goals report for January

Well, I got lots of sewing done, and quite a bit of scrapbooking done, and not much in the way of organizing the files.

I finished a nightgown for C, a pair of pajamas for J, a set of table runners in a snowflake pattern and the crib skirt. I cut out and sewed together the tops for a set of table runners in spring colors--just need to sew on the backing for that. I also cut out lots of blocks of leftover fabric to make fabric blocks for my baby. My final fabric-related project was clearing out odds and ends pieces of fabric that were too small to do anything with. Not too shabby.

I worked on the Alaska scrapbook and I think I'm about halfway done. I'm not worrying too much about making it super cute but I do want it to look good. I do need to get more page protectors to add to the ones in the book already so that's held me up a bit but I plan to work on it lots this week and hopefully I'll have it done by Saturday, Feb. 6.

I haven't been able to get motivated to tackle the files. I'm kind of dreading that because there are several years worth of files that I need to clean out. I look at the files and I wonder, do I REALLY need to keep all this stuff? The past few weeks have been so warm that the snow in the backyard has melted. Last Friday I cleaned out the garage--moved stuff that is normally stored in the shed but had been put in the garage for awhile. I put some old tax envelopes in the "dead file box" and as I looked at the envelopes going back to the beginning of our marriage (we've been married 12.5 years now!) I wondered why I was keeping all this stuff.

I've started a new system for keeping track of electronic payments. Before, I'd print out the confirmation page and then file it in the company folder. Then I got the idea to just keep track of confirmation numbers so that in case of a company telling me I hadn't paid, I would have the confirmation number available. So I set up a Microsoft Excell worksheet with the payment date, the company name, the bill amount, what the bill was for, the confirmation number and the bank account used to pay the bill. I started that with the January bills and so far it's working well. I've never had a company tell me I haven't paid a bill so I'm glad I won't be using any more paper and ink to print out confirmations that I don't even need.

Another problem with printing out the confirmation pages was that I use my bank's Bill Pay feature, so I'd have several different companies on one page. Where do I file it? That was what finally motivated me to set up the tracking form in Excell.

So, while I may not have accomplished everything I wanted to in January, I did make good progress, so I'm happy with that!