Organized People

Hi! I 'm in the same boat! My friend gave me a website called the Fly Lady the address is http://flylady.net/index.asp She says it's very helpful. I haven't had a chance to really look it over, but my friend swears by it and says it's made a huge difference in her life. You might want to check it out. I would also get your kids involved. They're old enough to do different things around the house. Good luck! Hopes this helps.

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Everyone else is right, Flylady is a great site to help you get more organized.

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Try www.flylady.net it is an interesting site with some helpful tips about areas to clean each week and doing things like going through your house and throwing away 27 things. For me, I have found repetition is the best way. It sounds a little boring, but it works... on Monday do this, on Wednesday this, etc... and when you use something, put it away. If you don't have time to do it now, you won't have time to do it later. And, another theory our family has adopted (mostly the parents) is to minimize. How many dishes do you really need? And pens and pencils? Most of it ends up being clutter that falls over and clutters your life. One bottle of detergent. One multipurpose cleaner. You get the point. Good luck! LEt me know if you want any more tips... most of my friends say I am obsessive about this sort of thing! :)

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Hi J.,

I am also a SAHM who homeschools. I have struggled with organization and cleaning my home for years! I have a few favorite gurus to help you!

www.flylady.net for keeping the house clean

Dave Ramsey for financial peace. You can catch him on am 1310 from 1-4 daily, on Fox Business news channel at 6 pm or on his web site where you can listen to the radio show at www.daveramsey.com

TiVo a few episodes of the organizational shows on HGTV. You will get some great ideas. I have found that it takes a little bit of investment to organize. You must buy some bins, boxes, shelves, and other organizing stuff.

I also have spent years asking questions and observing the habits of my friends who don't seem to have to think about keeping the house clean, it just seems to keep itself clean.

Many people will tell you to just let it go. Focus on your kids. Blah, blah, blah.
The fact is that if it is bothering you, you need to figure it out or you won't be able to focus on your kids. I have discovered (and my family has, too) that if the house is clean, then mommy is happy, and life is pleasant in our home.

Good for you (and them) for getting those kids involved! These are lifeskills that will serve them always!

One of the things I learned from flylady is to have routines. We have a morning routine, and afternoon routine, and an evening routine. We have lists that remind us what to do for each so that things run smoothly.

It is a process...

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Try www.flylady.net. She specializes in this! And she also has a financial organization program! (And it's all free!)

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Boy do I have a solution for you!! LOL.
I am so excited, I've been telling everyone about this website. It's called www.flylady.net. Flylady is about getting things organized and good habits developed. She talks about developing a morning routine (which includes getting dressed to the shoes as soon as you get out of bed so you feel ready to do something and then immediately making your bed). She also seperates the house into ZONES. There are 5 zones and each week you focus on decluttering and cleaning one zone. Each job takes about 15-20 mins and she says, BABY STEPS! She talks a lot about decluttering for only 15 mins a day in the current zone too. I've found that it's amazing how much you can get done in 15 mins. I even set a timer. There's a lot more information on the website, but that gives you a little idea about it. Since I've started "flying," my husband has been soooo happy. The house looks fantastic. I have two little boys under three years old and I feel good about myself, proud of what I've accomplished and I no longer live in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)lol. The best part about it? It's free. She charges no membership fees, nothing. The information and routines are there for whoever wants them. The website has a LOT of info on it and it can be overwhelming at first, but trust me, it's worth it. I can not reccommend this system enough. It's totally transformed my life. When you get to the site, start with the link that says "Flying Lessons." that should get you started the best way. Good luck!

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I'm still trying to stay organized after 49 years!!! Decluttering helps A LOT! Try a schedule of which day you do floors, dust, etc. Be done with dinner dishes by a certain set time, and try to stick to it...It's difficult. Let the kids help. Set up an awards chart. Dusting, vacuuming, dishes, etc can earn so many points and then maybe a special treat at the end of the week...ice cream? or have a grab bag filled with stuff...a deck of cards, hair scrunchies, etc.
Containers that roll under the bed and serve as storage for toys, or even off season cloths. I like bins in my bath room, under the sink or in the linen closet. They hold everything from extra Q-tips to toothpaste.
As for FINANCIAL!!! Well, the one thing that REALLY help me was FINCANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY by Dave Ramsey www.DaveRamsey.com. It is easy to read or the DVD and CD's are great. It is a simplistic approach to gaining financial freedom. Good luck!

One of the best organizers I have ever heard speak was a professional. You can email her to get her monthly email newsletters at: ____@____.com sure to ask her for the past newsletters from Jan, Feb and Mar. She started a great organizing plan in Jan.

