Life challenge - week 21 - home audit

Week 21 - we are onto the home section. This week we are to do a home audit. I haven't completed a full audit yet - which I do want to do - but have pulled out the major problem areas.

My audit found the following:

• Lounge and bedrooms -
• carpet (we have a dog who has ruined the carpet) - it's stained, it's ruined and it's depressing
• we would like to replace with tiles in the lounge room - but it's a large cost
• hubby wants tiles in the bedrooms - but I'm not convinced yet (I like carpet on my feet in the morning) - we are not putting in new carpet whilst the dog is still around
• First action - get some quotes for tiles and laying, decide on option for bedrooms
• Lounge room
• Computer cabinet is cluttered
• Declutter
• Family room
• hole in the wall
• first action - fix it!
• Toy room
• cluttered - WAY TOO MANY toys
• first action - declutter (when the kids aren't home as they want to keep everything - this is the issue - finding time when I'm home and they aren't)
• Main bedroom
• would like a comfy chair for reading in my room
• Solution - told hubby and he moved a recliner chair from the lounge that wasn't used - I now have a nice comfy reading area in my bedroom - and the lounge room is a little more open!
• Main bedroom
• I wanted a full length mirror for the bedroom - we bought one and the kids broke it before we got a chance to put it up
• Hubby bought another one and put it where I asked for it on the back of the door - and I realised it wasn't a good spot (could only see it with the door closed which made the room too dark). It was also slipping so we took it down and it's currently sitting against the wall
• first step - hang it up!
• Ensuite
• towel rack broken
• first action - I've actually bought some large hooks for the back of the door for the towels - need to stick them on the ensuite door
• Garage
• cluttered
• First action - more shelving/storage solutions, along with a declutter
• Sliding doors
• fly screen destroyed (again the dog)
• Will replace fly screen - but not until dog is no longer with us
• Entries - front door, family room door, laundry, toy room
• with this wet weather dirty shoes are coming in and dirtying the floor
• First action - rubber backed mats

To me replacing the carpets are a priority - but it is a large cost. Given our overseas trip in September I'm not sure if we can afford it. But the first thing we need to do is get some quotes so we at least know how much we are talking about, and work out how we can fund it.

Life challenge - week 20 - revisiting goals

WOW week 20 already. I'm glad this one was about revisiting goals as I've been away for work, then it was my birthday and I had no time to look at anything.  So I'm grateful for a chance to catch my breath. I know I've come a long way, but I've still got a way to go.

In week 6 Deb had us set goals. In week 13 we checked in, and now we are revisiting again.  Update 1 is for week 13, update 2 is for now.

Friendships
Goal: Reconnect with my current friends
Update 1:
Yes I have been making an effort to talk to a friend on the phone or meet face to face.  Still need to continue with this and make sure I do it each week.
Update 2:
It is still one I need to focus on. I do it most weeks, but not all.  I've organised monthly lunches with one friend who I lost contact with but I've let the phone calls slide a bit as life got busy.

We had "new" friends over for dinner on Saturday night. Their son goes to school with my son and their daughter and my daughter are best friends at childcare. This is a friendship I want to encourage and continue.


Health
Goal: Go to bed by 10.30pm at least 4 nights per week (Sun-Wed, the nights I have to work the next day). 
Update 1
Sometimes, but not 4 nights per week. It's my reading that gets me.
Update 2
Hmmm, no change from update 1

Goal: Walk up the stairs at work once, everyday I'm there.
Update 1
Yes, I do this everyday I'm at work. Have it as a task in my calendar and it reminds me until I mark it as completed!
Update 2
Yes - I'm still doing this 4 days per week (my work days)


Goal: Undertake 3-4 exercise sessions per week (mix of gym and treadmill)
Update 1
Not so good on this one.
I walk once a week with a colleague at work, but I've not been so good at getting to the gym or going on the treadmill.  Averaging about once per week.
Update 2
No - I've let this area slide. I'm still walking once per week with my colleague. I'm not renewing my gym membership - but I need to focus on treadmill and exercises at home.

Goal: To brush my teeth twice a day and floss each night.
Update 1
Brushing - yes. Still can't get into flossing regularly.
Update 2
Very similar to last update. I had a dentist appointment last week though, and I'm motivated to get back into flossing. I have done it every night since my appt. in Thursday (only 4 nights - but a start).



Finances
Goal: To not spend more than we earn so we don't feel stressed about money
Update 1
Hmmm, just spent over $1800 on electrical appliances (new fridge and washing machine) and hubby bought a new car. So our finances are looking a little sad. But we do plan for a trip to Thailand this year so need to take another look at the budget to save!
Update 2
Trip to Thailand has been changed to trip to NZ and booked! Finances an area we need to look at!

