Erasing Trouble Spots

Stop for a moment and look around your house.  Even if it's neat and clean, aren't there trouble spots that you constantly deal with?  In my house, there is a place there are several places that constantly are filled with stuff, no matter how much I clean.  The most bothersome is the island in the kitchen:

It's a big ugly embarrassment a massive inconvenience a problem.  My kitchen is large enough, but doesn't have a ton of counter space (as you can see in the background).  So the island is important for cooking.  Just today, I used the island for dividing up ground beef into freezer bags, for chopping onions for tacos, and for holding the cheese while I cooked the tacos so that the cheese wouldn't melt next to the stove.  I would have used the island for folding clean clothes, if it was cleared off.  (Instead, the clothes sit, unfolded, wrinkling in the washer/dryer closet to the left of the island.)  I also use the right side (which has a plug) as my desk, with my laptop and planner set next to it to process the mail, check e-mail, schedule doctors' appointments, and generally do all my office work.  (Laptop is stored near my couch when I'm playing on it, as opposed to working on it.  That way, I can watch Food Network and Facebook at the same time!) Each and every time I use my island, I have to clear it off.  Annoying, right?

Clearly, cleaning off the island is important.  Until I get into the habit of clearing it, I am making it my first chore during my 15 minute daily quick clean.  Each time I look at it, it looks overwhelming, but in all honestly, it only takes 5 minutes to clear off.

I'm going to blog my way through clearing it, just so you I can see how easy it is.

Chairs - The folding chair, still here since a dinner party - hold on, let me check my planner - 4 weeks ago, needs to go outside in the shed.  The stool basically serves as my desk chair or a space for guests/family to sit and chat with me as I cook, so it needs to be moved to the left (near the plug for my laptop and the middle of my cooking space).

Black bag - That black tote is basically serving as my purse right now.  I've been running lots of errands lately and need something that can carry a ton of stuff.  It needs to go either in my bedroom in the space dedicated for accessories that I use daily or on the counter, in the outgoing today launchpad area.  (Credit to www.organizedhome.com for the idea of a launchpad.  I have two - the one for things leaving the house tomorrow and the one for things leaving the house sometime in the future, like store returns and gifts.)

Pink tote - The pink bag carries all my reusable grocery bags and needs to go in the short term launchpad for storage in my car trunk the next time I go outside.  Or, really, I could just throw it in the trunk when I go outside in a minute to put away the folding chair!

Diet Coke - I really just need to trash the Diet Coke.  It was from the party 4 weeks ago, too {blushes}, and no one drank it.  No one in the house drinks Diet Coke, so it is really just taking up space.  And it has moved in and out of the fridge because of lack of space for it, so it's probably flat.  Note to self: do not buy 2 liters for parties.  You never use them.  Stick to canned drinks.

Watermelon - The watermelon needs to go on the counter near the window, where we have tons of otherwise unusable free space, instead of on the island where it is a broken ceramic tile and explosion of red innards all over the kitchen and the unsuspecting three year old's foot an accident waiting to happen.

Baking Potato - The potato should probably go with the other potatoes in the dark section of my pantry.  My only defense for not putting it there is that it's the big potato and I'm scared it'll get lost among the little roasting potatoes.  But the island is not the place for it and with my pantry pretty organized, I'll see it. Plus, baked potato is on my weekly menu plan.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Toy Wagon - I don't pick up the kids' toys.  But I need to toss it onto the bench in the living room, which the kids are expected to check for rogue toys whenever they do their daily room cleaning.  (Room cleaning is daily because otherwise it gets overwhelming for the kids.)

Groceries (Cheez-its, Lea and Perrins, and Italian Dressing Seasoning) - I am ashamed.  I NEVER finish unloading the groceries.  I need therapy.

Fanny Pack with Water Bottle - My fanny pack goes on the floor of my linen closet, with my weights and exercise gear.  I just toss everything in there so it's easy access for working out.  (If that drives you crazy, you can use a basket.)  The water bottle needs to go in the sink to be loaded in the next load of dishes.  (One load is currently running, so I dedicate one side of the sink to dirty dishes until eldest - 6 years old - unloads the clean dishes.)

