OCD much?

Lists are an important part of my life. Growing up, I was probably one of the most unorganized people. Until college. Partly because I was now responsible for managing my own time and partly because my small living space served as living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc. That was when I realized my great need for lists. This is what has to get done today. This week. Etc. And this realization came with my great need for significant "places" to put things. Electronics go in a basket on a shelf in our TV stand. Hair products go under the sink. Hats go in a bin on a shelf above our closet. Nice dresses go on the left side of the closet. Casual dresses go in the armoire. Jeans go in the bottom drawer of the dresser. You get the picture. Things must go back to their "places;" otherwise they get misplaced. No list/"place" = a forgotten lunch date, a missing pair of pants, an incomplete work assignment, an unnoticed birthday of a friend, etc.

It wasn't until recently that I have again been reminded of the necessity of these tools in my life. It's just the way it is. Without them, there comes this overwhelmed version of myself. Lists and "Places" keep order and sanity in my life, and I am a much happier person when this is the case. Even the husband, who once poked fun of my lists, is recognizing that they are important for our household!

It was with his encouragement that I created this crazy spreadsheet for our house (if you click on it, it'll give you a larger version so you can see just how crazy detailed it gets!). There's so much to do, and we need a plan. What we need versus what can wait a few months until we're settled. What has to be done before we move in. What we currently have for the house. How much money we have left in gift cards so that we can get the things we need. There's so much to do, and this allows me to see it in big picture. And check things off (which is my favorite!).

If this is the list for just the basics of our house, can you imagine what my binder was like for the months of wedding planning? Huge and crazy! But it got me through.

Ah - now I can breathe a little sigh of relief as we attempt to check some things off the list!