Flat Surfaces

My husband doesn't like to leave mail for the mailman on the mailbox overnight. And I usually get stuff ready to mail at night. That means I can't always get it ready, put it out, and be done with it. (I really like to only handle things once, so that would be ideal for me). I had some mail tonight and left it on the kitchen counter to put out in the morning. My kitchen counter was cleared off and I noticed that it would be easy to remember to put it out in the morning, because it was the only thing on the counter.

Oh, that it was always that easy. My bedroom is another story right now and it's hard to find anything. Every flat surface is piled too deep and we're spending way too much time looking for things. It's not worth it! We've all got better things to do with our time than looking through piles of stuff for whatever we might need at that moment. What can we do? Here's a couple ideas.

*Handle it once. When you're touching something, put it where it goes - file it, toss it, pay the bill, write it on the calendar - just don't stack it.

*Have a place to put your papers. You can use a filing cabinet, binders, filing containers, notebooks, whatever works for you, but make a place to put your papers - so you can put them there.

*Hole punch. If you're using binders, hole punch your stuff (or put it in plastic sleeves). When it's hole punched, it stays in place and won't be falling out to create another mess for you to sort.

*Make a time to file. I have people over for dinner almost every Sunday and it's great encouragement for me not to have papers all over the piano or counters. Find something that will encourage you to file and do it.

*De-clutter your flat surfaces. The more stuff you have on your flat surfaces, the easier it is to gather papers or other things. Remove your trinkets and items that can find a different home. You'll be surprised how much easier it is to keep clean.

*Decide what to do with magazines and publications. I have a basket for mine that I go through about every 6 - 12 months. (It's a pretty big basket). I have one magazine that I'm keeping indefinitely (my kids go through spurts where they like to go back and read back issues). I also have a stack of great magazines for cutting up, but I keep it to a manageable pile. I have one more magazine that I go through to cut out great pictures and the rest I throw when they are more than 6 months old. I can't keep them longer than that. And I'm never going back to them unless it's through the internet.

*Have places you put things. We like to keep track of our receipts in a computer program, so we have one place our receipts are put until they are entered. We have one place for invitations, tickets, and other things that are coming - we need the information, but the event isn't here yet. When it's there, we always know where to find it.

Create The Environment - It's Official

Create the Environment is the name of my new business and I'm now officially in business (my business license arrived in the mail this week!). Create the Environment is all about creating an environment that supports learning, growing, and living. I've got tons of ideas and lots to do and a whole new part of my life to organize!

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons and other lessons have been hard for me to figure out. We've moved around (different states) enough for me to have enough experience with different lessons to know what I like and what I don't. Everytime we take swimming lessons, I'm always hoping the teacher will just have my kids swim laps. But that rarely happens. I also like lessons to be 45 minutes to an hour - otherwise they seem too short. Currently, I haven't found swimming lessons that fit my criteria. They are all short - 30 minutes. It seems like you just get in the water before you're getting out.

So we decided to try a new approach to swimming lessons. We decided to buy a one month pass to our swimming pool and treat it like it was swimming lessons (as an added bonus it cost as much as swimming lessons for 2 kids - we have four kids). We committed to go swimming at least 3 days a week, with the option of going more days. Our kids committed to swimming their age in laps each time we went, and then they could play the rest of the time.

It has been fabulous! Everyone has become much better swimmers. It's not always easy to get ourselves to the pool, but we committed and we've done it. Most weeks we've made it four times a week. Our 2 year old has figured out how to use a life jacket and float on his back with it. He swims around by himself and especially likes to play at the "playground" in the water. Our 5 year old also figured out how to use a life jacket and loves to do the lazy river on his own, throw his goggles and swim after them, and swim back and forth on the bridge. Our 9 year old learned to "butterfly" (and is really good), has learned to swim her laps faster, and has almost learned how to do a handstand in the water. Finally, our 11 year old has become an expert at the weird things in the pool. He likes to swim around under the water and look at what goes on under the water. He has gotten lots faster at swimming his laps and even did 20 laps one day without stopping!

Organizing is about figuring out what works for you. When I couldn't find swimming lessons that worked for us, I figured out something that would. It has exceeded my expectations and hopes. With only one week left of our month at the swimming pool, we're working to fit more visits in, looking forward to summer when we can use our new skills, and excited for April when we'll have time for something new!

