Homemaking & Housekeeping - Get Yourself Organized

The FlyLady asks: Are you living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)? Do you feel overwhelmed? Hopeless? You don't know where to start? Start here:

* Take a few Beginner BabySteps. Start to establish routines in your day.

* As you start to progress with your own personal Daily Routine, begin to build yourself a Control Journal. (See below for even more information about Household Notebooks).

* And there is support for when you need it at the FlyLady's E-mail Group. Help and motivation will be delivered right to your inbox!

I was a member of the FlyLady's E-mail Group for a few years and I found it to be very helpful. My favorite tip of hers is to "Get dressed to the shoes" everyday. When I put on a pair of sneakers, I find I have so much more energy, the house gets tidied up before I know what happened. Her tip to "Shine your sink" is also very helpful. Even if I have a pile of dirty dishes on my counter, it helps to have a clean sink. Then I actually have room in which to wash those dirty dishes!

So, if you had NO clue where to start before, now you know. And knowing is half the battle! The other half is actually getting off your behind to go and DO these things... And for help with that, I give you some motivating articles.

Here's a simple way to live the simple life by de-cluttering your home while keeping your sanity! It's called the "Four Container Method" and here's how it works:

Collect four containers and label them as follows:

Throw Away: You don't want it, you don't love it. It's a mess and it's hogging your counter space.

Give Away: Goodwill or your friends--one way or another, get that good but unwanted stuff out of your place.

Put Away: Does it go in another room? Don't stop what you are doing to put it away or you'll get side-tracked! Put it in this box and deal with it later.

Keep or Toss?: Not sure just what to do with a certain item? Put it in this box and see if it passes the test: If you don't think about it or go in search of it, then feel free to toss. Check this box every month.

My containers of choice are a variety of boxes, bags and baskets. Feel free to use what ever works best for you.

Now that you have your containers, what do you do? Well, here are some suggestions:

Option 1: Start in your cluttered room of choice. Begin to work clockwise around the room, dealing with each pile of clutter as you encounter them. This usually requires a good chunk of time, but the effort you put into it pays some beautiful dividends.

Option 2: Do what you can, when you can. This is what the FlyLady (see above) recommends when she tells you to set your timer and do something for just fifteen minutes a day. It's amazing what you can get done in just five minutes! So set a timer and find out. It's a bit of a fun challenge that will probably motivate you to keep on cleaning.

Option 3: Just do one type of de-cluttering at a time. This is what I usually do on a Sunday afternoon when our house is a mess from all the fun we've had over the weekend. I grab a trash bag and do a quick sweep of the house. Along the way, I'll deposit cups and dishes in the sink and throw a few other things into the rooms where they really belong. It can be such a revitalizer!

Which ever way you declutter, this Four Container Method is so handy.

This is the most effective method of cleaning and staying organized that's worked for me. I like to split my duties into days of the week, like so:

Monday: Cook & Bake Day! This is my day to plan ahead for the week. On Mondays, I like to bake scones or muffins for quick snacks. I like to brew iced tea to have on hand (see below). I like to chop and/or cook vegetables to make dinner prep easier throughout the week. This is also the day I give the kitchen a scrub. It ensures all the dirty dishes from the weekend are gone as well.

Tuesday: Wash & Scrub Day! This is the day I dedicate to washing the laundry and scrubbing the bathroom. I like to light a good smelling candle in the bathroom when I'm done cleaning it. It's a happy little habit that makes me smile with satisfaction for the rest of the day.

Wednesday: Bedroom Day! This is the day that I give to straightening out our bedrooms. It's the day that I make sure all the clean laundry actually gets put away. And it's the day that I go through my kids' things, sorting them back where they belong and tossing out anything that should go.

Thursday: Correspondence Day! This is the day I dedicate to writing, long phone calls and bill paying. It's also a day where I can indulge in the fine art of rubber stamping while making cards for friends. I also toss in some much needed desk tidying.

Friday: Cut the Clutter Day! One last hurrah around the Living Room and Dinning Room ensure that the house will be ready for a lovely weekend. This is also the day that I like to vacuum once I've removed all the toys and clutter from off the floor. Because I have a serious addiction to the web, Fridays are also my day to "fast" from the internet. This way, I'm sure to focus on having a peaceful and clean home right before the weekend starts! It's a great day to catch up on things I skipped.

The Weekend: Time for nothing but rest and relaxation!

A Household Notebook is a wonderful organizational tool that you can use to manage all the various aspects of your home. You can create your own notebook with the help of OrganizedHome.com. They've made it easy with their free printable forms including to-do lists, meal planners, calendars and checklists. You'll find all their forms here: Printable Planner Forms.

I really enjoy using a Household Notebook to keep track of everything in our house. I have sections for my cleaning schedule, for menu planning ideas, for remembering special occasions in our family and for putting away other miscellaneous articles and information (so I actually know where it is!).

I like to use a three-ring binder for my notebook. You can transform a boring old binder into something fun and funky with a single sheet of scrapbook paper slipped in the front cover. Take time to create a binder you will enjoy using--something that reflects your own personal tastes. Make it your own! Add your own touches. The more you love it, the more you'll use it. And the more you use it, the more organized and peaceful you'll feel.

Talk this one over with your husband and see what he thinks of this little idea:

If you are a stay-at-home mom like me, I'm sure that you find it hard to have any sort of quiet, contemplative time in your day. I know I'm too tired to get up before the sun rises, since I'm usually up in the middle of the night with my little one. And then God gave me children that are early risers, too, so to get up before them to plan my day would make me want to end my day in bed at 7:00 p.m.! Can you relate? Well, here's a little thing we've done in our family that you might really enjoy, too: Mom's Saturday Morning Out!

I love coffee and I love Panera. My local Panera opens up early and it's so quiet and peacful there in the morning. I like to take my Household Notebook (see above) and/or a Devotional book to read. We recently purchased a laptop and I can't wait to go and take advantage of Panera's free WiFi! I'll do some strategic weekly planning or simply enjoy the peace and quiet while my sweet husband sacrifices his Saturday morning to entertain our kids. It's a lovely treat for me and I come back home feeling refreshed and ready for fun! And of course Daddy and the kids love getting to spend their time together, too.