How to Use Your Planner Like a Household Notebook

If you have a planner, there's no reason to keep a separate notebook for household chores or big projects.

How to Use a Planner to Survive the Chaos of a Natural Disaster

If you aren't familiar with this blog, I mostly write about day planners. In fact, Giftie Etcetera has a pretty active Facebook group where we discuss getting and keeping our lives in order. 

When my hometown in Louisiana flooded in a massive, 3-day rainstorm, the group kept talking about planners and order in general. 

That is, they did until one member said that her house flooded and she was stuck. Her planner wasn't good enough for the to-do list that grows so long and massive after your home is completely ruined. 

The First Page in Your Planner

Things have been crazy here in Louisiana. But in my planner, things have been pretty routine.

The system that I use on the first page of my planner gets a lot of credit for that routine in the midst of chaos.

The Cleaning Schedule in Your Planner That Will Actually Work

When I was younger, I was a history teacher. I was obsessed with the colonization of America. I thought maybe, someday, we'll colonize the moon.

Well, I have now achieved greatness by doing something I've only ever dreamed of doing.

I've colonized my home...

6 Ways to Use a Free Planner Printable - 12 Month Tracker

When I team up with Becky at Planner Fun to offer free printables and new ways to use them, I am rarely stumped.

Usually, my problem is limiting myself to 6 ways to use the printable.

Crazy Ways to Save Money

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I try to be frugal, without sacrificing too much time or energy. 

How to Clean a Peanut Butter Knife

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I know some of you will read this and laugh at me.

Using a Double-Sided Daily Page in a Planner

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People who carry planners grapple with the same question time and time again.

We need more space.

We need less weight.

The Parts of a Simplified Daily Plan

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In the world of productivity, whether in the home or in the office, there is a term called magic minimums.

The Secret to Housekeeping Without Effort

I once read one of those "get skinny without effort" articles that claimed that fidgeting helps you lose weight.

Liars!

Setting Goals With a Planner

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Unlike the New Year's Day resolutioners, I am constantly trying to lose weight (hello, roller coaster), budget responsibly, and exercise regularly. 

For me, the resolution doesn't happen once a year on January 1st.

All year long, I am alone at the gym, working toward that goal.

What to Plan in a Planner

People ask me constantly, "what do you even put in a planner?"

Well, lots of stuff.

How to Cope with the Harsh Realities of Life

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This is my favorite picture of me that has ever been taken.

No, it's not because I am hiding from the camera. I'm actually not.

I was caught dancing!

I was at my 20-year high school reunion, at the best residential high school in the world. I was surrounded by friends and my kids were at the grandparents' house for the ENTIRE WEEKEND.

Photo Credit: Sean Farley

I'm a Work at Home Mom, Who Rarely Works at Home

I'm sitting at my small desk in the living room, laptop booted up, legal assignment in hand. Or I have my planner open on the kitchen table, complete with an outline of my next blog post.

Three minutes later, I'm surfing the tv channels, tossing some laundry in the wash, or defrosting dinner.

The bed in the next room looks so warm and cozy.

Maybe I'll make a snack...

Time's up!

My children arrive home from school. No work is done. Working at home doesn't always work.

In the world of laptops and smart phones, work-at-home jobs can be done anywhere. I will work from home if I must (after doing chores and with all entertainment turned off).

But I would rather work somewhere else. Mostly, I frequent the local library, since it is quiet and free. There's also a great little coffee shop near my kids' school.

For those of us who don't work in an office, self-discipline is so important.

I know what motivates me to work - a quiet, public place. If possible, I met a work at home friend to keep me on task. It's like my own little office.

What motivates you?

A timer? A deadline? A schedule?

Whatever it is, figure it out.

It will change your work life for the better.

Etcetera.

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Featured at: Small Victories Sunday

How to Make a Household Routine Checklist in a Planner

My house is often out of control. Stuff gets piled up on the island in the kitchen, and the bathroom counter, and the side desk, and the table, and, and, and...

Yes, I blog about organization and order. Yes, I teach people how to manage their lives. Yes, my therapist called me "high functioning" just this week!

Doesn't matter. If I don't do certain things every single day, I drown in housework.

Since nothing ruins a Saturday more than hours of household chores looming over my head, I have a MAGIC list of things that I do daily to keep things in check.

In addition to erasing the evidence of everything that I do throughout the day, I do my magical dailies every single day to keep my house and life in order.

