Organizing-Calendar

I have a planner that I write down all my appointments, meetings, days off of school, etc.  My husband has his own planner (one I give him every Christmas that has our little girl's picture on it).  So we are both pretty busy.

 I while back I found a magnetic dry erase board with a calendar.  I simply fill in the month and days for just one month.  I then write all the appointments, classes, days off, etc on the calendar and at a glance we both know what's going on each day.  It really helps keep us organized and both aware of what's going on.  It's also helpful that it's a dry erase board as things have a way of being rearranged often.

Organizing Computer Time

I do a lot on the computer every day from checking e-mails to reading blogs to racking up points from certain sites.  Recently I realized there was a lot of things I delete and don't even look at and time was being wasted.  Here are some ways I've maximized my computer time.

• Google Reader;  Subscribe to all the blogs you like to read in Google Reader. Then set the view to "List."  Then all you have to do is read the title of the blog and decide if you want to read more.  We don't have a Rite Aid or CVS by us, and scrolling through those posts (even on Google Reader) in "Expanded" view took time.  

• Delete/Unsubscribe:  If you sign up for a online newsletter each time you request a coupon or promotion, you e-mail can get pretty saturated.  I usually just delete majority of e-mails I get.  I have been unsubscribing to all e-mails that I usually delete anyway.  This should open up more time.

• Set a time limit: Now that I'm home for the summer, it's easy to hop on the computer between things or waiting for our little one to get ready, etc.  I've put time limits on how much time to use the computer.  I guess do what works for you here.

• Survey/Points Sites:  I've taken a lot of surveys over the years.  I've also been part of many sites that give pennies for reading e-mails.  I now have just a handful of these I do every day.  I like the ones I know pay out and actually accumulate to something. I greatly dislike sites that I do a lot of work for and then don't qualify.  My favorites are Pinecone surveys ($3 per survey), My Points, Swagbucks, E-Rewards and  Panda Research.  

• Decide if it's worth it.  Just evaluate everything you do online and see if there is anyway of minimizing your time.

Summer Binder

I am taking most of the summer off from teaching -- only working a little here and there at the child care center I teach 4K.  This means time off to do all those things I said I'll get to this summer.  Yeah, there's a lot.  So, in order to organize myself I created a Summer (organizational) Binder.

I have broken the sections of the binder into four sections (for now).

Schedules -- I'm really going to attempt to put together a daily, weekly and monthly schedule.  Since workng part-time, I have come into a pretty good routine to get the daily stuff done.  But our house seems a little cluttered all the time.  I've got to focus on getting that organized.  Hopefully, the schedules will help. Money Saving Mom has some great printable schedules!

Things we want to do -- I absolutely love the warm months and the abilitlty to do so much during the long days.  We usually start our days pretty early, which gives us a lot we can do even in one day.  To makes sure we do all the fun things we want this summer, I created a list.  I need to go back to it now and enter dates for certain events, such as the fair. Our almost 4-year-old daughter has her own list, too.  We have dry erase board on the fridge and she keeps scribbling on it -- library, swimming, strawberries, big trampoline, etc.

School/4K/Professional Development -- to continue my teaching I have to set professional development goals.  They aren't due until fall.  But the paperwork is long, lengthy and complicated.  Might as well get that going this summer.  Also, I have goals for teaching next year and want to make more games and interactive charts.  At this time I don't have much planned for this.  However, a couple weeks ago I made many games from this superhero theme.  So I got a little head start.

Cooking -- I have decided that cooking/baking is my hobby.  I love trying new ingredients and recipes. With the busy school year I didn't get to try as many new things.  I have a three sections right now for cooking this summer -- recipes to try, ingredients to try, and bulk cooking (for the fall).  Be forewarned you will get updates this summer on this blog.

So, we'll see if this makes me more productive, more organized and makes the summer more fun all around.

What I did so the housework gets done...

Just a couple weeks ago I began working full time for the first time in three years (since our daughter was born).  In an attempt to figure out how to get the hosuework done so it didn't get too cluttered or overwhelming I made a couple schedules.  My husband is helping a little more than before when he can and it's working out pretty good.

