Daily To-Do List

I like to think in my own mind that I have it together. That I am the kind of woman who means business and just gets things done and...

Here's where my husband would chuckle to himself and say "Yeah, OK Honey." Why? Why would he say such a thing?

Well... because the reality is that I am rather scatterbrained and a bit distractable. It drives him crazy when I get to work at home because I'll start one chore, then start another, then sometimes for fun a third, then go back to the first, work on the third again, go back and finish the first, then work on the second... you get my point. 

I knew this about myself when I worked a desk job before I came home, so back then I used to have a to-do list notebook and a million sticky-notes that reminded me to do the important things. Anything that didn't get checked off on the to-do list moved to the next day's list with any new things to do. By keeping those running lists, I was able to actually get things done and keep things moving. I still got distracted, but at least I had some guidance.

So I went on Pinterest and found a couple of to-do lists that I liked, but none were exactly what I was looking for. I took a few, cherry-picked what I liked and made my own which I am now adding to the fray.

Here's my to-do list printable; I'm sharing it with you. I made it today in MS Publisher using one of their basic stationary templates (I know, I'm so original) and added in some text boxes of what works best for me. Maybe it works best for you, maybe like the other 83475 to-do lists out there did for me it will help you to shape your own.

Either way - here it is.

Top 5 - Looking Ahead

The folks on the radio this morning said that there's going to be a freak day of just about 70 degrees today before it heads back into our seasonal normal temperature of the 40s over the weekend. These brief glimpses of spring that we tend to get in March in New England make me excited for blooming flowers, budding branches, disappearance of snow, birds chirping... Spring is one of my favorite seasons. So with that, I can't help but think about the

Top 5 Things I'm Looking Forward to 

With Spring's Arrival

Running Outside: Last year I shared with you my new-found enjoyment of running. While I don't mind running on the treadmill and have been seeing improvement in that area, I need to get outside where the pavement doesn't help propel me forward and the fresh air fills up my lungs. I'm excited for consistently nice weather so that I can get out there and let the rubber of my soles meet the road instead of the rotating belt of a treadmill.



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Lake Quannapowitt - Where I ran my first 5K!

Steve Grilling: Yes, I know that a lot of hearty New Englanders will grill all winter. But... Steve and I are not fans of hanging around outside in the cold, so when the weather gets that chill in the air we move inside and the cooking takes place over the gas of our stove rather than the grill. Spring's arrival means that Steve starts to get the grilling "itch", and now that we have a house he's already looking for times when it won't be freezing and he can start grilling. Since it saves money on the gas bill, gives me a break from after-work cooking, and makes Steve happy - I love when grill-time hits. (Plus - it's freaking delicious!!!)

Steve's inaugural grilling at our house - 2010. Complete with beer.

Our Garden: Last year we moved into our house in July which means that we missed half of a season (roughly) of what the flowers in our garden do in terms of blooming or what they are. I'm excited to start this year off as the snow melts and the first leaves & buds start to appear on the bushes and stems of the garden. I'm looking forward to more time with our irises before they're out of season, the purple blanket flowers in the backyard, and being able to spend more time with roses and lilies in full bloom.

Can't wait for areas like this one to start coming into bud & bloom!

4-40 Drives Home From Work: I believe that in the past I've shared with you my guilty pleasure of singing in the car, and the spring is my absolute favorite time to do that. Yesterday with temperatures in the 60's I dropped the front 2 windows, blasted some tunes, sang along with them, and yes - even car danced a bit. Sorry, but when Shaggy & Josey Wales start singing "Sweet Jamaica" I'm forced to extreme measures. For those of you who saw me on route 3 dancing while waiting to get through the traffic to the Drum Hill Rotary yesterday - you're just jealous you don't have as much fun in the car as I do.

Don't even say you wouldn't be dancing too. I won't believe you.

Closer to Summer: Summers now that we've moved have changed, and I'm actually looking forward to it now more than ever. I can't wait for summer evenings on the deck enjoying dinner & drinks with Steve, friends and family who come over, and the birds that fly around our neighborhood. Weekends out in the garden with the sun beating down on us, getting my hands dirty and just enjoying keeping up with everything out there. Sunday mornings on the front porch enjoying my coffee. Home improvement projects that I'll get to work on side-by-side with Steve, enjoying each other's company as well as knocking some things off the "punch list". Participating in my very first CSA from a farm right here in our town - Bear Hill Farm. There is so much that I am looking forward to this summer - so many little things that are just going to be a ton of fun - that I am excited about it.

Are you excited for spring?What are you excited about?

12 New Things - Chair Makeover

September's new thing was a bit of an adventure as it turned out. I was supposed to complete this task with my good friend Elyse, but... well...

I ordered fabric from Fabric.com a while ago and it sat in a corner waiting for the time for me to place it on the chairs. Elyse and I set up a time to get together and when that time came she visited my house - we were both excited. I had my handy-dandy instructions ready to go. I flipped over the first chair and saw that it was not a "normal" flat or Phillips head screw. It was (as my husband explained) a Robertson screw, and needed a screwdriver that we did not have at home.

Elyse and I set out to Sears (to get a Craftsman, because here in the Athanas household we buy Craftsman handtools). I was convinced that we needed something bigger than a size 3, which is the largest size Robertson screwdriver that we saw at Sears. We went to Home Depot - still nothing larger than a 3. Feeling somewhat dejected (but not entirely because we DID have a fantastic time hanging out), we headed back and called it a night.

Of course, after she left I took another look at the chairs and realized that I did not need one larger than a 3. Another trip to Sears and the purchase of a size 2 Robertson screwdriver did the trick. I was off to the races!

Get ready to get eliminated, Ugly Blue Seat Cover!

I measured the fabric and attached the covers following the directions I found on Wikihow. It was actually a pretty easy project and if I'm going to be totally honest - kind of fun too. Basically, you cut the squares of fabric, pull the tightly and neatly, attach it with a staple gun, and then screw the cushions back on the chair. Then VOILA - brand new chair!

Here's some pictures of the process; I'll let the captions fill you in on the rest of the process.

Checking the situation with the old corners to see how they looked when completed.

Attaching the fabric - start at the centers, work your way out, then attach the corners.

My first corner - not too shabby, I must say!

Finished cushion - all ready to be attached to the chair.

Finished! It really is like a brand new chair with that blue all covered.