Thinking Ahead

"Flowers for Teacher," September 7, 1946

After noticing that the stores are already setting up their school supply displays, I checked my calendar and realized that school starts 6 weeks from today! That means our summer is almost over, which in turn means it's time to start thinking about back to school.  Whew!  How did that happen so fast?

Ideally, I start planning for school a month or so before it starts.  Last minute panic is no fun and makes for a stressed out family!  Here is what I hope to accomplish in the next few weeks:

• Dental check ups and cleanings for the kids (they've already had their annual checkups with the doctor)
• Go through their jeans and school clothes to see what still fits and make a list of what's needed.
• Check the school website for registration dates and complete paperwork.
• Make sure school phone numbers are in my contacts list on my phone
• Start going to bed earlier
• Make sure the kids finish up their summer reading
• Take the kids for haircuts (me too, if I can find the time)
• Declutter - this is an ongoing project around here
• Gradually start shopping for school clothes and supplies

Have you started your back to school organizing yet?

Vacation Packing Check List

Family Packing Suitcases in Trunk of Car Parked on Driveway, Preparing For Vacation

As I've mentioned before, I love a good checklist. If I don't have one I'm liable to get distracted and forget something. It's bad when you pack for vacation and forget something important like underwear or PJs. Not that I've ever done something like that (ahem).

It's almost vacation time for me (yay!!, so I'm making my packing list.   I thought I would share in case some of you are as organizationally challenged as I am.

• Swimsuit
• beach towel
• camera and memory card
• cell phone and charger
• sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Facial cleanser
• toothbrush, toothpaste and floss
• makeup
• SPF Lip balm
• Razor
• Shampoo and Conditioner
• PJs
• Deodorant
• Body Wash
• Unmentionables ;)
• Brush
• Blowdryer
• Kindle (I never leave home without it.  It's all charged and ready to go)
• Hair products
• Pillow
• First Aid Kit
• Money
• Assorted family members

Am I forgetting something?

Back to School Organization

Bright Red Apple on Desk of Teacher in Classroom

Back to school time is when things start to get hectic around here, but every year I'm newly inspired and full of enthusiasm about getting organized. I love the excitement of brand new school supplies and fresh starts.  It's a great time to establish new routines and habits.

A month or so before school starts is the best time to begin, but if school is right around the corner for you as it is for our family, that's OK too.  Just start where you are.

 A Month Before School Begins (if possible):
Checkups with the doctor and dentist.
Arrange car pool.
Try on clothes and shoes to see what still fits and make a list of needed items.
Get list of needed school supplies (our schools have them on the district website).
Start shopping for clothes and supplies.
Gradually start introducing an earlier bedtime.

A Week Before School Starts:
Consolidate all the supplies you have so far.  List what is still needed and finish shopping.
Designate a drop zone for backpacks, lunch boxes, band instruments, sports equipment and homework - hooks and baskets will help.
Designate a homework area, preferably quiet and away from the action of the house.
Plan and shop for meals.  Make sure to include lunchbox items and after school snacks.
Start a "school binder" to keep paperwork and handouts organized.  Use dividers for each child.
Make checklists for school nights and for school mornings and hang them up where the kids can see them.  (I actually made spreadsheets for you to print, but I couldn't get them to upload to Google docs.  I'm not sure why it won't work.)  If you laminate them, you can use them for the entire school year.

The Night Before School Starts: 
Fill out any forms that need to be turned in on the first day.
Go through school night checklist and review morning routine.
Set table for breakfast and get as much of it prepared as possible.
Make sure your camera and/or video camera are charged and ready to go.
Get a good night's sleep! :)


Have a fantastic school year!

Organizing the Laundry Room

Dry Your Washing Automatically

We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry. - E.B. White

My laundry room is, for some reason, one of the hardest rooms in my house for me to keep organized. I think it's because we use it for so many purposes and it's not really very big. It's the place where we get our clothes clean of course, but has other functions as well. We come into the house through the laundry room from the garage so it serves as a "mud room" where the kids leave their jackets and sometimes their backpacks and shoes and also contains our "overflow" refrigerator, and my ironing board and iron.