I am just starting it so I am going back to those newsletters myself.

I also have several short books on the topic. If you are interested in the titles, let me know.

organized I am not! ;-) but have found a wonderful website that has helped me immensely! Flylady.net
funny you say you want to be a blessing, that is this lady's whole premise, to bless our homes, our families & ourselves.
God bless you & yours,
L. F

Check out this website: www.flylady.com
It is awesome and gives great tips on how to organize your life so that it is more manageable.

Good luck!

L. :)

hi, J.!

there is a great book called "managers of their home" by steve and terry maxwell. they have a website www.titus2.com where you can check out their resources. they are a pretty conservative homeschooling family of several (6 I think) children. it is all about putting together a schedule for yourself and all of your children in a prayerful manner. they also have a chore organizer that is a true blessing. you can be as flexible as you want or as 'strict' as you want in your scheduling. the book consists of all types of personalities and testimonials from families who have adopted their method. it even includes several real schedules from their original 'test families.' whatever you choose to do, give it a while to work, don't get too discouraged if you try something for a week and it isn't working. keep at it and tweak it when necessary! good luck!

G.

Boy do I have some ideas! I am a professional organizer and I am passionate about it on many levels. I think being organized is about a healthy approach to living. You mentioned finances, and being financially responsible and being organized go hand in hand in so many ways. Discipline just flows from one area to another. I would be happy to email you a handout I give at my organizing presentations with some basic principles of organizing. And if enough people email me with interest, I would be happy to give a presentation to those of you in Arizona. Like I said, I'm just very passionate about it and love helping individuals find peace and order.

The biggest piece of organizing advice I can give you is to DECLUTTER and let go of things. This is beneficial financially as well. I tell my clients that I can only work with them if they are ready to let go of things. It's extremely liberating to let go of stuff once you get started, not to mention the people who can truly benefit from our clutter. Also, people tend to spend way less money on frivolous things once they realize that what they’re about to buy may well end up in the declutter pile in the near future. And you won't go out and buy something you already have, because you'll know where to find it once you're organized. I recommend checking out www.flylady.net (for routines and organizing/decluttering help) and www.daveramsey.com (for motivation to become debt-free and a cash only system that works well for many).

As far as finances go, my biggest piece of advice is to track your spending for at least a few months so you can create an accurate spending plan (also known as a budget). I personally use an excel spreadsheet that I made the first year I was married that covers EVERYTHING we spend from presents to vacations to monthly expenses and investments. There are also many other programs out there like that. I tracked our income and everything we spend, then made a spending plan based on that. We make sure we pay savings, 401(k) and bills first and have it automatically taken out. I'm an advocate of e-bills--it's quick and helps make sure bills are paid on time and it makes savings easier when it's automatically taken out, eliminates paper clutter, not to mention the trees you're saving. I keep this spreadsheet on my Palm Pilot and write down everything we spend in it. It automatically calculates and adds everything up for me. My husband and I sit down every few months and look at the averages of what we spent the last few months and see how well we're keeping within our spending limits we've imposed on ourselves. If we're spending over in a certain area we make the necessary changes. Sometimes we decide to be more disciplined and buckle down, and sometimes we decide we want to allot more money to a certain category, which means we have to take it from somewhere else. When it's reduced to an equation, it makes being disciplined a little easier because you can't argue with numbers. You earn what you earn and the spending simply needs to be less than the income. I've written an essay on this very topic about my own experience and struggle with facing the cold hard truth when my husband started making less money when he went back to school. But then I realized that ignoring the truth (numbers) was only denial and not helping anything. It all comes down to choices and we can choose to be disciplined and experience the freedom and peace that accompanies. This applies to everything in life, and it's completely up to us!!!

I wish you luck and I know you can do it! Please email me if you want any more information or help.
T.,
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I had to sit down and make a list of everything that I need to do to feel that my house is in order and since your kids are all older than my 3 you could have them help you-as part of their studies (I was homeschooled & when we needed a brain break Mom would have us do some kind of cleaning chore).
As far as the financial organization I print out a monthly calendar each month and write my bills on there. Say the phone is due on the 16th then that's where that goes along with the amount due and then every fri. (when my Dh get's paid) I put that amount in and so I can track what we spend on the back of the paper...which sadly is easy enough b/c he's making just enough to pay the bills. Hope that helps. And pat yourself on the back for homeschooling your kids! That alone is blessing enough & they'll all realize that once they're parents themselves. And I'm sure your husband appreciates you doing what is best for your kids.