Example of our schedule:


Monday

- Make dinner

- Clean Kitchen

- R lunch

Tuesday

- Laundry

- Make dinner

- Clean Kitchen

- R lunch

- R bath

Wednesday

- Make dinner

- Clean Kitchen

- R lunch

- Grocery shop

- Balance checkbook

- Pay bills

- Clean bathrooms

Thursday

- Make dinner

- Clean Kitchen

- R lunch

- Vacuum/Mop

- Dust

- R bath
- R laundry

Friday

- Make dinner

- Clean Kitchen

Saturday

- Shopping

- Family time

- Clean house

- Make dinner

- Clean Kitchen

Sunday

- Coupon matching
- Meal planning/prep
- R bath

- Laundry

- Make dinner

- Clean Kitchen

- R lunch

Does it all get done?  Nope, it's just a guideline.  I seem to be doing more laundry than planned, but it's not too hard to fit in.  I will say that freezer cooking has been a blessing.  We often spend more time cleaning up than preparing meals each night.  And while not everything we do is on the list, these are the things that almost have to get done each week or I will go crazy if they go too long.  It's really very simple when you look at it, but it took me a long time to figure it out.  You just have to do what works for you.

 

Going back to work -- Organization...

Let the orderly organization begin!  I feel like Max from Where the Wild Things are, except I want order not chaos.  I will be returning to work in just a couple weeks and there are moments I feel so overwhelmed. Will our daughter transition well?  How will everything get done?  I can't get it all done now and I'm home all day (well not really, our daughter and I are out and about most days). Then there are moments I feel, hey we won't be here all day and there won't be as much "to do."  And I find a sense of peace and calm in that.  But I do think that having a little plan to transition the family to "Mommy working and little one at school" will do us a lot of good.  With support from my husband, I know organizing what will be necessary to be most efficient.

Here's a list of some planning strategies I will be doing over the course of the next couple weeks (along with going to the fair, observing butterflies at the botanical gardens and sneaking in some other fun things).

• Inventory Freezer and Pantry (it's mighty stocked already)
• Menu Plan
• Freezer cook meals for August (I'll try to blog about this)
• Stock-up grocery trip
• Checklist of morning routine
• Schedule for getting laundry, vacuuming, shopping, etc done.
• List of bills and when due 
• Plan lunch and snack menu for our daughter's preschool (with food allergies we are opting to bring her food)
• Re-organize coupons
• Whatever else can come up

What's there to eat?

We are really working on freezing meals ahead of time and freezing extra meat for fried rice, casseroles or salads.  Sometimes we have so much we don't know what there is.  My husband will look franticly for something for a quick lunch, but doesn't have time to sift through the freezer.  We also have a tendency to have a serving or two in the refrigerator that doesn't get eaten.

So, I recently created a form to put on my fridge.  It lists what I have for leftovers in the fridge and what frozen meals I have in the freezer.  There also is a column for the date so that I can stay on top of cleaning out the fridge and plan meals from the freezer timely. I laminated the list it so it can be used and reused.  Simple put it on the refrigerator for all to see. Feel free to use it if you like!

Freezer/Fridge List -- print as webpage for larger size.

My latest plan

After our last move (4 in 2 years), I unpacked as quickly as I could.  But I did just put things in closets and drawers with the intent of reorganizing later.  Not messy or anything.  I just knew it might not be a permanent spot. That organization began last week.  In order to make the task lest daunting, I have made a schedule of one or two rooms to evaluate, reorganize and deep clean a week.  This way I can get to it when I can without it consuming my days.  I figure if I can devote even 20 minutes a day and finish by the end of the week, it will be much easier to accomplish.  We spend a lot of time away from home and the afternoons are devoted to quiet time.

My cleaning schedule looks like this:

Week 1: Master Bath, Second Bath and Linen closets -- clean shower curtain, organize drawers, etc
Week 2: Spare bedroom/craft room/office-- organize craft ideas, coupons, file bills, etc
Week 3: Daughter's bedroom - outgrown clothes, toys, closet, etc.
Week 4: Kitchen/Master Bedroom -- clean pantry, reorganize drawers, donate clothes
Week 5: Basement -- whatever can get done until we finish it
Week 6: Living Room

I figure this can be a regular schedule rotating schedule.  Maybe all the re-organizing won't need to be done each time, but the extra cleaning will be needed.  The main reason I started this is to fit something extra into the day-to-day tasks of cleaning and cooking.  Also, with summer coming we will be spending much of our time outdoors and the last thing I want to do when I'm inside is trying to figure out how to stay on top of the clutter.