I have learned a few tricks over the years to keep it from becoming an overwhelming mess.

1. I don't want the laundry to get out of hand, so I do some every day.
2. I keep the detergent, bleach, etc. in a cute enamelware dishpan on top of the washer. That way I can see it and know when I'm running low, but it's contained in one spot so I don't have to hunt it down every time I wash a load.
3. I use the wall space and the top of the refrigerator. I have hooks on the wall for jackets and bags and a wall organizer that holds my ironing board, iron and spray starch. The top of the fridge is where I keep empty lunchboxes during the summer and when not in use during the school year. They are in an old laundry basket. I also keep a trash can handy for things like lint, used dryer sheets, and sometimes candy wrappers and other odds and ends I find in pockets.
4. I regularly go through the lonely sock stash. I match up what I can and cut the rest up for rags. These are perfect for times when you need to clean up something really yucky because you can throw them away with no guilt.
5. No clean clothes are allowed to stay in the laundry room once they are dry. I have a bar to hang drip-dry clothes, but as soon as possible after they are dry I put them away.
6. About once a month I mop the laundry room floor and wipe down the surfaces of the washer, dryer and refrigerator. I also wash out the laundry basket. It seems to be a repository for crumbs and dried grass.

What room is hardest for you to keep organized?

Organization Challenge - Priorities

Now that the Christmas season is behind us and our decorations are (hopefully) all put away we can get back to our weekly organizing. This week we are going to focus on setting priorities and make thoughtful and realistic choices about what is important.

This picture is just a reminder that having our priorities in order helps us to find time to do the things we want to do.

Goals for the week:

1. Ask yourself some questions. What is important to me? What do I want to accomplish? What have I always wanted to do? Maybe you could even write a mission statement for yourself and/or your family. When you have the big picture in mind it's easier to know how the little things will fit into it.

2. Make a list of your top ten priorities and keep them in your journal or somewhere where you can see them regularly. I know we all have these in our heads, but I think it's a good idea to actually write them out and look at them. Most of these may be serious but don't forget to include fun in your list.

"...look first for the kingdom of God..." (Matthew 6:33)

3. Make a list of all the activities you currently participate in and compare them to the list above. Which activities need to stay and which need to go? What you don't do is as important as what you do. Be realistic and realize that you will also need some free, unstructured time in your day. Not everything has to be preplanned.

As your life changes, this list will change. Your priorities now may look different than they will down the road. Revise your list every 6 months or so as needed.

Week 1 - Your Mind
Week 2 - Your Schedule
Week 3 - Cleaning Schedule

Organization Challenge - Christmas

White Christmas

I thought we would take a break from our usual Monday organizing challenge to work on organizing Christmas. It's only 18 days away!

Hopefully you already got your December schedule worked out during Week 2 and your house clean during Week 3 so all we need is a little fine tuning.

This week's goals:
1. First and foremost enjoy your family and the hope and anticipation of celebrating the birth of Christ. Don't let the details get in the way.

2. If you haven't already, get those Christmas cards addressed and mailed. If it just doesn't happen this year, that's OK too. You can always send out a New Year's family newsletter or even Valentine's Day cards. :)

3. Finish your Christmas shopping. Browse online before you go and make a list of what you want to buy for whom so you don't wander aimlessly around the store (unless of course, that's what you enjoy doing like I do when I'm shopping with friends). :) One great gift idea for grandparents is a photo book. I recently received this one that I ordered from Photoworks and it is gorgeous! They currently have the books on sale for 25% off but I think you'll have to order ASAP to get one in time for Christmas. Snapfish and Kodak Gallery also have really nice photo books.

4. Gather all your wrapping paper, tape, ribbon and gift bags into one place so you can get to them easily. It's a good idea to wrap things as you buy them, but I usually end up wrapping everything in one marathon session.

