Wendy House Wednesday: A list found in a notebook

Processing the camera gets done regularly because is important to me as I've heard too many sad stories about cameras containing irreplaceable images getting lost. Once the pictures are on the computer they are backed up and safe on the hard drive, in Dropbox and (eventually) on the external hard drive, too. The other motivator is that my mother loves to see pictures of the children!

Gretchen Rubin gave some splendid advice in Happier At Home about dealing with her backlog of photos -- she set herself to work at it for 15 minutes a day using a timer.

Processing my notebooks happens less often, mainly because I'm disorganised and have too many in too many different places. But here is something I found in a notebook.

It is titled '50 things', but I must have got interrupted halfway through.

1. Indigo/cobalt blue
2. Coast line
3. Sailing ships
4. Washing on the line
5. Sleeping in the sun
6. Leafless branches
7. Running water
8. Big blousy flowers carelessly arranged
9. Wafer biscuits
10. Seeds inside a fruit
11. Vintage packaging
12. Art deco swimming pools
13. Frida Kahlo
14. Willow pattern
15. Mountains next to the sea
16. Log cabins
17. Embroidered images
18. Radish flowers
19. Shells
20. 1940s bathing costumes
21. Iron beds
22. Dresses with big skirts and nipped in waists
23. Chinese lanterns

Wendy House Wednesday: Caught

Process your notebook, camera or sketchbook. Look through your captures and see if anything inspires you.

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Wendy House Wednesday: Jammed

Look over the spreads and jam in your larder and fridge. Are they in the right place? Are they still edible? Do the jars need a wipe? Update the shopping list. Now it’s toast time.

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Wendy House Wednesday: Dark cupboard

What’s in your cleaning cupboard? Dispose of anything you no longer use. Wipe drippy bottles. Add almost empties to the shopping list. Done.

Our cleaner keeps me on my toes with this -- she leaves the empties in the middle of the kitchen table so I know what to buy in. I usually ask her for recommendations as I get overwhelmed by the supermarket's choice. She recently surprised me with her enthusiasm for old fashioned Cif bathroom cream cleaner.

The instructions are: Don't over-think. Spend no more than 15 minutes. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Wendy House Wednesday: Shredding

Shred any bank statements older than six years. And if you have any other paperwork hanging around, make a plan for processing it.

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Wendy House Wednesday: Virus check

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Run a virus check on your computer.

Wendy House Wednesday: Spice

  

Well that was a mission and a half. Here is my spice and condiment department. It's spread over three shelves and I do use most of the spices at least once a month. I try to wipe each jar every time I use it so the rarely-used jars get a bit fluffy and of course the shelves themselves need cleaning and certain items that don't belong (can you see the postcard and the mac button) need to go to their proper homes. Because Bettany and Alec were only tenuously employed (him with a game on the tablet and her practising her rolling on the floor) I decided to set my timer and tackle just one shelf at a time.

It was a case of move a couple of jars, roll Bettany over on to her back. Wipe a jar, help Alec guide his fire engine through the maze. Wipe another jar, re-roll Bettany. Wipe a jar, ask Alec to turn the siren off. Wipe a jar, re-re-roll Bettany. The bottom shelf jars were spread across the worktop, half of them dusted, half of them not when Bettany started howling because she had wedged herself against the back door and Alec started howling because he, like me, had run out of time on his game.

 
Nick came to the rescue and finished the job for me while I was telling Alec firmly that he needed a nap.

This is one of those tasks that I don't do often enough -- but now I know a shelf takes just over 15 minutes I'll feel more confident about tackling it.

Wendy House Wednesday: Spice up your life

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Quarter of an hour straightening the spice cupboard. Sniff some favourites while you’re in there (and do let us know what you found).

Wendy House Wednesday: I see dead people

I set a timer for 15 minutes and went through the contacts book on my email client. I deleted:

• several people who have died -- it was good to recall them for a moment particularly one writing mentor who passed on very recently
• people related to jobs I no longer do -- I suspect in most cases the contact details relate to jobs they no longer do either
• one person who I hope never to come across _ever_ again
• people from clubs, classes and societies that I am no longer part of
• travelling friends that I never kept up with.

I felt strange about clearing out the work-related addresses because it reminded me that I've been out of the world for a while now. Most of my mummy-networking is done by face-to-face or by text message so there aren't many parenting contacts in there. I should find a way of merging my phone and email contacts; and I should back them all up, too.

It also made me think about the easy come, easy go nature of a lot of my friendships. There are people that I got on really well with who I never communicate with any more; and people who I had less in common with but who pop up often on my Facebook or Twitter streams. Nick is a lot better at shepherding his friends in the real world than I am. I need face-to-face contact but I find it exhausting so I tend to avoid organising it unless I'm given a good hard shove. 

Wendy House Wednesday: Stay in touch

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Spend some time with your address book – update, cull, clean out. Transfer any details you have stashed on scruffy scraps of paper and new home cards. If it’s electronic do a back-up. Who have you not heard from recently? Who would welcome a postcard?