Suspenders and Bow Tie - If I'm to be honest with myself, the suspenders and bow tie are on the island because I'm scared if I store them, I won't be able to find them in June for my sister's wedding.  Instead, I am hanging them with the shirt and pants that they go with.  Surely I'll remember that, right?  (I'm approaching 40 years old, so I might need to make a note in my planner next to the wedding date about where the outfit is stored.)  (Yes, it's just hanging in the closet.  Shush.  I'm OLD.)

Magazine - I don't subscribe to magazines.  I simply check out older issues from the library.  It needs to go on the dedicated space for library books (near the launchpad).

Taking care of trouble spots is really just a matter of standing up, dedicating 15 minutes, and making a series of little decisions.  It's easy, really.  Now, stand up.  ( I'm talking to myself.  See?  I need therapy.)

(Note the lack of an "after" picture.)

Etcetera.

Photos of My Planner

Note: See http://giftieetcetera.blogspot.com/2012/03/guided-tour-of-my-day-planner-warning.html for a Guided Tour of My Planner (a Day-timer FamilyPlus set of inserts in a Franklin Covey classic-sized binder), but for the more visual readers, I took pictures.

I read a lot of planner blogs and I've noticed that everyone has a thinner planner than mine.  Mine does zip up, easily, but I admit that I used my Christmas money to buy a nice Franklin planner exterior binder (half-page size) while user cheaper, Daytimer inserts and homemade inserts.

Big pocket holds all processed papers.  Processed means there is a task associated with the paper or a date written in the calendar.  The smaller interior pocket holds stuff for today's errands.  Currently, that includes a receipt to be filed in my car for maintenance and the grocery list from my husband's e-mail.  The credit card slots hold doctor appointment confirmation cards.  (That really SAVED me once when I showed up for surgery a day late.  I was able to prove that it was the office's mistake - they wrote the wrong date on the card - and not mine, so I avoided many cancellation fees.)

My Daily Checklist:

My Master Task List:

A Project list:

A Packing list:

I use Monthly calendars until the 1st of each month, when I transfer next month to weekly calendars.  I cross out the monthly calendar once it is transferred to weekly so that I don't accidentally write something on the now obsolete (but way useful for overview planning) monthly calendar.  Note the monthly tasks in the colorful column!

My weekly calendar is pictured below, with my four context lists: To Do, Errands, Computer, Home...plus my weekly menu, notes about calendar entries and tasks, running grocery list, and daily Appointments, Tasks, and FYIs.  I LOVE this format because the weekdays are all on one page, but there is ample space in the weekend blocks and for tasks lists, too.

A Future page, for anything scheduled once my planner year ends.  If you don't have one of those, go make one.  NOW!

Every now and then, something doesn't hole punch easily or I just want to hold on to it in case.  Those things go in this pocket.

Addresses and contact information is so much better kept digitally nowadays.  So the address tabs (note some are removed for space purposes) are covered with a master, at-a-glance file list.

Filed items go on the master file list (above), plus the name of the file goes after an F with a circle around it on the upper right hand corner of the page.  Can you tell that I used to be a school teacher?  ;)

Envelopes, stamps, and self-addressed stickers:

Post-its and spare pencil lead:

Paper and pencil.  Not pen.  Pencil.  (I do carry a pen in my purse.)

Etcetera.

Project Planning

When I worked for a paycheck, I had projects to plan and complete all the time.  I usually created a folder to hold all the information about the project, put deadlines on the front inside cover of the folder, put tasks on my weekly task list, and kept notes on everything that I did.  Because each project was so distinct from each other project and because they were all on deadlines (to bosses or external deadlines), it was easy to keep track of things.  For example, if the project was to hire interns, I would have an interns folder where I kept all the advertisements for resumes and actual resumes.  I would have tasks on my to do list.  I would have appointments to interview the interns and to send letters hiring or thanking them.  If I had to edit a journal article, it got its own folder, list of deadlines, tasks, and scheduled events.

As a stay-at-home mom, though, I never thought of planning "projects" since I rarely have anything due to anyone, other than one time things, like returning library books or doing the taxes.  But my sister is getting married next month, and suddenly, I was faced with planning a wedding shower.  My list of responsibilities was long and spanned over a long time period.  For example, early in the process, we had to prepare a guest list, created and proof invitations, order invitations, send out invitations, and select a venue.  Later, there was a menu to make and food to be bought and cooked.  The party needed decorations and drinks.  The list was long.  I could (and did) put items on my weekly tasks lists and calendar, but I couldn't keep track of what I had done or what I still needed to do without going through many pages of notes in my planner.  The problem, as David Covey of Getting Things Done fame would surely say, was that the wedding shower was a project, that needed to be scheduled and broken down into specific actions or tasks.  It needed to be treated like a project.