5. If you've been buying gifts all year long and have them hidden all over the place, gather them together to see what exactly you have and what you still need to get. I have a few little things that have been hiding out in my gift/linen/extra toilet paper closet for years because I keep forgetting about them.

6. Plan your meals. Here is a nice Christmas menu planning checklist (can you tell I love checklists?)

Let's have a great week and remember what it's all about!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

Organization Challenge Week 3

How did last week's challenge go for you? Did you get your schedule all planned out for the month? I don't have meals planned out for the month, but I did get out my planner and write down all of our appointments and commitments.

I also found a really cute 2010 planner at a local book store. If you're going to have to look at it every day for a year, you might as well get a cute one right? :) Mine is just like this one only smaller so it will fit in my purse. I love that it has a place for phone numbers and note pages in the back. It also has a couple of small pockets that I will probably use for things like receipts or grocery lists.

This week's challenge is to Organize your Cleaning Schedule.

The goals for the week are:
Make a list of all the chores that need to be done around your house. I have mine on note cards which you can read about here. Break them down into weekly, monthly and seasonal. It's a good idea to share this list with your family (and hopefully get them involved). Most husbands and children have no idea how much work is involved in cleaning a home.

Look at your weekly schedule and decide what days are going to be heavy cleaning days and what days are going to be maintenance. Lately I have been dividing my cleaning days into "wet chores" such as bathrooms and mopping and "dry chores" such as dusting and vacuuming. Laundry gets done everyday around here (yes, I even did laundry on Thanksgiving).

Take 20 or 30 minutes each day to straighten the house and do a quick "swipe" of the bathrooms. This will keep things from getting totally out of control. You can find a great daily checklist here. You might also want to read how to fake a clean house. It could come in handy if you have last minute guests.

Stay organized:
Get to bed on time and try to write in your journal (week 1).
Check you planner daily and remember to write things down on your to-do list to save yourself the stress of trying to remember everything (week 2).

Find week 2: Organize Your Schedule here
Week 1: Organize Your Mind here.

If any of you are organizing along with me I would love to hear how it's going for you! Remember, this is a process and we don't have to get organized all at once! In fact, I'm pretty sure that's impossible. :)

Organization Challenge Week 2

How did last week's challenge go for everyone? Did you do everything on the list? I struggled the most with getting to bed on time. Last week was very busy for us and by the weekend I was completely exhausted. I'm going to continue to work on it this week and it should be easier because we have several days off from work and school and my mom is hosting our Thanksgiving Dinner. All I have to do is bake a few pies, which I love to do anyway.

This week's challenge is to Organize Your Schedule. As the author of Organize Now (my inspiration for this series) says:

Each day we are given the gift of time. By choosing to spend it wisely and efficiently, you will reduce stress, spend more time on the things you want to do, feel more fulfilled at the end of the day and enjoy a more balanced life."

This week's goals are:

Buy a daily planner to use for both work/school/volunteer activities and personal activities. This is the perfect time of year to find one almost anywhere. I have found that a purse size works best for me. Of course, you can always use an online calendar/organizer like Cozi or Springpad, just make sure that your computer is easily accessible throughout the day if you choose this option.

Sit down with your family and plan the next month. Plan meals, divide errands, schedule Christmas activities, write down when your library books are due, etc. By the way, you'll find great menu planning help here if you need a refresher.

Gather your to do lists and create a master list for your planner. Divide the list into daily, weekly, and future tasks. Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day and break larger tasks down into smaller goals.

Go ahead and schedule next year's dentist and doctor appointments (vet appointments too if you have a pet). Early morning or first thing after lunch are the best times to get. You're less likely to be delayed. I try to get us all in on one day if possible. Might as well spend one whole morning in the dentists office and get it over with instead of one at a time over the course of weeks.

Be sure and leave room for "downtime". You need it and so do your children.

Household Organization

American Housewife
Some of my key organization tools are my notebooks and my small calendar that I carry in my purse. January always seems like a great time for re-evaluating so I've been thinking about how these tools are working for me. There's no point in continuing to use a tool that is no longer the best fit for my life.

