How About a Little OrGaNiZaTiOn?!

Ok, so it is no small secret, for those that know me well, that I LOVE TO ORGANIZE! Everything! My house, my schedule, my life, ANYTHING!

Here is the deal. If you are in a rut...you need organization! If you feel run down....hello organization! If you feel overwhelmed...um, do I need to say it again?!

Coming home to start a new life for our little family this last couple of months has required me scheduling my time. I have been really busy. However, I have found that it is not only important to schedule so that I get all of my tasks done, I need to schedule so that I make sure to set time aside for me. Creative Time, Time with Friends, Time to Read, Time to excercise...and so on and so on. Basically all the things that I used to put A LOT LOWER on the priority list! It is my goal to change that!

Another thing that I like to schedule is my cleaning time. I don't like to clean. There I said it! I don't like it! (Ok, I might sorta kinda like to put things away in their own little place and I totally dig straight carpet lines, but that's it!) HOWEVER, I do LOVE having a clean house! I can't focus on ANYTHING while there is a mess somewhere in my house. I am not obsessive, just lacking in the attention span department. The constant nagging in the back of my mind messes with me and makes things take MUCH longer than they should!

So, I have REALLY good news! I have found the SECRET to a clean house with MINIMAL effort on your part! Really! Give me 15 sometimes maybe 30 min per day and I will give you a CLEAN and thoroughly organized house! Are you excited yet?!

Over the next few days I am going to give you a short list of things to do for the day. All of it is part of getting yourself together and getting your schedule down. It is easy. And in small doses! Nothing will be stressful or hard, I promise! In fact...I would even dare use the word LIBERATING when explaining this process!

So, lets dig in...shall we?!

Today's task:

I want you to make a couple of lists!

• Write a list of everything you would like to accomplish DAILY. For example excercise, read scriptures, family scriptures or prayer, read a book, get ready for the day, make dinner, check email/blogs, etc. If it takes more than 5 min or requires you to remember to do it. Write it down!
• Write a list of WEEKLY items. For example on my list: Family Home Evening, Childs sports or activities, Church, Family History Library, Temple, Fun Friday, Make a Craft or Scrapbook, Date Night. Family Counsel & Goal check in Night.
• Write a list of MONTHYLY items. On my list: 1st Tuesday is Enrichment, 2nd Tuesday is Girls Night Out, 2nd & 4th Saturday is Date Night Out with Ryan, 1st & 3rd Friday is Date Night with Kids alternating (First Fri. Me/Jake & Ry/Mally. Third Fri. Me/Mally & Ry/Jake), 1st Sunday is Kids Personal interview with Dad.

Now, if you want to make a Bi-Monthly List...do it! Whatever works for you!

Now, take all of these goals and assign a day of the week to them, not times, just days. When does it fit best? Make your days balanced and realistic. Spread everything evenly.

When you finish that you are done with Step #1!

Easy right?! Tomorrow we will get into a cleaning schedule and I will introduce you to the easiest laundry schedule EVER! Oh yeah! Laundry done and folded by 8AM! THAT is what I am talking about! :) Not to mention the joys of a family wide mandatory "10 Minute Clean Up" that will save your life and the definition of "3 Wipes in less than 3 Minutes". Oh, that one is PRICELESS!

See you tomorrow then, RIGHT?!

GETTING ORGANIZED PART 2

Alright, let me introduce you to my VERY best friends, when it comes to a clean house:

"10 MINUTE CLEAN UP"

Just before sending the kids up to get ready for bed I announce, "10 MINUTE CLEAN UP". Everyone scatters. We go from room to room each person participating. Everyone is picking up the things that are out of place, wiping down counters, sweeping floors, etc. Sometimes it take less time and sometimes more. However, it is a rule that EVERYONE participates. We can turn on music or whatever it takes to set the energy level high. We try to make it a positive so the kids are willing to really help out. It is important for us to set the tone for this. Be high energy about it and you will get MUCH more out of your time from everyone!

When everyone is done, the house is TOTALLY picked up. The kids are off to bed and you are left with time to yourself! No more spending the next hour or two trying to recover from the day and NO MORE waking up the next day already behind!

"3 WIPES IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES"

Go to Costco or your nearest store. Pick up a big can of Clorox wipes for each bathroom in your house. Each night, during 10 Minute Clean Up, pull 3 wipes from the container.

Wipe #1- Wipe down the door handles and light switches. Now run that wipe along the baseboards.
Wipe #2- Wipe down the sink and counter-top.
Wipe #3- The toilet. I hit the handle first, then the top of the tank, lid, then work your way down.

