Have you been wondering what has happened to OYOL?

Me too, actually. ha.

Things have gotten incredibly hairy here. The house was in such a state that there was walking room only, the floors were nasty dirty, toys all mixed and everywhere. But hey... our new bedroom is loverly (pics coming one day... some day, maybe) and the kids' room is recarpeted with new beds.

I was/am extremely overwhelmed by it all. We sent the kids to grandma and grandpa's for a sleepover/hang out time, just so I could get the house semi-clean in their absence. I got the toys mostly all sorted and put away. The kitchen and living room floors are now mostly cleared. There's room to live now.

But it frustrates me to no end that I can't "get done". There's still a kitchen full of dirty dishes. A huge pile of clean laundry behind the couch. The kids' sleepover bags are still in a heap in the dining room. There's still surface clutter everywhere. I just want to have a clutter free, clean house.

Anyway, things got so overwhelming, I had to set aside all computer time to get to it. I don't know if I will resume the OYOL challenges or not. My goal is still there... be more organized by the end of the year than I was at the beginning. But I can't let the plan get in the way of the outcome. And right now, it is.

All that to say, if you've missed it, that's why. Sorry.

Of Toys, Workboxes, and Directed Play

"We have a one toy set at a time rule. One set has to be put away before another comes out."

"We have toy clean up three times a day. They don't eat unless they pick up."

"We keep all our toys in a separate play room, sectioned out like a preschool classroom."

I've heard these types of comments numerous times, and each time, the rebel mom in me cringes.

Where's the creativity in one toy a time? I remember building huge towns out of blocks, legos, and lincoln logs. Then using cars and little people to play in the town.

And toy pick up three times a day? What if the kids are still playing? Why should I make them destroy their imaginative creations or put away their stuffed zoo when they may want to come back to them? And seriously, I don't have the time or want to to get down on their level and "enforce" pick up time three times a day.

A large playroom with separate play areas? I'd love that, trust me I would. In fact, I spend more time dreaming up awesome playrooms than I do dreaming up the perfect kitchen or bedroom. But let's face it, we have four kids in one bedroom (or will in a couple days), with no extra rooms to spare. I'm just glad we have a large living room.



January's Toy Sort
(Yes, that black bag is full of trash
that was mixed in with all the toys)

 But here's the thing, more often than not, the living room floor is covered in mixed up toys. Once it gets to that point (easily happens in one or two days), the kids are unable to pick up. It's too overwhelming. They don't know where to start or where to put things, even though each has a particular home. I don't blame them at all. I'm the same way... just ready to scoop it up and throw it in the dumpster. About every 2-3 months, I have to drag out every box or container that is supposed to contain the toys and sort through the entire toys stash.

When the floor is cluttered, the kids are bored and can't find anything to play with. When Cherith and Daryn get bored, they spend a lot of time watching TV or pestering their siblings or fighting about something. When Ethan is bored, he goes from one thing to another, just making messes and getting into things... like throwing dry oatmeal into the air, climbing on the kitchen counter and swallowing half a package of gum, running into the bathroom and stuffing toilet paper down the sink drain... all of this in a 15 minute span.

For the past couple years, I've known that I need to figure something out. It's just not working. Thing is, on Aaron's school nights, I'm just too tired to do kid pick up time, so more often than not, we skip it those nights, then before I know it, it's a total wreck, too cluttered for me or the kids to handle in a quick pick up, and then we just live with it for days.

So, anyway... I've been throwing around an idea that I think I'm going to try. But I'd love feedback on it.

Truth: The kids are more creative, more happy, more kind, more pleasant to be around, when their play area is cleared and organized.

Truth: My stress level is incredibly lower when the living room is clutter free and the kids are pleasant.

Truth: Ethan seems to thrive on some sort of loose structure. His attention span is short, but if it is not directed, it gets him into trouble as he "mess hops".

So, what if...

1) I put away all the toys in our universal/toy closet. There would be no toys out in the living room except kid books.

2) At night, after the kids are in bed, I would choose two sets of toys for the next day and put them out on the shelves in the living room.

3) I would also assemble 2-3 workboxes (educational activities in a box) for Daryn and Ethan to do while I help Cherith with her school in the mornings. I would be available to help them a little with their workboxes, but the activities would be simple enough, yet intriguing enough, to not require my 100% attention.

4) During the morning, we would have school/workbox time, then the rest of the day, they can play with the two sets I previously chose or...
     play outside,
     play computer games (limited)
     read
     draw, color, crafts
     playdough
     imaginative role play

5) At the end of the day, those two sets would be put away in the closet. After the kids go to bed, I would then restock the workboxes and the two sets of toys.


