Operation OrGaNiZaTiOn! Part 2

I have been working on my family binder this week and sprucing up a few areas as I go, but trying so hard to stay on task so that I can share ideas with you all along the way.   I really appreciate all of the feedback I've received regarding the ideas in the first post on organization and the binder.  I hope that you can put them to use and find the binder to be as helpful as I have for our family.

I did create a few documents of my own using the ones I found as a guide or re-vamping some of mine from the past.   I am going to include them in case you find them helpful too!

Monthly Calendar - I've only done January and February and will create the next 2 months by the end of January.   I will keep these in my binder so my husband and daughter can look and see what's coming up in our month.  I don't share my own planner with anyone :)

Click here for my Monthly Calendar

Weekly Calendar - This is a blank weekly layout that you can fill in with your own information should you choose.  I use mine to provide myself and my family with a quick snapshot of what we do routinely each week (ie. sports activities, classes, etc.).

Click here for my Weekly Calendar

Routines- This is a blank layout for your morning and evenings routines.  Things that you do each and every day (or hope to start doing routinely).  I love the boxes to check things off as I go...sense of achievement I guess.  This also lets you see where you might be falling short every day so that you can find a way to manage those things differently (ie. delegate!!)

Click here for my Routines

And lastly, the running to-do list I keep throughout the week when things pop into my head.  I also have one on my phone in case I think of something while I'm out.  I use this on Sundays when I plan my upcoming week and transfer the important ones to my planner for the week.  I use my planner as my daily checklist of things to do that are not routines.   I also date this to-do list because often I have things that don't make it to my week and so I look back a few weeks to make sure everything is transferring ahead when I plan the next week (hope that makes sense).

Click here for my To-Do's List


And here it is...it makes my heart sing...so sad, but so true!

Enough about the binder already, right?  

So on to our next chapter in this thing I call...

OPERATION

O r G a N i Z a T i O n

I know I said in the last post I wouldn't use the word 'cleaning', but....it's a must today.  I really do have some great ideas to share and have to use the dreaded word.  Hopefully you're feeling engaged in this process of de-cluttering and getting organized for 2012 and that word won't bother you so much.

I chose not to use the word in my binder and instead put the schedule under "routines" because I know myself and if it said "cleaning" as a tab, I'd never look at it.  But...."routine" that has a nice ring to it!  But in reality, we all need to do some cleaning, don't we?   Whether you're lucky enough to have a cleaning person or not, we still need to do some cleaning.   So...that being said, let's get to it!

I found these great printables from none other than Martha herself that I wanted to share.   She of course takes it to a different level, but they are a great guide.   The ones I use for myself are not this specified weekly vs. monthly because I tackle all of it somewhere in my week/month and don't want to be this rigid.

For instance, on my weekly calendar, I have that I do my "household" laundry one day...that's when I wash sheets and towels so therefore I must be stripping beds and I change out the towels in the bathrooms when I clean them.  

Her "6 Things to do every day" is great too.  I capture these in my morning or evening routines, but if you're struggling with what should go on there...use hers as your guide and customize it for you and your home.  She includes de-cluttering as you go, making the beds (it's amazing how good this makes you feel), sorting your mail, cleaning as you cook, etc.

Her weekly schedule goes deeper.  In my opinion, hers is geared towards someone who spends an awful lot of time at home and cleaning.  Not me.  I have 1 day for bathrooms, 1 day I vacuum (my husband vacuums on Sunday too...I'm very thankful for that) and dust.   Those are things that I allow 1 hour for.   It happens to be for me in the morning because my son goes to afternoon Pre-K, but you can fit it in wherever.  If it takes much more than an hour...I know I won't do it.     I also try to wipe down all counters as part of my morning routine, so really my bathrooms shouldn't be too bad.  I also really clean my kitchen counters and sink at least 1 day while I'm cleaning up from dinner.



When I do clean, I have a renewed excitement because of this...

This was a gift from my stepmother for Christmas and I have to say....one of the top gifts I received.  It is a basket with all of the ingredients for a "Green Cleaner" and a bottle already made.  I admit...I was skeptical because I've tried ten zillion cleaners over the years.  But....it's amazing.  I have yet to find a surface that it doesn't work on.  Here's the recipe....

And here's what Liquid Castile soap looks like...

And the essential oils...

Try it!  My granite counters look amazing, my windows are clear without streaks, my wood table now has no glue stick residue or stain marks and, I'm working up to it being my only bathroom cleaner.  I'm a germ freak so I have to ease into this one.   I do use it as my daily counter cleaner in the bathrooms, but I need to break out the chemicals for my weekly still.  I'll get there.

What I love most about this little bottle of heaven is the smell.  Funny story, the first time I used it I thought to myself, "this must be what they use to clean at the spa".  Then when I actually took a moment to read the ingredients I realized "no, it has lavender in it"...blonde moment.    The smell is phenomenal!

Here are a few others I found.

Pretty....right?  Mint and tangerine.  And what a pretty gift!

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Loving these designer labels...

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All common household items...  check it out because this site offers combos for all sorts of areas you might clean including your oven, drains, carpets, and even a rust remover.  All natural and green...pretty cool.

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A tub scrub from Martha...

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A glass/window cleaner...

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4 all-natural cleaners...

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If we just stick to what our ancestors used to use, we'd all be great.  Not sure why we gave into the manufacturer's trying to convince us that we need the fancy and expensive bottles (which are quite small) to clean things in our houses.  Especially the granite cleaner...ridiculously priced and to clean what, stone?  Really?  I'm hooked on my new greener cleaner!!!

And this is the note I'm contemplating leaving from now on...

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Because...

But...we keep doing it anyway!

Now, we've got our binder to lay out our plan of attack each week and provide us with a central spot to plan our lives and give us a way to stay on task.  We have our schedule of what to clean and when.  We have some green cleaner to make it less toxic for everyone and next...

We'll start de-cluttering and organizing each area of our home.  Here's what I have planned for the upcoming weeks ( in no certain order):

Kitchen

Playroom

Closets

Office

Car

Craft Room

Linen/Hall Closets

Garage

If you have another area that you feel you can't get ahead of...please email me so we can try to tackle it.  I am by NO MEANS an expert on any of the above, but I've been collecting great information and putting it to use in my own home, so hopefully I can share a few ideas.  If you have some to share, PLEASE SHARE!    We're all in this together.....

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