summer to do list

Summer night market in Richmond
Alta lake camping trip
Minneapolis
Mall of America
Visit ND grandparents
Riverboat on the Mississippi
Dance camp
Fir creek
Blueberry picking
Water slides
Zoo
Sprinkler
Swimming lessons
Football camp
Dance camp
Popsicles
Bike rides
Baseball games
Memorial day trip to the cabin
Labor day to Gabriola island
Take the kids to the where we were married and have a picnic
Play frisbee
Badminton
Water gun wars



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christmas to do list 2011

a list of things I would love to do between Thanksgiving and New Years this year....

see the Macy's holiday parade in Seattle
take the kids to the Nordstrom Santa{Macy's}
take the kids on the Polar Express Train (decided to skip the 3 hour drive)
simple holiday decorating that does not take an entire week!
listen to lots of Christmas music
take Amelia to see the Nutcracker (Amelia declined while we were in Seattle maybe when she's older)
go sledding
drink a hot toddy
do the Jingle Bell run with my girls
watch Amelia's Christmas dance show
make some yummy treats
make a difference for some one's holiday season
enjoy our annual holiday brunch
send out our cards and enjoy the holiday cards we receive
drive around and look at Christmas lights with the kids in their jammies
'make' our Costco gingerbread house
cookie exchange with my book club
holiday port festival (skipped it this year)
Lights of Christmas at Warm Beach
take the kids to a movie during the school break
go to the cabin
go skiing/snowboarding as a family!

wednesday to do

Today I will:
try to finish two sewing projects while Amelia is at preschool
get a watch battery
face the music at the library re so very late/lost kid library books
transform Amelia into a Pumpkin Princess and take some pics
do laundry
pick up from early release
attempt to go for a run with the kids in tow
clean bathrooms
wash hardwood floors
finish Mom's birthday gift (only 1+ month late)
make chipotle rockfish foil packets for dinner
carve pumpkins and roast pumpkins seeds

fall to do list {2011}

go apple picking
make applesauce
make pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones, and pumpkin waffles
go for a family fall walk
do leaf crafts with the kid
make another gratitude tree
go to the pumpkin patch
sip warm apple cider while reading a good book
decorate the house for fall
decorate the house for Halloween
make jack o lanterns
roast pumpkin seeds
paint a pumpkin with Amelia
have a photo shoot in a leaf pile
fall yard clean up
dig up dahlias, divide day lilies, plant daffodil and allium bulbs
fall picnic

30 bags in 30 days

I was inspired to declutter and wasn't sure where to start. Looking around the house I made a list of a specific areas that need some attention. The premise is picking a place on the list and grabbing a bag and start cleaning and organizing. Most of the places on my list will take under 30 minutes but a few are monsters and will need a larger chunk of time. Hopefully, baby steps and crossing items off my list will keep me going!
Living room hutch
Magazine bin
Dining room hutch
Junk drawer kitchen
Filing cabinet
Computer desk
Media cabinet
Powder room medicine cabinet
Entry closet
Linen closet
Utility closet
Kids bathroom
Aiden's room
Amelia's room
Bedside tables
Dresser
Master bath vanity and cabinet
Master closet
Laundry room cabinets
Playroom
Craft room
Basement pantry
Basement bathroom
Garage shoe rack
Fridge and freezer
Sports bins
Gardening shelf in garage
Craft closet
Craft desk
Stair basket

2011 not bummer summer list...

I love a good to do list and I am determined to make up for our half baked summer last year!
Memorial Day- Labor Day

trip to the cabin
girls week end on Whidbey
basketball camp
smores in the back yard
boys trip to Moses Lake
Everett play date
play dates and picnics
Shushwap with the Lofflers
VBS for Aiden
blueberry picking
beach time
Mallard's ice cream
Fircreek day camp
family hikes
dance camp
camping at South Whidbey with the Schweigert's
eating fresh vegetables from the garden
day trip to Seattle
runs through the sprinkler and sno cones
outdoor swim lessons
backyard bbq's
NW Washington Fair
solo trip to San Francisco (Dale and I)

2011 to do list...

to do lists are my thing.. I seem to be able to accomplish something if it's on the 'to do' list...so this year instead of resolutions I have a to do list...

- grow my hair to my shoulders. ( I feel the need to do this once as an adult and I fear after 35 it might have too much grey!)
- get my American citizenship (this has more to do with financial/legal decisions than wanting to cut off any roots with the mother land)
- get my cardiovascular certification (it seems fancy to have more initials following my name)
- lose 35 pounds ( I thought it was 30 until I got on the scale today!! Wednesday weigh ins just got a little more exciting)

fall to do list

I am just starting to think of fall which means I should probably put the 'July 4th' decor away at the front door. Of course I have a very legitimate excuse this year but it would also be nice for things to feel a little more normal.
-[put summer decor] and clothing away
-climb ladder and dig through the garage for our fall decorations (this type of thing used to be Dale's job but I'm adjusting (sort of)
-move into our new kitchen and cook yummy food
-trip to the pumpkin patch (Stoney Ridge I love you)
-[apple picking] 48.5 pounds!
-date night with Dale (not that we haven't spent every day of the past six weeks together but it still would be nice)
-complete some crafty projects
-trip to the Aquarium (no we still haven't gone since buying an annual membership)
-maybe possibly a girls week end in Seattle
-pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin waffles and apple cider
-fall yard clean up
-create fairy and [ninja] (bought) costumes for Halloween
-fall leaf walk with Dale and the kids (hopefully sans crutches/wheelchair)

summer bucket list!