Fun Napkins

We are not (I repeat, not) a paper-free kitchen family.  Our daughter has food allergies and the risk is too high to not use paper towels, napkins or paper plates.  For a long time I was feeding snacks with half of a paper plate.  That got a little wasteful and expensive.  Now, I will use napkins instead, unless it's yogurt or something messy.  I have found that after the holidays that decorative napkins go on sale very cheap.  After Valentine's Day, I found several at different stores for just a quarter each for a pack of 20 or more napkins.  Hearts are good year round and make snack time a little fun, too.  I also bought disposable heart plates for 37 cents for a pack of 10 at Wal-Mart for our little one's birthday, which is in August.  I spent just under $1.50 for 40 plates.

I would be willing to bet there will be some nice flowers and spring-type napkins available after Easter.

Rotating Toys and Books

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I think it's a really important concept.  Rotating books and toys is such a great way to keep children engaged. Too much can be overwhelming and they they don't play with anything.  Here are some tips to making rotating toys and books effective.

• Separate toys into categories.  For example, blocks, puzzles, talking toys, music instruments, small manipulative, dramatic play. 
• Once you have them separated, them pick a couple toys from each category to have.  Whether you have a living room full of toys (like we do) or you only keep toys in a playroom, find a way to put some toys away in a closet or in bins.  
• Keep it organized. We even plastic shower caddies that you can pick up at the dollar store for storing books and toys.  The dollar store has lots of great options for storage.  Cost is cheap and if it breaks, it's not a lot of money lost.
• If your child doesn't play with it anymore because they outgrew it, then donate it or put away for future child.  
• For rotating books, I have two baskets that we keep books in.  One is in the living room and the other in my daughter's bedroom next to the rocking chair.  Actually, we just added a basket in the bathroom, too.  I find it's too hard for toddlers to put books back on the shelf and it's a challenge for them to find the books they want when they are stacked on a bookshelf. A basket works great. 
• We own tons of books to rotate, and I put new books out each week.  If you don't have a lot of books, you can borrow them from the library.  I will have seasonal books out, but I also pull out favorites and books we've never read.  If your child has an interest in something check out many books from the library and rotate them in.  (Hint:  Most libraries have online services where you can put books on hold from the comfort of your home.)

Share your tips on how you organize toys and books.

What to do with extra lemon juice

I always have a lemon or lime in the fridge for fresh juice for many recipes I make.  But it occurred to me last week that I often end up tossing what ever I don't use.  I'll put the unused lemon in the fridge, but it doesn't last very long.  I hate wasting anything.  As I was making dinner,  it dawned on me that there has to be a way to freeze a lemon.

Freezing lemon juice

• Squeeze lemon juice into a pourable measuring cup. 
• Pour juice into a ice cube tray (the one I used were 1 Tbsp each). 
• Then put the ice cubes into a ziplock bag and use for individual use.  

So easy and great way to use up a lemon.

Curtains for a Little Girl's Room

In my search for curtains for our new house, I discovered something.  Kid's curtains are not usually room darkening.  And room darkening curtains aren't that interesting.  We painted our walls an off-white, so I really wanted to do something with color (and fun) on the curtains, especially in our 2-year-old's room.  Our budget for window treatments was not very big. And room darkening curtains were the only option becuase the sun sets in her room and there is a very bright street light outside her window.

I asked worker at Bed Bath and Beyond if they had anything "girly" that was room darkening.  She said no, but they had sheers that were "girly".  And she suggested putting the sheers on the outside of a white room darkening curtain.  Genius, I thought.  We were already using some beige room darkening curtains that I couldn't figure out where to put in the new house with the white walls.  I purchased some sheers at JCPenny on friends and family day.   We bought a double rod from Bed Bath and Beyond (used a coupon) and put the room darkening curtains behind the sheers.  In the day we open the room darkening curtains leaving the fun girly curtains closed and at night (and nap) we close the room darkening curtains to keep the light out.  The cost was just under $50 with reusing the old curtains.

We are unpacked!

We moved on Halloween and I am happy to report that we are all unpacked.  Well, we have a basement of disorganization still, but we are planning to get that taken care of soon.  The main living floor is done.  My husband took my daughter out of the house for about three hours Saturday morning so I was able to just get it done.  Funny what not being interrupted every two minutes can do. My hope is to share some of my organizational strategies in the weeks ahead, including how I converted two junk drawers into a system that works well for us.  Stay tuned!

Tomatoes

Here's what I did with our tomatoes from the garden. I wish I had pictures to share, but when I was doing the process I just wanted to get it done.

1. Clean tomatoes and cut off stems.

2. Bring big pot of water to boil -- boil for a couple minutes before using.

3. Take an old flour sack towel and place about 6 tomatoes in center.

4. Grab towel by ends and place in boiling pot of water for 2 minutes. I use an oven mitt hold onto the end moving the towel back and forth. This softens the skins.