My Kids Yearly Jobs

A rotating job chart doesn't work for my family, because all the kids are at different stages and need different jobs to help them grow and help our family run. So every September, my kids get jobs for the year. Sometimes jobs change, and sometimes they stay the same. In general, these are the things they are supposed to do every day without being asked. They still usually have to be asked, but if other things come up, I'm allowed to add to their list of things to do. Every day, everyone has a breakfast, morning, lunch and dinner job. Once a week they have a laundry job, and once a month, my older kids make dinner (see my post a few down).

Here are the current jobs:

11 year old
Breakfast - Wipe off ALL counters and table, take out recycling
Morning (before devotional at 8:30) - Clean/wipe off bathroom counter, 1 daily morning job
Lunch - Wash dishes
Dinner - Wipe off counters and table, put away your age of things in kitchen, Clean up house
Laundry - Gather your room and the kitchen, Load washer, Bring up and put away empty laundry bags, Fold and put away your laundry and kitchen laundry
Once a month - Make dinner

9 year old
Breakfast - Wash dishes
Morning (before devotional at 8:30) - Check diapers and wipes EVERY DAY, 1 daily morning job Lunch - Put away food, wipe off all counters and table
Dinner - Put leftover food in tupperware, Clean up house
Laundry - Gather your room and the bathroom, Unload dryer, Empty lint, Bring clothes to living room, Fold and put away your laundry and towels that go in the hall
Once a month - Make dinner

5 year old
Breakfast - Put away food, clean up toys on kitchen floor or in the hall or entry way
Morning (before devotional at 8:30) - Put covers and pillows on chairs and couches, Put shoes in shoebox
Lunch - Clean up toys on kitchen floor or in the hall or entry way
Dinner - Clear dirty dishes, clean up with Dad, Clean up house
Laundry - Gather your room and mom and dad’s bathroom, Fold and put away your laundry

2 year old
Breakfast - Help clean up toys in kitchen, hall or entry way
Morning (before devotional at 8:30) - Help put shoes in shoebox
Lunch - Clean up toys on kitchen floor or in the hall or entry way
Dinner - Put away hotpads and put food in the fridge
Laundry - Gather your room and towel, Put clean clothes away in your drawer

Camping Checklist

By request, I'm posting my camping checklist. This is a list of everything my family needs to go camping. When it's time to pack for a camping trip, I print it, cross off anything we don't need and then we pack and go. It saves me tons of time because I don't have to remember everything involved in camping. After a camping trip, we evaluate and update our list if there's anything we wished we had.
*Tent
*Hammer
*Sleeping bags
*Matches
*Wood
*Newspaper
*Sink (tub)
*Roasting marshmallow sticks
*dish towels
*dirty clothes bag
*garbage bags (big and little)
*dish soap
*sponge
*knife
*cheese slicer
*can opener
*first aid kit (very important)
*lawn chairs
*mosquito repellant
*sunscreen
*pocket knife
*clothesline/clothespins
*camera/batteries
*water jug
*water bottles
*Uno
*tablecloth
*utensils
*wipes
*paper towels
*flashlights
*camping stove with propane
*lantern
*blanket
*whisk broom
*pitcher
*big bowl (mixing, etc.)
*hiking backpack (binoculars, water, bottle, extra film, trail mix)
*warm stuff in one place (sweatshirts, gloves, hats)
*something to put shoes on outside and inside the tent
*dining tent (if camping for more than one night)
*air mattress
*pump
*tarp for under tent
*salt and pepper
*spatula (for eggs)
*hot pads
*cooking spray
*scissors
*plates you can burn
*socks
*shoes
*dish towels
*rag towels (for wiping up rain)
*garbage bags for putting wet tent, etc. if it rains
*pots to cook in and boil water
*nebulizer/inhaler
*pens
*bathroom hand towel
*hatchet (cutting wood)
*small hand shovel (trench)
*bbq tongs
*gloved hot pad
*washcloth for wiping tablecloth
*cutting board
*aluminum foil
*ziploc bags (Big and little)
*rain gear

I Didn't Think It Would Happen To Me - Another Really Good Reason to Organize Your Life

Last night I was carrying a big laundry basket to the car and stepped off the curb wrong. I just crumpled and ended up with a really twisted, sore, hurting ankle. I've spent today laying on the couch with my foot up and surrounded with ice.