That's the reasons and the idea. Here are the "buts"


But....

I'm pretty lazy. What if I don't stick to the rules? What if one night, the two sets don't get picked up?

Is it too much structure? Am I turning my kids' day into a daycare type day?

What if the kids complain all the time?

How on earth do I think of things for the boys to do in their workboxes?


I guess it's kinda like: I'd love to give it a try, but I'm afraid of failure. And afraid that maybe it's the wrong solution.

Thoughts? Cause I'd love to hear 'em.

One Year to a {More} Organized Life, Week 14

I don't know about you, but actually decluttering an area feels good. It's motivating, especially if I can manage to keep it decluttered.

I'm thinking of hanging a little sign on my kitchen cupboard door. It would have a picture of the after look of the counter and a reminder to:
1) Throw away trash right away.
2) Put away food packages.
3) Rinse the dishes.
Because if I don't, I'll wish I had.

This week's assignment is to choose one more of those stress causing clutter spots and dive in. Put away, give away, or throw away. And let the stress roll away. Happy decluttering!!

Link up before and afters...

OYOL, Week 13- Before and After

I have a LOT of stress causing clutter spots in my house, but probably the one that is most frustrating is my kitchen counter. It's kinda hard to make dinner when there's canisters strewn across the work surface, along with cereal boxes from breakfast, sippy cups from who knows when, dirty dishes overflow, stray receipts, odd toys (no idea why they're there -except some kid put them there), and just about anything else you can imagine.

So that's the clutter spot I chose for this week.

Here's the two befores...

Now this is a bit drastic. It was the morning after shopping day and I still had groceries I hadn't put away yet. This is not what it looks like on a typical day, but it is what it looked like when I started to declutter it.

Here's what it looked like after I awoke from a nap and found that my husband had put away the left over groceries for me. That was nice. He gained cookie points for that one. This is what it looks like on a typical day... not very functional at all. It's so aggravating to have to move junk out of the way to cook.

And here's the after. It's not as perfect as I like, but it's much, much better. It took me 2 1/2 days, and I've been trying very hard to keep it clear. It's amazing how quickly things get put back on it... like a matter of minutes, and it's like... "Where did that come from??"

(The razor is there because our room is completely empty, due to remodeling, and we do not have a bathroom counter (well, ok so we do.. it's only like 2-3" beyond the sink), so it's currently living in the kitchen until we get our bedroom back.

Here is the fire hazard counter I decluttered during my two week blog sebaticle. I do not have a before picture. I didn't think to take one before I started, but if you've ever visited my house, you probably know what it was like. Here is the side of the fridge before. I did manage a picture of that before I cleaned it up.

The counter and side of the fridge right after I decluttered it. It almost looks exactly the same today, except I got a laminator since then, so I laminated the routine and laminated our menu schedule planning chart thingy, so it's hanging up there too. 

 And this is my favorite organizing tool so far... the "If I accomplish only one thing" paper, not the cute kids in the photos. I found it Baca Creative. I laminated it so I could write in my #1 task for the day every day. As you can see here, I tried to put two on there. Didn't make a difference. I still only accomplished one of those.

The reason it is my favorite is because Aaron looks at it every day, and if I haven't gotten to that one thing yet, he helps me, if he can, by either doing it or making it possible for me to do it. Isn't that nice? If only I had known that all I had to do was write it down in his plain sight. ha ha.

One Year to a {More} Organized Life, Week 13

Well, it's been two weeks since I have written and OYOL post. I hope you all have been able to maintain all your hard wok.

In my absence, I managed to keep a routine about as well as a roller coaster is able to stay at the top of the loop. However, I did succeed in a few other organizational feats. I de-cluttered my fire hazard counter next to my stove. I put away all the fabric that has been out for sewing projects for the last two months. And.... I've put together a home management book, which I will post about soon.

I have this terrible, terrible habit of always being disappointed in myself and what I did not get done, no matter how many things I accomplish. So while this list of accomplishments may sound fabulously busy body, I can supply you with a list 1,000s longer of the thousand things that desperately needs to be done that hasn't.

Now for this week's challenge...

The Chaos of Clutter

I'm realizing more and more that my house can only be as clean feeling as the clutteriest spot. My living room floor can be spotless, vacuum lines bearing the evidence of cleanliness. The bookshelf and TV stand can be dusted and the windows sparkling. But it the books on the shelf are falling every which way, the desk is a mile high under papers and junk, and the couch is cluttered with half done laundry and coats that were not hung up, then the entire room feels like a pig sty.

Clutter causes a feeling of chaos and unrest. Life is unable to function in a well working manner. It's kinda hard to get to church on time when you're digging under the couch for shoes. It's frustrating to try to find the bills you need to pay somewhere in the mountain called a desk.