This is great for 2 things. I LOVE that I know that the bathroom is always clean. The second is that once per week, when I do my thorough cleaning, it significantly cuts the time spent in there down! I HATE cleaning the bathroom, but really, this makes it darn near bearable! :)

"KITCHEN SINK CLEAN-UP"

One thing I hate, probably more than anything else, is waking up to previous day dishes! Along time ago I read something about how you should clean your Kitchen sink every night before bed. I started doing that. I LOVE IT! I haven't been 100% since then, but I certainly LOVE the days I wake up and it is clean from the night before!

I have a white sink. I spray bleach in it, let it sit, grab paper towel and then wipe it all out! I shine up the faucet with a little Windex and VIOLA! In just a few minutes my sink is perfectly clean!

Why the sink? Well, in my opinion, the sink is the last thing I clean when I am done with the kitchen. That means everything else is done and I get to wake up to see my lovely "morning face" in my faucet the next morning! Lucky me!

While we are on the Kitchen....

Another quick little secret of mine. Each week, usually when I bring home groceries that need to find a place in my Kitchen, I do a quick clean-up in my fridge. You know how you hear about someone taking a huge amount of time to "finally" clean out their fridge? Well, I have learned that if I just slide things to a side then wipe down the shelves and re-organize, it takes about 5 min. and my fridge is always clean! LOVE THAT!

Alright, I think that is enough for today. Tomorrow is Laundry. Then I will let you have a few days to get yourself in the habit of doing a few of these things.


Next Wednesday we will talk about getting the family on board. Really, if you get help from them, everyone becomes more aware of their surroundings in the house and it becomes a team effort. This is the secret! This is how you go from occasionally feeling like a maid, to spending about 15-30 min. TOPS cleaning and STILL you live in a clean house! Doesn't that sound dreamy?! :) It is amazing how much time in the day you have to do the stuff you REALLY want to do when this shift happens. I will give you a great object lesson, show you the secret to job charts, etc.

Are you excited?!

Then on Thursday we will talk about de-cluttering and "everything in it's place" and make a step by step schedule that will help get your house totally de-junked with clean walls and windows too in a super short amount of time!

On Friday, we will put it all together in a schedule! We will take everything we have learned and make it all happen! You will be amazed at how much this will SIMPLIFY your life!

We are going to pound this baby out! We are dedicating (outside of Monday and Tuesday's post) the next week to getting our family to work as a team and getting our houses clean....and keeping them that way! YAY!

Getting Organized: LAUNDRY

LOOK AT THAT LAUNDRY ROOM! Isn't is amazing? Doesn't it look so...so....so CLEAN?! 

So unrealistic?! 

I remember hearing a woman speak at a convention once. She was talking about the duties of a Homemaker. She was cracking me up. She had the best attitude. Slow to get overwhelmed. 

She said, "After years of struggling with laundry, always trying to get it done, always trying to win the battle, I have finally come to realize...Laundry is only ever done for the Naked and the Dead." 

It totally made me laugh! Trying to be DONE with laundry, while your family has the audacity to be walking around somewhere out in the world wearing clothes, getting them dirty, wiping their little grubby fingers all down the front of them, and each article will, at the end of the day, end up back in a pile, reminding you that your laundry is NEVER done! 

Well, that is unless you change your definition of DONE. 

I am all about a schedule. It takes a lot of things off your mind. You know what needs to be done. You schedule it and then it is off your mind. The feeling of being overwhelmed...gone! 

I know there are many of you that have your own schedule. The thing that works best for you. I am going to share what has worked best for me. Then I want you all to figure out what it is that will do the trick for you. 

Let's get to the run-down.....

Each day is assigned to a certain type of load or loads, depending on the need. I try to keep each day to 1 load, but every once in a while it ends up at 2. 

Monday- Whites and Hand-wash/delicate items

Tuesday- Colors

Wednesday- Jeans

Thursday- Towels

Friday- Bedding & Whites 

Saturday & Sunday- Off

In our house I am up by 5:30-5:45. I get up and start my laundry before heading downstairs for family breakfast and scriptures.

At 6:30 I transfer the laundry to the dryer, while the kids start getting ready for school. If there is a second load, I would start it now.

At 7:30 I open the dryer and fold the items as I take them out, then put them away. It takes about 10 min. tops. I transfer the 2nd load, if there was one, to the dryer at this time. 

With this schedule I am "DONE" with laundry by 7:30am or 8:30 if there is a second load. Everything is put away so my laundry room is left clean....not as amazing as the picture above, but it is clean and off my mind. That makes me happy! 

Another little jewel I have learned about laundry is that kids are more capable than we think! If we will teach them when they are interested in it, they do much better. 

When Jake was 5 we started working on sorting for his math skills. This is when I enlisted him to help me sort laundry...before the discovery of presorted laundry baskets...which I love! 

