I am probably more organized than a lot of people, but I'm really not the most organized person ever. I have a system of doing things, but it doesn't include labels (except for on stuff that is in big storage bins) or multi-color dry erase boards. The truth is that sometimes my closets get a little cluttered. Sometimes I will let three weeks go by before dusting the second floor. The desk in my front room has been known to collect a small pile of papers on occasion. I don't sweep the kids crumbs from the floor around the kitchen table every day. In fact, some days I don't wipe the table off until we are ready to eat dinner! Our computer desk has a glass top, which shows ever smudge imaginable, and I only wipe it off once a week. No one is perfect. Everyone needs to let things go every now and then, but I try to keep up with most of the household needs on a regular basis. While it may feel like a lot of work at first, it's really a lot less work to maintain a clean and organized house (and lifestyle) than it is to start from scratch repeatedly by taking on massive clean-out projects. I always prepare for the work/school week in advance, and I never skip out on cleaning tasks for any length of time. The most important thing, in my opinion, is finding your own perfect system with just the right level of intensity. So here is what I do. You can take from it what you want:
- Lists, lists, lists. Does this surprise you at all? Lists are so useful for keeping track of things...unless, of course, you misplace or misuse lists and they end up scattered amidst the rest of the clutter in your house! I have three lists on my fridge at any given time.
- My grocery list, which I add to as I see that I am running low or out of any items.
- My seasonal cleaning list - a list of things I need to do for spring or fall cleaning, like wiping down the floorboards, washing the windows, cleaning out the china closet - things you don't do on a weekly basis, but still need to be done regularly.
- My weekly cleaning list. I actually have two lists that I have in a Word document on the computer. Some tasks I do every week, like cleaning out the kitchen sink, cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming and mopping the first floor, etc. Other items I do every other week, like changing the sheets, dusting the second floor, dusting the blinds, etc. I have printed out a few months worth of lists and I alternate which one I am using. I also hand write any additional tasks that need to be done on the list throughout the week, like "buy so-and-so's birthday gift." I don't wait until the weekend to tackle the weekly cleaning list. Instead, I try to do a little each day, and cross it off as I go. That way, I only have a few things left on the weekend to do and I'm not a slave to cleaning every Saturday and Sunday.
- I keep cleaning supplies handy. There are paper towels, rags and spray bottles in both bathrooms, in my kitchen and in the game room, so that I don't have to go looking for anything when I need it. That way, if I am all the way in the attic and I suddenly feel like I need to spritz and wipe something down, I don't have to go all the way down to the first floor. No excuses, the supplies are right there, the cleaning is done quickly and painlessly, and it's done before I walk away and forget about it, which lately is becoming more and more of an issue!
- I do laundry almost every day. Really, laundry is something that should not pile up. It's not time consuming at all, if you do it right. Hell, the machines to all the work! You just have to wait for them to be done. I throw a load in the washer before I go to bed and then toss it into the dryer when I get up and fold it when I get home from work. Or I'll throw a load in the washer when I get home from work, into the dryer before I go to bed and fold it in the morning when I get up while I wait for my coffee to kick in. Folding laundry is something you can easily do half asleep. I've proven this many times over!
- On Sundays I iron outfits for school and work for both of the boys and for myself. That way I am not trying to figure out what to wear in the morning during the week. Sometimes I will do 2 weeks of clothes for Andrew at a time, because he has that many clothes, and then it's 7 less outfits to iron the following week. Plus, then I know that I am rotating and wearing out all of his clothing equally. I only iron Jake's school uniforms and my work clothes. Leisure clothing for the two of us can either be worn wrinkled or ironed as needed!
- Each night before I go to bed, I lay out clothes for all three of us, as well as any accessories we may need. I pack lunches, and place anything that we need to take with us on the kitchen counter so I don't forget it. I also program the coffee pot. There's nothing worse than trying to coordinate scooping grounds and pouring the water, then waiting for your coffee in the morning!
- As for lunches, I prepare as much of them on Sundays as I can as well. I make myself 5 salads and put them in Pyrex bowls. I cut up 5 days worth of fruit and veggies and put them into travel containers or baggies for myself and the boys too. Sometimes I make a double batch of hummus and divide it among little containers too. Depending on what the "main dish" is, I may or may not be able to prepare it on Sunday. I can always prepare it the night before, though, and the "night before routine" has repeatedly proven to be one of the best habits I have. On the days that I found an excuse not to prepare before bed, I am rushed in the morning and I inevitably forget stuff.
- Before I go grocery shopping, I clean out my fridge. It's an easy way to survey our needs. It keeps the fridge clean, and it helps cut down on waste, because I can easily see what food we have to eat. I decide on three or four meals for the week and write them on a chalk board in my kitchen. I make my grocery list based on my meal plan. After I make the meals, I erase them from the board. This prevents buying stuff that I don't need (and therefore end up wasting), helps us maintain healthy eating habits, and keeps me from wondering what to make for dinner. Sometimes I don't remember what I planned for or what I have ingredients for. I look on the board, see what I have to choose from and viola! Dinner!
- 3 ring binders can be your friend. I use them to hold recipes, the kids archived artwork and school projects, etc.
- Donate! Donate! Donate! I clean things out on a regular basis. I am always going through closets, cabinets, clothes, desks drawers, and toys. If I haven't used something in 6 months or over several seasons, I toss it. When I get out my seasonal clothing, if I didn't wear something all winter last year, it gets donated. What's the point of holding on to something that you aren't using? It's just taking up space, collecting dust and maybe someone else can use it. Nothing feels better than getting rid of stuff, in my opinion! I regularly clean out our desks and closets, reorganizing them and wiping the shelves. It not only feels good to get rid of things, it also helps avoid waste too. I can easily see what I have and what I need. It keeps me from buying stuff that I don't need an ensures that I use the things I have.
- Designate areas for your things. I have an art supply cupboard in my dining room for the boys. All of our games and old kid stuff is in the closet in the game room. The dresser and closet in our spare bedroom are for our seasonal clothing. Everyone has varying amounts of space, but everyone has the ability to organize. It's just a matter of how.
- Every year in December, I get a daily planner. I still prefer the old fashioned paper and pencil kind. I go through it, write down every birthday, holiday, early school closing, vacation, etc that I know of. I carry it with me like my long lost twin sister. When anything new comes up, I write it down immediately. If I don't write it, I will definitely forget it.
- Some things I do every day, out of sheer habit - putting away toys at the end of the night, cleaning off my kitchen counters, scooping the cat box, sorting through mail and the kids school papers. Why let stuff pile up? If you do these things a little each day, then the house stays relatively clean, stress levels stay low, your mind is clear, and really, what's better than that?!
And that's pretty much my routine in a nutshell. What do you do to stay on top of things? Do you think I'm crazy or are you more organized than me? Do you have any suggestions to fine tune my routine?
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