Anyone up for a 'sort out myself / my house / my life for Christmas' thread?

[pleasenotmondayagain]

This has become something of an autumn tradition for me. You would think I'd learn from my mistakes, but no! Still, it worked, sort of, last year, so here I go again. Any company and encouragement welcome.

Never mind sorting out Christmas (although I intend to do that with my usual style and poncery chaotic approach) I need to sort out

(1) myself

I need to eat a healthier diet. It has been rubbish since the summer and my winter clothes are now tight.
I need to build some exercise into my week. I love the cold air and blue skies of autumn. Less the rain, but I can't have everything. Cycling to work would be a good start. Maybe even some C25K style running.
I need to go to the dentist, the optician, and the hairdresser.

(2) my house
I need to sort out the garden for winter. The view from my kitchen window is of dead bedding plants and soggy leaves. The shed door needs a lick of paint and the pots need to be put away.
I need a proper sort out and declutter. Targets are the loft, my (and the DCs) wardrobe, and the toybox-coffee table thing in the lounge that could contain pretty much anything and probably hasn't been opened all year.
DC2s room needs some paint. We took down some (baby) border / stickers a few weeks ago and the marks are annoying me.
I need to get a plumber in to look at a dodgy toilet. It is only a matter of time before I really regret not getting it fixed.

(3) my life
Paperwork is taking over my kitchen. Sort, file, or shred.
I need a system to deal with the avalanche of demands that the DCs school sends home in the run up to Christmas. Ditto clubs and their events. We're bound to miss something otherwise.
I'm becoming a real procrastinator and ditherer. I need to get a focus and be more efficient.

Anyone want to join me? I reckon with 8 weeks until Christmas, I should be able to fix those things that annoy me around the house, get on top of the domestic chaos, and shift 10 pounds in weight.

Personal stuff

Get my freelance life in gear
Decide on retraining or new skills stuff
Update LinkedIn profile properly

Jumping on the bandwagon! My house needs a lot doing and mil is coming to stay for Xmas. I definitely need a kick up the bum!

Hi all, mind if I join?

I don't want to make a list of all the things I need to do as it's just too overwhelming . But I'm trying to pick some stuff I've been putting off for ages and just use half term to crack on with it.

Today I have sorted through 12yr old DS clothes, passing on a load and have a list of new stuff he needs. I have also dismantled a mini greenhouse thing that has been broken and blowing around the garden for ages. It's now in the wheely bin.

I then tackled my craft corner (set of IKEA shelves in the living room) and tidied up, plus made a list of projects I have in progress that need to be finished before I start anything new. While I was doing that I found letter about renewing DD's orangutan sponsorship, so have done that.

I'm on fire today!

I'm in. Back later just marking place for now.

Ooooohhhh, lots of company here - thank you.

glenthebattleostrich I'm not sure that I can cope with a daily list (although clearly I need one!) But I am going to sort out a weekly plan at least, otherwise I'll just dither my way through the next few weeks.

Week one, beginning today, 29th October

Weight loss: starting point is stone 8 pounds. Those are the eight pounds that I want to lose to get back to my comfy weight. A couple more would be nice! Last year I kept a jar on my desk and every time I've resisted buying snacks at work I put the equivalent cash in the jar. By mid-December, there was enough there for a treat. Plus it is sobering to see it all mounting up.

Healthy eating: I've ordered a delivery for tomorrow, with a focus on healthy food. I've not gone completely cold turkey, and the family don't need to join in with me, so I've got round the 'snacks' temptation by buying ones that I don't like!

Exercise: cycling to work every day this week, or if I'm working at home, extending the stroll back from school into a brisk walk

Home: this week is garden week. Empty dead baskets and pots, rake leaves up, tidy summer stuff away. Might buy some pansies or similar for the front of the house. After that (so from next week) start an ongoing project to deep clean the kitchen before I start buying Christmas food and shoving it into messy and dusty cupboards. Cupboards down two walls, so one per week. Kids craft boxes another week. Actually, why are these even in the kitchen? Could be a quick fix there. And then defrost the freezer at the end of November.

Sorting life: At work, a clear target to get one ongoing project finished by the end of the week because the fact that I've not finished it just depresses me. At home, copy all school and club dates onto the calendar so that everything is in one place. Or possibly an online calendar that DH can use as well. Buy all birthday presents that are needed for between now and Christmas (two in the family, two friends, so should be easy enough to deal with)

FussyDora clearly I don't NEED a notebook, but now I want one.

Seeing all of you here is a real motivation. Hope day #1 is going well.

Please - we use famcal as an online calendar, changed my life

I too need to get all of my shit in one sock.

I'm going to drink lots of water, declutter the hall and cull the kids' clothes of items that are too small.

Thanks for this thread!

pleasenotmondayagain I never need a new notebook but always find an excuse to get one!

House: managed 5 mins of TOMM in the right room (I do more housework than this a day - promise! there is just currently no method to it!) and cleared our bathroom cupboard. Made some initial enquiries about major work.

Christmas: bought my neices' present, wrapping paper and wrote a couple of cards

Me: didn't buy cake today!