So I created this:

The front side of the planner page includes the name of the project and the due date or event date across the top.  Then there are four columns: DUE, Cat/@, Task, and Details.  For Cat/@, I either categorize by context/where I have to do the task, just like I do with my task lists (No context/can do anywhere, Errands, Home, or Computer) or I write the @ symbol.  @ means to me that it is pending either a certain date, other action, or a person.  @05/15 would mean, for example, not until after May 15.  @JD means my task occurs after Jane Doe does her part.

The back side of each page has a place for notes and other contacts.

In order to remember to check the project lists weekly and add any tasks or events to my task list or calendar, I put a recurring task on each Monday (it's written on Monday's task list and circled, to indicate to me that once it is done, I carry forward the task to NEXT Monday).  When  I check the list, I add any tasks or event that need to be dealt with this week on the appropriate task list or calendar.  (Of course, the due date or event date is on my main calendar the whole time.)

Right now, I have several project lists going.  Fortunately, the shower was yesterday, but I still have a list for the wedding.  I also have a project set up for an out-of-town trip (with packing lists right behind it) that required a lot of pre-planning, a wreck that I got into that requires claims and repairs and rental cars (and what a nice record for my files of everything that was done), a volunteer event that I am co-chairing, and Back-to-School tasks that need to be done over the summer.

Here is the volunteer event project list, in progress:

I store the project sheets in a dedicated place in the front of my planner, right after my Daily Checklist and Master Task List.

What are some projects you are currently planning and how do you handle them?

Etcetera.

My Kids Are Not My Servants

My kids are not my servants.  Sucky, right?  I mean, what's the point of having kids if I can't sit around all day, having them cook and clean and bring me stuff?  :)  Maybe Cinderella's stepwitch had things right.  I do have them rub my feet every now and then, after all.

Seriously, though, even if kids are not your servants, they need to learn to clean up.  As soon as my kids could throw a ball into a basket, I started having them put toys in containers instead of me.  The purpose was not so that I would not have to do work.  Honestly, it takes more effort to convince an 18 month old to put a ball in a basket (and not take it out again) than it does to just pick up yourself.  But my job, as a mom, is to teach my kids to SURVIVE ON THEIR OWN.  That's right.  They need to know how to sweep the floor, cook dinner,  do dishes and laundry, and everything else, not for my convenience, but for theirs.

A key consideration in teaching my boys to do chores is that I struggle every day to do chores.  I have to make myself do the laundry or the dishes.  I want it to be natural and easy for them.  I don't want them to struggle like me.

So the 3 year old does laundry to the hamper, from the washer to the dryer, and sorts it into his dresser.  He straightens the living room and puts away his own toys.  The 6 year old unloads the dishes and replaces the DVDs where they belong and makes his own bed.  They empty and reline the trash cans.  They are both learning little bits about cooking.

It's not easy.  It's way more work than just doing it for them.  But it's the right thing to do.

Etcetera.

Laundry Woes

Somehow, the laundry basket in my room is full.  I used to sort the laundry into four laundry sorting baskets, filling up our bedroom.  (We are blessed with a laundry closet, but have no laundry room.)  Every week, the baskets all got full.  The task was overwhelming.  The room was a mess.  And having a day planner did NOT help at all.  Sigh.  What kind of problem isn't solved by a day planner?  Does.  Not. Compute.

So I limited myself to ONE large laundry basket.  Each kid has a hamper in his room, and during afternoon chores, my 6 year old (and soon my 3 year old) will bring the laundry from the bedroom hampers to my hamper in my bedroom.  For sorting (which is pretty minimal - reds/purples/oranges, dark, light, white...but I combine as needed for efficiency), I have four mesh bags in different colors.  When I sort laundry on my bed, the biggest (or most necessary, if it contains the only remaining unstained school uniform :/) load goes in the wash while the others go into the mesh bags and back in the hamper, to avoid resorting.  It's worked okay, as laundry doesn't get overwhelming to sort and the hamper gets full, reminding us to clean the clothes.

