Last week I told you that I am going to get you ready for the new year and coach you to get organized and clutter free. I've got everything a mom could want to know to get your house and life organized. This week we're going to start working on just life in general. You have to decide what kind of calendar person/family you are going to be. For me, I'm all digital {paperless} but I have a large family calendar, too. For you, it might be that you've tried several different ways and you've been unsuccessful, but until you make it a habit EVERY SINGLE NIGHT to sit down and work through what your day will need to basically look like the following day, or weekly sit down and plan out meals and family business, you aren't going to be able to even attempt to keep your house clutter free or organized.
It's not, really. I'm an avid believer that getting a habit of having a planner or calendar will help you and your family. This is just STEP 1 in a journey to getting your life calm and relaxed - well, as much as can be possible.
Trust me, making this a daily habit will definitely help you. It will give you the knowledge of what is happening throughout your day. I am going to give you some ideas of how to do this. Are you ready? It's really EASY so don't worry.
1. Find a calendar that you and your whole family can use. It can be a gigantic wall calendar, a digital phone app, or just a daily planner for everyone to access. I use a digital phone app called, Cozi. The reason I love this app is because my husband, my teenage son, and my daughter all use it, using their smart phones {or an Ipod Touch would work too}. I can set up reminders to send to their phones. And, it's FREE! Go HERE to get your Cozi app and set it up and try it out.
If you want a personal planner, make sure that you have something that is practical and easy to carry with you everywhere. And, carry it with you everywhere. If you need reminders of appointments or things going on {cause I definitely DO}, use Google calendar to send reminders or reoccurring events or appointments to you. Or get a multiple timer app, like Multi-Timer. If anyone brings home a schedule for their sports or any other important schools dates, color-coding is a great way to keep track of who and what.
2. Get a wall calendar and put it in the kitchen or a prominent area of your home. I got a pretty calendar and keep it right inside my pantry. Everyone sees it everyday. It shows who has what in writing. Yes, it seems daunting to have two calendars, but I have found that the digital one {which I can set up to automatically set up all our reoccurring events easily} and the written one works well so you can physically SEE it and also have the other one with me constantly.
3. EVERY NIGHT. If you are a busy mom, like I am, every single night you need to check your calendar. MAKE THIS A HABIT. It takes me, maybe, five minutes to go over my calendar for the next morning. Why is this important?
Well, sometimes you forget that you have to do stuff. You may need to pull out meat out of the freezer for the next day's meal, or something important is due. On your personal calendar, write down everything you possibly can stand to write down. This accomplishes a couple of things - first, it shows you do a lot, it will help you decide how long it will take and when to do it, and you will feel like you actually did something that day instead of looking back and thinking "what did I do today". It seems silly, at first, but write it down. I like a digital app calendar because I can easily move something from day to day without erasing and scratching out. Sometimes I think "why did I think I could do that today?" and just move it to do to the next day.
4. Set a schedule. Setting up a schedule means that you have a basic pattern of doing things at a certain time. For example, I have set up specific things that I do on certain days of the week. I do laundry one day a week - every Monday. I work certain days of the week. I have an errand running day, etc. Even if you work a job that changes weekly, set up your schedule for THAT week to what works for you. I also have a "crockpot night" for the busiest nights of our week, so that everyone is getting fed a nutritious home-made meal but I don't have to slave away at all. Throw a few things in the crockpot or even the instant pot {if that's your preference} and I'm good go.
5. Plan your meals. We'll talk more about this next week. But, this is a vital part of your weekly routine. Have a day of the week you try to stick to for grocery shopping and have a night every week {or if you'd rather do it monthly} where you sit down and PLAN your menu.
6. Get the family on board. Ask your husband to download the Cozi app and add any important dates to the app so you can put on the family wall calendar. If your kids are old enough, get it for them too. If they are little, keep track of it on your own - everything can be categorized by color and person.
7. Routine. Have a morning routine in place for yourself and your kids. This will change - don't feel like you can't change it. I change mine about every 6 months, usually when the kids move to the next grade or new school, etc. My morning weekday routine looks a little like this:
6:30 - Wake up and get ready
6:45-7:15 - Morning walk with dog
7:15 - Get daughter up, start breakfast, feed dog
7:30 - Shower and get dressed
That's pretty much it! It's not complicated. But, I try to wake up at the same time every morning, if it's possible. The dog doesn't like when I break my routine! Ha! He certainly keeps me accountable. Stuff comes up, so be flexible. But, just have a small routine each morning and evening, assures me that I can get enough sleep and wake up ready for the day. My evening routine just before bed is this:
- Put out work out clothes in bathroom
- Go over next day's schedule
- Last sweep around house for any stray items
My kids are big now, but I used to have them pick out their outfits the night before and get all the school stuff ready the night before as part of their bedtime routine.
8. Make a space. Part of your going over your schedule means doing it in a comfortable space. I like my cozy spot on the couch for that. When I plan a meal I sit at the kitchen table so I can hop up and down and check the fridge and pantry to see if I need to purchase more at the grocery store.