Some clutter prone areas affect us more than others. These areas can us so much mental and emotional stress that we have a hard time responding to life with the right attitude. Yet when they are free of clutter and resemble a sense of simple orderliness, we immediately feel a weight lifted. We feel light hearted and empowered.

The goal, then, would be to identify these areas that cause the most stress when cluttered. Then to de-clutter them and keep them that way.

This week's assignment... 

1. Take a walk through your house, listing all the clutter prone areas.
2. Indentify the top three most stress causing areas.
3. Choose one and declutter it this week. Just spend 15 minutes a day, if it's too overwhelming.
4. Take before and after photos, if you can. Post about it on your blog and link up here.

One Year to a {More} Organized Life, Week Twelve

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. But I sure feel like it. It just feels crazy here and busy, yet I can't really lay my finger on a particular big why... just many little ones.

I am however, staying more caught up on the dishes. (I said more, not completely.) I also no longer have a huge long mountain of laundry along the living room wall.

Nope, instead I have a bedroom that is completely empty, but has new paint on the walls, thanks to my hard working man. Instead, I have an entry way filled with laundry baskets of clothing from our closet and bedding from our bedroom. Instead I have plastic drawers stacked in the bathroom, which apparently made great props for my 2 year old son's Noah reenactment this morning.

This kids are going crazy being in a house that is crowded and wanting to be in on all the "fun" of the room redo. But JOY OF ALL JOYS!!! The weather is certianly turning a new leaf and the hint of spring is often in the air.

I will post one last post on food related stuffs, and then I think I'm going to take a 2 week break. I need some time to catch up and to focus more on getting this routine thing established. So, if I'm completely silent for two weeks, don't panic. I'll be back. (You can panic then. ha ha.)

The Shopping List

I am of the opinion that shopping is only as easy as your list is organized. You can go in uprepared and spend longer than you want wandering around in a confused bubble, or you can run in and run out with the peace of mind that nothing is forgotten. (Unless you're like me and forget things that are right there on the list. Squirrel Syndrom.)

I have a list made in Excel with catagories listed in the order in which I encounter them at the store I most often shop at, which happens to be Walmart. Our store recently went through a remodel, so I had to totally revamp my list.

I love having my list in the order of my store, because it keeps me from running back and forth and around in circles. It also has greatly reduced the number of things I forget.

If I have items that I need to purchase at another store such as good deals at Kroger, I list them on the back of my shopping list in the order in which I would encounter them in the store. This works for me because I rarely have more than 10 items to purchase at another store other than Walmart.

The shopping list is half paper size, making it easy to handle at the store.

I print several of these and pin them to my wonderful bulliten board. When I (or my husband) think of something I need to purchase, I write it on the list right then. Then when grocery list makin' day comes, all I have to do is add the ingredients from my menu, rather than try to remember everything I ran out of that week.

If you'd like to take a look, you can download it in it's original spreadsheet format. Feel free to make changes to it, if you think it might work for you. (Not sure if I did this link right or not. I think it should open for ya.)

Do you have a method to the madness of the shopping list? I'd love to hear about it.

One Year to a {More} Organized Life, Week Eleven

Menu Draw Pile

I have a nasty habit of preparing the same meals over and over again. I don't like it, but seriously, I physically and mentally cannot come up with meal ideas 95% of the time. I'm not good at it. At all. Period. The End.

I keep thinking I should come up with a draw pile, per se... a list of meals I know my family enjoys (not counting the picky one who simply eats because she is commanded to... well, ok, so it's not that bad, but some days it feels like it).

Reagan... I love that name; reminds me of the Reagan I went to first grade with... anyway, Reagan commented about the 30 Meals plan.

Basically you pick out 30 of your basic go-to meals. You put them all together, make a master list of ingredients & then keep your pantry stocked with those items so that you can make any one of those 30 meals at any given time. The most brilliant part of this for me was that then I only had to look for coupons for those items. I didn't worry about cutting all the coupons or even going through & cutting what I thought might make a good deal. Just stick to the ingredients on your master list. If you find coupons for those items.....bonus! Makes couponing, grocery shopping, menu planning & spontaneous meal making so much easier.

I'm really thinking of doing this. It would still require the work of menu planning and grocery shopping (darn!), but it would be simplified because I would have a pool to fish from for ideas and it would keep me from getting into a rut.

I'm also throwing around the idea of monthly cooking, such as Jackie posted about. But I'm not so sure I'm ready for that yet. The result sounds inviting, but the process is freaking me out. Seriously. I hate being in the kitchen all day. I hardly have 30 minutes of uninterrupted-by-kids time to fix dinner. One long day of cooking sounds painful... not to mention the planning. How would I know how to do it? Maybe I'll save that for a summer project when the 3 older kids will spend most of their days outside.