Then as I would load he always wanted to dump the soap in and push the buttons. Each time I would teach him what goes with what temp of water, how to determine the level of water needed, etc. THEN I started teaching him how to fold. He didn't do it perfectly and it took him FOREVER, but he was excited to be doing such a big thing and I always excitedly told him he was doing it perfectly. He got better with practice. In no time, he was totally doing his own laundry! Really...at FIVE! 

Now that he is 9 I laugh when I go to put something in the washer and it is already going. It makes me happy! Then I will hear him put it all in the dryer. Then watch him carry his laundry basket full of clean clothes to his room to fold, hang and put them all away. 

A lot of people worry that their kids will ruin something. I say, it's just clothes! I helped him sort and do all of that for a long time. He was totally into it. It made him feel big. I explained what would happen with a mixture of red and white, etc. If he ever ruined anything...what a great object lesson! He hasn't, kids get it more than we think they will. However, if he ever did, I would force myself to be calm :) and say over and over, it's ok, it's replacable and then let the lesson teach itself and keep letting him do it. 

Alright, now make some plans. Figure out what would work best for you. Really, if you have anything that you do, please share it in the comments. That way everyone can read some different ideas and decide what would be best for them! 

Now, you have a bit of a break. I want you to put all of these things into place and start working on it. Next Wednesday we will continue with the Organization stuff. FUN! 

GOOD LUCK!

 

THE "MOTHER BOARD"

Why the "Motherboard"?

It wins the title for two reasons:

1) It is the centeral place for all the things that keep this house running orderly, as far as the maintenance goes. It is the reminder, to each person in the household, of the responsibilities each person has in the home each day!  

2) The Mother is generally the one that is pushing for the cleaning and jobs to be done. This wall does it for you! NO MORE "NAGGING"! I mean really. What an ugly word! Wouldn't it be great to have everything get done, but still keep that label far from you! I think YES! :)

So, here is THE wall. Right below the Family Home Evening board is where the job wheels with Mom & Dad's responsibilities should go. As it is, they are missing, but you get the general idea.

I believe that a job chart, that is effective, helps teach kids to be self sufficient. Isn't that what we are ultimately trying to teach?! I mean, the clean house is great, but having kids that can govern themselves when they are older is FABULOUS! :)

About Job Charts:

Make it fun! If they are simply checking a box, it won't be nearly as successful. The jobs aren't fun, but the feeling of accomplishment and being able to see that IS!

I made these job charts 1 year ago. They just kinda popped into my head. My kids have successfully done their jobs almost every single week since then! Our friend came over and his kids were begging him to get them a job chart like them, swearing up and down they would do their jobs if they had a job chart like this! I do have to admit....they make it SO much more fun! Plus, they are just over 3' x 3'. They DEMAND attention! :)

Let me give you the run down....

This is Jake's chart. He wanted to help with the quotes on the bat, bag, etc. It was fun to let him have a bit of input.

The baseball theme followed the theme that popped into my head, "Pitch in and Help". I also wanted to make sure that there was a lot going on so it was more interesting, but easy to follow. Everything is made out of cardstock from Stampin Up, other than the canvas material for the bag.

Feel free to click on any of the pictures to get a closer look.

The yellow boxes across the top have a baseball with the day of the week on it. Each week starts with Sunday and ends on Payday...Saturday.

The rows across the bottom and on the far right are reserved for "Bonus" jobs. These are the paid jobs. All of the the other jobs are known as "responsibilities". They must ALL be done on the right day in order to be paid. 

Jake's "RESPONSIBILITIES" are:

Morning & Bed time responsibilities: which are listed here by the side of the chart. Jake has asked me to re-do these lists with 2 boxes by the side of each with a picture of a peanut (you know, because of peanuts and crackerjacks) in it so he can move it from one column to the next as he finishes each of the items to make sure he gets them all. In order to remove these two balls he has to complete everything on the list.

Act of Kindness: Each day the kids complete an act of kindness for either someone in our family or at school. This has been one of the greatest additions to a job chart! Jake and Mal make each other's bed's, get each other breakfast, or play a game with each other. Teachers are helped at school, help is given to friends, etc. One day Jake was especially helpful and sweet all day long. That also counted. An attitude of love can also be considered an act of kindness. We encourage them to pray for Heavenly Father to help them see the needs of others around them so they can help where they can. Just trying to develop good habits.

Scouts: During the summer this is an everyday thing. He either works on a project or passes off a goal. Last year after his summer break from scouts he returned to receive his Bear and a whole load of other awards. I have never seen a kid so excited! He worked hard!

Journal: This is a job that is only on Sunday. It takes the place of the household chores that need to be done, since it's Sunday and all.

Household Chores: These include Vacuuming, Yard Work, Laundry (whites one day, colors another), Mop, Vacuum Stairs. These are not paid jobs. These are just the everyday responsibilities. During the school year I remove them all from the chart, except for laundry.