Hi there-
Sounds like you have a lot of great advice already-
just one more thing...
What works for someone else might not work for you. I would suggest tweaking your routine until you find what works, then just as you get if figured out, it will change because your kids will get older!
Right now I find that I have to set aside one day to cleaning, laundry and the paperwork details, etc. If I miss my day (Mondays) I'm in trouble! The rest of the week is too hectic between working, and running the kids to and from activiites, and church stuff. My husband is a pastor so we keep extremely busy. When my children were younger, I found that doing a little each day kept it more manageable.
Of course we keep up daily with daily chores, making beds, feeding animals and cooking and cleaning, and the kids do their laundry and the majority of their chores on Sat.
I have people in my house usually 4-5 days each week, so I have to stay on top of it.
Books by Emilie Barnes have been a great help to me. You could probably google her name to find some titles.
Good luck.

check out flylady.net There's a lot of information on the website, just take it slow.

I am a very disorganized person and homeschool my children too. A friend told me about flylady.net and I have loved doing her babysteps to get things done. I hope that this website helps you too. It is free!

H.

J.... some of the others are right on: www.flylady.net

I am a local moderator/ mentor and joined in 2001 after quitting my job to stay at home. I was a neatnik that couldn't get something right.

I would highly recommend her book Sink Reflections to get started ... and DON'T DIVE IN! Take your time, baby steps.

If you've got a 7, 12, and 14 yr old in the house THAT'S your organizational team. And 4 yr olds can fold clothes and put in their drawers.

Give them each a corner of the house, or a room and work with them for one week to get a pattern for organizing. I was a single mom of two small children working 3 part-time jobs and going to school full-time to finish my BA. If they had not helped me I would not have made it. Today they are competent, able-bodied people with clean homes and both can cook better than I can!

If you're home-schooling AND doing the housework something is wrong. Why can't part of homeschooling include "home economics?" My adult children complain to this day about their friends who had to drive 200 miles on the weekends from college to have their moms do their laundry. In order for our children to become independent that means taking care of their "daily bread chores" as well as their academics.

Just my two cents. Good luck!
PS: I homeschooled for a few years as well and that takes organization. The kids should not have any problems grasping household organization from you.

Hi J.,
tips from an ex-teacher:
1. keep things together - classify similar items and put them in the same place.
2. keep things separate - have boxes/drawers/cupboards/shelves/files so that you don't have everything jumbled together somewhere.
3. a place for everything and everything in it's place - make sure everything has a logical and convenient place that it goes back to immediately after use (like keys on a hook or shelf by the door). Keep a "miscellaneous" drawer for everything that doesn't have a place, but don't keep it too full! (P.S. I really like the stashbox idea on meckmom.com)
4. label - if you find it hard to remember where everything goes, you could try labeling its box or shelf or whatever. It might look a bit anally retentive, but if you get artistic and paint (or buy) pretty labels with pictures, it can look OK. It also really helps with letting other people in the household know where stuff goes.

I find the downside to this is that other people can really stuff this up if they don't follow number 3, and they so often don't! Plus, although it's really simple and time-saving to BE organised once you've started, it takes time to GET organised to begin with. I don't suppose you have much time!

I'm not naturally organised, but I found these steps helped a ton when I had little space, little time, and a lot of stuff to keep track of. Good luck!

OK, I WISH I were more organized (I used to be a super-organized perfectionist until I had kids--LOL), but I can refer you to some people that are: try meckmom.com -- she has some great and easy/simple ideas for organization. I traded in my complicated work charts for kids for her simple sticker idea. I also gave my mother-in-law a book (when she was lamenting the clutter in her house) called "Confessions of an Organized Homemaker." While I'm not sure if she ever read it, my sister-in-law picked it up and read it and she said it's completely changed her life. Of course, she is much braver than I am and went on a total rampage around her house and threw A LOT of things away. I tend to be more of a packrat, although I have learned to throw many things away. It's amazing how much time and energy we spend on our "stuff" we collect. I always wonder how people long ago survived life without the modern conveniences, but then I remember that they really didn't have so much STUFF to take care of. (Laundry is a lot more simple when each person only has 2-3 outfits. I have a washer, but do 8+ loads a week... which life is easier? Hard to tell sometimes...)