5. Take tomatoes out and let cool to touch -- you could put them in a bowl of ice. I didn't have too many at one time so I was able to get them right away.

6. Take a sharp knife and peel skins and bad pieces off. Cut into quarters or smaller.

7. Put into freezer bags and store until ready to use.

I wore gloves when peeling the skins. I also used our foodsaver. If using a foodsaver be sure to seal the bag before the juices run out. I portioned our bags with 2 cups of tomatoes. A small can of tomatoes is 14.5 oz and 2 cups is 16 oz.

Routines

When I first started staying at home, a few weeks before my daughter was born, I wasn't sure how to do it. All this "free" time to fill up. Somehow I had to motivate myself to clean and cook, which was all I did at that time. We shared many of the other duties and I couldn't do laundry because of my big stomach. Once my daughter was born the role changed. We moved five weeks after she was born and again a few weeks later. My husband had a new job and began working long hours each day. In addition he was commuting making our days really long. I took on role of household manager and struggled to figure it out. My daughter as an infant (and even now as a toddler) took unpredictable naps. I might get from 9 to 9:30 a.m. on day and from 8 to 9 a.m. the next day to work on something. It was very hard to figure out when to do everything. For the first six months I did laundry every day, and nursed every two hours. Then I realized that saving the grocery shopping and other shopping for the weekend pretty much ate up the weekend, which wasn't much fun. So I started taking my LO with me during the week. Trying to do that within her unperdictable schedule was a struggle, but we made it work.

I can happily say that two years later, I have found much more of routine in our days. I do laundry twice a week (maybe I'll do an extra load of toddler clothes during the week), we grocery shop early in the week in the morning, and I now have found time to make lots of fun and new meals or baked goods. I even allot two or three days a week for doing something "special" with my daughter. By special I mean more than just our daily walk or playing in the backyard. We usually hit the library once a week for storytime if that is going on and then I'll take her to the zoo, a splash park, the fair, a different park (she likes to look at the Capitol), a conservatory, etc. I found that giving her those special moments has enriched her language and gives her lots to talk about.

So the beginning was tough to get into routine. Now, while there seems to be little breaks in between, the time we spend seems routine with fun peppered into the mix. There is no rule book to follow and you have to do what works for you. Once in a while I even get a morning, such as today, where I can balance the checkbook, pay bills and even post a blog entry before she gets up. It's amazing how much you can get down without interruptions.

Planning a Budget

We have a major project coming up that will have us using money differently for the next few months. In order to keep everything straight, I've been creating budgets. I've never done this before. When I've asked others (even at a bank) for a worksheet to follow, there are none to be found. Hmm, maybe the cause of our economic problems in the country. Maybe if we taught people how to budget and manage money, there wouldn't be so much debt in our society. Sorry for the diversion, but that's what come to mind. So with limited knowledge or guidance on how to really create a budget for our project and created one of my own. It's not fancy and I hardly remember how to use a spreadsheet, but that's coming back. In creating one for our project, I realized I had to create one for our personal expenses, too. I did this by month. Here are some tips on creating a budget.

1. Write down everything and how much you think it will cost. I like to estimate high, just in case something costs more. Also, don't forget to include tax.

2. Break it down into categories. For our personal budget, I have shopping, bills, personal, grocery, etc. For our big project, I included categories, such as payments, allowances, additional cost, future costs.

3. Create a column on your budget that has "difference" of what was spent. This will guide you in future budgets.

4. Balance your checkbook. Okay, this isn't really a budget tip, but so many people don't. I use a software program called "My checkbook." It works great to keep the checkbook balanced. It is a simple program and doesn't cost much $20.

5. Stick to it. Not just by spending within your means, but by recording every purchase you make. You will be much more aware of how much you spend and how much you save!

I suggest if a full household budget it too daunting of a task. Start simple. Budget just one category to begin with. Start with bills. These are about the same each month. Try that for a month and add a shopping budget.

For more budget tips, Money Saving Mom posts often on this topic!

Packing for vacation

We are taking a short 4-day vacation later this week.  Organizing can sometimes be a challenge when you have a toddler to pack for.  On top of that she needs dairy-free meals, so we have to make sure we have enough food for her along with soy milk.

Packing Tips:

1. Start one week before leaving.  This doesn't mean get the suitcases packed, but make a list and set some things aside that you will need.

2. Make a list.  Include everything.  I find that when I am packing I think of other items I need to take and if I don't write it down, I'm likely to forget it.  The thing with packing is that there is so much to organize that a list is the only way to go.