When the "responsibility" is done, he takes it off the grid and puts it in the bag.

Then there are the bonus jobs:

• Mow Lawn
• Yard Work
• Wash Car
• Baseboards Upstairs
• Baseboards Downstairs
• Vacuum
• Mop
• Act of Kindness - FREE (for Sunday)
• Clean out pond
• Downstairs bathroom
• Kids bathroom
• etc.

Each ball has a picture of the job to be done and the amount to be paid for the job on it.

The bonus jobs have to be done on the day they are listed under, or before, in order to be paid for them. The jobs in the far right column can be done at anytime. We try to encourage him not to save them all until Saturday. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. It's totally up to him.

The paid jobs are placed on the Mitt. Each Saturday all of the jobs on the Mitt are added up and we pay him. During the summer he makes about $12.50 per week. During the school year it is closer to $5 because the yard work jobs are gone, plus others, to leave more time for school & family stuff.

If he didn't get the job done on the right day or at all, we just remove it from the chart and put it in the bag.

Each day, once all of the jobs are completed, he moves the ball with the day of the week on it, up to the bat. This let's him know that he did everything for the day! Kind of a big check off the list!

Now for Mallory.....

She is only 4. Her jobs are a bit different. And she is a girl, so she gets a cutsie girlie chart! I love it!

This pot is actually the first thing that popped into my mind when I started inventing charts for them. It was SO fun to see it come together! It is so cute and SO fun!

Mally's grid is full of backward flower pedals. On the back of each pedal is a picture of the job that needs to be done.

Each yellow circle at the top represents the day of the week. This will be the center of the flower. As she finishes her responsibilites she attaches the pedal to the back of the "day circle" and puts it back on the chart.

Mallory's Responsibilities:

• Say Prayers
• Scriptures (she usually watches a "Living Scripture" video and we do the fun little quiz at the end. She LOVES that!)
• Get Dressed & Do Hair
• Brush Teeth
• Make Bed

Then she has her Act of Kindness....that one is on the little green leaf that goes on the stem of the flower.

Mallory's Bonus Jobs:

• Free Act of Kindness (Sunday)
• Dump Garbages
• Help with Dishes
• Yardwork
• Help with Laundry (sorting and loading)
• Organize Toys
• Help in the Garden

These are the cute little Lady bugs at the bottom of the chart.

Once all of the jobs are finished for the day, Mallory puts her newly made flower on the top of a stem in the flower pot. The leaf, for her act of kindness, goes on the stem. Then the ladybug for her paid job get's it's place to crawl around on the pot, until Saturday when the earned amount is added up and paid out.

Mal makes $1.50 per week.

In order to make this successful you MUST pay every Saturday. We have gotten behind a week here or there, but I totally see the difference in the kids' motivation the next week. It is always great for them to see the reward for their work. If we are consistent in pay, they are consistent in working.

We, thanks to Dave Ramsey, don't give "Allowance". He firmly disapproves of it. It encourages a sense of entitlement. Instead, give little jobs and pay what you can. Call it commission. The kids will understand the importance of working hard for what they want.

We have also learned that by paying our kids we get to teach them vital lessons in money management. Both of the kids pay tithing (10%) on everything they make. They know that everything we receive comes as a blessing from the Lord, so by donating 10%, as the Lord has commanded, according to our faith, they are able to feel the blessings of obedience and understand the concept of charity. Also, we are able to help them understand the need to save money for college, cars, etc. and we teach them to avoid debt like the plague.

Oh did we ever get a lecture when we bought our last vehicle a few years ago. We did not pay cash! :) He was a bit disappointed! We have taught him that taking on debt limits options and choices you can make. Ry and I learned that first hand years ago. We are both glad that we can teach our kids to make better choices than we did! :)

So, add to that wall 2 job wheels that have the day of the week around the top, a triangle cut in to show the job to be done on that day for Ryan and I. The wheel is turned to the next day when the job is complete and you have one full MOTHERBOARD! You are happy because you don't have to "Nag" to get things done, everyone knows what is needed, they never have to ask, and you have kids that are getting a good lesson in Governing themselves!

VIOLA! It doesn't get any better than that! :)

Organization: Let's Get Everyone On Board!

I AM FINALLY BACK!

How are you doing so far with what we have covered (review HERE, HERE then HERE)?
Oh I am LOVING the feedback on all of this! I am SO happy to hear how these simple little changes are simplifying your lives! How great is that?! I love sharing!
Please feel free at anytime to share some of your secrets in comments! 

In order to make all of this new plan successful we are going to have to get everyone in your home on board! Could you do it all by yourself, well....yes, however, when the family works together as a team the load is lighter on everyone and everyone becomes more aware of their surroundings and they tend to clean up after themselves A LOT more!  

