Home Organization

OMG, you have come to the right place! I keep a list book with me--I started with a bound sketch book, and now my book actually says "LISTS" all over it. I keep one most weekdays, putting EVERYTHING on it--even "get C to bus" (my daughter), "pick up C," "Breakfast," etc. That way, if all I do is get three meals on the table, I still get to cross three things off.

I've found that on days I don't keep a list, I get far less done, and I feel less productive in general. If I don't get something done on the list, I just draw a line, write out tomorrow's list, and put it on that one. I tend to be details oriented, too, and to motivate myself, I put things down in parts. If I have the whole house to clean, I write out each of the messiest room separately, so I can cross them off one by one.

Woman, I hear yah! Personally flylady.com did not work for me -- it is set up so you get a TON of emails every day to try to keep you on track. For me, this was overwhelming, and frankly, I don't have the time to read 15 emails a day -- they would often pile up and go unread. Even though I set up my account so I would only get the emails consolidated in to one, it just did not help me.

However, a couple of the things that are stressed on flylady that I took to heart are the idea of "hot zones" -- places you just seem to stick clutter. Do your best to ID those places and try and keep those areas clear. For me, it's the desk and kitchen island! Another idea on there is to spend 15 minutes of concentrated cleaning -- to even set a timer. It is amazing how much can get done in just that window of time.

I also love lists. I made a shopping list on the computer (divided into grocery sections, i.e. Produce/Bakery/Canned Fruit & Veggie Aisle/Dairy/Meat/etc.) in the order that I shop in the store. It takes a few minutes to set up, and a couple runs through the store to get it right, but it's a HUGE help. I print out a stack.

Bins also work. We got some large canvas bins from L.L. Bean with the girls' names on them, and put their shoes, hats, etc. in there by the front door. We also have a low-hanging coat rack for their coats.

Another thing that's important is that you stick to whatever system you decide upon. And be flexible with your system -- there's nothing to say that your system won't need to be tweaked when your third baby arrives.

Good luck!

flylady.net - it really is great site that teaches you to clean and let go - really most of problems are due to excess clutter - she has it broken down in really simple steps. I highly recommend it. I joined after my daughter was born in order to not teach her my bad habits.

I don't know if this would pertain to your particular situation, but I keep all of my appointments and tasks in outlook - then I put a large white board up in my dining room (main hub of our home). I used painters tape (cut thin) and stickers to divide it up so it has 7 horizontal spaces for each day of the week, plus an open vertical space on the right to capture "to dos" or "reminders". Each Sunday I update the whiteboard with the events of that particular week (coming up) so everyone is aware of what's going on. It provides the "big picture" on week at a time, but enought "details" to keep me focused on what needs to get done.

As things come in - flyers, notes from school, etc - I put them all in an "inbox" of sorts, then I grab the stack and enter them into the computer on Sunday, before I update the white board.

ANOTHER TIP - although it takes some dedication. Find time once a week to plan out your week's menu - then do all the grocery shopping at once. That makes it much easier to prepare the meals the day of. I'm fortunate in the fact hat my husband actually likes to grocery shop, so I give him the list - he take the boys every Sunday to get what we need, and I get a couple of hours of "quiet time" at home to do whatever.

FlyLady.net is an amazing site and well worth the time to read through the first set of emails. The thing I would like to stress is DELETE. If you get overwhelmed by all the emails, simply delete them. If you aren't ready for zones, don't even bother opening those emails. The two mantras for FlyLady are:Housework, done incorrectly, still blesses the family and You can do anything 15 minutes at a time. Take a look at her calendar also.

I'm definitely a list person, I keep lists of everything! My latest quest was to keep a running inventory of all our food in the house. I made an Xcel file, printed it out and posted it on the freezer and pantry. With a quick glance I can tell what we need to stock up on and it eliminates that "uh, oh!" moment when you are making a meal and realize half-way thru that you're missing a key ingredient! (We live 50 miles from a grocery store, so this is pretty important!!)
I also keep rubbermaid type bins for everything, one for mail, more for toys, one for things to be put away, etc.
Good luck!

I have a feeling you will hear this from more Mamas than just me, but try www.flylady.net ! It is free and has really helped me to prioritize jobs and organize my life. I have a tendency to get sidetracked and start a number of jobs all at once, but FLYlady has helped me to whoop my home into shape! :) Blessings to you and yours! <3

i am looking forward to seeing people's ideas on this subject! good question! I guess what i have realized being a sahm with my 1yr old is not to put off doing your chores otherwise they build up and then its hard to catch up. also, if you go upstairs, bring something with you like laundry or bring dishes to the kitchen if you are going in there anyway...just alway have something in your hands to put away. if you walk past a toy on the floor just pick it up right then.

i have started to keep a whiteboard calendar that has one major chore a day so i can keep up with keeping the house clean (vacuum one day, clean bathroom the next etc.).

also, i have a bunch of trader joe's grocery reusable bags that i keep hung on my coat rack and they are filled with things to go to the park with (like diapers, toys, blanket, a bag of snacks etc.) so then we have to leave the house that back is already packed. when you come home you have to restock it but it helps so much to limit the amount of time it takes to leave the house.

as far as mail and random things between me and my husband, i have two "dinner trays"...one for him one for me. and i just distribute mail, receipts, notes, lists, random things that i don't know what my husband wants me to do with it and things that i don't even know if i should keep or throw away...and once a month i sit the trays on the floor when my husband is home and go through the trays.

and i have a magnetic pad of paper on the refridgerator to write what we need for groceries...i just keep a running tab.

i also keep a small blank whiteboard around and use that to keep track of pending items like "write thank you's", "call insurance", return library books, etc. it feels good to erase items on the list!

oh and one other thing...i think you have to try different strategies out to see what best fits you like some people like tracking their tasks on the computer, some like paper lists, or day planers...i happened to really like whiteboards!

FlyLady.net, Join their group and you get daily emails that will help you get order in your life, your house clean and even help establish routines for your children to flourish in life. It is truly a lifesaver. As a WAHM running 2 businesses, I felt I never had time to get everything done and I was swimming in clutter. But I joined and just read the postings every day until one day I jumped in where they were at. In 1 month, things had improved so dramatically and they really have a great philosophy of just doing 15 minutes at a time so you never get overwhelmed or in over your head. It's amazing what you can do in 15 minute stretches!

Each day you have a mission and they break up the house into zones, so each week you focus on one area and by the end of the week, that zone has been cleaned from top to bottom! It's easy and you can jump in anywhere, anytime. Don't worry about catching up or being behind. Just start where you are and you'll be amazed!