec 16 Today is the first day of Hanukkah. If you celebrate the Jewish holidays, here's a great solution I found to help you celebrate them in an organized way: Go!

_x___ Dec 17 Having guests over for the holidays? Make sure you have room in your entry closet for guest's coats (be sure you have enough hangers on hand), or consider getting a coat rack.

_x___ Dec 18 If you haven't already, it's an excellent time to donate or store toys your kids no longer play with. Make room in the main toy storage area for any new items they may get this holiday season.

____ Dec 19 Buy or make a gift for three people that have gone 'above and beyond' in your eyes. They'll appreciate the fact that you noticed.

____ Dec 20 Deep clean any glass shower doors and/or launder any shower curtains.

__x__ Dec 21 Empty your utensil drawer and clean it out. If your utensil organizer is plastic, you can usually toss it in the dishwasher to be cleaned.

____ Dec 22 Celebrate the first day of winter by driving around town to see all the holiday decorations, building a snowman, or baking snowflake shaped cookies.

_x___ Dec 23 Tidy the areas of your home that are visible to drop-in holiday visitors.

____ Dec 24 Start a new tradition such as delivering surprise Christmas gifts to a nursing home, reading stories in front of the fireplace or browsing old photo albums.

____ Dec 25 Merry Christmas. May this day be one that you'll hold close to your heart for years to come. Spend the day enjoying the people you love.

____ Dec 26 Today is the first day of Kwanzaa. Search online for 'Kwanzaa Recipes' and make one for dinner tonight.

____ Dec 27 Did you forget to send a card or gift to someone and feel bad about it? It's not too late. Send them something for New Year's.

____ Dec 28 Return any gifts you received that you're not happy with, for an exchange or store credit.

____ Dec 29 Have your kids write thank you letters to Santa. Tuck them away in memory books or time capsules, so your kids can enjoy these special notes when they're older.

____ Dec 30 Toss any coupons that expire in 2006, so they're not mixed in with the ones that are good for 2007 dates.

____ Dec 31 Start the countdown. May 2007 be healthy, happy, prosperous and super organized for you and your family!

I would love to do a swap of "stuff" with someone. Anyone interested?

I think I want to learn how to knit.

I am trying my best to become more organized. I stumbled across this site that has checklists and everything. Maybe, just maybe I'll get my stuff together.

_____Nov 1 Clean out the trunk of your car. Discard any trash. Remove anything that doesn't belong. Contain anything that must stay in the trunk (emergency supplies, etc.) in heavy plastic bins. I don't have a car, so I am going to put together an emergency kit to put in my car when I get it. And go through the stuff I just threw in the closet when I had to get rid of my car.

____ Nov 2 Get the grime out of your computer keyboard, using a suitable cleaning fluid (isopropyl alcohol) and Q-Tips.

____ Nov 3 Donate coats that are no longer worn, but in good condition, to your favorite charity that accepts clothing donations. I know there are a lot of people that can use kid's coats, right? So why hold on to them. Share the blessings!

____ Nov 4 Decide on your holiday wardrobe--for you and your family members if applicable. If you need to buy something, there's still time to do so.

____ Nov 5 Write a holiday newsletter to be inserted into your holiday cards. A simple one page sheet, reviewing what you've been up to this year, will bring friends and extended family members up to date. Last year my mother-in-law did her year in pictures instead of a newsletter which I thought was a brillant idea, and great for people far away who may not get to see my bundles of joy very often.

____ Nov 6 Complete a project you've been meaning to get to, such as repairing a broken screen, mending a hem or weeding out your costume jewelry. I need to finish these necklaces and jean purses.

____ Nov 7 Today is Election Day in the US. Exercise your right to vote.

____ Nov 8 Hang your outdoor holiday lights before the cold weather hits. (Check to be sure they light first!) Light them on Thanksgiving Day.

____ Nov 9 Write a letter to a store owner about one of their employees who treated you especially well this year. Store owners are generally thrilled to receive complimentary letters such as these. Being nice ain't never killed nobody!

____ Nov 10 Complete writing out your holiday cards and get them ready for mailing. How about start writing holiday cards? Gotta run to the store!

____ Nov 11 Organize the three messiest drawers in your house.

__X__ Nov 12 Weed out your wallet. Toss any discount cards, papers, etc. that you no longer need (shred them if necessary). Replace old photos in wallet photo sleeves with newer updated ones if you wish. I do this on a regular basis anyways. I hate getting to the store or wherever and not being able to find what I need and there's a long line of people giving you "the eye".

____ Nov 13 Label an envelope 'Holiday Receipts' and insert any holiday gift receipts into it. Attach the envelope to your refrigerator with a magnet. When you need to refer to a receipt, you'll know where to find it. After the holidays, file the receipts away until you're sure you don't need to return anything.

____ Nov 14 Organize and clean your pet's feeding area. We just got a cat and I'm still trying to figure out where to put the litter box where my babies won't get into it.

__X__ Nov 15 Buy a new calendar for 2007. Fill in any recurring dates, such as birthdays, anniversaries or classes. I just got a free one in the mail yesterday.

____ Nov 16 Organize the guest bathroom. Give it a deep cleaning. Then, add some special touches like scented hand soaps, pretty guest towels and travel-sized toiletries in a basket.

____ Nov 17 Sharpen, clean and oil your lawn mower.

__X__ Nov 18 Organize your bedroom dresser. Remove everything inside. One by one, pick up each article of clothing. If you don't like it, it doesn't fit or is stained or torn, get rid of it. Return the keepers back into the dresser, keeping similar items together. I'm pretty good about keeping this up too.

____ Nov 19 Give the inside of your dishwasher a deep cleaning. Remove any bits of food debris.

____ Nov 20 Do a paint touch up to any areas of your home that need it.

____ Nov 21 Give the areas of your home where guests will roam (kitchen, guest bathroom, guest bedroom, entryway and main living area), extra attention. Dust, vacuum, scrub and clear any clutter from these areas.

____ Nov 22 If you're cooking for the Thanksgiving Day holiday, prepare a few dishes today, so they just have to be heated tomorrow.

____ Nov 23 Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US. Enjoy this festive holiday as you see fit!

____ Nov 24 Today's the busiest shopping day of the year. Stay home, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and do any final holiday shopping from your computer.

____ Nov 25 Search for a new holiday turkey dinner leftovers recipe and make it today.

____ Nov 26 Dust off and organize the books and shelves in one book case.

____ Nov 27 Make a list of 6 things you'd like to do in December, 3 work or chore related and 3 fun related. Then, go right to your calendar and schedule definite days and times for each.

____ Nov 28 Go through all of the mail sitting in your inbox, discarding, delegating, doing or filing as necessary. Avoid the mail pileup from now on by going through your mail on a daily basis.

____ Nov 29 Having trouble with your computer? Hire a technician to come over and help solve the problem. While he or she is there, ask for help with any necessary upgrades.

____ Nov 30 Do any final holiday decorating, both inside and outside.