So, how to let them know just what is needed in a positive way? We want to provide a team mentality. Not a mentality of you dictating what needs to be done. 

Plan a family counsel or "Team Meeting".  Before you start be sure to have about 6-8 bags of brown sugar (let's chalk it up to food storage, shall we?!). 

BROWN SUGAR GAME:
{See this as an FHE lesson (with pictures)HERE)

Have one of your kids come to the front of the room. Have them stick both arms straight out in front of them. Place one of the bags of Brown Sugar on their hands. Tell them to keep their arms out in front and hold on. After 2 or 3 bags the load is unbearable or impossible to bear. Call someone else to come up and put their hands under the first childs hands. Add another bag or two. When it is heavy, call someone else in to place their hands underneath. Add all of the bags. Call each member of the family (adjust for family size) up to place their hands on the bottom. When all bags are on the hands and all members of the family are participating, discuss how the load is too hard to carry for one or two people, but when everyone works together, carrying an equal share, the load is easy for everyone. 

If you want to have a dramatic or SHOCK start to the meeting, if you feel like you really need to drive the point home, after dinner announce, "(Child's Name) you are in charge of cleaning up after dinner. Then you need to make sure that the entire house is clean before you can go to bed."

I say dramatic or shock because you can almost HEAR the response to this, right?! Do it lovingly, not using manipulation. Don't throw out the, "How do you think I feel", because it will make it negative. After the reaction have everyone get up and help do a quick clean up and let everyone know there will be a fun game after they are all done. The game will be the brown sugar game.

Here is the thing about the Family Counsel/Team Meeting. It is supposed to involve everyone. My hubby is so great about reminding me not to lecture. He is so good about getting the kids involved in any discussion we are having. When they are involved it is always SO much more pleasant...AND PRODUCTIVE!

After the brown sugar game is done you will start a discussion on what jobs need to be done around the house. The more you involve the family, the more success you will have. Come prepared with a list of jobs that need to be done. Write down other jobs that family members mention, then throw out any of the jobs from your list that haven't been mentioned, to make sure they are included in the final list.

 Among our jobs we have personal jobs/responsiblities for kids:
Morning Responsibilities (Make Bed, Clean Room, Say Prayers, Brush Teeth, Get ready, Scriptures), Scouts, music practice, laundry, Feed & Play with pet, Act of Kindness, Bedtime Responsibilities (10 min. clean up, PJs, lay out next days clothes, clean room, say prayers, set alarm clock). 

Now make a list of household responsibilities: Vacuum, dust, sweep & mop, dust baseboards, vacuum vehicle, clean vehicle, mow lawn, pull weeds, clean garage, bathrooms, kitchen cupboards wipe down, windows, etc. 

Now, ask the kids which of the jobs they would like to do. Obviously some of them need to happen more than once per week. Some need to be done by parents.

Here is the deal, if your kids volunteer for a job, LET THEM HAVE IT!
Jake wanted to learn to clean his own bathroom when he was 5. So, I taught him. Of course at first I needed to go back over the whole thing and make sure that it was all clean. However, I never let him see me doing that, because I didn't want him to think he wasn't doing a good job. As long as I praised him A LOT after he was done, he wanted to continue to get better and better. About once every 2 months I would go in with him and help/watch him. I would lovingly give a suggestion (make sure you clean the base of the toilet, etc.), and eventually I stopped needing to clean behind him. He does a really great job at it!

As everyone is volunteering for job, you and your spouse should also say what he can do. I learned this from Ryan.

I hate asking Ryan to do anything when he gets home from work. I am thinking a "Welcome Home Babe, by the way the garbages are waiting for you to dump them" isn't the most pleasant thing to come home to. However, in order for the kids to get the whole "TEAM" thing, it is so good for them to see that everyone is on board. This is when my perfectly perfect hubby came up with the idea that spiraled into the full on schedule and ended up simplifying my life tremendously!"

He asked for a schedule with jobs he could do everyday throughout the week. That way I don't have to ask, and he already knows what needs to be done and can do it when it is convenient for him. I was thrilled with the idea. The kids already have great job charts, how great would it be if I threw one up for Ry and I also. What would drive the Team mentality home better than that?!