PLANNER TIP: In your planner, use graph paper to make a simple chart of your Magic Dailies. Check them off as you get done! I keep them in my Projects section with other active projects.

MY MAGIC DAILIES

15 Minute Quick Clean - Sweep through the house and put things away. Clean areas that need wiping down. If the house is orderly, vacuum the carpet or clean a toilet. If everything is clear (HA HA HA!!!), organize the junk drawer.

Laundry - Throw in a load of laundry in the morning or as soon as you get home from work. Try to follow through to wash, dry, fold, and put away (or delegate to the family to put away). For times when it doesn't all get done, put those items away on tomorrow's laundry day.

(This laundry technique changed my life!)

Dishes - Unload/load the dishwasher. Hand wash dishes as needed.

Hot Spot - Pick the one hot spot that needs to stay clear and clear it off completely (by putting things away). For my household, the island in the kitchen is that hot spot.

Food Prep - Prep your food for dinner. Maybe that means jotting down what you are cooking. Maybe that means pulling something out of the freeze. Maybe that means chopping veggies. Perhaps you are ordering pizza. Just make sure the decision is made and any advanced steps are done.

Special Dailies - All of us have daily stuff that we need to add to our checklists. Maybe you take medication each day or you have to check email. I blog most days. Make a place for that stuff on your checklist.

Prep - Include prepping for the next day, including planning food, clothes, and any items for errands, work, or school, on your checklist.

PLANNER TIP: On your weekly pages, put a repeating task tab with the word "Dailies" on it on today's entry. As you complete your dailies, move the tab to tomorrow!

At first, it is hard to learn the routines. But if you put an X if something doesn't need doing (for example, if your hot spot is already clean) and a check mark if it is done, the empty spaces will remind you where you are slacking!

And you can give up cleaning all day on Saturday...your house and life will already be magically in order!

Etcetera.

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Featured at: Meetup Monday

A Chore Chart Like You've Never Seen Before

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Today's flashback considers a system that I used, discarded for technology, and think I might return to doing in my planner instead.

The truth is that a check mark on-line is just not the same as checking something off in my planner.

Teaching Kids to Finish What YOU Started

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I often make my kids finish my chores.

Now, now, don't get all upset. I'm doing it FOR THEM!

(Okay, mostly for them. :) But contributing to the family really does leave more time for us to spend together enjoying each others' company.)

My kids have their regular chores, like doing the dishes each night or sweeping the kitchen floor. They are also in charge of picking up their own dinner plates after meals, cleaning their rooms, and picking up toys.

The Proper Order of Cleaning Up

I hear rumors of people who love housework. They patter around the house, singing along with the oldies station on the radio (which, let's face it, feature songs from when I was in college), and smile while mopping the floor.

Oh, wait...those are commercials!

There is an easier way to clean up that saves so much time and effort. And I'm going to share it with you. (Hint: It does not involve tennis shoes or the kitchen sink!)

TIP: Set a timer and do as many steps as you can in that time.

I set mine for fifteen minutes a day (and move to other rooms if the kitchen/living room are clean or if other rooms need cleaning more). For your first time, you might want to put aside an hour. But maintenance shouldn't take more than 15 minutes in a single room, unless you fail to erase the evidence as you go!

There are five easy-to-remember steps: clear, spray, dry, wet, and mop.

1. CLEAR: Clear off flat surfaces.

I won't lie. You will HATE this part. But put on your Fit Bit and earn those steps! You won't regret it.

When I clear off, I don't just dump things into a basket. I actually take each item and put it away in its home. My hair ties go into a hanging organizer in the bathroom. My keys go in my purse, hanging for a hook on my desk. My kids' toys go in their seats at the kitchen table - for removal to their bedrooms before they get to eat again - tucked under the table so I don't have to look at it. Dirty dishes go in the dishwasher. Folded clothes goes to the closet.

PLANNER TIP: Have something with no home? Write a task to "find home" in your planner and put the something in your hold box.

Probably the most time consuming part of cleaning any room is clearing off surfaces. But if you do it daily (or almost daily) and as you go through your day, it's also the most rewarding part.

TIP: If you have hot spots, decide if that should be the new home of the item. Keys can be corralled in a $1 decorative bowl bought at any thrift store. Thrift store bags and baskets are great for holding library books or mail for your husband.

Clearing will have a greater impact than anything else you do, so if you only get to this step today, that is completely fine.