So, STEP 1: Make a habit to sit down and work on your daily schedule. Come up with a simple, daily routine. Get yourself a calendar! This is EASY! This is the start to getting your house organized and clutter free!
Does this sound a bit radical?
It's not, really. I'm an avid believer that getting a habit of having a planner or calendar will help you and your family. This is just STEP 1 in a journey to getting your life calm and relaxed - well, as much as can be possible.
Trust me, making this a daily habit will definitely help you. It will give you the knowledge of what is happening throughout your day. I am going to give you some ideas of how to do this. Are you ready? It's really EASY so don't worry.
1. Find a calendar that you and your whole family can use. It can be a gigantic wall calendar, a digital phone app, or just a daily planner for everyone to access. I use a digital phone app called, Cozi. The reason I love this app is because my husband, my teenage son, and my daughter all use it, using their smart phones {or an Ipod Touch would work too}. I can set up reminders to send to their phones. And, it's FREE! Go HERE to get your Cozi app and set it up and try it out.
If you want a personal planner, make sure that you have something that is practical and easy to carry with you everywhere. And, carry it with you everywhere. If you need reminders of appointments or things going on {cause I definitely DO}, use Google calendar to send reminders or reoccurring events or appointments to you. Or get a multiple timer app, like Multi-Timer. If anyone brings home a schedule for their sports or any other important schools dates, color-coding is a great way to keep track of who and what.
2. Get a wall calendar and put it in the kitchen or a prominent area of your home. I got a pretty calendar and keep it right inside my pantry. Everyone sees it everyday. It shows who has what in writing. Yes, it seems daunting to have two calendars, but I have found that the digital one {which I can set up to automatically set up all our reoccurring events easily} and the written one works well so you can physically SEE it and also have the other one with me constantly.
3. EVERY NIGHT. If you are a busy mom, like I am, every single night you need to check your calendar. MAKE THIS A HABIT. It takes me, maybe, five minutes to go over my calendar for the next morning. Why is this important?
Well, sometimes you forget that you have to do stuff. You may need to pull out meat out of the freezer for the next day's meal, or something important is due. On your personal calendar, write down everything you possibly can stand to write down. This accomplishes a couple of things - first, it shows you do a lot, it will help you decide how long it will take and when to do it, and you will feel like you actually did something that day instead of looking back and thinking "what did I do today". It seems silly, at first, but write it down. I like a digital app calendar because I can easily move something from day to day without erasing and scratching out. Sometimes I think "why did I think I could do that today?" and just move it to do to the next day.
4. Set a schedule. Setting up a schedule means that you have a basic pattern of doing things at a certain time. For example, I have set up specific things that I do on certain days of the week. I do laundry one day a week - every Monday. I work certain days of the week. I have an errand running day, etc. Even if you work a job that changes weekly, set up your schedule for THAT week to what works for you. I also have a "crockpot night" for the busiest nights of our week, so that everyone is getting fed a nutritious home-made meal but I don't have to slave away at all. Throw a few things in the crockpot or even the instant pot {if that's your preference} and I'm good go.
5. Plan your meals. We'll talk more about this next week. But, this is a vital part of your weekly routine. Have a day of the week you try to stick to for grocery shopping and have a night every week {or if you'd rather do it monthly} where you sit down and PLAN your menu.
6. Get the family on board. Ask your husband to download the Cozi app and add any important dates to the app so you can put on the family wall calendar. If your kids are old enough, get it for them too. If they are little, keep track of it on your own - everything can be categorized by color and person.
7. Routine. Have a morning routine in place for yourself and your kids. This will change - don't feel like you can't change it. I change mine about every 6 months, usually when the kids move to the next grade or new school, etc. My morning weekday routine looks a little like this:
6:30 - Wake up and get ready
6:45-7:15 - Morning walk with dog
7:15 - Get daughter up, start breakfast, feed dog
7:30 - Shower and get dressed
That's pretty much it! It's not complicated. But, I try to wake up at the same time every morning, if it's possible. The dog doesn't like when I break my routine! Ha! He certainly keeps me accountable. Stuff comes up, so be flexible. But, just have a small routine each morning and evening, assures me that I can get enough sleep and wake up ready for the day. My evening routine just before bed is this:
- Put out work out clothes in bathroom
- Go over next day's schedule
- Last sweep around house for any stray items
My kids are big now, but I used to have them pick out their outfits the night before and get all the school stuff ready the night before as part of their bedtime routine.
8. Make a space. Part of your going over your schedule means doing it in a comfortable space. I like my cozy spot on the couch for that. When I plan a meal I sit at the kitchen table so I can hop up and down and check the fridge and pantry to see if I need to purchase more at the grocery store.
So, STEP 1: Make a habit to sit down and work on your daily schedule. Come up with a simple, daily routine. Get yourself a calendar! This is EASY! This is the start to getting your house organized and clutter free!
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Go HERE and find it!
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Great advice! And i'm not even a mom lol
ReplyDeleteXO Ellen from Ask Away
www.askawayblog.com
It's funny how people either keep the paper calendar or do both. I love using my digital calendar, it's always with me (on my phone). But, I still make lists in a notepad:) Thank you for your ideas!
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