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To get organized because I am over tolerant I make sure to put my car keys in the same place every time. Like in a little planter right by the back door.
I am also practicing with my grandkids to don’t put things down put them away.. If I would have used that as a child I wouldn’t have such a struggle with things now.
-Linda Melaney
Finish whatever you are doing before you move on to the next thing. Otherwise your house just gets overrun with projects, piles, and papers. Also, each night I finish and clean up whatever I can, so that the next day starts off new and organized.
-Julie Brunner
It is difficult to stay organized as a mom, but I really believe in writing down my goals and what I want and need to accomplish on my calendar. I literally schedule a few simple things that I want to get done and it helps me not get too overwhelmed with all that needs to be done as a whole. If I have trouble one day getting something done, I’m not afraid to ask my husband for hand.
I love to color coordinate my closet (all whites together, reds, etc). It saves me so much time in the morning finding exactly what I want to wear. I also separate all long-sleeve and short-sleeve on separate racks. It not only is functional, but makes my closet look nice.
-Jennifer Morrey
I am a single mother of 3 and I teach school full time. So, it’s hard for me to find the time to keep my house clean and organized. One thing that I have started doing to keep this in check is organize my house cleaning routines by the day. I wrote down all of the jobs that need to be done daily and weekly. Then, I chose a day for each chore, depending on what took the longest and what kind of time I had that day after work. For example, Mondays I don’t have a lot of extra time in the evening to clean. So, I picked the easiest thing for me to do and that was to pick up my living room, dust my living room and kitchen, and vacuum my living room. I also included on Monday a load of laundry and the dishes. In fact, all of the chores I do daily are included on each day. To keep my laundry to a minimum, I try to wash, dry and put away at least one load of laundry each day. Another example of this would be Thursday. On Thursday, I have the most time available. So, Thursday evenings I sweep and mop my kitchen floor plus do a load of laundry and the dishes. On the weekends, I have included things to do outside since the evenings are getting colder. This also leaves me time during the weekend to do fun activities with my kids.
I have found that this schedule helps keep the routines in place so my kids are helping as well. It allows me to keep my house clean with a minimal effort each day instead of working hard on the weekend and not spending that time with my children.
-Karin Larsen
To help me be organized, I am a List Maker. I make a “To Phone” list, and I also prioritize my “To Do” lists, by what needs to be done first.
Those lists are made on different colored paper, to separate their importance/time sensitivity.
Another habit started many years ago…
as a mom of 6, I found that mornings went smoother & had much less anxiety/agitation if we all got ready THE NIGHT BEFORE! Clothing, paperwork that needed to go with us the following day, etc. was placed out, so those sleepy A.M. decisions were already made…this was especially helpful if the power had gone out & our alarms had not awakened us early enough.
One more item…
I am (as are my kids) A.D.D., which means that I often have mis-placed things (when I’m not focusing well)…ESPECIALLY MY CAR KEYS! This used 2 really aggravate my husband No End. Then I read a book suggested on TV about ADD & Behavior Modification…the one thing I really grasped was to Put A Key Rack RIGHT BY THE FRONT DOOR, and make it A HABIT to hang my keys on it before going another step into the house. I HAVE NOT LOST MY KEYS IN OVER 20 YEARS NOW! In fact, I would get aggravated at my hubby when HE would mis-place them, saying, “Can’t you hang them on the key rack LIKE I DO?”.
-Suzi Coulsby
I write myself notes on my cell phone. That way I don’t lose them and usually have it with me no matter where I go.
-G. Jhonson
I have 12 file folders each labeled for a month of the year, January through December. All of the miscellaneous papers that accumulate that seem worth hanging onto–handouts, internet printouts, ideas or recipes to try, etc.–get filed into the current month’s folder. Anything still in that month’s folder after a year is something that wasn’t needed and not worth keeping, so the contents get thrown out, creating an empty file for the current month.
-Heidi Lloyd
When I throw a baby or bridal shower, I get the invite list and print out labels for the invitations on my computer.
Then, I print out an extra copy of the labels for the guest of honor to make it easy for them to send out thank you notes.
-Sheri Johnson
I have 2 daughters and we are always missing things. So we have a
shelf organizer that is in their room it has places for their books and then boxed shelves that we put all small toys and Barbie clothes etc. Katia knows where to go to find her small items and all the books go on one shelf. This sure makes the room look cleaner and we know where every thing is.
-Corrinne Carlson
<>After always forgetting to use my coupons in those happenings coupon
books and other bound coupons, I started keeping them in my car’s glove
box. That way the coupons are always handy wherever I happen to be.