From experience, it seems like the upfront work of organization is the hardest and most time-consuming. Therefore, sometimes it's hard to get past that point. The time you spend "organizing" seems to result in bigger messes and being more behind. It might pay to hire someone for one or two days upfront (see if there are any young girls in town that would want an after-school job temporarily or something) to either help keep you on top of mundane tasks (dishes, vacuuming, sweeping, bathrooms) and/or to help with the kids while you organize and plan other aspects of your home and schedule. However, you also have older children (I'm getting there... but not quite) that are probably more than capable of helping with those things as well. Make sure they are all aware of what you're doing--might be good to start with a family meeting and goals.

If scheduling is a big headache with everyone's activities, try airset.com It is free and will send you email reminders. You can set up different calendars for different groups (family, personal, work, friends, clubs, whatever), and you can also see a "merged" view of everything to avoid scheduling conflicts. There is also a place for checklists, a blog, and much more. For finances, we use a financial computer program (Microsoft Money--although many people use Quicken--I think they're very similar) and as long as I stay updated on it (ha ha ha) it is great for budgeting, etc.

Good luck! I'm going to have to check your posting to see if there are any good ideas for me!

J.,
I also homeschooled my 4 kids from kindergarten to eighth grade. One of the things I did to keep the house neat and clean was to give them 15 minutes of chores every morning. We had it broken down to glass, vacuum, dust and bathrooms. Each child had a week. They worked their job every day for 15 minutes and then we ate breakfast together. It was wonderful--because the house could never really get that dirty if you did it every day. Then I woud just "spot clean" when I saw something major needed to be done (mopping etc.) Their ages were 4,4,6,&8--until the oldest got into 8th grade. (They are never too young to learn how to clean. Great life skills!) I also taught them to bbq, cook and do laundry. They enjoyed it and so did I !
Good luck!
K.

J.,
I have been so blessed to have heard about FlyLady.I have been using her system for several years now and have been able to do babysteps to get my house clean, uncluttered, and company ready. We have 6 boys, 4 of whom still live with us, and 5 foster children 6 and under. I also homeschool one of my teenagers. On top of that I have a bome business. Check out www.flylady.net. They have wonderful ideas and you can sign up for e-mails to remind you what to do and to encourage you. It's all free!
Blessings!
J.
www.homebasedabundance.biz

Hi J.

I homeschool as well.... I'm not as experienced as you are because we just finished Kindergarten w/ our first born. My degree is in education so I love to teach...... so one thing that has worked for me in the past is to choose a cleaning task to do each day of the work week. For instance do your dusting on Mondays, shopping on Tuesdays, vaccum & mopping (I don't sweep so when I vacuum my tile I try to mop it as well) & then bathrooms on Fridays. It may take a little getting used to because your house isn't all clean on the same day, but it works.... also make sure the house is picked up before the kids go to bed. My hubby & I do that & it really helps in the morning when the house is already picked up & we don't start the day w/ a mess. If you haven't already, give your kids jobs that they can do to learn how to keep a house. I have heard that if your kids have chores at home they will end up learning how to be better leaders in the world because they started w/ responsibilities at home. As far as financial organizational goes.... my hubby pays for most everything on line so you save time writing checks & save $$ on stamps & envelopes. Most banks will send checks for you to the places you owe.... also pay off your dcredit cards at the end of every month & try to get out of debt... that will simplify any finacial problems.... Hope this helps. We put all this into practice & I feel that our house runs smoothly w/ 3 small girls.... 6, 4, & 2.
Blessings, C.

I'll be checking back here to what others have to say. I am the mom of three, homeschooling my oldest officially. One tool I love is the planner pad: http://www.plannerpads.com
I love that I can put work related, home related and school related stuff all in one place. I'm also a list maker and this let's me make my lists all in one place. I'm sure this planner is not for everyone, but I love this one and it is affordable. You could have a column for each kid and then one for house, menu, whatever.

Also, make sure your kids are helping with the household chores. You shouldn't be working yourself to death! They are all old enough to do a LOT and you can oversee that. Even meals.

Are you planning a weekly or monthly menu? Knowing what's going on for mealtime is a HUGE time saver. So is the crockpot. Doing meal prep in the morning and having it be ready at dinner time is wonderful. I use mine on days we take field trips, have late appointments, or just in the summer when I don't want to be standing over a hot stove at 5pm.

That's all I can think of for now.

