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Well, we’ve covered the Planner section and the Household section; now, we’ll peak inside my Family and Personal Sections.
The first division in this section is for my phone numbers, my quick lists. These are the phone numbers that I either use routinely or would want handy in case of emergencies: for instance, utilities and services numbers (the electric company, cable company, the police station, the DMV and insurance company, the hair salon, etc.).
Following the phone numbers quick list is my division for babysitter information. Many of these forms come from Listplanit.com. This section includes a quick list of babysitter phone numbers, a list of emergency numbers and procedures, our schedule and meal options, and some notes on discipline. This information allows me to have everything a babysitter might need without having to rethink it every time someone new comes to watch the kids. I hope it’s helpful for them; I know I love it.
Next comes the medical information. This section is rather new to my notebook, but I am wishing I’d started it earlier. Just this weekend I was able to put some of the information to use. First is a quick list of medical phone numbers. No matter what doctor we need, I have one place to look–a quick and easy system. I also have a form for tracking medications/reactions and a log of appointments (what tests were run, what the dr. said, when the next appt. will be, etc.)
“Celebrations” include forms for birthday and party planning (most of them from Listplanit), records of past birthday celebrations, and any upcoming holiday preparation. This section comes in so handy when I’m trying to remember how much we spent on birthdays last year or what this child received at the last party.
Travel lists includes the master packing lists for vacation and other short trips. I don’t use this section nearly as much as I used to, but when the children were infants and came with diapers, burp cloths, wipes, pack-n-plays, etc. it was so nice to have master lists for traveling needs–whether we were taking short day trip or a long car ride.
Last but not least, I keep track of any family/individual goals in this section. These goals will include both spiritual and physical areas of improvement that we have set out to accomplish at the first of the year. Again, the forms for this section come from Listplanit.
My Personal section includes my form for tracking Thank-you correspondence and other endeavors at hospitality, my blogging schedule, my “items loaned/borrowed” form, fitness/health goals, and other personal projects. Two handy forms in this section are specifically for planning events or meals. Again, these forms provide quick reference for what we did and what we ate previously (event planner), but they also allow us to evaluate what went well and what could be improved upon (event post-mortum).
And that pretty well sums it up. Hope you enjoyed the tour! And be sure to link up with your favorite household notebook posts.
If you are interested in more printables, you can check my list of forms or a list of links to other forms.
In my last post, I took you on a tour of my planner section. This time, I’m going to show you my Household section, which includes meal planning, grocery shopping, housework, and home improvement. Come take a look!
For my meal planning section, I have a printed plan from Plantoeat.com. This website allows me to import all of my web recipes to one location and then drag/drop them into a calendar format. You can also customize a grocery list from the menus you have chosen (but I haven’t had a chance to perfect that, yet).
Behind my menu plan, I keep my actual recipes. Because I do my meals in a 4 week rotation, I repeat a month’s worth of recipes throughout a season (spring/summer or fall/winter). So, keeping all of the recipes for one rotation is not only doable but extremely convenient for me. I’ve really enjoyed this arrangement.
The next divider in my Household section is for my grocery lists. Eventually, I’d love to be able to get my rotation and grocery list automated, but for right now I have a master grocery list that I’ve created from the items we purchase most frequently. I circle the items we have run out of and pencil in any extra items that are not on my master. This saves me time and makes my trip more productive since I do not have to rely on my memory. But it’s not fool-proof, and I am still working on perfecting this part of my system.
Though I am not couponing as much as I used to (the logistics of distance, time, and two small kids have severely limited its effectiveness), I have kept this section for “just in case” I get back in to it. Coupon policies and a form for tracking rebates were kept in the this section, as well.
Housework follows in the next division. In addition to my cleaning tickler and my regular routine, I keep a few handy cleaning checklists from Real Simple‘s website as well as another form from Life as Mom.
Last of all, under home improvement, I file magazine pictures and other ideas in sheet protectors. Many of these ideas have to do with organization–what I’d like my freezer to look like some day; what I envision for under my sink; etc. I do have a form for home improvement/organization as well (check under Printables); it’s just not currently in use.