-Caleen Boyter
I put my watch on the wrong hand while I am driving if
there is something really important I need to remember
when I get home. As soon as I walk in the door I
either do what I needed to or write it down on a
sticky and put it on the door so I won’t forget to do
it before I leave again.
-Jamie Slack
To stay organized with my time and schedule, I have a mini spiral bound calendar that I use to write in the events I have going on in the month. Every Sunday night I get out my calendar to review the week’s events. That way I can plan for each day of the week. Then, on the night before I have something going on, I try to get done as much as I can to prepare for the next day’s event, so that I am organized, not rushed, and can arrive where I need to be on-time and stress-free.
-Marie Prieto
A few years ago I discovered the value of PDAs. They are usually marketed more to men and business people. But as a mom, I love how much more organized I am with calendaring. It easily fits in my purse, unlike a big paper planner. When I need to make an appointment at the doctors, I easily know which days are available. An added bonus: I have some kids games loaded on there in case I need to entertain my children while in a waiting room or while I am in a meeting. It has been a lifesaver in organizing my time!
-Rhonda Petty
I use a clothespin holder and hang it in the kitchen in a convenient place (a plastic grocery bag can also be hung on a hook inside a kitchen cupboard, if you don’t already have a clothespin holder) and I just go ahead and store the clothespins in there and use them to clip on any non-resealable bag. Then when the bag is empty, it’s easy just to put the clothespin back in the bag.
-Julie Jackman
To simplify shopping for things for home decor, I prepare a 3X5 card for the room. I attach a paint sample, carpet color ( just a few strands), window dimensions or whatever I need and keep it in my purse. Then when I find something that I think might work I can compare the color and size to my needs. It saves a lot of time returning things that won’t work.
-Marilyn Grunig
Whenever I get one of my magazines in the mail, the very first time I read through it, I immediately tear out any ideas or articles that I want to keep and file them in a various binders with different subjects (craft, home, gift idea, garden, recipes, etc). That way, if I want to refer back to it, it is easy to find. Otherwise, I end up with a huge pile of magazines, which I either have to go through again to find what I am looking for, or I eventually toss them, forgetting what I have read.
-Jonessa White
I use a software program called Daily Home Planner. It’s at www.dailyhomeplanner.com. I keep my routines, appointments, budget, journal, to do lists, contacts, and the plan for my meals for the week! It’s really a great program.
-Sarah Kimmel
We have moved 4 times in the past year and a half, and to small apartments for school and internships. I have learned to throw things away! Every time I move into a new place, I evaluate the contents of every box and ask myself, “Did I need this ever while it was in storage?” “Will I need it in the near future?” “Could I buy another one later if I got rid of it now?” I try not to get too attached to anything – at least until our lives slow down and we’re in our own home…someday soon, I hope!:)
-Erin Lundgreen
With all the artwork my kids have brought home over the years I have finally found a great way to keep the memories & get rid of the clutter… I take a picture of my kids holding their artwork and then Scrapbook it. For older artwork I scan & print it out smaller to fit on a scrapbook page) All nice & neat in a book. I have a long way to go on this but one day they will be able to sit down & see all the precious things they have made & how they have grown..
– Stefanee Chalfant
I have assigned a different color to each of my 4 boys. I use this system for calendaring, it makes each persons schedule stand out, their towels are the same color, so I can see who has left their towel on the floor, and their files for school and sports information, and their scrapbooks the same color they have been assigned!
-Julie Heer
I staple my receipts to the owners manual so that I
can return the item if necessary or to use the
warranty.
-Hillary Parkin
I try to simplify things and keep it minimal. Everything needs a home, whether it’s a basket or a box. If you start something, finish it. Put things back where they go. In the summer, since you don’t need snow pants and boots, store them away.
-Will Rogers
Being the mother of six children, I find it necessary to have a planner so that I can write down immediately all of their different activities and events as well as birthdays and anniversaries. We also keep a big calendar on the fridge recording a month at a time so everyone can see what is on the agenda. I also keep a book where I place papers that contain information about upcoming events such as choir concerts, soccer schedules and the school calendar so that I have a quick reference and everything is in one place.
-Marci Butterfield
Meals are always a stressful part of our day. To keep it less stressful, I always make a weekly grocery list and menu for all the meals and snacks. I go to the grocery store once a week to get all the things I need. Then everything is planned and ready for the week. I know what I am making and better yet, the family knows what to expect.
I also have a scheduled deep cleaning and laundry day each week that keeps me on track so I am not a slave to my house for the entire week.
-Deb Wells
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