Anyway....

This week's assignment is to begin to create a list of meals your family enjoys. This may be something you might have to continue to add to as time passes. If you already have a running list, what are your family's top five meals? I'd love ideas.

If you're really wishing for an orange based sheet to list them out on... here ya go.

One Year to a {More} Organized Life, Week Ten

Menu Planning

I used to be opposed to the idea of menu planning. I did not at all like the idea of being tied down and commited to a list of meals. Where is the creativity in that?

But I have learned that to be planless is not license to creativity, but rather license to chaos.

If there is no meal plan, there is no rhyme or reason to grocery shopping. Trips to the store are far too frequent. Money is wasted on last minute purchases. The grocery store becomes a dreaded place.

If there is no meal plan, the temptation to eat out or bring home fast food is given into far too frequently. Money falls like sand through the fingers with every order placed. The family's health is compromised with every burger eaten.

If there is a plan mapped out, there is one scheduled trip to the store. All ingredients are purchased on that day (unless you're like me, and forget them, even when they're on your list), and the temptation to eat fast food is much easier to turn down.

But sometimes, actually planning a menu can be overwhelming. Here's how I generally plan a weekly menu (or try to, when I don't save it all for the very last minute, when I should be heading out the door)...

1. Check Inventory:

I look through my freezer, refridgerator, and pantries and make a list of the major things I already have on hand. I do not list spices and the main cooking staples, like flour or sugar... just the main bulk items of a meal. This would include meats, dairy products, dry pastas, eggs, produce, canned goods, etc.

2. Check Sales/Coupons:

After checking what I already have on hand, I scan through the grocery ads to see what is one sale. I try to find items that fill in the gaps with what I already have on hand. For example, if I have pasta on hand, I'll look for items that would complete a pasta meal... spaghetti sauce, italian sausage, ricotta or cottage cheese, etc.

I also like to check out Money Saving Mom to quickly find the good deals at my Kroger store for that week. Sometimes there are items which I can get for free or a little of nothing that I don't nessecarily need to complete a meal with what's on hand, but at the price, it's a good time to stock up.

Cassie, from Pursuing Godliness, also recently introduced me to Soutern Saver, another great site to find good grocery deals. I like the way they have their grocery deals listed.

I am not a big time couponer. I do not clip every coupon I come across. I do not gather as many coupons as I can find for one particular item. I just like to keep my eyes on the deal websites and print or clip the coupons I need to create the deal. I would love to get the savings of a die hard couponer, but I just don't have the time for all the work it takes. Maybe when the rest of my life is organized. BAhahahahahaha!

3. Write out the menu:

Once my investigating is done, I have a pretty good idea of what meals I can make out of all that I found. I then assign which meals are for which days, loosely based on this theme schedule (changes with every school quarter). The schedule below is just for dinners. I don't really plan breakfast and lunch too much, other than make sure we have stuff on hand.

Monday (Aaron's school night): Fast and easy
Tuesday (Aaron home): Meat as the main course (or a main ingredient in a dish)
Wednesday (Aaron's school night): Fast and easy
Thursday (Aaron's school night): Fast and easy
Friday (Aaron home): Something new
Saturday: Leftovers, stir fry, or pantry pickin's
Sunday: Crockpot meal


Worksheets to Make the Process Easier

Of course, I have nifty little papers to use for this process.

There are, of course, a LOT of neat menu list options... Google reveals more than you'd ever want. So, if these do not fit you, you might search for some others.


This week's assignment is begin a menu making system. As the weeks go on, revise it to your needs and make it your own. If you already have a system going, share with us. You rmethod may just inspire someone else.

Continue working through your routine. I am finding that I need to focus on just a little at a time. As I get the morning routine going smoothly, I'll begin to add in the afternoon and evening. Taking it small is the only way this is going to work for me. And thats ok. We have a entire year, after all, to make changes.

OYOL Report, Week Nine

Wow. This routine thing... it's hard. Seriously. But not hard in a "maybe a routine is just not right for me" sorta way. It's hard in a "this is my lifesaver and a must, but it's just so hard to change" sorta way.

I have decided to just focus on establishing a morning routine right now, for both me and the kids. If we can go an entire week, keeping to a good morning routine, we will be doing good.

Its just so hard to actually do anything besides doze in a chair at 6:30 a.m. while your kids veg in front of Oswald (which I find stupid), Little Bear, and Little Bill. Not when you're seething with anger and self pity at only getting 3... maaaybe 4... good hours of sleep that night.