I think it's time to start thinking about summer even with this dreary drizzly weather outside!

- smores in the backyard
- trip to Shuswap Lake
- visit the Vancouver Aquarium (so far our membership has been used once!)
- soccer camp
- dance camp
- outdoor swimming lessons for both kids!
- family photo shoot with
her
- ice cream dates at Mallards
- summer reading programs at the library and Barnes and Noble
- loving on my new nephew who will be coming home in July!
- Wednesday play dates at local parks and beaches
- visit the Everett Children's Museum
- berry picking
- family trip to Lopez Island
- the fair
- family camping trip in our new tent!
- trip to the cabin
- a day at the water slides
*photo via real simple

spring to do list

I think I felt a lil jipped with my March to do list so I've started a spring to do list in my mind:
-trip to Vancouver Aquarium (time to start using our membership)
-plant vegetable garden
-plant hanging baskets and containers
-a little deck spruce up
-create a nice outdoor haven for myself to watch the kids play
-train trip to Portland
-re do our front door (Dale's project but if I put it on a to do list it gets done!)
-family outing to a Mariner's game
-trip to the tulip fields
-wash all the windows inside and out

march to do list

I think this month there will be one thing on my to do list....
- get better
by the end of the month I should be able to walk without a limp, use a stationary bike for 20 minutes at a time and walk the neighborhood
of course only concentrating on these things would drive be crazy so I will try and finish my february to do list (my self imposed deadline has been extended due to extenuating circumstances)

february to do list

I was fairly successful with last month's list. So I think I'll keep with the monthly to do lists for 2010

- [plan Aiden's birthday party]
- hot date night with Dale
- {get house and family ready for me to be out of commission for awhile after} my surgery
- [make plans to beat the boredom after above mentioned event (stockpile books, magazines, movies, tv series, scrapbooking projects] and possibly get my blog copied into blurb)
- {finish a few spruce ups in the family room}
- {final project for Amelia's room}
- [clean and purge Aiden's room]
- try and take Aiden's 7 year pics myself...call for backup if needed. She never lets me down :)
- [complete paperwork for leave from work],[make physical therapy appt's], [fill rx's before surgery]
- [get very cute pedicure before the big day]
- quick, easy, cute silhouette project for the dining room
- spend my gift cards from Christmas!!!
- [do our taxes]

january to do list

in no particular order
-[schedule knee surgery]
-[Aiden last H1N1 vaccine]
-[Amelia 3 year check up appt]
-[plan Amelia's birthday party]
-[finish decorating Amelia's room] one more thing and it's done!
-deep clean our closet, [bathroom] and [bedroom]
-convince Dale we should re do bathroom vanity
-[organize 2009 photos] (and then make plans for 2003-2008 photos)
-Christmas thank you cards -oops email today instead!
-return and exchange Christmas gifts
-clean, condition and store purses properly
-figure out storage baskets for master closet ???

christmas checklist

Ahhh the week of Christmas. I've compiled a little list that will hopefully help me stay on top of my game...

-laundry (do as much laundry as possible before the 24th) especially make sure Christmas jammmies are clean, halfway decent pj's you don't mind being photographed in {I always have a rock star hair-do and hate pics of myself in the morning} clean Christmas outfits for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
- do any possible baking and cooking before the 24th
- plan what you're eating for Christmas morning breakfast (we used to make a breakfast casserole but you had to put it together Christmas Eve and I'm pretty sick of cooking by then and run out of room in the fridge) This year will be yummy eggs benedict with the Knorr sauce packet. Quick, easy and yummy.
- make that last minute grocery list and try to shop late at night when the store is much quieter
- stock up on batteries (AA's and C batteries seem to take care of most needs)
- make sure camera batteries are charged
- assemble any gifts you can before Christmas Eve. Last year Dale and I had the unpleasant surprise of assembling a play kitchen for over 2 hours when we were tired and cranky. Not so Merry Christmas!
- have a Phillips screwdriver, scissors and knife accessible but out of children's reach for opening gifts
- have the recycling bin or a big bag handy to put wrapping paper in as you unwrap. Seeing the piles of paper and boxes all over the floor makes me itchy (OCD, I think not!)
- wrap gifts - have hostess gifts wrapped and ready, divide stocking stuffers into separate bags for each person
- pour yourself a drink and sit in front of the Christmas tree and remember everything important has already been done and everything else is good enough.A happy Mom and wife is the best gift I can give my family

