Monday, November 26, 2007

Being Organized for Everything Except Christmas

My planner open to this week


I pride myself on being a very organized person. As you can see from my agenda, I like to keep on top of everything whether it's sales, school activities, weekly menus, whatever. Embarrassingly enough I use a "Go Mom!" planner; aimed at the stay-at-home mother it has a daily planning section with a space to put meals on the bottom, to-do/to-call lists, medical, grocery, and school information sections, a place to put pets' vet records, a place to put household info (mortgage company, insurance company, etc), and a very large address book section for contacts.

To be honest, I was quite embarrassed when I first started using this type of planner two years ago. While I am essentially a "housewife", I have no children, I'm not married, and I'm in my early 20's*. Using this planner, even though I loved it, felt like I was one step away from spandex leggings and a teal minivan with too many bumper stickers on it. But I digress...

My point was that I love being organized to a point of embarrassment. By this time of year most of the presents have been bought, the last few are being made, many have been wrapped, and my neat little checklist dwindles down until the week before Christmas when I am done with everything and begin work on a menu fit for kings.

Not this year.

Yeah, that's right. I'm nowhere near done with gifts, I haven't even picked out what I want, nothing has been wrapped, and I haven't given a thought to Christmas menu other than the fact I'd like to cook pernil again. In fact, the most Christmas-y thing I've done is set up the tree and take the Christmas burro out of it's box.

Our Christmas Burro. Why do we have one? I have no idea.


At a time when Christmas is finally coming at me as fast as I can take it, I've slowed to a snail's pace and am taking it easy. I didn't even plan out Black Friday or stake out a shopping line spot for a sweet deal. Instead I wandered into Target at 5pm and walked out with Donnie Darko, Patch Adams, Say Anything's "In Defense of the Genre", Othello (boardgame) , two My Littlest Pet Shop toys, Baby Einstein toys, and a few other small goodies; in other words, pretty low-key stocking stuffers. Target was not as packed nor as chaotic as I thought it'd be but that's probably because I was there so late. The best part of the shopping trip was that the small cafe inside was completely empty; I bought myself a regular coffee and sipped away contemplating what to get the special people in my life before and then went back to ponder about NYC afterward. Christmas always makes me miss the city...but I digress.

I'd list everything I bought and who it's for but I think a few of my giftees read this blog (although they never comment...AHEM!) and I hate spoiling surprises.

I have a few ideas of what I would like for Christmas but everything I can think of, I find a reason I don't need it. I'm working on a blog post of gifts and stores I find cool but I don't think I'll ask for anything on that list. Times are a bit tough since no one is the household works* at the moment so I've taken to spoiling the kids. And let's face it, I'm not a kid anymore. My "Go Mommy" planner says so.

Until next time
<3 Jess

PS: *At some point I'll probably give a quick rundown about myself and where I come from, why I'm here, who I live with, what I do, etc etc. My insanely boring life story; coming soon to a blog near you!

6 comments:

Bakin Rapscallion said...

1. Teal minivan, quite amusing!
2. The burro is great--I bought a burro the week after Christmas last year. A burro at 75% off is terrific find. I have to start posting pictures on Flickr--my burro needs the limelight.
3. Target up by you wasn't busy. They're still peelin' shoppers off the doors down here. Some good stocking stuffers.
4. The "My Mommy" planner is classic.
You are very motherly and organized--and you have eye-poppingly good penmanship too. Is that orange paper poking out of your planner a Tijuana Flats menu, Madre Maravilloso?
5. Insanely boring life story--good thing we're all crazy. It can't be that boring.
6. I was born and raised in Florida and I too miss the City.

Jess said...

I love my flickr account. I post pictures regularly although they tend to be of my animals and food. Not all that interesting to anyone but myself perhaps.

The word on the street is people are still shopping like crazy around here. I'm almost scared to stop by Walmart next week!

Wow, you've got a good eye! That is indeed a Tijuana Flats menu in my planner. I was adding their phone number to my contact list. :)

I'm insane so you're right, it's not that boring of a life story. A bit chaotic perhaps!

Last but not least, when were you in NYC? I'm thinking of heading back up there for a bit next year. I love the city.

Bakin Rapscallion said...

I was last in NYC--whoa--closing in on a year now. It was one of the warmest January weekends on record.
I'm looking at my Samurai sword I purchased in Chinatown. I did go to Toronto this summer--a city a person can walk in. Toronto another big city with a great mix of people.
That reminds me, in Toronto, I went to a great comic book. The wild rasta owner had just won a life-size Silver Surfer...we're talking several grand...he won it at a Canadian comic book convention where he was the only entry. Talk about luck. The price tag was $13,000. (I tried to buy it, but he didn't have change for a 20,000 dollar bill?)

When was the last time you were in the City? What boroughs?

Yes, I have the eye for Tijuana Flats...I have yellow one on my desk.

My favorite Mexican Restaurant in NYC:
http://www.tequilas14st.com/loc.html

Jess said...

I was born and raised in the Bronx right across the bridge that connects it to Manhattan (which of course means I hung out there a lot). I haven't been back to NYC since I left two years ago. I miss it dearly.

Oohh a life-sized Silver Surfer sounds awesome! I'm not as much of a Fantastic Four fan as I am an X-men fan. Mmm X-men.

You seem to a travel a lot! That's nice. Do you travel for business or with family?

That link to the Mexican place, along with the smell of the oxtail simmering on my stove, made me hungry. I used to love hanging out around 14th street. Good times.

Bakin Rapscallion said...

I travel for business for family...and for any other reason I can think of.
Yeah, I'm not a F4 fan. When it comes to reflective aliens, Silver Surfer shines. I think Marvel should come out with a comic featuring a giant Oscar (Academy Awards) come to life...it could battle the Silver Surfer.
The Silver Surfer display filled the comic book store...it would cool to have that for my bathroom...no mirrors...I could shave using the reflection of the Silver Surfer...

X-men, I've always have had a fondness for Nightcrawler.

Bakin Rapscallion said...
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