I've realized that I don't use the calendar in my notebook at all, I only use the one in my purse. I write things in it while I'm out. For example, when the kids were at the dentist last week, I made appointments for the 2 who need cavities filled, and for the next round of cleanings. I immediately wrote them in my calendar. I do the same when I'm at a PTA meeting or at church. I just pull out my calendar and write everything down immediately. That way I don't have to keep up with those little cards from the dentist, the PTA newsletter and the church bulletin.

I still use my menu notebook when planning my week's menu and making my shopping list and I store important receipts and tax documents in my household notebook. I was using the budget section every month until I started using mint.com for that. I love that mint can track our spending trends and give us averages of our utilities, grocery spending, gas spending, you name it.

Now that I have my duct-taped, been to Iraq and back laptop courtesy of Greg, :) I am finding it so much easier to do things online, so I have been looking at online organizers. I have played around with several. I have looked at Rememberthemilk.com, Cozi, and Springpad. They each have some really neat features. I think my favorite so far is Springpad because it is very customizable and is basically an online notebook. I also love that I can have it email me reminders of certain events or tasks. It also has a place for my weekly meal plan, favorite recipes (no more printing recipes from various websites, I can just put them on my Springpad), diary, shopping lists, and pretty much anything else you can think of. I'm on the computer a lot (maybe too much? don't answer that!), so it's easy to open up my Springpad and enter information from my calendar, enter a recipe or plan a menu. It even has a pantry inventory to help with planning menus.

I don't plan on giving up my old notebooks and I'll continue to carry a calendar in my purse, but I think the majority of my planning, budgeting and organizing will now be done digitally.

Have you made the leap to digital organizing? Why or why not?

By the way, I was not asked to review any of these online organizers. This is just meant to be helpful information for you.

Laundry System

Laundry on a Clothesline
When my children were very young, I didn't really have any sort of a system for laundry. I just did loads when we ran out of clean clothes to wear. :) We were constantly searching through the laundry basket to find some item of clothing. I don't know that I saw the bottom of that basket for years. This, of course, resulted in lots of tension around the house when Peter needed a baseball uniform for the game in half an hour and it was crumpled up on the laundry room floor, or Mike needed his blue dress shirt to wear to work and it was wet and sour because I left it in the washer all night.

I was finally forced to change my ways when we put our first little house on the market. Cindy was a tiny baby and all seven of us were crammed into three bedrooms and 1300 square feet. I cleaned and de-cluttered like a madwoman for a week before the "for sale" sign went up (with lots of help from retrohousewife).

I soon came to realize that often realtors would only give 15 minutes notice (if that) before bringing clients by to see the house. I HAD to stay on top of things. The large laundry room was a great feature of the house and I wanted to show it off. That couldn't happen if they had to climb over a mountain of dirty clothes to even get in the door. :)

That was when I decided to get a system in place to make sure that my laundry stayed done. My goal was to keep the laundry done often enough that there was never a huge pile or laundry forgotten in the washer or dryer.

The first thing I did was to buy a larger laundry basket. Seven people make a lot of laundry and even if I did laundry every day, one of those tiny round baskets wasn't going to work. Next I had a talk with the kids. Everyone but Cindy was big enough to put their laundry in the basket every morning (even two year old Marcia). If their laundry was found anywhere but the basket...early bedtime.

I decided that with the size of our family, I needed to do laundry EVERY day to stay on top of it. I got into a routine of starting a load first thing in the morning (I still do this) and I also realized that I had to fold and put away the clean laundry immediately. No more piling load ofter load on the couch or my bed to fold "later". I had the kids help me listen for the buzz of the dryer and remind me to get the clothes out.

Once I got into the habit of doing laundry every day it was such a relief! It was amazing how it lessened the stress level in our house. No more frantic searching for matching socks, no more clean clothes left to wrinkle. I finally mastered the laundry and it was no longer mastering me!