Here is an example of Ryan's run down:
Monday: Vacuum
Tuesday: Dump Garbages
Wednesday: Dog Pen (YUCK!)
Thursday: Sweep & Mop
Friday: Dump Garbages & Downstairs Bathroom Deep Clean
Saturday: Garage (touch up organizing & sweep)

Now, with everyone sharing the load, I am ready to give you my weekly schedule.
This is the SWEET SPOT of this whole scheduling business!
I do my daily laundry schedule, which is done by the time kids head to school. Then I participate in the "10 Min. Clean up" by doing the "3 wipes in 3 minutes". Other than that, I live in a completely clean house by contributing just 30 min TOPS each day! REALLY! I mean TOPS! Some days...just 10 min! Here is my run down:

Monday: Single Room Wipe Down (you'll learn about this in the next few days)
Tuesday: Vacuum
Wednesday: Sweep & Mop
Thursday: Dust
Friday: Vacuum & Master Bathroom Deep Clean
Saturday: Window check (clean the ones that need it)

THAT'S IT! Between our schedule and the kids the floor is vacuumed 6 days a week. The floor (all of our downstairs is hardwood) is swept and mopped at least every other day & all the little jobs that you don't normally have time to get to (windows, baseboards, garage, etc) are done weekly, which means that it takes less time to do them all!

Ok, this is ONE LONG POST! Are you still with me?!

I am going to cut off here. I want you to process all of this and get your plan put together. I am going to show you the secret behind all of this. It's all about the job charts! :) There is a wall in my house that I am going to lovingly refer to as our MOTHER BOARD. It is the work horse in the home. It keeps us all on it with our schedules. AND it's fun and super cute! That is a big part of the secret for our family!

For now...Let's just get through this post! :)

The perfect "MOTHERBOARD" for smaller spaces!

My kids start school next week....FINALLY! Not because I want their sweet little mugs gone from my side, but ORDER! I want ORDER at my side...desperately.

This Summer will easily go down as one of the most fun and most relaxed Summers of all time. We had so much fun in our trailer....in fact, so much I can't bear the thought of leaving it for the Winter. Another battle for another day. A day when I decide to go looking for another option. For now...I AM FIGHTING IT!

So you all know about my MOTHERBOARD right?! Needless to say, the darling things didn't fit on the walls of the ole RV. BUMMER! My kids went chore-less for a Summer...DOUBLE BUMMER! Really, I can see the difference in the little turkeys. Not just the excessive messiness, but also in the attitude a bit. Work is good for kids...and don't let them tell you any different! :) Hahaha!

So, today I begin work on these lovely beauties. My friend Michelle, a woman of MUCH talent (I want to be her when I grow up), the mother of the wise Stockton that made the statement "I would rather have a small house and a big life, than a big house and a small life", is the maker of such fine ideas. I love them! I love that they are way functional and take up a very small amount of space even more! Check them out.....

Ladies and GentlemAn (for my one male reader) the job clipboards......

How is that for combining a Family Home Evening and Chore Chart for the whole family, all into one little clip board! I told you she is amazing!

A pocket for each person. An interchangable tag for each job!

I LOVE those cute little clothes pins!

As a reminder , a little something to think about while grumbling about the jobs mom "MAKES" you do.

And of course embellishments to make Mom happy!

I can't wait to get mine done! The kids can wait....but who asked them?! :)

Next week Mallory is my buddy for half days. She starts her first year of "real" preschool this year. The next week she continues in the afternoon with her Developmental Preschool. The one she has been in for 2 years. The one where her therapists and teachers can't get enough of her. The one where SHE rules the school! Morning Preschool, then afternoon monarchy!

Which leaves me to RULE the house/trailer/whatever is next. Yes my friends...I will be on my own Mon-Fri from 8am - almost 3pm. YIKES! What shall I do with myself?!

My Favorite New Thing....this week!

Ok, I like to be organized. We all know that, right? Am I always organized, NO WAY! But I really like when I am and I REALLY love when I find something that makes that easier! Well, I just found something!

It is the "Color Note" app on my Android phone.

My sister told me about this a while ago. I remember her showing me her checklist for things she needed to do and touching one of the items and having it crossed off with a check by it and I thought, hmmm....that is really cool. Did I do anything about it? Not immediately.

Weeks later I got around to downloading it for myself. Did I do anything about it then? Nope.

This last weekend, while my fam and I were vegging at Bear Lake, I decided that there were FAR to many things floating around in my head, and let's be honest, as long as they stay there, the possibility of ever getting them done was somewhere around nill. However, with new church responsibilites and a Summer that seems to pile on the "need to dos", I figured it was about time to to make a few checklists for myself.

This screenshot is a little different from the one on my phone, however, it helps you get the idea. You can make a specific checklist. Like for example, I made a list for each day of the week, a grocery checklist, a checklist for things that I want to accomplish that aren't time sensitive and a checklist for the things I need to do that ARE time sensitive. I made a list for my new church responsibilites and I made a list for YLU Posts and OLU Posts....because there is ALWAYS something popping in to my head that I want to post about, but by the time I get to the computer, I am blank! Not any more my friends, Not anymore!

I simply click on the list title, which takes me to a screen with the tasks on that list. Then, as I complete a task, I touch the screen and VIOLA it is crossed off and marked as completed! I love seeing progress! For my days of the week, I go back in at the end of the day and uncheck all items so it ready for next week! LOVE IT!