That’s it for this section. I’ll take you to my Family and Personal Sections tomorrow. And if you are in need of forms or just love my Divider covers, check my printables for free downloads, or check my list of links.
I thought it was about time I shared what my household notebook looked like. I’ve had my notebook for over a year now, nearly two years actually; and it has been so helpful.
Proverbs 31:27 is my goal, that I will look well to the needs of my household. The Notebook allows me to do just that.
The first page of my notebook is a place for my husband to jot down notes or tasks for me. I love this arrangement! Whatever it is that he wants me to remember, he writes it down for me. This way, not only will I remember what it is he has asked me to do, but I can get the details right, too. And it prevents scrap notes from floating around the house.
The planner section is my favorite section. When I use it faithfully, my life runs very smoothly. As I’ve been developing my new routines, I haven’t been as faithful–and I can tell! It makes such a difference in my life when I have a planner.
For my calendars, I’ve been using Google Calendars, that way my husband and I can sync our lives together. What I want to do (and must confess I haven’t done yet) is print off this calendar a few months at a time and place it in my planner; I’ve learned that, although technology is convenient, I’m not as faithful on a daily basis with my technology as I am with a paper calendar where I can write those last minute details and events that come up.
In this section, I also keep my calendar tickler of family birthdays and anniversaries. I got the form from Listplanit.com, and I love it. It has been so helpful for keeping up with these dates.
I also love having a tickler of special sales that occur each year. For instance, organization supplies usually go on sale around the first of the year. Target typically has a clearance sale on baby items and kids clothes some time in February as a part of getting their inventory ready for tax time. I love being able to plan my purchases around these times of the year. And a tickler helps me to remember from year to year when those sales are going to occur.
After my calendars are my actual planner pages and my master schedule. These are forms I have created and are available under my Printables tab at the top of the page.
One more page that I like to keep at the front of my notebook is a reminder of what it means to be an abiding mom rather than “super mom.” Click the link or the image to download one for your notebook.
Over the next couple of days, I’ll be sharing other sections of my notebook. Want to link up? Share posts and ideas from your Notebook, Control Journal, or similar household management system.
The following is a list of links for household notebook forms. Not all of them are forms I have used, though a number of them I have found useful. If you have a favorite link that is not included in this list, please add it in the comments section. Enjoy!
Free Forms
Complete Books for Purchase
Forms for Purchase/ Site Memberships
The first challenge from the new 31 Days to Clean devotional was to craft a mission statement for my home. What should have been a Day 1 challenge ended up being more like a Week 1 challenge as I puzzled over the assignment.
I had a few words circling around in my head. During our recent “Clutter to Clean” class at my church, we’d been given the assignment to choose a few words that described what we wanted for our home.
“Perfect,” “formal,” and even “calm and soothing” were crossed off my list–I knew with a four year old and a two year old in tow, none of those words were even attainable, much less desirable. I was left with a few circled adjectives: “fun,” “functional,” “joyful,” and “energizing” were among them.
I loved those words. The more I rehearsed them in the different rooms of my home, the more I was convinced they were my words, my vision for my home. But crafting them into a statement of mission as Sarah Mae recommended in her book kept me staring at a blank page.
Failing on the first day–how depressing! So, I broke the assignment into baby steps. I had my words. Now, what did that look like in my home? How was I going to make my house functional, and what was it’s function anyway? What would it take to make it energizing? Slowly, the thoughts started rolling and my mission statement took shape.
I will keep an ordered home…
to provide a functional space that allows us the freedom to serve others well.
I will keep a clean home…
to energize and renew my family in their tasks.
I will keep a joyful home…
to cultivate a safe place to learn, grow, and become.
Now, as if the crafting of the statement was hard, I actually have to try to accomplish the mission. Pray for me as I head into Week Day 2 of the challenge. I have a feeling I’m going to need all the prayer and support I can get.
- Want to find your own words? Check out the book The Family Manager Takes Charge, or preview it at Google Books (list is pg.7-8).