Each aspect of housekeeping has to be planned and thought about. I guess my plan was hoping that if I ignored Mt. Washmore long enough it would go away. :) If you are in a laundry nightmare, I want to encourage you to learn from my mistakes. Sit down and work out your own laundry system. If you have lots of small children at home, as I did then, your system will of course be different than an empty nest couple or a couple with teenage children.

Let's conquer Mt. Washmore! :)

P.S. We sold the house in only four weeks and got our asking price.

A Small Project

I'm finally feeling better. Not well, but better. I'm still coughing, especially at night (which is driving the entire family crazy I'm sure). Hopefully that won't last much longer. Otherwise I might have to sleep in the garage. :)

I wanted to get a little organizing done, but didn't have the energy to tackle anything too big, so I decided to organize our living room bookshelf. It always looks so sloppy and cluttered. So I took everything off of it, gave it a good dusting, and put most everything back, hopefully in better order.

Before:


After:

I think it looks a little more orderly.

Roll It Up

It's not often that a mom learns organizational tips from her sons, but I've learned a few from mine. Being in the military, my sons have learned to be all about efficiency. One interesting way they do this is by rolling things up.

They wear the same thing to work everyday (a uniform) so they make "skivvy rolls" to save time getting ready. These consist of underwear, socks, and an undershirt all rolled together. That way they just grab a roll and their uniforms and they are ready to hit the door in 10 minutes flat (of course it helps not having enough hair to comb). :) This is a great way to pack too. You would be amazed at how much they can fit into a carry on bag, plus it keeps things from getting so wrinkled.

I have a drawer in my kitchen chock full of dishtowels. I have lots and lots of them and it's not unusual for me to use 6 or more each day as I'm cooking and washing dishes. I have always had them folded up in the drawer which quickly became a mess as I pulled towels out and then washed them and put them back in. I finally thought to roll them up like the boys roll their things up. It works SO well! I can actually close the drawer now without one falling out. Now, why didn't I think of this years ago?

Menu Notebook

Menu planning has helped me SO much in trying to lower our grocery bills. I can tell you from experience how hard it is to stay within your budget if you don't have a plan!

The notebook in the picture was originally my Home Management Notebook, but now I have two notebooks. This one is devoted to my menus, recipes, and coupons. One section is for menus and grocery lists, one for recipes, and one for the latest Walgreens and CVS sales flyers and lists of "deals". In the recipe section I keep all those handwritten recipes from friends and family and recipes I've printed off the internet. The plastic page protectors keep them from getting wet or stained while I'm cooking.

A great place to get menu planning ideas is Hillbilly Housewife. She has lots of great recipes (many of which are in my notebook), a $45 emergency menu that will feed 4 to 6 people 3 meals a day and a low cost $70 menu that also feeds 4 to 6. I've used both of these menus and they are great.

I also keep 4 weekly menus in my notebook. These are just fairly simple, low cost menus for weeks when I just don't have the time or the "want to" to come up with a new menu. I keep the grocery list for that menu on the computer so all I have to do is print it up, add any extras we might need and head out to the store. This is probably the single thing that has most helped me stick to my grocery budget and avoid those last minute trips to McDonald's.

When I DO have the time, I try to plan my menus around what's on sale. Say there's a good sale on potatoes and chicken, then I'll look those up in my cookbook collection and come up with some menus based on that. There are also tons of recipes available online. If the sale is really good, I will sometimes go over my budget so that I can stock up and then later I can come in under budget.

Another great resource is Money Saving Mom. She has lots of great tips on saving money on groceries and menu planning. I've been menu planning and feeding a big family for years and I am newly inspired by her ebook.

It's also a good idea to look at your calendar when you're planning your menu. If you know one particular day is going to be extra busy, plan to cook something in the crockpot that day. I have 2 meetings tonight so I have soup in the crockpot and homemade bread rising.

Do you have any menu planning tips or notebook ideas? I would love to hear them!