You see, my "night's sleep" can really only count the hours I get before Faith wakes up for her night feeding. (No, I haven't trained her to sleep through the night yet... I'm needing those night feedings to ensure that baby G does not make its appearance)} So, for example... I went to bed at a decent 10:00 last night. Slept from 10:00 to about 3:00 a.m. That was a good five hours. The best I've gotten in a loooong time.

But Faith decided she wanted to be awake for the day. She played and giggled and cooed through her nursing session. I put her in bed. She cried. I let her go for a while, but then decided neither of us were getting any sleep. Got her up, did the whole go-back-to-sleep routine, put her back in bed. Repeat with the cry, etc. a few times.

At 5:00 a.m., my little girly was finally asleep and I crawled back into bed, knowing Aaron's alarm would go off in 45 minutes. Sure 'nough it did, and wouldn't you know... this would be the morning he did not turn it off in the first milisecond. It had to sing through its song much longer than I wished to hear it. Then came the interruption of his getting out of bed, his little noises as he got ready for work, his opening and closing the back door, his truck backing down the driveway.... aaaaaaand half a second later, the kids come spilling out of their room. See what I mean? Nothing counts after Faith wakes up.

And even though I got a good five hours, I am so far behind on sleep that it makes no difference at all. In fact, "good nights" like that only make it worse. Its like a tease to my body. It gets all excited that I'm going to give it the loooong 18 hour sleep it craves, and what do I do? I break its little heart.

Hmmmm... where was a I going with all this? Oh, yeah! The morning routine thing. So, yeah, we're doing good if I can drag myself around the house before 9 a.m. And yes, my routine does not have a time assigned to each task, but I really don't like letting the tv babysit my kids while I snooze. And I really should actually feed my kids a good breakfast instead of throwing an apple or banana or dry cereal at them while they're vegging on the living room floor. If I don't start the routine first thing, it doesn't happen.

So, that's my goal for now... focus on the morning routine.

I seriously canNOT wait for spring. The kids will play outside nearly their every waking hour. They will fall asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow, and they will sleep until 7:30 or 8:00. Sounds like heaven to me.

One Year to a {More} Organized Life, Week Nine

Wow.... week nine... the very last week of the cleaning/routine section of our quest to a more organized life.

By now, we've all had a week or two to attempt following a routine. I'm finding it both helpful and frustrating. Helpful because it's a push in the right direction, keeping me focused in my "squirrel" filled days. Frustrating because I have yet to have a perfect (according to the routine) day.

But I think the helpful is outweighing the frustrating. It's just going to take a lot of practice and patience. After all, following a routine is not a new habit. It is simply changing the habit I already have.

I have been following a routine for the last couple years of getting up in the morning and moping for a couple hours, then feeding and dressing hungry kids, then slowly cleaning up breakfast, and on the day would go.... with predictable mopey-ness. That was my routine. So I'm not creating a new habit. I'm changing the old, less healthful habit for a better, more God glorifying one. And changing habits takes time, patience, and repetition.

I have found a few things I need to rearrange on my routine, a few things I forgot to add, and a few things I should probably, realistically remove.

Now it's time to figure out when to do those things that are only needed once a month or once or twice a year.

Fitting in the Monthly, Quarterly, Semi Annual, and Yearly Chores

The first thing to do is decide what day you will perform these "sometimes" jobs. I chose to schedule in a Saturday once or twice a month where my chore focus for the day is the less frequent jobs that I most often overlook, such as vacuuming the bedrooms or changing the furnace filter. I chose this day because, most often these jobs are a little more involved than the daily ones, and Aaron is home to help corral kids, if I need it.

Once you know when you're going to hash out these jobs, you'll need to know what jobs and how often. Your list from week three should help you identify which chores get down how often. But how to keep track of them in an easy to follow way and know when you did what?

Well, I'm going to be honest with you. I really like to create my own charts, so that I have a complete "workbook" of my own by the time this year is over. However, I can not think of a better format than Crystal's over at Money Saving Mom. Her customizable Monthly/Semi Annual Cleaning List is perfect for this. So, until another idea comes to mind, that's what I'll be using.

So, the assignment for this week:
1. Figure out when you'll perform your less frequent chores.
2. Map out which chores how often.
3. Keep following your new routine.

I'd love to hear how you've incorporated monthly/semi-annual chores into your routine.

Next week, we'll be moving on to menu planning, grocery lists, and grocery shopping. Yay! (totally sarcastic)

OYOL Report

For some reason, I thought that posting a routine on my fridge would work a miracle and suddenly life would flow like honey out of a bottle. Well, that wasn't the case this week. It think it was more like a bottle of Heinz ketchup. It plopped out only when I gave it a firm thwack, and only one small blob at a time.

