Maintenance Manual Binders

Yay!  Whoopie!  Happy happy joy joy!  I'm dancing in circles!

Last night I got my Maintenance Manual Binders done!  I took pictures that I am going to download later today but I am so excited that I had to write this now.

My manual binder and all the manuals that could not fit.

My inspiration for a manual binder was this-

My inspiration!

I found this manual folder in the garage of the first house we bought.  It contained all the manuals and receipts for all the appliances and upgrades to the  home.  Our first home was built in the late 1940's by the same family we purchased it from. I love Mr Rumbaugh's scratchy handwriting on the cover!  I left all the papers inside of the folder for the new owners, but took the folder.  I had made my own folder after finding this and so it was easy to add new manuals.  That folder is the same one pictured above.

I wanted to complete this task at the beginning of March, but things just kept happening and I kept putting it off.  In truth, I think I just kept making excuses as I thought it was going to be such a long tedious process.  I've been staring at it sitting on my office floor for so long.  Taunting me, quietly whispering to me telling me how hard it would be to work on it.  Mocking me each time I looked at it.  Add it to the other goals I've completely bombed!

Because I cannot locate my bill organizer, I have been going through my house and work office searching.  I had even taken pictures of it for a future post I had planned.  I think out of guilt at trying to become so organized and still losing the one most important item in my household, I threw caution to the wind and grabbed my pile.

All the extra manuals waiting to be added

I remade my bed (thank you Peanut!) and laid out all my crap supplies, put on Real Housewives of Miami Live Reunion.  I figured I could work on organizing and just listen to the show.  Heck, if any of you watched that train wreck last night then you will understand!  I removed all my manuals and started making piles of like items-  major appliances, furniture, small appliances, etc.  I think the Housewives were still shouting and fighting at each other over the first question as I finished that.  I swear it only took me about 10 minutes.  I did have to keep the kids toys/electronics manuals into another binder, explaining the plural on binders.  There was too much stuff. 

I didn't label the folders yet.  I may still tweak it a little.  Even though I thought I had taken the time to clean out old manuals, I still found a few stragglers to recycle.  I was going to continue using clear plastic sheets to corral them, but these folders work so much better.  I picked them up at Target and I have to say they are perfect.  I am so glad I grabbed 2 sets as I used the extra ones for the toy/electronic manual. 

Saving the old folder as inspiration

Love how you can see through the folders

Toy/Electronics Manuals

Much easier to find receipts or warranties

All in all, I was done with both manuals before the end of the show.  Honestly, I didn't even pay attention to the show much as there was so much bickering going on and it became annoying.  The best part of all was making a spot on the bookshelf to house my new binders.  Basically all I did was grab a couple books off the shelf and shove them on top of other books!  I may need to get rid of some of those books.  Haha!

I may make cute labels for the spines

Remember it used to look like this-

Look at those piles

And finally-

Look at all that clean space on the floor!

Best thing is the feeling of accomplishment.  It is a task that I put off for so long- for years actually.  Even though I didn't get it done by the March challenge over at Jen's, I may still link it up.