Join us for an October Big Projects challenge!

[melissel]

Do you have a list full of big projects that are haunting you, but that you haven't managed to tackle? Do you want to get some fall deep cleaning done but need a little extra oomph to get started? Then come join us in the October Big Projects challenge!

Pick a certain number of projects for the month, as many as you'd like. Report back in here each time you finish one or need some encouragement or advice. Post pictures of your fabulous results to brag about your hard work and bolster the rest of us!

Here we go...

[ChristinaLucia]

I am interested. I need to wash all the windows in my house, clean all the blinds and clean the carpets.

[rightkindofme]

I need to clean out our shed because the roof leaks and last year we had a bunch of stuff mold beyond repair. This counts as like five large tasks: I have to go through what is out there and sort things into keep/get rid of, I have to figure out how to store what we are keeping in the garage, I have to get rid of the donate/trash stuff, I have to dismantle the shed, and I have to arrange a large bulk pick up and put everything out on the road.

Did I mention that I have a one month old and a two year old and the rain is coming soon? Ugh.

[clutterwarrior]

I will join you.

I also need to reorganize my linen closet, clean out/declutter the kitchen cupboards, and I need to tackle clearing and cleaning one area in particular of my garage, one that is visible from the street and looks so messy!

[melissel]

Great, then let's go for it! I'll amend my first post to include the details, and then I'll decide what my top projects are. Woohoo! Maybe I can actually clean out my laundry room this month, once I get the linen closet cleaned out. (Did you ever notice how these projects impact the rest of your life in a circular pattern? )

[melissel]

I'm scheduling 10 projects this month--optimistic for me, because on Monday I'm going to get hit with the first in an ongoing series of freelance projects for the month! But I think I can get 10 done if I stay realistic about the size. For example, "Clean entire garage from top to bottom" is not going to get done, but "Clean entire fridge from top to bottom" will

1) Clean out linen/healthcare closet and reorganize.
2) Clean out laundry room and move large amounts of towels and sheets to newly reorganized linen closet.
3) Clean out main fridge from top to bottom, including washing drawers and racks and eliminating mysterious sauces and condiments that have lived there for years
4) Make two new sections for my planner: Things to Buy and Things to Remember (gift ideas, books I want to read, etc.) (this is bigger than it sounds because I make my own planner, so I need to design the pages, design the dividers, cut and punch the paper, and so on).
5) Clean out and reorganize all kitchen cabinets.
6) Clean out and file or otherwise handle all paperwork in basket and on desk
7) Shred big box of papers.
8) Clean out "that office corner" and get rid of all packing materials, little table, cardboard boxes, etc.--install lamp there.
9) Clean out the office closet, Freecycle all the contents.
10) (still thinking about this one)

Eeek! I just freaked myself out OK, so all of those might not happen this month, but I'll get done with what I can and carry over whatever doesn't get finished to next month's challenge.

What do YOU have to get done?

[clutterwarrior]

That is a long list!

I think I will stick to the 3 things I listed above.

If I make a lot of progress this month then I will add a 4th thing.

[melissel]

Originally Posted by clutterwarrior

That is a long list!

I think I will stick to the 3 things I listed above.

If I make a lot of progress this month then I will add a 4th thing.

: Yeah, I realized as I was typing it out that it was more daunting than I'd originally thought! I'm sure I won't get to all of it, but it's helpful to have it all there in one list where it will pop up each day in my User CP and I can't ignore it. I'll just move whatever I don't finish forward into next month. I'm extra motivated too, now that our insanely busy summer is over and our schedule has returned to its normal pace.

[Ruthiegirl]

I'm in!

Project #1

I need to clean the attic.....shudder.....it as finally cooled down enough that I can spend some time up there. It is a wreck of clothes, toys and old quilting projects.

Need to get it all cleaned out and simplified and then I can organize the few things we really want to keep. Couple of hours of hard work and a big trip to haul stuff to the thrift shops.


Project #2

The garden

Need to pull all the dying bits of vegetable plants and mulch it over for the winter. Couple more hours of hard work.


And if I actually get those two projects done and keep up with my classes while dh is out of town this month....... I will wear the Superstar award with pride.

[OkiMom]

I need to do this, I just did a to do list before baby comes and it was over 4 pages long and it doesn't include the obvious (like wash clothes or find childcare). The fact I have 4 pages of projects Id like to get done around the house makes me want to especially since it doesn't include holiday/birthday things I need to do..
So this month Id like to:
7) work on making Christmas gifts. goals this month is to make: 2 puppets, felt police car, 17 journals (sounds like a lot but each one takes less than 5 minutes to make), and 1(maybe 2) scarf and hat
8) Work on home management binder so I can start getting organized better (Im a disorganized person but I can't function like that I crave organization, I just can't seem to accomplish it!) The printer is FINALLY hooked up!!!
9) Make Advent calendar so I don't have to worry about it November 30th...I decided to do something different than I had originally planned and I need to make two of them (MIL asked if I could make them one and I can't say no to her, shes to sweet and no one is sweet to her.
17) Scrub all the floors in the apartment. Done with one bathroom, hall kitchen, living and dining room, girls room, master bedroom, still to do: , playroom, and master bath.

Completed:
1) declutter linen closet and all the cupboards above it
2) Organize sewing/crafting supplies.
3) Reorganize shoes
5) Declutter/re-organize books
6) Birthday . Need to make universal birthday banner.
10) get monkey mask for Halloween
12) order fabric for girls Christmas dresses,
13) Finish girl's outfits Ive been promising them for months.
14) Organize the cabinet in the bathroom.
15) inventory baby clothes, organize and store unneeded clothing.
16) Make Bun in Oven shirt
Christmas sewing done: 2 tutu done and 2 matching "fairy wings", 2 capes, 2 snakes from ties, 5 felt foods, 1 felt vehicle, 10 bean bags made and stuffed, 4 children aprons
Birthday prep done: Picked up a game and Curious George DVD. Made: monkey dress/apron, monkey blanket, stuffed monkey's vest/blanket, monkey purse, monkey hairband. Picked up party supplies and wrapping paper. Wrap gifts

Not happening:
11) Make a dress for our anniversary dinner.
4)Fix zipper on couch.
Mr. Baker Apron
If I get all that done Ill and might figure out a few more things to work on.

