Since my husband travels a lot, I'm used to doing more man projects around the house than I'd like. I'm not trying to be sexist; I realize that they can just as easily be woman projects. And considering that my husband is gone more than he is home, they do become that way.
 
But the labor division in our house is such that he's responsible for the stuff that involves tools -- hanging pictures, putting together furniture, that sort of thing.
 
This also means, however, that it takes forever for any of this to get done.

A few years ago, he was leaving for a trip and I had to go away on business a day later. My mom was coming to watch the kids and I didn't want to leave her without a gate at the top of the steps since my youngest was at the crawling, wobbling walking, and "make a break for it every two seconds" stage. So since he had to leave, I had no choice but to whip out the drill and put it up myself.
 
Granted it took me just over five hours to get it done, but I did it.
 
And I loathed every second of it and the subsequent migraine I got when it was completed.
 
Though most of the situations don't require such urgency, it would be nice if they were done sometime in this century. And while I understand that hanging pictures and moving furniture around aren't the funnest activities to do on your days off, I'm whipping around the house doing daily loads of laundry, cooking dinners in advance, and vacuuming any chance that I get.
 
And believe me, I do not find any of those things fun.
 
So, I've decided to start a honey-do list, compiling the things that I need him to do. It's really not that long; hang a few pictures and shelves, grab the baby's carseat from high up in our garage shelving.
 
And given that he's fairly handy, it shouldn't take him that long to do.
 
But the problem is that he doesn't respond to lists like I do. Sure, he makes them for work projects and other things, but apparently the "honey-do" list has "OPTIONAL WHENEVER YOU WANT" written all over it. And I fear that he thinks if he just ignores it, I'll end up doing it myself.
 
And he's not that far off. I've already crossed a few things off because I did them.
 
I've hung it on the fridge and offered him friendly reminders of it when he's home. But yet, he spends the five hours in the afternoon we have with the sitter at our home putting together his music table and searching online for my son's Halloween costume (that I already bought).
 
Aside from hanging the darn list on the back of the bathroom door or taping it to his butt, I'm not sure what else to do, other than finding another hired "honey" to take care of it for me.
 
How do you get your honey to actually do the list?

Photo from Flickr/Josep Ma. Rosell