I’ve added a new page to my household notebook, and I thought I’d share it with all of you. I’ve scheduled my regular maintenance housework into three or four 5 minute frenzies: one in the morning, one to two in the afternoon, one in the evening.
I’ve also scheduled a few frenzies for the kids and a few that we can all do together. What is not on the chart are the frenzies for cleaning their rooms; that’s an “as needed” item. Some days we need more than others.
Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out how to make this editable yet, but I’m hoping that perhaps it will, at the very least, inspire you with some ideas of your own.
- Click on the image to preview and download the routine.
- Click here for a list of other notebook forms.
I have found more great sites with free forms for your Household Notebook.
Though this site sells some planners, it also has several basic forms for free! Free Printable Household Templates to Download | The Household Planner.
For just daily planner and to-do pages, check out this link and this one, too. I printed off a few and laminated them to put on my fridge. I use my fridge list for special projects beyond my regular to-do list.
I’ve also updated my To-do sheet to spread household cleaning through out the week, a-little-a-day method. I used this system before when I was working, but when I started staying home, I tried to switch to a one-day-a-week major cleaning day. Though that method works great for some people, I finally have had to stop forcing myself to try to be “some people” and have gone back to what I know works for me. I have an area that I maintain everyday (the kitchen), and then I tackle the rest of the house one chore at a time.
Another form I’ve worked on this week is a household tickler form. I’ve been wanting to create a tickler for literally years and just finally got around to it. Major household tasks that cycle around two or three times a year go on this 12 month tickler sheet. Of course, as I start using it, I’ll probably find a number of things I can add. But at least I have a starting point. Some tasks include switching out seasonal clothes and sorting through them to donate, as well as when to schedule dentist and doctor appointments. Enjoy!
- For more forms, check out my Printables page.
- Also, many of my forms are created using OpenOffice. If you have trouble viewing some of the forms, you might try downloading this free software. And let me know that you are having trouble so that I can correct the problem.
The holidays are upon us, and unfortunately, that doesn’t always bring a sense of cheer. The dread of dinners and decorating and dismal hours in the shopping mall may steal more than just your joy. Very easily, our focus on the reason for these upcoming events is lost in the cyclone of preparation.
But, if you’re like me, always looking for ways to organize the chaos, then you’ll love Organizedhome.com’s Christmas planner. From budget sheets and party planners, to countdown calendars and Christmas card lists, this site will get you back in the spirit. One form even allows you to think through what you want to achieve this holiday season, what worked and did not work last year, and how to improve your celebrations this year. There are journal forms for recording this year’s memories, as well as forms to help you pack it all away. Best of all, the printable forms are free!
Last year was my first year to use this resource, and I loved it. Even my husband agreed it was a tremendous help in allowing us to enjoy the festivities rather than becoming overwhelmed by them. And keeping the flurry organized gave us a better chance to give and reach out to those around us.
But hurry, the “countdown calendar” is already counting down!
A terrific little website to help your family get organized is Cozi.com. Whether you prefer to get organized in a notebook or on the computer, this website has options that will work for you. The calendar and to-do list options are very user-friendly, and the site offers lots of opportunities to customize with photos, journal entries, recipes and grocery lists, and more. The family calendar can be accessed via your computer or phone. You can also print the calendar or to-do lists. A feature on the website also allows you to sync the information with your Microsoft Outlook account at the office to get every one in your family on the same calendar page.
Best of all, everything about this resource is free! Check it out and have fun getting organized.
Probably the most beneficial section of my notebook has been the planner, and second to it, my calendar/tickler section. No CEO or professional would attempt to run their business without a planner of some kind. And yet, we frequently scramble through life without a clue as to where we are going or how we are going to get there. I may have a long list of to-dos, but I have no feasible plan to accomplish them. The end result is a defeated feeling by bed time because, in spite of a day crammed full of activities, it still seems that I got nothing done.
The greatest motivator is a sense of accomplishment, and that wasted feeling at the end of the day might not be exhaustion, but discouragement. Everyone needs to feel that something, no matter how small, is getting accomplished. One suggestion for more energy: rather than another cup of coffee, tackle something–anything–on that to-do list. How? The Planner. Read the rest of this entry »