Hi. I see that you have been flooded with responses so I will try to be brief..LOL..I find that a "to do" list works..break it down to a little each day or by week (list can be things need to accomplish,goal to succeed,spring cleaning tasks,assignments for the family to help out with etc.) I have been doing 1 for years & it really helps just to breathe & write it down & it feels good when I can cross it off or when I go back to it cross off more than one..LOL. Empty baby wipe containers are great for storage & sorting. **BEST THING** sit down in the middle of the room or on the floor in the kitchen if doing the cupboards (play favorite music ;-) ) & put stuff in piles by "must keeps","freecycle/craigslist/donation and/or yard sale" "keeping & placing elsewhere". If you do not know where it should go just start putting that in a pile as well. When all is organized you will automatically kno where this stuff should go. Label inside cupbords,stack can foods according to groups they are in or how they are used= veggies,beans,soups,etc. ALOT EASIER when you see ALL you really do have instead of searching & finding out in the middle of dinner that you do not have that can of tomatoes that you thought you did. Get a cheap set of plastic tupperware that you can label & stack & store pantry items. For financial..you can use a shoebox or small plastic file organizer for mail/bills & label according to bill and/or need. It will seem like you are overwhelmed but the music or even a friend or family to help can make it fly & you will feel a relief just by seeing what a difference. I could go on but I will not =) PLEASE if you need more info or suggestions..please message me. =D Good Luck!

For life organization, the key is just to do it regularly. I might check out some books at the library on organizing tips. Make sure to use a great calendar too. Try using google calendar, you can make separate calendars for you kids and such too so that you can manage it all in one spot. Also, try mint.com for financial planning and budgeting, it's free.

First of all, I applaud you in what you are doing - home schooling and you have your kids involved with housekeeping chores - AWESOME. You already gotten alot of good advise, so I would add the following. Keep it simple: keep everyday use things together and readily accessible. Examples: Key holder by the garage door, mail bin in the same place, school supplies in easy to put away totes or in the same cupboard. As a child of homeschooling, I would suggest specific hours and place to do homework, that way your kids can focus their minds easier. Also guard yourself against clutter/saving. It is so easy to have too much. Good Luck!

the best book I ever read was called "File Don't Pile" - it's an excellent and easy to implement filing system that works in any application - from your records to your recipes to your kids' school work - check it out

I believe there is a site flylady.com?? She's great and gives great tips that are not overwhelming, one step and one day at a time types of info. I am going to be signing back up on her site, I need to get back into the groove.
Have five kiddos myself 13,11,11,7,4, and feels like I can never keep up with things.

I am learning as I go and have checked out the other responses, which have helped ME.:) I am a SAHM of four four and under and intend to homeschool as well. I found Flylady EXTREMELY helpful and started with her baby steps. I find I am still tweaking the routines since hubby's schedule is entirely unpredictable right now.
The age difference between yours and mine is pretty huge, but I will share some things I have learned anyway- LOL! It helps immensely if I am put together before the family gets up. We have designated days for things and routines for different parts of the day that don't change. I find if I do laundry EVERY day- usually 1-2 loads- it stays at one to two loads throughout the week and no mountain develops. ANd follow through!!! I think the most important thing I have learned is to not start what I can't finish in the time I have allotted. Decluttering regularly helps too- I don't need so many dishes and whatnot because they stay washed after every meal. We have cut down on clothes for everyone because the grown out sizes would pile up, and end up in the wash somehow. I have a separate basket I now toss all the sizes not in use or grown out of and have a set day I either put them in their appropriate bins or give away bags.
One last thing before I write a mini epic- I have found writing out the routines and the chores for the kids( which, at my kids ages are really just life skills and habits, like 1. Brush teeth 2. Get dressed etc.) works when I post their individual charts where everyone can see and have spaces for stickers, smiley faces and a small reward when completed. It keeps me on track and ensures it won't be noon before they are out of their pj's- and that they will learn to do these things on their own initiative at the right time every day. I am hoping the same principle can be applied as they grow older. Sorry this is long- I hope tis helps someone-LOL!

A friend of mine who has five children wrote a book called "Coach Mom"...it is full of fun and creative ways to stay organized without being overwhelmed. You can get it at any Christian Bookstort or online through ChristianBookDistributors.com or Amazon...I really think you'll love it!

Check out Dave Ramsey-Financial Peace. I'm sure you can find it at the library. He is wonderful and you can get out of debt the right way with his program. As far as organization, a rule I have heard is: if you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it!

I also homeschool my 4 children and struggle with the same thing. I think that sometimes it's just the lifestyle we have chosen as homeschooling parents. I do like the website flylady.net she has great tips and I have used many of them. Also, we just moved to the Gilbert area 1 year ago and during the move, I got rid of 1/2 of my stuff. This helped a ton! Since there is less to clutter my house, my house is less cluttered! I also put my kids to work. I explain to them that part of homeschooling is learning life-skills. They spend at least one hour a day on chores. Good luck with everything...A.