I've wanted to use my laying on the couch time well, so I've sent my kids looking for papers and notebooks I need to get things done while I sit here. Luckily, they've been able to find everything I needed, BUT not always because I could tell them right where it was. They are much more willing to help me when I know where things are and they don't have to look for them.

I never expected to spend today laying on the couch, but isn't life like that? We don't really know what will happen to us, or when it will happen to us, so it's best to be prepared as much as we can. Getting organized is a good way to get prepared!

Everything We Learn Is Helpful

Maybe this doesn't seem like it applies to organizing, but it really does. I just finished building my first ever website. (You can visit it at www.readyraceparty.com). I've probably spent 50 hours building it and 12 of those were today (a beautiful, sunny, spring day). It was hard, and it took SO much time. And there were lots of times when I just didn't know if I could really do this. But I WANTED to do it and I wanted to be able to figure it out. And somehow I did it (with some help and hints from my mentors).

I am so grateful to have all this new knowledge stuck in my head. And I'm so grateful for the all the stuff I've stuck in my head over my lifetime. All of it helps me figure out how to do things when I'm presented with new opportunities and challenges.

And so, to organizing. Start. Try. Tackle. Do. And as you work through it, you'll figure out how to do it and what works for you. And when you have figured it out, you'll be that much more ready to tackle your next adventure!

Dinner - Once a Month

I know dinner once a month doesn't sound like a lot, but I've finally figured out how it works for me. For years I have been trying to figure out the best way to help my kids learn to cook. They've helped me chop vegetables, cook meat, peel fruit, make sandwiches, cook eggs, and tons of other "little" things, but I wondered how they would ever learn to put a whole meal together. I've heard of people who have their kids make dinner once a week, but that wasn't going to work for me. I couldn't count on 2 days a week (I'm just worried about my older kids at this point) being home enough so they could have time to make dinner.

And so . . . last September we added a new job to their jobs - make dinner once a month! The kids check the calendar and figure out what day will work, and then they do it. We have had fabulous food - homemade chicken alfredo, tacos, hawaiian haystacks, potato soup, chicken noodle soup (homemade), homemade french bread sandwiches, and the list goes on. It's not too often so they are willing to do it. It has helped me a lot. On my days "off", I spend time with the little kids or work on my projects. My older kids have learned a lot about how much food they need to make, timing everything to come out together, and just what it takes to make dinner. My nine year old is making her own recipe container with recipes she has made. And my 11 year old is figuring out how many days you could potentially have between making dinners and still be on track (he says it potentially 61 if you have the right months and make dinner the first day of one month and the last day of the next month).

Banana Bread (we couldn't find the bread pan)

Chicken Alfredo with Vegetables

Books

Books are a big deal. If you have a library of great books, it's so much better than having a library of mediocre (or less) books. I believe it's better to have fewer books, than a bunch of dumb ones. I go through my books periodically and weed out all the books that don't have any substance. I can tell what they are because I don't like them when I read them, never want to read them again, or never would recommend them to my kids or anyone else. It's fairly easy with picture books, but I decided to do it with my chapter books too. I started going through my shelves and if there were books that I couldn't remember, I read them. It was very enlightening. I got rid of "James and the Giant Peach" (and a lot of other books I've never missed) that way. I just didn't like it enough to have it in my house.

P.S. It's good to have a collection of great books at home, but don't overwelm yourself with books. Most books only need to be read once or twice, so you might as well check them out at the library! (You won't need to sort them, dust them, organize them, move them, etc.)

Successful Project Day With the Kids

I just wanted to share a successful project day we had this week. Project days are Mondays at our house and the day to get stuff done that needs doing. This week the kitchen needed doing. While I cleaned the stove and microwave, my 2-year-old grabbed his rag and wiped the stove with me. My 5 year old went through the pencils and pens, sharpened them or threw out what didn't work. My 9 and 11 year olds washed the floor, baseboards and bottom cupboards. We spent about 45 minutes and got the kitchen clean! It was one of those happy days when everyone helps and you get something done that needs doing.