3.  Take a little extra than you think you need.  Take a few extra diapers, a extra change of clothes and a second pair of shoes.  You just never know what can happen.

4. Use baggies for traveling.  I put lots of things in baggies from my hot chocolate to spoons to napkins to shampoo.  The baggies in return can be used for garbage, such as diapers.  I also like that it is a little easier to find things if they are contained in a baggie.

5. Anticipate all weather.  At least in the Midwest.  

6. Don't forget medicine.  I always take some Tylenol and Benadryl for my daughter.  You just never know.  We always carry some ibuprofen for ourselves.

7. Have some cash with you.  Sometimes you just need a couple bucks here and there.

8.  Pack cooler with lots of ice if traveling long distance.

9. Pack new toys/books or favorite toys that have been out of sight for a while.  This will help in the car and to entertain while vacationing.  

10.  Have easy snacks for the car.  Cheerios, raisins, and other things that aren't too crumby. 

Paper Plate Tip

This sorta falls into both organizing and money saving tips. 

 I noticed we were going through way too many paper plates.  I tend to use them more often now that we don't have a dishwasher.  I remembered at the day care I worked at we used half paper plates for snacks.  So, now we cut a bunch of paper plates in half and use those for snacks, cutting up bananas, and other smaller tasks.  My moon-obsessed daughter calls them "moon plates."  

Organizational Monday

Today is the first day in two weeks that my back finally feels better.  I didn't realize how much I usually do in a day  until this happened.  Thankfully, my husband helped me catch up on laundry and the floors this weekend.  I like to clear my thoughts and write down some things I like to accomplish. 

My hopes for today are to: 

• File all the clutter piles
  
• Work a little more on my meal plans for freezing meals
  
• Write up my Menu Plan for May (wow, it's May already!)
  
• Upload my photos, put some on a website, upload them to Walgreens
  
• Find out if any dress clothes fit me (I tried on a pair of sandals last week and even those were to loose)
  
• Decide which of my daughters summer clothes will be play clothes and which will be "good" clothes 
  
• Check insurance claims 

I like have a bunch of little easy tasks to do.  I feel more accomplished when I can actually finish the list.  I bet there will be some distractions throughout the day to make it a little difficult to finish. 

SAHM Tips

As a still new stay-at-home mom, I've found one thing that works for me.  

Make tasks short and manageable.

For me that means, only folding a load of laundry at a time.  And it should only take me 5 minutes to fold and put away.  If laundry piles up then, it just overwhelms me and it slows me down because it takes longer.

It also means that the dishes should only take about 15 minutes during the mid-day washing and about a half hour at night.  I hate having a messy kitchen and if I had to do all the dishes at once it also would become overwhelming.

I try to vacuum and mop every other day.  I have a couple different options to do this.  Again if that is long overdue, than I spend more time scrubbing than I would like.  I can usually mop during my daughter's nap time and it only takes about 10 minutes to do the whole house.  

Cooking is a little different story since I make lots of things from scratch.  However, I have found that starting in the morning makes it less work in the later part of the day.  

The reason why I like to make my tasks manageable is because I am home to be with my daughter.  I would much rather spend 20 minutes reading stories than doing laundry.  I think sometimes stay-at-home moms lose sight of why they are home -- to be with the kids.  

Goals for the week

This week I'm going to catch up on those little things that pile up.  We were sick for the last week and half and weren't able to get ahead at all.  I like to set short-term goals for myself.  I often make a list for the week (example below) or make a list for the day.  I try to keep it within reason so that I can actually accomplish the tasks.  Sometimes it works, sometimes life gets in the way.  But it really helps if I write down what I want to get done.  That way it is easier for me to plan my day.

Here are some of my goals for the week:

• Clean toys (gotta get rid of those germs)
  
• Rotate books (we have so many and my daughter drags more out every day)
  
• Photos: Upload, edit, back-up and put online.  
  
• Make Dr. appointments for myself
• Clean off my dresser (why does it always get cluttered?)
• Reorganize pantry closet
• Pay Bills and evaluate savings.
  
• Make a couple of games for my daughter
  
• Make Banana Muffins
• Go through boxes that are in basement and find the rest of my craft items.
• Mail taxes
• Iron on flowers on my daughter's curtains

This of course goes along with the normal day-to-day routine -- making meals, cleaning floors, attending storytime Monday, cleaning fish bowl, dishes, laundry, grocery shopping etc.

How do you get that stuff done that nags away at you?