The kids have been cycling through colds this week, and I have been very tired, since at least one (sometimes more) child has been up several times in the night, completely miserable. So, I've done my best to follow the routine, but several things were not even attempted.

We did not do school this week at all. Cherith was so miserable Monday through Wednesday, so I knew it was going to be hard to get much out of her. Thursday and Friday, the littlest ones were dealing with their most miserable days, so I was busy dealing with them.

I did not get the kids' chore routine kick started either. If they were already in the habit, it would not have been that big of a deal for them to perform their tasks, even with a cold. But I didn't figure it was a good time to start a specific chore routine.

Despite the week being "off", I did notice how freeing it was for me to have a routine. It gave me guidance, and I think that is what I really need. As a kid, Mom was always there to tell me what to do next. I've sorta just floundered around as an adult. I have a hard time seeing life in small tasks. I see life as one big task and have no idea what to do and when. My routine is like having Mom hanging on my fridge, telling me what to do next. (Not that I always obey. lol.)

OYOL - Routine not workin' for ya?

You might look into having more of a daily time budget, rather than an actual routine.

When thinking of managing the time in your day, you could make a schedule, routine, or just a time budget. There is no rgiht or wrong method. The goal is simply to accomplish what you need to in a day.

Schedule - tasks done at a specified time each day; little flexibility

Routine - tasks done in a certian order, but not at a specified time; more flexibility

Time Budget - tasks done within a specified time limit (no more; no less); flexibility in structure, but not in length of time spent on any given thing.

One Year to a {More} Oranized Life, Week Eight

Time to report for duty.

Time for action.

Post your routine where you can easily refer to it throughout the day. Follow it.

Throughout the week, take note of what works and what doesn't. If something's not running smoothly, don't give up. Change it around and try it again.

Following a routine should reap less stress, more achieved, and more time for the important things... or so I'm told by those who follow one. Heh.

Next week, we will make any changes that are needed to our daily and weekly routines. Then, we'll map out what needs to be done monthly, quarterly, and yearly and how to fit it in.

Wanna tell us all how the routine thing is goin'?

OYOL Report

Bare Minimum: Eh. It's going ok. Most days I get to it. But the days that I don't pretty much put me right back as super behind again. This past weekend, when I was feeling sick and my husband was gone most of the day Saturday, I did not get to everything on the bare minimum for four days straight. Since then, I feel like I'm running on a treadmill. I'm going, even going fast, but I'm not getting anywhere. I'm hoping having a routine in line will help with that.

Kids' Chores: Nothing has changed on that. Once again... hoping a routine will fix that.

Daily and Weekly Routine: This was harder than I thought it was going to be. I've been without any sort of routine for so long, I wasn't even sure where to start, even with all the brainstorming we've been doing lately. But here's what I came up with.

I also put together a Master Battle Plan for playing ketchup catch-up, which you'll find along with my routine. When I get behind, which is more often than not, I feel so overwhelmed I don't know where to start. I literally cannot find a starting point. I see a huge mess, not a series of small messes. So this battle plan will actually be a huge help to me.

Here is a Word document version of my routine and battle plan charts, in case you want to edit them on the computer and use them yourself.

Household Management Notebook?

Have any of you ever put together a household management book of some sort? Have you blogged about it? Got any forms you want to share?

I'm going to work on putting one together. (Gotta have somewhere to put all my worksheets and forms. Ha ha.) And I'm looking for inspiration. If you'd like to share, leave a comment or email me with your link (or if you don't have a link, you can tell me about in an email). I may compile all the ideas into a post with links back to your blogs so others can get inspired too.

OYOL Help - Looking for a Financialy Well Organized Person

At some point during this One Year to a {More} Organized Life, the area of finances will be/should be covered. You know the whole budgeting thing and the whole bill paying routine system and how to file all things financial... yeah, that stuff. Thing is I am TO-TAL-LY lost on this one.

I know things should be organized. I know a budget is a good thing. I just have no clue how to begin. Basically our budget is... try your hardest to save money and to not needlessly spend... pay as many bills as possible with each pay check. And there you have it... our plain and simple budget.

So yeah... totally wanting to make changes on all this, but I have no clue where to start. If any of you just love all things financial or all things budget or whatever, and you wouldn't mind playing teacher, let me know. I would love to let you take over the OYOL postings during the finance time.

One Year to a {More} Organized Life, Week Seven

I am not feeling the greatest, so this is going to be short.

