Amazing clutter

Tip for today - don't let clutter accumulate.  Simply because it mysteriously develops a magnetic field and attracts other items to the pile.  In milliseconds.  Amazing phenomenon.

Just put the stuff away as soon as you're done with it.  When I'm cooking, I get all ingredients out and then put them back as I use them.  Might be an extra step or two but it not only gets it all put away it helps me remember if I've added the baking soda or not!  When we come in the door, we take our shoes off and put them in the shoe basket.  (OK so my hubby doesn't do this but since he not only pays the mortgage but is also bigger than I am, I let him keep his on)  School books don't land on the kitchen table.  Mail doesn't lay on the island - I sort it and deal with it when it comes each day.  (I was taught in a business seminar years ago to only touch a piece of paper once - pretty good advice) Clothes don't pile up on the bed - they are hung up or placed in laundry baskets. 

You get the idea.  Put stuff away immediately.  That magnetic field is scary.

The Calendar

Lots of folks utilize their phone and/or computer for scheduling.  I still use a large calendar.  Not big enough to cover a chalkboard but one that hangs on the side of my fridge and is large enough to write lots of appointments and ball games and piano recitals and birthdays on each day.

But it doesn't just hang there.  I USE IT.  I order mine from flylady.net  I like it because it begins in August (seems like so many activities tie in with the school year ) and runs for 16 more months.  It has plenty of room to write on each day and it has a pocket on the back where I stick invitations, appointment reminders and other pertinent info that doesn't need to be filed elsewhere.  At the beginning of each school year, I transfer all birthdays from the old calendar to the new one as well as adding everything my family needs to do on the appropriate days.  Every ball game AND PRACTICE, doctor's appointments, meetings, church activities, work commitments, etc.  As new opportunities arise, my kids know to go check the calendar before they even ask me if they can go.  If it's clear, they then ask for permission to go and we add it to the calendar.  If an event requires me to do something in advance such as bake cookies or get a gift, I "time-activate" it a couple of days prior so I'll get it done.

My truly organized friend Catherine uses different color sharpies for each family member's activities.  I am happy if I can just read my handwriting once I've recorded the event on the date.  But if you are so inclined, then I applaud your box of Crayolas - you go, girl!!

Just use a calendar.  Religiously. It has saved my tail numerous times.  Seriously.

The List

Pretty much all my "survivor tips" are simple, even bland.  But I'm not writing an article for Good Housekeeping - the only seal they would award me is to participate as the "Before" picture!  SO, I hope your expectations are manageable as you read today's tip:

an ongoing "to do"list

Yep, that's all for today.  Simple that it is, it really helps me get things done.  And helps me remember things.  That's more and more important with each flip of the calendar....

Here's what I do -- I have a  pad of paper by my kitchen phone.  Every time I think of something I need to do, I jot it down.  On the list at this very moment are things like this - get piano tuned, clean basement shelves, freezer meals for Mary, Chip's game Friday, pay orthodontist bill (with 4 kids, that one gets marked off only to be re-written for two more years!!!!), etc.  I put immediate type items (grocery store by Friday) and long term projects (build deck).  Once completed, I mark it off (gives me a high every time) and keep adding to the list.  Once the page is full, I copy the unmarked items onto the next page of the pad and toss the marked up one.  As soon as an idea floats into my brain, I jot it onto this pad.  Then I don't have to worry about forgetting it because I am in this area of my house so that I can peek at the list all day long.  Plus writing it down helps with remembering, too.

Simple.  But, for unorganized me - it's effective.

Good way to use up all those free notepads you get from hotel rooms, too.

Planning meals

Survival tip for today is simple.  Plan meals on a weekly basis.  On Sundays, I get the family's schedule for the week so that I know who will be home when and therefore when I need to cook.  As in, if Dad's not home, we will probably have CORD  (Clean Out Refrigerator Day).  Or if everyone is in and out all evening, it might be YOYO  (You're On Your Own)

Planning our meals this way enables me to take advantage of the blocks of time available to prepare as much in advance as possible.  Browning ground beef, thawing chicken, chopping veggies, etc., goes a long way towards keeping me out of the fast food drive through.  Although I do confess that Tuesday night $5 pizza is evidence of God's abundant grace!

Try putting this idea into practice today.  Plan what you will prepare for dinner every night this week. And write it down.  I even have a chalkboard in the kitchen where I list the week's menu.  This not only keeps me on track, it helps reduce the "what's for dinner" queries!

One bite at a time.....

In case you're just joining in on this month's theme, I am offering survival techniques for folks that are NOT organized.  Folks like yours truly.  I need coping mechanisms for home management and just plain LIFE in general because I am not one of those folks who ooze organization.  My friend Jan told me once that I am "macro-organized", not "micro-organized."  I think that was a kind embrace of my messy cabinets and a choice to celebrate the ability to purchase Christmas gifts in July.  So I'm going with it. 

The survival tip I'm sharing today is my weekly chore schedule.  I will freely admit that my favorite gift was when my generous sister-in-law gave me two weeks of maid service after my babies were born.  Loved it.  And maybe my favorite part was not that I didn't have to clean my house but that it was all clean at the same time!  Wow that was nice!  In spite of loving that feeling, I am willing to approach housecleaning in a piecemeal fashion.  Attacking a task or two each day rather than all chores on one day.  It's manageable for our family and over time, it actually results in an acceptably clean house almost all the time.  (OK, my cleanliness standards may not meet yours, I confess.  But I'm good with that :) )  It becomes routine enough that kids develop the habit of completing these chores methodically.  In fact, they think that everybody does laundry on Mondays and Thursdays and trash on Tuesdays! 

Breaking it down like this is how I move from the "macro" of a clean house to the "micro" of what needs to be done.  The site I mentioned earlier (flylady.net) uses this approach, too.  Here's how the Chambers tackle housecleaning:

Monday - clean bathrooms, laundry, dust, empty trash cans, sweep porches, vacuum
Tuesday - take trash to street
Thursday - laundry, empty trash cans
Friday - wash towels and sheets, vacuum, bathrooms

Kitchen duty is of course everyday and other chores like window cleaning, decluttering, etc are scheduled as needed.  But this basic plan gets it done for us.  Without consuming a 3 hour block of time that I cannot afford.