2. SPRAY: Spray and soak raised surfaces.

For the longest time, I would spray, wipe, respray, rewipe, spray, wait during soaking, and finally scrub off a spot.

What a waste of time and money!

Spray any dirty spots and walk away.

3. DRY: Dust/sweep.

Next do the dry stuff, while the wet stuff is soaking. Dust from top to bottom, then sweep the floor.

4. WET: Wipe surfaces, in this order: a) germ catchers, b) high impact, and c) everything else.

Germ catchers are places like handles and knobs. Cleaning them first saves you time in the form of not getting sick!

High impact areas should be cleaned next. Your house will simply look better. Wipe down that counter and that stove top.

Finally, time permitting, do everything else. Clean inside of the microwave and that area on the door that gets footprints on it. But if you don't, no worries. You'll probably be the only one who even notices.

5. MOP: Mop.

I always mop last. (Let's be frank. If I mop, I always mop last.) After all, my food is not eaten off the floor. Only my shoes touch the floor! And if I wait long enough, my 9 year old will beg to mop it for electronics time.

This system will take a while to learn, but logging the time in my planner helped me to be realistic about how long it takes to clean my house.

This sample Weekly Schedule (created in OneNote 2013 as a time log) is available in blank form at www.calendarpedia.com (not linked here as I didn't ask them first and don't want to presume).

Notice that each room takes less and less time to clean as long as you keep it up! I clean the kitchen (at least through step 4) most days of the week.

This printable also is a great way to schedule out your week.

Want to chat about cleaning, organizing, and time management?

Click on Etcetera below to join our discussion on Facebook!

Etcetera.

Linked at: Wise Woman Wednesday

How to Repair a Slipping Sofa Cushion

If you have a sofa cushion that keeps slipping, I have a solution. It takes about ten minutes or less, no talent (seriously, I am not crafty or handy at all), and some cheap supplies.

SUPPLIES:

scissors
roll of grip shelf liner (I used easyLiner Select Grip)
12 - 15 twist pins (also called upholstery pins)

STEPS:

1. Remove the offending sofa cushion from the sofa.

2. Cut two to four pieces of shelf liner in a size that approximately covers the space underneath the sofa cushion AND the underside of the sofa cushion.

3. Use the twist pins at all corners to hold the shelf liner in place.

4. Firmly, without folding the shelf liners (use more pins to keep the liners in place if folding is a problem), place the cushion firmly back into place.

That's it. At this point, my simple repair has lasted almost a month with no issues at all. Enjoy your newly functional couch.

Etcetera.

Partied at: Something to Talk About

Clean This First: One Step to Make House Cleaning Easier

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If you know anything about the world of housekeeping, homemaking, or organizing websites, you probably think I'm going to say "clean your sink" first.

Of course not!

Cleaning your sink to keep your house clean is a silly tactic for most people. In my house, for example, my nine year old is in charge of dishes. Every day, after school, he unloads and loads the dishwasher. If I cleaned the sink each morning, I'd just ending up doing a chore that I have effectively delegated. That would be crazy.

Instead, I clean off the island in the kitchen first.

You can see how that would instantly improve the condition of my home. (You can also see that I have no shame. Who posts their mess for the whole world to see?)

In my home, the island is a hot spot. It is where things land in the afternoon rush. The island is where I prepare veggies for dinner. It is where we gather to chat about our day. The island is where we fold laundry, since it is near the laundry closet.

If the island is clean, it not only affects the visual of the whole house (with an open floor plan that means everyone sees the kitchen), but a clean island makes other chores easier. In addition to cooking and laundry, a clean island means that I can rest cleaning supplies or pots there while I clean the stove or the kitchen table. A clean island gives me a place to clean out my purse or do a craft.

Understand, I do not suggest that you clean the island in your house first.

Instead, I suggest that you identify your hot spot. What is the one place that, if neat and clean, would produce great visual impact and allow more stuff to get done?

Even though I never make the beds, if that is where you fold clothes, your bed might be that spot. Perhaps it is your coffee table or a counter where you dump stuff at the end of a long day.

Heck, it might even be your sink!

But it's not your sink because someone arbitrarily declared sinks important. It's your sink because that is your hot zone.

Find your hot zone. Now, promise yourself that, six days out of seven, you will clean that spot first. Watch how that simple tweak changes your home.

For help finding your hot spot, click on Etcetera below and join the conversation on Facebook.

Etcetera.

Linked at: Home Matters

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