This week's challenge is to create a daily and weekly routine for yourself. Pull from all the brainstorming you've been doing. Make sure you assign a time of the day (does not have to be an actual o'clock time) for your bare minimum. Include other goals from your lists, as well, even if you know you may not always get to them. Your routine is not a list of "must do's", but a guideline of how a typical day should go. If you have chore aged children, schedule in when you will focus on their chores.

Here is my rendition of a routine chart. If you prefer a different format, you can also use:

Crystal's customizable PDF or her customizable Daily Docket

Organizedhome.com's Daily Checklist and Weekly Checklist

or create your own in Word or Excel.

For this week, just focus on trying to get something on paper. Next week, we'll start implementing the routines and see how they work. They can always be changed if things aren"t quite working as smoothly as should be.

As always, I'd love to hear how it's going. Anyone come up with any great ideas on kids' chores?

One Year to a {More} Organized Life, Week Six

Kids' Chores

This week's assignment may be super duper easy for some of you, if you already have your children doing chores. For others, this may be one of the hardest weeks yet. Those of you who do not have children, you get a break this week.

If you have children and do not already have a chore system set up, now is the time to get that started. Why?

1. You cannot juggle every ball of life by yourself. You need help. God gave you help in your children. No. They are not your slaves. Please don't treat them as such. They are your little helpers.

2. Your family is a team. You all work together to accomplish all the logistics of life.

3. It is your job to train your children to be responsible adults. It starts when they are young. We cannot expect our children to just know how to be responsible on their 18th birthday.


There are so many different ways to set up a chore system, from a very simple check list to an elaborate set up with various cards and rewards. Various resources are listed below that may prove helpful in this process.

What chores do I give my children?

Donna, from Positive Parenting 3.6.5, has a lot to say about chores. Scroll down toward the bottom to find lists of age appropriate chores.

Steph, from Alchemy Junk, has a fabulous Independence List for you to fill out for your children, to help you think through your goals for each one at their current age as they grow toward adults. This may help you figure out which chores are most important to focus on right now.

What kind of chore system works best for us?

Lots to choose from here...

Crystal, from Money Saving Mom, has a very simple chore chart available, that is completely customizable.

DLTK offers customizable chore charts, as well.

Homeschool Curriculum for Life offers premade charts. Just print and use. (Scroll down about halfway, choose your age group. This will take you to another page. Scroll down again, and choose your chart.)

Here is a chore chart you can use either online or print off.

If you wish to go more hands on than just a sheet of paper, you may want to try a chore card system.

This one is for sale from Rise&Shine, but looks very easy to duplicate yourself.

Such Treasures shares how she set up her own chore system using envelopes and notecards.

You could always make a flipbook of chores, as 320 Sycamore did.

Confessions of a Homeschooler offers free printables to create an elaborate chore system. This is actually the closest to the system I created this summer (pictured below), although mine is much simpler with fewer pieces.

An overview of chore systems you can purchase.

Accountable Kids looks like a fabulous program that would span through all ages and stages and changes. It's actually what I somewhat based my chore system off of.

Our Chore System

Our chore system took me four months to create, between all the interruptions and the procrastination. Unfortunately, after all the work I put into it, I use it only a few times a month. I told you I was no good at this consistency thing. I'm going to be working on figuring out when to assign what chores and then work on starting and staying consistent with the kids' chores.

I designed the cards in Photoshop and had them printed on a deck of cards when Artscow had a great deal going. For the pocket station, I used baseball card protector pages glued with a spray on adhesive to white foam board. I then mounted them in very cheap poster frames with the glass removed.

There is a row of three pockets for each part of the day: morning, afternoon, and evening. At the beginning of the day, all the chore cards start in the first pocket of each row. When they complete a card, they move it over to the second pocket.

When all the chores for that time of day are completed, they receive a privilege pass, which they place in the second pocket, in front of the completed chores. This privilege pass is the sign that their chores are done and they can now go play.

The third pocket of each row is for playing "Three in a Row", a game for re-enforcing good character or habits. For example...

Let's say Cherith needs to work on being more joyful, rather than complaining. If she demonstrates cheerful behavior during the morning, she receives an "I am joyful" card.

If she pouts and complains during the afternoon, she does not receive a "joyful" card. However, if she changes her attitude during the evening and is cheerful, she will receive a card for her evening pocket. So, at the end of the day, she has a "joyful" card in her third morning pocket and her third evening pocket. The third afternoon pocket is empty.

The next day, if she is joyful in the morning, she gets to keep her card in place. If she is not joyful, the morning card is taken away. Once she has successfully earned three joyful cards in a row (morning, afternoon, and evening), she will be awarded some sort of prize or privilege.

We do the same thing for other goals, such as keeping pants dry throughout the day. For non-character habits, we use the "I did it" card.

