I’m leaving tomorrow with my girlfriends to sunny Jacksonville Florida on an extended Mommy Break Weekend. Over the course of the past week, coworkers, friends, and even my husband have all given me a same similar smirk followed by, “Have you made your list yet?”
I’m a list maker. There, I’ve said it.
A substantial portion of my hard drive is dedicated to files containing packing lists for each trip we’ve taken over the past decade. I justify this with the thought process, “isn’t it good to have something to look back on when packing for a similar trip?” For instance, what I pack to the Cape is very different from what I would pack to Myrtle, or to a wedding, or to a theme park, or…
I wish I could say I stop there. For the purpose of Christmas gift buying preparations, I have a file with a worksheet for each year dating back to 2002. The yearly worksheets contain the names of each gift recipient, the budgeted dollar amount I have to spend on each person, the potential gift options I may buy, the actual gift I buy, the actual amount I spend, the dollar difference so that I may keep track of any cost savings or losses (due to sales or if I go over budget), if it’s been shipped, and whether it’s been wrapped. I have a whole color coding and bolding system as well to help me identify who is done and who still has tasks remaining. This list has become infamous with my coworkers (for obvious reasons I hide it from friends and family). Each year they ask to see the list, and continue to marvel at my progress throughout the holiday season. I don’t know what I would do without this list, and I have no idea how I managed prior to 2002. Yes, I have a backup saved.
But wait, there’s more! Shopping trip? I have slender pads stored in my kitchen so that I may keep track of everything I need to buy. Well child check? I prepare my list of questions for the doctor so that I may fire away and check them off one by one while at the visit. Hosting a party? I have the entire menu written down, including the cook and serving times for each item. There’s also a separate list for parties with to-do’s, from cleaning the bathrooms to replacing the muppines in the kitchen.
I like lists. I crave order, which is ridiculous because order is a complete oxymoron with My Life. It seems we live in a constant state of chaos. Toys are freaking everywhere. Mail is in dire need of a better system. Laundry is always plentiful. House it seems is never clean for long. Didn’t I just do those dishes? Yes you did, but there’s more. So maybe I take my bits of sanity where I may, and control what I can. Snicker as you will. Life, is so much more organized when I have lists. Now, what to pack…
Our 2006 trip to Florida
OMG!!!! Ok now I know we are bonded for life. I too am a huge list freak!!! I keep a notebook. Every week I make a menu, breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I then make my grocery list according to my menu. As for holidays I have a list of who to buy for, the budgeted amount and the amount I spent. I do not keep them in the computer, as I am still a girl who needs a hard copy of everything. I do however save my notebooks back to 2001 or 2002. So… a birthday party, a holiday any form of entertaining I can refer back and see my guest list, menu and time table of how it all went down.
I LOVE MY LISTS!!! My coworkers are amazed at “the notebook” and the fact that i am such a slave to it!
The funny thing is that you mentioned a cape list. My father sold the cape house about 7 years ago.
True, but that doesn’t mean we wont still go to the Cape now and then. They could still come in handy!
And of course, while we could still go to the cape at some point in some other capacity, I’m not sure that list will help much now.
2002 Cape List: Beer, Food, Clothing optional.
2009 Cape List: Diapers, wipes, diaper bag, oh hell, blogger.com doesn’t have the server space.
I am a huge list maker myself – and I think you should feel zero embarassment about it! I make packing lists and shopping lists (including menu plans for each day of the week), and Christmas lists – which I put in ziploc bags with all the receipts from the purchases, I also have lists for things like: things I would buy if I could buy everything I wanted, baby names, vacations I want to take….I even have a list of the lists that I keep!
I LOVE this post! I LOVE lists! You must be my long-lost sister. I’m following you… (that sounded creepy, I mean I’m following your blog, sheesh).