I am definitely in! Finally getting used to having a new baby and desperate to sort my diet out and lose some weight. All rooms in the house are a cluttered mess and need some serious sorting out. Have to sort through the kids toys and get rid of a tonne of stuff. Kids wardrobes need clearing of anything that doesn’t fit (as does mine). Also really want to redecorate the lounge and sort through all kitchen cabinets....where to start tho. Do you start with a job or just tackle one room at a time?!

So need this - I find my motivation to do stuff boring jobs limited to say the least so if I give myself three things a week that I need to do maybe I'll do it. Today I went for a smear test - embarrassingly/disgracefully 4 years overdue and I should value my health more. I am going to walk to the shop instead of drive to try and build some exercise into my day every day. I am also going to clear out my work cabinet this week, it is in a dreadful state.

omg me me me.

I need to:

Stop eating like a pig, at least until Christmas week.
Get a handyman in for a gazillion odd jobs
Sort out the kids clothes and pass on all the too small things
Sort out my wardrobe and the accumulated crap in my bedroom too
Print some photos
Do some pre Brexit shopping for things that may be hard to get (yep, I know there is a prepping topic but they are hardcore!)
And most urgently, plant the spring flower bulbs (too late?)

So today I didn't manage to stick to the diet but I did do :

some christmas shopping
sorted all the washing into loads ready to do
washed & hung up a load to dry
sorted tea towel drawer (been a mess for ages, all nice and neat now folded in a pretty basket)
loaded dishwasher
hoovered hallway and kitchen floor and also mopped them both

• decluttered a bag full of leftover birthday party crap from July. Put stuff to save in a nice box and binned the stuff that should have been binned immediately

Another TOMM fan here too though don't necessarily do each room on the correct day. I mix things up a bit to fit in around what we are up to as a family but the principle is there and things are slowly improving after a few short weeks!

Diet WILL start tomorrow, honest 

Ooh not sure what happened to my post there, interesting effect though 

Oh God, me too. Have been browsing on Kindle for house organising books. Need a me organising book too

Got the house electrics checked today. Frog marched dh and ds to the dentist. My turn Thursday. Boiler checked last week. I refused to look at the garden .

I need one of those nice US makeover teams to transform my house and whisk me off for a makeover. I feel like Humpty Dumpty.

Right, I’m in.

Me

• lose 8lb (this will bring me to my normal weight range - albeit at heavier end)
• opticians / new glasses

House

• change radiators
• photos in frames - currently none on walls and we have a 7 month old!
• rearrange cupboards (stolen from above but a great one)
• start organised mum method

Life

• sort photos on laptop
• wills / life insurance
• reduce mindless phone scrolling

I have ‘to do’ lists every day but never get further than doing day to day stuff

So yesterday I booked the smear test, got the vitamin and cleaned the cupboard and did the organised mum monday stuff but healthy food went out of the window. I did my hair for the school run which always makes me feel better. I also got DD some tights which has been a job I kept failing at 🙈.
Today I need to

• Eat healthily
• moisturise
• Do TOM jobs for Tuesday
• Clean out kitchen cupboard number 2.
• spend 15mins on the garden.

I have a young baby so nothing happens quickly here 😂
Good luck with your Tuesdays everyone!

I built a chest of drawers and sorted DS3's room and the playroom. There is now space for the inevitable landslide of toys that will happen at Christmas.

Today I have to take all the cleared out toys to the charity shop and all the rubbish to the tip. It's a good start but I have the bit between my teeth now and will be back at work tomorrow, which will totally get in the way of the great declutter!

Marking place...have to go get ready.

Morning all!

@PleaseNotMondayAgain - I know it's irritating when people say OP are you me? But I laughed at your list. I made one yesterday and the exact same things are on it.

Please can I join you?

Self
Unhealthy eating and massive overeating since summer ended. I need lots of healthy recipes for warming but not too rich foods as DS2 has also put on weight and asked to get healthier.
I need a haircut, dental and optical checks.

I've been doing sober October, so have more energy than usual. I'm going to keep that up.

Home
Garden needs clearing. I've done most of this but the leaves keep coming. And the patios need weeding.
House needs so much work. The whole house needs repainting but for now, realistically, I'll go for:
clear gutters
repaint porch and all exterior wood
window replacements (booked in)
steam clean all carpets
mammoth de-clutter
piano tuner

Last year I had the chimneys swept and the range cooker professionally cleaned so they are still fine for another year.

This thread reminded me to take my vitamin today, so thank you!

Amazing how many of us leave medical appointments for ourselves far down the to do list isn't it? I had been putting off smear test for ages, but managed to finally get it done last week, had my over 40 health check at same time.

Morning all!

Didn’t manage to get all my list done yesterday but did some things.

Need to go into town this morning to take DS to an appointment. Have a few bits to go in town. Including taking 4 old pound coins to the bank that have been hanging around in various locations!

Have a friend coming to stay overnight tonight so my plan for the afternoon is general tidying while DH cooks.

I have completely failed at Sober October so feeling guilty about that. Well done for sticking to it OneMore.

Whilst still in pjs I have blitzed the hall (after my mum nearly tripped yesterday ). A lot of it was just putting stuff away, plus some things have been waiting to go somewhere else for months. So later this week will make sure that actually happens!

That's it for today tho, time to get dressed and take DC into town for half term outing with my parents.

Sending good decluttering vibes to you all ~~~~

@PersisFord 'Drink more liquids that are not wine or coffee.'

That made me laugh out loud!