I originally thought I'd hang the cards, so I designed them with space at the top for a hole.

**The chore and character and reward cards are now available to print. If any of you would like better instructions for making the pocket station, email me. I can get them to you.**

The Assignment Nutshell

Decide what chores each of your children should do, and come up with a good chore system. Without some sort of system in place, no matter how simple, it is unlikely that chores will get done.

Next week, we will work on creating our daily and weekly routines to follow.

For those with kids, share with the rest of us about your chore system and link up below.

OYOL Week Five Report

The assignment for this week was to think through what needs to be cut, combined, or delegated. Here's what I came up with.

Cut:

• graphic design business because I cannot give it the focus it needs without stealing attention from my family and home.
• creating my own school curriculums for my children because I cannot keep up and that in turn will sacrifice my children's education.
• any business dreams of planning (for now) because there's just way too much that's more important in my life right now. The extra money would be nice, but God promises to supply our needs, and He is not leading in the direction of a home business for me right now.

Combine: 

• menu planning & fridge/freezer clean out
• bathroom cleaning & kids baths
• supper prep & kitchen clean up
• download photos from camera & online correspondence

Delegate:
 

1.To Cherith:

• Vacuuming (1x a week)
• Set table, Clear table, Rinse dishes (rotate these jobs each evening)

2. To Cherith and Daryn:

• Fold towels and washclothes (2x's a week)
• Put away laundry (anytime it's needed)

3. To Daryn:

• Unload dishwasher (every other day)
• Sweep/vacuum dining and/or kitchen floor (every other day)

My husband already takes care of the trash most of the time and helps TREMENDOUSLY with the care of the kids. He also maintains the lawn in the spring and summer, fixes little things around the house, and maintains the computers. That's all I'm asking of him for now. <smile> With work and school, he doesn't have a lot of room on his plate for more.

My mother in law also comes over every Monday, allowing me to run errands sans children. She also helps with dishes and laundry. I love her, and I think everyone needs one. <grin>

I'm realizing that I am actually very blessed with help. I am also realizing that I am entering into a new stage of motherhood. My children are not all babies anymore, and I am beginning to gain helpers. I kinda like that. Makes things seem a little less helpless. But it's going to take a lot of work and discipline and consistency to build up my little help system. <sigh> I'm not real good at consistency.

Parenting Suddenly Seems Simplified

I often get discouraged and overwhelmed at the thought of parenting, which isn't a good thing when you have four kids to parent. Ha. But there's just so much to teach them, so much to train them in, so many character traits to encourage them in, so many wrong behaviors to attempt to get them to give up.... where do you start? What's important right now for each kid? How do I keep my focus on training instead of getting frustrated when they're not perfect?

Melissa pointed me to the AlchemyJunk blog when I was searching for a goal tracker. While it was not the tracker I was looking for, I did find this amazing "Independence List". While I adjusted my list for my kids a lot and did not really use her list, I did absolutely LOVE the concept. Writing out my goals for my kids this year is helping so much.

I now look at my day as a day to help my kids take one more step in the direction of adult independence. Their own list gives me several things to focus on right now at their current age that will help them take steps toward becoming a responsibile and loving adult.

Here's what I put on each of my kids' lists for 2011 (no particular order):


Cherith, age 5 & 6

• Learn to read smoothly
• Spell name without asking "what's comes next?"
• Brush teeth well 2x's a day
• Learn to vacuum
• Visualize groups of toys during pick up time
• Set table
• Clear the table after a meal
• Speak respectfully to parents & other adults
• Think of others first
• Brush hair everyday
• Know Mom & Dad's phone numbers
• Rinse dishes
• Put away own laundry
• Fold towels & washclothes
• Get dressed, brush teeth & hair without being told

Daryn, age 4

• Dress self all the time (knows how... he just likes help)
• Keep pants dry everyday (he doesn't always like to stop playing)
• Learn to brush teeth well
• Pick up set of toys when done playing
• Control anger
• Say the entire alphabet
• Count to 20
• Unload dishwasher
• Maintain kitchen & dining floors
• Fold towels & washclothes
• Sleep in underwear

Ethan, age 2

• Stop, Look, & Listen*
• Stay in bed at night
• Pick up toys when done playing
• Keep to a meal/snack schedule (vs. snack all day)
• Drink water cheerfully

*We have a family rule that when you hear your name, you:
1. stop what you are doing and fold your hands
2. look at the person speaking to you
3. and listen to what they're saying


These lists have helped me see which chores I need to delegate to them. That way their chores are not only what they're capable of, but also correlate with my goals for their "adult training". If you're participating in OYOL and have kids, you might find this helpful as well. Or maybe it's just that I love worksheets. Ha ha.