I have learned that if I intend to devote time to scriptures, work, church calling, blogging, etc, I have to make sure I set a time for it. It is not always this way, but MAN when it gets busy days can slip by and all I feel is a sense of falling short. I also set reminders like "say morning prayers", "take vitamins", etc. Sometimes I need a little extra help remembering!

Ryan once read a quote to me, and of course I would love to put that quote here, but I don't know what the source was, just some motivational book of sorts. But the gist of the quote was that if we don't write down the things that we think of that we need or would like to do, it stays in our minds and they pile up until we feel totally overwhelmed and stressed. By simply writing them down, we get them out of our minds and give ourselves permission to let go of them. They are outside of our minds and where we will see them. They will be accomplished and we won't have to carry the burden of the thought of the task around with us. Or something along those lines.

The point is, I made it a goal to better organize my life and to de-stress and this is TOTALLY doing it for me! I always have my phone with me, and for now, I pick the darn thing up every few minutes with another random thought of things I would like to do like, "Create a digital scrapbook for the kids, burn it to a DVD with music set to it. Fireflies by Owl City for Mal", "Songs I want to download for my workout iPod..." and I enter songs as I think of them, and so on.

Anyway, if you have a smartphone try it out....if you are into the checklist thing. I would love to hear what you think about it!

Also, I would REALLY LOVE to hear your tips and tricks for de-stressing and keeping yourself organized and together! Take a sec and let me know! I am always looking for ways to get better at this!

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho....Back To The Ole Routine

What have I got going today?!

Image from: www.blogbloke.com

Well, I am getting back to my old routine! It has been a year, you know. I could not be more happy to be back to it! Our summer RV adventure was a blast and a much needed break from the busy side of life. However, it is time to get back to it!

For my laundry....where would I be without this laundry schedule?! It has seriously changed my life!

For my home....I LOVE a clean house....I hate to spend a lot of time cleaning! So I came up with this plan! This house needs it and I can't wait to get it started! I mean, the 10 minute clean up, the 3 wipes in 3 minutes.....I could go on and on!

For my kids.....the MOTHERBOARD has been re-established! Oh life is good!

If you want to see anymore of the fun and Oh, so life changing Organization tips I have learned to live by, check out the link to "Organization" and "floor to ceiling clean"  under LABELS in the right column
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Until later......wish me luck! ;)

Re-Organizing the Organized

So, now that you have taken the tour of our living arrangements during our little adventure I must tell you what is likely obvious.

In such a small space I MUST organize everything. EVERYTHING. Just so I don't go insane and drown in clutter!

So, lets head to my kitchen. It is small. There is a lot to organize in a small space. I realized that I needed to make a 30 day menu. The one I planned, I didn't love. I found that the summer requires a LOT less cooking and a LOT more sandwiches, quick and easy, lighter type stuff. I asked for ideas. You delivered. Now I am in the middle of re-vamping said menu! When it is done, I will share it with you!

For now, let me share the love on spices.......

I bought this lovely little spice rack at Costco a few years ago. Sure I used it. Well, like 4 or 5 of the spices. The others, well, WHO NEEDS 1 WHOLE THING OF MARJORAM, LET ALONE 2! Yes it came with 2. Weird. I've never used it. Have you? For what? Am I in the dark here?

Anyway, I took a perfectly organized spice rack and made it my own.

My dear friend MyR helped me shine the labels off the lids. Then I measured, poured and labeled. I knew I needed 4 tsp of salt per month. Each bottle holds 14 tsp. So I know I have almost a 4 month supply. I went through each doing the same. All the while taking inventory of what I was putting in storage! When I want to refill I can drive over to our little storage unit, pull out the kitchen box, refill and VIOLA. Set for another few months!

It takes time, this whole method, but I thought it was so worth it! I kept thinking about the money I was saving by doing this! I would have gone out and bought about 20 big containers of salt for my year supply. Little did I know, I only needed about 48 tsp, plus a little extra for whatever comes up!

Now, I have a very personalized spice rack and I LOVE it!

Plus it's pretty....dontcha think?! :)

Floor to Ceiling Clean: Toys

If you are a mother of little ones, you KNOW toys deserve their own post. They are everywhere. Hard to contain. AND it is hard to find a way for the kids to put them away where they go. Let's work on that today, shall we?!

Oh, I wish I could take full credit for this. But alas....It was my dear friend Tana that directed me in the way of shelves and boxes. It saved me! TOTALLY! Now let me pass the same on to you!

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  DE-JUNK

That means you McDonald's Happy Meal toys! You are GONE-SVILLE!