The ones in Red are done, the ones in Magenta are what Im working on and the ones in Plum is what I have planned for this week. Any progress reports are in Orange Ones in Green are not happening this month.

[Coconut Chronicles]

Oooo! Count me in! This will be great motivation to finish all the things that have been piling up this year. I'm hoping to get these 9 projects done:


1) Paint main guest room upstairs

2) Paint entrance hallway (color chosen: Benjamin Moore's Willow Creek)

3) Paint butlers pantry

4) Hardware on all kitchen cabinets and drawers

5) Tile backsplash in kitchen

6) Organize under sink vanity cupboards and linen closets in all bathrooms

7)Finish DS's room (hang shelves, finish closet system, finish toy boxes for bookcase)

8) Finish hanging artwork in seating area, kitchen and upstairs hallway

9) Put in an attic above garage (pulldown ladder, insulation, flooring)


Currently working on the items in blue

Completed project photos are all HERE and HERE

[Minky]

I need to declutter the hall, bedroom and linen closets so they're usable again, then declutter the huge laundry baskets we've been using for clean clothes and linens and put what we're keeping into the closets.

*sigh* Sounds so easy, but it's not.

[doubledutch]

Originally Posted by rightkindofme

I need to clean out our shed because the roof leaks and last year we had a bunch of stuff mold beyond repair. This counts as like five large tasks: I have to go through what is out there and sort things into keep/get rid of, I have to figure out how to store what we are keeping in the garage, I have to get rid of the donate/trash stuff, I have to dismantle the shed, and I have to arrange a large bulk pick up and put everything out on the road.

Did I mention that I have a one month old and a two year old and the rain is coming soon? Ugh.

um. what if you tie a big blue tarp over the whole thing, stake the ties, and call it good?

[doubledutch]

i've done lots of work in our "old house" where we've been staying, to get it cute and re-listed for sale (listing today!).

however, now i need to do lots of work to our real house, which my boys and i will be moving back to after several months away.

paint the upstairs (one big room with low walls due to sloping ceiling, shouldn't be too awful)
winterize - meaning, raise the metal awnings that keep the heat out of the south side of the house during the summer, and put up window plastic. ideally, also caulk windows.
paint the floors downstairs, one or two rooms at a time (or in some other way that allows us to live there while painting the floors). when i paint over our route to the bathroom, well that will have to be on a day when we are going to leave for an overnight visit! it would be silly not to do this now, though, because most of our living/dining furniture is at our other house for staging.
make curtains . . . this is less immediately needed, more of a want than a need, but it would be good for stash-busting!

there is so much more that i need to do, but i'm going to stop there. even this list is a stretch for october, honestly.

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

I'll join:

1) go through old yard sale items in garage-DONE
2) go through boxes in attic with DH
3) go through ds's toy room- DONE
4) Have dh go through his clothes-DONE
5) Go through mine and ds's clothes and closet again-DONE
6) donate unwanted items from above Done except #2
7) Purge my office 1 more time
8) make reusable swiffer pads
9)clean out basement

Update: 10/7: well dh went through his clothes and we brought about 3 trashbags of clothes, 1 box misc, 1 box clothes, 1 box books to donate-they took everything but the stroller, of course i had dh start going through the garage and half the stuff ended up being mine, geeze, i guess i got more stuff scattered around here than i thought.

Okay that is it for me for the month, I don't want to bite off more than I can chew

[Coconut Chronicles]

Originally Posted by Coconut Chronicles

7) Finish DS's room (hang shelves, finish closet system, finish toy boxes for bookcase)

Toy bins are finished! Before/during, after and bookcase. Hopefully I'll finish painting the guest room this evening.

[frugalmama]

I just have two big projects:

1. Clean Out the Garage
2. Clean Out the Spare Bedroom

For #1, that involves getting rid of a ton of stuff that I've been holding for over a year trying to yard sale, selling the books in the garage either online or to half price books, and moving shelving around to be able to store items neatly.

For #2, that involves sorting through many totes of items, putting shelving in the room, getting rid of unneeded items that are not likely to sell in our next yard sale {January}, and finding my digital camera.

[clutterwarrior]

Those toy bins look great!

I also need to do something about making my son's toy shelves look better. He has big open shelves and all the toys just scatter along the shelves, including all those itty bitty things that kids always collect...I really need to come up with something to organise them, but I think I will have to invest in some transparent containers, and get anal with sorting and labelling them. If I put things in bins that he can't see through, he won't see them so he just won't know what is in there and then he will stop playing with those things.

[OkiMom]

Clutter, how bout making labels with pictures on them on the computer. I don't know your son's age or if he reads or not but Im making them for my girls containers so that they can see what goes in each container. Neither can read so doing words just wouldn't work.

[Siennaflower]

Joining in! I have 3 projects in mind to get done this month. I need to A) declutter all the closets and pack away or donate all the outgrown/summer clothes; B) shred a TON of bills that I've been putting off; and C) hang all the pictures I have frames for but got lazy and didn't put them up.

*IF* I have time, I also need to declutter the storage closet. I worked on it a little last year and since I haven't had any need for anything but the Xmas decorations I'm going to be ruthless and toss most of it. But I need a non-rainy day to do it and the weather has been crappy for the last week.