Home environment
Goal: For our house to be free of CHAOS (as fly lady would say - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)
Update 1
I have a cleaner once a fortnight! Yay, the place is lovely those days!
We are getting better at making the kids put their toys away before getting out new ones. Still room for improvement.
I'm still undertaking the 52 week organised home challenge, although am a little behind due to being sick and birthday planning etc. Need to do 2 weeks worth this week.

I've noticed if the kitchen bench is clean and tidy the whole place just feels nicer. I'm making an effort to have this tidy before I go to bed each night.

Update 2
I've let the 52 week organised home challenge slip a bit.  Still have my cleaner and tidying the kitchen each night after dinner. Still lots of clutter and we need to work harder on getting the kids to put toys away.

Family
Goal: Spend quality time together doing things we enjoy (this is from our mission statement)
Update 1
We haven't put "family day" into practice yet. Things have been busy - we need to schedule in and make it a priority. I'm aiming for April (after we get through Easter) for our first family day.

We have started family movie night. Friday night's channel 99 (Go) has a kids movie from 6-7.30pm. We record it and start watching it when we are ready (usually 6.30pm) and then as we fast forward the ads it's usually done around 7.30pm. Just in time for the kids to go to bed.

Update 2
Family day is in practice. I have scheduled the days on our calendar. We went to the beach and playground in April and yesterday we took our family day to the zoo.  It's been great spending quality time together.

Family movie night a bit haphazard now that Hunter has footy until 6pm on Fridays - but we are fitting some in - just going to bed later (more like 8-8.30)

We each say something we are grateful for each night. The kids usually say playing with their friends at school/childcare, but it's great they are getting the idea.


Goal: Focussed time spend with the kids
Update 1
Yes and no. We read to the kids each night, so spend time with them then. But I want to do more, more games, more fun!
Update 2
No change from last update

Goal: Nigel and I to spend time together one night a week
Update
Nope we haven't got to this one yet. Still seems technology or my reading is ruling us!  We have different interests in TV shows so watch independently and then when Nigel wants to chat I'm busy reading. We must make an effort!
Update 2
No change from last update


So it seems I'm kinda going around in circles.  The next month I want to focus on my health/exercise..then move onto time with Nigel.

Life challenge - week 19 - routines

Week 19 is about routines. This is one are I'm not lacking in- if anything I may be too routined, at the expense of flexibility, go with the moment etc. I love routines. I used to have crumpet days, Mon, Wed, Friday - they were the days I would have crumpets for breakfast! And letterbox days - hubby and I would have set days to collect the mail. I've moved on a bit and can now have crumpets on whatever day I feel like it!


Using my 3 top to-do's I've scheduled fitness into my routine. Tuesdays I walk with Tomi and Wednesday night is treadmill night. I'm going to try and schedule at least one more treadmill session in per week.


Cleaning  - I have a nightly routine for cleaning the kitchen, dishwasher and so on, after dinner.  This is one of my top 3 to dos for every day. I've tried with having set days for chores - but that doesn't tend to work for me. Our cleaner comes once a fortnight on a Monday so our routine includes a big tidy up each Sunday afternoon so it's nice for Tania to clean.

Meal planning – I mean plan weekly- usually Sunday night. Then if hubby has Monday off from work (which he has a bit lately) he will shop on Monday - otherwise I put through an on line order to be delivered/picked up Tuesday night. My meal plan goes from Tuesday - Monday. I put it up on my meal plan chart so everyone knows what will be for dinner each night.  We had wraps on Thursday night and Hunter asked if we can have wraps every Thursday - we may schedule that in!

Laundry routines – Hunter has 2 blue school uniform tops and 1 yellow. Therefore my routine is for him to wear the blue ones on Monday and Tuesday and I wash them Tuesday night and he wears the yellow on Wednesday.  Tuesday night is therefore "darks" night. Friday I have off of work so I usually do a load or 2 on Fridays - lights perhaps, towels/sheets and then Friday night darks again (once Hunter has taken off his school uniform). I will then do some over the weekend if needed.

Family life –  we have the standard morning and bedtime routines. We have an pick up Hunter from school routine- Monday/Tuesday in OSHC, Wednesday Nigel picks him up, Thursday is Grandpa's turn and I do Fridays. The kids have their sport - footy for Hunter Friday nights and Ready Steady go for Savannah on Saturdays. We tend to go to the library after school on a Friday once a fortnight (toys and DVDs can be borrowed for a fortnight). We have temporarily put Friday family movie night on hold whilst Hunter as footy as that doesn't finish until 6pm and then we need to go home for dinner.


One area I do feel like I could do with some help is tidying! Besides our fortnightly tidy up - I feel like the house is always untidy. I need to try and schedule daily tidy ups - I have tried, but unsuccessfully. We really need to get the kids to put away their toys each night (and it is on my nightly chores chart) - but this is one we let them get away without doing. By the time we get home and have dinner and are ready for bed etc, it's late and we don't want to delay bedtime further by putting toys away.  I'm really going to make a conscious effort to work on this over the next few weeks.