When my kids get a Happy Meal the toys are great fun until bedtime, and then they are gone. Find a new home for toys that are too young for your kids. If they are broken, missing parts, colored on, etc. It is time for them to go. Usually we have too much of an emotional attachment to the toys. Don't create, "but what if you ever want to..."s or "we should save this for the grandkids", etc. If there isn't a sentimental connection to the toy and reason for handing it down, let it go. Remember less is more. Easier to clean up and easier for your kids to play with.

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  CLEANING & CATERGORIZING 

Seperate the toys into different catergories (blocks, dolls, balls, trucks, etc)

Get out your sanitizing wipes and give each toy a good wipe down.

Braid wayward doll hair, dress the barbies...not nudity allowed in the toy box! :)

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  ORGANIZING

I'm not going to lie. I almost giggle with glee at the idea of the next part. I LOVE this! Oh sweet wise Tana. Thank you for sharing your wise wise ways with me!

Find a enough bins or boxes to put each catergory into it's own space. I used the cute colored cloth boxes at Target. SO FUN! I didn't have a cupboard or closet to put the toys in, so I bought shelves from Costco.

Now, group the items together in a pile. Take a close up picture of the toys(click on the picture above to see the details on my boxes). Print all of the pictures and laminate (or cover in packaging tape. Yeah, I am that cheap and it worked just fine!). Attach the picture to the front of the box by taping, or because mine were cloth, I safety pinned them and added ribbon to cute it up a little).

Arrange larger toys so that they are easily attained and easily put back in their place.

Here is the beauty and magic to all of this....

Whenever you call "CLEAN UP". No matter the age of the child or who they are, every child will know where each toy goes. It almost makes it fun for them to clean up. They enjoy sorting the toys into their proper place. They will do it. You will see! And you will love Tana for it too! ;)

I have used this system for almost 2 years. I will never go back from it. I love it dearly! My kids clean up quickly, as do their friends. It keeps everything in it's place and looks bright, fun and inviting for any child! Love that!

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT.....a little something I can't live without!

My sister in law, Jana, whom I love dearly, emailed this recipe to me.
 I have to say that I LOVE IT!

I knew I couldn't go wrong when I saw the "Fels Naptha" I have been using this as a stain remover for about 8 years! LOVE IT! Not to mention this stuff comes with fabulous reviews from all the ladies in her ward and her sisters that have tried it!

I have now been using it for a year. I will not go back! WON'T DO IT, I SAY! I love this stuff!

I absolutely knew I HAD to make this when I found that your total cost on this stuff is $2 per 5 gallon bucket of detergent which does about 400 loads! SERIOUSLY?! I laugh at you laundry detergent isle! I will no longer spend $15 to do 36 loads! MWAH HA HA!!

Let me show you how it is done......

Get your self a clean 5 gallon bucket and all this fun stuff. (All will be found in your laundry detergent section of the grocery store. Your total cost will be about $7.50).

Grate up the bar of Fels Naptha. I loved this part! I am such a texture person. Mal kept telling me she doesn't like cheese. Looks like it huh?!


Now place the grated bar & 4c. of hot water in a pot and heat, stirring constantly over medium low heat until the soap is completely melted.

Fill your bucket half full (oh yeah, I AM that type of person) with very hot water.

Pour your soap mixture into the water.

Add 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Laundry Soap

Then 1/2 c. Borax

Now stir it up really good. You want all the powder to be dissolved.

Now fill the bucket the rest of the way and cover. Leave over night to allow it to cool & thicken.

Since I paid an arm and a leg for my last container of liquid Tide, I rinsed the container out really good and using a funnel, filled the container with my new improved detergent. You can use any kind of container you would like.

Now, just so you know, the smell of the Fels Naptha bar itself is strong. Don't let this discourage you. The final smell is a very clean almost lemony smell. I like it. You can, if you would like, add 10-15 drops of essential oil per two gallons once the detergent has cooled, if you would like to add your own scent.

Now, if you are using a top loading machine you will use 5/8 cup of the detergent. Front loaders only 1/4 cup.

If you want to get real fancy/thrifty you can also mess with your fabric softener. Here is the recipe for that:

FABRIC SOFTENER

1 BOTTLE OF YOUR FAVORITE LIQUID SOFTENER

2 BOTTLES WATER

2 SPONGES

Combine in a container of your choosing. Leave sponges in liquid. Ring out and throw in dryer with wet laundry. Works great.

And here is the recipe to the Laundry Detergent.

 LAUNDRY DETERGENT

4 C. HOT TAP WATER

1 BAR OF FELS NAPTHA

1 C. ARM & HAMMER LAUNDRY SODA

1/2 C. BORAX

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with the water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. Fill 5 gallon bucket half full of very hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per two gallons, add once soap has cooled. Top loading machine: 5/8 c. per load Front loading machine: 1/4 c. per load Makes approx. 400 loads

ENJOY!