Wendy House Wednesday: Not stepping down, giving up

I don't have many commitments at the moment as I scaled everything back while I was pregnant. We go to toddler group and a class but that's it, really. I did have a think about whether we enjoy those things -- Alec and I both find it tough to get out of the house to them, but once we're there it's mostly fun and games, so I don't think we should drop either of them.

I looked at some of the things I do every day.

1. I drink a cup of coffee in the morning and this has become a habit that is probably an addiction to caffeine. I'm OK with this, though -- right now with the broken nights it's what I need to get me through the morning. I've had phases in my life before when I've needed a coffee to get me going. I quit before and I'll quit again when the time is right.
2. I religiously download the free app of the day on my tablet computer. I'm going to try not doing that as it's a time sink testing out the app to see if I want to keep it.

Wendy House Wednesday: Step down

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Identify a regular (or frequent) activity that no longer works for you. What you do with this information is up to you (but feel free to share your story in the comments).

Wendy House Wednesday: culling Facebook

Well that was an incredibly satisfying exercise. I attacked Facebook. For some reason I am friends with a number of fictional characters. They all went. And anyone whose name was unfamiliar.

I also had time to have a go at my lists. This is an incredibly useful Facebook feature which allows you to share items only with certain people -- I use it to avoid horrifying non-parents with questions about newborn poo colour; and so that I can share local lost dog / teenager posts only with people near home. Here are the instructions in Facebook help for adding and removing people from lists.

Another useful lists feature is the Acquaintances list -- this allows you to see less of certain people's posts in your timeline. So if you've got a friend who is always going on about... eg (trying to think of a fictional example so as not to offend anyone) er... Fireman Sam, you can silence them. Here is some more information.

Wendy House Wednesday: Culling

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Cull a friends list on a social networking site. Fifteen minutes… GO!

Wendy House Wednesday: a lot of lists.

I was thinking about the order things get done in this house. Sometimes I get it wrong -- unimportant things get done before important things; I spend far too much time on things that are not necessary and that I don't enjoy.

My activities fall into some general categories:

• Children care (feeding, cuddling, playing, nappies, activities, planning)
• House care (cooking, tidying, cleaning, shopping, washing)
• Self care (washing, dressing, exercising, drinking water, resting
• Husband care (hanging out, chatting, cuddling, oiling the wheels)
• Writing work and self-development (blogs, courses, reflection, reading)
• Garden care (weeding, pottering, watering, harvesting)
• Play (reading, computer games, socialising on and off line, shopping)

This list roughly reflects the order of priority, and the order things get done. Self care comes high up the list because if I'm not well fed and rested and hydrated then I can't do anything else. Husband care comes high up as well as it's a way of making sure we stay connected -- we wrote our own wedding vows and specifically promised, among other things, to "cherish the bond of love between us".

In the past I've had a bit of fun with lists so I'm going to note down all the activities that fall under these categories. I want to examine what really needs to be done; and what I really enjoy (or don't enjoy).

Wendy House Wednesday: releasing books

I was ill on Wednesday and spent the rest of the week trying to catch up. I have just managed to get some books ready for book crossing -- it didn't take much longer than 15 minutes. I remembered that I had some bookplate labels left over from last time -- they were in my filing system under 'B' (for bookplates or possibly bookcrossing).

I decided to go the official route and use Bookcrossing.com and I've added a Tinyurl link back to the original blogpost. I haven't decided where to leave them yet but will take one next time I go out. The weather is fine and dry this weekend so I might brave an outdoor release.

22 September edit: Released book one.

Wendy House Wednesday: Bookcrossing

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Try Bookcrossing one of your unwanted books. I love leaving books around and wondering who will pick them up. I've never had any of my releases reported through the site, though. My aunt has had a lot more success doing it privately through her blog, and before I ever heard of bookcrossing formally I had great fun with my writing friend Sarah dropping books around the park on a sunny afternoon.

Pick a book you no longer want. Put a sticky note on the front explaining that anyone can pick it up and take it home. You could register it with Bookcrossing.com and download an official bookplate, or not as you please. I'm going to put a note with a link to this post in the front cover. Perhaps the finder will drop by and say hi. Put it by the front door and take it with you to release next time you go out.

Update here.

Wendy House Wednesday: Not going to read this

Interrogate your to read pile. Anything that doesn’t look interesting any more can go; loans that you only took out of politeness to go back from whence they came. Which books have been gathering dust on your bedside table?

The instructions are:

• Don't over-think. 
• Spend no more than 15 minutes. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Wendy House Wednesday

This is the first in a series of Wednesday household hints and tips. I'm going to try to follow them myself. The instructions are:

• Don't over-think.
• Spend no more than 15 minutes.
• It doesn't have to be perfect.

Clean out your bread bin. Empty it. Give it a wipe and an airing. Re-wrap anything that needs it. Chuck anything that isn’t going to get eaten and dispose of empty wrappers. Check the freezer for bread that should be defrosted and used soon. Note anything you’ve run out of on the shopping list. Now go and feed the ducks.