holiday to do list

It really isn't too early to think about the holiday season!
-decorate for Christmas
-send out Christmas cards
-drive around and look at Christmas lights
-see the Nutcracker
-kids Christmas program at church
-listen to Christmas music
-sit in the dark and look at our Christmas tree in the dark
-pick one thing to make for Christmas baking
-decorate a gingerbread house ( we usually buy the kit from Costco)
-our annual Christmas brunch
-the Lights of Christmas at Warm Beach
-holiday port festival
-not do a december daily album but still take a picture each day to capture the season
-the Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain
-find a way to make some one in need holiday wishes come true
-most importantly spend time with family and friends!
-*can I tell you how stinking happy I am that I finally figured out how to link!
*photo via Real Simple
oh yea I almost forgot...
-Lynden lighted parade
-pictures with Mall Santa

fall to do list

It's that time of year again. I'm starting to feel a repetition to my life and I don't know if it's because I blog or the time in my children's lives but try as I might I can't come up with anything too wild or unexpected to do this season.

-decorate the house for fall (I haven't done anything except one white mini pumpkin)
-make pumpkin waffles for breakfast
-figure out the kids Halloween costumes (I'm pretty sure Amelia is going to be Snow White b/c I have the entire costume but she doesn't really like it because it isn't pink. If Aiden decides to be someone from Star Wars maybe she'll be Princess Leia {I love matching costumes!}
-go away for a girls week end (it's coming up and I can hardly wait!!!!)
-trip to the pumpkin patch (Dale told me the other day he's 'done with Stony Ridge' whatever we are still going!!!!)
- a girls Sunday afternoon - maybe a soup swap???
- drink hot apple cider
- a family picnic to Whatcom Falls or Elizabeth Park to admire the fall foliage
- figure out what to do with the remaing 50 pounds of apples!

summer to do list 2009

1) weekly park play dates with my neighbor
2) trip to NYC/CT
3) soccer camp
4) blueberry picking at Boxx Berry Farm
5) Dinotown
6) VBS at St.Paul's
7) weekend away for our anniversary
8) girls week end (fingers crossed)
9) backyard camp out
10) backyard pool parties and bbq's
11) once a month Mallard ice cream dates with the family
12) beach days
13) outdoor swimming lessons
14) Popsicles
15) long week end at Whistler
16) sprinkler park afternoons
17) Monday night family track meets
18) Bellingham Bells game
19) day trip to to Lopez or Orcas Island
20) Elizabeth Park concerts
21) paper bag lunch program at the library

(it's going to be a busy one!)

spring to do list:

It's that time again, another season, another family activity list.
1) the Vancouver Aquarium
2) Woodland Park Zoo
3) Hovander Park (to see the baby animals and Amelia told me the other day she wanted to drive a tractor)
4) ride our bikes on Lopez Island (and scope out as possible campsite for Dale and I)
5) try and find Clayton Beach bike trail
6) the Tulip Festival (real pictures in the fields this year,Dale)
7) Farmer's Market
8) plant our vegetable and flower gardens
9) the Wickersham train
10) annual Higgins Lake road trip on the May long week end

getting things done

I was reading one of my favorite blogs (Simple Mom) yesterday and she was talking about how to become more productive. In order to become more productive you need to write everything down that needs to be done on a master to do list as it comes to mind. There are so many things that pop in my mind daily that I think I'll remember to do and then I don't. While doing 6 loads of laundry and cleaning 4 bathrooms (that's what Wednesdays are like for me) I wrote everything down that popped into my mind. Here's the list:
-bleach bath toys
-change vacuum bag
-buy food coloring
-paint kids bathroom cabinet
-buy fluoride ands kids toothpaste
-write check for Jodi
-buy mirror for kids bathroom
-craigslist old big bathroom mirrors
-complete school paperwork
-write family Christmas lists
-draw names for Christmas
-family picture
-research karate lessons or basketball for Aiden
-make spaghetti pie for dinner
-paint picture frames black
-shower
-pick up Aiden's shorts from shoemaker
-request lizard books from library
-replace batteries in Leapster and mantle clock
-call Dale re class on Saturday
-figure out how to run a 5k by December
-buy Amelia's Christmas present (it's so cute)
-call surgery center re Amelia's ear tubes
-give Tracy back a book I've had for 10 months
-remove the price tag on doormat
-buy dry erase markers
-buy Amelia's Halloween costume supplies
-buy Mom's birthday gift and card
The list filled an entire page. I highlighted the items I needed to go out and buy, completed most of the 5 minute or less tasks and felt like I could get a big chunk of the list done in the next few days. I got off work early last night so I ran to Costco, Michael's and Target by myself and picked up the items I needed to buy it felt so good.

July ta da list

I know this is a long time coming and I did complete most of it mid August. This morning I remembered to take pictures. Transforming Aiden's room into "more big boy" was more challenging that I thought. I had requests for a snake pit, Amazon rainforest with snakes hanging from the ceiling and scorpians, Batman, Star Wars and a bunch of others I can't remember. Originally it had been to add dinosaurs and remove the baby pictures which I did. There was minor disaster involving spray adhesive, yards of fabric and a roller shade. I bought a new shade instead of spending 6 plus hours making one and painted Aiden's name and moved it above the new dresser. I didn't do anything with the baby book maybe later.