But...this weekend the hamper is overflowing.  It sucks.

So, new HOUSE RULES are clearly necessary.

LAUNDRY HOUSE RULES

1. One batch DAILY.

Laundry gets down any time we are in town.  One batch per day, unless there is truly not enough to wash.  If we are going to be out of town more than once in a week, two loads must be done in ADVANCE of leaving town.  Laundry is already part of my daily checklist, but I REALLY cannot skip it!

2. Put it ALL away.

This hiding of clean laundry instead of putting it in the closets is NOT working.  I taught Loki how to put jammies away today and am making Ander in charge of the clothes that go in the boys' dressers.  I'll do hanging stuff, but if Alan or I wash clothes, the laundry is coming out and being put away immediately.

3.  If you can't put it away, assign someone to do so.

Husband needs to learn to ask me to put it away if he doesn't have time.  This finding it later is getting old.

My family is going to HATE these rules.  I already hate them.  But they are happening.

I have declared it so.

Etcetera.

Doing What Comes Naturally

A friend posted a question in my facebook group about where we store salt and pepper - near the stove or near the spices?  The answers varied widely.  The answer, though, don't matter as much as the question.  How do we decide where things go?  When I unpacked my new house for the first time (6 years ago), I thought carefully about where to place each item.  (I thought about it so much, in fact, that I *might* have snapped at the kind souls who helped me move for free when they put things in other places.  {sheepish shame})  Plastic wrap and ziplocs went in the drawer in the island, and have remained there, even through Pinterest's many cool pics of storing aluminum foil in a magazine holder in your pantry.  The truth is, I store leftovers at the island, so they are convenient stored there.  Plates went near the stove (to grab and put food directly on them), while recipes went far from the stove (since I rarely actually use them for cooking).  And, yes, salt and pepper shaker when on the spice rack, not too far from the stove.

And they NEVER stayed there.

My husband would grab the salt with dinner, clear the table, do the dishes, wipe down the counters - and leave the salt right there on the counter.  I would cook a roast, throw away the onions peels, wipe away the splashed gravy, put the pot soaking in the sink - and leave the salt waiting right there on the counter.  Sometimes, I would get inspired and put the salt and pepper shakers on the stove.  They would fall behind it, so they ended up - you guessed it - on the counter next to the stove!  Clearly, they wanted to live on the counter next to the stove.  Screw visual clutter.  They were strong magnets, attracted to that same spot every time.

Now, salt and pepper shakers have a dedicated place on the counter, right in front of the can opener.  And it works for all of us.  (If it didn't work for my husband - and by not working I mean if he failed consistently to return them to that spot - I would have bought a flat plate or a container to indicate their "home.")

A simple rule that really works is to store things you use daily out on the counter/desk/table, things you use weekly in nearby drawers/easy access storage, and things you use monthly in storage cabinets and drawers.  Things used yearly can go out in the garage.  But, sometimes, you naturally put something somewhere else.  Sometimes, it's good to retrain yourself to put things away in the garage (like the Christmas decorations).  But sometimes, your natural tendencies take you in a different direction.

I'm finally surveying my house and making a dedicated spot for other things where they normally land anyway (and providing containers where necessary).  We always play with playdough in the kitchen, so I put out a crawfish tray near the homework corner full of playdough and playdough accesories.  Sure, we only use playdough about once a month.  But it's so much fun and good for my boys' fine motor control.  I have a long-term launchpad (for things like the tray I borrowed from my sister or gifts for the three parties next weekend), but it was too crowded for current stuff, so I tend to put my purse and library books and tote bag near the microwave.  I cleared everything out of that spot, and made it my short term (things going out of the house this week) launchpad.  My remote controls and cell phone keep landing next to the couch, so I bought a cheap basket to put them in.  (They are a daily use item, so it makes sense that they need to be right there.)  I used to keep folding my blanket and moving it to the linen closet, but since we always need a blanket in the living room, I just got one that matches my couch and store it on the couch.

For the next few weeks, I am going to watch where things naturally land (whenever it isn't in the "proper home").  And then, where I can, I am going to make new homes in those natural spots.  Maybe if I put things where they naturally end up anyway, but containered or with the other stuff around it moved and put away, I can minimize visual clutter while also saving my family from lots of time cleaning up.

Etcetera.